#176—Dear Mom & Dad

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) June 1977 Somewhere off the Coast of Southern California Dear Mom & Dad: Can you believe it? I’ll be home for good in less than a month. It seems like only yesterday that I joined… Read more#176—Dear Mom & Dad

#172—Change of “Scenery” (Red to Yellow)

April 1977—USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)Somewhere off the Coast of California “Hey Chet… You ready for this?” I was sporting my new, brightly colored jersey… this one is yellow. My new “home” is no longer the Crash Crew, but now I’m… Read more#172—Change of “Scenery” (Red to Yellow)

#170—An Honor and a Privilege

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) This year marks the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. My father-in-law, Dr. Rufus K. Broadaway, dropped into Normandy with the 82nd Airborne Division. My father, A. Z. Adkins, Jr., landed on Utah Beach the first week… Read more#170—An Honor and a Privilege

#167—The Navy Introduced Me to a Lot of “Firsts”

A-7 Corsair Ready for Launch

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) Boot Camp What can I say that others haven’t said about “Boot Camp?” I joined the Navy at the tender young age of 18 and attended a “truncated” 6-week boot camp at Orlando RTC (Recruit… Read more#167—The Navy Introduced Me to a Lot of “Firsts”

#166—The Day I “accidentally” Made 30 Kids Cry

Gainesville Fire Department

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) I was (and still am) a Navy veteran… a proud Navy veteran. I spent 4 years in the Navy (’73-77) as an Aviation Boatswains Mate-Handler. Most of that time was as a Crash firefighter. I… Read more#166—The Day I “accidentally” Made 30 Kids Cry

#165—Back Then, I Could Sleep Anywhere

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) My dad wrote in his diary, “You Can’t Get Much Closer Than This…” about sleeping in foxholes during World War II in Europe. Not occasionally, mind you, but most of his time over there. Except… Read more#165—Back Then, I Could Sleep Anywhere

#164—It’s Just a Number

USS Kitty Hawk Decommissioning Ceremony

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) The conversation started with, “It’s just a number…” Birthdays & Anniversaries I’ll be 70 years old later this year. Like many of my “seasoned” colleagues and shipmates, birthdays are sometimes just another day in the… Read more#164—It’s Just a Number

#162—My Best Day(s) in the Navy

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) I’ve been slacking a bit in my blog writing over the past few months. There’s really not a good excuse, except… as my dad used to say… “I’ve been busier than a one-armed paperhanger working… Read more#162—My Best Day(s) in the Navy

#161—The “Pucker Factor”

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) According to Professor Google, the term, “Pucker Factor,” originated somewhere, sometime in the 60s. I never knew the term during my early elementary and junior high school years, though there were times when it would… Read more#161—The “Pucker Factor”

#158—My Favorite Navy Jets (70s version)

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) Someone recently asked me what my favorite plane was when I was in the Navy. Not an unusual question for a Navy veteran, but it came from a young’un, probably not yet a teen. She… Read more#158—My Favorite Navy Jets (70s version)