#157—Oh, the Places You’ll Go…

Andy Adkins: Boot Camp, Retired

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) What my Recruiter Said – “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” It’s been over 50 years since I walked into the Navy recruiter’s office in Tallahassee, Florida. At the tender young age of 18, I was… Read more#157—Oh, the Places You’ll Go…

#153—The “Dream Sheet”

USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 underway Western Pacific 29 November 1970

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) Your airman will make requests for their first duty station selection while at Basic Military Training (BMT). They will fill out a form, known as a “dream sheet,” to list their assignment preferences. They will… Read more#153—The “Dream Sheet”

#150—The Seabag

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) My first encounter with a “seabag” was actually a duffle bag. A World War II vintage duffle bag, to be precise. I was eight years old—a short little towhead blond who loved the outdoors and… Read more#150—The Seabag

#149—Short? “Five Days and a Wake-up”

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) In my last post I wrote two weeks ago was my “Anniversary” of joining Uncle Sam’s Canoe Club 50 years ago. That post got me to thinking about those last few days aboard USS Kitty… Read more#149—Short? “Five Days and a Wake-up”

#148—Anniversaries…

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) As I’ve grown older (i.e., “seasoned”), anniversaries come and go—some are more memorable than others. At 68, my wedding anniversary in March remains the most important. I won’t pretend to try to “rank” the others,… Read more#148—Anniversaries…

Blog #146—Flight Ops: Another Fine Day in the Navy!

Since I’m out on vacation this week, I thought I’d repost one of my favorite blogs. During my short Three Years, Eleven Months, and 29 Days (But Who’s Counting) career in the Navy, my rating was an ABH (Aviation Boatswain’s… Read moreBlog #146—Flight Ops: Another Fine Day in the Navy!

#144—Memorial Day 2023… What it Means to THIS Veteran

I posted this Memorial Day blog last year. I’m reposting it because… well… it speaks volumes of how I feel about Memorial Day as a Navy veteran. For many years, I was one of “those guys” who appreciated the long,… Read more#144—Memorial Day 2023… What it Means to THIS Veteran

#143—Flight Ops… Around the Clock

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) We weren’t at war… The “official” end of the Vietnam War was April 30, 1975. I’d reported aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), just thirty days prior. She was moored at North Island,… Read more#143—Flight Ops… Around the Clock

#142—An Unexpected Delight

This past week, my wife and I had the pleasure to attend a reception for local authors and artists. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but since one of my simple “prose” writings had been accepted, I thought it would… Read more#142—An Unexpected Delight

#141—Letter Writing: A Different Generation

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) In one of my earliest blogs, I wrote about letter writing, asking the question, “Does anybody write letters anymore?” Back in the ‘70s (I’m a “child of the ‘60s”), there was no e-mail and there… Read more#141—Letter Writing: A Different Generation