{"id":7876,"date":"2025-09-23T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=7876"},"modified":"2025-10-03T15:26:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T19:26:06","slug":"200-if-we-had-this-back-in-the-70s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/200-if-we-had-this-back-in-the-70s\/","title":{"rendered":"#200\u2014If We Had This Back in the 70s …"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Who said, \u201cNostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. In what show (and who said it) did we hear, \u201cIf the internet has taught us anything, it\u2019s that sometimes it\u2019s easier to speak our minds anonymously.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear:
    Bah-da, bah-da-da, da<\/em>
    Bah-da, bah-da-da, da<\/em>
    Bah-da, bah-da-da, da<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n
    <\/div>
    Blog #200 (audio)<\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>
    <\/div>
    Published: <\/span>September 22, 2025<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>0<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Is This Really<\/em> My 200th Blog Post?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I posted my first \u201cA Veteran\u2019s Journey<\/a><\/strong>\u201d blog on Veterans Day<\/strong>, 2010\u2014almost five years ago!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wow, how time flies, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Actually, if you count the number of Navy Friday Funnies<\/em><\/strong> I\u2019ve sprinkled in over the years (I\u2019ll admit, some are repeats, but still \u201coldies but goodies\u201d), then I\u2019ve posted a total of 337 blogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And yet, I don\u2019t seem to run out of things to blog about. Some ideas spring up from Facebook group discussions; others may come to me out of the blue. Who knows from where the next one will surface, but I\u2019m still writing, which is one of my happy places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I was working on one of our many Rebuild<\/strong> projects a week or so ago. I’ve volunteered with this great organization for several years. Many times, we\u2019ll rebuild a porch or deck or perhaps build a handicap access ramp for someone in need. Whatever the case, it\u2019s a great group of volunteers, and we all get along well together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sort of like the old Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong> flight deck crew I worked with. We\u2019re all a bit older now, but a great team!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    BTW\u2013my first<\/em> Rebuild project involved building a handicap access ramp. The homeowner needed one in order to have her Marine son transferred from a San Diego hospital to her home here in North Florida. Turns out, she was a retired 20-year career Radioman. A fellow Navy veteran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Rebuild Project – Gainesville (APR 2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    That connection \u2026 that<\/em> project \u2026 set me on this<\/em> particular journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Many years ago, when our kids were in elementary school, one of their homework assignments in the early 1990s was to interview me & Becky asking, \u201cMom \u2026 Dad \u2026 what types of things are available now that weren\u2019t when you were our age?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Talk about a time-travel moment. Well, that\u2019s \u201csort of\u201d the subject of this week\u2019s blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cordless Tools<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Speaking of construction projects \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The tools we now have available to work on these projects are a far cry from what we had back in the 70s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Back then, everything had a cord (drills, saws, etc.). And even then, we needed at least one extension cord, if not more. We didn\u2019t even have surge suppressors or multiple-outlet strips back then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now, we don\u2019t need no stinking<\/em> electrical cords. Everything is cordless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And my new \u201cbest friend?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    An Oscillating Multi-tool. We use this a lot when removing damp drywall from water-damaged homes after a hurricane \u2026 another volunteer group: Early Response Teams<\/a><\/strong>. I still use a box cutter or drywall saw when appropriate, but for my money, the oscillating multi-tool is well worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Smartphones<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I have this love-hate relationship with my Samsung Galaxy smartphone. I love it when it works, which is most<\/em> of the time. But on those few times (like when I\u2019m inside Lowe’s or Home Depot trying to look up the competitive prices in the other<\/em> store) when it doesn\u2019t work, it\u2019s a bit frustrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And don\u2019t get me started on the SPAM calls or texts. I have so many blocked numbers on my phone, I\u2019m surprised it\u2019s not out of memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But if we had these back in the 70s on the flight deck, then we\u2019d be able to record the sights & sounds (but not the smells) of an F-4 Phantom<\/strong> jet in full afterburner launching into the sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Flat screen TVs<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    When I was stationed at NAS Agana, Guam<\/a><\/strong>, we had CRT television sets, both in the Crash Barn and another one we purchased for our barracks (we had 4 men to a barracks room). I believe the TV was probably 14-16\u201d. Not very large, but we could get one TV station broadcast. It gave us a break from playing poker or hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    NAS Agana, Guam, 1974. TV in my barracks room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    These days, we have flat-screen TVs. I doubt the V-1 Division<\/strong> berthing compartments on the newer carriers can mount an 85\u201d flat screen 4K Ultra HDTV. But I may be wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, watching an F-18 approach and land through the PLAT (Pilot Landing Aid Television) on an 85″ Ultra HDTV in 4K resolution would be awesome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Internet <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Where do I start? Back in the 70s, both in Guam and aboard Kitty Hawk<\/em>, the only research we could do was in the library. The only mail we\u2019d get would be written letters and postcards received during \u201cMail Call.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Several of my shipmates on Westpac \u201975<\/a><\/strong> left home for the cruise, knowing their wives would give birth while they were away at sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sure, they may receive a telegram aboard the ship or a phone call while in port, but it took several weeks before they saw photos of their newborn baby. And then, they might pass it around the berthing compartment, many of us with watery eyes, so happy for happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nowadays, with the Internet and smartphones, the shipmate could probably watch the birth in real-time, though I doubt they\u2019d share those private moments. But the ability to see and hear a newborn baby, cooing next to their mom\u2014the shipmate\u2019s wife\u2014would be the best thing since sliced bread (you can tell I\u2019m \u201cOld school\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You know what I mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Satellite Radio<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Back in my day (mid-70s), the newest music technology was a cassette. They were much smaller than the 8-track tapes we had during my high school years. I grew up listening to 33-rpm LPs and 45-rpm records on a stereo system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Music was and always has been, important to me. After all \u2026 my nickname in the Navy was \u201cChet\u201d Adkins, primarily because I played guitar and sang country music. John Melcher<\/strong> gave me that nickname when I first joined the Crash crew at NAS Agana, Guam, in November 1973.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even while aboard Kitty Hawk<\/em>, I was a disc jockey. My \u201cCountry Chet Adkins<\/a>\u201d show spot was 0600-0800 every morning while at sea \u2026 and I loved every minute of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kitty Hawk<\/em> had three radio stations: KROC (Rock), KSOL (Soul), and KRAL (Country). My first opening tune was always Chet Atkins\u2019 \u201cYakety Axe<\/em>,\u201d and I\u2019d start off with my daily musical mantra, \u201cGooooooood mornin\u2019 to ya Kitty Hawk<\/em>. It\u2019s that time \u2026 time again for the country Chet Adkins show.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Couple of DJs on Kitty Hawk’s KROC Rock radio station. Westpac ’75. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    I still have several cassette tapes of my shows. The only problem \u2026 I can\u2019t find a cassette player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But now, we\u2019ve got satellite radio. Any genre, any day or night, you can hear your favorite song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our playlists back in the 70s were pre-recorded \u201cmix tapes\u201d of our favorite tunes on a single cassette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now, you\u2019ve got Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and a host of other streaming platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And if we had satellite radio back in my day \u2026 sitting in the Crash truck on the Alert Spot<\/strong> between runways at NAS Agana, Guam \u2026 well, we could just jam out to whatever suited the five of us on the Crash crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    NAS Agana, Guam – “Alert Spot” Routine<\/em>: working on tans. 1974.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    GPS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I bought my first Chevy \u201cCustom Deluxe\u201d truck in 1976 in Gig Harbor, WA<\/strong>. Kitty Hawk<\/em> was in the Bremerton Shipyards<\/a><\/strong> for a year-long overhaul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like many other shipmates and their families, I rode the Hawk <\/em>during the trip north. That was a sight to behold, too. Coming through Puget Sound on a cool morning and seeing, for the first time, Mount Rainier in all her snow-topped glory, with a ring of clouds surrounding her summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A year later, Kitty Hawk <\/em>was done with the overhaul. The skipper gave us the choice of either driving our vehicle onto the ship and parking on the flight deck for the ride back to San Diego, or of taking five days to drive back. Since I had my \u201cChet mobile,\u201d I chose to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, camping in the back of my pickup along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That was the trip of a lifetime. I was alone with my thoughts, pondering my future (I was 22 years old and wondering if I should stay in the Navy or take another journey), and enjoyed the beauty on this awesome drive south to San Diego.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Back then, we used paper maps. And yes, I got lost once or twice along the way. But that\u2019s part of the adventure, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nowadays, we have this fancy-schmancy technology called GPS (Global Positioning System). You can\u2019t really<\/em> get lost. And if you try, Siri pipes up with an obnoxious, \u201cReturn to the route,\u201d or \u201cRerouting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes I change up my route on purpose to see if she can figure it out \u2026 just because I can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Anyone else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Facetime or Zoom Video Calls<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m sure most of us have used FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom over the past years. It\u2019s quite an interesting technology (speaking as an electronics engineer), and the programming algorithms have significantly improved over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I love Facetiming with our grandsons, both the older ones and the youngest. To see their expressions in real-time for some of the old \u201cclean\u201d Navy jokes I tell is precious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m not sure we\u2019d have gotten much done in the Yellow Shirt<\/a><\/strong> locker if we had access to these<\/em> technologies, especially because of the amount of signal bandwidth required. The lag time alone would drive me up the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But still \u2026 the ability to have a video conversation \u2026 out in the middle of the ocean. That would be amazing, especially if you could share some of those special moments<\/a> we all remember from being at sea: sunsets & sunrises, a gazillion brilliant, twinkling stars, and of course, an aircraft in full afterburner launching off the bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Imagine this \u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"
    Atlantic Ocean (Nov 2005) — Lt Sean McCarthy gives the signal to launch an F\/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the “Checkmates” (VFA-211) from USS Enterprise (CVN 65). Photo credit: PH3 Rob Gaston. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The Shooter<\/strong> \u2026 Cat 3 \u2026 wearing his usual Yellow \u201cShooter\u201d Float Coat, his Green Helmet with five vertical orange and white stripes, & his goggles \u2026 checking the bow, checking the flight deck, checking the plane, checking the checkers, checking the aircraft \u2026 squats down, right knee bent, left leg extended aft \u2026all ready to launch an F\/A-18F Hornet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He\u2019s wearing a pair of new Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses hidden by his dark-lensed goggles, Facetiming with his wife 15 hours behind in San Diego, through his Bluetooth connection (since he\u2019s an officer, he\u2019s got access to the ship\u2019s higher speed bandwidth). She can see everything he sees, and he can watch her reactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Just as he touches the flight deck and points toward the bow, signaling for the launch, his wife blows a kiss toward him (or whatever else your imagination could imagine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah \u2026 I know I\u2019ll catch a bunch of “deserved” crap for that<\/em> scenario. But you must admit, that would be some pretty cool technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And yes, I\u2019ve got a similar scene in the novel I\u2019m currently working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Andy<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran<\/strong> (\u201973-77) and the author of several books (www.azadkinsiii.com<\/a>), many of which are free downloads (PDF, eBook format). He is currently retired and lives in Gainesville, Florida with his wife and life-long soulmate, Becky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Previous Blogs mentioned in this Post:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n