The day before on the 25th I was on my way to the Boston Army Pier for my Draft Physical with my Buddy Tommy Dwyer, after classification we were both classified 1-A (Translates to YOUR NEXT) So I said to Tommy, hell I’m just going to join and have some small say in where I go. The Army Recruiter asked me what I wanted to do, without a moment’s thought I blurted out; “I want to drive a tank!” “Do you have another choice four eyes? Asked; Mr. Army man.
There listening was the quintessential Navy Chief, in khakis with the never ending cup of coffee in his hand, and he said; “Son, how would you like to drive a SHIP?” He had me on that as I loved piloting my Dad’s boat.
Where do you want to do your boot camp, Great Lakes Illinois or San Diego California” Two very important facts aided me in that decision. First was WINTER was coming, and I wanted to try a warm one. (First of many) The second fact was you rode a train to Great Lakes, and you flew on air-o-planes to San Diego. No WINTER and my first plane ride? Go Navy, and where the hell does one affix their name?
With the Navy, there is always a hitch, this one was: San Diego, the next morning, Great lakes in two days. What time do you need me here? (OH Tommy ran away, and was called to the Army three months later, guess where he went?)
Mom was mad, Dad was proud (Chief Petty Officer USN from the Big One WW-II) My Dad drove me to the Recruiter the next morning. Maybe he was just happy he wasn’t paying for my collage?
Boot camp in San Diego was mostly a blur, but the first day there I noticed two things, the weather was wonderful and the other people were speaking a form of English that this young boy from the Dorchester section of Boston had only heard in the movies and thought only actors spoke that way.
The one guy Petty Officer First Class (BT-1) John Bullock (There are something’s in your life you’ll never forget.) who wore his white hat cocked to the side of his head and walked the way a sailor is supposed to walk. Within a week, 90 young men in Company 628 walked and wore our hats that very same way.
Shock number one, CHIEF’s can’t type, on my enlistment contract I had signed into the Navy on 4 October 1965 for 26 years. My (I owned it by then) Navy fixed it for me and I only had to do four years. (Had I only known then)
Now the Navy was sending me to a school to be a radioman, I didn’t want to be whatever the hell that was. But the Navy stepped in again, as there was a Company mate who had orders to a squat fat fleet oiler in FLORIDA (Warm again) so they switched us.
During the first two years I tried to buck the Navy, and had to keep my rating badge on my uniform using Velcro. But I was a proficient boat coxswain and loved driving all the ship’s boats, so when “The Chief threatened to take that away, I shaped up Ricky Tick. (Quickly)
The years went by and in 1976 I became “The Chief” never in my life would I have dreamed of that, the greatest thing in my life that had ever happened to me. And three years later I was advanced to Senior Chief, which was nice, but making Chief, was the “Cat’s Ass” for me.
During my 22 years the Navy saw fit to introduce me to the Philippines, and having sailed and worked side by side with Filipinos, I found it wonderful. Or as explained to me by saltier crustier sailors; “It’s like an E-ticker ride at Disneyworld, and I was tall enough to ride all the rides.” (And if anyone is too young to understand what an E-Ticket was, please stop reading now. (Just kidding)
I retired in 1986 and stayed in Puerto Rico, and opened two nightclubs, please don’t misunderstand I loved Puerto Rico and the people, but when talking to shipmates about the Philippines I knew I was in the wrong part of the world. Then came Hurricane Hugo and sent me from hero to zero in 24 hours, I knew it was time for a change.
I got my Merchant Marine Documents (Z-Card) and started sailing Asia, and at the end of every cruise I’d have a two month vacation and enough money to go anywhere in the world and stay at Five Star Resorts with money left over at the end. I lived nowhere but I had a storage unit in Florida that I paid ten tears in advance. Or as my Dad would refer to me, “Paul, the richest homeless person he’d ever met.”
Then when visiting a friend in Olongapo, while at his house his wife introduced me to Mayang in 1993, and the rest is a love story that is still being written
. We all take a different path to the Philippines, I can’t speak to yours, but I’m glad I took that first step on 26 October 1965 low those 48 years ago. Oh and “GO NAVY!”
Paul, You just flooded my mind with so many memories that I am not so sure I can address them all here. Your beginnings mirror mirror My own in so many ways it is almost Incredible. Even our enlistment dates are only 1 and month an a 1week apart. I might even Have known and met your buddy Tom Dwyer! You said he was drafted in !966 if your Dates an my calculations are correct. In 1970 I was transferred to Jacksonville Florida. When I got settled in I met 2 sailors living next door to me and we became close friends. One, A 2nd class Dispersing clerk by the name of Ori Sheldon and the other an Mess management specialist 3rd class with Prior army service Named Tom Dwyer. Tome was a large framed guy with Ruddy complexion of Irish decent and from Boston! He made me laugh a lot as he had a keen wit and was spontaneously funny. We really need to get together and swap notes someday
Joe;
When Tommy got out of the Army he went back to Dorchester and stayed. I’d see him when I was home on leave. Did you also sign up at the Boston Army Pier?
If this brought back memories than I hope they were good ones. I was lucky as when I went back to sea as a merchant seaman, it was just like being in the Navy again, except 5 times the pay.
the jigsaw puzzle on your life now 100%.
Currently in Gettysburg and after 2 days walking very sore feet. But worth the effort.
Doing the bucket list on the way home tomorrow.
Regards to all
Great story Paul, I love those happy endings. You did well Master Chief!!
Mike;
I made Senior Chief (E-8) in 14 years, but I would have had to stay in until 30 years to ever make Master Chief. But as I said, I was happy at making Chief. No one could believe it knowing my younger years.
Hey Frank;
From South Africa to Virginia, now that’s a trip, did you bring the family with you? There is a lot to see and do in that neck of the woods, I was stationed in Virginia a couple of times, and liked it. Enjoy your vacation but stay out of Washington, it’s a mess for the next three years.
Oh Yeah, I assume the first Photo you included was a “bucket list” wish.
Yeah Joe;
That was checked off my list in May of last year!
Yes Paul, I think a bunch of us can relate to your story. I was exposed to that “strange accent” at a bit earlier age, but didn’t have to really deal with it until basic training.
We lived beside a highway that ran north-south. I caught the school bus at the general store on the other side. They had gas, groceries & such. The interstate highways had been around for a while, but there were still folks who liked traveling the old routes. We were waiting for the bus one morning when a couple of Yankee snowbirds on their way to Florida stopped in for gas. They went inside to pay, and we looked at each other and said with astonishment; “They talk just like the people on TV!”.
As a side note, we had no trouble distinguishing TV from real life. Very little on the TV resembled life as we knew it then.
Take care,
Pete
Pete;
Ya’ll sure do talk pretty, was said to me when I met girl from Waycross GA. my first year in the Navy. And I was at a gas station on HWY 17 in Virginia buying gas. A girl with New York tags pulled in across from me and asked the attendant if he knew where 17 North was. He said no but pointed out that the road we ere all on was 17 South.
Paul, I love listening to the southern accent, but only if the speaker is a genuine Georgia peach! Somehow, if it’s spoken by men, I get a bit turned off. LOL
John;
I’ll wager the southern men feel pretty much the same about listening to us. When I was in Australia I noticed I had a more difficult time understanding the men but I had no problem with the women. Maybe I was paying more attention to the ladies for some reason or another?
It was a ship almost identical to that one in your pictures that brought me to the PI. Had fun then and still having fun. Great story.
Go Navy….
Luke;
Yes, but watch where you’re going!!! (LOL)
Loren;
Those old Fleet Oilers were a lot of fun, and they did go to interesting places, even if we smelled like Navy Standard Fuel Oil when we got there.
And of all the patriotism to the great US of A , you could not get a stable family with an American woman.
Tarsier;
You poor sad person I’d wish you a happy life, but I feel that you wouldn’t be capable of enjoying it.
As you hide behind your phony name and shout out from your dark dingy corner of the world it is because you lack the sack to go toe to toe with people.
I’ll say to you; “Please continue to enjoy yourself by throwing spitballs at battleships.”
Oh, and thank you for your comment!
Interesting story of your Navy life, that has some parallels to my own. I flunked out ot Miami University in Ohio in 1964. My draft re-classification notice from 2-S to 1-A, was issued in two weeks. So at age 21 in March 1964 I entered the USN, with bootcamp at Great Lakes. It was cold. I then attended ET – A school there for the next year, followed by ET-C school at Mare-Island Ca.(Near San Francisco). In July 1965 reported about the USS Ticonderoga, CVA-14, at anchor in Subic Bay. When my 4-years was up, (Mar, 1968); I elected to leave the Navy and got a job as an electronics techician in the military electronic engineering dept. of Magnavox in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Three years later, I found myself living in Subic Bay, Philippines on what turned out to be a 2-year stint there with the Navy again, sometimes even at sea aboard various carriers with officer privilges, and tech-rep pay. I met and married my Philippine wife in 1972, and brought her home to Ft. Wayne about 9 months later. We celebrated our 41st wedding anniv. this fall. We have visited the PI several times over the years, and She still wants to go back and live there, but we are busy with the grandkids here in Indianapolis.
I enjoyed meeting you Paul when we visited there in 2011. Someday We should meet again.
Hi Larry;
We all have found our way here in many diverse ways, but with a few exceptions. I have met people who didn’t like it here, but by the same token they didn’t like Disneyland either.
I can understand your situation, with your grandkids as I would find it difficult to ever leave mine. It’s funny how they get into your heart and just won’t leave. I know my daughter will be moving to the states within a year or two, and my grandson will be going too, I’m not going to like it at all.
We enjoyed meeting you folks also, hope to see you the next time.
Paul,
Time really does fly by fast when your having fun. I enjoyed my 6 year stint in the Marine Corps. The best time was on ship on back to back Med Cruises. I remember the Oiler and Resupply ships clearly because we had to assist the “squids” as the sailor was called than move the supplys down to the storage of the LPD. Really enjoyed being in the Mediterranean ports. Sometimes I wish I should have just stayed till retirement.
Randy;
I very much enjoyed Europe in the 60’s when it was cheap and still fun. All I mostly rode were the resupply ships that brought you all that heavy stuff. Once I found Asia, I was hooked, but I liked South America too. I’ve lived my life wondering what was over that next hill.
Great story Paul, you had me reminiscing about the time i joined the RN.
Just turned 17 i had effectively enlisted without my parents knowledge. To my shock i was then informed that i needed my parents written permission as i was under 18yrs of age.
Mmmm, do i forge their signatures or do i come clean, lol.
My Mum was shocked, but told me if it is something i really wanted to do she would sign.
My Stepdad couldn’t wait to sign and be rid of me, he muttered something like “It will knock all those silly dreams out of your head and make a man of you”, yeah i loved him too, lol.
One week later i was on my way to boot camp some 300 miles away, changing Train Stations 3 times and believing a promise that someone would pick me up at my final arrival Train Station.
Having been a Boy Scout for 6yrs up to Senior Scout level i was prepared for the unknown 🙂
6 months later after boot camp and basic trade training, followed by a dozen or so vaccinations against Tropical Diseases, they shipped me off to the Colonies, Far East Fleet based in Singapore.
After 6 weeks of cruising the high seas we finally arrived in Singapore.
Ever get that feeling everyone was trying to get rid of you, lol 🙂
Chas;
The same rules for those under 18 in the US Forces We used to call those guys Kiddy Cruisers, but it was not an insult it was what the Navy called them.
They sent me on my first ship towards your neck of the woods, North Atlantic, and the Med. But it was fun, I’m not joking about collage, that was my Mom’s plan, just not mine.
We got to see things that our friends couldn’t dream about, and after you’ve been to Boogie Street in Singapore the old home town seems a tad dull.
I can’t imagine where my life would have been like if I’d not did it the way I did. I don’t even want to think about it.
I was out with 3 friends last week, and we we’re telling lies about our service days, well not so much as lies but sea stories to be sure!
Ahh Paul, old Boogie Street, lol.
For me it all started with a Sunday Newspaper advert, “Join the Royal Navy, see the World and broaden your mind”. Well, the old Boogie Street would broaden anyones mind.
After my first visit down Boogie Street i learnt an important lesson in life, “Never take anything at face value ever again” 🙂
Chas;
A young sailor off my ship connected with a “Lady” on Boogie Street, he was quite proud until we older hands explained his error. The lad was quite upset until I asked; “In your mind was that a lady, when you went outside?” “He said l Yes Chief!” Then you did nothing wrong, but if you do it again, YOUR BENT!” It was never a job, it was an adventure!
Hi Paul — Same Navy, different courses. Being from a very conservative mid-west town where high school graduates not going to college immediately enlisted in the various services, the local draft board always had problems meeting their quota. After almost two years in college, I found out how the draft board took care of their problem — in a letter by which they not only reclassified me from 2-S to 1-A, but instructed me to report for a pre-induction physical. 30APR69 I started in the delayed entry program; 06JUN69 active duty, Great Lakes, IL. Followed on with another year training in GLAKES, a short tour in Florida, eight more months training in Texas and New Jersey, then off on a career of island hopping fun. Met and married Asawa ko on island of Great Britain (London) in 1977, and did 24 years of dry-foot sailoring coming out a Master Chief. Funny, I never thought past making PO2 — all those other stripes were “gravy”! Too many memories for just one keg. 😆
Paul;
The sixth week of San Diego Boot Camp my father forwarded me my Draft letter as he thought it might be important. Again the Navy took care of that. But your life adventure proves the point that we all got here by different way, but got here just the same.While standing at a personal inspection as a Senior Chief with red hash marks and three years in grade, a Captain thought I was out of uniform and pointed the hash marks out to me.. I responded smarty; “Sir I can’t imagine how that could be, did you count my good conduct awards?” I rated gold the following year. How the hell could that have happened? But I knew that I’d never make Master Chief!
Ha ha! When I got to my first duty station, I showed my draft card to my platoon sergeant and asked what I was supposed to do with it now. He just laughed.
Take care,
Pete
Pete;
I went to a peace rally and met this girl and she wanted to burn mine, hell I was on active duty and I let her. It was worth it BTW!
I was going through a box of old photos last year and actually found mine again.
Take care,
Pete
Pete;
Burn it and see if you get lucky! (LOL)
Lol! Unfortunately, I don’t know many hippie chicks these days.
Take care,
Pete
Pete;
Go to San Francisco, they’re still there in force!
Paul and Pete – Not sure if the Monterey Jazz Festival is still being held, but it sure does draw the hippie population from all over California and neighboring states as I remember. If you drive on scenic Highway 1 on Big Sur south of Monterey, you will encounter hippies coming out of their hideouts precariously perched atop the cliffs along the Pacific coastline to hitchhike to town. Back in the days of the Charles Manson era, you had to be careful about giving rides to hippies, but sometimes it’s difficult to turn down a hitchhiking hippy hottie. LOL
John;
Cruising PCH (Pacific Coast Highway RT 1) in my 1958 Austin Healy (Bug Eyed) Sprite was more fun than a monkey in your back yard. I did the Monterey Jazz Festival in the early 80’s, and your right, the 1960’s had ended but those people never got the memo.
Paul, anymore similarities between us two? I also had an Austin Healey, but it was a 1959 and not the bug eye when I attended Monterey Peninsula College in 1961. I almost got killed in it while doing 85mph on Highway 1 on my way to school. It started fishtailing at high speed, tried to correct it by steering opposite the direction of the skid and ended up on the grassy median. Good thing it didn’t flip, or I woulnd’t be here talking to you today. LOL
John;
The Mark II 3000? The Healey’s weren’t made to go fast, but to hug the turns with the top down at lower speeds. I flipped mine in Florida and it did a 360 in the air and landed on the tires, flatted them all and major suspension damage but nothing else, well except I needed a new pair of pants.
I remember when I landed in the PI back in August of 88 as my first tour in the military. That hot humid morning air hitting you as you got off the FLying Tigers 747. The senses were bombarded with new smells, sights, and sounds that I can still remember to this day. Unfortunately for me, I arrived on a Friday morning, my bagage somehow got off loaded at Kadena and since I didnt have my CEX card yet, I couldnt buy any clothes at the BX. I got to spend my first full weekend wearing my class A, E-1 uniform. Talk about getting attention as the newby! I was so happy when I got my lugage on the following Monday!
Joe;
So you went from the Flying Tiger flight to the streets of Angeles City in uniform? I know that was fun, I’ll bet no one asked if you were “Station Dito” I was conducting Ship’s Business in Olongapo and was out in town in Navy Full Dress Whites, as a Senior Chief, and received nothing but strong interest from every young lady that I passed by. Go figure that! But you got here and that’s all that matters.
Paul, for me the memories of bootcamp in Fort Ord, California, where I took basic and advance infantry training, is replayed in my mind at the beginning of each and every month when Uncle Sam makes a direct deposit into my bank account as compensation for a service-connected disability incurred during machine gun trainfire. The ringing in my ears persists to this day. Looking back at basic training, I remember that the drill instructors, in their heavily-starched fatigues and spit-shined boots, were intimidating on the surface just like in the movie, “Full Metal Jacket” (Me so horny, me love you long time LOL), but I always had the sense that deep down they they were kind human beings who looked after the recruits’ well-being. Incredulously, though, I don’t recall them issuing ear plugs to the entire company.
But, the three years following basic and AIT training had to be one of the most memorable in my life. Like yours, my volunteering for the Army was also the beginning of my journey – on a path to Germany and back littered with bittersweet memories. From Fort Ord, I was shipped out as a “grunt” (infantryman) to the 3rd Division of USAREUR based in Wurzburg, Germany.
It was in Germany where I truly came of age, ushered in by the dreaded “Dear John” that was personally delivered to me face-to-face at the bahnhof (train station) during my final visit to scenic Berchtesgaden near the Austrian border.. My mind was a blur, but I remember my incoming train wailing mournfully in the background as I gazed into the green eyes of meine schoene fraulein for the last time.
Upon arrival back at my duty station in Aschaffenburg from Berchtesgaden that night in what must have been the longest and loneliest train ride I had ever taken while in Germany, someone in the barracks was playing the following song with the loudspeaker sitting on the window sill: LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71zCm1ugVXc
Hi John;
Your journey did start in an opposite direction from mine, but it started just the same. When I was a recruiter in Florida a kid would tell me; “The Army recruiter promised me I’d be stationed in Germany!” To which I’d reply; “Son that’s a fact, but what will you do for the next 4 years if you don’t like Germany?” “The Navy will take you there and then to Denmark a few days later.” Was my answer!
As for the “Dear John”, you weren’t the first nor the last. I got mine in Boot camp from a girl I didn’t even know we were that serious about each other. Then four years later while on leave I ran into her she was already married, to a slug, had 3 kids and lived in a dump. I smiled and said; “You gave up me, for all of this, how is that working out?”
Great song BTW, just not the one you needed that day!
My song after my divorce was Roy Clark – Thank God and Grayhound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGLHrrEKOYk
John, I don’t recall seeing any earplugs until the early 1980’s. They told us that the VA wouldn’t pay for hearing loss. I may need to check into that.
Take care,
Pete
By the way, I’m glad you’re not turned on by a male southern accent lol!
Pete;
I was in a 5inch 50 Gun Mount with no hearing protection at all.
WHAT???
Pete;
It was the 60’s we just wore a big goofy helmet that covered our ears and that was suppose to do the trick! (It didn’t)
WHAT??? 🙂
Paul, are those big naval guns what they called ack ack guns in combat comic books? If you didn’t wear earplugs firing those big guns back then, It’s a wonder you still have your ears today. LOL
John;
That’s the 40 MM Anti-aircraft gun, they are open air and are not that bad, I was in the enclosed gun mount and that was really bad. The volume on my TV is kept loud so I can hear most of It., and Mayang complains that I don’t listen to her. But sometimes I really don’t.
Pete, your hearing loss definitely is worth looking into, but, not to discourage you, I would suspect, but hope I am wrong for your sake, it would be very difficult to prove that the disability was a byproduct of your Army service without that disability documented in your papers when you were processed out of the Army. I suppose that as standard procedure, the Army compares the results of your incoming physicals when you first went in with that of your outgoing physicals prior to your being released from the military to see if there had been any damages to your physical condition as a result of your military service. My disability was detected through the mandatory outgoing physicals as a part of my processing out from the Army. I have a hearing condition in my right ear called tinnitus – rated 25 percent disability by the VA. The monthly compensation is for life, tied in to COLA, and it started automatically just months following my discharge from the Army without my ever having to file a disability claim with the Veterans Affairs.
Yes, Pete, it did cross my mind about how you may react reading my comment, knowing that you speak with a southern accent. But, my comment stands. 🙂 I love listening to the southern accent, but only if spoken by Scarlett O’Hara and other Georgia peaches out there. No Appalachian hillbillies need apply. LOL Biro lang, of course.
🙂
Paul, by the way, the year 1965 was significant to me as well. In the month of November of that year, I had just started working at the New York Public Library on 42nd and Fifth Avenue. Bell bottoms were the rage. Young and single, I was renting a hotel room on 49th Street for $16 a week! My pay at the NYPL was $120 every two weeks, and I was starving. It didn’t take me long to realize that New York City wasn’t for me. I moved to DC, and the rest is history. The evening when all the power went out in northeastern U.S. and parts of Canada, I had just gotten off work around 5PM, and was walking back to my hotel 7 blocks away. I was nearing Times Square, when suddenly all of New York City went dark and stood still. Subways stopped running, and a lot of people – men and women – were trapped in elevators for hours. Legend has it that a lot of babies were born 9 months after that famous blackout of November 1965. 🙂
John;
The day that the lights all went out in Massachusetts I was in Boot camp and missed that. But I believe your right about the baby boom that followed. When I was a kid we had many large families in my section of Boston and we owned one of the first TV’s on our street. When Mrs. So and So got pregnant, my Dad would turn to my Mom and say; “No TV yet!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbkbGF27JyY
Paul – Any more similarities between us, Part II? I am also a Bee Gees fan. “Massachusetts” is one of my Bee Gees favorites, along with “Words”, “I started a joke”, “To love somebody” and a bunch of others. Your Dad was one perceptive gentleman, he could have made the same observation about overpopulation in the Philippines if he was still around.
Paul,
Just saw the movie “Capt Phillips” at SM. Very good movie, highly recommended.. I know you would be very proud of, as I was, of the way the Navy handled the situation.
Randy;
I check the interweb thingy every couple of days to see when it’s coming to town, as I like Tom Hanks anyway. On merchant ship’s we call the Captain (His Rank) the Ship’s Master. So they got that part wrong, but Hollywood rewrites history everyday. But I’m looking forward to seeing it, thanks for the “Heads Up”.