GSPHUNTER
WKR
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2020
- Messages
- 4,585
I joined the Navy prior to graduation from high school, 1968, I was on the 120 delay program. went to Great Lakes for boot camp, march, class, march, class and march some more. I kept thinking just how much marching will I do one I get on board a ship. I got my dummy orders during week five for the USS New Jersey but when my final orders came out, it read Little Rock, I was thinking, I didn't know the Navy had a base in Little Rock. One of the guys in my division said, keep reading, it's USS Little Rock, you my friend are going to the Med. I arrived in Naples Italy in Mid. Oct. and had to hang out there for a week until the boat return to port in Gaeta . Arrived in Gaeta and went directly to my ship. I was assigned to "A "division and requests a position working as a A/C mech. which to my surprise I got. At the time the Rock was the flagship for the sixth fleet. I spent the next 22 months going from port to port all over the Med. and North Atlantic during that time I took leave twice to return home. On one leave I went with a friend to his family home for a few days. He asked if I wanted to go to a outdoor concert, I said why not. I'm sure a few of you have heard of Woodstock. After I return to the ship we finished out our tour as flagship and return to the states and the ship under went dry dock upgrades. During that time I went down to Norfork and went to ACR school for 12 weeks. I returned to the ship and we made a trip to the Virgin Islands, 6 months. Returned to Boston, then another tour of the Med. Then back to Norfork, That is where I got discharged. I spent my entire time on the Rock, I'm not sure why I never got transfer orders but, I did see lots of guys come and go when the were transferred to new duty station. At one point I got orders to a ship off the coast of Viet Nam but they got cancelled, why I don't know. Looking back on it, it was a very interesting time of my young life. I saw a lot and learned a trade which carried me though my life. To this day I still enjoy going out to sea, I find it very relaxing.
