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Results for "navy"

EM3 Chandra M. Holland, U.S. Navy (1993-1996)

EM3 Chandra M. Holland, U.S. Navy (1993-1996)

What Habit(s), Good Or Not So Good, Did You Pick Up During Your Military Service That You Still Practise To This Day?:

Military service can leave an indelible mark on a person s habits and routines. From the first day of training, certain behaviors become ingrained, shaping not only how we approach tasks but also our mindset and work ethic. Many of these habits carry over into civilian life, and for me, they have been instrumental in running my veteran-owned business and have enriched my personal life as well.

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JOC JoAnn Hellmann, U.S. Navy (1973-1996)

JOC JoAnn Hellmann, U.S. Navy (1973-1996)

What Habit(s), Good Or Not So Good, Did You Pick Up During Your Military Service That You Still Practise To This Day?:

A habit is defined as a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. According to that definition, I d have to say the habit I picked up during my military service that I still practice today? My husband John! I met him during recruit training in Orlando, Florida in 1973 and we married in 1974. I often wonder if we re the only ones that went from boot camp romance to golden wedding anniversary, which we celebrated earlier this year.

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Service Reflections of ATCS Frank Nelson, U.S. Navy (1972-1994)

Service Reflections of ATCS Frank Nelson, U.S. Navy (1972-1994)

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My dad influenced me tremendously. I had no prospects of getting a job living overseas. My dad did all he could to get me into the Academy. He wrote letters and made phone calls to BUPERS and NAVSTA Rota (in those times, there were no recruiters nearby). I was tentatively accepted to the Prep School in Bainbridge, MD, but I was medically disqualified when they received my physical results due to my vision. I had vision correctable to 20/20, but there was too much refractive error between the left eye and the right one. My parents couldn’t afford to send me to college back in the States, so off to the Navy I went.
But before I joined up, my dad made sure I got into a field where I would have a good chance of advancement, so I took a whole array of tests and was found qualified for the ADVANCED ELECTRONIC FIELD, qualifying for either AT, DS, or FT. I signed up for six years, and I would get PO3 upon successfully completing “A” school.

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LCDR David W.. Hodge, U.S. Navy (1981-2011)

LCDR David W.. Hodge, U.S. Navy (1981-2011)

What Favorite Automobile Did You Own During Your Military Service? What Special Memories Does This Bring Back For You?:

My favorite car while in the Navy was a 1965 Ford Mustang. Mine wasn t the classic muscle-car version you imagine though. It was clean, however, as I had spent the eight months of my delayed entry into the Navy restoring it. I repainted the car the original Wimbledon White and kept it stock except for my Cragar mags. Under the hood, I had the small but rugged 200 cubic inch six, with a three-speed manual. The Mustang drove like a dream and would go 70 mph all day long, getting 30 miles to the gallon.

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James E. Williams, U.S. Navy (1947–1967)

James E. Williams, U.S. Navy (1947–1967)

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After serving nearly 20 years in the Navy, many enlisted sailors might opt for an easy assignment for their so-called twilight tour. But that was not why James E. Williams joined the Navy. He joined in 1947 because he thought getting paid to serve your country was possibly the greatest thing he could ever do. Over the course of the next 20 years, Williams would eventually become the most decorated enlisted sailor to ever serve in the U.S. Navy.  Born in 1930, Williams was a South Carolina native who convinced a county clerk to fudge the date on his birth certificate so he could enlist in the Navy at 17. Early Career and Naval Beginnings of James E. Williams After graduating from basic training in San Diego, he became a Boatswain's Mate. He didn't get the adventurous assignment he wanted from his first Navy enlistment, but he did learn a valuable lesson that would carry him through the rest of his career.  "I'd got orders to an [landing ship, tank] that just sat around a buoy in the...

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Famous Navy Unit: USS Constitution: Old Ironsides

Famous Navy Unit: USS Constitution: Old Ironsides

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Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!Long has it waved on high,And many an eye has danced to seeThat banner in the sky;Beneath it rung the battle shout,And burst the cannon's roar;The meteor of ocean airShall sweep the clouds no more! "Old Ironsides" by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr (1809-94) The Birth of USS Constitution: Old Ironsides As it turned out, that 1830 poem sparked public concern, and the ship's ensign was not torn down at all then or since. The USS Constitution was designed by Joshua Humphreys and developed and constructed in response to the Ottoman and Berber Barbary corsairs, which menaced American merchant shipping off the northern coast of Africa. Following the Revolution, the United States' Continental Navy was disbanded, leaving the new nation without a credible sea power to defend its interests abroad. Signed into law on March 27, 1794 by President George Washington, the Naval Armament Act called for the construction of six frigates to be built at shipyards along the...

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The 249th Birthday of the U.S. Navy

The 249th Birthday of the U.S. Navy

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On October 13, 2024, we commemorate the 249th birthday of the United States Navy. Since its establishment on October 13, 1775, the Navy has played a critical role in safeguarding the United States. For nearly two and a half centuries, the Navy has stood ready to defend our interests and uphold international maritime freedom. The History of the U.S. Navy The U.S. Navy was established on October 13, 1775, during the American Revolution, when the Continental Congress authorized a small naval force to disrupt British supply lines and challenge their sea power. Comprised of a modest fleet of ships working alongside privateers, the early Navy engaged in tactical raids using converted frigates and schooners. These operations played a vital role in weakening British forces and protecting American interests at sea, proving the strategic value of naval warfare. After the Revolution, the Navy was disbanded due to financial constraints, but the rise of global trade and foreign threats led...

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Service Reflections of SK1 David Pitts, U.S. Navy (1972-2000)

Service Reflections of SK1 David Pitts, U.S. Navy (1972-2000)

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Both my father & my brother served in the Army. They certainly influenced my decision to join the military. Also, my best friend in high school, Vince Chostner, convinced me to join the Navy together under the “Buddy” Program. This program guaranteed that we would attend Boot Camp, Storekeeper ‘A’ School, and our first duty station together. But after only 3 weeks in a 9-week boot camp together, I came down with double pneumonia, sinusitis, with a side of hemorrhoids. I ended up at Balboa Naval Hospital for six weeks. Needless to say, he went on and graduated without me. Once I got out of the hospital, I had to start all over in another company that was reduced to 7 weeks.

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Service Reflections of PNCM Rene LaMarche, U.S. Navy (1961-1980)

Service Reflections of PNCM Rene LaMarche, U.S. Navy (1961-1980)

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My father, Rene A. LaMarche, Sr., and his brother, Raymond LaMarche, were probably the most influential in my decision to join the Navy. My Dad served on board the USS HEALY from the time it was commissioned in 1943 until it was decommissioned in 1946. He was a second-class carpenter’s mate and ship’s diver. He and my uncle Raymond would tell hours of stories about what they did in the Navy. In later years, I would learn that my Dad blocked out some of the terrible ordeals he went through on the Island of Saipan during that action. My Uncle Raymond was a YN1 assigned to the European Central Command as a fingerprint expert. He worked to help identify the war criminals that were later charged at Nuremberg.
The stories from those early years led me toward joining the Navy as I approached high school graduation. However – I blew it in a way. I was 17 years old and had a Forest Service 4-year Scholarship in my Senior Year when I got in trouble. I got involved with a gang shooting and was placed in Juvenile Confinement. A Superior Court Judge gave me a choice of joining the Armed Forces or spending some time in the pokey (until I was 21). I had previously investigated the Navy and had taken the basic battery tests. GMCA Tom Eagling, Navy Recruiting Office, Seattle, WA, spoke up for me, and the next day, I was on my way to San Diego, CA, on what was called a Kiddy Cruise enlistment. I would serve until I was 21 years old – a period of 3-years and two months; but got credit for 4 years for retirement, A thing called constructive time.

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1LT Al Bedrosian Jr., U.S. Navy (1968-1970)

1LT Al Bedrosian Jr., U.S. Navy (1968-1970)

What memorabilia/souvenirs have you kept from your military service? What special meaning do these have for you?:

Broken Glass

It took place in anticipation of an IG inspection of our AIT (Advanced Individual Training) barracks Fort Dix, New Jersey back in 1968. I d been in the Army for only eight weeks, having recently completed basic training.

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DMSN Raul Herrera, U.S. Navy (1965-1969)

DMSN Raul Herrera, U.S. Navy (1965-1969)

What memorabilia/souvenirs have you kept from your military service? What special meaning do these have for you?:

Fifteen minutes after midnight on July 15, 1967, at the height of the Vietnam War, the crew of Swift Boat PCF-79 fulfilled the Operation Market Time mission by taking the lead role in the U.S. Navy’s historic Sa Ky River Victory. LT j.g. Edward J. Bergin received the “PER GRA” radio message from the on-scene commander granting permission to take the evading North Vietnamese gunrunner, code-named SKUNK ALPHA, under fire at the mouth of the Sa Ky River on the tip of the Batangan Peninsula, Quang Ngai Province, Republic of Vietnam.

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