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Service Reflections of MUCS James E. Richards, U.S. Navy (1971-1995)

Service Reflections of MUCS James E. Richards, U.S. Navy (1971-1995)

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I was drafted into the military during the Vietnam War and decided to join the Navy instead of entering the Army. My late uncle, a career Navy man, said to me when I was young, “Son, if you ever have to join the military, join the Navy. “You get three squares a day and a dry place to sleep!” I remembered those words, and when it came time to enlist, it was the Navy for me. The strange thing is that I realized that I really did find a home once in the Navy. I enjoyed the self-discipline you had to have to succeed in the military and found that I really liked my job and the shipmates I served with. I was out of “A” School and at my first command for about a month when I was ordered to sea. I enjoyed sea duty, especially the days steaming underway. I found the solace of being at sea very enjoyable. I was having such a great time in uniform, and I decided to keep re-enlisting and ended up with a wonderful 24-year career.

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Famous Navy Units: Coast Guard Station Harbor Beach by A3C Michael Bell

Famous Navy Units: Coast Guard Station Harbor Beach by A3C Michael Bell

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"Immense bright lake! I trace in theeAn emblem of the mighty ocean,And in thy restless waves I see                                     Nature's eternal law of motion; And fancy sees the Huron Chief…" "Lake Huron" by Thomas McQueen The peninsular state of Michigan (est. 1837) resembles an extended left human hand in a mitt with the thumb partly opened outward from the palm. And there, about where the quick of a thumbnail would be on the east side, is US Coast Guard Station Harbor Beach as it's known today. It is estimated that since the 17th century, there are 6,000 maritime wrecks at the bottom of the mighty Great Lakes, one of which is Lake Huron. District 9, consisting of forty-eight active stations, is a United States Coast Guard area of operations based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is responsible for all Coast Guard functions on the five Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence...

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LT Michael P. Murphy, U.S. Navy (2000–2005)

LT Michael P. Murphy, U.S. Navy (2000–2005)

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Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or not, you might have heard about "The Murph Challenge." Every Memorial Day, veterans, military members, and fitness nuts around the country pledge to take the challenge. It not only helps remember the courage and sacrifice of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, but also helps send military-connected individuals to college through the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Lt. Michael P. Murphy Leads SEAL Mission in Afghanistan To call the Murph a "grueling" workout would be an understatement, but it was something he did regularly, and it helped him fight on in the mountains of Afghanistan against incredible odds. Without his valiant physical and mental efforts that day, his entire team might have vanished without a trace.  In 2005, the U.S. launched Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan's Kunar Province. The goal was to disrupt the activity of the Taliban and other anti-Coalition militias operating in the areas west of Asadabad....

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ETCS Stephen Alexander, U.S. Navy (1961-1981)

ETCS Stephen Alexander, U.S. Navy (1961-1981)

Did Any of Your Parents or Grandparents Serve? What Facts or Stories Do You Remember About Their Service?:

My oldest brother, Robert C. Alexander, served aboard the USS Lexington (CV-2) during WW2 and was aboard during her final battle in the Coral Sea. He was an MM1 at that time and was assigned to a damage control party deep in the ship, near the stern. He wrote a letter outlining the battle’s events as he experienced it from his battle station. I will copy that letter here so he can tell his story in his own words.

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AE2(AW) LaTonya N. Davison, U.S. Navy (1996-2010)

AE2(AW) LaTonya N. Davison, U.S. Navy (1996-2010)

What Was Your Most Proud Moment From Your Military Service? What Made This Especially Memorable For You?:

Picture it, Atsugi Japan, 2003. I’m a ‘lowly’ E-5 aircraft electrician in VR-46 out of Marietta, GA, hand-picked for what’s known as a “Khaki Det (Detachment)”. The maintenance crew was all lower enlisted, chosen as the best mechanics and aircraft handlers in the command to accompany senior enlisted and officer maintenance administration and flight crew. I was one of 4 lower enlisted members of our 19 person crew.

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Service Reflections of EM3 Don R. Marino, U.S. Navy (1955-1959)

Service Reflections of EM3 Don R. Marino, U.S. Navy (1955-1959)

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I wanted to get the GI Bill before it was no longer available. I was sworn in on Jan 31, 1955, at 6 pm. GI Bill ended on Jan 31, 1955, at midnight. Went aboard the USS Piedmont AD17, a Destroyer Tender right out of Boot Camp. I had a choice of working in the Ice Machine Shop (too cold, I thought), Engine Room (too noisy and hot, I thought), Boiler Room (way too hot, I thought), or the Ships Company Electric Shop, perfect, I thought, and I was right. I loved the electric shop in junior high and High School. This put me on a path that helped me find and keep jobs all my life. I went through Boot Camp in San Diego. My Company 092 graduated with Brigade Honors. I spent 1 1/2 years aboard the USS Piedmont and did a 6months tour overseas. I spent 2 days in Hawaii on our way to Sasebo, Japan. After 2 months there, we sailed to Hong Kong for 2 weeks R&R. After Hong Kong, we returned to Sasebo for another month, then off to Subic Bay for a few months.

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RM2 Michael A. Harris, U.S. Navy (1967-1971)

RM2 Michael A. Harris, U.S. Navy (1967-1971)

Do You Have A Favorite Photo From Your Military Service? What Memories Does This Photo Bring Back For You?:

I served in the Navy Mobile Riverine Force (Task Force 117) in the Mekong Delta from July 1968 to July 1969. In October 1968, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Commander Naval Forces, Vietnam (COMNAVFORV) launched Operation SEALORDs. The purpose was to interdict enemy soldiers and supplies from coming into South Vietnam from Cambodia. I was a Radioman/.50 Caliber Machine Gunner on Armored Troop Carrier 152-1 or T-152-1. It was an old ironclad LCM-6 that was modified to carry U.S. and Vietnamese infantry troops.

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MUCS James E. Richards, U.S. Navy (1971-1995)

MUCS James E. Richards, U.S. Navy (1971-1995)

Do You Have A Favorite Photo From Your Military Service? What Memories Does This Photo Bring Back For You?:

This photo was taken of a COMNAVAIRLANT Band called “Third Wire” resting on the tarmac at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily in February 1973. We were assigned to Commander Task Force 60.1 (ADM Turner) stationed aboard the flagship USS Forrestal CVA-59. We had flown from Forrestal to NAVSIG for a performance there and other locations in Sicily, but had returned to the Naval Station for our flight back to the ship. When we arrived, they shuttled us out to the Flight Line to our aircraft and dropped us off. Unfortunately, the aircraft was not ready to depart, and we had about an hour to kill before boarding and flying out.

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SCPO Shannon Kent, U.S. Navy (2003-2019)

SCPO Shannon Kent, U.S. Navy (2003-2019)

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For 15 years, Shannon Kent's job was to gather intelligence against the United States' deadliest enemies. The U.S. Navy Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician worked alongside the National Security Agency (NSA) in some of the world's most dangerous areas. The information she acquired would often lead to surgical strikes from American special operations forces around the world – and she was among the best at her job.  Tragically, her years-long career in gathering intelligence is not the only legacy she leaves behind. Kent would become the first female service member killed in Syria when an ISIS suicide bomber attacked a restaurant in the northern Syrian city of Manbij in 2019. The 35-year-old left behind a husband and two children.   Shannon Kent was a native of upstate New York and was an outstanding student-athlete and scholar as a youth. She enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2003, became a Cryptologic Technician, and was assigned to support the Navy's special warfare operations. Not...

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IT2 Teresa Reeder, U.S. Navy (1984 – 2002)

IT2 Teresa Reeder, U.S. Navy (1984 – 2002)

What Was Your Most Memorable Xmas From Your Military Service? What Made It So Memorable?:

In my years of service as an U.S. Army chaplain, rooted in a childhood spent among the values and rhythms of a Green Beret family, I learned the power of presence. My father, a retired Special Forces officer, demonstrated the art of being fully engaged wherever he was, whether in the thick of an overseas mission or at our kitchen table. That steady, attentive presence shaped me deeply, and it’s a habit I strive to keep alive in my own ministerial calling within our pluralistic organization.

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BM3 Aaron Wayne, U.S. Navy (1964 – 1968)

BM3 Aaron Wayne, U.S. Navy (1964 – 1968)

What Was Your Most Memorable Xmas From Your Military Service? What Made It So Memorable?:

My first child, Cindy, was born on December 24, 1967. On Christmas Day I went to see my new daughter and to give my wife Shelley a watch that I had bought her for Christmas. On December 27, the USS Yorktown left for the 1968 WestPac cruise that was to become a part of the history books. First to San Diego, then on to Hawaii. When we were a few days out of Pearl Harbor on our way to Yokosuka, Japan, we received the news about the capture of the USS Pueblo and were informed that we were now headed for the Sea of Japan.

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