I was raised in Akron, OH, not noted for its water boundaries. My family vacationed in Marblehead, OH, and I watched the Coasties at the nearby rescue station with awe. Since the Draft was ever-present and college was not in the future, I decided to join. When it came time to enlist, the recruiter was never there (a sub-station). I almost went into the Navy to get out of Akron.

But my mother, God rest her soul, made me keep trying. She didn’t want me to lose my dream.

Finally, I caught the recruiter, MM1 Reitler, and enlisted. But to confuse the recruiter, I sent my twin that afternoon to enlist. We went to the buddy program.