If you are a Veteran, reconnect with the people you served with on Together We Served!
Interior Communications Electrician
TWS Ribbon Bar
Service Photo
Service Details
Service Status
USN Veteran
Final Rank
Petty Officer Third Class
Last NEC
IC-4718-IC Journeyman
Last NEC Group
Interior Communications Electrician
Primary Unit
1970-1971, SN-9740, Vietnamese Naval Shipyard (VNNSY), Naval Advisory Group Vietnam
Previously Held NEC's
SR-0000-Seaman Recruit
SN-0000-Seaman
SN-9740-Seaman - Other Technical and Allied Specialists
IC-0000-Interior Communications Electrician
Service Years
1969 - 1983
Official/Unofficial US Navy Certificates
Kiel Canal
Order of the Rock
Order of the Shellback
Panama Canal
Plank Owner
Voice Edition
1950, National Society Sons of the American Revolution
- Assoc. Page
1950, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
- Assoc. Page
1950, Grand Army of the Republic
1974, Veterans Associated With The Department of Veterans Affairs
1975, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Post 1530, Thomas Rooney Post (Member) (La Crosse, Wisconsin)
- Chap. Page
1975, American Legion, Post 52 (Member) (La Crosse, Wisconsin)
- Chap. Page
2004, Mobile Riverine Force Association
2008, Navy Together We Served
2013, Navy Club of the United States of America
2017, United States LST Association
2017, Veterans of the Vietnam War
- Assoc. Page
What are you doing now:
I retired on the last day of June, 2011, the month I turned 61,
and took my Arizona State pension, then Social Security at 62.
I spent my post-navy life as a photographer and media manager.
The Navy gave me gypsy feet, and I've enjoyed them all my life.
As a result, traveling was not just a bucket list item for me.
With the way things have gone, it was a good investment.
I'm a direct descendant, tenth generation, of Joseph Loomis.
The Loomis Family arrived in the New World on 17 July, 1638.
We have defended America ever since.
Other Comments:
"Service included boots-on-the-ground in Viet-Nam"
[ One year, 365 days, 24/7 -- 7 June 1970 to 7 June 1971 ]
U.S. Naval Advisory Group, Vietnamese Naval Shipyard, Saigon RVN.
I am also a Plank Owner and Shellback, USS Harlan County (LST-1196).
During my 4 years of active duty, 3 years were credited as foreign or sea service.
Technically, I was on Active Duty, USN, 3 years, 11 months and 16 days. However, I was in the Naval Reserve before that and after that, both Active Reserves and Inactive Reserves. So N/TWS has credited me from April 1969 through April 1983, 4 years active USN plus 4 years USNR and 6 years inactive Naval Reserves, and that is why my profile may occasionally show three hash marks. 1983 was my final Inactive Naval Reserve discharge date. Also, because I worked overseas, I never managed to take the 2nd Class Exam. S o, actually I never wore more than one hash mark on my dress blues. And yes... there is a "V" on my Navy Achievement Medal even without having a Combat Action Ribbon because that's the way it was awarded. For more information click on the NAM w/V ribbon in my ribbon rack.
I am glad, proud, to have been born an American.
I voluntarily joined the armed forces, and for that
matter I volunteered for duty in Viet-Nam.
What I had hoped for was to not bring the violence,
the lack of value of a human life that I experienced
in Viet-Nam, back to America. It is that simple.
During my civilian career I spent over ten years as a hospital/medical photographer, two years in Saudi Arabia with Lockheed, and then two and a half decades as the media specialist and manager for a 9,000+ student public school district in Phoenix, Arizona. I feel fortunate to have retired without ever having a single unemployment or welfare check.
1969-1969, SR-0000, NTS Great Lakes, IL
1970-1971, SN-9740, Commander, US Naval Forces Vietnam (COMNAVFORV)
1970-1971, SN-0000, Naval Advisory Group Vietnam, HQ, Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV)
1970-1971, SN-9740, Vietnamese Naval Shipyard (VNNSY), Naval Advisory Group Vietnam
1970-1971, SN-9740, Vietnamese Naval Shipyard (VNNSY), Naval Advisory Group Vietnam
1970-1971, Commander, US Naval Forces Vietnam (COMNAVFORV)
1972-1972, IC-0000, Precommissioning Detail (PRECOMDET)
1972-1973, IC-0000, USS Harlan County (LST-1196)
1973-1974, IC-0000, Break in Service
1974-1975, IC-4718, USS Pluck (MSO-464)
1974-1977, IC-4718, Naval Reserve Center (NAVRESCEN) La Crosse, WI
1975-1975, IC-4718, NTC (Cadre/Faculty Staff) Great Lakes, ILL
1976-1977, IC-4718, USS Francis Marion (LPA-249)
1977-1979, IC-4718, Break in Service
1979-1980, IC-4718, Naval Reserve Center (NAVRESCEN) Dubuque, IA
1979-1980, IC-0000, USS Schenectady (LST-1185)
1980-1983, IC-0000, Break in Service
Please describe who or what influenced your decision to join the Navy.
Whether you were in the service for several years or as a career, please describe the direction or path you took. Where did you go to boot camp and what units, bases, ships or squadrons were you assigned to? What was your reason for leaving?
If you participated in any military operations, including combat, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, please describe those which made a lasting impact on you and, if life-changing, in what way?
Did you encounter any situation during your military service when you believed there was a possibility you might not survive? If so, please describe what happened and what was the outcome.
Of all your duty stations or assignments, which one do you have fondest memories of and why? Which was your least favorite?
From your entire military service, describe any memories you still reflect back on to this day.
What professional achievements are you most proud of from your military career?
Of all the medals, awards, formal presentations and qualification badges you received, or other memorabilia, which one is the most meaningful to you and why?
Which individual(s) from your time in the military stand out as having the most positive impact on you and why?
Can you recount a particular incident from your service, which may or may not have been funny at the time, but still makes you laugh?
What profession did you follow after your military service and what are you doing now? If you are currently serving, what is your present occupational specialty?
What military associations are you a member of, if any? What specific benefits do you derive from your memberships?
In what ways has serving in the military influenced the way you have approached your life and your career? What do you miss most about your time in the service?
Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give to those who have recently joined the Navy?
In what ways has TogetherWeServed.com helped you remember your military service and the friends you served with.
Funny or Strange stories while on active duty
I don't like wearing THE MASK but do.
Places I've lived, phone numbers addresses etc.
Sports... and betting
Flags and Banners
MY TOTAL: TIME IN SERVICE: USN & USNR = 8 YEARS.
Misc. River Craft from Viet-Nam
My Navy Awards, Citations and Certificates
LSTs of the Vietnamese Navy - Hai Quan HQ-500 to 505.
AWARDS NOT SHOWN ON MY DD-214
Ports of Call Along The Way...
Navy Rings
Story of Prince Bandar, as told by John Morgan
Vacations around the world. Me and my gypsy feet.
It's been fifty years now . . .
Anniversaries of the war in Viet-Nam
Ye olde GOAT-LOCKER -- not the chief's mess
Recognition, Development and Reflections
Jul 17, 1638, LOOMIS FAMILY - COLONIAL FAMILIES OF AMERICA
Jul 17, 1638, The Loomis Family in America
Jan 01, 1804, Miscellaneous images
May 30, 1872, LOOMIS DAY - May 30
Jul 08, 1874, LOOMIS INSTITUTE, CHARTER 1874
Jan 01, 1900, The Old Navy
Jul 01, 1904, LOOMIS FAMILY, Rights to Use, Family Crest and Coat of Arms.
Jul 04, 1912, LOCKHEED and the STARS
Jun 06, 1944, D-DAY: The Fallen 9000
Sep 01, 1945, Picking up a turd by the clean end. Then and now.
Aug 14, 1949, Nine months before I was born.
Jun 04, 1950, Cadillac Man
Jun 04, 1950, Member since birth: SONS OF THE REBELLION & REVOLUTION.
Jun 04, 1950, IT SHOWS YOU HOW SAFE WE ONCE THOUGHT WE WERE.
Aug 04, 1950, US NAVY IN SAIGON, 1950-1975
Jan 01, 1954, WWTV Channel 13, Cadillac Michigan
Dec 20, 1958, ROAD TRIPS
Dec 25, 1960, Coin Collecting - Pennies and Type Sets
May 30, 1961, Memorial Day, 30 May 1961
Jul 15, 1962, old games: cribbage dominoes checkers marbles...
Jul 04, 1963, CARS I'VE OWNED
Aug 30, 1963, Growing up in Wisconsin / Cub Scouts and 4-H Member
Nov 22, 1963, The Day JFK Died, 22 November 1963
Jan 01, 1964, 890 AM, WLS - Silver Dollar Survey - Chicago Radio
Dec 25, 1964, Religion and childhood innocence.
Jan 01, 1967, Christmas Trees and Bird Suet
Jun 20, 1967, EXPO 67, summer of 1967 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jul 20, 1967, Before I joined the Navy & The Band EXISTS
Sep 20, 1967, Hotel Rogers, bus boy and short order cook.
Jan 01, 1969, Galaxy, Roost and Satellite Bars Beaver Dam WI
Apr 25, 1969, GET OUTTA DODGE: Milwaukee Induction Center, Arbor Day 1969.
Jun 04, 1969, HOW ABOUT A VERY SHORT CRUISE... straight across Lake Michigan.
Jul 16, 1969, The summer of '69
Dec 30, 1969, PLAN B. I've always liked to be prepared.
Mar 01, 1970, BM2 Leland Friday
Mar 07, 1970, A Rare Occurrence, a total eclipse of the sun.
Jun 01, 1970, SERE school and off to Viet-Nam, 1970
Jun 07, 1970, MY BIG ADVENTURE, part one: Saigon, Viet-Nam.
Jun 07, 1970, The PAC/MAC Flight... San Francisco to Saigon
Jun 13, 1970, Saturday, 13 June 1970, I arrived in the SaigonShipYard
Jun 15, 1970, HQ HAI-QUAN, RVNN Ships
Jun 20, 1970, FERRO-CEMENT: Yabuta Junks - PCF - Vipers - Domes
Jul 01, 1970, Your papers please
Jul 04, 1970, 4th of July AFVN broadcast from Saigon
Aug 01, 1970, Junks and other shipyard/repair projects/
Aug 30, 1970, Small world?
Oct 07, 1970, Military Payment Certificates, MPC script (Viet-Nam)
Nov 01, 1970, RVNN HQ: Republic of Viet-Nam Navy Headquarters
Dec 15, 1970, Elvis in Cholon
Dec 20, 1970, London Bar, Warehouse #19.
Dec 20, 1970, Woody, thanks for the memories... I guess.
Dec 25, 1970, GIVE ME AN
Dec 30, 1970, The Admiral's Barge and Comshaw Artists
Jan 01, 1971, COMNAVFORV, SAIGON
Jan 01, 1971, One night while on duty in Viet-Nam / Capitol Hotel BEQ
Jan 20, 1971, ARVN CEMETERY BIEN HOA, then and now
Apr 01, 1971, The Admiral's Roof, COMNAVFORV
Apr 08, 1971, CBC BAND LIVE AT THE FILLMORE FAR EAST, 1971
May 25, 1971, Vietnamese Staff Service Medal, 2nd Class and RVNN Capt. Doan Bich
Jun 01, 1971, PLAQUES: RVNN, VNNSY, NAG/VN, etc.
Jun 01, 1971, The Old Navy, in Saigon.
Jun 07, 1971, My list of people I remember from Viet-Nam.
Jun 07, 1971, Uniforms in Nam
Jun 12, 1971, Post Viet-Nam
Jun 30, 1971, Illustrator Draftsman, you can't do or be everything
Jul 04, 1971, I was Veteran before being a Veteran was cool*
Jan 01, 1972, USN # SN # to SSN #
Dec 13, 1972, GYRO/GiTMO. -- I thought you knew what you were doing!!
Dec 31, 1972, Interior Communications Electrician
Jan 07, 1973, The record breaking ICE STORM which cost me my crow.
Jan 11, 1973, URR, Underwater Rail-Road Jan to June 1973.
Mar 01, 1973, Give Blood, the more the better
Apr 01, 1973, The Perfect/Liberty Machine
Jun 01, 1973, Tell me your funny military stories!
Jun 04, 1973, USS Harlan County, that first year
Jun 04, 1973, EM Clubs
Jun 04, 1973, ZIPPO LIGHTERS, CIGARETTES & SOMETHING TO DRINK
Jun 11, 1973, You can't do everything.
Jul 10, 1973, My DD-214 is a U-268
Jul 16, 1973, The GI Bill and MDTA
Sep 01, 1973, Product of the '60's...
Oct 24, 1973, OKTOBERFEST, La Crosse, Wisc.
Jan 10, 1974, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm Individual Citation details
Jan 15, 1974, Research project: RVN Naval Service Award
May 01, 1974, Cross of Gallantry, Viet-Nam. Personal Award...
Jun 04, 1974, There's a stack of records on the stereo...
Dec 31, 1974, TATU, it's part of the family name.
Feb 07, 1975, Gordon Lightfoot... The La Crosse Tribune 8 Feb '75
Apr 14, 1975, BPA, Biological Photographic Association
Apr 30, 1975, THE FALL OF SAIGON: I thought Viet-Nam was behind me . . .
Apr 30, 1975, American Legion and the VFW
Jun 01, 1975, Audiovisual and Photographic Associations
Mar 27, 1976, President Gerald Ford, La Crosse Wisconsin
Jul 04, 1976, Living in beautiful La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Aug 16, 1977, MY BIG ADVENTURE, part two: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Aug 16, 1977, Lockheed Aircraft International A.G. Saudi Arabia
Nov 24, 1977, HAPPY THANKSGIVING, IT'S AN AMERICAN THING, Y'ALL.
Dec 01, 1977, The IRS. I cringe with embarrassment and disgust
Dec 25, 1977, This is the only Saudi Christmas Song I know of...
Dec 25, 1977, WE could have just been two ships passing in the night.
Feb 24, 1978, Saudi License Plates
May 10, 1978, Subject: Manston Airfield
Aug 16, 1978, To Coin A Phrase... "technical prostitutes"
Oct 20, 1978, Question everything! and other good quotes...
Aug 16, 1979, I collect things... like Yard O Led and old cameras
Dec 26, 1979, I Was Married By An Axe Murderer
Nov 12, 1980, Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal
Dec 01, 1980, Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal
Dec 20, 1980, MY FOUR SHIPS, 1 USN and 3 USNR.
Jan 01, 1981, GET AN EDUCATION, NOT JUST A DEGREE . . .
Jan 01, 1981, Duty stations/dates along the way...
Jun 01, 1981, THE COLD WAR vs. VIET-NAM
Aug 16, 1981, Medical Photographer and Audio-Visual Manager
Jan 01, 1985, Saigon Shipyard Play, a work in progress
Feb 01, 1987, Med-VET offered to assist the VA in 1987
Jun 04, 1989, Tiananmen Square - and what could have been
Jan 01, 2000, Knowledge, kNOw when to say NO
Sep 20, 2000, Scotland
Sep 11, 2001, Where were you on that day? 911 - our Freighter Cruise on the Sea Explorer
Jan 01, 2002, Challenge Coins
May 28, 2003, Kasakake Japan, Now named MIDORI, GUNMA PREFECTURE
Sep 11, 2003, I returned to Saigon Viet-Nam
Nov 11, 2004, New Zealand
Apr 19, 2005, The Wall
Jan 01, 2007, Disclaimer: What's in a name?
Nov 08, 2007, China
Jul 01, 2008, Public Enemies staring Johnny Depp
Aug 01, 2008, Feral Cat Caretakers, Encanto Park, Phoenix AZ
Nov 04, 2008, My disappointment (election day 2008)
Nov 11, 2008, NAVY TOGETHERWESERVED
Jan 21, 2009, Songs that take me back in time...
Feb 12, 2009, President Lincoln
Feb 16, 2009, PhotoShop, photo restoration and photo examples
Mar 01, 2009, NavSource Online ships photographs
Apr 24, 2009, Travel - some stops along the way on our little planet.
May 20, 2009, Baltic Sea Cruise
Nov 03, 2009, NTWS suggestion box
Dec 26, 2009, Milestones
Jan 03, 2010, New Years Resolutions ... Lose 25 pounds ... Vetsville Bets
Apr 01, 2010, AWARDS NOT SHOWN / REMOVED FROM PROFILE
Nov 01, 2010, CHRIS NOEL petition: PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
Nov 29, 2010, Shadow Box
Apr 23, 2011, Forum Photos
Jun 30, 2011, Retirement: The longest weekend ever.
Jul 01, 2011, resume/biography
Jul 01, 2011, Old Classmates bio
May 22, 2012, Other Photos
Jul 01, 2012, I was a one hitch wonder
Oct 21, 2012, Reading material
Jan 01, 2014, minimum wage cry babies & compulsory service
May 05, 2014, Message Photos
Sep 22, 2016, Get out there and vote.
Jan 01, 2017, Saigon Shipyard Today
Jan 01, 2017, A book of short stories: MY LIFE SUCKED, less than most.
Mar 29, 2017, Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act
Apr 10, 2017, What it meant to me, to serve.
Jun 18, 2017, Just a few of the things we have called each other.
Jul 05, 2017, Text that was on my profile page
Sep 12, 2017, Coffee in your veins
Mar 27, 2018, Honorary Member: SCREW IT SOCIETY
Jan 01, 2020, Files to Review
May 14, 2020, 2020 A New New World
Jul 18, 2020, Hang Your Rank On The Door Knob
Aug 03, 2020, The Yard Birds, not the band.
May 22, 2022, My profile flagged photos, or what should be . . .