Best Friends
ET2 Earl Thomas Graham; YN3 Rafael Navarro DeJesus; SK2 Fabian Lickteig (I served overseas with his brother Jerry who was a Hospital Corpsman); CDR Karas, the Skipper, who tried to rescue me from bad life choices but I would not hear of it (Thanx for trying, Commander)
Best Moment
THE BLUES BROTHERS was filmed in Chicago while I was stationed there; Pope John Paul came to visit in October 1979 when I was there as well.
Chain of Command
CDR Robert Karas, U. S. Navy, Commanding Officer; HM1 Whitesell, Senior Corpsman
Other Memories
Terrorist bomb set off at the Reserve Center one evening and blew one of the huge, heavy wooden doors off the building. No injuries, thank God; 1979. I still don't know what the Center had to do with Puerto Rican independence that made it a target...strange...
Best Friends
HM1 Ronald Jay Fish PO1 Tom Calabrese
Best Moment
10 July 1979, immediately upon swearing in for reenlistment with Tom Calabrese, he and I departed for 32nd Street for check-in. Tom was to go to Hawaii eventually and I was waiting for orders anywhere at the time. We decided to celebrate getting back in the Nav' by visiting some of the local area's more colorful social establishments for some refreshment. The only detail I recall was that, after some hydration in five different places, Tom was driving us back to 32nd Street Naval Station. It could have been argued without contest that Tom was in no shape to drive (and I even less). Once we were on base Tom mis-navigated a turn and hit a signpost. The base Shore Patrol noticed us by this time and upon questioning determined that we would not be a threat to the local peace if we were in our racks, so they kindly drove us to our temporary barracks. I was experiencing some difficulty getting up the stairs so Tom hoisted me on his shoulders and humped up the stairs and tossed me into my rack. Thank you to those two SPs who had mercy on us.
Other Memories
I went to boot camp in San Diego with a guy named Ron Fish from Alamagordo, NM. When I reenlisted in 1979 and checked into 32nd Street I was assigned to the Branch Medical Clinic. Upon checking into the Clinic I noticed a grease pencil board on the bulkhead listing all the Hospital Corpsmen. One of the names at the top was "HM1 R. Fish", so I inquired of his whereabouts. "He's back there," one of the "Docs" replied, gesturing down the passageway. I walked into an office and there's Ron, formerly skinny and with a full head of hair, now chunky, bald, with a "Lifer's coffee cup finger." We had a great reunion that morning, sucking down Lifer Juice and catching up on the past eight years.
Best Friends
Dental Technician Al Patrick Marine Sergeant Randy Franklin
Best Moment
The best moment overseas was getting on the Freedom Bird back to The World at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa.
Worst Moment
The worst moment overseas was almost losing Marine Private Jones to malaria onboard the USS Mount Vernon (LSD-39) while steaming to Manila, Philippines. The Chief Corpsman onboard told me I was full of it when I diagnosed malaria, but when I took him to the U. S. Embassy in Manila and they immediately diagnosed falciparum malaria, the Chief didn't bother me anymore. I put Jones on a plane for Clark Air Force Base and never heard from or about him again. He was from Buffalo, NY.
Chain of Command
Golf Company, Second Platoon Staff Sergeant Walker (five foot two, two tours in the Nam and two tours on the drill field) taught me some things about Marine Corps discipline on my first day with the platoon. Lt. Sottler (aka "Junior") got us lost one night on patrol; SSgt Walker let him wander off on his own in the dark with his compass. Captain Andrew Finlayson was certain we could make the Stars and Stripes if we duplicated the Bataan Death March; we didn't.
Criteria The U.S. Navy has issued two marksmanship ribbons: the Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon and Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon, since 1920. The pistol ribbon is currently awarded for qualification on the B... The U.S. Navy has issued two marksmanship ribbons: the Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon and Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon, since 1920. The pistol ribbon is currently awarded for qualification on the Beretta 9mm pistol, while the rifle ribbon is currently awarded for qualification on the M14 and M16 assault rifle variants. The Navy issues the marksmanship ribbon in three levels, that of Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert. The basic ribbon is awarded for the Marksman level while the specific Marksmanship Device is awarded for qualification as a Sharpshooter or Expert. Those receiving an Expert qualification receive the Marksmanship Medal, in addition to the Marksmanship Ribbon. MoreHide
Comments
Qualified at a range in the Philippines with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, as 2nd Platoon Corpsman.
Best Friends
Steven B. Cartwright, RCPO, Drum & Bugle Corps, RTC/NTC San Diego Also, I found an old boot camp piece of paper that lists Chief Donley's initials as "G. A. Donley" so I guess his name wasn't Charley. I heard from someone in our company that his first name was Charles, so I always called him Charley (behind his back).
Best Moment
My best moment was watching a fellow recruit fall out and start eating grass on his hands and knees right in the middle of our first formation when the Captain was addressing the Company.
Worst Moment
My worst moment was getting dry shaved by our Company Commander when he noticed the peach fuzz on my face in the bright morning sunlight during personnel inspection. The other not so good moment was watching Steve Cartwright get into trouble: During inspection one morning, Chief Donley reached into Steve's jacket pocket and found a snotty Kleenex, so he told Steve, "Open your mouth!" Steve did so. Chief Donley stuffed the nasty snotty Kleenex into Steve's mouth and says, "Chew the juice out of it!" Way to go, Steve. I meant to ask what that tasted like...
Instructors
Aviation Boatswains Mate Chief Charles Donley, U. S. Navy
Other Memories
A fellow recruit named Coleman was busted by the mail room when they discovered that a friend of Coleman's had mailed him a marijuana joint. The mail room let it go through to Coleman. One night after taps the double doors to the barracks burst open and three Chiefs came in wearing black armbands. "Where's Coleman??!" Coleman responded, "Here, Sir!" The Chiefs opened his B drawer and found the letter with the joint and took Coleman away, hollering and cussing the whole time. We did not see Coleman for about a month when one day as our Company was marching across The Grinder when we spotted Coleman calling cadence with another group of recruits. He halted them and came over to greet all of us, informing us that he got busted but that he'd talked his way into becoming the Recruit Chief Petty Officer of the Legal Hold Company. He graduated a week before we did and was sent to the Fleet in the Pacific, we heard.
Criteria The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service... The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service during the current War on Terrorism. In addition, all members of the National Guard and Reserve who were part of the Selected Reserve in good standing between August 2, 1990, to November 30, 1995, are eligible for the National Defense Service Medal. In the case of Navy personnel, Midshipment attending the Naval Academy during the qualifying periods are eligible for this award, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Midshipmen ae only eligible if they participated in a summer cruise that was in an area which qualified for a campaign medal. MoreHide
ET2 Earl Thomas Graham; YN3 Rafael Navarro DeJesus; SK2 Fabian Lickteig (I served overseas with his brother Jerry who was a Hospital Corpsman); CDR Karas, the Skipper, who tried to rescue me from bad life choices but I would not hear of it (Thanx for trying, Commander)
THE BLUES BROTHERS was filmed in Chicago while I was stationed there; Pope John Paul came to visit in October 1979 when I was there as well.
CDR Robert Karas, U. S. Navy, Commanding Officer; HM1 Whitesell, Senior Corpsman
Terrorist bomb set off at the Reserve Center one evening and blew one of the huge, heavy wooden doors off the building. No injuries, thank God; 1979. I still don't know what the Center had to do with Puerto Rican independence that made it a target...strange...