Previously Held NEC SR-0000-Seaman Recruit
SN-0000-Seaman
SN-9740-Seaman - Other Technical and Allied Specialists
IC-0000-Interior Communications Electrician
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
We have defended America ever since.Â
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.
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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. So, 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.Â
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.Â
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. Â It is that simple.
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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.Â
Best Friends My list... of people I remember from Vietnam.
I hope most of the names are correct...
RVNN Captain Doan Bich, VNNSY yard commanding officer. RVNN CDR Vo Som, SN Ha and Ung Fu.
NAG: Captain Shaver; CDR Cameron Mixon, CDR Lovett; LCDR Robert Teague; LCDR Fenick; LCDR David Kalb; LT A.D. Leone; LT Hearn; LT Gunderson or Gannon (also our barber); WO Dills; WO Dickerson, LCDR Hogg and counterpart LT Hia: MCPO/EM (SS) Merlin, EM, electrician; EN-1/CPO Bill Wood; GM-1 Bill Dewitt; GM-2 Mathews; GM-2 Lloyd Warren; YN-1 Paulson; YN-1 Smith; PN-3 Dave Lange; PN-3 Chadwick; PN-3 Bruce (Butch) Lindsay; BM-1 LaForte; PO-1 Guy; PO-1 Jackson; PO-1 Masterson; PO-1 Lewis; Thornson; Truly; Jolly; Geremo; Richter; Thornson; Bosley; RVN SN Ha; RVN CDR Vo Som; Ung Fu.
SERE: CPO Carter; Rick Miller.
Hometown people I met: Glen Wright and Dave (Matherson?)
Best Moment
Saigon naval shipyard The 57-acre Saigon Naval Shipyard, located on the southwest bank of the Saigon River about 30 miles from the South China Sea, represented the largest single industrial complex in South East Asia. The shipyard had been created by the French in 1863 as a major repair and resupply base. In 1969, 1,800 men were employed there, repairing and overhauling vessels, enabling the VNN to maintain its continuous patrols of the coast.
Chain of Command
MAC-V Vietnamese Navy Naval Advisory Group (Senior Naval Advisory Unit, Vietnam) We came under MAC-V, Military Assistance Command Viet-Nam as advisors to the Vietnamese Naval Command and the Vietnamese Naval Shipyard Command in Saigon. The shipyard included Fleet Command at the north end. Our advisory unit managed the shipyard shops and repair facilities which included a major training commitment. Naval Supply also occupied facilities in the Yard. Fleet Command. The VNN Fleet Command included the "blue water" ships of the navy. It was organized into two flotillas: a patrol flotilla made up of PCEs, MSCs, PGMs, LSSLs, and LSILs; and a logistics flotilla made up of PCs, MSCs, PGMs, LSMs, LSM{H)s, LCUs, LSTs, AKLs, YOGs, and YRs. (See glossary for definition of abbreviations). The Fleet Command was directly responsible to the VNN Chief of Naval Operations for the readiness of these ships and craft. The Fleet Commander assigned and scheduled ships to operate in the Coastal Zones, Riverine Areas and the Rung Sat Special Zone. When deployed to those areas, the ships changed operational control from the Fleet Commander to that of the respective zone or area commander. When deployed, the ships operated from the following ports: I Coastal Zone - Danang II Coastal Zone - Nha Trang/Qul Nhon III Coastal Zone - An Thoi/(Phu Quoc Island) IV Coastal Zone - Vung Tau/Can Tho/Chau Duc Rung Sat Special Zone - Nha Be Saigon Naval Shipyard. The 57-acre Saigon Naval Shipyard, located on the southwest bank of the Saigon River about 30 miles from the South China Sea, represented the largest single industrial complex in SEASIA. The shipyard had been created by the French in 1863 as its major repair and resupply base in SEASIA. In 1969, 1,800 men were employed working six days a week, repairing and overhauling vessels ranging front the largest in the VNN (328-foot LST) to the smallest (35-foot LCVP). The shipyard's primary mission was support of the VNN enabling it to maintain its day and night patrol of the over 1,100 mile RVN coast line. The shipyard was equipped to perform the most complex kind of repairs including overhaul. A ferro-cement construction project was completed late in the year. The first ferro-cement PCF and Viper came off the line in December. The shipyard was heavily committed to training programs to fill the critical job vacancies which existed during the year. Training. The VNN training establishment consisted of a Training Bureau located at VNN Headquarters; Training Centers located in Saigon, Nha Trang, and Cam Ranh Bay; and All Fleet Command ships were homeported in Saigon normally returned there after deployments. Overhauls, major repair, and maintenance of Fleet Command ships were accomplished at the Vanal Shipyard and the YR 9601 in Saigon. The shipyard was capable of performing major overhauls on any ship in the VNN, The YR 9601 (Floating Workshop) was equipped to perform all repair and overhaul work except shaft, screw, and underwater hull work. Normally the YR was reserved for PGM repair support, however, "ship-to-shop" repairs were accepted from other ships. Flotilla I - Patrol Ship; Flotilla I was composed of 41 patrol ships. They were organized into four squadrons. The patrol types included LSSLs and LSILs which were normally operated only in Riverine Areas or the Rung Sat Special Zone; although, on accession, they were assigned the four coastal zones. Such duties included gunfire support for the coastal groups or other units requiring assistance, PSYOP light logistic/personnel lift missions and patrol of MARKET TIME stations. These operational commitments required 50 percent of the patrol flotilla be deployed at all times. To meet that requirement, normal patrol routine was 40 days at sea for PGMs and 50 days for LSILs, PCEs, PCs, and MSCs. Fleet Command patrol ships assigned to the riverine areas provided naval gunfire support as well as patrolling the main waterways in the riverine areas. They enforced area curfews and conducted light logistic personnel lift. One river patrol unit was assigned as convoy escort on the Mekong River to and from the Cambodian border. Flotilla II - Logistic Ships. Flotilla II was composed of 14 logistic ships which were further divided into two squadrons. The primary employment of these ships was to support the naval unit, and bases throughout RVN. Logistic ships were under the administrative control of the Fleet Commander, and under the operational control of the VNN Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics who acted upon orders from the Central Logistics Command of the JGS.
Other Memories
My FPO address, 96626, included NAG-VNNSY. It stood for Naval Advisory Group - Vietnamese Naval Shipyard. (Co-Van, Hai-Quan Cong-Xuong) For years I have heard the term "Think Outside The Box". Are you kidding, I'VE LIVED OUT SIDE THE BOX. I believe my tour in Viet-Nam was my way of Walking The Walk and Talkin' The Talk. As a Viet-Nam Vet I took some crap when I returned. Just three months before I 'returned' home John Kerry had testified before Congress. I considered him a traitor then and a snake in the grass today. For years I kept my service to myself. Not any more. I've concluded that those who gave me the most crap were full of it themselves. They couldn't carry my sea bag.