Loomis, Steven, IC3

Best Moment

Best Moment... Worst Moment... Same Moment... Boot Camp was the summer of 1969... Years later I was in a Reserve Unit in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I needed to do my annual two weeks of active duty and as I had recently graduated with a degree in audiovisuals I thought it would be interesting to see behind the scenes of the Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes. So I put in for duty and got it. Boy, what a disappointment... I bunked on base, ate in a chow hall and everyday I went to work to waste another day. I sat around with the other two techs, I assume they were Tradevmen (TD's, I was IC). They had a couple of half assembled 16mm projectors on their benches just for looks. I never saw them do any work on them. One day they handed me a 2 inch reel to reel video of Deep Throat which they feed onto a hugh Ampex console. It may have been the only video tape left in their library. What I had hoped to see was no longer being used, abandoned and back to live instruction. But, back in the late 60's when I went through boot camp we watched an endless array of prerecorded video presentations about... how to tie knots, what ship frame numbers are, how to do this and how to do that... I could hardly keep my eyes open. If I would have had tooth picks to hold the lids open I would have used them... Boring was just a kind way of putting it. And, if you were there you might have remembered the painting of a ship which was behind the instructors. A destroyer escort DE-1026. That, I had to have a picture of. So one day I set up my camera, pressed the timer and ran to position myself in front of the ship. Of course, first I had to clear the deck (studio) of piles of equipment, carts, boxes and junk. At least I got the shot. Me, in front of that painting of old DE-1026 on the wall of the Recruit Training Command - Great Lakes. Here is the photo of the painting for you to ponder. (it's also at NavSource Online: USS Hooper) This was just two weeks Reserve duty which I spent in the media center of the Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes. I was now working in audiovisuals and wanted to see how the facilities at my old Boot Camp worked. It was quite a disappointment.

Other Memories
From an old posting...
A Uniform Shop story for Mac... Originally Posted - May 22, 2012  

Once upon a time... I mean, this ain't no bull... I was out of the regular Navy, and college, and working... finally! (mid-summer 1975). 

However, I had joined the local Naval Reserve and needed to go on my 2 weeks of active duty. As I was now working in the field of audio-visuals I put in for RTC/GL (that's Recruit Training at Great Lakes) and was assigned to the television facilities at my old Boot Camp for a couple of weeks. On the weekend I drove up the coast of Lake Michigan and passed a VFW. As a member I stopped in for some refreshments. So, I sat at the bar talking to several old guys, comparing tattoos, when one of them wanted to know if I knew where he could pick up a Chief's uniform to wear in parades. "Well sure", and we jumped in his car, all four of us, and with my ID we entered Great Lakes Naval Base and went to the uniform shop where he bought the whole kit and caboodle. The old boy was looking mighty fine in his new outfit...and I'd bet it served him well.  OK, this may not be the funniest story you've ever heard, but it was one of those GREAT NAVY DAYS.