My wife, Cathy, and I are volunteers aboard my old battleship, USS Missouri (BB-63). I am one of the Volunteer Supervisors. During 2008, I had the privilege of working with "Wounded Warriors" (Marines) back from Afghanistan/Iraq. A group of those warriors volunteered to come aboard and help in the repair and preservation of the ship.
I am frequently called upon to speak to groups visiting the Mighty Mo. I spoke to 57 newly appointed CPO's at the third CPO Legacy Academy held aboard the ship (2008). On 30 Aug 2011, I was guest speaker for the CPO Legacy Academy Class of 43 new CPO's. Command Master Chief of the Naval Surface Group, Middle Pacific, Patricia M. Roebuck and 7 Senior Chiefs from local commands were also in attendance. I was asked to speak during the CPO Legacy Classes of 2010, 2011, two classes in 2012, and will be speaking with the two classes of 2013.
I was asked to be the Keynote Speaker at the Veterans Day Sunset Ceremony held aboard the battleship USS Missouri on 11/11/11. More than 250 people attended; including a dozen or so active duty Flag & General Officers. I heard one of the best renditions of our National Anthem, sung by a TSgt Laura Murdzia, USAF. I was completely surprised when, at the conclusion of the Flag ceremony performed by the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Old Glory Detail, the ceremonial Flag was presented to me. It was, to say the least, an awesome experience! Please see "Family New" section for some photos.
As a result of an article I submitted to AMVETS Magazine, the Commander of Post #1 in Honolulu, Hawaii contacted me. After a rather lengthy discussion, I was offered the position of Post Legislative Director and Editor of the Post's Newsletter. I agreed, with one proviso; I would be a volunteer.
Other Comments:
In 1970, I was personally selected by RADM Dean L. Axene to be his Writer and Administrative Assistant. I was later officially assigned the duties as his Enlisted Flag Officer Personal Aide. I was, at that time, the first and only Enlisted Flag Officer Personal Aide in the U.S. Navy and I was issued shoulder Aiguillettes signifying that I was a Personal Aide to a Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy.
I also served aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) in the Operations Office (1957/59), a couple shore duty assignments, 10 years with NATO Commands (including NATO HQ Paris, France and Brussels, Belgium) and a tour of duty as a Naval Advisor in Vietnam (1966/67) with MACV/SOG.
I am a member of The Battleship Missouri Association and am a Plank Owner/Crewmember of the "Friends of the Mighty Mo." I am also a member of the USS Missouri Association Legacy Society. I am a member of the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) Association .
Other Memories I was serving aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) when I saw the call for volunteers for UDT Training. I submitted my request and to everyone's surprise, I was accepted.
I had been a swimmer all my life and have a Swim Letter from my High School. I was in great shape (I thought), so thought it would be great to serve on the Teams.
The training was really rough (probably not as rough as SEAL Training today), but it was a real challange.
We ran everywhere we went. Early A.M. runs down on the beach in "boon-docker" high top shoes; ran to breakfast; ran to the obstacle course (most losing their chow before getting there).
After a number of students were eliminated (or chose to quit) we started carrying rubber boats above us as we ran. Sometimes the instructor would jump around in the boat while we moved along the trail/beach.
I remember a couple names of obstacles on the course. The "Slide For Life," the Weaver," and "The Dirty Name." The Slide was a very long cable stretched from a platform some 30/40 feet high, over a ditch fillled with water, to the ground 60/80 feet in length. The cable was wrapped with canvas (as I recall) and you had to lean forward, head first, upon the cable and let your body slide down the cable to the far end of that water-filled ditch. Your hand grip on the cable dictated the speed of your descent. I believe I lost a shirt button every time I slid down that cable. And, you don't want to lose any buttons because you would give the instructor many push-up for such an infraction. (Never fell into the water, though!)
The Dirty Name was made up of huge pieces of tree logs. You stood on one log and had to jump out and upwards to another log 4 or 5 feet in front of you. To make it up on to the 2nd log, you had to wrap your arms over it and swing and pull yourself up and over the top. it was a veritable bitch, but when you got the swing of it, up and over you went.
The Weaver was like something you'ld see in a playground. A structure of 4" or 5" pipes 21' or so in width, stacked in a pyramid ship. You had to "weave" your body under & over the pipes from bottom to top and down the other side. If you didn't master this one, the clock was your worst enemy!
I'm sure the course obstacles have changed since i ran it in 1959 and as I recall (which ain't so easy anymore) my best time was a smidgen over eight minutes. Never could takeover 1st place, but managed to run the course in 2nd place.
During the 3rd or 4th week of training, I began to have a problem with my lower back. It worsened each day and finally reached the point where I could no longer do the running and had great difficulty on the obstacle course.
Couldn't get a medical holdover, so had to turn in my red helmut in the instructor's hut. Having to drop out (DOR) was humiliating and I never really got over it.
Found out later, during treatment by the doctors, that the injury to my back when I was thrown to the deck of the ship by concussion waves from the firing of two of the 16 inch guns during bombardment operations aboard the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) in Korea, was the source of the problem.. I apparently incurred some damage to my spine.
The problem flared-up again during training for duty in Vietnam and the training I had while in-country.
The problem re-surfaced again a couple years before I retired. Got so I was dragging my right leg around and was experiencing a lot of pain. So, I had to have surgery. Two, actually. First one was a laminectomy at the L5/S1 section of my spine. Second one was a laminectomy at L4 and a fusion at L5/S1. Haven't been the same (physically) since. Some years later, I underwent spinal surgery on my uppr spine; now I am unable to turn my neck without turning my whole upper body, too!
Getting over dropping from UDT Training took quite a while, but I managed to have some great assignments for the balance of my career. Being assigned to a 2-star Admiral as his Enlisted Personal Aide was the highpoint of my career.
