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.
