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.
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.
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.
We have defended America ever since.
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.
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.
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.
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. It is that simple.
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.
I enlisted in Milwaukee 25 April 1969. Graduated High School June 1969. I went on active duty 7 July 1969 (DD214 incorrectly shows 16 July) Graduated Great Lakes, Oct. 1969. On to, MT-A School, Dam Neck VA and left for Saigon: 7 June, 1970.
I graduated high school the first week of June '69. I had a month before I would go on active duty. I was on that CACHE Program for delayed entry. So, my best friend and I took off for a road trip, up through central Wisconsin and over through Michigan. After a month of roaming back roads and stopping off at some of my relatives I said goodby and started My Big Adventure... First stop, RTC Great Lakes, 7 July 1969. So...
During the rest of the summer of '69 I was in Boot Camp. The only time I remember watching TV was for the landing on the moon later that month. I didn't even know what Woodstock was for a long time. Boot Camp left us OUT of the news Loop. So, when I graduated... (in mid October, after 13 weeks), Woodstock was old news.
I spent the next five months in MT/A School, studying to be a Missile Technician for the FBM, Fleet Ballistic - Poseidon/Polaris - Missile program (submarines). I was dropped from the program after failing two tests over 20 weeks. I volunteered for Viet-Nam and went through Navy SERE training before arriving in Saigon, the first week of June, 1970.
Thinking back to Woodstock, by the time I arrived in Saigon I was so OUT of the LOOP that I remember standing at the bar in an EM club in Saigon (summer of 1970) and listening to a Filipino band singing what turned out to be "Feel Like I'm Fixin to Die Rag". I'd never heard the song before and I thought that this little Filipino band had made it up. And at the time, I didn't find it to be very funny.
.png?ixlib=java-2.3.0&w=100&s=d40e366bb55af1e70293eedccb148713 "Brown Water Navy (Vietnam)")
.png?ixlib=java-2.3.0&w=100&s=0cb147133885c62667d8969c50b66659 "Order of the Ditch (Panama Canal)")
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