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.
My tour in Viet-Nam: NAG-VNNSY 6/1970 - 6/1971. Naval Advisory Group - Vietnamese Naval Shipyard, Saigon Viet-Nam. My tour was exactly one year, from June 1970 to June 1971. I spent 365 days on the ground in Nam.
MY BIG ADVENTURE, part one: Saigon, Viet-Nam. (6/70-6/71) MY BIG ADVENTURE, part two: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (8/77-8/79)
I arrived in Viet-Nam as an E2, Seaman Apprentice, and spent three or four days TDY, temporary duty, waiting to be assigned to a river patrol group, most likely south at Sea Float/Solid Anchor. But, within a week of arriving I was assigned to the (Senior) Naval Advisory Group - Viet-Nam in the Vietnamese Naval Shipyard in north-east Saigon. I was billeted at the Capital Hotel BEQ in Cholon, south-west Saigon.
This small advisory group had a history dating all the way back to Eisenhower and the original military aid shipments of the mid-1950's. Our major objective was managing and training of workers in a shipyard which was built by the French in the 1880's. ROV (regular overhauls) and RA (restricted availability/repairs) of the Vietnamese fleet was at the top of our list. But, in addition to all of that we also built river craft in the yard. They included the Yabuta Junks and Viper riverine craft.
Saigon, shortly after we arrived:
We had just arrived in country and were staying at the Annapolis Annex on Plantation Road.
Within days we were standing watch and on one occasion one of the guys I had just gone through SERE training reported some suspicious activity across the alleyway. An old woman putting something in a stack of cases of Coke bottles.
EOD was called while we all had a good laugh.... "So.. What did they find?"...
The answer shut us up. "C4 PLASTIC". The time had come to stop kidding around.
About a month later I was standing across the street from my BEQ (Capitol in Cholon) during an evacuation. EOD removed C4 plastic from our open cage elevator shaft. The Le Lai BEQ wasn't so lucky.
SAIGON ON $8 A DAY . . .
June 1970. I was an E2 in-country making about $104 a month plus overseas and combat pay brought it to around $180. A month later I received an increase and an automatic step to E3 with bumped me to a total of about $250, or $125 twice a month. I remember the rough figures because I was now making more every two weeks that I had been making for a whole month. The nice thing about being paid twice a month was that the Army was usually broke by the middle of the month and we got re-supplied. If you get my drift.