Wilkinson, Gary, RMC

TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, WHAT INFLUENCED HIS/HER DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY?
My parents somewhat influenced me to join the Navy since I wasn't performing all that well in high school at the time. I was interested in electronics and my recruiter said that there was a good opportunity in the Navy to get technical training.

I dropped out of high school during my Junior year and joined the Navy in February 1958.

TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH HE/SHE TOOK IN HIS/HER MILITARY SERVICE. WHERE DID THEY GO TO BOOT CAMP AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, SHIPS OR SQUADRONS WERE THEY ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS HIS/HER REASON FOR LEAVING?
I changed my path by learning discipline and leadership. During the first part of my career, I buckled down and did some studying to complete my High School Education and eventually earned my GED Certificate of Equivalency in 1963.

After attending my first Navy school, I attended as many technical schools as I could get. I eventually was assigned instructor duty for nearly six years, first, as an Instructor at RM "B" School, Service School Command in San Diego; second as an instructor at Fleet Training Group, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

IF HE/SHE PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE YOU FEEL WERE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO HIM/HER AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY.
I was involved with combat operations in the Gulf of Tonkin while attached with the staff of Commander Task Force Seventy Seven (Commander Attack Carrier Striking Force, U.S. Seventh Fleet). I was rotating on two flag carriers, the USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63 and the USS Constellation CVA-64.

The primary mission was the interdiction and halting the flow of material from North Vietnam to enemy forces in the south. Task Force 77, the 7th Fleet's Attack Carrier Striking Force, was an armada of five aircraft carriers - three of which were "on the line" constantly - consisting of around 400 aircraft, some 25 support ships, and more than 30,000 men.

I saw many of the jet fighters return to their carriers from over North Vietnam that was pretty well shot up, and some that never made it back.

OF ALL THEIR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY HE/SHE HAD FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH WAS THEIR LEAST FAVORITE?
I believe out of all my duty stations, the one that probably was the best was at the Naval Facility, Pacific Beach, Washington. This was a SOSUS station, which at the time was super-secret in its operations.

Now days much can be found about it on the internet. This was a prime duty in the Pacific Northwest. Abundant fishing and hunting, plus razorback clams were favorite and plentiful on the beach. Now that the base has been converted into a Resort & Conference Center, we return now and then for a visit and some rest, relaxation, and recreation.

FROM THEIR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY PERSONAL MEMORIES, YOU MAY BE AWARE OF, WHICH IMPACTED HIM/HER THE MOST.
I think the best and the proudest period of my career was when I was stationed at Fleet Training Group, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and was instrumental in establishing a new course of instruction in Communications Quality Monitoring Systems. I converted an empty classroom into a communications lab with all the necessary electronic equipment to teach the course.

It took me two years just to procure, barter, and cumshaw the needed communications and teletype equipment from the area, then to wire everything together on my own. By the time I finished, I had to write the curriculum for teaching the course. I have to say. I was pretty proud of the work that I had accomplished.

Once I completed the lab & paperwork, I began teaching the course to fleet personnel. At the end of each 2-week class I taught, the students filled out critiques about the course, and I got numerous "outstanding" compliments for the course.

I was only able to teach seven 2-week courses before being transferred to my next command for my final year of sea-duty.

The other enjoyment of this duty at Fleet Training Group was riding the various U.S. Naval and Coast Guard ships in the Hawaiian area, including Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand naval ships, conducting observations and critiques of simulated battle exercises for the communication divisions.

My wife and I had made good friends with some of the New Zealand and Australian sailors. There were three of the NZ sailors that we invited over to our home for a Thanksgiving dinner. We've never met a more appreciative group of men since they later sent us a beautiful hard-cover book of New Zealand, and wonderful letters thanking us for the wonderful time they had with us.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS DO YOU BELIEVE HE/SHE WAS MOST PROUD OF FROM HIS/HER MILITARY SERVICE?
I think the professional and technical training I had in my Naval career was what I am most proud of. I was fortunate to attend some of my technical schools when they were still training Radiomen a lot of electronics, both in "A" and "B" Schools. Radioman "B" School in 1966 was 36 weeks long and heavy in electronic theory, troubleshooting equipment, and system levels. I learned both vacuum tube and solid-state theory during the RM "B" School. Years later when I went back to Radioman "B" school as an Instructor, they had done away with the electronics teaching, but mostly teaching systems and system troubleshooting.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES HE/SHE RECEIVED, WHICH WERE THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO HIM/HER AND WHY?
I think the most meaningful awards I received was when I was assigned to the staff of CTF-77 in the Tonkin Gulf during the Vietnam Conflict in which we were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, awarded in 1968 for duty on the USS Kitty Hawk from 9 December 1967 to 29 January 1968.

IF KNOWN, PLEASE LIST ANY INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM HIS/HER TIME IN THE MILITARY WHO STOOD OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEM AND WHY?
On my first ship, the USS Samuel N. Moore DD-747, the most influential mentor, and friend were HMC Ben Mayotte, who accepted me as his HM striker, which got me out of the Deck Force. He not only directed me as a military supervisor but was like a "second father" to me.

Off the ship, he was like your best friend, and we went to many attractions in different ports (Long Beach, Hawaii, Japan, PI). After he retired from the ship in 1960, we remained close friends. We mailed each other many times, and over the years, had visited with each other at times. He became a great fan of my wife since they were both from the same area around Boston, MA, and especially with the both of them being dedicated "Boston Red Sox" fans. Ben would tell me about his favorite ballplayer, "Ted Williams," and seeing him play at Fenway Park when he had hit a home run that passed Joe DiMaggio's 361 career home runs with his 362nd career home run.

On every return to port from WestPac cruises, we could always see Ben's wife, Gerrie, on the pier waving that famous "Red Sox" pennant flag.

When I retired from my last command in Long Beach, Ben and his wife attended my retirement ceremony on the USS Anchorage and then my retirement party at the Chief's Club. They both were kind enough to put us up at their home for a couple of evenings until I headed for home in Oregon.

To my disappointment in recent years, he passed on at the age of 92. I still miss getting emails from him "just to check up on my wife and me." He always called me "Redhead." After his wife had passed a few years before him, we became much closer and communicated with each other much more often. I think the loneliness eventually got to him.

IF HE/SHE SURVIVED MILITARY SERVICE, WHAT PROFESSION(S) DID HE/SHE FOLLOW AFTER DISCHARGE?

Maintaining the Microwave System on Soda Mountain, Oregon

I continued in an electronic career shortly after I retired from the Navy. I was hired on at Pacific Telatronics, Inc. (later renamed Pacific Microwave Joint Venture) in Medford, Oregon, and eventually became Technical Manager for the company. It was a job of building, maintaining, and operating terrestrial microwave systems in northern California and western Oregon, with a small system in central Oregon.

I have to contribute much of my electronics knowledge and experience learned from the Navy technical schools, especially RM "B" School. That course was a 36-week course heavy in electronics, both vacuum tube theory and solid-state theory, and a lot of system troubleshooting techniques. The knowledge and experience I gained throughout my Navy career helped me immensely to endure my new career in terrestrial microwave systems. It made learning a new career so much easier.

I retired from the microwave business after nearly 30-years with the company, at the position of Technical Manager.

IF KNOWN, WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS WAS HE OR SHE A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC BENEFITS THEY DERIVED FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIPS?
Currently a member of the "Fleet Reserve Association".

IF HE/SHE SURVIVED MILITARY SERVICE, IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU BELIEVE HIS/HER SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY THEY APPROACHED THEIR PERSONAL LIFE, FAMILY LIFE AND CAREER?
I believe the career in the Navy has taught me how to handle stress and stressful situations.

Also, my military experience enhanced my abilities to organize, plan much of the workloads that I endured, and the management of my co-workers.

IF THEY WERE HERE TODAY, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU THINK HE OR SHE WOULD GIVE TO THOSE WHO FOLLOWED IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS AND RECENTLY ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE?
Today's Navy is so much different than the years I spent my career in it. So much more "High-Tech" and sophisticated. If it is a job you like, I would say "make it a career".

I have never regretted the 20 years I put in, and with a retirement pension for life for giving a little of my time for service to our country, it is well worth it.

HOW EFFECTIVE HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM BEEN IN HELPING YOU RECORD YOUR REMEMBERED PERSONS MILITARY SERVICE? DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE?
I think TWS has rekindled some of the memories of my service, and with some of the personnel that I served with. After over 35 years of trying to remember many events from back when I was active duty, it's nice to be able to document some of my Navy career that's still in memory to share with my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

KC 611.20