Farmer, Gene, MRFN

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY.
Standing before a Judge, he said I understand you are joining the Service? No Sir, With this he repeated , Your not understanding me I said I understand your joining the service. With that I understood get out of my town.
A navy officer later knock on the door and he said the same thing. I said I might as well nothing is going good for me here. He asked what branch of Service would you like, Well let me tell you he looked sharp in that uniform so I asked him what branch he was in and he said the Navy. Now here we are and I never wore what he had on.
The Kansas Navy Centennial Company # 117 is where I landed, great experience!
That is another story.

WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BOOT CAMP AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, SHIPS OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
Boot camp for this country boy was easy, we had 100 men { boys } and let me tell you they wanted the Kansas Centennial co, to look sharp & when we graduated they had 100 sharp looking men.95 college men, 3 High School men & us 2 High school dropouts.
Everyone Scared stiff going in & scared coming out . Not knowing what we were in for but ready to take it on.
Destroyer, I had no Idea what this was but I knew it was a ship. This Kansas country boy never seen any ship, less a Destroyer. I was soon to find my calling inside a boiler retubing and I was not asked just crawl in here & get to work. So I lived everyday inside this boiler for 5 day's then it was Friday evening after shower I noticed everyone getting in their dress blues. There must be a inspection I asked , no they were going on liberty I told you I was a country boy from Kansas.
Boilers I believe was not my calling, I asked why I as not working with the Electricians like I had asked. I was told that I was to mechanically inclined, I worked my way in to Repair division as a MR { Machinery Repairman }. I still held my watch & GQ in the Boiler room as a burnerman. I Lived & breathed on this Ship from 1961 to 1964 went though 4 Captains.