The Start to A Naval Career 1955 - 1973.

March 12, 2003

It all seems so long ago. July 1955, 550 Broadway, New York City. I was inducted into the United States Navy and boarded a buss, for the seeming endless ride to boot camp, at the Naval Training Center Bainbridge, MD. Upon completion I was sent to AN "P" School in Norman, OK.

I had decided to get PH "A" School after graduation, but alas, it was not to be. I missed the cut by twelve hundredths of a point, and having very little interest in another "A" schools and decided to take Future Fleet Assignment, which turned out to be a pretty good deal. I was sent to VC-33, NAS Atlantic City, NJ where I spent the next 26 months.

It was during this time I made a cruise to the Western Pacific aboard the USS Bennington CVA 20 from 5 Oct. 1956 to 23 May 1957. I deployed as a Plane Captain / Aircrewman on AD5N aircraft. I was kept pretty busy; I was one of only a few non rated, "qualified" Combat Aircrewman. Those Aircrew wings looked great and I though I was the cats meow.

My dream world was shattered about 5 days out. We were scheduled for our first Flight Operations of the cruise. I was strapped in to the plane and everything around me, on the flightdeck, was moving at a very rapid pace. Aircraft were taxing everywhere and the noise was unbelievable. Then all of a sudden it was time to 'launch aircraft.'

The first plane off the deck got, I was later told was, a cold cat and done a slow roll off the starboard bow and crashed into the sea. The ship immediately changed heading to port, in an obvious attempt at avoiding the F3J Fury, and just as smartly came back to starboard and continued to launching aircraft. I thought we would cancel Air Ops for the day but, no such luck. We secured from Flight Quarters about 14 hours later that day. We never did recover the body of the F3J pilot, or anything else for than matter. It was indeed, a sad day aboard the USS Bennington, and it made a very lasting impression on this sailor.

That day was followed by many similar days of long hours at Flight Quarters punctuated by very brief periods in port. One day the Personnel Officer let in be known, that he intended to return to the states with a brand new crop of Petty Officers and designated strikers. The non designated airmen had to select a rating to strike for and the necessary correspondence courses would be ordered. It sounded like he was more interested in looking good as a "Personnel Officer" than in having a new bunch of promotions in the crew.

This posed no particular problems for the crew, except in my case. I had completed my correspondence courses for promotion but, I did not have my "Practical Factors" signed off. The only way to get this accomplished was to spend time at the Photo Lab under the watchful eye of a Photographer. Once I made the Personnel Officer aware of this he said he would get back to me. I figured that would be the end of it.

About a week later the Personnel Officer called me in to let me know what he had worked out. I would continue to fly with the Detachment but, I was released from duty as a Plane Captain and would report to the Photo Lab for a few weeks. I would sweep-up and make coffee, as well as get my practical factors signed off. Oh! yeah, if I failed the test he would pull the practical factors out of my record. I never did understand this part; it was just part of the deal, but I jumped on it like gang busters.

For the next few weeks I'd muster every morning with the Detachment, got my flight schedule, which was usually a night hop, and report to the photo lab where I got a little practice, in a lot of jobs. I had quite a bit of photo experience as a hobbyist, but working in a Naval Photo Lab was a real thrill for me. They had a great crew there and I seemed to fit right in.

Everything was going great, then all of sudden the photo lab started to loose guys left and right. Two guys were transferred back to the states, another one had to serve as Pri Fly PO, and one more went some where else. At any rate, I was soon looked upon as an asset - not a coffee maker. I was told not to muster with the Detachment but to check in with Al Sayer, the first class petty officer in the lab. I still had an occasional night flight with the detachment, but the flights were cut way back. Everyone was happy except the Personnel Officer, I guess he felt betrayed by the Photo Lab.

Things went along fine for about two months, then one day the Personnel Officer told me I would have to off load with the Detachment and travel to NAS Atsugi. The ship would be in port and the lab wouldn’t need me. He, on the other hand, had a full flight schedule, four aircraft to get into corrosion control, plus some heavy maintenance to perform. When I told the Photo Lab they said I would have to check out of the ship and back into the Detachment. I had only a couple of hours before the buss would leave for Atsugi. I had to pack my seabag and check out. I didn't think I had enough time.

As it turned out, I did not have enough time to finish the checkout procedure. I was having a difficult time finding the various locations, after all I had never checked in. About three quarters of the way through the procedure, I was told to get on the buss, it was leaving. Before I knew what happened, I found myself on the way to NAS Atsugi.

The following two weeks were a delight; to me, it seemed like a vacation. We worked a full day from 0730 until 1630. Then we went to the EM Club where we relaxed and just enjoyed ourselves. No military duties at all, no shore patrol, no fire watches, no post watches, no mess duty, no compartment cleaning. We just worked the aircraft during the day and took each night off. Boy what a life, seldom did I have it that good.

But, all good things must come to an end and so did our trip to NAS Atsugi . After the planes took off we packed up our gear and got ready to depart. It was over, but we did have one more night at the EM Club. It was a night to remember, or so I was told.

It was a day or two before I stopped in at the Photo Lab to say hello. In the course of conversation I mentioned that I didn’t even get enough time to check out. With that, the Photo Officer asked me asked me to elaborate.
I told him that the buss was leaving and I had to get on it or I'd miss it. He smiled and left the lab. When I was finished visiting the guy's, I left with an open invitation to return at any time for a cup of coffee. I felt pretty good that night as I walked back to my compartment, at frame B 303 L.

The next day the Personnel Officer told me to report to the Photo Lab. He made it clear, that he was not pleased but, it came from the Commander, Air Group (CAG). I think he was a bit teed off because I was not supposed to be in the Photo Lab in the first place.
At any rate I reported to the Photo Lab that day and remained there for the rest of the cruise, of coarse, I was still flying one or two nights a week with the Detachment.

It was May 22nd. 1957 when we returned to NAS San Diego, California, I had rejoined the Detachment for our flight back to NAS Atlantic City, New Jersey. I remember thinking it would be great to get back to the east coast and home. It seemed we were gone a long time. I was ready.

The trip cross country was uneventful and before long we all on leave. With our departure, Det. 30 was dissolved until the USS Bennington started shake downs for the next West Pac. There were no permanent members of the detachments. Returning personnel were absorbed into the shops, to form a pool of talent from which the squadron could call upon as needed. The non rated plane captains were assigned to the shop of their choice, if they wanted it, and most of them did. I, on the other hand, was an exception.

I got a chance to visit my parents, in New York, and a few old friends that I had not seen since high school. But they were busy through the week, they all had jobs. I felt that I had been gone just a little too long. Everything in New York looked much as it did when I left the year before, it was time to go back to Atlantic City. I was eager to get back to work, and just as eager to see what kind of job they were going to give me.

Night check was the place I wound up. It was explained to me that the squadron did not have a billet for a photographers therefore, they had no justification to send me to the Photo Lab. Night check turned out to be pretty good duty. Although the hours seemed rather strange, it was kind of easy, working for the night check Chief. Many Friday nights we were off by 1900, giving us plenty of time to go ashore. And what a delight, you could just walk to the EM Club, any time you felt like it. I guess being aboard ship, at sea, gave one a true appreciation of shore duty and all the benefits it offered.

About a month or so after returning, I went up to the Mess Hall to take the exam for third class photographer. I remember the test was quite difficult, they had a bunch of questions on aerial photography which, was not my strong suite. I left the test feeling that the next time; I'd nail it. I quickly put the test out of my mind till the next time.

Several months went by and one day the results of the exams came back; I had made PHG3, much to my surprise; at first I didn't believe it. I had actually made third class. I guess the Q&A sessions aboard ship gave me more of an insight to the exam that I thought. I new my Plane Captain days were over, billet or no billet.

The squadron wasted no time getting me transferred (TAD) to the NAS Photo Lab. But, there was a catch. As a qualified aircrewman, they wanted me to fly, as an instructor, two or three times a month. I said that was fine, at least I'd still draw flight pay. As it turned out the Photo Lab found the fact that I was drawing flight pay a benefit, I could help on some of their aerial jobs. It worked out great for all concerned.

I worked in the Photo Lab and stayed with the squadron until in was relocated to NAS Quonset Point, RI on the 1st. March, 1958. I received orders on the 2nd. May '58 to report to ZP3 at NAS Lakehurst, NJ., an airship squadron. I was going to worked in the hanger where they once docked the German airship "Hindenburg", Boy! talk about being part of history. I enjoyed that tour of duty also, but that's another story.

I often think about the Personnel Officer on Det 30, LTjg Dan Rice, if he did not strive to return home with a group of newly advanced petty officers and designated strikers, my life would have been considerably different. As it was, I wound up staying in the U.S. Navy for the next 20 years. I got to visit Australia twice, and completed three combat tours in Vietnam, aboard the USS Coral Sea CVA 43. I retired on 11th Sept. 1973 as a Chief Photographer’s Mate and went back to school and finish an AS degree in Electronic Technology. The rest, as they say, is history.