Imagine 17 years old and having your father suggest you enlist into the Navy, this will be my first time away from home, away from my mom. He wanted to make a man of me, little did he know that would never happen. I'm not saying that it was a bad idea but my gender was set in place when I was born, I portrayed a man for my father.
Eight weeks of boot camp in sunny Orlando, time of year, July, with blistering 115F (black flag days) though it was tough I made it. Then it was off to school to learn about torpedoes from which I was given orders to attend school in Conn. for submarines. that would be my first tour which was 6 years. My base station was Hawaii the people are so friendly there, servicing such places as the antarctica for six months and Italy also spending many months out at sea. I left the navy for one year and returned to navvet training which is a refresher course of boot camp and then off to school for turbine theory which I had passed after 4 attempts. I was given my orders, San Diego California where a large carrier would be my home for the next four years.
Living conditions weren't so bad, separate showers and toilets to give a person privacy, which I needed because of the gender issues, I never did like men around me and also not in a shower.
I was an engineer for the USS Ranger CV-61 in MM2 which was hot work and long, the temps in the boiler room were up to 114 degrees which the air conditioning which was 100 degrees you could sweat yourself thin. The grueling conditions would be the apart of our jobs but the hardest was long periods away from home, six months out at sea sometimes back to back.
In my time of the navy, I have crossed the equator eight times, been through hurricanes and was in port for the earth quake in LA which destroyed the city. We helped all we could to provide medical assistance and food. In the Philippines which was one of our main ports we also helped the people with food and water after tropical storms destroyed cities. Navy life wasn't so much of traveling or working aboard the ship it was helping to save others.
Was in Seoul Korea for the Summer Olympics.
While visiting Japan, I had volunteered to help children in an orphanage. Getting to know these kids made the time that much more an experience but leaving them also hurt in so many ways. I wasn't prepared for that and it really did take a toll on all of us.
I had learned so much from that experience and though I miss it I will always remember who I was then and who I am now, the same helpful person you see me today. Though I am a veteran I am also a citizen of this great country I will continue to help keep this place safe as much as I can, I was taught to do it and it is my over all joy to do it today.
So for all the men and women who have died serving this great nation, and those still in the military and the veterans, I want to wish you a Happy Memorial day.
May the lord watch over you to keep you safe for without you, there would be no US.
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