“So there I was…”
I was standing naked as the day I was born. The Navy had taken away the last remnants of my civilian life but had not yet seen fit to let me put on the clothes I had been issued. I was one of a group of 86 young men that were the just formed Recruit Training Company of 86-261, Recruit training Command San Diego.
Like most of the guys around me it had been a couple of days of first, the first time I had left home, the first time I had flown on a jet, the first time my best efforts were not good enough. Standing in a group of naked men was the low point for me. I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. We has stenciled our names onto one pair of underwear and one plain white tshirt. The Company Commander was reminding us how stupid we were and then Someone called Attention on Deck.
The Company Commander introduced us to the Chaplin. He said a short prayer and then gave us a talk. I don’t remember everything he said but a part of that talk has always stuck with me.
He told us to look around at the other men in the room. That this was one of the only moments in our lives that we would be absolutely equal to everyone around us. That how much money our parents had or didn’t have made no difference. He said that our success or failure in the Navy was completely up to us. He said that every part of our training had a meaning, that no time was wasted.
That was 28 years ago this week. I have often thought about what that Chaplin said. I don’t think there has been any other time in my life that I have had a truly blank slate.
In the coming weeks I will be talking to Don Shipley about his story, I hope to talk to other Veterans about theirs. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to be a part of this project.
Wesley AKA Enigma4you
Category: Navy, Politics, Veterans Issues
Shipmate,
Feel free to contact me about your project. Jonn has my contact info. I’d be happy to share. I’ll share not because my story is anyway special, but because each of our stories make up a part of the fabric of all our stories. Parts of the puzzle that help remind those at home of where their money went and why we chose to do this.
Best wishes, and successes with this endeavour.
Sounds worthwhile and fun. Count me in.
Looking at these comments reminds me. This time 50 years ago I was in FT/A school at GLakes! Better count me out E4U. My CRS is acting up.
Its ok Zero,
There is a questionnaire with pictures
Feel free to contact me, I have a copy of a letter my Dad wrote to his family after enlistment 1943. He re-typed it himself when he was in his 70’s to help give us some background on his experiences in the Navy.
E4U…Thank you. The memories it brings back to me are at the same time horrid, red faced embarrassing and very funny upon reflection, all at the same time.
Interesting speech and oh, so true! 38 years ago next week (Tuesday), I processed through MEPS on North Broadway, Knoxville Tenn. An interesting ride it was…. 😀
Feel free to contact me.
All of my best stories are unfit to print.
2/17 Air Cav…Uh…Roger That brother! Not in today’s PC world anyway. 😀
If you need boring AF (Active Duty and Reserve) stories, let me know. Good luck with your project.
36 years ago last August…and it seems like yesterday.
Mike
44 years ago this coming February. Van Buren Street Chicago MEPS.
Hooooooooooooooooooly crap!
44 years ago, two months ago. Hmmmmmm … approaching over-the-hill?
🙂
Seeing those numbers (44 years) of ours makes me think Geez,have I really been on the payroll(active/retired) of the Federal Government for that long? Where does the time go?
I went in 03 Oct 1979 and Retired on O1 Dec 2011.
Quick math: that makes Bernath a POS!
44 years + 8. Time flies when you’re having fun. I started at the AFEES somewhere in Detroit. Then Fort Lost in the Woods.
Thanks for posting that, Brother! Now, I know I am but a mere youth …
🙂
39 years ago this month … AFEES, Gunter AFS and Maxwell AFB, Alabama. I am freaking old.
25 years ago today-sitting in Germany glued to a TV watching the wall come down. Then USAEUR freaked thinking it was a ruse for invasion. Lariat Advance – for the last time.
33 years ago next Monday (11/18/81) started Boot in San Diego Company 949 Drill Company with ETC(SS)Jim Hill as Company Commander.
Hey, Im in, definatley. They only highlight though of being an 80’s sailor is..being on top of the leaning tower of pisa. Oh and that Libya thing. Count me in.
44 years 3 months, first meal in the Army after arriving at Ft. Lewis, burnt black chicken. Ah, the good ole days.
No idea what our first meal was at Fort Campbell after riding down to there on a bus from Chicago. Arrived about 0230 or 0300. Probably involved SOS with lots of added saltpeter,half soaked grits and powdered eggs.
On December 27th it will be 40 years ago that I flew to Louisiana from Syracuse. At midnight on New Year’s Eve, I was pulling guard on the front gate of the reception station – hot shit in my ODs.
40 years ago,New Years Eve,I was partying it down at the Holiday Inn in downtown Luxembourg City.
My intro: Stuck a day at the KC AAFES center waiting for college records, they put me up in a hotel room with a guy waiting for his trial records – theft of government property and killing someone while in jail (he claimed self defense.) What they were really concerned about was the theft charge. January 1977.
27 years ago I was in beautiful Fort McClellan AL enjoying the start of week 4 of Basic. If you want any stories from the Army Guard/AF Reserve side feel free to contact me via email.
Wish I had seen this comment earlier. One of my sons went through his BT at McClellan in Oct/Nov 87.
Was he an MP? I went through OSUT there as an MP Oct 87-Mar 88.
No,not an MP. Inducted in Denver,after BT he went on to Fort Lee,VA for AIT as a 76C Parts Supply Clerk. He did his 4 years,came back to Colorado,and now has 22 years in working for the US Postal Service.
Doubt I knew him. Except two guys in my platoon who were supply I don’t remember anyone who wasn’t MP. I was in Bravo 787th for Basic and MP school.
I think his Basic outfit was like the 1/48th INF or something like that. Not sure on the specifics,I would have to ask him.
A little Google-Fu says the 3/48th was conducting BT at McClellan during that time frame. I remember seeing the 48th Inf and thinking that’s the same outfit my older brother was in from 62-65 in Gelnhausen,Germany.
They could have been. I was too busy trying to stay off of Drill Sergeant’s Burage shit list to look outside of my little world.