As for my Navy experience, I was still sucking my thumb when I joined at 17 years old. I spent some time on the USS Topeka CLG-8. I got off to go to “A” school, and a “C” school “EM” in San Diego. I can’t remember exactly when I came aboard the Kawishiwi, but I caught up with her in Subic Bay. I had put in for any ship out of Hawaii. In any case, I was aboard for the West PAC tour in 67, And I didn’t leave her till some time in Feb 69 as an EM3. I was an Electrician’s Mate with no shipboard experience except for the Topeka, which was the flagship of the 7th fleet at the time. There wasn’t a piece of brass in the bilge that wasn’t polished at least once a week on that boat. I remember walking aboard the Kawishiwi for the first time. I was just bringing my hand up to salute the JOD, when a seaman walked by and addressed this Officer… “How Ya doing Jack?”, that would never happened on the Topeka! I looked around and saw that there was a major difference between a flagship and this boat. As the seaman walked away, I noted a big hole in his dungarees, I quickly recalled the time I got two hours extra duty aboard the Topeka for having shirtsleeves rolled up on the main deck, “this would get you a day in the brig I thought”. I saluted the officer and reported aboard. I can remember the very first time we prepared to fire off the boilers and get underway. My shipmate, David Lafleur was explaining to me that we needed to put all these heaters on electric motors to dry them out before we could put the power to them. I looked at him like he had three heads, we didn’t do anything like that on the Topeka, and maybe this guy is pulling my leg? Dave politely explained that this ship was really built to be a merchant ship, not a “Man Of War”, “we don’t have sealed motors for everything here”. To this day, I exchange Christmas cards with Dave. Although I didn’t really appreciate it at the time, the Navy changed my life. When my tour of duty was over, I had no problem finding a good job with the skills and schooling, and it DID make all the difference. I have been married for more than 25 years (to the same Woman), I have two Daughters, a Grandson, and I am enjoying retirement. My wife Sharon and I enjoy traveling and spending time in the Cascades at our second home. We have lived in Kent, WA for more than 20 years. Goto: Personnel Page |
