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I just wanted to say, that I appreciate you all. I appreciate your flawless dedication to America. I appreciate you traveling to foreign lands to protect the freedoms we all enjoy here in America. I appreciate the sacrifices that you all have made and are making for this country. I appreciate you guys putting up with all the drama that comes with being a member of the United States Military. I appreciate all you young men and women of all different ethnic backgrounds being able to come together and stand side by side and defend the United States of America. I appreciate the young men and women that gave their life for this country, before they even got to fully enjoy the rights they died for. It saddens me that lots of young men and women have died before they were legally able to buy a beer, before they were able to experience adult life, before they were able to have families, and go to college, and learn what life is all about.
Thank you for being willing to pack your entire life into a little green bag and sit in some foreign land just so that I can enjoy my life here at home. It brings tears to my eyes.
I remember sitting in the middle of the Ocean on an all male ship, and the only thing we had to look forward to was hope that Sunday we would get a Holiday routine, instead of having to work all day. I remember standing port and starboard watch, barely getting any sleep, but still doing it without a complaint, because you knew it was your turn to stand the watch for this country.
I remember coming back from deployments only to find that my car had been broken into, and that lots of my friends spouses had cheated on them, and ran off with all their money. I remember being a target to the civilians that I served for and put my life on the line for, just because I had a military haircut, and my car had "DOD" stickers on it. I remember the countless number of businesses standing in line waiting to take our hard earned money and sell us cars that didn't run at high interest rates. I remember "E1 financing available here" at almost every sleazy car dealership and loan company. I remember Navy E1-E4's being forced to live on the ship because you can't afford an apartment and you didn't get a housing allowance. It hurts just thinking about it. Pulling in from deployment and not having anywhere to go, no one waiting for you on the pier, and having to sleep in that tiny little bed that was stacked 3 high. Military life is a hard life for the members and their families, but we do/did it, and it need be will do it again.
Finally.....................
Most of all, I remember having my political differences from my other crew members, but when the time came, we all immediately put aside our personal differences and stood together strong and united as one to defend the land we love and the people we love even more than we love ourselves.
Thank you Veterans and Active Duty Military personnel.
carolinatx-- the thing I hated most was having to tuck boondockers under the edge of my mattress so I didn't get pitched out of my 3rd high rack in 60 ft seas. Hard to catch much sleep when you've got to keep a death grip on a pole attached to the bulkhead.
Another one- Watching green water rush by the portholes when you're the equivalent of 2 stories above sea level is unnerving to say the least, but when it goes on for a week at a time... uughhh. As one of the few females in service I had a very hard time getting appropriate gear (kevlar made for men doesn't fit for example). I had to take money out of my own pocket so I wouldn't be getting political grief over it, which, IMO was more hurtful coming from politically orientated officers trying to justify why I shouldn't be in service at all.
Americans have no understanding of the coast guard. "Puddle jumpers" are on submarines and cutters traipsing all over the world in hand me down spent equipment from the navy. Italy, Russia, Gitmo, Persian gulf, Vietnam (where 80%+ of coastie casulties came from not-so friendly fire). They never get credit for anything as a catch all agency, but get plenty of grief even from other services. We could solve it by defining the job as civil service (as canadians have), but then the navy & marines would lose their wartime auxillary force.
The moment war is declared the Coast Guard gets a new boss (DOD) but doesn't get off the hook for their original obligation jobs (DOT). They just do more by mandate with even less, making staff threadbare beyond belief. Talk about the dutchboy with his fingers in the dam. Everyone gets forced into being jack of all trades master of none, and this particular service suffers the most from every political whim down the beltway. When in doubt, tell the DOT it's their new job description, and trickle down implementation lands directly on the CG. I loved my jobs, but wished the commandant had more clout to tell DC to put up or shut up.
Many a weekend off duty I spent in a hotel room just to get some peace and quiet. Our berthing compartment had 200 racks and one television for all 200 men. I didn't go to the hotel to party. I went there for silence. There were some good moments I'll never forget. The way the waves glowed in the dark at night during Desert Storm. The sight of the sun setting on our ship's wake. The sky filled with stars you can't see in the city. Dolphins swimming and playing alongside the ship. There are many more memories I wish I could forget. Our ship had a major steam leak that killed ten engineers prior to my arrival. My first few weeks onboard were spent hearing the sounds of grown men screaming in terror in their sleep. The friends and coworkers of the dead were the ones sent in to retrieve the bodies from the fireroom (aka boiler room). Remember, these men were steam cooked by steam at over 600 psi and over 800 degrees. Some went crazy and were removed from the ship. Around the ship hung a smell that had texture more than taste. It was a smell that made your skin cringe away from it. It was slimy like pondscum with a hint of oil. The smell was like death. Since that time I never smelled that again. Don't know what it was and I probably don't want to know. Don't miss being at general quarters and hearing "missile inbound" and waiting to see if we had to go fight a fire from an explosion or if we were going to die. Thankfully it was shot out the sky before it could hit us. Didn't miss standing on the flightdeck and seeing a floating mine go by very close to the ship. Our mine watch missed one. Luckily it missed us too. Also don't miss seeing how cruel some people can be to others. Went to help at an orphanage in a former communist country. Young teenager was in a wheel chair and his legs were twisted and knobby in different directions. He wasn't born that way. He stole food when he was young. The local authorities chased and caught him. They were so angry at him for making them run that they made sure he never ran again. When they were through breaking his legs they stood back and looked around to let people know not to help the kid or they would be next. In another country we were eating in an outdoor cafe when a boy came up to us, opened his mouth to show us his tongue had be cut out, and then held out his hand. The restaurant owner chased the boy away and told us the boy was gypsy and his family did that to him to make him a better begger. Also saw a man in Alexandria Egypt trying to sell a 12 year old girl he said was his daughter.
carolinatx-- the thing I hated most was having to tuck boondockers under the edge of my mattress so I didn't get pitched out of my 3rd high rack in 60 ft seas. Hard to catch much sleep when you've got to keep a death grip on a pole attached to the bulkhead.
How long, I say HOW LONG has it been since I even heard or read of boondockers! Boot? 39 years ago this month? Wow! Can one still get them, though, of the same quality?
How long, I say HOW LONG has it been since I even heard or read of boondockers! Boot? 39 years ago this month? Wow! Can one still get them, though, of the same quality?
Thank you for your service, HL!
Several years ago the Navy stopped using boondockers. The modern boots are a little above ankle high and with padding. Lost count of the number of blisters I developed breaking in a new pair of boondockers. Because of the way I walked the soles always cracked in half near the balls of my feet. When did they come up with the design of the boondockers? 1880?
Many a weekend off duty I spent in a hotel room just to get some peace and quiet. Our berthing compartment had 200 racks and one television for all 200 men. I didn't go to the hotel to party. I went there for silence. There were some good moments I'll never forget. The way the waves glowed in the dark at night during Desert Storm. The sight of the sun setting on our ship's wake. The sky filled with stars you can't see in the city. Dolphins swimming and playing alongside the ship. There are many more memories I wish I could forget. Our ship had a major steam leak that killed ten engineers prior to my arrival. My first few weeks onboard were spent hearing the sounds of grown men screaming in terror in their sleep. The friends and coworkers of the dead were the ones sent in to retrieve the bodies from the fireroom (aka boiler room). Remember, these men were steam cooked by steam at over 600 psi and over 800 degrees. Some went crazy and were removed from the ship. Around the ship hung a smell that had texture more than taste. It was a smell that made your skin cringe away from it. It was slimy like pondscum with a hint of oil. The smell was like death. Since that time I never smelled that again. Don't know what it was and I probably don't want to know. Don't miss being at general quarters and hearing "missile inbound" and waiting to see if we had to go fight a fire from an explosion or if we were going to die. Thankfully it was shot out the sky before it could hit us. Didn't miss standing on the flightdeck and seeing a floating mine go by very close to the ship. Our mine watch missed one. Luckily it missed us too. Also don't miss seeing how cruel some people can be to others. Went to help at an orphanage in a former communist country. Young teenager was in a wheel chair and his legs were twisted and knobby in different directions. He wasn't born that way. He stole food when he was young. The local authorities chased and caught him. They were so angry at him for making them run that they made sure he never ran again. When they were through breaking his legs they stood back and looked around to let people know not to help the kid or they would be next. In another country we were eating in an outdoor cafe when a boy came up to us, opened his mouth to show us his tongue had be cut out, and then held out his hand. The restaurant owner chased the boy away and told us the boy was gypsy and his family did that to him to make him a better begger. Also saw a man in Alexandria Egypt trying to sell a 12 year old girl he said was his daughter.
That phosphorescent glow in our wake at lower lattitudes had such a soothing effect. We were tempted to go on swim calls in 80 degree sea water but shark infested meant a no go.
Bootcamp doesn't prepare anyone for how to deal with what they'll run into. The culture shock going abroad was less for me because I had already traveled a good deal at a young age. Makes you grateful for the freedoms most of us take for granted. Even the millions of civilians working to keep the power going 24/7 so that 3/4 of america doesn't live by rolling brown outs every day of their lives. Seabee's & Army corp engineers pull their weight at home as well as abroad. How hard do any of us have to think about our tap water vs russian cities? Most can barely keep water pressure let alone quality. 3rd world can barely get a well built without one faction or another trying to own it or poison it out of spite.
The good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm convinced there's a part of the human brain that can never shake the smell of burnt hair and flesh. My mission was different than yours, but I had those horrors to contend with just the same. Thank god for salty dog warrant officers and master chiefs helping us keep our heads on our shoulders. More than one mind bending experience can start stacking up on you after a while. PTSD is nothing to ignore, and the sooner it's caught the less damage it does long term. I hope they've learned that in this generation of VA care.
The old guard was pretty sloppy about it and had self medicating alcoholics to show for that mental healthcare lapse. Vietnam era saw too many hooked on heroin. Suicide rates present tense in military are heartbreaking to me. I think vets need a clear way to volunteer help/ emotional support for the transition phase of returning troops. They need to know we're here for them.
We didn't have sharks to worry about. When we drained our main steam condenser into our bilges we ended up with some live sea snakes swimming in our bilges. Old chief ordered us to go in and kill the snakes. I can't use the language here that we used to tell the chief what we thought of his order especially in light of the fact that they are among the most poisonous snakes in the world. They eventually died. Our ship didn't have swimcall. Big helicopter carriers was kind of hard to climb in and out of to get into the ocean. One guy did go for a swim. July 4th 1992 we were in Athens Greece and held a diplomatic party on our flight deck for the Ambassador and local Greek politicians. Plenty of booze to go around. Some enlisted crew members stashed away some bottles in the 5 gallon AFFF jugs. Then we headed out to Bosnia. On the way there at around 2am there was a man overboard for real. Since they weren't doing flight ops, those enlisted men decided to have a drink or ten and one went for a swim. The motor whale boat crew said they could easily find him thanks to the guy going "yeeehawwww" as he rode the waves. He and several others had a public Captain's Mast. Each were kicked out of the Navy. Captain Zea ripped off their rank patch and if it tore their uniform he'd tell them he owed the Navy the cost for replacing the uniform. One of the guys had less than a year left till an honorable discharge. They were all drunk while on a security watch.
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