In the fall of 1983 while attending the University I was driving in my first car a 1970 Toyota Corona with the radio on one morning. The radio station broadcast an air disaster with the Soviet Union. The Russian port of Vladivostok detected an American passenger jet aircraft wandering close to the USSR submarine base for the Pacific Ocean. The flight was warned to change course: did not and was shot down by a surface to air missile. October 1983.
At the University in a night course for Political Science called Public Policy the professor asked us to write the standard twenty-page paper on a subject of our choice. The Iran Contra affair was in the news and the Professor helped with a comment that there would be on going problems and a difficult conclusion for the student. The paper was not finished before the student withdrew but oil came to mind and a high school friend who told his school mate forty percent of the worlds known oil supply was in Kuwait bordering Iraq next to Iran. Therefore, he was in for an adventure for the right reasons.
This also started to change the course of the son's life during the fall semester in Manhattan out of West Norwalk, Ct. I ran short of food and started to look toward the military for answers in my life. I needed justice for the evil in this world, three meals a day and a paycheck. My grandfather served in the Navy as an officer during, World War II and my stepfather in the Air Force enlisted rank to second lieutenant. I was living with my father at the time of my final semester who also served in the National Guard during the Vietnam Era.
I went to the local armed forces recruiter in Stamford Connecticut and began the application process for the U.S. Navy. The first series of questions were about drugs and psychiatric hospitalizations. I lied. The crew needed my birth certificate and High School diploma both they got in three days from New York City hospital and Hingham Massachusetts. Then education and technical training were discussed and jobs in the Navy. When this ended I was offered two choices for employment, the mail or Core Man. I chose medical and continued with pre-enlistment.
I was further screened in a facility for physical health and ability in New Haven Ct and given an opportunity to pass the nuclear fleet exam. I failed. Then I continued with finger printing and signatures plus, drug testing and blood samples for disease detection. I passed and received directions to set off from the Norwalk Ct recruiting station. The final procedure for enlisting; you are on time or in the reserves. I made it! It was LGA to ORE in January of 1984 on American Airlines from Uncle Sam; otherwise known as LaGuardia airport in New York City to OHare airport in Chicago Illinois one-way paid.
When we arrived in Chicago our leader was unknown that got us to a bus outside the airport to the Navy Base called Great Lakes. The trip was not really long when we got there the driver exclaimed smoke em if you got em and our entrance was tough your DRUNK! We had small duffel bags with a change in them and nothing else. Our first night we spent in our civilian clothes on something called a rack
The Navy started to issue uniforms shortly after we arrived with some very carefully selected boots. My half cut industrial shoes were first given me at 10E and were returned for 10EE with a friendly look. All of our uniforms were stenciled with our names and company numbers. We got an extensive compliment of trousers, shirts, sweaters, jackets, underwear, and outerwear, footwear, and of course the Navy Pea Coat. We were taught to fold each garment in a special way for storage in a sea bag including the Blue Jackets Manual.
My service started in January of 1984 and I was to face a cold winter on Lake Michigan. The base did a great job of helping us with weather requirements. When temperatures were twenty below zero to sub twenty they would instruct us to
