Hitchhiking was part of my younger life, it was a less expensive and adventuresome way to get around! I did even did it several times while in the Navy, and then later by necessary demands while I was in college!

Date:   5/22/2021 3:16:30 PM ( 3 y ago)

Travel has been a huge part of my life! It all started early, where I lived in 3 states before going into elementary school; ** where I attended school every other year in a different state. Right up until the 5th grade, which is where we finally stayed until I graduated High School.

Then even then, I attended 4 different schools until I got into High School. Think God, I was able to spend all 4 years of my High School years in the same school.

By then I gotten used to traveling and moving!

Attended Junior College , before the Draft looming ahead inspired me to join the NAVY.

Even the Navy caused me to move about several times, starting with Basic Training which was 90 some odd days @ Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois! Where I learned many Naval and shipboard regulations and rules, which were pat of my maritime career.

My 6 years in the Military Forces Afloat added a great deal to my lite time experiences! I Served on 4 different ships over the next six years of active Navy service.

I spent over 200,000 Nautical miles serving from the Arctic Circle down to below the Equator in the Southern Seas, from Africa to various parts of Asia.

Saw over 20 different countries, places and many unusual things. One thing that this did was to show me how different people places and things were and could influence my life!

The first ship the USS Greenwood DE679 out of Key West, which I spent on the Atlantic coast, mainly involved in ASW exercises and general Maritime exercises. Where I got to the Tropics and was able see some of the world's problems in those areas. This helped me start to understand how the world worked. It was a great learning experience!

We fought ship board fires, experienced dangerous ship board incidences. Fired the Shipboard the 5 Inch Guns, held man-over board drills, and aided Small boats at sea!

I was able to foil a Dock side incident were a Navy Seal was to attempt to board our ship docked at a pier in Key West Naval station. All part of a Shipboard security check!
{" A catch me if you can test! "} I was able to find and foil the boarding attempt! Exact details are classified for security purposes!

Had an encounter with a Tug and Tow barge carrying a Large Quantity if Natural Gas when it became tangled with a NAVY sum in some ASW war games, lucky we did not have an explosion or major damage to either the Tug or Tow!

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The Second Ship was the USS Furse DDR882, out of Charleston SC. It was a Radar Picket Destroyer which could scan and track all forms of aerial objects, from Satellites down any thing else. One of our duties was to go out in the vast expanses of ocean and track and assist any downed phenomenon objects. Mainly along the former DEW line, in the North Atlantic!

We were a major part of the Tracking the Russians during the Cuban Missile incident! I was standing Dockside security Sentry, when at right after Midnight, we had a Supply Semi van come down on the dock and the call went out all hands E6 and below report for off loading supplies! This was very unusual! I was told to secure the pier security watch and prepare to slip the lines as we were getting underway! (We left about sixty some odd crew members a shore - they had to join us later in when we refueled in Key West!!

I came aboard as we steamed south to Cay Sal, Bahamas right across from Havana Cuba.
We were on station tracking for missiles, Russian PT boats and covering Soviet shipping, so that when President JFK announced the Cuban Blockade we were on station! The next couple of weeks were tense as we stayed on station monitoring the Cuban Weapons!

We did break off and intercept A Russian Merchant ship pulling out of Havana, where we came along side and firing across the bow to get them to stop for inspection. They heaved to and we found they had 3 ICBMs on board. What a close to total Nuclear war we had came.

Later we spent more time at sea on ASW and Satellite Tracking. We were supporting the planned Man on the Moon program.

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Xfered from the Furse in the Philly Naval Shipyard January '63!
Got to go aboard the USS New Jersey BB 63, it was an interesting trip.

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Transferred to the USS Manley DD940 in Charleston Naval Yard!

This was the ship I earned most of my at sea miles! We visited 14 countries and we went to all the major land masses. except for Australia

This was the newest Ship I served on. We put in over a 150,000 nautical miles from below the Equator to the northern most parts of the world!

We assisted with distressed vessels at sea, participated in many goodwill tours several areas of the world!

I was a French Translator in North Africa, Served as a duty driver for our Squadron Flag officer while in the Mediterranean.

Did the Suez Canal twice, Stopped in various Islamic Countries. Experienced a Freezing Sand storm in the Persian Gulf - it sand blasted the port side of our Destroyer, when we found the exterior water tight doors were not sand proof!!

Did some tracking and intelligence of Soviet Shipping. We spent several months along the East African coast. Then while in Mombasa, Kenya, we were dispatcher down to Zanzibar, to help evacuate about 100 American From the NASA Satellite Tracking station during Riots there by the Islamic!

We operated with the UK Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier down to Tanzania! More at a later date!


Different places on my unusual Road of Life!
SEE Ya!









 

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