This is one of those photos of my childhood that I am not very fond of. I look like an elf here and my hair cut ahh hideous. Oh well, my wife thinks I look cute lol! I just joined Friday Follow, come join us too by clicking the badge below.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Early Years of My Naval Career
It wasn't long after I arrived in China Lake, CA that I was awarded my first Sailor of the Quarter. I remember this award well because my Department Head was a Search & Rescue pilot and he took me out flying as an additional reward. His crew placed me in a harness and dangled me about 20-30 feet below the helicopter while they flew through the sky. It was really scary at first but after I adapted, it was invigorating.
For those of you that don't know China Lake, it is situated near the Mojave desert and it gets extremely hot. Nearby, in the mountains, there is snow during the winter months. Within a matter of minutes, I went from 110 degrees to about 30 degrees. We landed in the mountains, the crew jumped off, and we had ourselves a snowball fight. Those were the good ol' days.
Farewell My Lady
This picture of the USS Samuel Gompers was taken near Alameda California in the early 90s. This was my first ship and I really enjoyed being a part of the crew that decommissioned her. We enjoyed a nice WestPac in her final days. Capt. Rankin will always be one of my favorite COs. Thanks for the fond memories Skipper.