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Veterans on the Board

I signed up for the Army in 99 but was injured in 2000 my injuries were severe enough that they had to let me go so I'm not a vet but I tried
 
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Sgt/E-5
US Army
Gulf War Vet
Bronze Star
 
US Navy
Submariner
Ordnance Mechanic
Combat Diver
1968-1974 plus 22 days for the convenience of the government
Meritorious Unit Commendation
 
US Coast Guard Active 1967-71 ET school Groton,Conn./Governor's Is, Ny- 1967; Cleveland,Oh- 1968; WPB82308 Viet Nam - 1969; Traverse City, MI 1970-71. USCG Reserves Cleveland,Oh 1971-89. Proud to have served, and I'm damn grateful to all who have served.

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US Coast Guard, Active 1967-1971. After Cape May,NJ in February/March, ET schools in Groton, Conn. & Governor's Island,NY. 1968 Cleveland, OH, 1969 - 82WPB82308 in Viet Nam, 1970-71 - Traverse City, MI; 1971-89 USCG Reserves in Cleveland. I'm damn proud of my military time. Thanks to all who served and I too proudly fly the Stars & Stripes.
 
US Navy Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic. Just retired last year after 21 years, 2 months, 9 days.
Bootcamp in Great Lakes, IL.
*2 years on USS Independence CV-62
*2.5 years in VS-35 at Naval Air Station North Island deployed on USS Carl Vinson CVN-70, CA
*3 years Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department
*4 years VFA-82 at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC. deployed on USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 and USS Enterprise CVN-65
*3 years Navy Bootcamp Instructor
*3 years VFA-151 Lemoore, CA. deployed on USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-71
*3 years Military Entrance Processing Station Amarillo, TX.
I was Aerospace Mig and Tig welding certified, aircraft paint qualified, Master Training Specialist, have Journeyman Certification in Aircraft Plumbing and Hydraulics, have been Maintenance Chief, Aircraft Division Chief, Quality Assurance, Safety/HAZMAT/Training/etc. I enjoyed every bit of my career and would do it all over again. I was just ready to hang up my uniform to let my kids finish high school. I didn't want to be the dad who kept moving them around the last few years of high school once they had established close friends, boy/girl friends and such. I had only planned to do 4-6 years originally while I figured out who I was and what I was going to do in life. Took me a little over 21 years to figure it out...... Jim

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By the way, thank you all for your service.......
 
6 years U.S. Navy, 68--74. ETR-2 did GCA (ground controlled approach) RADAR maintenance. Ended up at NAS Miramar supposed to be 2 years, and a Navy funding glitch similar to the sequester we had recently left me there for 4 years at which time I "got out." Had a part time job at the auto hobby shop there which was a lot of fun.

This is a shot out of a movie I found on YouTube a Phantom taking off past two of our RADAR know as QUADs AN/FPN-36. We also had a GCA in a trailer known as an FPN-52

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When I first got to Miramar I was a damn Chivvy owner This is a shot from the shop looking generally E. The tower is somewhere over the trunk of the LeMans We weren't "bothered much" by brass out at our shop!!!

Please understand these photos are poor film slides scanned, are over 40 years old and been through dirt, dust and a house fire!!

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Working on cars at the RADAR site. This place is no longer there. The Marines own it now, and have covered it up with concrete. Our shop was out on the far end of the "high speed taxiway" to the N of 24R about Q8 or so (8000 ft) The Cuda on the left is a guy I did not know very well, he was a friend of one of the other guys and did not work with us. "Nelson" was working on his brown Ponch Venture (Chevy II Nova), and to the right of that is my black 426 64 Dodge. Next is Dave's 68RR, and then my limelight 70RR

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Somewhere in the early 70's little skinny me and the *** of my 70 V code

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I no longer have any decent photos of that car, which I would LOVE to have nowadays
 
A new old guy. USN- Basic in San Diego, Memphis NATC, Pax River Md., Oceana Va. Was a plane captain then an engine mech. on A-6 Intruder. Deployed on board USS Coral Sea 69-70 West Pac tour. Line duty Yankee Station on North Tonkin Gulf (just off the coast of N-Vietnam). Our squadron hit targets in N. Vietnam and Laos. Squadron: VA-35 Black Panthers. Mopars currently working on: 65 Satellite and 75 Gold Duster. Duster is running 65 not. 65 last on my list right now since it needs the most work. Navy carrier pilots the best ( that should get some AF guys riled up).
 
Got out in 70 and it wasn't until 75 (pres Ford & freedom of info act) that I learned what we were doing. Whole time I thought we were providing air support for ground troops. Fooled me didn't they.

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Night traps scary for everybody concerned. Real limited vision on flight deck (no lights). Nights + bad weather worse yet. Best one I saw was a night landing our squadron CO made w/ right MLG up and locked. Perfect landing, caught #3 wire and barely went into the barricade net. Minimal damage to the bird.
 
Hey KarNut.......I was just screwing with you on the Laos thing. I have done plenty of trips up north and all along the trail. My last duty station in SouthEast Asia was in Nakhon Phanom (right on the Mekong River at Laos), where we would take off every night and proceed eastbound. After I transitioned out of F4's (was the WSO--RIO in Navy terms), I was on the fixed wing gunships that supported hot LZ's, hunted for trucks on the trail, and supporting troops that were caught up in firefights. Too many months in-country --in fact, I re-enlisted in DaNang in 1968. Glad to have you here !!!

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Forgot to mention it----Yes, USAF :yes:
 
Best I can remember Navy pilots referred to the RIO (radar intercept officer) as the GIB (guy in back). Not dead sure but remember that from somewhere. No worry on the Laos thing. Our air wing lost an A-7 corsair over Laos. Think he spent a couple of days on the lam before being rescued. We had two F-4 sqdns on board also. Probably AF guys who rescued our A-7 driver. Nice to be on this site. Lots of interesting stuff to read. Thanks for the welcome.
 
Enlisted in active duty Air Force at age 17 in 1959. Four years on a TM-76A tactical missile launch crew...three of them in Germany. Had a nine year break in service and then enlisted in the AF Reserve as an aircraft electrician on the C-141A. Spent next six years fixing airplanes before getting a desk job in the training and education career field. Loved that job so much that I declined promotion so I wouldn't have to retrain into a different field. Retired as a MSGT, E7 in 1991.
 
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