Photos from my enlistment on Independence Day forty years ago. July 4, 1974

[dannyd]

I'm sorry, but no. I didn't get to the Nimitz until 1990.

I got to look at the Nimitz's fan tail for two years riding escort for her. Nothing like being on frigate taking on fuel from a Nimitz carrier it would be an E Ride at Disney .

[warren5421]

54 years for me

I see you retired with gold strips I spent 7 years and got kicked out for to long in hospital (100%) Feb 18, 1975. In 1975 if you went in for a hangnail they discharged you, 'Nam winding down. I went in in Dec 7, 1968 and ended up on an SSBN. Played in Med and North Atlantic, I was a Nuc MM1. At one time the sub fall 300' in state 7 seas, seen people that time I had not seen the whole patrol. Only 113 guys were on that patrol. After a reactor restart we went on our way but the captain was not happy with the dive control officer. The XO and Engineering Officer was playing games calling it training. They did a partial SCRAM putting us on the MG set and the diesel gen set. At snorkel depth, wave shut the snorkel tube flapper, the Ltjg hit the kill button on the diesel at which time the RO dropped all rods on the reactor per regs. The chief pulled the chicken switches which put us on the surface in some very bad waves. You don't get sea sick on a nucular sub but I seen several guys that did that day.

[William Yanda]

Thank you for sharing.

[GregLaROCHE]

I enlisted during Vietnam. There was nothing fancy like that for me. What I remember most was the physical and the guys faking things to get out of the draft. I had a difficult time understanding why they were doing that. I was seventeen and thought I was serving my country, like all Americans should. I have a standard picture from Boot Camp that I’ve always hated.

[PhilC]

Congrats on your anniversay BrassMagnet and thanks to all who served. Will have been retired from USAF 27yrs in Dec, punched out at 18yrs, 8mo, C-E (comm electronics) Master tech and MSgt (E7).

Companion field to yours, NAVAIDS, and used to razz the Radar and Radio techs all the time. It was all friendly banter as we were in the same squadron division.

Always had a chuckle when I got a call telling me the glideslope was wrong, "no sir it is not, my antennas don't move, tell the RAPCON controller to recalibrate their scope". Enjoyed informing the air traffic guys how MY comm systems really worked and could quote AFM 55-8 chapter and verse from memory.

[MstrEddy]

Hello BrassMagnet,

Well another year for you, and another for me. I didn't post it here, but after 38+ years, I finally retired back in January of 2021. I'm still hanging around with our rich uncle. I'm working as a contractor for a joint command. I have a little ways to go before I can retire-retire.

Take care.

[BrassMagnet]

Wow! Fortynine years and I am still enjoying it!
I plan on applying for social security next month.

[skeettx]

Brass Magnet, YOU are a WINNER!!

USAF
27 May 1971
July 1995

[SSGOldfart]

"welcome home" thank-you for your service & have a nice 4th and yes times flies when your doing something you love to do, sure was a good feeling knowing you guys where floating around out there if we needed help on the ground again thanks for having our six.

[Whole Bunches]

Congratulations! Gold hash marks don't come easy! We were attached to CVN69 & relieved CVN68 battle group.
USN EM2 Nuc 76-82 CGN37 7/78 - 8/82

I was a first class radiation safety corpsman on the Ike 77-79. We might have crossed paths. Bruce Larson

[jonp]

Are you that nice young lady in the polka dot short- dress thing? You sound different on the phone

[BrassMagnet]

Are you that nice young lady in the polka dot short- dress thing? You sound different on the phone

Not me. All she could talk about was with five females on a carrier with a five thousand man crew, she would find a man to marry. Not I! I retired from USS Nimitz on a Friday and on the following Monday a Female was checking in to be my Departmental Master Chief. I escaped just in time!
No male ever transferred to a carrier to fill that position. Prior to that Monday, the Department Head selected his choice from all of the available E-7, E-8, and E-9 personnel in his department.