Navy Days

The girls yesterday brought me a picture of a brick with my name on it they had placed at the Sampson Navy Base museum. It is in the walk there and will have to go see it when the museum opens up again in the spring.
I spent many weeks of intense training there in 1944, during a very cold winter. After basics I spent another 12 weeks there in Electrical school. after graduating from there I became what they all jokingly called a bulb snatcher. Then on to SanFrancisco & the war in the Pacific. A great & little scary experience for a 17 year old kid, but also a good lesson in life.
While at Sampson in Basic, I was not suppose to leave the base at any time. My neighbor & family friend back home was the civilian Police Chief on the base. He came down to the barracks one day, found me and asked if I would like to go home for the night. He fixed it up with my Commander & I got on the floor of the back seat of his car & out the gate we went. He being who he was did not have to stop at the gate, just salute and drive on thru. That was a treat that I'm sure few ever had & none of my buddies questioned it, but were only happy for me living so close to the base.
The whole War experience was something you never forget. I spent a good deal of time in the Phillipine Islands, especially after the war was over. That also a great experience, as the part I was in was quite backwards & had some wonderful experiences with the natives and there families. One family I got to know had a daughter who spoke English & taught younger children there. I spent a lot of my free time with her family & always regreted not keeping in touch with them.
One other qick note-Coming from a village of 750 people, I ran into three old buddies while in the Phillipines & spent some time with them. Such a small world I thought at the the time.