Greetings Gang!
Just wanted to show something I am still a Bit Proud Of!
HERE IS WHY: I had one of the most extreme worst military enlistments of "ANYONE" I know, and if "ANYONE' should go POSTAL, Yes, It WOULDA, SHOULDA, COULDA BEEN ME,....."BUT"...
I CHOSE A DIFFERENT PATH!
I may make a thousand and one mistakes along the way, BUT Going POSTAL IS NOT THE WAY, NO MATTER WHAT! There is "ALWAYS" ANOTHER WAY"!
"ONE PERSON CAN MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES FOR EVERYONE"! "EVEN YOU"!
CONFESSION TIME"
*For those of you that have followed me on my many year journey, you might remember some of this!
Now, before I tell you of this "NEW GOD GIVEN PATH/ PLAN", I need to EXPLAIN a few things first! First and most important: "I am but one Sailor, in a SEA of others in my shape/ conditions and many are way worse off and need more (PERIOD). This is Just my own little small corner of this BIG BLUE MARBLE we all share together. My ISSUES/ CONCERNS are never ment to be BETTER than another's, not by far. THE BIG DIFFERENCE is I HAVE TAKEN A BETTER ROUTE IN LIFE AFTER I WAS DISCHARGED and I'll refer back to that later. First is a HISTORY lesson!
I left Boot Camp as an E-3 and due to Military Related severe Injuries, I was only in for a brief time, (But, My "ORIGINAL" Enlistment, (This is verifiable), was a NEW PROGRAM: 3 on 3, INSTEAD OF 4 ON 4!
Definition: Normal enlistments we all know is 4 Active and 4 Reserve. Just replace the numbers 4 with a 3 is all. This was a short lived, failed military experiment at the time, (Oct. 1981). I missed out on so much, not only due to my Injuries in Boot and Onboard ship, But MILITARY NORMAL ROUTINES Were also CHANGED during this same time.
I can't help wondering if, (even tho this is VERIFIABLE), anyone of my age and served during this same time would remember any of this)?
BOOT CAMP had changed !!
No More "CAPS" (With Dress Cover with Black Hard Bill). We never were GIVEN Those! We "ONLY HAD DIXIE CUPS"! No More "RIFLES" to DRILL/ MARCH with. (Before my group, C-219 Oct. to Dec. 1981, Orlando, Fla, CC's : (At the time): Chief Petty Officer McDowell and Petty Officer Runyon)! Other Things Changed for us that was GOOD too. No More "WHITE LEGGINGS"! (We could all see our More Advanced Companies Marching and doing drills outside our "DORM" windows. We never got our chances). We never once MARCHED OR EVEN TOUCHED any Weapon/ Firearm, until it was our turn at the SHOOTING RANGE, (Which I missed out on Not once, but twice). Due to my Military Dental Injuries and My Being "PUNISHED" for said injuries, (I was severely Dentally Injured on 6-1 Day of Boot. First Day, (Monday), of the 6th Week of 8.3 week Boot Camp). Anything/ Everything from that date onwards, I NEVER Got my chance to "FAIL"! Shooting Range, Swimming Pool, Gas Chamber, Fire Control, as well as any new MARCHING Techniques Learned from that date on. I Graduated with Co. 219, then went on Uncontrolled Liberty with my shipmates. (Must return for Monday Morning Muster Tho). I did, we did, and I HAD TO WATCH MY SHIPMATES "MOVE ON" with their new careers while I got 'SET-BACK" 1 week to company C-227. There was a 'REAL WELL OILED MACHINE"! They were every bit as good as my own company, if not even a bit better. "THEY WERE SAT. AND SATISFACTORY"!
Then, Due to my dental injuries, my constant medical needs/ issues and more, I was (17 at the time), "FORCED/ THRUST" into this group! Now, I am the "BROKEN COG" in this well oiled Machine.
Even in this NEW Group, I NEVER ONCE (again), did anything but Bed rest, (and got in the way). They / I had only 1 week together for me to "ADAPT" from my BUNK, enough to "PASS IN REVIEW AND GRADUATE AGAIN", with this new group. ALL WHILE SEVERELY HEAVILY MEDICATED"!!
Yes, I "GRADUATED BOOT 2 COMPLETE FULL TIMES"!!!
*(AND THE REAL JOUNEY STARTS and FYI: Not for the squeemish, but 100% Accurate)!
When my original dental injuries happened, I remember coming to, under a shade tree away from the GRINDER, (Asphalt Lot minus any markings). We were evidently not marching correctly, and our CC'S, (Company Commanders), put us all at "Attention"! Important: The "RED FLAG" was out, (Common sense here, Red, Yellow, Green with Green = Yes Outside is permitted, and obvious "RED" No OUTSIDE Permitted). RED FLAG WAS OUT, WE ALL KNEW AND SAW AND WONDERED"? We were ALL New to all this, was this normal routine? It was over 100 and humid as could be. I was NOT the ONLY one to PASS OUT, but when I did, I landed 'SOLID' on my chin! BOUNCED 3X AT ATTENTION STILL ALL 3 TIMES. I broke both sides of my jaw, cut my chin to the bone, and "CRUSHED" all my teeth. I remember them standing me back up, dusting me off, Picture the Blood, Teeth, and the fact "MY JAW WAS UTTERLY COMPLETELY BROKEN"! (I had to Hold it in place, YES REMEMBER THAT)!
I was EXPECTING AN AMBO, (That never came)! I was told/ ordered to 'DOUBLETIME IT' to the DESPENSARY!
"WHAT THE HELL IS A DISPENSARY"?
(Remember: 17 at this time, first ever time on this "BASE" and "Only thin I Knew" so far, was what THEY wanted us to know. I never knew this "DESPENSARY")!
I RAN to the ONLY place at the time I recognized: THE GALLY, In hopes I could BE SEEN, of which I was, to my shagrin!
I had Ran as far as I could, never making it to the gally. I passed out again, (Obviously, I had fell FORWARD again onto my FACE)!
I woke to a "CAPTAIN" (Full Scrambled Eggs on Bill, and 4 Bars), Yup a CAPTAIN DID THE FOLLOWING! He jerked me to a standing position. Now, what happens when you take a body from a laying position and JERK it upright....."INERTIA HAPPENS", and HAPPENED all over this CAPTAIN! I SPRAYED him all over his DRESS WHITES with Teeth, Blood, yup! I Pissed him off something severe. He "JERKED/ RIPPED" off my BRAND NEW DOGTAGS WE HAD JUST GOT THAT VERY MORNING"! I NEVER SAW THEM AGAIN TO THIS DAY!
That was only the beginning! I was a New Recruit, 17, and wondered if 'WAS THIS ALL THE MILITARY WAY"? Is this part of the CONDITIONING Process? This "CAPTAIN" Asked me where I was headed and why I was ALONE"? I said: (Mumbled/ Muffled/ Broken jaw thing), "DESPENSARY"????? He 'POINTED' OUT WHERE TO GO..(FACT CHECK TIME: "THIS IS 100% COMPLETELY TRUE AND FACTUAL, THIS MOST CERTAINLY DID HAPPEN, FINAL ANSWER)! He followed me all the way there, (about 3-4 city blocks in length I learned later), AND HE WAS PUSHING ME VERY VERY HARD, SHOVING ME, AND HE LITERALLY KICKED MY ASS WITH HIS FOOT ACTUAL MOST EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!! HE WAS EXTREME MAD/ ANGRY I GOT HIS LITTLE SUIT MESSY! When we ARRIVED, (Hot, sweaty, bloody, dizzy, in extreme, EXTREME PAIN), "HE SHOVED ME OVER THE DOOR THRESHOLD, (SERIOUS, YES), AND I 'TRIPPED" OVER THE DOOR ENTRANCE AND ONTO MY RIGH SIDE OF MTY FACE AGAIN, AND THIS JACKASS LEFT"! He never said a damn word, he left, "WITH MY DOGTAGS"! I NEVER SAW THEM AGAIN!!
The "Readers Digest" abridged version of all that happened next is, They 'ONLY" removed the BROKEN teeth and bandaged my chin and jaw. NOTHING else was ever done. From that point, all they did, over and over and over and over again was NEW X-RAYS, and more X-RAYS, and even MORE X-RAYS! I finally asked why only x-rays? Their response: "It's to make you ready for your next duty station, to where they are better equipped to handle all this! "WHAT"? (IMPORTANT THAT YOU REMEMEBER THIS, FOR LATER), That I finally left Boot, with like a "BANDAGE ON A BROKEN ARM" type recovery. Noting they NEVER ONCE did anything more but keep me "HEAVILY, HEAVILY MEDICATED", UNTIL I GRADUATED and they would be DONE WITH ME and I would become SOMEONE ELSES PROBLEM, (Starting with me being set back to company C-227)!
*ONWARDS TO CHAPTER 2: "FINDING MY SHIP"!
When I FINALLY Graduated for the 2nd time, I went immediately, (Proper Procedures), to my AT ("Advanced training" after boot schooling) for 4 weeks, (No Medical treatments at all PERIOD NONE during this 4 week school)! My Mom and My aunt (Her sister) came for my first graduation. THEY WERE BOTH THERE, Not only to WATCH ME GRADUATE, but also TO FIND OUT WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON"! They found out "NOTHING" that I ever heard! The one TAKEAWAY from them being at my Graduation, (1st one), was the fact: "I HAVE ABSOLUTLY NO MEMORY OF THEM EVER BEING THERE, except tiny, tiny bits and fragmented pieces". I was SO HEAVILY MEDICATED they BOTH said they knew "I WAS HIGH AS A KITE"! I did my SCHOOLING and went home for my after Boot 2-weeks leave, and to await the mailing of my new orders. The REST of my shipmates RECIEVED their orders BEFORE GRADUATION, Mine never came till the LAST DAY of my 2-WEEKS Leave, (at home in Trenton, Ohio)! My Orders Stated: "Report, (On this day/ time), to Mayport, Fla. (My family might remember some of this), and report aboard the "USS SAMPSON DDG 10"! Guided Missile Destroyer. "So away I went"!
I got to MAYPORT, FLA. and CHECKED IN! There I was given orders to REPORT to PIER (such-n-such) and report onboard for duty! "SO AWAY I WENT"!
I arrived at Pier (Such-N-Such), and NO SHIP! Seems I had arrived BEFORE MY SHIP! There was NO SHIP in the dock! So, confused, medicated, (did I say confused), I headed BACK to my starting point! There, I was treated like an "UTTER COMPLETE AND TOTAL MORON IDIOT NEW BOOT CAMP RECUIT W/ O ANY BRAINS"!! They, (again), ordered me to GO REPORT ABOARD NOW BOOT CAMP"! So, this time I stopped by the Base Store and purchased an Instamatic camera, (remember those pictures that would develop in your hands)? I went to the pier and WAISTED THE WHOLE CAMERA! Took these pics as proof, back to the starting point (again). YES AND ONCE AGAIN ALL THIS IS `100%' FACTUAL AND SHOCKING" "I took the pics back and THE ENTIRE BUILDING ERUPTED LIKE A 6.5 EARTHQUAKE!! OMG, WHAT WAS I SEING AND NOW A PART OF AND CAN NOT GET OUT OF"?
MORAL: 'THE US NAVY HAD NO UTTER IDEA WHERE MY SHIP WAS AT"!!! NO IDEA AT ALL PERIOD"!
They sent me back home. 10 days later I got new orders to report for duty at "Louisiana NAVAL BASE"! My dad was ex Navy and he had never heard of the Navy having any base there anywhere, neither did anyone else, BECAUSE IT NEVER EXISTED, but I had FIRM TYPED ORDERS to REPORT THERE. "SO AWAY I WENT"!
WHELP! I went! I ARRIVED, TO.........??????????????????????
This is about Late Jan, Early Feb 1982. I met another sailor on the bus to Louisiana. He was coming home for leave, and enroute he and I developed a nice friendship. I explained everything, (all we had was time at the moment). Then, I showed him my ORDERS and we both knew what was ahead. He invited me to stay with him and his family, while they helped to FIX THIS. They got it fixed enough to where I was again sent back home, to await new orders. (I was there about a week, if I remember).
Days Later, while I was again at home, I got my new orders to report to: "NORFOLK, VA"........."SO, AWAY I WENT"!
Got to NORFOLK, AND IT "STARTED UP AGAIN ALL OVER AGAIN"!! NO SHIP, SAME, SAME, SAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"THEY SENT ME BACK HOME"!
Few days later, again after I had reported back home: "HEY, NEW MARCHING ORDERS", This time around, lets Try Portsmouth, Va. "SO AWAY I WENT"!
Arrived in Portsmouth, Va and "THAR SHE BLOWS"!!! THERE WAS THE USS SAMPSON DDG-10" In her "FULL GLORY" - "AND IN FULL DRY DOCK", where she had been for the last 1.5 years for overhaul, (This too is verifiable)!
"WE FOUND IT"!
OF NOTE: "REMEMBER STILL THROUGH ALL THIS WAS ZERO MEDICALS EVER ONCE PERFORMED ON MY SEVERE DENTAL INJURIES, (which I developed Infections and so much more)!
CHAPTER 3: "Reporting Aboard"!
Once aboard and checked in, then my MEDICAL treatments began again, (FINALLY).
HERE WE GO AGAIN! I noticed the very very very same things going on as were happening back in Boot! They had CLEARED And cleaned me up dental wise, but THATS ALL THEY DID! Again all they ever did was so many repeated x-rays, (I hate that damn dental Xray thing)! "I again asked why only x-rays"? Their reply was: "Because you are assigned shipboard duty, and your ship could be DEPLOYED on a moments notice, and if so you must be aboard. Now, I need to go deeper here. Everyone has seen Naval ships Moored 1-2-3 ships deep? If your ship is on the OUTERMOST side, you must CROSS the other 2, to get to yours. If your the 2nd or the 3rd ship out, and say the 1st ship, (closed and directly moored to the dock), Has to leave. Obviously, these other 2 ships need to move, so the first one can leave. when that happens, and the ship, (say your ship), has to move: "ALL HANDS MUST BE ABOARD THAT ARE NOT ON LEAVE"! if you MISS this event, That is a PUNISHABLE EVENT! It's OFFICIALLY CALLED: "Missing Ships Movement" and will send you to CAPTAINS MAST" (Navy Onboard Court)! I got so tired of CAPTAINS MAST! I also asked/ inquired that it doesn't take a brain surgeon to just TAKE ME OFF THE SHIP, ASSIGN ME TO LAND DUTY, AND FIX MY DAMN FACE!!!!!! (Never happened)!
I went thru CAPTAINS MAST so many times, during my enlistment! Was I a PROBLEM, (Not at First, NO)! I even spent 3 days BREAD and WATER in "GITMO"! Yes, I was PUNISHED AND HAD TO REPORT TO MY TIME AT GITMO: "GUANTANAMO BAY CUBA"!! I'VE SEEN AND LIVED 3 DAYS INSIDE A CELL IN GUANTANAMO BAY (GITMO) CUBA!!!!!!!!!
(REASON FOR THIS ACTION WILL BE EXPLAINED IN DETAIL AND IN facts later on)!
*BET NOW YOUR CURIOUS"!!!
>>> "Now, I know for a fact I have your complete attention"!
Reason being: "On my DD 214, (General-Under Honorable Dishcharge), it states: RE-4: (Re-enlistment Code: 1-4, with 1 being best, and a 4 being NO WAY JOSE WILL YOU EVER BE LET BACK IN"! (I found a way, BTW, THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY)! It also states in BIG BLACK BOLD TYPE:"Ineligible For Re-Entry Into to Militay, due to Lack Luster Performance and/ or Inability to Adapt to Military Service"!
"GEE- On the OUTSIDE LOOKING IN I WAS ONE SOUR SAILOR WITH AN ATTITUDE"!!!! I needed to bring all that up here so you all would know "JUST A BIT MORE - THE MORE YA KNOW"! This is what I have had to live with the rest of my life. *Remember: "I CHOSE A DIFFERENT AND BETTER PATH"!
BACK TO THE STORY!
It was Mid March, 1982 chilling cold winter in Portsmouth! I settled in the best I could, to my new daily routines. All was as best as it could be, "UNTIL ONE EVENING I'LL NEVER FORGET"! Normal End of the workday routine happened that "FATEFUL EVENING"! What happened to me, I hold no malice towards anyone at any time. Just "ONE OF THOSE THINGS" to me at the time. Ship still in drydock. There's a VERY HEAVY DOOR IN THE FLOOR, (Deck). It was located on the center of the Bow of the ship, it's called a "Hatch"! You've all seen them. Large Oval shaped Man doors, that can be "DOG-EARED" water tight because the door actually fits into a water tight LIP that is attached to the main deck. It becomes water tight, but there are 8 LEVERS, (Dog-Ears), that SECURE the door in place and confirms water tight status! Inside the center of this HATCH, is a "ROUND MAN-SCUTTLE", Used while ship is underway. Well, this night the HATCH was UP, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF HOSES, gong down thru the open scuttle"! (REMEMBER DRY DOCK). Normal routine at the end of the day, because our compartment was located on the bow of the ship, and to access it from the bow, you go down stairs thru the scuttle, or the HATCH! We all did this most every time, including me, so I can not ever be mad at anyone, JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS"! End of the workday, everyone down the ladder, (almost straight down), and hold onto those hoses and SWING DOWN into the compartment, It was kinda fun, UNTIL THIS DAY! My Brother Sailor, went before me, swung on the hoses as normal, as we "ALL DID", and then it was my turn. I did the very same, but there was this LOUD CRASH, and I was on my way down, same way, grabbed the hoses, (door was not properly secured), and that HATCH CLOSED WATER TIGHT ON MY RIGHT HAND"!! It was dark outside, and I can only imagine what my shipmates just witnessed. Both still on deck, and down in the compartment, when they heard this "LOUD CRASH"! Shipmates came to the bottom of the ladder to see me STRUGGLING" to get my footing back on the ladder, as I was actually HANGING THERE BY MY RIGHT HAND AND NOTHING I COULD DO! I remember screaming: "Get this damn door off my hand"! Took them over an hour to prep me for the lifting of the door. When I was "PREPPED AND READY" They Lifted The Door"! They said I went immediately Lifeless, and knocked out. You see, I never felt a thing, this whole time, until they lifted the door, and it was shearing, Immense the worst pain ever, and I PASSED OUT, (I am DEVELOPING A PASSING OUT habit now)! When I came to, they had my hand all bandaged up, but it didn't look right, it looked kinda funny, (remembering the PAIN too), "MY HAND WAS 4.5 INCH'S LONGER NOW"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It had "STRETCHED" my right hand 4.5 Inch's, the width of the FLOOR PLATE that the HATCH FIT INTO. What my shipmates all told be afterwards, was all they could see were my BLUE AND BLACK fingers, and they all thought my hand was CHOPPED! (it wasn't). Off to the ships doctors office I went. They couldn't do much, but send me onwards to the base Hospital. There they "FIXED ME" or aso I thought. They put me in a BRACE, with my right middle, ring and pinky all 3 taped/ secured to a piece of hand at a 90 degree to my hand. THEY NEVER DID ANYTHING ELSE! The very next day, in the COLD, SNOW, WIND, ICE, they handed me a CHIPPING HAMMER, to go OUTSIDE AND CHIP PAINT. "WHAT"? So, I did. The Pain was EMMENSE, at points UNBEARABLE, and I finally went to report this. THEY GOT MAD AT ME! "I WAS BEGINNING TO BE AN ISSUE NOW"! They had to find me another job. THERY DID....YES THEY SURE DID......"OVER THE SIDE OF THE SHIP, PAINTIONG THE NUMBERS, with another shipmate. I only lasted a very very short time on that too, as due to the extreme pain, I actually PASSED OUT YET AGAIN! Over the side of the ship, all harnessed in from the deck, and sitting on a PLANK held up by ropes, and holding this really long, Long, Long painting roller stick, (REALLY HEAVY), I passed out, slumped over and OFF THE PLANK I WENT, AND WAS JUST GHANGING THERE LIFELESS FOR ALL TO SEE :"AND LAUGH AT AND MAKE FUN OF"! (which is what they did)! They got me up onto the main deck, then I remember being told to go to ships doctor, of which I did. He assigns me to BEDREST. The next week I was on bedrest, (only 1 week). No work done yet on my face, and now this!!
CHAPTER 4: UNDERWAY AND IN TROUBLE!
Ships Now out of drydock, and we are prepping to get underway, from Portsmouth, To Mayport. I thought everything would be better once we got to Mayport. "MY MISTAKE"!
While we were now underway, the ship got new orders to report to Puerto Rico, not really sure why, but we took on supplies while there, (INCLUDING THOSE GIANT LARGE SHELLS for the BIG LARGE GUNS, on the main deck), Ever watch the movie: "BATTLESHIP" when they are moving the warhead from one end of the ship to the other, same, same. I am severely Injured most everyplace now it felt like. That never stopped the US NAVY ! They got me up outta my rack, made me HELP AND ASSIST, (Like nothing was wrong). They had me doing stuff like there was nothing wrong. It hurt so damn bad, and one time I 'PASSED OUT' yet again, due to extreme pain, (The meds never worked), and when I was "CAUGHT" by an officer, who it appeared to him I was a "SLACKER" even tho visably damaged and in an arm brace, and "I GOT WROTE UP" and sent to my first CAPTAINS MAST"! WHAT IN THE HELL AM I BEING PUNISHED FOR"? They got me for deraliction of duty, and not being at assigned work station. (I had ducked into a cubby hole, just a monor distance away from my STATION and was tending to myself and the extreme pain, when he found me. I recieved my first PUNISHMENT" 90 DAYS RISTRICTION TO SHIP/ 90 DAYS FORFETURE OF 1/2 PAY"!
"I WAS BEING PUNISHED FOR BEING IN PAIN"!!!!
Was this the Navy way, The Military way"?
FY: This all happened years before cel phones, and the net!
MORE TO COME IN BLOG 2: "If you read all of this, and wanna learn more, and the whole truth, nothing but the truth, Then post: "I WANT MORE"!
There is a LOT more to this story. I really need everyone to really understand all this, before moving on!!