1964

In February 1964, fresh out of Electronics Technician Class A School, I came to MCB 11 at Camp Kinser in Okinawa as the first ET assigned to MCB 11.  I maintained all the communications gear which was a real challenge with no test equipment and no repair parts. I made ET3 shortly after my arrival and enjoyed being in Okinawa, but I really wanted to go to sea and be a real ET.  Wearing greens and having an M14 to lug around didn't help this desire, so I volunteered for submarines and left MCB 11 in July 1964. I went to Nuclear Power School and Submarine School and ended up on USS Nautilus SSN 571 in 1966.  I was an ET School instructor for three years at Treasure Island, made a patrol on USS James K Polk SSBN 645, and finally ended my active duty in 1972 on USS John F Kennedy CV 67.  I went into the Reserves and retired in 1988 as a Chief ET.  I did computer work for various companies in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida.  My wife, Gloria, and I retired to mountains near the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee in 1999.

Rick & Glo
2004