U.S. Navy

 

I come from a military family.  My father was retired U.S. Army, and other close relatives served in the Army, Navy and Air Force.  It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve more than 24 years of continuous active duty in the U.S. Navy.

Joining the navy was one of the best things to ever happen to me.  I worked with some smart, dedicated and very talented men and women.  I joined at the lowest enlisted rank, earned the rank of  Chief Petty Officer (CPO), and went on to earn a commission and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CWO3).  I have to say some of my most exciting years were the 8 years I served as a Flight Engineer on the P-3 Orion.

During my service I visited 33 foreign countries and enjoyed participating in some very memorable operations such as supporting Skylab, flying missions in collaboration with the Space Shuttle, diplomatic VIP transport, rescue missions (Mayaguez), humanitarian missions (Liberia), Operation Desert Shield,  support missions for Navy Seals, and supporting some spook stuff.  The military is not for everyone but it was great for me.

It makes my day when I hear from a former shipmate that I haven’t seen or talked to in a long time.  I hope you are all doing well and prospering.  God bless our military men and women at sea and around the world.

a P-3B from VP-6 over Hawaii

photo of Chuck and shadow box

April 14, 2012

USS INCHON (LPH-12). My last ship assignment (1989 – 1992).

 Posted by at 10:22 pm