[sixsix]

Howdy,

Went into the Marines right out of Fla. Air Academy in 1970 so I could get a 6012 - Jet Engine Mechanic MOS Guaranteed.

I was a Pilot at 16 ( had my 60 hr. Pilot's license before a Driver's License ) and part time Aircraft IC Engine Mechanic - Cessna's, Pipers, Douglas.
6 mos. training - Parris Island, Camp Lejeune, Memphis Mechanical Apprentisship.
Los angeles - El Toro - 3rd Marine Air Wing - VMA-311 ( Ted William's old Squadron ), Stationed right next to "The Black Sheep" bad boys. Quite the "Duty Station"

Shipped off to Hawaii, Phillipines, Okinawa, Japan, then 10 mos. in Bien Hoa, S. Viet Nam. Pratt & Whitney J-52 and GE J-79 Jet Engine Mechanic, Flight Line Tech. and Plane Captain of (2) A-4E & F Skyhawks - They were the Best of times, They were the Worst of times.

We kids found out who and what we were...

Came back to no fanfare or grannies waiting for us - just The Wife - good enough!!!
We bought The Van exactly 22 years later, almost to the day.

Spent the remaining 18 mos. ( $185 to $331 monthly salary & free off-base housing ) at Cherry Point rebuilding aforementioned J-52s and J-79s for "QEC - Quick Engine Changes" ( we could pull and replace in 1/2 day ) and for teaching methods to the Civilian Rebuild Staff.

Should have stayed in and retired at 40, but inspections and KP duty were not my cup of tea - especially NOT for the pittance they paid us Pros.!!! But i did voluntarily enlist. And they did Honorably discharge me after 4+ years to pursue my A&P license. Aircraft and Propulsion School / GI Bill, here I come.

Thanks, US Government for the Education.

Here's a few photos of Aircraft and stuff:

VN 1
Here I am sending out "My / Our Plane" and Maj. Snedeker on a bombing mission - Safety Flags will be pulled once he clears the main flight line area.

VN 2
This was such an Honor for us "Kids" - having a Jet Fighter / Bomber with our name on it.

VN 3
My first Plane - we wore it out so we pulled the Engine and the Avionics for repairs and shipped it out - But not before we took it all apart...

VN 4
Well, the A-4 Skyhawk comes apart in the middle - 16 Large Bolts - for Engine R & R. We ALL had to be ambidextrous to be able to work on it - long arms help ( I am 6'6" with arms like an ape ). We could have it apart and the new Engine in before you pulled the front chassis assy. down with the motor. Daily practice, practice, practice...

VN 5
Crazy Marine war mongers - The Pilot, Our Commander and the Wing Comm. ready to deliver our 1000th ton of ordnance.
I sent the Plane out later that morning. Note the "Flying Tomcats" sign / patch design.

VN 6
There's that same Patch on Ted William's Flight Jacket. Highly decorated brave young man, tremendous pilot and a heck of a Hitter...

Mike "Love to Share" in Ky.

 

[Lumpy]

PFC Karwath ...Hooyah!

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Lump

 

[Shortydoowop138]

Joined the US Marine Corps DEP in Aug 1993 & shipped to Perris Island in Aug 1994. After a eye opening experience with I Co, 3rd Battalion, I went to Camp Lejeune for MCT, before finally arriving at MCCES 29 Palms, CA.

After Community School, Okinawa was home for a year. Back to the states and sunny southern California. Four and half years with MSSG 15 & 15th MEU, I was sent back to 29 Palms for my last 6 yrs on active duty.

Got out of the Marines in Nov '06 & joined the CAANG in Jun '07. From Communications Marine to Army Cook took a little getting used to but I'm happy to be serving in any capacity.

 

[majurbludd]

I joined the US navy in December 2007. I did multiple deployments to Bahrain. el Salvador. and Qatar. I left the navy in 2012. I was a E-5 2nd class petty officer and I worked on P-3 orion aircraft.

 

[Shortydoowop138]

To Majurbludd,

Welcome Shipmate. I've done 3 WestPac deploys and love being on ship. Unfortunately each deployment was on the oldest LPD sailing out of San Diego. I slept on a hammock rack during my 1st deployment on and my last we had a collision at sea when the USS Denver hit the USNS Yukon when we were sailing back to HI at the end of "float"

 

[Old Barney]

I was drafted in Oct 1966 went to basic in Ft Jackson. Learned all about drag *** hill barracks was few feet from water tank. went to Ft Gordon to Avionics school. Then rest of tour was spent in Grafenwor Germany. maintaining 6 Hueys "B" models for the 421st med evac made SP/4 From there to combat engineer in upsate New York leaving as SGT E6
Love to fly I couldn't get flight status as avionics tech but I volunteered for any flight I could as crew chief even one time as medic. First time I watched a baby born was at 6,000 feet (nauseating experience) Pilot ordered me not to vomit in his ship LOL! I didn't but when I opened the little window he glared at me and yelled that won't work either.
I did enjoy my time in Germany I learned to hover which took darn near the total time there. flew a couple time hooded a good experience. Had real helpful pilots taught me a lot.
i did NOT enjoy my first auto rotation to the ground. Yes I got out and caught an AUTOMOBILE ride back to helipad.
While with 421st I was assigned the JP/4 tanker and was vehicle driver trainer for new men to the unit. 2 1/2 trucks 1/4 ton jeep with trailer Trained/trainer, and trailer handling for all above. Had many laughs along the way.
Sure wish I could meet up again with friends I made again.
Barney

 

[jaywoo65]

Joined the Air Force in 1986. Went to basic at Lackland July16th for a fun filled 6 weeks, then on to Chanute AFB for tech school. At the time my career was Avionics Instruments Systems Specialist, but it was later renamed to Guidance and Control (GAC). 6 months later and I'm off to Little Rock AFB in Jacksonville, AR. It's the largest C-130 base in the world. I traveled all over the world with first the 314 Avionics maintenance squadron and then the 50th Airlift Squadron. Went to the Sandbox in 1991. That was fun! Been all over Europe and the middle East. I got out in 1995, 9 years to the day that I enlisted. I should have stayed in and been retired by now but I got married and had kids with a woman that was also in the Air force and my enlistment was up, hers wasn't. Both of us deploying wasn't gonna work out.

Now I'm a VFW member and I hang out there about once a year. :cheers:

Still carry my squadron coin everyday.

 

[90Astrodriver]

Hi all,

Have only been on the site a few weeks found this thread, so thought I would share my short story. :shock:

I joined the Air Force in September 1990, enjoyed my six weeks of fun at Lackland AFB, then went through a shotgun training course at Chanute AFB to be a Jet Engine Mechanic (454X0A).

Stationed both state side and overseas, traveled around the world and played in the sand.

Retired October 2010.

Decided I still wanted to be a mechanic, just not on airplanes. So I went to school at Wyotech in Blairsville PA, for Diesel training.

Once that was finished I landed a job working for a private Ambulance Service here in North Carolina.

Dave

 

[Vaughn]

Joined USAF in 1973 at age 20. They made me a Security Policeman and sent me to Guam to guard B52's. 15 month's later I was stationed at Pope AFB next to Fort Bragg till my discharge. Now benefitting with VA care. Got hearing aids I could not of afforded to buy.
VA has been good to me here in Pa

 

[sixsix]

Nice, Vaughn, to hear a Good Story about the VA for a change.
Good for You!!! Shhhh, we don't have to yell anymore - lol

Mike

 

[Astro Pop]

Didn't know this thread existed. Happy to see it.
I enlisted in the Air Force in '67 following family tradition of AF service, Dad was a B-24 pilot in WWII. Served 2 yrs in Yokota, Japan and was selected as one of four C-141 Techs to go Kimpo, Korea for the release of the USS Pueblo crew December 23, 1968 (best Christmas EVER!).
After that the rest of my service was rather non-descript. Sitting stateside is rather boring compared to a cold foggy unarmed nights on the Korean DMZ.

 

[Astroecho]

Astro Pop - never thought I'd hear anyone mention Kimpo (Gimpo on signs now) outside of Korea!! Lived there for a number of years in the mid 2000's. Small world after all. :thumbup:

 

[Astro Pop]

Reeeally small! "Gimpo" is not exactly a tourist destination! Is there some relationship between owning an Astro and being to Gimpo?

 

[Astroecho]

:rockon: :banana: There could be!!

 

[Toskavat]

Was going to do this on the 11th, Armistice/Veterans Day. Was living next to the local recruiter in Ohio in 1968 and was told my number was coming up. Enlisted in the army for 3 years to have some choice instead of being called up for 2 years in the draft. This was at the end of May 1968, went to Ft. Knox for basic and Ft. Gordon where I did AIT and stayed on as an instructor until I got out in 71. Not much else to say, was an interesting time to be sure.

 

[Koolaid]

United States Navy 2007-2014.

8404 Corpsman.
3 pumps to Afghaniland.
3/4 out of 29 palms. 1 pump
3/3 Kaneohe. 2 pumps.

im the one sitting down.

 

[sixsix]

Hey Koolaid, I get the Corpsman part, but could you translate the other stuff. Google is just laughing at me...
yeah, I know, what's new...

Mike

 

[Koolaid]

8404 means i am fleet marine force. its pretty much a school of infantry for corpsman before they are introduced to the marine fleet. 3/4 and 3/3 are the battalions i was with. 29 palms is in california. Kaneohe is on oahu, hawaii. both marine bases.

 

[OGquaker]

Small collage in Santa Maria, summer jobs with aircraft in Los Angeles. At 20 years old i got that 'Draft' letter and Volunteered for 2 years instead. I complained at Sunday formation so i was the single 'maggot' that got to watch Armstrong step onto the moon
Came out of 'basic' with 'Expert' in marksmanship and as an E-2 because the wrong guy broke my nose. Spent my last week of 'basic' teaching the 18 year old drafted guys how to tear down their M-16
As the highest rank on the trip (E-2!) to AIT school, i got to deliver the $check to Continental Airlines in San Francisco for use of the whole airplane!
91A, Combat Medic, i declined Warrant Officer helicopter school cause auto-rotation wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
73% of my Company went straight to Vietnam & i went as a corpsman to the Ft. Sam Houston female psyche ward.
Down hill from there; 20 weeks at Presidio, San Francisco in 91U, Army E.E.N.T. school.
E-4 and than on to 1031 south Broadway in Los Angeles. Eventually I was giving female teenagers pre-enlistment physicals on Wilshire Blvd near Hollywood.
It seems the Army had had enough of Quakers in that war -Joan Baez and all, so i took 30 days leave and flew to South East Asia on 'space A' military flights.
The best part is that with the $800 the VA matches with my Social Security retirement, i take home more dollars than i ever made in Aerospace, LucasFilm, radio or owning my own machine shop.

 

[segrogan]

They handed me a DD-214 honorable discharge when I got out.