My Grandad was Navy in WWI, died of Spanish Flu and buried at sea so family story goes. Dad was Merchant Marine (blind in one eye, disqualified him from other services). Uncles, Cousins in various services, including a sister in Navy in the early 60's.
One of my sons was Navy, (the other was disqualified due to congenital heart issue), actually trained at Great Lakes like his Aunt. First duty was at Whidbey Island, Anti-Nuclear Sub Warfare specialist, he refused to re-up unless he got sea-duty, so got retrained at Norfolk then joined crew of a newly commissioned Destroyer the O'Kane in Maine. Their maiden voyage was down east coast thru Panama Canal and to Pearl Harbor. Over the years they went to Persian Gulf twice (1st time right after 9/11), and once he was loaned to an Army unit on the grand in mid-east.
Ended up staying at Pearl for 16 yrs, retiring in 2014. CO recommended he have a small ceremony--that rituals important. He flew his sister and i out there for it. Knew my Dad (who died in '95) would have been tickled at something they put on the plaque he was given: "Fair winds and Fallow Seas"
I like to read about "all-Navy" families, and yours would certainly be one of them.
My adopted father was an Lieutenant in WWII and was on a destroyer when he participated in the big battle for Okinawa. Later, he went ashore with the Marines. He then spent time on the mainland of Japan with the occupation forces.
My step father was in the Navy during WWII as a gunners mate and was on the USS Lexington during the Battle of the Coral Sea. His gun tub was shot up during the battle and a Japanese aircraft hit the side of the ship and exploded just below him. He said that the cooling water hose to his gun was cut during the battle but that he just "poured the coal to it anyway, knowing that the gun would be damaged." After the battle the ships crew fought fires for almost 24 hours before it became clear that it was a lost cause. They abandoned the ship and he was quickly picked up by a destroyer. Later he was in the Atlantic when his ship was hit by a German torpedo and he had to go swimming again. It was actually the last day of the war and he was in the water for 24 hours that time.
One of my uncles was a Radioman and spent WWII on small craft fighting on the inland waters of China. Another uncle was also a Radioman and spent time on a destroyer in the Pacific.
I was in for 31 years, starting when I was 17 as a Seaman Recruit and retiring as a full Commander in 1991.
My son was an Anti-Submarine Warfare specialist and a Rescue Swimmer. He spent most of his time riding choppers off of the aircraft carrier the USS Kennedy. He was involved in two rescues, one during the day in the Caribbean in calm waters. The other in the Eastern Med at night in bad weather and heavy seas. A jet from the carrier went down with two people and they first had trouble finding them. The other rescue swimmer on the chopper went down while my son stayed aboard. When he tried to hoist the first fellow out, the cable snapped. In direct violation of regulations, my son tossed the choppers own life raft into the water, and somehow managed to splice that cable together and get everyone aboard. For his actions, he was awarded a metal and that rescue became the Navy's "Rescue of the Year" in the annual competition of the year between the services. The Coast Guard won that year (they nearly always do) for a rescue in the Northern Pacific.
I would imagine that they wanted your son to fly aboard long range search aircraft out of Whidbey Island, and frankly that would be a bit on the boring side, except when the Russians or North Koreans come out to take pot shots at them. Over the years there have been a number of these and there was one shot down off the Russian Coast. There were plenty of things going on in Pearl, so I imagine that your son had plenty of different jobs, including some staff work at Third Fleet or at Pac Fleet. Still, 16 years on Oahu. I am a bit envious.
I greatly enjoyed your post.
Pecos
