Happy 248th Birthday US Navy

[sherpa]

Hopefully the next month will be peaceful.

[WhoTom]

My Dad served aboard the USS Robert E. Peary (a destroyer escort) during WWII. Destroyer escorts were smaller and more agile than destroyers. They were also less expensive and faster to produce, so the Navy cranked out a bunch of them during the war. The Peary spent most of its tour in the Atlantic, escorting convoys of supply ships from the US to Europe and Africa. When the war ended in Europe, they were called back to port (NYC) to refurbish the ship so they could be redeployed to the Pacific. Dad had shore leave, took a train back to his hometown, married his high school sweetheart (my future Mom), returned to port, and shipped out. Before they reached the Panama Canal, Japan surrendered, so they headed back home. Shortly thereafter, Dad received his Honorable Discharge.

 

Here's the USS Robert E. Peary around 1943:

 

[sherpa]

On a related note, USS Eisenhower was supposed to get underway yesterday from Norfolk, but it has been delayed at least a day.

All of the high visibility networks were claiming that it was going to add to Ford in the eastern Med, but the Navy never discusses ship movements.

 

She could certainly do that, or backfill the waters near Italy where Ford was supporting the Ukrainian thing, or she could sail through the Suez and join 5th fleet in the northern Indian Ocean to keep Iran in check.

 

I can't imagine the alert level if she transits the Suez. 

[Saxum]

My brother was a Seabee who signed a 5 year contract to be guaranteed to be assigned as one. 

Unfortunately he was signed late for current class but he was sent to it anyways.

Despite being several weeks late he was top of his class.

 

He was sent all over the world including Lebanon when there was trouble there and every time he could be promoted he was to the day.  They were pushing up ranks as fast as they could.  At end of enlistment period he was offered any detail he wanted, anywhere he wanted to go in the world including White House honor guard.  He told them he just wanted to go home.   He continued in construction including designing and building his two houses (both houses were sold to people who saw them and fell in love with them) and currently is contract manager for a large firm in Buffalo area.

 

Me? I applied to Air Force and Coast Guard and rejected since I had a seizure as a kid.   I have been on plenty of ships however doing installs on systems; one of the ships left early and I turned down offer to be lowered onto ship via a net on a helicopter.

[Augie]

My father-in-law was a dentist on the Missouri when the treaty was signed with Japan. My wife has an amazing collection of newspaper clippings, letters to his parent and memorabilia. A retired General lives up the street and he came to see it one day. The letters are incredibly touching. 

[Buffalo716]

8 hours ago, Augie said:

My father-in-law was a dentist on the Missouri when the treaty was signed with Japan. My wife has an amazing collection of newspaper clippings, letters to his parent and memorabilia. A retired General lives up the street and he came to see it one day. The letters are incredibly touching. 

My grandfather was aboard the USS Missouri when the peace treaty was signed... Served on the might Mo for the war

 

God bless the Navy and God bless the mighty Mo

 

My family has a Japanese officer sword as a war prize from him

Edited October 15, 2023 by Buffalo716

[sherpa]

I really enjoyed my active duty time in the Navy.

It is impossible to duplicate squadron life in a civilian career.

Not a week goes by that I don't hear from or talk to old squadron mates and Navy friends.

It's just very hard to be an involved dad and do what I was doing, so when I got engaged, I submitted my six month notice that I was leaving.

 

As an example, I got married in San Francisco on a Saturday. Had Fri, Sat and Sun off, then got on a plane for Manila on Monday.

Fought the USS Midway airwing from Cubi Point, Philippines for six days.

Pan Am home  to California from Tokyo.

Two days off then off to China Lake, Ca to fight F-18's four five days. 

When I got home, my wife of about three and a half weeks, who I had spent four or five total days with asked me if this is going to be what it's like.

Obviously that was unusual, but that was shore duty, which was supposed to be relaxed with weekends off.

Carrier deployments were six to eight months long.

[Wacka]

My dad was stationed at Ford Island and Barbers Point  on  Oahu during the Korean War. Was on the crash crew but never had a plane come in with a problem during that time. Also spent some time on the USS Miller which was a sister ship to The Sullivans (the next # assigned) which is at the Buffalo Naval and Serviceman's Park.

[muppy]

My dad was a retired staff sargeant with the US Army Air Corp (so not navy) he was an aircraft mechanic in WWII. I saw his shellback. It was brightly colored and had topless mermaids on it lol 

 

Thank you for all our militarys service

[sherpa]

12 minutes ago, muppy said:

My dad was a retired staff sargeant with the US Army Air Corp (so not navy) he was an aircraft mechanic in WWII. I saw his shellback. It was brightly colored and had topless mermaids on it lol 

 

You know "shellback" has a very specific meaning in Navy parlance.

One is either a "pollwog" or a "shellback."

I enjoy the more prestigious shellback status.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

 

[CowgirlsFan]

Happy Belated Birthday!

 

Thank you for keeping our country safe 🇺🇸

[gobilz]

38 minutes ago, CowgirlsFan said:

Happy Belated Birthday!

 

Thank you for keeping our country safe 🇺🇸

Was u in da navy 

[Poleshifter]

My dad served in the Navy as a sheet metal repairman in Norfolk, Virginia. 
 

He was stationed in the states because his brother had been killed in action in the Navy.

 

I was drafted into the Army in the Vietnam era. By the grace of God, they sent me to Germany.

Happy Navy Birthday!

[Ned Flanders]

As a former carrier sailor, thank you.

[Fleezoid]

 

[Gugny]

On 10/14/2023 at 2:15 PM, sherpa said:

On a related note, USS Eisenhower was supposed to get underway yesterday from Norfolk, but it has been delayed at least a day.

All of the high visibility networks were claiming that it was going to add to Ford in the eastern Med, but the Navy never discusses ship movements.

 

She could certainly do that, or backfill the waters near Italy where Ford was supporting the Ukrainian thing, or she could sail through the Suez and join 5th fleet in the northern Indian Ocean to keep Iran in check.

 

I can't imagine the alert level if she transits the Suez. 

My brother served on the Ike. I went on a tiger cruise back in 1987. 
 

Three years later, we were both stationed in Norfolk. 
 

He was on the USS South Carolina. 
 

I was on the USS Josephus Daniels (CG-27). 
 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Gugny

[PastaJoe]

My dad was a CPO in the Naval Air Reserve.  Served over 30 years until he reached retirement.  I think he enjoyed getting a weekend away from the family every month, and the two weeks annual active duty.  Was a crew chief maintaining P3 Orion anti-sub planes.

[ExiledInIllinois]

32 minutes ago, Gugny said:

My brother served on the Ike. I went on a tiger cruise back in 1987. 
 

Three years later, we were both stationed in Norfolk. 
 

He was on the USS South Carolina. 
 

I was on the USS Josephus Daniels (CG-27). 
 

Josephus Daniels was a racist and big time segregationist. Set back AAs for decades! White supremacist.  You were on a racist boat! Thank God you came out all okay! GoNavy! 😏 

[Gugny]

3 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Josephus Daniels was a racist and big time segregationist. Set back AAs for decades! White supremacist.  You were on a racist boat! Thank God you came out all okay! GoNavy! 😏 

All I ever knew about him was that he was the Secretary of the Navy and responsible for banning alcohol on naval vessels!  
 

Our ship’s flag was a knockoff of a Jack Daniel’s label, but said Old No. 27!!