I joined the Navy in October 1965, just after I turned 21. I went to Great Lakes for Boot Camp. For some reason, of all the tests given, my code score was the highest. I think I fell asleep during it, as I did in the language test. My foreign language score was so low I wouldn’t have qualified as an ENGLING. After struggling through CTR “A” School in Pensacola, my first duty station was NAVCOMSTAPHIL, San Miguel, arriving in June 1966. What a great place to begin my career. After working as a Morse operator for a few months, I made two deployments to the northern Tonkin Gulf, one on the USS England DLG-22 and the other onboard the USS Dahlgren DLG-12. In July 1967, I was TAD to Det Bravo, Danang, RVN as a Morse operator onboard the EC-121 and EA-3B ESM aircraft operating over the Northern Tonkin Gulf.

In December 1967, I transferred to U.S. Naval Facility Nicosia, Cyprus. I got married on the way. I was a Morse operator and supervisor. I reenlisted in October 1969 for six years with orders to NSA for CY-155, a six-month Cryptologic Supervisor’s Course.

Upon completion of the course, I transferred to U.S. NSGA Hakata, Japan, arriving in October 1970 for a three-year tour.  I supervised a Morse collection watch section before moving to the Analysis and Reporting Division. The base was suddenly slated for closure, and I transferred after only sixteen months to NSA, Fort Meade in March 1972. Since I was not assigned to a billet at the Agency, I ended up in the Technical ELINT Division where I worked as a Special Research Analyst for the Division Officer. Being a Morse guy in ELINT brought challenges, but it gave me an opportunity to expand my knowledge.

It was time to ship over again, this time for orders to Hawaii. I was assigned to NCOPACHFDFNET as a narrowband supervisor. With no DF background, I had to quickly learn the business. Fortunately, I was in a watch section with some very experienced technicians who trained me until I could soon effectively perform as a supervisor and a GYK-3 computer operator. I enjoyed my tour there, and after a request for a year’s extension was rejected; I was ordered back to the Philippines. This time to U.S. NSGA Clark AB and back to Direct Support. I made five deployments, most to the Indian Ocean.

My first trip was a short-fused CICPACFLT directed deployment to the Indian Ocean with no destination or operating area assigned. The only ship available was a Military Sealift Command oiler, USNS Navasota TAO-106. No QUIC vans were available, so FES Subic configured an OICS Van for Morse. After we arrived in the Gulf of Aden, the Staff Cryptologist from COMMEDEASTFOR met us and tasked us to operate in that area and collect whatever we thought was of value. Very vague, but we soon provided valuable information to the NSA, and not long after, the USS Constellation CV-64 Battle Group was sent back to the Gulf for a show of force as Aden’s civil war threatened regional security. Our detachment cross-decked via LAMP Helo to the USS Sterrett CG-31 for the rest of the deployment. I had an article in Cryptolog published under the title, “A Cruise to Nowhere” in the Winter 2023 edition regarding this deployment.

Subsequent deployments on the USS Brewton FF-1086 around the South China Sea and the USS Jouett CG-29 on a show-the-flag mission around the Indian Ocean were uneventful. I made my first deployment as a Chief in April1980 on the USS Constellation CV-64. We were one of four carrier battle groups in the North Arabian Sea off Iran when the failed rescue attempt of the American Embassy hostages went down in flames. It was the largest naval force since WW II. It was a five-month deployment. I had an article published in Cryptolog under the title; “We Were Ready for War,” in the Summer 2024 edition. My last deployment was on the USS Midway CV-41 in March 1981. After a brief stay in the North Arabian Sea, we went to Perth, Australia, for liberty with a transit through the Lombok straits back to Subic.

I transferred to NTTC Corry Station, arriving in October 1981. After a brief stint as an instructor in CTR “A” School, LCDR Pete Mast shanghaied me to the Advanced Fleet Training Division to head up the development and establishment of the new DIRSUP Augmentee Course. Later, when I was made Senior Chief, the division was split into two branches, and myself and a sharp LDO Ensign, Tim Reynolds managed all the Fleet Training Courses while still doing some instruction and courseware development. It was a busy tour with fleet cryptologic training expanding and new training buildings brought online. After getting a year’s extension, I retired with twenty years in October 1985.

After working for a year for a local defense contractor, I was hired back on Corry as a civil servant as a Training Specialist, and after completing my Computer Science degree, I became a Computer Specialist. I wore many hats for the next twenty years before retiring again in December 2011 as a Department Head with twenty-five years’ service.