I joined the Navy in 1961 at 17, recently graduated from high school and with no thought at all about what I would face in basic training. Turns out: a lot. My worst fear and the source of nightmares to come would be the swimming pool. I had never learned to swim.

The day they marched us to the big indoor pool, wintertime in Great Lakes, Ill., they mustered us and told us we couldn't wear our new issue swimsuits because they feared the fabric dye would run in the pool and taint their water. Instead, we would be tested naked, a whole new fear for this naïve teen. Then they piled on.

They separated us, swimmers from non-swimmers, and told us we would all be jumping from the tall tower at the deep end of the pool. I had never jumped into any depth of water and had never been in water over my head. I would surely drown that day.

We were told to jump off, one at a time, and raise our hand in the water if we needed help. I went off the tower on my turn, both arms raised high, and was soon fished out by a sailor with a long pole.

Non-swimmers were required to learn, and we had classes each evening after our long day of training. I learned quickly, but I'm not sure if it was to keep from drowning or to be able to stop showing up in the pool in the buff each night. Years later I threw away that issued swimsuit, never worn.