On March 10, 1953, myself and two friends were sworn into the US Navy in Columbia, SC. There were thirteen of us sworn in together. Afterwards, we were asked who had traveled by train before. During our senior trip in 1952, our class traveled by train from Washington, DC to Monroe, NC so I promptly raised my hand. I was the only one even though the other two friends with me were on the same train. The Chief called me aside and put me in charge of the other 12 men to travel to San Diego by train leaving shortly. I gathered all the records for all men and it was a nightmare as it took us four days to get to San Diego. After basic training, I was assigned to the Destroyer Escort USS Weeden (DE 797) as an E-2 in the deck force. A few days later at muster, a Chief Yeoman came and asked all if anyone could type or had studied typing in high school. Thinking back to what had happened to me the last time I raised my hand, I chose not to this time. The chief came down the line calling out the name Sims, and looking straight at me. He said to me "Sims come with me. I know you can type." I was transferred to the ship's office and it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I progressed to Yeoman 3rd Class the first time I took the exam, which put me in line for shore duty in June 1955. I transferred to Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia and shortly made YN-2. At that time to get to YN-1, I had to be able to take shorthand and after enrolling in a class with a room full of female yeoman and personnel clerks and I could not keep up and the instructor "suggested" I drop out, and I did. Knowing I could not progress, I took discharge in February 1957.