Mail duty

I was drafted in 1964 and sent to the San Diego Naval Training Center. When we arrived we didn’t have enough to start a company. They had us send everything we had home except the clothes we were wearing. Five days passed and still not enough men, just 58 smelly recruits. They formed us up, gave us uniforms, and we eventually became a company of 130. The first night we had one recruit go over the hill, wrong fence, and the next day he was marching with the Marines on the other side of the fence he had climbed over.

Our company commander was getting ready to retire, so he put a Navy Reservist in charge who didn’t have a clue how to march. Since I had four years of Army ROTC in high school, I offered to help.

Next thing I knew, the company commander took me to Company 4013 Disciplinary Company as their yeoman (gofer). I went to work every day delivering messages and mail.

On the second or third day, I was out delivering and came back sweating. The JG and chief wanted to know why I was sweating. I told them I had been told to double-time it. They sent me to transportation for a bike and back to my barracks to clean up.

I did study for tests, attend firefighting, gunnery and survival training and even learned to swim at night classes.

Graduation came! I must say I found boot camp interesting.

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