Bob - The Navy Years, Chapter 9

Changing Jobs at VA-125

I mentioned in the last chapter that work was very much like the civilian workforce, and it is.  But, there are some exceptions.  You can't quit, and because of the nature of the military, the people you work with are constantly changing because of transfers. But, you make a lot of friends.  And I was fortunate to work with a lot of the same people for nearly the whole 2 years.

The picture at right is of the barracks in the background. I don't remember any gas station, so  think that might have been added later. The barracks were 3 stories, my living quarters was the 2nd floor.

This is a picture of the front gate at the Air Base.  Note how desolate the area looks in the background.  Not many trees.  I've Googled base pictures, and on recent pictures of this base there are many tall palm trees and lush looking lawns.  Of course, the newer photos were in color, but I can tell you now, they had some grass, but it hadn't really become lush lawns.  And, you still can't see those palm trees in the old photos! A military base is a small city.  It has most things you would need.  Movie, bowling alley, bank, snack bar, restaurant, store (PX), Grocery (Commissary), etc. Such was the living area on the base.

I started out working in the Captains Office.  I was there for probably 6-8 months.  This job consisted of being a secretary to the Captain.  Typing letters, filing, getting coffee.  The Captain had many people coming into his office, and we had to make sure any guests had coffee.  Coffee is BIG in the Navy.

Then I moved in to Classified Records.  Actually, part of the same office, but in a smaller office to the side.  There, I was in charge of keeping up with all the classified documents in the Squadron.  Many weapons manuals, Classified communications, etc.  Basically, there are 3 classes, Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret.  I know there are classes beyond that, like Flash, and For Your Eyes Only, but the 3 classes I mention are what I handled.  I needed a Top Secret Clearance for that, which required an investigation of my background by the Navy Department.  I guess I passed.  While working in that office, the records clerk in the base Classified Office went on 2 weeks Leave, and I was loaned out to them for that period.  This was a separate building, just off the airfield.  I worked in the vault, which was basically a library of Classified material.  Pilots came to this building and 'checked out' manuals to read up and stay current on weapons systems.  NO documents left that building. You were buzzed in and out of the building by Security. Outdated material had to be destroyed. And there was a lot of it.  Manuals were contstantly being updated with new pages inserted and old ones removed.  After a short while you could get a large pile of papers and manuals needing to be destroyed.  How did we destroy them? No, we didn't have a paper shredder.  We burned them.  The Officer in charge of classified material and I took the pile to the incinerator and burned it.  One page at a time!  You couldn't throw a whole manual in, because you had to stay and stir the ashes to make sure nothing remained.  So, you tore manuals apart, throwing pages into the fire.  Now, it was usually 100 degrees outside at Lemoore, CA.  Standing in front of a roaring fire, outside, for a couple of hours wasn't fun.

I worked in Classified Records for 4-5 months then moved next door to Officer Records.  This was the Personnel Office for Officers.  This is where they reported when arriving to VA-125, and I was in charge of keeping their personnel records up to date. Therefore, I knew by name and sight many fighter pilots in the Pacific.  Almost all of them went on to fly missions over North Vietnam.  I knew many pilots killed or captured by North Vietnam.  Our Executive Officer, Lt Commander Cameron, who I worked beside in the Captains Office for many months, was shot down and parachuted into the Gulf of Tonkin. We heard that he was in radio contact with the other planes above, when he stated "The boats are closing in now, I'll have to  go."  So we knew he was alive, in the water, but he was never heard from again. 

 Years later, watching TV as the prisoners of war from Vietnam were released, I recognized many names of those Navy pilots.

     I thought I'd show you how close all the offices were that I worked in.  They were all either part of the same office or just next door. This was the second floor of the hangar.  Down the hallway north was the Pilots Ready Room, the Operations Office, and Medical.  Down the hallway to the south was the Mimeograph Office, and Training Schedule Office.

While at Lemoore, I went on  two week Leave in May of 1966.  While home I asked Mary Lynn to marry me. She said yes and we planned a wedding day for April 8, 1967.  We can't remember if I came home between May '66 and April '67 or not.  I don't think I did.  So we did our communication by letter and an occasional phone call.  She planned the wedding and I found us an apartment to live in. In April, 1967, I went on 2 weeks Leave.



Bob and Mary Lynn get married and head to California.

to be continued........................