070508-N-5484G-007 INDIAN OCEAN (May 8, 2007) - Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Tina Greer maintains an M61A1 20mm rotary canon on the flight deck of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 are deployed in the 5th Fleet area of operations conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) and supporting the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joseph Pol Sebastian Gocong (RELEASED)
I've been thinking they had to put up the net to catch me after I was almost shot down in 1985. I was on the verge of passing out from a concussion, there was blood all over the place, my F-14 Tomcat was slipping all over the place. They got the net up and I went into it. I might have been in a coma for a few days afterward.
I've been thinking they had to put up the net to catch me after I was almost shot down in 1985. I was on the verge of passing out from a concussion, there was blood all over the place, my F-14 Tomcat was slipping all over the place. They got the net up and I went into it. I might have been in a coma for a few days afterward.
070508-N-7981E-111 BREMERTON, Wash. (May 8, 2007) - A member of air department's V-2 division signals to stand clear as flight deck personnel raise an emergency barricade on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during a general quarters (GQ) drill. Lincoln is moored at Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton conducting training and preparation for the ship's return to operational status following a dry-dock availability. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James R. Evans (RELEASED)
070503-N-5253W-001 BRISBANE, Australia (May 3, 2007) - Fire Controlman 2nd Class Kenneth Queen and other Sailors man the rails aboard USS Lassen (DDG 82) while pulling into Brisbane, Australia. While in port, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will participate in the Battle of Coral Sea commemoration events and provide demonstrations and tours of the ship to industry leaders. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Gabriel S. Weber (RELEASED)
JOURNAL ARCHIVE: Re: Journal June 6, 2006
I was watching Top Gun a couple days ago and I was wondering what was that top ribbon Maverick wears on his uniform. I have always thought it was the navy's Battle "E" ribbon, but the idea formed lately that it may be a Purple Heart actually. The pip device on the ribbon made sense as the "E" device that I remember being used on the Battle "E." But today I looked it up and I don't see a Battle "E" ribbon. Maybe they have discontinued it since it was active in the '80s or maybe that really was a Purple Heart he was wearing. The pip is actually a star device to represent that he has two of the medals. The closest active ribbon I see the navy currently has is called the Navy "E" Ribbon. It looks similar to the Purple Heart except for the colors on the edges and I remember from Top Gun that he was wearing a ribbon that was mostly blue with white stripes on each end.
Aha, here's the Battle E. But it has a yellow stripe on each end that I don't remember seeing on the one Maverick was wearing.
So it was 1987 when the Stark was hit in the Persian Gulf, which makes no sense that I remember it distinctly as 1986.
I wonder why I have started thinking more about the HMS Sheffield?
There was this guy on the Wainwright, I forget this occupation. Missile Plot had a gyro in it that was maintained by another group, they may have been Electrician Mates, but I'm not sure. They usually had one or two guys from their workcenter down in Plot to stand watch on the gyro. One of the junior guys was from Chile. I remember one time he came down the ladder and dropped onto the floor. Mogge called me over and I checked him out and went back to work. Apparently he had been working in the engine room and was on the verge of heat exhaustion. I had experienced conditions like that myself and could tell from his eyes that he was all right, although I have wondered later if I really should have called a corpsman to look at him. He turned out to be ok though. I remember he also performed the same helo crew role on the Wainwright as I did on the Taylor. He was standing there on deck that day in the Med when our SeaSprite crashed on the deck. Someone joked the Captain and the helo pilot were out there now exchanging insurance cards. There are some photos of the accident on the Wainwright Veteran website. This guy from Chile, I can't remember his name, was telling us about a meeting he had with the Captain, I think it was Chandler. In my memory, he was saying something about getting promoted and that he would be just like me. None of this really happened though I am believing now, and must mean something else. I wonder if I was some kind of military advisor and/or observer with the British Navy during the Falkland War. Chile is right there next to Argentina.
I wonder why I have these memories of two particular training exercises on the Taylor. One was that simulator where the locked us into a ship compartment, banged on the bulkhead to simulate a missile hit, and then flooded the room with cold river water as we were supposed to fix the hole. The compartment would have flooded if I hadn't open a porthole in the bulkhead. Before that was the boiler room simulator where I was the Number 1 hose man and had to go into the building with the water covered with burning oil under the deck grating. I had to push the flames back with the hose and I was so close to hyperventilating that I was breaking the face mask seal of my breathing apparatus. It was also so dark I couldn't see a single thing. I had no idea the fire was even out.
I wonder why I have started thinking more about the HMS Sheffield?
There was this guy on the Wainwright, I forget this occupation. Missile Plot had a gyro in it that was maintained by another group, they may have been Electrician Mates, but I'm not sure. They usually had one or two guys from their workcenter down in Plot to stand watch on the gyro. One of the junior guys was from Chile. I remember one time he came down the ladder and dropped onto the floor. Mogge called me over and I checked him out and went back to work. Apparently he had been working in the engine room and was on the verge of heat exhaustion. I had experienced conditions like that myself and could tell from his eyes that he was all right, although I have wondered later if I really should have called a corpsman to look at him. He turned out to be ok though. I remember he also performed the same helo crew role on the Wainwright as I did on the Taylor. He was standing there on deck that day in the Med when our SeaSprite crashed on the deck. Someone joked the Captain and the helo pilot were out there now exchanging insurance cards. There are some photos of the accident on the Wainwright Veteran website. This guy from Chile, I can't remember his name, was telling us about a meeting he had with the Captain, I think it was Chandler. In my memory, he was saying something about getting promoted and that he would be just like me. None of this really happened though I am believing now, and must mean something else. I wonder if I was some kind of military advisor and/or observer with the British Navy during the Falkland War. Chile is right there next to Argentina.
I wonder why I have these memories of two particular training exercises on the Taylor. One was that simulator where the locked us into a ship compartment, banged on the bulkhead to simulate a missile hit, and then flooded the room with cold river water as we were supposed to fix the hole. The compartment would have flooded if I hadn't open a porthole in the bulkhead. Before that was the boiler room simulator where I was the Number 1 hose man and had to go into the building with the water covered with burning oil under the deck grating. I had to push the flames back with the hose and I was so close to hyperventilating that I was breaking the face mask seal of my breathing apparatus. It was also so dark I couldn't see a single thing. I had no idea the fire was even out.
