ARRIVED
19 JULY 1981
C-SCHOOL
26 NOVEMBER 1957
GRADUATED
05 NOVEMBER 1982
|
SEARCH FOR SOMEONE
YOU KNOW AT THE NAVY LOG
LINKS TO MY OTHER
NAVY PAGES
PHOTOS TAKEN WHILE
STATIONED AT
NAVAL STATION GREAT LAKES
BASE MAP
THE GUN
LOOKING DOWN ON
BLACKS BEACH
BLACKS BEACH
HANG GLIDERS
THE CLIFF
GIESEKING
SUMMIT OF MOUNT SI
MT SI MAP
Mt SI
UP FROM THE TREE LINE
HYDRAULIC SCHEMATIC
|
Arriving on the base in San Diego was to be a different experience for me. It was a hot July day but it wasn’t overbearing. The guard at the gate pointed out where to park and the building for us to report to.
I realized just how different things were while we were standing at the desk in the BEQ. I was looking around the lobby and thought I’d get a soda. I walked over to the generic soda machine and looked
at the selection wondering if it would be Shasta or some other no name brand when I noticed it said Michelob, Bud, Miller, and their lite variations. I looked back at the desk and the sailor said, Yea we
get that same look from all the new guys and no I don’t have any change. Bob looked puzzled as he came over to see what I was gawking at, and exclaimed "HOLY S**T."
We were given our room numbers and we dragged our gear to the room and pick out our bunks. I went through my bag and found my change, walked back and bought a Michelob.
|
PHASE 2 TRAINING
C-School was held several blocks from the barracks in a well-worn building with a little gidunk next to it. We were introduced to our instructors and shown the material we would be covering.
Then we took a walk out to the gun mount. Outside was a working MK 42 built on a small building to house the lower sections of the gun. Our first week was simply learning switches and small
hydraulic schematics and this turns out to be my forte. It came very easy, the more complex the system the better I was at deciphering how the unit worked. During the class covering the carrier
unit the instructor was going over the schematics for a third day and everyone was lost. It was a very complicated part of gun and I found it fascinating that someone actually thought it up.
My buddy Hicks was completely lost so I went over what initiated the carrier, how it determined direction and how it slows its approach when I noticed the instructor was talking to me. “Am I boring you?"
No I said I was just explaining this to Hicks. The instructors face tighten some and he continued saying I’m explaining it up here right now! To my horror Hicks decided to add to the conversation at this time.
He explained it better!
There was no place to hide, no way I could slip out, everyone was looking at us and most had that look on their faces like they would never see us again. He explains it better! Seaman Houk, you understand
the whole carrier function? I think I got the? He cut me off No you must have a full understanding of the unit if you can explain it to Hicks better then I can. So since Houk is such a good instructor why don't
you come up here and teach this to the Whole class! I declined. He insisted. I tried to back out. He ordered. I complied.
I again found myself explaining the process only this time to the entire class. About half way through I did notice that a few faces perked up in surprise. As I finished feeling like I just went through the ringer the
instructor stood up and asked does anyone understand this any better now? Slowly hands started to rise until everyone in the room had their hand up. I remember thinking, this isn’t good! The instructor said
Ok lets see how well you know this course by taking the test now. After every section we learned we were tested but we usually rehashed it several times. The class kinda glared at me but
I kept pointing in futility to Hicks. I did finish the test first and walked it up to the instructor’s desk. He motioned for me to follow him. In the hall he said he knew I grasped the material immediately but
there was process in teaching the material that was supposed to be followed and this section in particular has always been the most difficult for any instructor to teach. He said watched me in class and
I didn’t even name the switches, valves or their positions as I explained the unit. A few of the other guys came out of class by then and came over. The guys said it was too much all at once.
The Instructor looked at me and said see. He asked how they thought they did and the three of them said they did pretty well. He went into the class and came out with our tests and a book and started to
look through the answers. To his and my surprise they passed. We all ended up passing. We went over the results in the class the next day and as it turned out I explained the processes in the simplest of terms.
I didn’t follow the book naming every little switch and procedure and problem until after explaining the general operation. I spoke with awe as I described the logic of it and the class could see the mechanics of it as I did. This was a three story hydraulic rain forest of engineering, built to bring armament from the decks below and run them into the barrel of a gun that is pointed in any direction and is kept stationary on the deck of a rolling ship.
Mk-42 5-inch gun
From that point I had made myself a place in the class. There were sailors from the fleet who had been working with this very weapon, taking the class and even they were turning to me from clarity on some of the lesions. It was one of the most satisfying times in my life. I learned for the first time what it was like to earn true respect and the rest of the class flew by. Our off time was spent doing lots of different activities here in California. There was much to do and the first thing we had to try was Mexico. There was a light-rail train that was right outside our gate that ran right to the border. Three of us went down on a Saturday morning getting to the border about 11: oo am. My father and stepmother came here year ago and described there trip.
It was everything they said and more. Everyone and I mean everyone was trying to sell scam or rob you at every turn. The donkey was there it was painted with strips, the man said for a few Paso’s I
could have my picture taken on the zebra. Little kids saying shine.
There were bars, clubs, souvenir shops, restaurants etc selling everything from hand carved chess sets to their sisters. We wandered around for hours just amazed by the vivid colors and exotic smells.
We bravely ate at one of the street cafes, avoiding anything with water or ice, we stuck to sirvasa. The food I purchased was delicious but very spicy DUH! I wondered if this was my first taste of dog.
I didn’t dwell on it. When we arrived at the border Mexico just let us walk right in. It was a bit harder to get into the States.
We were a small group of 20 something, clean cut, pale skinned sailors walking up to the booth. Did I mention Very drunk. It didn’t seem to bother the border guard to much; apparently being sober
isn’t a requirement to get into the US.
I did all sorts of adventurous things in San Diego like renting a sailboat on Mission Bay for the day. Bob and I brought a bunch of food and beer hoping to find a spot and get some sun
and swim. We ended up running all over the bay being pestered by a seal. He or She was very friendly, coming up to the boat I’m sure looking for food. We tossed it a Nerf football and
to our surprise he brought it back. After a few tosses he nosed the ball across the water at great speed. Soon all I could see was the ball skimming the surface toward Crown Point.
I turn to Bob and said I guess that’s your seal of approval. A week later we ventured up to Blacks Beach, a very renowned hangout near La Jolla, for college students and hang gliders alike.
It is best known for its high cliff wall that has to be overcome to reach the white sand beach at the bottom. The sights at this remote beach with its clear blue-green water,
hang gliders floating quietly overhead and rocky cliffs over looking the nude bathers make it well worth the climb. As school was reaching its end the class was spending more time
operating the gun mount. We would switch positions each waiting for our turn to drive the gun. The instructors watched as we tried to trouble shoot the problems they caused with the gun.
I liked running rounds through the gun. This took some practice considering there were so many stations each round had to run through not to mention that it was a duel loading system so
each step was x2. The only down side to this was that we didn’t actually fire the gun and the bullets had to be hand carried back down to the magazine. About this time we filled out
dream sheets. For the civilians reading this a dream sheet is a request to be placed somewhere you would like to be stationed like Japan but your dreaming if you think your going to get it.
I put down that I wanted to be assigned to an aircraft carrier stationed in Denver Colorado. As Thanksgiving approached some of the guys made plans to head home of to some relatives house.
My home being 3000 mile from the base I found it was too expensive for me to make the trip. As we were talking about eating the base Thanksgiving dinner one of my class mates,
Gieseking asked if I wanted to come up to his folks house for the holiday, thinking I would at least get a home cooked meal. I gladly agreed. His family had a beautiful home on
Lake Meridian in Kent Washington. Gieseking Took me out on the lake in their boat heading northwest at first to show me the length of the lake. When we turn around to head back a was
just floored at the view I missed heading up. The whole lake lay before us beautiful homes lined each side and beyond the end of the lake was snow capped Mt Rainer towering in the center.
It was like a postcard. While I stayed at his house he took me to Mt Si on the western edge of the Cascade Range. Mt Si is just under 4200’ but its 3500’ of its height is from the base
to summit. We hiked the 4 mile trail to the tree line then we scrambled up the bare rock to the summit. It was my first time climbing a mountain of any size. It left me with a moving
feeling inside as I looked down upon the land far below. I felt more at peace with the world and myself than I ever did before. Or I was just exhausted from the climb and thin air.
Back at his place Gieseking played the guitar and showed off his stuff, he had an electric Guitar (strat I believe) and play great. This lit a spark in me somewhere and it never went out.
The whole class passed the final exams and I received the highest grade. The instructors commented on how or class did, the good, the bad, and stressed how we could get help
even on a ship at sea. They said this was it and if we had any problems during the class this was the best time and last chance to cover them before we go. I raised my hand and the
instructor said “YOU” what could you have possibly not understood? I said “I know you must of covered it, I might have been helping someone when you said it, so I thought I’d feel
stupid bring it up. Now that were heading to our ships I better ask. He said, what? I asked. “ How does any pressure change in the Hydraulic system change the color of the
hydraulic fluid? NO! NOOO!!! I said it’s just oil right? I looked around as puzzled as I could. He started over and some of the class started to explain when
I finally had to say I was joking. The instructor shook his head and said that kind of humor is going to get me into trouble one day.
|
This was the barricks
I lived in
during School |
This is the
area of the
base I frequented |
|
|
| |
|
| |
