GOIN HUNTIN THERE MARINE????

I was in from 58 to 62 and never got to shoot at anyone. I got out just before the Cuban missile
crisis. I was technical in the Navy. I was in communications. I served on the USS North Hampton
CLC-1 communications center for about 30 months.
I worked in he ''crypto'' center and rapid communications
I have ''peed'' in more sea water than most folks have ever seen.
We had a detachment of Marines on the ship and they never lost a chow line. a gangway or a Navy officers
baggage the whole time I was on the ''Norton''. lol .....
I became good friends with a couple of Marines and taught them to read big words and to count to
past a hundred. ........ lol .... (dont get upset, I'M TEASING)
One of the guys forgot to ''lock his M1'' in the rack and had to carry it with him for two weeks while we
were at sea. It was funny as heck to see him setting on the "john'' with the M1 between his feet.
He showered with it and slept with it. Everyone teased him.
''Goin' hunting there Marine''.....
''Gonna shoot some fish Marine?''..........
He would carry it to the mess hall with him and we teased him about that also ...
''Hay Marine, you gonna shoot someone it they try to take your powered eggs?''
His drill Sgt. told the squad that if they caught him without his hand on the rifle and they got it away
from him they would get a one week ''Basket leave''..... They could not ''take the weapon away from him''
using force but they could steal it if they got the chance. He hung onto that rifle like glue. He would take ''small stuff'' and tie it to his hand and his foot when he slept and he slept ''on the weapon''.....He managed to hang on to the M1 and never let it leave his hands. One night we were at a movie on the fantail of the ship and I was sitting beside him and his ''gun''. I asked him how heavy it was and he told me Nine pounds. I asked if I could ''heft it'' to see the weight and he almost handed it to me. ''Hale No Sailor......... No way I am gonna hand over my weapon to you.'' ''Good try but no deal''...........
I served four years and came out a E4. They wanted me to stay in but I figured I could do better
on the ''outside''..... I got out and went to work for $1.25 per hour and after three months I got a two and
half cent raise.

Anyhow. Thats the way it is with the Navy and ''that other group'' we haul around........


''THE MARINE CORPS BUILDS MEN''
The Navy recruits men..........lol.......

God bless our troops and bring them home tomorrow or sooner if possible.