From the Farm to the High Seas

This book is an autobiography about a sailor, his working career, before, during and after serving in the U.S. Navy.

I decided early on that I was going to be a "lifer" and earn a retirement from the Navy. Not long after making that decision, I knew I did not want to be an officer. I would follow the teaching, if not the work ethics, of those who were quick with advice "get all you can and run like hell".

I served on two aircraft carriers, three repair ships, two salvage ships and three shore stations during my twenty years and twenty days of service in the U.S. Navy. I was a deep-sea diver and assigned to duty stations to serve as a diver ten out of the eleven years I maintained the diving qualifications. I have served in pay grades E1 through E9, with several specialties, including a number of collateral duties. Diving and salvage as both second and first class was one of those specialties but unlike most divers, I do not consider it the most important.

I attended school and certified in Non Destructive Testing procedures obtaining a license to handle isotopes of radioactive materials. I attended two welding schools, certified and worked as a high-pressure welder on twelve-hundred pound steam systems. I attended school for ship handling, underway Officer of the Deck and Command Duty Officer in port. I was an accomplished ship handler with advanced seamanship skills and with hands-on training in navigation prior to satellites. I received certification in advanced firefighting and shipboard damage control procedures after attending several schools. I have served as the damage control assistant (DCA), chief master-at-arms (CMAA), command senior enlisted advisor and as a division officer at three different commands. I volunteered and served in positions other than underway OOD normally filled by Officers. I left the Navy with a retainer at age thirty-seven.

After the Navy, I was a real estate salesperson, appraiser, broker and owner of a real estate firm. I also owned and operated a welding business just prior to leaving the Navy. I held a position in the local Norfolk Naval Shipyard in the Progress Section assigned as project manager and ship superintendent for repairs. I worked for the Department of the Navy overseas as the head of two branches of a ship repair facility, the dry docking officer and weight test director. I later took the superintendent position of a large public works facility. I exercised return rights just short of five years overseas back to the same desk at the shipyard in Portsmouth due to family illness. I retired to Florida at age forty-seven after losing my wife to cancer.

I left retirement for eighteen months to establish a computerized facilities management program at the local Naval Base. I volunteered to act as the Public Works Superintendent to assume the duties of the defunct O&M contractor at Mayport Naval Station and assisted in awarding a new contract.

Although I did not have any formal recognition for my educational efforts, I did complete several correspondence courses in my pipe fitter rating and many others in a variety of professional subjects. I also spent many hours in college level classes and lectures mostly in Industrial Engineering. These classes, and on the job training especially in supervisory skills prepared me for early promotions and to serve in several officer positions. As a civilian, I was able to serve in a few positions normally assigned to engineers..