1965

Change of scenery

  A year of huge change, in March I was flown back to the states, and after a brief visit at home; off to California again.  This time I reported aboard the USS Hornet CVS-12 homeported in Long Beach.  The ship had just arrived back in Long Beach from an overhaul, we had sea trials and sea trials along with the Air Group that would make the coming deployment with us, they need practice too.  In June we were off the Seattle to take part in Sea Fair, an annual celebration, as a result I met my first wife Betty.  She is an Alaska Native, an Eskimo (not all Alaska Natives are Eskimo, some are from other groups), her hometown is Shaktoolik, a stop or two on the Iditirod Trail, a short distance from Nome.  She was working in Seattle, as many Alaskans do, making baseball caps (they were American made then).  We were married in a brief ceremony in Long Beach in July.  In August this newly wed was off to the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia.  We had two squadrons of anti-submarine plane, one squadron of helicopters, a detachment from a squadron with an aircraft for airborne air control, and a detachment of a Marine Corps attack squadron for protection.  We did a lot of Search and Rescue, at sea and on land, the attack planes went on bombing missions, and we all pitched in and did a lot of work.  We were at sea for periods of up to 48 days, working 14 hours a day (nothing else to do), and had a heck of a good time doing it!  We would start off the coast of Russia (cold!) and following shipping all the way to Hanoi (we stopped just off the coast), where it was hot, very hot, working in shorts and t-shirt hot.
  In late February, as the cruise was winding down, I got orders to be an instructor in Meridian Mississippi (I didn't want to go!), another guy in the helicopter squadron had orders he didn't want, we swapped and the Texas boy went south (Bobby West, RIP) and I went to a squadron in (where else) Alameda! - more about that tomorrow.  The day I left Japan the Hornet left port bound for Sydney Australia, I really would have liked to have gone too.

As an aside: The USS Hornet is now a museum in (where else) Alameda!  I'm a museum now too!

The Cruise (we lost only one aircrew and plane) - click

Going shopping at sea, about once a month. - click

Hornet and escorts at sea, all planes in the air, on the way over - click