1975

The beach in Virginia Beach

  The year was kind of new when the Base Commanding Officer decided that the Supply Department would furnish the next Command Career Counselor, why I was the one that was picked is a mystery, at least to me.  So, off I went to the Naval Base, Norfolk Virginia (only a few miles) for one month of training, after which I joined Senior Chief Personal Man Phil Bullard as his assistant.  We worked in the office with the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Command his name was Rossen.

  As part of my job I talked to everyone on the base, base personnel as well as squadron people who were being discharged in the next 30 days, or so.  I did this all at once at the movie theater on base, sometimes as many as 80 people.  I told them about what the Navy offered, about VA benefits and Social Security, I also told them the benefits of staying in the Navy as a career.  My boss held a variety of meetings with individuals and groups about re-enlisting.  We had some success and some failures, I did help several people a month with their decision and/or choosing a school (Navy) to attend.  That was pretty much it - until the booze knew more than I did.
  I held one of the big sessions while I was, let's see, impaired.  I embarrassed myself, my boss and the Base Commander badly, it was a squadron commander who complained.  As a result I found myself gone for six weeks to the Naval Alcohol Rehabilitation Facility in Norfolk (commonly known in the Navy as Dry Dock).
  Following that treatment I only made it about three months before drinking again, and another incident (this one involved only me), the bosses got together to see what they could do - people had been "kicked out" of the Navy for the same thing.  My fortunate stars were at work!  I had about six weeks until I would be eligible to retire, so they moved me onto the base for a good portion of that, with specific orders not to drink. 
  The End (of a Navy career), and a long road trip later we (me, Betty, and two kids) were in Seattle Washington, Betty and the kids flew to Alaska, I "settled" in, or they hit the road and I hit the bars.  I found that there was no place to park a car, unless I was willing to walk a distance so I sold the car and relied on the buses, there was a bus stop right where we lived.  I got a job, good one too, at Seattle First National Bank (now part of Bank of America) at the computer center on Lake Union, I could walk there in less than half an hour or take the bus.  See you tomorrow for the rest.

Uniform Insignia - it's metal and worn over the right "pocket area". (the photo is life size)

We drove in the country a lot, depending on the drivers condition

My winter work uniform in 1975, I preferred the "old" uniform, but this was it now.