Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Dream Sheet

After three good years stationed at VT-9 located at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station Meridian, Mississippi it was time for a transfer to a new duty station.  During the latter part of 1969 I was asked to fill in a Dream Sheet.
Officially it was named NAVPERS 1306/34 Duty History and Preference Card, but all Navy men referred to it as the Dream Sheet.  At some point before it was time for a transfer to a new duty station all Navy personnel were asked to fill one in.  There were seven lines to chronologically fill in your complete Navy career history.  There were five more lines to fill in all Navy schools completed.  There was a remarks section, and then came the dream part.
I was scheduled for sea duty.  As my first and second choices for a new home port I opted for Brunswick, Maine and Jacksonville, Florida.  For three possible choices of type duty I chose Patrol, Composite, and Weather Reconnaissance Squadrons.  My reasoning was due to familiarity with those types of duty.  I had been in Patrol Squadron Eight, and I had been in Composite Squadron Ten.  Being a part of a Weather Recon Squadron (Hurricane Hunters) flying in a Super Constellation sounded like a perfectly good idea to me.
Which of those options was I actually assigned to?  Well, my orders were to be transferred to Attack Squadron 25 home based at the Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.  Prior to my arrival there though I was to undergo training at Attack Squadron 122 also based at Lemoore.  I arrived at VA-122 on February 3, 1970.  I was transferred to VA-25 in the next hangar over, on April 17, 1970.  I was immediately placed in control of all maintenance of the dozen VA-25 aircraft that was performed at night.
On May 1, 1970 I accepted my 4th and final honorable discharge, after nearly 15 years of service in the United States Navy.  Nowhere on that dream sheet had I mentioned either an Attack Squadron or the left side of America.  I decided the Navy and I were no longer compatible.

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