NATTC Memphis, Tennessee

So it was that I arrived at the Memphis Naval Air Technical Training Center on a bleak February 6, 1956.  I now was a salty old sailor, or so I thought, at age 17 and nearly 7 months, that had survived the trials and tribulations of boot camp, as well as completed “A” School at Norman, Oklahoma.  For those not familiar with the location the Memphis Base is actually very close to Millington, Tennessee, and as I recall closer to 25 miles from Memphis.  Both Bob McGowan and Dave Smith that I have mentioned in earlier blogs were here with me at this school, as well as others I had met along the way.

We all spent about 4 ½ months in “A” School learning the trade of being an Aircraft Structural Mechanical as it was practiced at the time.  Very little of our time was spent in actually working a real airplane.  Most of it was in classrooms where elaborate mockups of various aircraft systems were present.  We were taught the maintenance and upkeep of aircraft hydraulic systems used to operate the movable flight surfaces such as ailerons, trim tabs, elevators, rudders, and other such parts.  Further we learned about sheet metal work with all of the various hardware which included bolts, screws, rivets, etc.

While in this school we had Cinderella Liberty every night.  There was no homework so many afternoons as we completed classes for the day we would don our civilian clothes (which we were allowed to maintain on base) and go off the base to get a taste on non-military life.  Often we hung out at a small diner in Millington, but on occasion we afforded the gas and Smitty would drive us into Memphis, for a few hours.  Other evenings we never left the base.  What was called a gedunk was available.  It was essentially a small diner where simple fast foods could be bought.  Some of us would often go there and study even though we were not required to.  We still had to pass exams on a regular basis.  If we didn’t we were subject to termination from school to be sent to the fleet with little training which was not conducive to good working conditions at a new duty station.  It was while sitting there in the gedunk that I first heard a recording on the jukebox from a new artist.  It wasn’t Country and Western, nor was it what was known as popular music, but something new and different.  I recall telling others at the table that the song would be a hit, and so would the new artist named Elvis Presley with his song “Heartbreak Hotel.”

One day while we were marching from one classroom to another a terrible thing happened.  A sailor had climbed high on a water tower and was threatening to jump.  As our class had to pass directly under him we were halted a short distance away.  Sure enough, he jumped.  I remember yet the sound of that poor individual hitting the ground and I flinch as I recall it.  I am happy that I never had problems so bad I thought that was a viable way out.