The Making Of A Chief

 I had been through boot camp at Bainbridge, Maryland (September 1955 – November 1955).  This first photo is of the main gate of Bainbridge about this time period. 

I had tested the waters of NATTC Norman, Oklahoma (December 1955 – February 1956).   The second photo is of NATTC Norman long after the time period mentioned.  it is the remains of the long closed station about 2010. 

I had checked in and out of NATTC Memphis, Tennessee to learn the intricateness of being a Naval Aviation Structural Mechanic (February 1956 – June 1956).  This is a map of the Memphis Station.

I had been stationed at NAAS Corry Field, Pensacola, Florida, getting my feet wet as a maintenance mechanic of the SNJ trainer aircraft (July 1956 – September 1957).  This aerial view is of Corry in 1956, taken from the south.

After this indoctrination and training of the neophyte mechanic I had been transferred to a “real” Naval Aviation Squadron, Patrol Squadron Eight, based at Quonset Point, Rhode Island (September 1957).  This photo is of Quonset in its heyday.

While attached there I had been deployed to the U S Naval Air Station at Argentia, Newfoundland for about six months (January 1957 – July 1958).  This photo is of a couple of the barracks at Argentia in 1958.

Upon my return the squadron had been re-home-ported to the NAS Chincoteague, Virginia facility.  The photo is of the Chincoteague base.

A few months later (February 1959) Patron 8 was again re-home-ported, this time to Breezy Point on the Naval Air Station attached to the Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Virginia.  I have no photo of this station.

I transferred out of VP-8 in April 1960 and checked in with Fighter Squadron 174, the Hell Razors, at NAS Cecil Field, Jacksonville, Florida.  With about 4 ½ years of my life invested in the U S Navy I was now rated as a First Class Petty Officer, specifically an Aviation Structural Mechanic, or an AMS1 for short.  This was my location and duty station when the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 began to play out as a possible nuclear catastrophe.  Overnight VF-174 changed status from a training squadron to a full-fledged fighter squadron.  Aircraft machine guns were installed and loaded.  Missile racks were installed ready for immediate installation of a myriad of offensive weapons.  All personnel were called back from leave (vacation status) immediately.  We were as ready as possible for whatever might happen.  A few days later cool heads had overcome gut reactions, and the crisis was resolved.  Yes, that's Cecil Field.

It was soon after this that I received transfer orders to some place named Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  Thundernation they were sending me into the maw of the enemy.  Where exactly was this place, and how on earth was I supposed to get there.  Time cures most problems, and that was the case now.  I was ordered to enter training on the F8 Crusader aircraft before transferring to Utility Squadron Ten (Utron Ten or VU-10) located at Leeward Point, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  After several months of training and a month of leave I left my wife and son in northern New York as I drove to Norfolk, Virginia for further transfer to my new duty station.  I had now been in the Navy for nearly eight years.  In November of 1963 I was scheduled to become a Chief Petty Officer.