Hello Dave and Carol.....it's been a long time. Happy to hear you and your family are well and happy.
Nick
Cool side story here. Dave was NavFac Guam's 1987 SOY and was entered in the island-wide competition. He was a slick-armed second competing against 20-25 of the finest sailors you could imagine. I wouldn't have given you spit for his chances of winning. When he was selected, our command party lost our collective minds. Still a surreal night for me and one of the best of my career.
Wow. I remember that. Skinny 2nd class with 1 ribbon, 180lb, wet . Sitting in that room with all those real sailortypes, guys from the fleet, all with serious tossed salad and silver surface warfare, eoc, ss, divers etc. I was very much out of place, and just wanted to slink out when they announced the winner. When they said my name I did not hear it. The yelling from our table made me realize what they said. I heard a grizzled boatswains mate who had as many ribbons as Soviet general say, what the heck is a Navfac? I don’t know what happened at Comnavar, but I was neat that our tiny command was the little engine that could. 15 minutes of fame at 22. Thanks for the memory. BTW you and Chief Brandt were a hoot to work for.
Dave, Welcome aboard. Your post is the type of thing I hope to see when I come to this website. Friendly stories and memories of days gone by. Your affinity for our SOSUS community and the men and women with whom we served is not lost on anyone here.
- Jim D.
P.S. Brandt and McConnell were over-rated. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
I worked for Al in training, Nick was the Ops chief. He used to troll all over Al, and say things to him in front of us... too funny. We used to watch the fireworks and one time chief Brandt told us... pay no attention to him, dont let him undermine us...
When all those small commands got shut down, lots of Jr enlisted lost so much opportunity and leadership training. Nick and Al were very much of the mind that whatever responsibility you could work for and handle, they would support you. Less than 4 years in the Navy I was an second class running the training department and creating crazy drill for ORE.
When master chief Peterson would come... oh happy day, He was like an awesome grandpa that let you do stuff your parents would not. One time Al told me, “keep it up, when he leaves...ill still be here”.
Master Chief Pete was a huge influence on me... to this day I still write staff evaluations in the Narrative stye he taught me. He was right, build your staff, give them every opportunity to excel, and they will reward you with the same loyalty. By in large, very true over the years.
All true. And what a great testimony to Pete! I worked with him on 1977-79 in Iceland. Learned too much from Chief Pete, Dave Williams and George Widenor. Enough for a lifetime! And I was just kidding about Nicholas and Alan. They are cool dudes too. I have more respect for those two than anyone I've ever met. Don't tell them I said that though. They have big enough heads already.
I retired February 1987 and it's hard to think that was 31 years ago. Time goes by so fast and it goes by faster the older I get. I still remember in June 1967 as a STGSN with a NEC ST-0411 stepping off the airplane that took Dave Novess and me for a tour at NAVFAC San Salvador Bahamas. That was fifty years ago; YIKES!!!
