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Re: How did you spend your first Christmas on Active Duty

1969 NavFac Coos Head Oregon... Christmas Eve, started my first “72” as a watch stander. Base party that night and spent most of the night trying to get that black stuff off of the side of my hand from annotating with a red pencil.

Re: How did you spend your first Christmas on Active Duty

Quarterdeck watch, NTC Great Lakes, 1965

Re: How did you spend your first Christmas on Active Duty

Richard M Miller
Quarterdeck watch, NTC Great Lakes, 1965
I was attending ET'A' school at Great Lakes during 1965.

Re: How did you spend your first Christmas on Active Duty

Bermuda 1970. Deb and I and 6 month old son. We were renting a small cottage off base (not eligible for on-base housing as a Seaman Apprentice). The owner of the cottage was well known by the powers to be on the base and rented his cottage to Navy personnel only and the rent he charged was equal to your BAQ amount. Imagine, paying $96.00 a month for a cottage in Bermuda. Christmas trees were in limited supply and expensive for a boot so Deb and I went on NOB and walked back by the old dispensary along the chain link fence were we had previously seen small white pine trees. Armed with a small hand saw I cut down a small tree, threw it over the fence, went back off base, down the bike path and dragged the tree home. Being a small white pine it was as flimsy as hot taffy. It had more strings attached to hold it somewhat upright than you could believe. In the end we managed to get a few decorations on it and place a couple gifts under it. The tree was pitiful and beautiful at the same time. Nearly every Christmas since, We recall this experience and wonderful memory. Our family members have heard this story more times than reruns of the Wizard of Oz.

Re: How did you spend your first Christmas on Active Duty

I was ordered to report to the Federal Building in Cleveland on 23 DEC 1968 to depart for Navy boot camp that day. After sitting around for eight hours, they sent everyone home and said report back at 0800 on 26 DEC. So I enjoyed my first active duty Christmas with my family. Four years later I learned that I was charged two days leave. Heck, I thought the Navy was just being nice to us! I guess it was my very first paid vacation days. Hahaha

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