My old man Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1984 Date: 06/11/06 My old man was an Aviation Mate around the turn of the 1960's, he told me he saw a dude walk into a prop, too. Not something he talks about, obviously. I'm just glad he is still around - he's seen every problem twice - and has solutions. I think his Navy background has a lot to do with that. The old man was squadron-based in Europe, and somehow through luck, spent very little time at sea. He did spend some time aboard the USS Forrestal, and shortly after is when the disaster happened. He told me that he personally knew one of the guys killed in action that day. To put a positive spin on the above, I joined the USN out of respect for my Dad. He has done very well in life, and his parting advice for me as I left for boot camp was, "Son, you'll get out of this what you put into it." He was right. I've done pretty well, too.

I was the FID(AVT59) Department: Air Author: ABH1 Era: 2001 Date: 06/12/06 This was wierd I checked out your link sites & saw USS Forrestal. So I went and read where they needed pix of the 134 lost. I told them I had the decom book & I knew where two of the people where at that were on board during that fire I had severed with one of them. This was last friday. I keep the IKE books 98 & 2000 and my Forrestal Decom Book here above my desk. Well after I closed the book I saw a shadow circle behinde me and like get back on the shelf! I went wow shadow people! Then a gentleman contacted me and said he was a fire victim and a real nice newsletter about the FID. I was one of the first enlisted women to go to it as AVT59 and really wanted more action (port calls other than New Orleans)Bunkey took us right through the tail of Andrew! Rock n Roll!

Newport News Department: Ops Author: Arch Era: 1985 Date: 06/12/06 Part XII - here and pr0n We had a pretty extensive VHS movie collection, including quite a bit of porn. One day, I was at the apt. watching some hardcore action, when there was a knock at the door. The maint. man was there to fix something, and I hadn't stopped the VHS player. He remarked that he had a pretty good porn collection himself, and we made a deal to copy each others' library. One of the flix I got from him was unbelievably hot, it was called "Valley Girls", with 3-4 awesome girls on 1 guy in every scene. I later loaned it to Will, who had an apt. himself with a few other squids up the road. About a week later, I'm at their place (I think it was the 10:30 a.m. party previously mentioned that me and Ted had arrived at). I asked Will, "Can I get my flick back now?". He says, "Uh, I, uh ... taped a football game over it. Hope you don't mind." Never trust a squid.

Newport News Department: Ops Author: Arch Era: 1987 Date: 06/12/06 Part XIII (1 of 2 ) - The trip and the accident (appropos for part 13) One Saturday afternoon, nobody was around for some reason, and I remembered I had a hit of acid left over. I picked up a case of beer, the Woodstock VHS video, and settled back for a little diversion for about 12 hours. Mav showed up just as I began tripping, and Pete followed soon after, bringing their own beverages. We got pretty drunk, and decided to go up to a bar in Denbigh. Mav drove his VW bug, but I had no idea he was already too drunk to drive. After some Long Islands and boisterious behavior at the Denbigh area bar, we were thrown out. On the way back home, the two lane road turned into a divided highway. Mav hit it dead on, blowing both front tires, and taking out a sign. I yelled to just keep going, my apt. was only a few miles away. And off we headed, front tires blown, with the VW overheating and blowing steam. Must have been quite a sight. We didn't get real far.

Newport News Department: Ops Author: Arch Era: 1987 Date: 06/12/06 Part XIII - (2 of 2)- The trip and the accident The cops "pulled" us over and arrested Mav for drunken driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and destruction of public property. They let me and Pete leave on foot for my apt. I fell asleep and woke up the next morning to the phone ringing. Pete and Mav were due at work, but neither was there. They were rumoured to be at my place, but I said, "No, they were here last night, but gone now." They didn't quite believe me - the command had already been notified of Mav's arrest. I later found out that Pete had left in the middle of the night & tried to bail Mav out & the cops told him that wouldn't happen until late morning at the earliest. He got belligerent, and was arrested for public intoxication. Both Mav and Pete were put in the same cell! I escaped all wrath of both civilian and military law, and considered myself damn lucky. Don't drink and drive. Had Mav hit a pole instead, I would've been dead.

Porn Department: Weps Author: Era: 1998 Date: 06/13/06 We had a real nice girl check on board. Things really were going her way...till people started snickering about her. I went up to this guy and said what's all the fuss? Well, turns out the AO's had found a porn flick of this girl back in the day. (ok a year earlier) Things got so bad they transfered her off. My friend calls me and goes hey ya wanna see the flick! I said how did you find it? He said took twenty porn stores & found it in the last sleasey shop in Portsmouth! I watched it. You could tell she was out of it. I think it was sad she had to go but after seeing the flick there's no way she could stay. WHAT A FLIM.

The Smoking Lamp 1 Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1985 Date: 06/13/06 What a farce that was. The smoking lamp during GQ or other set Yoke conditions was discretionary. I worked out of the CIC, and soon as a CMDR set foot in the compartment and fired up his pipe or cigar, the smoking lamp magically became lit, regardless of contrary orders. Not that I'm complaining. ;-)

The Smoking Lamp 2 Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1986 Date: 06/13/06 I was trying to quit smoking at one point, and another squid kept making the task difficult by lighting up right in front of me. He seemed to relish dimimishing my chances. I proceeded to go out and drink 6 Mickey's Big Mouths Malt Liquors, ate 2 large orders of Burger King onion rings, scarfed down a couple hard boiled eggs, and swallowed a few Fig Newtons for good measure. During our next encounter, I let loose with a rotten, odorifous " BBRRRRrrrAAaaPPPpppp ... pppp ... ". That dude practically turned green on the spot, and left me alone for a long time after that. You mess with the Bull, you get the Horns.

Hey Weps Department: Engr Author: MM2 Sol The Bull Era: 1998 Date: 06/14/06 Hey Weps, I remember when that happened to that female with the movie. Seems our cheif had a copy of that movie. Turns out he had a collection of movies made in the Newport News area that featured more than one lady from the IKE. I remember when I went TAD to be a M.A. on the messdecks someone was distributing pictures of another female from weapons that was working on the messdecks with a budwieser longneck placed where it should never go. She stuck around though, she seemed to like the attention.

Harry Turner Department: Rx Author: John Vrooman Era: 1984 Date: 06/14/06 I served with Harry on the IKE and on PCU Roosevelt. He came off as a quiet stick in the mud but the truth was he was quiet but a really great friend, a dependable guy, everything you would want from a coworker. We carpooled in his 'vette (thats chev'-vette). Harry was my best bud on Roosevelt for the first year or so since he and I were the only guys qualified to sign electrical qualifications on the ship. We worked with Dirk Huber in RT and spent the entire workday doing nothing but doing checkouts and boards... what a bitch. Ultimately Harry had a disagreement with a urinalysis and left naval service a smidgen early. I don't remember for sure but wasn't Harry the only guy from E-1 div to transfer to the Roosevelt (I think the other 4 or 5 guys had an issue with a closet).