A Navy Memory

A Navy Memory

            Some of my life’s memories are brief.  And so it is with the one for today. The title suggests what it might be about, but truthfully most of my Navy memories might not be what I ought to be writing about here.  But this is one that still sticks with me today. 

            I was only in the Navy for a few days when all of the new recruits were told to line up on the front porch of the welcome center at San Diego.  It was before we even had uniforms and I was still wondering if I had done the right thing by enlisting.  But it was either the Navy or be drafted into the Army and so I left architectural school during my second year at The University of Cincinnati to join the service where all of my family members had served. In fact I had come from a rather long line of naval people.  So I stood there on that porch like everyone else and wondered what was next.

            A chief petty officer came out to talk to us.  He welcomed us all into the finest service that could be had, then turned and picked up a broom.  As he stood there he asked if any of us had any college.  I raised my hand, ready to share with him my experiences at Cincy.  He called me out of line, handed me the broom, and said to the rest of the ones standing there, “While this college man now sweeps the porch, I want all of you dumb asses to watch carefully and see if you can learn something.”

            In the next four years I never again raised my hand for any reason.  And as certain as I am that nobody else learned anything at all that day, I certainly did.  The Navy was not at all interested in what I knew, thought or said.  And more than once I have recalled that learning experience while being thankful that I learned it in my first week of naval service.

            Anchors away!