IT WAS INDEED AN HONOR
AND EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE
TO SERVE MY COUNTRY AT THE
RIPE OLD AGE OF 17
WHEN I FIRST SAW THE SHORES
OF KOREA
ENROUTE TO KOREA WE
STOPPED AT HAWAII
THEN ON TO YOKOSUKA,JAPAN
OUR STAY WAS SHORT AND
THEN WE HEADED OUT
FOR DUTY IN KOREA
(NORTH - CENTRAL - SOUTH)
WE SPENT ALMOST A YEAR
THERE ON BOTH SIDES
PATROLLING AND STOPPING
"SUSPICIOUS"
ORIENTAL FISHING BOATS
SUSPECTED OF RUNNING GUNS
TO THE NORTH KOREAN ARMY
CAME "HOME" FOR AWHILE
...THEN...
WE MADE ANOTHER TRIP TO
THE "FAR EAST" AND DID
BASICALLY THE SAME THING
UNTIL WE WERE ORDERED TO
VIETNAM
WE "SAILED" UP THE
HAIPHONG RIVER TO THE PORT
OF HAIPHONG AND ASSISTED
IN
A SPECIAL OPERATIONS MISSION
CODE NAME:
"OPERATION PASSAGE TO FREEDOM"
FOR THIS OPERATION WE
RECEIVED THE:
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL
&
"REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM PRESIDENTAIL UNIT CITATION"
INCLUDED IN THIS
"EXCITING" & "EVENTFUL"
TRIP WE WERE MOST PLEASURED
TO SEE MUCH
OF THE COUNTRYSIDE
INCLUDING RICE PADDIES
WATER BUFFALO - AND MANY OF
THE PEOPLE WORKING IN THE FIELDS
WE THEN WENT TO SAIGON IN THE SOUTH:
NOW RENAMED:
"HO CHI MINH CITY"
WE THEN SAILED DOWN ACROSS THE
EQUATOR AND WERE
TRANSFORMED
FROM LOWLY
"POLYWOGS" TO "SHELL BACKS"
AFTER A VERY WELL EXECUTED
INITIATION CEREMONY
OF MUCH HUMILIATION BUT
WELL WORTH IT AS AFTER
BECOMING A
"SHELL BACK"
YOU GET TO INITIATE OTHER
"POLYWOGS"
INTO THE
"ORDER OF SHELL BACKS"
AFTER WHICH - HOME AGAIN
...THEN...
ASSIGNED TO
THE US NAVAL STATION, ORANGE,TEXAS
FOR TRANSFER
TO THE NAVAL RESERVE ON
FEBRUARY 17, 1956
AND
"DISCHARGED"
MARCH 10, 1960..
~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~
THESE SEVERAL YEARS IS
WHAT IS MEANT WHEN YOU HEAR SOMEONE
(MOSTLY VETS)
SAY I NEVER HAD A TIME OF
"PUBERTY"
- BUT -
WENT FROM
"CHILD TO ADULT"
VERY QUICKLY
THIS WEB SITE IS DEDICATED
TO ALL THOSE WHO NEVER
HAD THAT CHANCE TO GO FROM
"CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD"
BECAUSE THEIR TIME WAS CUT
SHORT..
THIS DEDICATION IS ALSO TO
ALL THOSE THAT I
SERVED WITH ABOARD THE
"USS BEGOR (APD-127)"
COMMISSIONED
NON-COMMISSIONED
AND
ENLISTED
WHO HAVE "CROSSED OVER"
SINCE OUR LAST
"GOOD-BYE"..
~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~
I AM NOW RETIRED ON
TOTAL DISABILITY ALTHOUGH
I LOOK THE PICTURE OF
HEALTH
I HAVE HAD SPINAL SURGERY
OPEN HEART 5 WAY BI-PASS SURGERY
UNCLE "ARTHUR" HAS SET INTO MY BONES
MY HEARING IS ALMOST GONE
I WEAR TRI-FOCAL GLASSES
I CAN NOT REMEMBER WHEN I WAKE UP AT NIGHT AND
GO
INTO THE BATHROOM
WHY I WENT IN
..LOL..
SO I STAY UP FOR SEVERAL HOURS
UNTIL
I
REMEMBER..!!
I HAVE MY WONDERFUL WIFE
MARCY REMEMBER WHAT I DID
WITH MY COFFEE CUP WHEN ALL
THE TIME IT HAS BEEN SITTING
IN THE MICROWAVE..!!..
THE CUP IS THEN ZAPPED AGAIN BY THE
NUKE MACHINE
THEN SITS ON
MY DESK
UNTIL
IT GETS COLD
AGAIN..
THEN I JUST SAY
"TO HELL WITH IT"
AND
DRINK IT COLD..!!..
~~~~~~~~~~
OH - WELL - IT'S BEEN A
LONG 50 YEARS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE BUILDING OF THIS WEB SITE HAS BEEN BOTH AN HONOR AND
PRIVILEDGE AS WAS THE SERVING OF MY COUNTRY ABOARD THE
"USS BEGOR (APD-127)"
AS WELL AS THE PLEASURE OF MEETING ALL MY SHIPMATES
AND OTHERS I MET DURING MY TOURS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE ESTABLISHED AN ALLIANCE OR FRIENDSHIP.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MANY OF THESE PEOPLE WILL
"LIVE"
IN MY MEMORY FOREVER
