Not sure how I missed this one, probably saw Marine roll call and passed it by.
Lets see, USN 70 to 76, USNR 76 to 81. I am a son of Neptune with a Blue Nose. Or more simply said, I rode boats. I helped decommission the USS Tiru to be turned over to the Turks, I rode the USS Batfish then returned home to the Vallejo. Brought her out the yards, trials (speed, depth, sonar, torpedo, and new missiles), to finally home port in Spain. I saw the Atlantic, I stayed out of the big pond. Rosie Roades, Coco beach, Azores, Virgin Islands, Rota, Charleston, Newport News, Groton, Holy Loche. I was a swimmer (now called a third class diver) when on top, I was the number one driver whenever the Old man was nervous, but mostly just tended the widar makers (O2 generator). Oh yeah, I got to play with the BAR, like we would ever repell boarders! I have set thru depth charges in the Med. and had a missile blow up upon the deck during a missile shot.
Shellbellc, we might have talked trash but no more than we would have to anyone else. I don't understand all these problems today. We had a simple solution to the problem childs. It was called ships qualification. You didn't qualify in a year you left the boat, your leave three boats your were a shore puke. No one was picked upon, everyone was till you broke, you either fit or you didn't. And you fit with everyone, I am sure its much like foxhole buddies. You had to trust each person or get rid of them. It was about the person, not the race, not the gender, not the religion, not the sexual preference. The crew made the decisions who stayed not the President and Congress.
It was the military, it was what you made of it. Most of us grew up fast and needed to do so. Like everyone else we moan and groan about it, but when the flag goes by we appreciate the fact that we can still salute it.
BTW we won the cold war. To all here and those others mentioned, I would like to thank you for your service. I love saying that, its like a promise kept.