The following is a a reflection on military service written by GHS Class of 1960 classmate John Oinonen, pictured above in 1964.
"I was in the United States Navy from August 1961 through August 1965 serving as a USN Air Crewman flying in P2V's for VP-17 out of Whidby Island, Washington for the last three years. The first year was spent in Attack Squadron 44 based in NAS Jacksonville, followed by "A" school for Aviation Ordnance at NAS JAX, followed by Air Crewman Training in San Diego, CA.
Things got interesting once in Whidby Island. We were sent to Kodiak, Alaska for the first of three five month deployments over the next three years, so I got to see Alaska during the Summer, Spring and Winter (Brrr!). I saw Salmon runs so thick you thought you could walk across the river on their backs, got within a hundred feet of a Kodiak bear (we were on bikes and got the hell out of there fast), and endured constant earthquakes (they were mild quakes, so when your coffee cup started walking off the table you just grabbed it and waited). We also bombed the Yukon River ice dams when requested with 500 pounders, and flew through the valley of 10,000 Smokes at about 200 feet altitude. We would also go in the the town of Kodiak and buy King Crabs off the boats, and have a big party in the hanger bay.
P2V's were World War II vintage Anti-Submarine planes relying on Magnetic Air Detection gear in the fiberglass tail (they would pick up the distortion the steel of the sub caused in the earth's magnetic field) and we would drop sonobuoys and small depth charges to track it. So naturally, every six months or so we would have to go to Hawaii for "Hunt and Track" exercises to try to catch the Nuclear Subs passing through the Hawaiian Chain. Although I loved Hawaii, I finally paid someone to take my place after the seventh trip.
The most interesting deployment was to Okinawa. I got to see the Ginza in Tokyo, take a Japanese bath and massage, and have my first Kobe steak (melts in your mouth). We'd fly down through the Straits between Taiwan and China, watch the Red Chinese jets launch (on our radar) to come after us, drop down to the deck and head for Taiwan while the China Nationals counter launched to go after the Reds. Also saw innumerable waterspouts and logged a brand new volcanic island emerging from the sea still steaming.
We then deployed to Saigon where we flew out of Tan Son Nut, trying to avoid the mortar attacks the Viet Kong were inflicting on it by obstacle takeoffs and landings (yes, pretty much as straight up and down as the plane could take us). Then came the Tonkin Gulf Incident. I loaded a small nuke in the left bomb-bay and a large submarine killing depth charge in the other, high explosive incendiary five inch rockets on the wings and we flew air cover over the hair raising action down below for a chilling 48 hours (with one break to resupply in Manila). Our reward for this trying time was a week R&R in Hong Kong. What a place this was before it reverted to Chinese control!
Got out of the service just as we were training to drop mines from low level night time flights (I read this as Hai Phong harbor), so was very glad to dodge that possible bullet). Wound up taking thirty days to drive home from Washington State. Dave DeForest, a friend I made while in Attack Squadron 44 wound up in VP-17, and he and I knew we were getting out the same day, so we planned a slow cross-country trip. Spent a week on the Gallatin River, just South of Bozeman, Montana camping out and exploring Yellowstone Park. We both had Volkswagons, and by this time I could do almost all maintainence and repairs (short of engine replacement) myself, so we had a ball.
Dave stopped in Mount Vernon, NY. When I got home, I drove into the yard with thirty cents left in my pocket. I'd say that was pretty good planning!
Bottom Line: My service time was a complete mix of joy (flying over the Golden Gate bridge in glorious sunlight, nightlife in the Barbary Coast of San Francisco when Carol Doda would descend out of the ceiling topless on a piano), sudden terror (trying to land in the fog at Kodiak with a 45 mph cross wind and not enough gas for a wave-off), boredom (standing in chow lines), humor (dropping box lunch refuse on the Russian whaling ships that were turning the sea red for thirty miles with the scope of their slaughter, and opportunity (travel with paid meals and lodging and the knowledge that the GI Bill and college were waiting). Would I do it all again? You bet!
The above is more than you wanted or need, I'm sure, but I don't get to go down memory lane like this very often (and you wouldn't believe the 98% I left out!)."
John and his wife, Lorna live in Bristol, Rhode Island.
No comments:
Post a Comment