#Alcatraz to San Fransisco swim | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

takenews-blog1 · 6 years

Text

Is It Potential That An Alcatraz Escapee Is Nonetheless Alive?

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/is-it-potential-that-an-alcatraz-escapee-is-nonetheless-alive/

Is It Potential That An Alcatraz Escapee Is Nonetheless Alive?

From Al Capone to James Bulger, among the most infamous criminals of the previous century had been housed within the most safety island jail referred to as Alcatraz. Officers on the jail claimed for years that not a single convict managed to flee. Regardless of these claims, the our bodies of 5 escapees had been by no means discovered.

A type of disappeared our bodies belongs to John Anglin, a financial institution robbing teenager who labored alongside his brother.

The details have been rigorously examined and even forensic consultants say there’s a really actual likelihood that Anglin continues to be alive and dwelling amongst us. Perhaps he’s even your buddy or neighbor.

Right here’s the fascinating story of three males who produced a Shawshank Redemption fashion escape from Alcatraz. A harrowing escape so unbelievable that considered one of Hollywood’s biggest motion pictures was informed via their story.

John and his older brother Clarence had been born in Georgia and their farmworker dad and mom relocated them to Florida within the early 1940s. They appeared to reside an idyllic life, spending the summers choosing cherries in Michigan and displaying off their swimming abilities within the frigidly chilly water of Lake Michigan. By the early 1950s, nonetheless of their early 20s, the lads determined to generate income by robbing banks and different companies.

What occurred subsequent would change their lives endlessly.

John and Clarence might not have killed, raped, or overwhelmed anybody like a lot of Alcatraz’s different detainees however upon every seize, they managed to flee from jail. They had been arrested in 1956 and rapidly fled from Florida State Jail and Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas. After a number of makes an attempt to flee Atlanta Penitentiary, the choice was made to switch them to Alcatraz on October 21, 1960.

It didn’t take the lads lengthy to plan their escape from the utmost safety island location.

John and Clarence rapidly grew to become pleasant with a number of different Alcatraz detainees and shortly realized they shared the identical want to flee. Frank Lee Morris, who was orphaned at a younger age and had been a profession felony since 13, was concerned in every little thing from narcotics possession to armed theft. He was additionally a genius with a sky-high IQ. Just like the Anglin brothers, he served time in a number of prisons in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. He escaped from the Louisiana State Penitentiary however was recaptured one 12 months later for housebreaking. Morris was joined by one other man, Allen West.

As they deliberate their escape a musical instrument was essential for his or her efforts…

The 4 males had been serving time in adjoining cells, a reality they selected to take advantage of for his or her daring escape. Morris was the mastermind behind the plan. He informed the lads to spend their nights digging round their cells’ air flow duct openings. Guards on the jail had foolishly left sawblades on jail grounds and the lads acquired these blades together with spoons they stole from the commissary and a drill they constructed from vacuum cleaner elements. The 4 males hid the holes utilizing cardboard and paint. Morris would play the accordion with a view to muffle the sound of their work.

After which their escape plan obtained even crazier!

The criminals had been in a position to dig holes of their cells that had been large enough to climb via whereas rising in a utility hall. They then climbed to the highest of their constructing the place they created a workshop to organize their escape provides. With guards always patrolling the cell block, they wanted to idiot their captors. They blended collectively cleaning soap and bathroom paper to create a papier-mâché-like substance that they sculpted into dummy heads. The boys then painted the heads with provides they stole. They even added actual hair to their creations from clippings they took from the barbershop flooring. The boys stuffed towels and clothes below the blankets so it seemed as if they had been quick asleep.

Their loopy concepts for escape didn’t cease there…

West was the one one of many 4 who was unable to flee as a result of the ventilator grill in his cell grew to become caught. Nevertheless, the opposite males had been removed from within the clear. The Anglins and Morris climbed to an space inside their constructing the place they created life preservers and a rubber raft, utilizing greater than 50 raincoats they’d managed to steal. They made paddles from scrap wooden and the trio climbed the air flow shaft to the roof, slid 50 ft to the bottom down a vent pipe, climbed over two barbed wire fences, and inflated the raft utilizing a concertina they stole from one other inmate.

It sounds fantastical however consultants have confirmed their escape may have labored…

In 2003, the crew from the tv present MythBusters tried to find out whether or not folks may escape from Alcatraz island utilizing a man-made raft constructed utilizing the identical supplies the inmates had entry to. The TV stars concluded an escape was, the truth is, possible. In 2014, researchers at Delft College additionally tried to find out if the three males may have escaped and survived. Utilizing a pc mannequin, they particularly examined the timing of the escape. If the lads left close to midnight, the currents would have been favorable for his or her passage. In the event that they left within the hours earlier than or after 12 a.m., the currents would possible have made it troublesome for them to outlive.

Authorities by no means discovered proof of their deaths and as you’ll quickly study, their household might have confirmed they survived.

It’s believed the escape occurred round 10 p.m. Nobody knew they had been gone till the next morning as a result of their dummies made it seem as if they had been asleep of their bunks. Regulation enforcement officers and the army spent the following 10 days trying to find the escapees. They discovered a paddle and a pockets containing the Anglins’ private info and mementos. Authorities additionally discovered considered one of their makeshift life jackets, which was deflated. Nevertheless, they by no means discovered any stays or bodily proof indicating the inmates’ whereabouts.

If the lads adopted the recommendation they obtained from Whitey Bulger it would clarify why they disappeared and not using a hint…

In 2014, Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger wrote a letter to the Algin’s nephew, Ken Widner, in regards to the escapees. Bulger had met the Anglins whereas serving time at Alcatraz. Bulger reportedly gave John and Clarence some recommendation about navigating the currents in San Fransisco Bay. He additionally gave them some perception about life on the run. Widner defined, “He taught them that while you disappear, it’s a must to reduce all ties. He informed me in a letter, ‘That is the error that I made.’ He informed me, ‘These brothers undoubtedly had performed precisely what I informed them to do.’ ”

What occurred subsequent led to extra questions and a giant reveal…

The boys confronted unimaginable odds, John and Clarence escaped the confines of the jail, dove into freezing waters and tried to swim 1.25 miles to San Francisco. In 2013, police obtained a letter that learn: “My title is John Anglin. I escaped from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. I’m 83 years outdated and in dangerous form. I’ve most cancers… Sure, all of us made it that evening however barely. That is no joke.”

Their household was fast to level out that there was some very attractive proof that the brothers and their escapee buddy had managed to outlive the harrowing jail break.

The nephews of the Alcatraz prisoners submitted a photograph to authorities in 2016 that they imagine proves the brothers survived the escape. The picture reportedly reveals John and Clarence in Brazil in 1975. The nephews, who reside in Georgia, informed a documentary crew that their uncles met up with a felony affiliate who took them to the South American nation. The picture was reportedly taken on a Brazilian farm that John and Clarence owned. Ex-US Marshall Artwork Roderick, who spent 20 years researching the escape, believes the picture was taken by household buddy Fred Brizzi. A forensic professional examined John and Clarence Anglins’ mugshots and in contrast them to the picture of the lads from Brazil, noting that it’s “very possible” they had been the identical males.

And That Wasn’t The Solely Surprising Proof!

The Widners additionally produce other proof that seems to point out their uncles survived. They confirmed authorities Christmas playing cards that had been despatched to their mom, Marie Anglin Widner. The playing cards had been signed by Clarence and John however had no postage. Their mom obtained the playing cards for 3 years following the escape. As for the 2013 letter, FBI analysts checked it for DNA and fingerprints however had been unable to conclusively show that it was certainly from John Anglin.

Is it doable that John, Clarence, and their fellow inmate Morris survived? Let’s return to that letter that was despatched to a San Francisco Police division in 2013. The author, purporting to be John, famous: “For those who announce on TV that I’ll be promised to first go to jail for not more than a 12 months and get medical consideration, I’ll write again to let you recognize precisely the place I’m.” He added that Morris “handed away” in 2008, whereas Clarence died in 2011. John’s nephew Ken Widner was indignant that he didn’t study in regards to the letter till 2016.

Ken informed The Solar: “I imagine John continues to be alive, I don’t imagine Clarence continues to be alive, I don’t know clue about Frank Morris. I do know Frank Morris was with them in 1975. I’ve a fairly good concept of the place they’re at… (however) that I’m not going to say.” Ken’s brother David Widner added that he thought it was “very doable” John was nonetheless alive as a result of the inmates had been “very, very good guys” and able to surviving the weather. David additionally added that he thought it was “inhumane” that authorities didn’t inform the household in regards to the letter again in 2013.

West, who was left behind, cooperated with investigators. He defined that the lads deliberate to steal clothes and a automotive as soon as they obtained to land. FBI investigators believed that the extraordinarily chilly water temperature and powerful currents would have made it not possible for the inmates to achieve land. Nonetheless, the case remained open for 17 years. On Dec. 31, 1979, investigators closed the case, noting that the Anglins and Morris in all probability died within the freezing chilly water whereas making an attempt to achieve Angel Island. The U.S. Marshals Service by no means closed its investigation and nonetheless receives occasional leads in regards to the case.

One lead even prompted a forensic investigation to be launched…

Whereas making the 2015 Historical past channel documentary Alcatraz: Seek for the Reality, the Widners allowed investigators to dig up the stays of John and Clarence’s older brother Alfred. He tried to flee from an Alabama jail and was electrocuted. Authorities wished entry to Alfred’s DNA to check it to bones they discovered on the shore of San Fransisco in 1963. Considering the bones belonged to one of many Anglins or Morris, they carried out some checks. The DNA didn’t match the Anglin household, bolstering assist that the brothers survived. Nevertheless, the bones may belong to Morris. Since Morris has no dwelling relations, it’s unclear if they’re his.

John is unlikely to return from Brazil however he can relive his harrowing escape in a film made standard with assist from Clint Eastwood…

The 1979 movie Escape From Alcatraz starred Clint Eastwood, Jack Thibeau and Fred Ward as Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin and John Anglin. The filmmakers alluded that the escape was profitable. The film was praised by critics and is usually thought-about top-of-the-line movies of the 12 months. It has a 95% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes and earned $43 million on the field workplace. Filmed at Alcatraz, Eastwood, Ward, and Thibeau didn’t use stunt doubles to flee down the jail wall and into the water. Director Don Siegel believed they’d been misplaced within the currents on two separate events.

It’s doable that John and his brother wound up in Brazil the place they lived for a few years. But when John continues to be dwelling, he might by no means go away the nation as a result of Brazil might not enable him to be extradited to america. U.S. Marshall Roderick needs to learn the way they managed to flee. He informed the New York Put up in 2015: “Whenever you work most of these instances, there’s a sense you get when stuff begins to fall into place. I’m getting this sense now.” As for Ken and David, they need closure and the flexibility to bury their uncles of their household plot in Florida.

They weren’t the one males to vanish from Alcatraz…

In 1937, inmates Theodore “Ted” Cole and Ralph Roe had been working in a tire restore store on Alcatraz when a thick fog entered the bay. They made a gap via a window within the store and escaped, hiding within the fog. Utilizing a wrench, they opened up a lock within the gate and dropped 20 ft all the way down to the seaside. Later, proof confirmed the pair had deliberate the escape upfront however didn’t use a raft. Authorities imagine they drowned and had been swept out into the Pacific Ocean. Nevertheless, nobody ever discovered their stays, and the incident marred the jail’s repute as being “escape proof.”

There was one verified escape from Alcatraz however the prisoner’s time as a free man didn’t final lengthy…

On Dec. 16, 1962, prisoner John Paul Scott swam 2.7 nautical miles from the island of Alcatraz to Fort Level, which is situated on the southern finish of the Golden Gate Bridge. When his physique washed up on shore, a gaggle of youngsters discovered him however believed he was useless. When police arrived, they knew instantly that Scott was the escaped inmate they had been in search of. They apprehended him on the identical day he escaped and despatched him again to Alcatraz. Scott had hypothermia and was exhausted. The an identical Alcatraz–Fort Level route is used as we speak by triathletes in two annual occasions, serving to every year to remind us that the channel is, the truth is, swimmable.

0 notes

usn6493 · 7 years

Text

My Navy Adventure

Many veterans have a story about how they came in the military and why they did it. I’m going to write mine, and while I’m not looking at selling a book or short story, or even a comic, I wanted to document my interesting events. So here goes. As most stories go, it happened a long, long time ago. Just kidding. Before I officially joined the Navy, I was in a program called the Delayed Enlistment Program. I enlisted in the Navy because the Air Force spent very little time in the area I grew up in Mitchell, SD. I didn’t want to go into the Army or Marines. As I was talking to the Navy recruiter, I was asking about a law enforcement job which wasn’t available in 1987 for E1. I liked the Navy's dress blue Cracker Jack uniform which was different than the rest of the branches. The recruiter offered me a job as a Religious Program Specialist. Not that I was real religious, I did believe in God and thought that job might be interesting. As I waited for my high school graduation and then boot camp date, the recruiter wasn’t like others. His DEP meetings consisted of fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities. He was a Seabee and at the time he was a PO1. He definitely was honest about boot camp and told all of us that while boot camp may seem hard, once it is complete the rest is simple. The hardest thing about boot camp is the adjustment to military training and being away from family. At the time, I had a girl friend which I had thought I wanted to spend the rest of my life with but I would find out later was short lived. She had different plans. Well the day finely came and I received orders to Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, but wait, since my RP School was in San Francisco, the Navy decided to change my orders to RTC San Diego. My first official orders modification, and off to CA I go. The process through MEPS was interesting to say the least. We were poked, prodded and directed to do things that I thought was weird for a physical. None of the direction was hard, but strange and I passed all the tasks. Since I was the only Navy recruit, I was allowed to go first through a lot of the processes. I remember them giving us a voucher for a sub sandwich and then off to the hotel until the next morning. The next morning was an early wake up call, I think about 0430. We all were shuttled into a van, then off to the airport to leave for our big adventure. My plane ride over was exciting for a couple of reasons. The first, it was my FIRST plane ride anywhere. Second, we had about four or five Marine recruits onboard and they were all talking crap about how the Marine Corps wasn’t ready for them. Now I wasn’t dumb, and I knew that there were going to be challenges and not as easy as they said. These guys had shaved their heads and were definitely making the flight interesting. As we started to land in CA you could see the excitement and fear in all our eyes, but we were here and it was time to start the journey. By the way, the slogan for the Navy when I joined was, It’s Not Just A Job, But An Adventure. Boy were they right. We landed in the late after noon, 12 July 1987, and at that time there were no cell phones, etc. The only way to call home was via a pay phone either with change, collect or calling card. As we got off the plane, we were sent to the military welcoming desk, where we were broke up to our specific branches, and as the Navy recruit I had to wait for my van to arrive. The Marine recruits that flew with me, well they were welcomed by some bad ass in a Marine uniform and from the expression on their faces, it wasn’t going like they had planned. Good thing I joined the Navy. The van showed up and as I got on board, a company commander told us that while we were in RTC we are to address every one as sir is that understood. My reply, sure. Not a good reply. I paid for that when we arrived late in the evening to RTC San Diego. Getting out of the van, we were directed to place our feet on the feet painted on the ground. Further directions of following the lines, and group into a room was bellowed by our company commanders who were welcoming us to our new home away from home. We sat in a room until we were told it was time to do a urinalysis. At the time, peeing in front of several men who I didn’t know was not an easy thing. Luckily though, I had to go and we had very little to eat or drink, so away we went. Paper work was started and at some point in time we were allowed a 5 minute call home to say we had made it okay. The five minutes was really three minutes with someone breathing down your back. The process the first week consisted of shots, a hair cut, uniform issuance, stencil training, and more shots. The shot process was both needle and air injected. I didn’t like shots, but after the gantlet of shots we went through, I was becoming numb to the idea. Some hurt like hell and others were pretty minimal except for the small pox, which seems to be the one I am allergic too. Our issued dungarees were definitely way too long or big, and the boots “aka boon dockers” where the most uncomfortable pair of shoes I have every owned. We were taught how to stencil, iron (using our palms), folding clothes to fit in an area that is 24” x 24” space. We were taught how to make a bed so a quarter can bounce and how to clean floors using a blanket, or by pulling a person (Master at Arms) through the area. The classes were pretty interesting and we learned several things such as fire fighting, swimming, floating, Naval history, etc. The swimming was almost a killer for me since my floating skills were minimal and the shorts we had at the time were pretty pathetic to say the least. A yellow or beige pair of shorts with a square pocket in the front that was very uncomfortable. I passed and I was happy. We did a lot of marching and drilling. Not too bad since we did a lot of the same things all the time, at some point in time we had to do a service week. Mine consisted of picking up and dropping off laundry. When we were not doing that, we were sleeping and enjoying the life with a coke and a smoke. Others were not so lucky. My two Company Commanders, EM1 Manago and SKCS Leary were very interesting and hard to understand at times since they were from the Philippines. I found out pretty quick when you question their direction, you do a lot of 8 inches or push ups. I was also nominated for “marching party” which was additional physical fitness for those who messed up through out the day. For me, it was additional fitness training and I was ok with that. The eight weeks went by pretty quick and the recruiter I had was true to his word. The first couple of weeks was an adjustment, the early wake up calls, the miss direction and the overwhelming information overload. Once we were in a grove, all that stress seem to vanish and new friends or shipmates were made and the only thing we thought of was earning flags, pennants and graduating. We were all given our orders and after our graduation, waited for the day we could get on a plane to leave for the next adventure. Boot camp graduation was nice, my folks and my fiancé at the time visited me in San Diego. We explored the area, but to be honest I think I was too tired and excited to remember anything. Even to this day most of it is a blur. I do remember my CC telling us if we screw up we would have to start the whole process over and no one wanted to do that, especially me. With orders in hand, I boarded the plane and headed to San Fransisco to Religious Program Specialist School which is actually located on an island called Treasure Island. The island is located between SF and Oakland. The barracks where in a cylinder type building which at different levels held different classes and sexes. Treasure Island had a back drop of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. In the morning, they were a pretty neat sight to see. I spent 5 weeks on Treasure Island, in a class mostly made up of females and just a few of us guys. Typing was the big piece which was suppose to be done in accordance with the typing instruction, using all home row keys. I cheated, was caught, but at the end of the day I passed the course. I would spend some of the day watching Damage Controlman put out fires and thinking, why didn’t I do that? Liberty in San Fransisco was in uniform only, and with a buddy. There were some pretty neat things to do like Fisherman’s Wharf, and down town. Of course, as we were walking down town we went down some streets at the time that were not really meant for sailors nor straight guys. This is when I found out about gays, and how they had their own areas and it was off limits. Taking advantage of a little travel, I flew up to Sacramento to see my aunt and uncle in El Dorado Hills. The area they lived in was beautiful and in the country. It was a nice break away and a perfect opportunity to wear civilian clothes without someone looking out for you. The SF area was great for a fleet week which I was able to see and visit ships that even today I can’t remember, Alcatraz, the Wharf, and the dreaded area of Oakland. Oakland was the harshest of places for anyone due to the crime and location of the Alameda Navy Base at the time. It was time for me to move on from RP A school and with a certification in hand and plenty of practice setting up different religious ceremonies and the use of a IBM Select Typewriter, I was off. Where do you think I went, not to the Fleet Marine Force as requested, but to a ship stationed out of Mayport, FL. But little did I know, I would have to fly to Philadelphia first to meet my ship in the Naval Shipyard, where I would spend the next year. Boarding the plane, I left for home for a short stint of leave, and to meet my fiancé which later would be old news. Leaving the family behind, and carrying my sea bag, I headed to Philly, landing at the airport and being picked up by the duty driver, who at the time was getting kicked out for drugs. He explained to me about the ship and how screwed up it was. The fact we were living on an Auxiliary Personnel Lighter (APL), basically a floating barge that allows for work, berthing, cooking and laundry. The ship was not in the water, but a dry dock and at that time of the it year was COLD. PNSY was not the cleanest and the park outside the base was off limits after hours. There was a Navy Hospital close by, but that didn’t make it any better. I arrived to my first official command, USS Dale (CG 19), which was out of water and in a hole with all kinds of scaffolding around it. I was taken to the APL and showed my area of living which was with the administration folks. My rack was interesting to say the least, it had straps on it, so in the am, I had to trice up, which means lifting up and locking so we could hold sweepers underneath. I met my first boss, the Chaplain John Smith, and while checking in, he asked me if I was gay. The question threw me off, but the answer was pretty quick, NO. Apparently, the guy who was there before me was and painted the ship’s library emerald green “aka emerald city.” Back then there wasn't a "don’t ask, don’t tell policy" Our office was on the APL roof. It was actually pretty nice, but cold during the winter. I remember while being there I had to walk to the exchange or to the laundry mat, and the only way I would stay warm was to follow the steam lines. Great while they were blowing steam, but sucked when you ran out of lines and it was cold. Now you are wet and cold. The shipyard was run down and a lot of the area had little maintenance or anything else done. It was considered an industrial area and treated as well. I stood many watches and qualified on all the areas required to include some of the extras to help me succeed since I had orders for the next five years. One of the first things that happened when I was onboard is we received a computer. It was a Zenith 248, with a choice of screen colors, green or orange. We were big time then. I had to use a 3 1/4" or 5" floppy disk to save items. LOL. The adventures while in Philly were pretty exciting. I was able to see malls, ride subways, watch ball games at the local stadiums for a dollar, and travel to New Jersey. One of the malls we used to hang out in was located in Cherry Hill, NJ, which is were I was introduced to the traffic circle. I remember borrowing a friends car and after getting stuck in the circle for a bit, I drove through it. :) Luckily there was no police or I probable would have had a ticket or two. A friend of mine stayed in South Philly, which is where I would spend some time as well. The area was close to the Italian market and the open markets and food smells made lasting impressions on me even to this day. The markets were outside, and they were flooded with people. The Italians knew how to cook in large quantities. Traveling during the day was pretty easy and if you had a token you could ride the sub way anywhere. The night travel was different. Unsafe if you wasn’t a local and for the most part I was in the house or on the APL. One of the memorable places to eat near the base was a place called “Blind Mans”. It was a sub shop or as they say in that neck of the woods grinder or hoagie. The Philly Cheese Steak was awesome. Definitely tried the pretzels and even touched the liberty bell. While there and onboard the ship, I met many great sailors and became close with some. One in particular was named Mark, and he would travel home to Stafford, VA on long weekends in his Camaro. I was invited a few times to go along and the trip was interesting to say the least. The scenery and trip was always nice and there were times we had to slow for Amish personnel or even buy a set of speakers from some guy on the side of the road. To this day I don’t know if they were stolen or not, but they sounded good and cheap. Mark was engaged to his now current wife and while there I got to meet some really great folks and had an opportunity to make friends in an area that if I had not been stationed onboard the ship and befriended Mark would have never met. The ship was in Philly for a year before we ventured off to Mayport, FL. While in Mayport, I lived on the ship for a while and then out in town with some friends. We rented an old trailer house on Mayport road which was a walk from the base, but enough for us to get off the ship. The couple I stayed with was the same couple I would stay with in Philly on long weekends. They were a nice couple, but as the time went on, I moved back to the ship until after our cruise. The cruise was great. We made several port visits and like most we had a great time seeing countries like France, Spain, Italy, Israel, Africa, Diego Garcia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and much more. After the cruise, me and 7 other guys rented an apt from Turtle Lake apts. I owned a stereo and dishes, another one owned a dining room table and a bed, the rest found furniture items and placed them in the apt as we chilled. That apt was definitely a bachelors pad. There was more alcohol bottles then one could count and for the most part we were able to live cheap and have a great time. My job as a RP on the ship proved to be interesting while onboard the ship and off. I was part of the fire party, the security team, and even assisted in rescues for other ships. The chaplain and I would be hoisted on a line to a helicopter and fly to other ships for services. The flight was great and the opportunity to be hoisted was something that I had never done before. While we were deployed in the Persian Gulf, we were flying to our next destination and while we were heading to the ship, the helicopter lost control and did a hard landing in the Gulf. We bounced from the water hard and the pilot was very lucky to land us on the ship. I got out of the helicopter, looked back at a half broken flying machine and then saw a doctor who asked if all was ok. I think I was still in shock. Our ship was around Bahrain, and we had to get back since we were in the northern region at the time. There was only one way, and with my luck, it was another helicopter. Unfortunately for me I had to get into it and fly back, fortunately for me, the doctor gave me something that made me ride with no issues. I woke up as we were landing and then road one of our liberty boat back to the ship. The Skipper met with us, and made sure that all was well. Until that day, flying was not an issue, but since then I have had a small issue with getting in airplanes and helicopters. My fear of flying was set due to a crash or hard landing that happened during my first tour onboard the USS Dale. It took almost 20 years to get to where I was comfortable enough to ride in a plane and not go nuts with a little help from Benadryl and loud music. The USS Dale was a good ship and she helped me achieve Petty Officer Third Class and earn my Enlisted Surface Warfare Device. The other thing that was good about the ship was after returning from our cruise, I met my future wife. We were introduced via a blind date and after a few months of courting, we married. I did a lot of underway time with Caribbean Operations which had us out a lot assisting the US Coast Guard in drug operations. We spend a lot of time in Puerto Rico, and while out on one of our excursions I mailed Sandy a letter and asked her to marry me. Fortunately, she said yes, I asked her to buy her wedding band, and the rest is history. I did have one boss on the ship that wasn’t the best, but in the end he was asked to leave the Navy. After my time on the Dale, I received orders to Naval Hospital Jacksonville working the chapel in the hospital. The job itself was boring, but it did allow me to study for Petty Officer Second Class and then cross rate to Master At Arms. While there Sandy and I had a little girl, Brandi and she was definitely spoiled from the get go by not only us, but the folks I worked for or who was living in the same apt complex as us. The hospital duty was pretty mundane to say the least. I worked for a Catholic priest who was a pretty decent guy, but needed to retire since he drank a lot of the holy water. We also had a Presbyterian chaplain who was a great mentor and helped us out quite a bit as we were young parents. There would be times he would pick me up from our apartment so Sandy could have the car. Fortunately the duty there was short and I got to venture off to San Antonio, TX for my school. I’m going to diverse a little and let you know as a young couple it’s amazing on where you will live until you are on your own and what you will have for assets. We lived with Sandy’s mom for a while, then with one of Sandy’s friends before we got our own little apartment on Beach Blvd or Atlantic Blvd. The first place, Turtle Lakes Apt, was quite the place. When I was a bachelor, I rented a room with some other guys there and we did the bachelor things. After I got married and we could afford our own place, we went back there and met some great folks who unfortunately are no longer with us today. The later place, on Atlantic Beach was decent, but with a child we opted for a little better living and moved to another area also located on Atlantic, but in a better area. Now back to the story, off to school. As a second class petty officer, the school wasn’t too bad. My grades were pretty decent and I was hoping for military working dog school. I wasn’t picked, as a matter of fact, I wasn’t even asked on where I wanted to go. I was given orders to the USS Saipan (LHA 2) located in Norfolk, VA. Back then the sea/shore rotation for a Master At Arms was 5 years sea, and 2 years shore. So, I packed up the family in Jax, and moved to Va Beach. We found a little apartment there which was about 30 minutes from the base pending traffic on some of the craziest roads around there at the time. When we were there one of the main roads had a toll, after a while the toll went away, but the traffic didn’t. The Hampton Roads area is saturated with military and it makes finding areas tough since most of the locals are active or retired or looking for a way to make a buck off a servicemen. Sandy ended up working in retail to help with the Norfolk life, and as a family of three, we survived by doing things together that was within our budget or capability. We had a few friends that came over to entertain and we were able to take Brandi to some of the theme parks in the VA area. There was always something for us to do and we agreed that while the Hampton Roads area was not pleasant, the western side of VA was nice and made the stay a little more bearable. The tour on the Saipan was interesting since I checked on board as a MA2, I was part of a division with 4 MAs and a few TAD personnel. As time went by the division grew and I even was promoted to MA1 and selected as Sailor of the Year. I earned my second warfare device on there which was the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Device. My duties consisted of urinalysis, investigations, corrections, customs inspector, Asst Chief Master of Arms, and a few more. I spent enough time on there to see the ship go through two different shipyard periods, both consisting of major repairs and ship alts. The second yard period we took off the 5” guns so the ship could have the Ospreys land on them. The Portsmouth Naval shipyard had plenty of action with drugs, unauthorized absences and ship yard workers in general. Our cruises were pretty interesting as well since we did some Med/IO deployments and some time in the Adriatic Sea. I worked with two different Marine Expeditionary Units, 2/2 and 2/4 while deployed and was involved in some interesting operations from evacuating embassies and rescuing vessels while underway. We did a lot of gator squares which was nothing more than sailing in an operational box after or main crew deployed, which are the Marines. We hit some interesting ports in Italy, and Greece and even in Boston and Ft Lauderdale. The Saipan had a special type of mission mindset, not like the Dale, which was more of a war fighter at sea. The Saipan was a taxi service or humanitarian relief which was always at the beckoning call of the Marine Corps. The duty on the Saipan is considered arduous and that is an understatement. We spent several days underway and away from home on a schedule that was made up on the fly. As the ACMAA on the Saipan, I had some great mentors, MACS Vasquez (now retired) and MACM Meussling (deceased). As my leaders, they were quick to provide guidance which allowed me to act as an LPO and make leadership decisions. The key was to make a decision. One of the things Mike taught was to stick with the basics. If the basics are not set, then all the other stuff will not work. Make sure your people are trained, there is references available and that they are up to date, and most of all, take care of your sailors. This stuck with me and as I developed my own style of leadership this is one lesson that stuck with me even to this day. Another great thing that happen while on the Saipan is Mike Jr. Sandy and I wanted to have one more child before we ventured off to our next duty station and this tour made it possible with all the underway time and homecomings :). Before I left the Saipan, a friend of mine recommended me for a program working with the Law Enforcement Physical Security Inspection Team as a PO1. The interview was great and I was well on my way for this great job, but at some point while I was underway, someone decided that a PO1 should not be on the team and that only Chiefs should be selected. My sponsor had faith in me making Chief, but it was decided that I will not be able to join the team. So instead, I was selected for Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport which I had no idea of until I received the orders. The consolation prize was Military Police Investigator School, located in Anniston, AL. While this was not my first choice, we took the orders and headed to school then to Gulfport. We arrived to Gulfport after they had a hurricane, so finding anywhere to stay for a short time was challenging. Luckily for us, we were having a house built so I sent Sandy to her mom's house and I stayed in the barracks until closing. Gulfport provided some great opportunities for me. The first, Sandy and I bought our first house, a 3/2 house that was just right for us at the time. Fortunately for us, the house provided us a home and after Katrina, a small income gain. The new duty station allowed me to work with civilians and learn how they work and what we need to do together in order to succeed. My tour in Gulfport proved to be rewarding especially since I showed up as a MA1, made MAC, and then getting selected to ENS as a Security Officer. I was selected as a Chief there in Gulfport, and served as the Operations Chief, or Chief of Police. Working plenty of issues between manning, budgets, mutual agreements, etc, I learned what I had to do in order to lead a department, if needed. There was a retired CWO, Don Justin, who taught me quite a bit in management and prepared me for the leadership challenges as a Security Officer. He saw something in me that would help me test my capabilities and push my boundaries which proved successful in my career. Mr. Justin had several medical issues and while I learned so much from him, I fear that after 2005, he didn't make it and passed away. My first tour as a Security Officer was at NAS Whiting Field, FL. It's a training base for all new pilots, with property expanding across 2 states and 5 counties. The tour was challenging, but it allowed me to take what I have learned as a Chief and put it into play as an Officer. I had a mix of civilian and military personnel, with challenges that kept us busy throughout my tour. Interagency cooperation's where made with the local and county LE, which built lasting friendships. As my first air station it provided exciting and sometime unfortunate incidents whether it was responding to off base housing incidents, or air craft incidents that didn't always turn out positive. While I enjoyed my back to back shore tour, I was looking for more challenges and was requesting a ship. I was told about a carrier in Mayport that needed a Security Officer, but I would have to terminate shore duty early. I did, and I accepted the challenge for my next duty station, which was the USS John F Kennedy (CV 67) homeported in Mayport, FL. My family still lived in MS, since my wife was working with the county, and I let them know that we had a new challenge ahead. We would be heading back to Mayport, but the decision was made for me to head to Mayport and they would stay in Gulfport since Sandy had a good job, and the kids were in school. I would travel back and forth on long weekends or holidays to MS to visit with the family. Sandy's mom lived in Jax, so that allowed for some relief at times when I wanted to leave the ship for a weekend. Checking into the USS John F Kennedy was interesting to say the least. I was told by the old security officer that he didn't have time for a turn over, he was retiring and since I was commissioned and had done sea duty you will figure it out as you go. The background of the ship was negative and after two weeks onboard we had several incidents that where black marks for the entire crew. My Security Force had just been lead by a negative leader and were thirsting for someone to allow them to grow and be lead. I met with my Chiefs, and explained how we would take a department who failed the last inspection to one who will not only pass, but set new standards. That is what we did, we had our challenges with manning, and policies, but we stayed on course, follow the guidance in the directives given. By providing leadership and guidance, we organized the dept and identified the areas that needed to be spruced up. We had promotions, awards, great inspection results, and rebuilt the confidence in security to the ship's CO. The dept grew from 25 MA to 25 MA and 75 TAD personnel with 100+ ISF. Training Force Protection Watch Officers to meet the new CNAL requirements. I went from a division officer, to a dept head, and I embraced the wisdom of all my fellow LDOs/CWOs who were onboard. The tour on the carrier was a success, we were operational, met the requirements and were able to maintain the security required for the CO to do his job whether in port or traveling through the Suez Canal. I worked for five COs and four of the five rated me in the top which was pretty impressive considering I competed with all the LDOs onboard. After the JFK, I was asked by the Detailer if I wanted to help set up a new program in Kings Bay which provided security for SWFLANT. Little did I know that if I accepted this challenge that we would be working with Marines, adjusting goals of leadership, learning to blend Navy and Marines together and training a bunch of new MAs to a program that no one knew or quite understood in our community. The command had so many requirements and challenges that we literally had to device a plan with no upward direction. We did just that, we created posts, trained like the Marines, assumed some of their duties and even relieved a contract early to save the Navy money. Projects and ideas where pressed and soon we were passing inspections and doing things that was hard to comprehend for most folks who were new to the program. After 3 years at the command, learning new things in areas not even considered by our community, I left feeling accomplished and knowing that we have set the base line for others to follow and build upon. Orders to Bahrain where offered and I accepted. Oh the challenge, to arrive at a command that has the largest security group in the Navy. The Security Forces there had their ups and downs and where in need of some leadership and guidance. Sounds familiar doesn’t it. As a mid level LT, I knew there were going to be some challenges, but I never knew how our community would avoid the obvious by placing an oak leaf in the position. After 30 days of identifying several issues, we had a couple incidents that ended up with me getting placed as the number 2 guy and a temporary O5 to be placed in order to gain the respect of the ADM at the time. While he wasn't mad at me and he understood I had not been in the seat long enough to do what I needed, he wanted some horse power to lead the largest security department in the Navy which supported all of the Middle East. The billet had always been for an oak leaf, but it appeared to me a lot of the senior folks at the time wanted to avoid this type of duty due to the challenges and time. Bahrain at the time was a 1 year tour for most Sailors, and after you figured the 1 month check in time, 1 month leave time in the middle and 1 month check out time, you really only had about 9 months worth of work. What can be accomplished in 9 months, not very much. I was hurt and I felt like I was fired, but after a short time, and some conversation from CDR Gilbert, I quickly realized that this was an opportunity to get much needed help and to use the silver oak leaves to our advantage. All the ideas and areas that would have been tough for me to achieve, was made simpler with the assistance of the CDR. After a lot of work, I left Bahrain after two years of hard work as the number 1 LT and a MSM. The tour was tough, it presented several challenges that tested my ability as a leader, sailor and husband. Trying to balance the work and family life so far away can be challenging for most people, and the thing I learned the most from this tour was no matter what you can work hard for the Navy, but if you don't work hard for your family, you will loose in the end. This tour was a bitter sweet reward, and afterwards I swore that I would not geo bach anymore while in the Navy, even if it prevented me from making LCDR. I had an opportunity to go back to Kings Bay, GA after Bahrain which allowed me to reunite with my family that I had been separated from so long while in Bahrain and either prepare for retirement or a promotion. It was nice moving back into a house that we had, learn to live with the family I had been separated from so long and be back in the States. The job I was going to was just like I left before. Of course there were some challenges, but a lot of them were manageable since I knew several staff members already at SWFLANT. I was able to do some new duties which was rewarding and even received some qualifications that were limited to SP personnel. My second tour in PRP was just as challenging as the first, since PRP is really not a program that our community is used too. The duty is very important, and it can be challenging for our community to accept and remain true during the tour. I started at the Waterfront, and then moved to the Operations arena based on the knowledge I had from the past. I saw some of the leadership change from the Navy side, and was preparing for LCDR myself. The year I was up, or in zone, I had everything I needed: great Fitreps, awards, hard duties, and time. The results came out, and I was not selected. I was let down! Let's talk about promotions. You do your best to make sure your record is squared away and updated then when it is time for the board someone who has no idea what you do briefs it for about 30 sec to a panel and based on their brief your future is decided. I felt cheated. I knew I had a good record. I had done everything the Navy asked and then some. I was Pissed! I felt the Navy had let me down after all the sacrifices I gave or almost gave (talking about family). After some whining, I talked to several senior officers about my record and they were just as shocked as I was. I was sure to retire as a senior LT. I went home and discussed with Sandy the options we had and she understood what our challenges would be. After a month, I met with the SWFLANT XO and told him I wasn't done. If the Navy wanted me out they would have to kick me out. I was pissed, but in a motivated way. I was determined to show that the briefer had no idea what he said and I made it a personal goal to leave with my head high. The next year I wrote a letter to the board which I hadn't done in the past and told them why the Navy would make a big mistake if I was overlooked a second time. Of course my draft and what was submitted where two different letters. The SWFLANT XO edited and reworded my letter to meet the political expectations. I had to prepare two paths while waiting for the results, retirement and possible promotion. I wasn’t ready to retire, but I had to juggle the two possibilities and that in itself is a challenge. Trying to prepare for something isn't simple and at times, it can even stress the best. With all the preparations you can do, you never really know until the time comes and you are told what the future holds for you as a retiree or possible promotee. The results came out and I was selected for LCDR, above zone. The time for waiting was crucial to my growth because it taught me that I needed to be humble no matter what. I was going to work hard and train sailors which should be eventually recognized by leaders. Even if I wasn't promoted, I needed to keep a clear mind and keep focus on the mission or next chapter. I was thankful for making LCDR and as promised in my letter to the board I was going to do 30 years and use this opportunity and oak leaf to help out those who have not been able to have their voice heard. My choices of orders where pretty slim as an O4, I was offered Japan, D.C., and Norfolk. We chose Japan, but because of certain rules we were not able to go. We decided to give D.C. a try since we had been in Norfolk already and didn’t really care for the Hampton Roads area. The billet was an Operations Officer for 250 civilians located at a newly BRAC joint base, Joint Base Anacostia Bolling. The tour at JBAB was a challenging and rewarding opportunity because it allowed me to provide oversight for fire, security, emergency management, training and safety as the Operations Officer. All the positions were civilian which required me to understand the HRO rules more than I had before. The civilian department heads I had were great about helping me out and teaching me more about HRO process than I would ever know. Being in the DC area had it's challenges with the traffic, and the traffic and oh did I mention the traffic. We lived in Southern Maryland, so we had to leave early in the am to head to work. The other new challenge was working at a joint base. It basically was an Air Force base that combined with the Navy and then became Navy lead. I had several Airman working for me and once they left, it was me and the Navy civilians. The only joint piece about the base was the CO and the Vice Commander. Finishing up at JBAB, I met several folks, made several friends and had to make the last tour decision for Sandy and I. Our choices: Fallon, Key West, and Norfolk. So the decision was Key West. Reporting to Key West was a shocker. First I realized there is nothing here but beautiful sunsets, great fishing, and opportunity to help out my last group of NSF. We also realized that housing was just as expensive here as it was in DC, but very limited. We were fortunate to get into base housing and it has been a blessing. NAS Key West is spread between several islands and maintains 5 base annexes that fall under our umbrella for protection. We provide the only MWD resources between mile marker 0 and 125. We are 125 miles from Miami, which means 3 hours since most of the speed limit is 45. Tourist make it very challenging to get around, and you have none of the main land luxuries for options, so we had to prepare to minimalize, spaces is a high cost premium. This is the last tour of my Navy career. It has been rewarding serving my country and to mentor and lead so many sailors while being mentored and led myself. I have many memories that I could share, and I have too many people to thank. Like many sea stories some are shared and some are kept internal as a reminder of the chapter that has been closed.

0 notes