I had my draft number drawn in March 1970, my senior year of college. I did the pre-service physical at the Los Angeles building, where they had you follow the yellow brick road. Upon graduation I took one week to enjoy my freedom, and then joined the Navy in a 2x4 contract to satisfy my obligation (4 years active and 2 years inactive). I took a one-month deferred entry to put my house in order. On July 15, 1970, I was bused, after a last meal in downtown Los Angeles, to NTC, San Diego. I learned to "dry shave" and spent some time in the "learn to swim company." After primary I played the xylophone in the boot camp's "drum and bugle corps." I had come in as a SN and got push button RM3 after graduation from RM "A" School in San Diego. For my first command I went to NELC Point Loma, San Diego. I was barracked at the Sub Base and worked on USS Bunker Hill (CV 17) in the mock-up for the radio station for USS Nimitz (Second Generation Computers). After that I tried DAPA training but was rejected as the staff did not accept that my Sunday School explanation was sufficient to qualify me to assist drug addicts. My last two years were on USS Edson (DD 946). It came out to the yards and went on one six-month deployment to Vietnam and Asia, beginning May 1973. I was separated from the active Navy July 11, 1974, in Seattle. I took the train back to Los Angeles and was picked up by my grandmother. After 10 years of broken service I enlisted in the Navy Reserve in Pomona, Calif., as a RM2, same rate and rank, May 25, 1986, that I had at separation. After eight years at NCS Stockton, Calif., and 8 years at NCTAMS (East) Pac, Hawaii, I retired to the IRR (as an ITC). In April 2008, I started getting my pension checks. For my two weeks in the summer I usually did Rainbow Ridge, an exercise in the Pacific or Leadership Training classes. I did enjoy two NATO-augment exercises: Grand Resolve 1995 and one at Command North in Norway, 1997. Flocked to Chief (E-7) Sept. 19, 1998. I remember it was a very good experience.