In The Navy (FT “C” School), Part 13

The instructor walked into the room silently and wrote the following on the board;

Hawaii
Hawaii
San Diego
San Diego
Groton
Groton
Groton (Tender)
Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk
Guam

Etc….

Everyone was looking at each other in a bit of a shock. No one told us this was going to be a life changing day! God, give us a bit of warning!!

This was it, we had to pick where we wanted to be assigned after school. In retrospect, a Sub is a Sub is a Sub, so that didn’t really factor into it. This was all location, location, location!

A million things raced through my mind because I knew I would be one of the first people picking an assignment. Hawaii was at the top of the list because, well, it was Hawaii for Christ’s sake. It was the obvious choice, right? It was warm, friendly (thoughts of Elvis movies played in my mind) and I wouldn’t be stuck on a Sub in the snow and ice of the northern east coast of the US in winter.

I was called on, second I think, to pick my assignment. I waited while the instructor crossed off the first Hawaii on the board, which was chosen ahead of me. Only one of those left now. I thought about getting to see my family and friends back home and Dyke who had stayed here in Groton, it would be much harder on friends and family if I was in Hawaii. In slow motion, I spoke the word that changed my fate to this day. “Groton”.

I had gotten back together with that girlfriend, so that might have been a factor too.

Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. The guy who picked next said “Thank you” to me and picked Hawaii without thinking.

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School was finally over and I was assigned to a real live submarine. I will not give you the name of the boat, because if I did, I couldn’t tell you other things about what we did, it would be classified. If anyone out there in the DHS/DOD happens to be reading this, please send me a message so I can clear these blogs through you first.