My Naval Career

                                     

Training


















       I joined the Navy on March 7, 1944. Since I could not wait the three days it would of taken me to turn 18, March 10, 1944, my father had to sign for me. We filled out the papers at the Kalama Post office which was located on the corner of First Street and Fir.

       I then took a bus to Portland and took my physical at the Navy processing center, If I remember right, at Third and Oak. It was a short ride to the train station where I found myself on the way to the Farragut Naval Training Center outside of Athol Idaho, a wide spot in the road if there ever was one.




       When you left the town for the Training Center you where loaded onto what we called "cattle cars". This was a Semi - trailer that had wooden benches installed that could hold about one hundred men. It was about a eight mile ride to the main gate of the training center. At this time we were issued clothes, haircuts, and assigned to companies. After this we were loaded back onto cattle cars and transported to one of five training centers.



       I was assigned to Camp Bennion for training. The training lasted about eight weeks if I remember right. The center covered four thousand acres and trained over three hundred thousand men in four years.



I don't remember the name of the company or if there was a company picture taken.





       One problem I had???? was in the last two weeks of Boot Camp, I developed a case of the mumps. I ended up staying in the hospital for two weeks. After I was discharged from the hospital I was assigned to a different company for the final two weeks.

       In the final two weeks we would find out if we were going right to the fleet, or sent on for futher training at one of the many school the navy operated. At this time I qualified for


Torpedo School



       I found myself back on a train headed for San Diego, I think it took five days to get there. I spent sixteen weeks of training and was granted weekend passes every other week.



       When I did get a weekend pass I would spend most of my time at the San Diego Zoo. Even in those day's the zoo was huge and I think I only saw about half of it. At the end of my training, in the navy way, to many torpedomen.

       The navy did ask me what I wanted to do?    COOK!     I found myself at the Naval Air Station were I boarded the USS Munda Bay , a baby flattop.



       The ship was loaded to the hilt with new fighters (corsair), ammo, and everthing else under the sun.



I was a passenger on this ship, but even I found out a passenger on a navy ship worked. Since I was a cook with lots of training I ended up in the Galley. Better then a deck hand chipping paint. Our first stop, Ford Island, at Honolulu.



       Of course we took on fuel and steamed right out of there. No shore leave. There was a War on! Our second stop was at Ulithi where the ship discharged its cargo. End of the line for me so I boarded a boat for a ride across the bay to my new assignment.