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THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WHOM ALL SUFFERED HARDSHIPS DURING MY TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE BY BEING LEFT ALONE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES WHILE I WAS AWAY AT SEA OR OVERSEAS FOR A YEAR AT A TIME ON ISOLATED DUTY. ONLY SERVICE WIVES CAN KNOW THE HARDSHIPS WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN ENDURE DURING THESE TIMES!! AMERICA OWES EVERY CAREER SERVICE MAN'S WIFE A MEDAL OF HONOR!! |
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| Provided By Steve and Smitty at the Goat Locker |
ONCE I WAS PART OF THE NAVY!!....NOW THE NAVY WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF ME!! |
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US NAVY AND COAST GUARD STOREKEEPER (SUPPLY) INSIGNIA FOR THE RATING OF CHIEF PETTY OFFICER |
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OLD NAVY CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS DON'T JUST FADE AWAY, THEY JUST GO TO THE GOAT LOCKER, SO VISIT THEM ON THE GOAT LOCKER SITE BELOW |
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| The Navy and Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers are appointed and are in a rank of their own, like Chief Warrant Officers, and it is a proud and highly responsible appointment for a man or woman to undertake, and be looked upon and respected by their peers. The saying goes, "If you're not sure, ask the Chief"....Just Pulled this uniform out of storage and I was surprised to see how well it fit after 30 plus years. "A Very Proud Tradition Indeed" Visit www.goatlocker.org/cpo.htm |
VISIT THE CPO GOAT LOCKER BELOW |
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| This photo was provided by our friends at the CPO Goat Locker |
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NAVY CHIEFS...TESTED...SELECTED...INITIATED |
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| Graphic Provided by Jeff Hobrath Studios; www.NavyChief.Com |
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NOW LET'S VISIT SOME OF THE SHIPS THAT I SERVED ABOARD IN THE BLACKSHOE (SW) NAVY THAT MAKE A SAILOR MATURE INTO A CHIEF PETTY OFFICER |
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| There is no Greater Career in Life than being in the Service of One's country and Experiencing the Years of Various Duty Stations Ashore or at Sea. This Site is just a Glimpse of My Time Served in the US Navy. There was Good Times and Bad Times, but the Rewards and Memories of the Good Times will Always Out-Weigh the Bad Times and The Months and Years we spent away from Our Loved Ones. |
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USS SALUTE (MSO 470) OCEAN GOING MINESWEEPER |
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| These were Wooden Ships with Iron Men and I know because I was aboard her for two years. She was my first sea going duty. Rough Believe Me!! These Ships were there before the Fleet, clearing minefields! While I was aboard this ship from 1961 thru1962 we spent most of our time in the Caribbian Sea, when we were away from our home port of Charleston, South Carolina. We Visited Nassau, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St Thomas and St Croix, Antigua, Barbados and Martinique in the Lower Antilles. |
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USS ROBERT L. WILSON (DD 847) ""HAZE GRAY AND UNDERWAY"" GEARING CLASS DESTROYER |
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| This great ship and crew was my favorite duty of my twenty two years of service. They were the greatest bunch of enlisted men and officers I ever had the opportunity to serve with. God Bless them all wherever they are! While aboard this ship from late1962 to early1965 we were home ported out of Norfolk, Virginia. The Ship was involved in the Cuban Blockade and she was anchored in Gitmo Harbor blocking the entrance for a period of time until the threat to Guantanamo was ended. We also spent a nine month period in the Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard in 1963 for a Fram Conversion. In 1964 we made one of the Greatest Med Cruise's that will Forever Stay in My Mind. We Visited Bermuda, The Azores, Valencia, Gibralter, Naples, Venice, Rhodes, Isle of Corfu and Spent a period of Time circling Cyprus during the Turkish and Greek Cypriots Uprising. Please Visit my Home for USS Robert L Wilson Site Below for more information and Photographs of this ship.!! |
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VISIT MY HOME FOR USS ROBERT L WILSON PAGES BELOW | |||
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USS VERNON COUNTY LST 1161 (AMPHIBIOUS NAVY) LANDING SHIP TANK |
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| I was onboard this ship from 1967 to 1969 and this picture of her was taken in 1967 while I was aboard and in the Vietnam Delta. We spent about 60 percent of our time down there out of our home port of Yokosuka, Japan. I was appointed Chief Storekeeper in 1968 while aboard her, The "Brown Water Navy".. Her Home Site was just recently awarded the "Spirits of Ships" Award!! Visit Her Home Site for more photos and lots of interesting information. The link is provided below. |
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USS ARNOLD J ISBELL DD 869 GEARING CLASS DESTROYER |
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| This Photograph of Isbell was provided by Dan Davis who also has an ISBELL site you can visit below in the list of links. This ship was my last "Sea Duty" in the United States Navy. I was aboard her in 1969 leaving San Diego, at the time she was photographed. We was in San Diego for Refresher Training and our Home Port was Long Beach. Bill Strawbridge was also aboard at that time and has the other ISBELL site in my List of Links below. I am Truly Grateful to them both for pictures of this Beautiful Lady. Visit Dan Davis' ISBELL Site for more photos of the ship since she was transferred to the Greek Navy. Thank You |
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FROM POLYWOG TO SHELLBACK |
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| This Certificate from King Neptuni Regis was awarded to each and every Polywog who entered into the Ancient Order of Shellbacks after a great initiation upon crossing the Equator. This was issued to me aboard the USS Arnold J Isbell DD869 on 13 May 1970. The first one of these was issued to me aboard the USS Vernon County LST1161 in 1968. |
THIS IS THE FAST NEW ARLEIGH BURKE (AEGIS) CLASS OF DESTROYERS |
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| These Newer Class of Destroyers and Guided Missle Destroyers Safeguard the larger ships in the fleet or battle groups, amphibious groups and replenishment groups. Destroyers primarily perform anti-submarine warfare duty while guided missile destroyers are multi-mission (ASW anti-air and anti-surface warfare) surface combatants. The Mk-41 Vertical Launch System or Tomahawk Launchers were added to the Spruance-Class Destroyer and greatly expanded their role in strike warfare as well. |
PRESENT DAY CARRIER BATTLE GROUP |
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| Nice Clear Photo of a present day Carrier Battle Group with their Guided Missle Strike Warfare Destroyer Protection. The Destroyer men of the past know exactly what this was like and we never were able to see the beauty of the formation as we see here. GO NAVY !!!! |
My Antarctic Visit Certificate |
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| This was the most rewarding and interesting place that I ever visited during my Naval Career. In 1972, I was very honoured to have been chosen to go to Antarctica with sixteen civilians from the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, to upgrade the parts supply system at McMurdo Sound for the Navy Supply Overhaul Assistance Program. The purpose for this visit, was to upgrade their spare parts to allowance parts lists (APL's), in order to purify their repair parts on hand, and alleviate outdated parts from as far back as 1940. This project was funded and still is funded by the National Science Foundation. Visit their site below. |
ANTARCTIC SERVICE RIBBON, MINIATURE LAPEL MEDAL AND NATIONAL RESEARCH LAPEL PIN |
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| I received the Antarctic Service Medal and accompanying ribbon and appurtenances in March of 2002, a period of 30 years after I visited Antarctica. These items were sent to me by the National Science Foundation. I am very grateful to them for contacting me and sending these honors to me later in life. The visit there was one that any person will never forget. |
ICE BREAKERS USED IN ANTARCTICA TO CLEAR PASSAGE TO MCMURDO AND HALLET INLETS |
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| This Photograph of USS GLACIER was provided by a dear friend, Larry Dunn who served aboard both the USS ATKA and the USS GLACIER in the mid 1950's. US Air Force Resupply Aircraft use the ice cover of McMurdo Bay for a runway until the channel to McMurdo is opened in the spring. I had the honor of leaving there on an LC-130 in 1972 and flew back to Christ Church, New Zealand. McMurdo is said to be the smoothest runway in the world before it melts each year for a short time. It was truly, a Great Experience. |
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PLAQUE OF LC-130 LOADMASTER |
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| This photograph of a plaque with clock is available from: www.thegearlocker.com, and was sent to me by John "Dutch" Dorpinghause, ABCS(A/C) USN Retired, who was with VX-6 from 1968 to 1970 and made quite a number of flights to the ice and back to Christ Church, New Zealand. Dutch, thanks for all the good info you have provided me. |
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PACIFIC FLEET SUPPLY OPERATIONS TEAM |
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| The Short Name and abbreviation for this unit was "SOAP' Team (Supply Operations Assistance Program) Our Task was to remove all onboard spare parts of a ship in for overhaul and equipment modifications (with help of select members of her crew). The complete stock of repair parts were then inventoried and checked against Equipment APL's (Allowance Parts Lists). Parts that were no longer applicable would be removed from the inventory and new parts for Modifications to equipment and New equipment were added to the inventory and APL's before the total inventory was returned to the ship after overhaul. This was my final Duty Station in the United States Navy and I received this Plaque from my Commanding Officer, in 1974, at my Retirement Ceremony and a going away party and Retirement Gift from my shipmates as well. It was a sad, yet happy occasion for me, and Truly a Great Experience in my life had ended!! GGRicks@webtv.net |
MY SHORE DUTY STATIONS | |||||||
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"THIS IS MY SALAD BAR" |
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MY SERVICE RIBBON AWARDS WITH ATTACHMENTS "Reminders of Times and Places That I Have Traveled Through During My Service Years" | ||||||||||||
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PROUD MEMBER |
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PLEASE VIEW AND SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK |
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 View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook |
Visit Military.com Resources Link Below |
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THIS SITE IS A MEMBER OF THE TONKIN GULF YACHT CLUB |
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| This Site has the Names of Every Boat or Ship that served in the Vietnam Conflict, so find yours on their Link Below |
MY FAVORITE MILITARY SIGHTS INCLUDING THE SHIPS I HAVE PERSONALY SERVED ABOARD | ||||||||||||||||||
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VISIT THE MESOTHELIOMA CANCER CENTER ON THE LINKS PROVIDED BELOW
The Mesothelioma Cancer Center has the most comprehensive information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure, and is the web authority on mesothelioma treatments if you've received a mesothelioma prognosis.  |
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ALL US NAVY SHIPS TO BEGIN FLYING FIRST NAVY JACK ON PATRIOT DAY |
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| This is an Official US Navy file photo of Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) raising the First Navy Jack.... At morning colors on Sept. 11th 2002, all US Navy ships began flying the First Navy Jack in place of the Union Jack for the duration of the Global War on Terrorism. |
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PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT PAGE BELOW AND VISIT THE RICKS' FAMILY PAST AND PRESENT....
Meet the Great People whom held me up and supported me through the years! During the hard times and the sad times they were always there for me!! They are the diamonds and emeralds of my life and nothing on this earth is more valuable to me. "Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children are there fathers" Proverbs 17: |
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