... take 5: Carrier Fights For Life...

It was during the time of the Vietnam War that I graduated from college. Upon graduation I was assigned a 1-A draft status, so no corporate employer was going to hire me. I had been working local jobs (part-time, and full time) pretty much straight from when I was thirteen years old, right up until I graduated, so I decided to take some time off and relax. This lasted a few months, and then I began hacking a cab in New York City (mostly in Manhattan)... waiting to be called up into the army (and probably head over to Vietnam).

While doing some free time shopping in New Rochelle one day, I ran into a guy I knew from college. He mentioned his reserve unit was looking for some new enlistees... (I gave him a big hug & kisses)...and that night went to the reserve center in New Rochelle, signed up, and two weeks later found myself in Norfolk, Virginia.... assigned to the pre-com unit of the USS John F Kennedy CV67... (a brand new aircraft carrier).
One of the first training sessions I can remember, they showed us a fire rescue film ('Learn or Burn') regarding the USS Forrestal... this film scared the ever lovin daylights out of all of us watching.... we were going on a carrier!!... (did these guys know what they were doing??!!).

Flight deck duty is some of the most dangerous work anywhere... how close all those 5,000 guys came!.. (many were killed and badly wounded).... to this day still sends shivers down my spine.

Note:
One major item not mentioned in this film.. with the vast amount of sea water being pumped hour after hour into the ship, she was listing badly, and almost rolled over. They had to shift massive amounts of fuel to the opposite side of the ship to counter the lean, and that prevented her from toppling over, and ultimately saved the lives of all the men on-board.

Trial by Fire: A Carrier Fights For Life