I served aboard Three Ships; USS Charleston (LKA-113), Home port; Norfolk, VA.
    USS Whipple (FF-1062), and USS Badger (FF-1071), Home port; Pearl Harbor, HI.

    I did  a four year hitch, starting 31 Oct, 1975.   My rating (job) was Operations Specialist, OS.   Here is a description of Operations Specialist  from the Navy's site.   Click on the  symbol for info.   See also the Radarman description,  from the USCG site.       ( Note: there were no computers on the ships I served aboard.)

    Being an OS wasn't my cup of tea.   I wanted to be an ST (Sonar Technician) , but the recruiter said I didn't qualify.  You have to take a test to see which jobs you qualify for.   I took the test and the recruiter asked me what rating I was interested in; I told him ST.  "Missed by one point" he said.  He told me he couldn't let me see the scores.  He lied to me. Why would he lie?  Because the OS rating was undermanned, and the Navy needed OSs.  Can you imagine a Navy Recruiter being less than 100% honest?   (No, that couldn't be).   I found out later that I had in fact scored high enough to choose any rating.  I went in with a guarantee of going to OS school.   ("A" school as the Navy calls it).  To see a list of all the jobs currently available in the Navy, click Ratings.

    I went to basic training, "Boot camp",  at Great Lakes Ill.    I gained about 8lbs while in boot camp.  It was "sedentary" compared to high school track and cross country running.   I think my co. was 347, but I'm not sure.   Our CC was EMC Caylor.

    Upon graduation from boot camp, no seats were available at "A" school so I joined my first ship, USS Charleston, while it was anchored in the Mediterranean Sea,  near the French Riviera.    On liberty I found the French Riviera was beautiful, but quite expensive on SR pay.

My first ship was USS Charleston, LKA-113.  This is LKA-117, my ship was identical in every way but name and hull number.      The picture is from the site Amphibious Cargo Ships
Charleston carried Marines and their equipment.   Our job was to get the Marines to the beach.    The amphibious branch of the navy is called the " 'Gator" Navy.

    I was an OSSR when I came aboard.   I had "striker" status because of my guaranteed "A" school.  The bos'n wanted me for the deck crew, but OS1 McClendon would not allow it.
(We didn't have a chief, which is probably why everything ran so smoothly).

    Charleston spent a lot of time under way.   Our longest time at sea was 68 days.  Then we put into Naples for 4 days, then back to sea for 30 days.   Still, we managed to visit France, Italy, and Spain.

    I made OSSA, then went back to Great Lakes for OS "A" school.
    After "A" school I was hoping to return to the "Gator" Navy.  Instead I was sent to a "tin can" tied up at Pearl Harbor, HI.   I didn't care for tin can service, but I loved Hawaii.  (what's not to love?)

My second ship.  USS Whipple FF 1062  This picture is from NavSource.org   which is well worth a visit.
FF stands for Fast Frigate.  (You can imagine the linguistic variations that sailors came up with)  These ships were previously called DEs, for Destroyer Escort.
From Rumor Control Central:  Only Charmin brand toilet tissue was allowed aboard the Whipple.
Whipple has been transferred to the Navy of Taiwan.   For more detail on this ship, visit Destroyers OnLine

        While on the Whipple I made one West PAC Cruise (Western Pacific for you lubbers). After returning to Home Port,  I met the woman who became my wife -Sirinunt Cheajun.  She is from Thailand, and was studying at Chaminade University when I met her.   (We've been married since 1978 and have one son, Nick, who was born in '83)
      There was no housing available on base -not for junior enlisted - so I got a housing allowance and found a place "in town".   Somehow I managed to find a place that rented for $285/mo.  That was cheap, even back in 1978.  It was about 3 blocks from Waikiki Beach.   My wife and I became part of the neighborhood there on Olohana St.   We were glad we didn't live on base.
      Even with the housing allowance, and the cheapest apartment on the island, we were so poor we had to go crabbing on weekends to get enough to eat.   I tried to eat all meals aboard ship so we only had to buy food for my wife.   Our neighbor, Steve Soone, saw to it that we had enough to eat.   He did that for some other people in the neighborhood as well.   I can't thank Steve enough for his kindness and generosity.

  I made OS3 shortly before leaving the Whipple.
 

    I transferred to the USS Badger and served the remainder of my enlistment aboard her.

My 3rd and last ship, USS Badger FF 1071  Picture from NavSource.org Official USN photo.
Contributed to NavSource by Walter Bengtson.     The Navy used Badger for target practice and sunk it in 1998.
For more detailed info on this ship please see Destroyers OnLine

    While on Badger I made another West PAC.   On my two West PACs I was privileged to visit; Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong (hoisted a few with members of the RN), Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Kenya.   Visits to Australia were scheduled, but canceled for reasons I'm not privy to.
  I made OS2 a few months before getting out of the Navy.

    I turned down a $10,000 re-enlistment bonus.   I didn't want to be an Operations Specialist, and the Navy wouldn't let OSs switch ratings unless it was to an equally critical rating.  (Critical means manning shortage)  The only rating equally undermanned was BT (Boiler Technician).  I was not interested.    On 30 OCT 79 my active duty ended.   I was transferred to the inactive reserve.  (non-drilling).    I was Honorably discharged in 1981.

    I used the G.I. Bill (old version) to go to college.  With a part time restaurant job and my GI Bill money, I was actually living better than I had been on PO2 pay and allowances.   Plus I was getting an education.

    In August 1983 I joined the Navy Reserve.  I signed on for a two year hitch.   We "trained" at Ford Isl., in Pearl Harbor, HI.   Actually we didn't do anything but sit around, so I used the time for homework.   I was Honorably discharged in Aug. 1985.

    In December 1986 I joined the Navy Reserve again - another two year hitch.   I was living in Lansing, MI. by this time, about 2 miles from the Reserve training center.   Again we didn't do anything but sit around.

    I never advanced in the Reserve.  I didn't even try.  I was not interested in the OS rating.  I just wanted the extra income.   My Navy career ended Dec, 1988 with my third Honorable Discharge.

    In late 1999 I became interested in the Coast Guard Reserve.   I looked into it and found I could join, even at age 43.  (With an age waiver, granted because of my prior USN service).
    I joined on 6 March, 2000.    I'm coming into the Damage Controlman (DC) rating because of my construction background.  Even though I was a PO2 in the Navy,  I'll have to start as a PO3 in the CG.  Because I lack welding experience I can't perform all the tasks required of a DC2, so I'm starting my CG career as a DC3.   I'm grateful to the CG for allowing me to resume my military career.  I'll be proud to be a DC3.   I hope to show 'em that us "old guys" are a good bet for getting the job done.    I hope to serve until I'm 60, which is mandatory retirement age in the military.

In my CG Reserve Career I'll be starting as a DC3.   There could not be a
                                     more interesting rating.

                                                 21 years after leaving active duty with the Navy, I finally get to change
                                     ratings.
 

A description of what Navy DCs do can be found here.  From the About.com site.
CG DCs do more than their Navy counterparts, because we have fewer different ratings, and therefore greater responsibilities.   For a CG description of the DC rating click  DC

Please see my CG site for info about my Coast Guard Career.   Thanks.

  I'd like to say a special hello to the following shipmates;
    -Robert (Bob or Mutt) Gilmore, from the Whipple
    -William (Bill) Gates (not of Microsoft fame), from the Whipple
    -Ray Eason from the Whipple
    -Kevin (Willy) Williamson, from the Badger.
    -Michael Foote, from the Badger

    If you guys see this site, e-mail me at;
        housepainter@hotmail.com    or    wallpaperman@earthlink.net

or snail mail me at:  Chris Hope
                              623 S. Clifford St.
                               Lansing, MI. 48912-2438
                               (517) 267-1661

Some good Naval Links:

Official Web Sites of Naval Forces around the world
US Coast Guard Official web site
    US Coast Guard Reserve  Official web site.
US Navy  Official web site
    US Navy Reserve Official web site
USS Constitution official web site
    The Captain's Clerk - more about old iron sides
US ROTC Programs  Officail web site.
Royal Canadian Navy  Official web site.
    Royal Canadian Navy Reserve Official web site.
Royal Navy  Official web site.
    Royal Naval Reserve  Official web site.
Roayl Australian Navy Official web site.
    Royal Australian Navy Reserve  Official web site.
Roayl New Zeeland Navy  Official web site.
Irish Navy  - Unofficial site.
French Navy - in french
Royal Thai Navy - my wife's native land.
Megawatt UK  Links to major world navies official sites.
World Navies Today -all the world's navies.  Exhaustive listing of each nation's fleet.

History & Photos
NavSource   An excellent collection of Navy ship photos.
Destroyers OnLine   A site dedicated to information about the "tin can" Navy
Royal Navy  photos of RN Ships from 1880-1950s - Subs too.
Four Stacker - excellent site dealing with four stack destroyers of the early 1900s.
Blue Jacket.com  Navy/CG history - photos

Ratings -their history and duties.
USCG Ratings -duties and insignia
USCG Joint Ratings Review - The CG is planning to create some new ratings, and merge others.
USN Enlisted Ratings -duties and insignia
USN Enlisted Ratings History - 1775-1969

Miscellaneous
Naval Jargon & Slang   -self explanatory
The Mother of all Maritime Links - just what it says.
WWW Virtual Library - Naval and Maritime Sites
DC Cental  - Home of the Damage Controlman
Fighting Sail - History of naval warfare 1775-1815
Ship Naming - customs and traditions
Pay Scale - Navy 1776
Pay Scale - 1940  part of the MCPOCG site
Pay Scale - 2000

Maritime Employment
USCG Merchant Mariners Licensing
Military Sealift Command
NOAA jobs search page
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy