Posted by Stan Harrington


The following Veterans Day 2013, it was so good to see so many of you posting stories and pictures of the veterans in your lives.  Their stories need to be told, the sacrifices that they made to insure the freedoms that we hold sacred as Americans.  Whether they serve on the land, in the air, or upon the seas, they are the protectors of our freedoms.  As well, they are Ambassadors of our country.  On foreign soil the example they set is how America is judged by the host nation.  They are most often viewed as “warriors” or “conquerors “, seldom is the respect shown for the thousands that render aid and assistance in the time of natural disaster anywhere throughout the world.

However, at the same time in our own nation we have a tendency to overlook or do not recognize some of our veterans and the sacrifices they have made except on special days, such as Veterans Day.  Each and every veteran that has served will have “ghosts” or stories they cannot or wish not to disclose.  That is how they insulate themselves and the reality that they have faced.  Any man or woman that has honorably served their nation deserves this respect despite their age, color of skin, beliefs, or handicaps incurred while on active duty.  Case in point, do you recognize the two individuals in the picture attached.  One is easily identified as President Richard Nixon.  The other, I have heard him called every name in the book over the years.   To name just a few, “cripple”, insane, war monger, idiot,  fool, grouchy old man, worthless, and some that I will not print.   If I were to ever meet this gentleman, I would be humbled in his presence.  Out of admiration and respect, I would refer to him as “Sir”.  Despite serving his nation for the majority of his life, he is deserving of that respect as a veteran.  The next time you see this ”patriot” overlook his limp and other handicaps  you might observe.  Disregard his political party affiliation or philosophy; don’t be so quick to judge him.  The second man in the photo with the President is Senator John McCain, R-Arizona.  In this photo he is Lieutenant Commander John McCain III, U.S. Navy.  This picture was taken the latter part of March 1973.  This picture was taken at a “meet and greet” ceremony hosted by the President.  Just days prior to this meeting, Commander McCain and 142 other military men had been “guests” of North Vietnam as Prisoners of War.  One hundred and forty-three men were released on March 14, 1973 following their stay at the “Hanoi Hilton” in North Vietnam.  Commander McCain had been their guest from September 30, 1967 to March 14, 1973, a total of five years and six months as a Prisoner of War.  Those handicaps that you observe and often make fun of, were imposed on him by his “hosts”.

On July 29, 1967, Lieutenant McCain was sitting in the cockpit of his A-4 Skyhawk awaiting a catapult launch from the carrier U.S.S. Forrestal  in the South China Sea.  A missile from a second aircraft accidently launched, striking his aircraft or the aircraft sitting next to him, immediately exploding on impact.  He was able to open his cockpit, crawl out and get a hold of the refueling probe of his aircraft to get down to the deck.  On fire, he rolled to extinguish the flames.  In this accident, 134 sailors were killed and heavy damage to the carrier Forrestal.  She would return to the states for repairs.  Instead of returning with the U.S.S.  Forrestal; Lieutenant McCain volunteered to transfer to Attack Aircraft Squadron 163, embarked on the carrier U.S.S. Oriskany due to their shortage of pilots.  It was from this carrier that Lieutenant McCain would launch on the morning of September 30, 1967 on a mission over North Vietnam.  Over the targeted zone, a Russian made, ground fired missile would strike his aircraft.  He managed to bailout of his aircraft but was captured as soon as he was on the ground.  He received little medical attention by his captors.  In total, Lieutenant Commander McCain flew twenty three missions over North Vietnam.

As a “guest” of the “Hanoi Hilton” he was subject to constant and intensive interrogations by his hosts who had great difficulty in understanding the Genève Convention Code of Conduct in the treatment of Prisoners of War.  It was not until late into his interment that his “hosts” discovered that he was the son of the highest ranking officer in the Pacific, Admiral John McCain II, Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC).  They offered him “early release” in hopes that it would influence some of the other POW’s to divulge information for their early release.  Lieutenant McCain refused their offer and stood by their policy that prisoners would be released by the order that they were taken prisoner.  Through treaty negations, the one hundred forty three Prisoners of War would be released on March 14, 1973.

Coming home, after his recover and rehabilitation period, Lieutenant McCain would return to active duty and re-qualified for flying status.   Being advanced to Commander, he would assume the Command of an Aircraft Squadron based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Following this Command, he would retire from the Navy in 1981 as a Captain (equivalent to Colonel in other military services).  Captain McCain’s Naval Honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion Of Merit, Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and a host of other decorations.

Perhaps, now the next time you see Senator McCain standing at the podium on the floor of the Senate, you might want to consider what he has endured and willingly gives in the service of his country.   He is a veteran, a patriot, and the type of Commander that I would be proud to serve under. 

As a side notes, one other Naval Aviators that was a guest of the “Hanoi Hilton” and released the same time that Commander McCain was released was Commander “Marty” Lewis.  I was proud to serve under his Command after he returned to active duty. Perhaps, one of the most inspirational Commanders that I served with during my career. 

As well, there are several personal coincidences that have occurred that I thought interesting.  During WWII, Admiral John S. McCain I served in both WW I and WWII.  On May 18, 1945 (my birthday) he raised his pennant on the carrier U.S.S. Shangri-La  (the first ship that I served on in the Navy starting in 1964) as Commander Aircraft South Pacific Forces he controlled all aircraft operations in the South Pacific, including those of the U.S. Army Air Forces. Terry’s dad spoke highly of him even if he was in the Navy.  At the same time, Commander John S. McCain, II was a Submarine Captain in WW II.  During part of my tenure in the Pacific Operating Area, he would elevate to Commander Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) which is also during part of the timeframe that Commander McCain was a Prisoner of War.                      

 

      

 

 

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Fifty Years Have Passed  

Posted by Stan Harrington


(Continued From Facebook)
 
My first duty station was Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois for my initial training. Within a matter of weeks, our training was halted for two weeks due to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  The base was on lock down and the military put on alert.  Graduating from Recruit Training, I was transferred to Navy Submarine School in New London, Connecticut.  Graduating in May 1964.  Prior to my enlistment, the nuclear powered submarine, U.S.S. Thresher was lost in Long Island Sound with all souls onboard.  The lengthy investigation as to the cause of the accident created long waiting lists for graduates to get orders to a submarine since the nuclear fleet was grounded until the investigation was complete.  I opted to go to sea on a surface ship, the U.S.S. Shangri-La CVA-38 out of Mayport, Florida.  I fell in love with the “Shang” and would remain onboard her until October 1967. Your first ship is like your first love, she is always special.  She would carry me to the Mediterranean Sea on two different occasions for eight month deployments; numerous trips into the North Atlantic and a constant barrage of “sorties” into the Caribbean Sea.  The Atlantic transit from Mayport, Florida to Naples, Italy is 4,450 nautical miles.  From 1964 to 1967, the total nautical miles onboard the Shangri-La was likely in the 65,000 nautical mileage range.  While onboard the Shangri-La, I was temporarily assigned to train as an Assault Boat Coxswain in Dam Neck, Virginia.   

In 1967, married by now, we would transfer to Naval Station, Adak, Alaska where two of my children were born, Shane and Shana.  My duties on Adak consisted of being the Leading Petty Officer for the two structural fires stations and the one crash Station at the Airport.  We would remain on Adak for two and half years.  From NS Adak, I was temporarily assigned to the Armed Forces Police Detachment in Vallejo, California enroute to my next homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and reported aboard the U.S.S. Ponchatoula AO-148, a fleet tanker, assuming the role as Leading Boatswain Mate.   Within two weeks of reporting onboard, I was underway again enroute to the western Pacific to support the fleet on Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam and supply the swift boats operating in the rivers of Vietnam.  Taking breaks to take on fuel in Subic Bay, Philippines we would make sorties into the Korean Sea to refuel the fleet operating in that area.  After seven months, we returned to Pearl Harbor to operate locally and served as a secondary recovery vessel for Apollo 14.  After nine years on sea duty, it was finally my turn to rotate to shore duty. 

My request was that I be assigned to Navy Recruiting duty.  Completing my training in San Diego, I was assigned to Navy Recruiting District, Denver, Colorado and ultimately assigned as Recruiter in Charge in Durango, Colorado where our second daughter was born.  In 1973, I was selected as “Salesman of the Year” by the Denver Branch of the Marketing Sales Executives of America.  The same year, I was selected as “Recruiter of the Year” for Area 6, in ceremonies in Washington D.C. in meeting with Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, the Navy had just came out with a new rating called the Navy Counselor.  He asked if I wanted to convert my current rating from Boatswain Mate to Navy Counselor.  You really can’t say no to the CNO, besides I also enjoyed that type of duty.  Bypassing the selection process for the new rating, I left Washington D.C. as the first Navy Counselor in the Navy.  I would remain on recruiting duty in Durango for another year until I transferred to Grand Junction, Colorado as the Recruiter in Charge and Zone Supervisor for the Western Slope of Colorado. Two years passed and once again it was time to rotate back to sea.

Returning to sea duty, I would return as a Navy Counselor, my deck days were over, although I did miss being a Boatswain Mate.  I was assigned to Attack Squadron 95, the “Green Lizards” flying the A-6 Aircraft. In the squadron, I was assigned to the Executive Department which was not a very big department; it consisted of the Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, Command Master Chief and I.   My arrival in the squadron came right at the time that we were scheduled to make a Western Pacific Deployment onboard the carried U.S.S. Coral Sea home ported out of San Francisco.  Packing up all of our equipment, office supplies, etc. we flew down to San Francisco to board the carrier.  Once onboard and underway, as soon as we cleared the Golden Gate Bridge, our aircraft as well as the other squadrons would fly the aircraft onboard to make the Pacific transit.  Enroute to the Philippines, we would make a layover in Pearl Harbor and take on last minute supplies.  Detaching from Pearl Harbor some of our aircraft would detach from the carrier and fly to the Philippines due to the dual mission of the carrier.  Again, operating in the area of the old “Yankee Station”.  Midway through the cruise we rotated to operate in the Sea of Japan and Korean Sea.  This particular deployment lasted six months until we returned to San Francisco and ultimately Whidbey Island.   Returning to Whidbey Island, I would be selected and advanced to Navy Counselor Chief Petty Officer.   Our second son would be born on Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor, Washington.  Later in the year, I took leave to visit my family in Colorado.  Upon my return to the squadron, Commander Craig, my Commanding Officer called me into his office for coffee.  We chatted about the squadron and personnel.  Finally he asked me if I ever wanted to return to recruiting duty.  Replying that I did, he smiled and said, I was hoping you would say that and handed me a message that was ten days old.  The message was that he Navy was going to establish a permanent assignment to recruiting duty due to the all-volunteer concept.  I noticed that the deadline for the applications had already passed while I was on leave.  He laughed and rr3plied that is why he was happy that I wanted to return to recruiting duty because he had submitted my application and I had been selected, it was only then he handed me my orders to Navy recruiting district, Seattle, Washington.

Reporting in at the main station in Seattle, I was then transferred to Anchorage, Alaska as the Navy Recruiter in Charge for the State of Alaska.  I would never return to the main command in Seattle.  After two years, I expanded our offices in Alaska to include an office in Fairbanks and one in Juneau.   Spent a lot of travel time between the three offices assisting the recruiters that manned the offices for me. 

In the spring of 1983, I had been selected for Senior Chief.  The Command in Seattle called me and said that the Recruiting Command was looking for a Zone Supervisor in Oklahoma City to manage several stations and that I had been selected.  Talking with the Chief Recruiter, I told him I would call him back the next morning.  I counted up my time and had the requirement to retire, although I would have to extend or reenlist for two more years to accept Senior Chief.  I talked to Terry that evening pertaining to our options.  We mutually agreed it was time to retire and stay in Alaska. The next morning, I called the Chief Recruiter and announced that I would have the time required for retirement in August and intended to do so.  The ironic thing was that I had been in Alaska almost four years, I had never returned to our main headquarters in Seattle.

In August 1983, I retired from the active duty Navy with twenty years of service to the Navy Fleet Reserve for the remainder of my ten years, subject to recall.  My retirement ceremony took place at the new Federal Court House, just four blocks from the old Court House that I had enlisted at in 1963.  In late October 1993, I received a Certified Envelope, enclosed was my Honorable Discharge for serving thirty years in the Naval Service.   It was a great career, to do over again; I would choose the same option.  As I mentioned previously, your first ship is always your true love, “Lady Shang” took me to sea as a boy and returned me as man.  Fifty years later, it is a good day!  

 

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