U. S. NAVY  CORPSMAN 
                                                             

                                       (HM-8492)(HM-8404)(HM-8493)(HM-8404)
                                       I Ain't no Land Lubbing Sailor even if I am from Laredo   Texas!    
                                                                                    " Mi Vida Loca"  

I was a Martin High School, Laredo, Texas drop out in my senior year to join the U. S. Navy.  I spent over 22 years and retired in Nov 1970 as a Hospital Corpsman Chief Petty Officer.
 
The men without a high school diploma were offered classes by the US Navy for GED and I got mine from the state of TX after passing the exam.   I was a very poor student at M.H.S., my interest was sports and i was only mediocre. I lettered in Football one year.  I missed a letter in Track because of severe chin splint injuries.  I was a 440 relay starter.  Tito Hill relieved me when I quit track and upon  turning 17 years old I joined the U.S.N.     The less than magnificent

 

Way back in the dark ages  The U.S. Navy Hospital
Corpsman were selected to be trained as (HM-8493) Medical Deep Sea Diving  Technicians by the Deep Sea Diving School at the U.S. Naval Gun Factory, Washington D.C.


When I reported there, I was a Field Medical Service Tech.(USMC corpsman) (HM-8404) . I am a graduate of the HM-8442 Med.Admin.Tech (I made chief there.)  

I was one of those fortunate sailors that became part of the rough and touch U.S. Navy Deep Sea Diving Community.  I was later qualified as an Independent Duty Hospital Corpsman and served aboard the USS COUCAL (ASR-8) and the USS SKYLARK (ASR-20) as the Medical Department Representative.   This is where a USN Deep Sea Diver learns how to dive!  

 ASR's were the real diving community and I had the pleasure of working with the cream of the crop of Navy Divers.     I was fortunate enough to make both West Pac and Med cruises on these ships.   We survived a Typhoon near the French Shoals in the Pacific Ocean. My first Med trip was a winter crossing of the Atlantic on the Skylark.  We got to Rota with both forward water tanks ruptured and full of salt water.  My Second Med Cruise on USS Skylark, nice cruise over and back.  I made my deepest dive on Helium Oxygen off Toulon France.  I was tended from the stage by Ernst SF2 at 200 feet.  We were showing the French submarine "honchos" the art of Mc Cann  Submarine Rescue using our false seat.

  Once more, I was very fortunate to have been assigned to the two Submarine Escape Training Tanks.  First at Pearl Harbor where I was a qualified instructor and graduated from my first (real) SCUBA School.  Later I served at the Subase in New London , Conn. and was also a qualified instructor at the Tank's  SCUBA School.  I had the pleasure of Working with Bob Sheats and Capt. Bond and other great divers.

Other ships that i served as ship's company:
USS FULTON (AS-11) at State Pier, New London, Conn. USS PROTEUS (AS-19) at Holy Loch Scotland USS SIMON LAKE (AS-33) at Charleston SC I pulled TAD duty on the following ships: Flew out of S.F. CA on the way to Korea on a MARS airplane.

 USs General William Weigel (AP-119 )   from Korea back to San Francisco  ,  I spent two Christmases in Korea with the First Marine Div.  I saw action with Fox-2-1 as infantry  corpsman.USS George Washington (Blue) (SSN-  ) TAD to go to Scotland aboard a big iron bird.


USS SEALION (APSS-315 )  two trips to South America, with SEAL Team TWO, we did  night and day lockout-lock in.

I became a Special Operations Technician (UDT-SEAL) HM-8442 by going thru UWSS Key West FL with a UDT Class and then I stayed on as an instructor there until I went back to sea duty at SEAL Team TWO, Little Creek, VA.  I made my first tour of the 'nam with the 7th platoon, and went back for a full year in 1998, came back in Nov 1970 and retired with over 22 years service.

I have "spliced the main brace: in many parts of the world including Australia, South America, England, Germany, the Mediterranean Countries, South Pacific Islands, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and many others.  I won a few fights and lost some and I am still alive and willing to do it all over gain:  "My Way!"

You can find me on the U.S. Navy Log.  I was in two wars (technically NOT wars.)   My Service Awards :  Two bronze stars, Five purple hearts, Navy Commendation medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and many others. I was retired with VA disability of 100% due to Korea and Vietnam war injuries.