Launched off an Aircraft Carrier

Fun and exciting times. The Navy experience, there's nothing like it.

I was on board the USS Long Beach (CGN-9) in escort with the USS Kitty Hawk when it had a collision with the Soviet Submarine in 1984, I was monitoring the radio telephone circuit when that happened. I was the first on our ship to get the report and report to my own command.

I was on the USS Camden (AOE-2) in the Indian Ocean on WestPac and had one of our CH-46's go in the water. We had a pilot named Lt. McNutt, take off on the CH-46 without establishing comms and the Helo had just had the engine replaced. He took off and flew out about 5000 yards and in the water he went.

Same WestPac, we had the EOD team and received the two EXOCET Missiles that were fired into the USS Stark and disarmed them. It was the rocket fuel that caused all the damage on the Stark setting the Aluminum structure on fire. The rockets themselves did not detonate.

I served on the USS Enhance (MSO-937) when out in the Persian Gulf clearing the sea lanes of Iranian Mines.

I've been out of the Navy 20 years now and I still dream about it.

Where else can you have such adventures? You lived it and after it is all done, you don't even have to like the military, you still wouldn't trade the experience for anything else.

Back during the Iran Hostage situation I was on a USO tour with my band, and we got to land on and take off from the Coral Sea, with all our keyboards, guitars, amps, drums etc. We flew from Diego Garcia to the Seventh Fleet which was located 'somewhere' just to the north of the Indian Ocean. As we approached the Fleet the pilot pointed out what looked like a postage stamp floating in the water and told us that was our 'runway'. The landing was intense (more like a controlled crash) and the deceleration was unbelievable.

We spent a few weeks being helicoptered to the different ships in the fleet. When it was all over we were loaded back on the plane. In our pre-takeoff briefing the pilot pointed to our 'emergency exit' (a small round door on the ceiling near the front of the passenger 'cabin', and told us that if we hit the water all we had to do was open this hatch and swim for the surface. He also mentioned that he and the co-pilot might get in our way. Feeling less than reassured we braced for the take off.

We'd been watching the planes take off in our spare time, but nothing could have prepared us for the ass-kicking acceleration when the catapult threw us off the deck. We could see the water rushing up below us and it was just when it seemed we were clipping the tops of the waves the pilot pointed the nose up and we were off like a rocket. Definitely better than any carnival ride.