JFK Ship's Seal
Seaman Recuit
Seaman Recruit

Seaman Apprentice
Seaman Apprentice

Seaman
Seaman

Petty Officer Third Class
3rd Class Boatswain's Mate
Petty Officer Second Class
2nd Class Boatswain's Mate
Petty Officer First Class
1st Class Boatswain's Mate
Chief Petty Officer
Chief Quartermaster
About Me

USS John F. Kennedy 1976 - 1978

After two weeks re-indoctrination at Great Lakes I reported aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV67) stationed at Norfolk, Virginia. I had re-upped for two years but had to come back in as an E-5 (Second Class Gunner's Mate Guns). The Kennedy was like a floating city. It was huge. But soon it was home. And at sea, unlike all the other ships I'd served aboard, things stayed where you put them. And you could walk around, in all but the roughest weather, and not feel the deck moving under foot.

Kennedy had no big guns but that didn't mean the Gun Gang had it easy. There were lots of magazines for storing ammo that the aircraft used. We had all of them to maintain along with their associated sprinkler systems that provided fire protection. There was a large armory for small arms and a two gun 40MM saluting battery for rendering honors, which we did quite a bit of. Dignitaries came on board quite frequently. Especially on what we called "cocktail cruises". These were short cruises usually to the Carribean. Our longer six and eight month deployments took us to numerous ports in Italy, Yugoslavia, Spain, and Egypt. The scenery was great but I loved being underway.Then, the most exciting part was watching flight operations. To actually be there as aircraft were launched and recovered. Even more thrilling was night flight ops. The skill it must take to land on a very small area of a deck that's not only moving forward at 30 or so knots but also rising and falling with the ocean swells. Boggles the mind! And then do it in the dark and in inclement weather.

During my Kennedy tour I took a serious interest in sailing, a past time I'd only dabbled in on the West Coast. I bought a small 21 ft. daysailer and cruised the foot of the Chesapeake Bay, Hampton Roads, and most of the tributaries in the area during my off-duty hours. After re-enlisting for six years for 30 days basket leave and a Class C gun school I reluctantly departed JFK. I left my boat, "Kelli G", in the care of trusted friends

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