Thank you for your service sailor ! I was in Chu Lia and Da Nang touring the country four years ago. If you get a chance go back and enjoy it at peace. It is inexpensive, friendly people, great food.

Mine was quite different. I went to Kingsville, Texas, to wait for my class for Aviation Fundamentals in Norman, Oklahoma, to open up. After completing that and qualifing for Photographers Mate, I went to Pensacola, Florida, for A school. After completeing that I received orders to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. 1957-1961. I am now back home in good ole San Diego.

I have a clue. I am a native San Diegian and went to Boot Camp there in late 1957 when Nimtz Camp (your Worm Island) was first opened. We were CO 489 and the first company to be assigned there. Those barracks were still gray in color at that time and would be later painted yellow. We would spend our first three weeks there and have sevice week there also (chow hall). What you saw over there in 1994 was all bull dozed in the last several weeks. Right now there are approximately 30 large piles of concrete there waiting to be halled away. The other part of the base that had their barracks demoed were replaced with new condo's (the West Side of the Grinder). There were a number of other small buildings demoed also. Thank you for your service sailor !

@charleshansen6928 Thanks for your response. It's curious how my memories are not accurate. I remember on the island the barracks being wooden and white! Could be because in my birthplace Norman OK there was a Navy base during WW2 for reserves. They chainsawed the last one around '79 I think. Haven't been there in 30yrs but not many reminders remained then. As you know as a society we should not forget or else. With the average age of many towns around early 30s you gotta wonder. And I salute you my friend.

@@John-ls2gp Thank you for your follow up. I graduated from NTC Boot Camp on Feb. 21, 1958 and was sent to NAS Kingsville, Texas for temporary duty waiting for Aviation Prep. School in Norman, Oklahoma. Prep school was about aviation fundamentals and was a school that I was guaranteed for being a high school graduate (shucks I thought I had been guaranteed a trade school ??) and from there had to qualify for one of the 5 trade schools offered. At Norman I most likely stayed on those white wooden barracks that you have mentioned being in Norman. I did qualify for my choice (Photography) of schools and went on to a wonderful four year tour in the Navy. Through my years I continue to track the location of my Nimitz Camp barracks as it was visible from the major road nearby. I saw what was left of those barracks again today when I passed by. Best of luck my friend.

@charleshansen6928 It is truly a small world. So we were in Norman at the same time as I grew up '55-'64 across the street literally from Westimer field, North Base. Spent my summers at that huge swimming pool there. My grandparents lived on a farm in the 10mile flats, 5 miles west of the N base and believe it or not a Japanese Zero crashed and burned on their farm. I'm not sure of the exact year other than early mid '40s. They routinely flew out 550 miles engaged in battle then flew back so he probably started right off the west coast. And based on the nightmares I had as a kid without knowing anything about it it could've been me! Being 1st born. Didn't mean to get into all that. Thank you and take care.

Thank you for your service Samuel ! Two days ago I drove by Nimitz Camp and the the last of those yellow barracks had been leveled (including the one that I was in). It is gone now forever.

13 weeks. My mistake

Susan this USS Bennington was launch new in 1944. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bennington_(CV-20)

Opps, meant to type 1944. Yes, am aware of the launch date. Dad was a Plank Owner..

Then tears well shed. Thanking your father for his service. She was a fine ship.@@SusanSchell-z7b

What condition are you taking about? Most of the old NTC has been restored. What remains was what was once called Camp Nimitz where we spent our first six weeks (including service week) of Boot Camp. Half of those barracks have been torn down and replaced with a beautiful hotel. The other half has been used to train firemen and law enforcement folks. Word from the mayor of San Diego last week says that they are now being upgraded (rather than demolished) to house our homeless population.

I think it was June of 64 we were with the Berkley, Com7thfleet was on the Berkley, and we had his Band on ours. I was on DD-729 U.S.S Lyman K. Swenson, and remember the Band playing on the Torpedo deck. We were on our way up to Bangkok for 5 days of R&R. I was a long dirty brown river getting up there. We left there for Sasebo, Japan. Suddenly we heal hard over to Starbord and they pass the word we are going into Saigon. Viet Cong Skin Diver planted a charge on the U.S.N.S Card, blew a hole in it and sunk it. Sitting low in the stern. Went to general Quarters, had a Mine Sweeper ahead of us, and a plane over head. They said if they shoot, we shoot back. Spend 5 days there, I guess to show the bad guys our big guns. Going down the river hit something submerged, sliced a hole in the Hull and flooded the Sonar. headed to Subic, lift us out of the water in a Floating Dry Dock. Worked all night cutting out and welding in a new section. 24 hrs later we were on our way. I think that was the only time I saw the Berkley out there. Long time ago, getting fuzzy remembering it all. I was RM-3 when I got off the Swenson in 9/66.