Submarine Cod Visits USS Recruit: Landlocked Ship

[@arizonasubmarinersperchbas4684]

The signal flags on the port side are U+S+S. The signal flags on the starboard side are R+E+C+R+U+I+T

[@Fred_Raimer]

Really? It reads "Ryan was Here" to me 😁

[@nautifella]

I was in boot camp from April to May in 1981. At that time they were rebuilding the _USS RECRUIT._ We weren't allowed near it. I was going to sub school soon after graduation so that was fine with me.

[@WDGFE]

Holy cats! I do remember “CPO Sharkey.” I had assumed at the time that this was a built for TV set piece. Good to see it’s both more than that, and that it’s in apparently good condition, after all these years.

[@wbix2298]

Along with the sound powered phones they also taught us to go up and forward" on the starboard side (right) and "down and aft" on the port side. Stressed the way to move hundreds in a crew quickly with no salmon trying to go against the flow. Taught raw recruits that the principle worked. Companies 462 and 498 in 1966. Wish I had made it through RTC without emergency leave. But I did miss the gas mask training. TMC(SS) Ret.

[@unclerojelio6320]

Raise your hand if you watched CPO Sharkey when it originally aired.

[@paulgrogan8032]

USS RECRUIT was where I cast my first line. Camp Nimitz 1981 Co. 117⚓️

[@mrkeiths48]

My bootcamp company in 1981 was 090. Funny thing is I never stepped foot on the Recruit. I was pretty focused on those next two years of school. Bootcamp flew by.

[@RayBoebel]

I graduated boot camp in San Diego in 1988, Company 021. I remember the area from what little we were let off base. I also attended Sonar "A" School which if I remember correctly was across the highway from boot camp.

[@masterskrain2630]

I was a G.P.O. ( Graduation Purposes Only) recruit assigned to the U.S.S. Bluejacket while going through basic training at RTC Orlando back in 1972. Long ago memories...

[@jamesgarman4788]

I trained on the USS Recruit back in Oct 1988 Company 189.⚓Those doors on the side were phone booths for recruits to call home when we had that privilege.

[@Russojap2]

"Paul, were you at the helm when this happened?"😂😂😂 Very interesting! 😎

[@georgehigdon4974]

Yeah, sound powered phones and knot tieing classes Sept.1970 Company 366. It looks spiffy now, compared to back then. ADJ3 Nas Miramar VF-124 and VFP-63. Mustered out in Sept 1974.

[@Kw1161]

I went through San Diego RTC in 1979 but it was off limits due to it being in dis-repair on what we called “Worm island” at the time. Good to see it was kept when the base was closed. Have a great day!

[@davidbaldwin1018]

Co. 939 September 1984, RTC San Diego. Final exam to graduate Recruit training was given inside this trainer.

[@JimMack-g1d]

USS Bluejacket was "moored" here in Orlando at Recruit Training Command for 25 years. Shame the city didn't keep it when they took over the base.

[@elfthreefiveseven1297]

When I was in boot camp the telephone exchange for recruits to make long distance phone calls home on something like the 3 or 4 week. I was local so I did not go inside, I used a phone booth. When I was in Apprenticeship training after boot camp, we were to do some drills on the USS Recruit. But my Chief (BM) said it was not worth marching us across base to do them. When we could just take rope yarn early that day instead. I don't know if they ever did anything on the USS Recruit (locally known as the Never Sail). Since I had the 2nd highest scores in the class and was nominated for an A-School and subsequently was sent off to Pensacola for CTR school, later switching to CTO school and joining the fleet as a CTO. Missing the last 2 weeks of Apprenticeship training, (and a lot of friends too)

[@bohica401]

That was rtc tc San Diego where a lot of sailors graduated boot camp and of course no longer exist I as well graduated from there then was sent to treasure island for HT a school

[@snafubar5491]

Looks nothing like the one I remember at San Diego that we called the USS Neversail. It was near the bridge over to Worm Island. My class, 947 late 78, never even went aboard her once. Luckily I never got bombed by a Grinder Chicken.....that was served in the Chow Hall every Wednesday. Will never forget the time a 747 almost landed on the Grinder one foggy af morning. And the shock of seeing real Green eggs the first time. Thank God for hot sauce and ketchup is all I can say about how they tasted.

[@scrapperstacker8629]

At least someone is still maintaining her.

[@johnslaughter5475]

I don't even remember going aboard her during my time in Boot at SD in 1968. Strange, isn't it? What I do remember is that we spent far too much time in class. One day on the rifle range, one day at fire fighting, a whole lot in class, and a lot out on the grinder for what was learning the graduation ceremonies. They sure didn't get us ready for sea duty. I was totally lost when I arrived aboard Ranger. I've watched some videos of boot at Great Lakes and it appears they are doing a much better job of actually getting recruits ready for sea duty.

[@tomdolan9761]

They used it to train recruits in the use of sound powered telephones including yours truly back in 1977

[@milwaukeeroadjim9253]

Great Lakes never had a ship like this in 1972, that I knew about. We did a lot of 16 count manual of arms and marching. Time on the rifle range, pool, sound power phones, morse code and the rest was studying and taking tests. It was Vietnam Era and boot camp had been shortened to 8 weeks if I remember correctly. Never saw a Navy ship until I was assigned to AS-33 after C school.

[@jackmoorehead2036]

I was on her in 1966, it's amazing what is there now. That was a huge "Grinder" the Chow Hall faced the ship, and acres of WW2 Barracks.

[@rogerbredemeier2220]

I was there in late 1964, and I remember her all to well.

[@fehuthel]

Orlando’s USS Bluejacket was in pretty steep decline by the early 90’s; neglect led to significant water intrusion which ruined the electricals. By 1993 she was no longer being used except to provide a home for a wide and interesting variety of nests of small stinging creatures. The hulk was still there when I moved here in early 1997 but by 1999 the last USN operations at the site closed. The entire site was pretty much razed and majority of the area is now a community called Baldwin Park.

[@skittlesandfriends5710]

I was at San Diego RTC In 1983 and went aboard the USS Recruit as part of my Basic Training, and Marched by her what seemed like hundreds of times during my nine weeks of basic training, Glad to see her so well preserved and maintained.

[@JoeC-bz2ep]

Was the RPO1 in boot camp San Diego 1980. On our USS RECRUIT day, I had some other stuff to do,(company related), so I missed the only day of training relating to being on a ship. I was bumming.

[@brianb8060]

My dad trained on the USS Recruit, around 1962. My brother trained on the USS Bluejacket (RTC Orlando) around 1991 or 1992.

[@buzz5969]

I remember that ship lol.

[@sailordude2094]

I volunteered to be in the 1981 Orlando Boot Camp recruit choir and was accepted! I never went on that training ship or do the mess hall thing or run everyday. That was the co-ed boot camp then and the choir had female sailors also. It was like being with McHale's Navy for a boot camp experience, lol. Thanks for the tour! BTW, the one in Orlando (not around anymore) looked like a square barracks type ship, this one looks pretty real!

[@Burninhellscrootoob]

CPO Sharkey! What a great show w don rickles!❤❤❤❤❤

[@gavinwright184]

In 1985 the only thing my company did on that ship was use the telephone center (accessed through those ground level doors). Our first chance o have a decent call home, if I recall correctly we were given 10 minutes. My company was a drill team company so we didn't participate in a lot the other companies did. 85-945.

[@Fred_Raimer]

Paul, the flags spell out "Ryan was Here" 😆

[@paveloleynikov4715]

We're the lords of the sea Well, technically, next to the sea

[@cneuzil]

We need to start calling Paul "Mr. Warmth"!

[@paulfarace9595]

Leave it for Don Rickles... he earned it!😮😅❤

[@paulvarga9696]

When I was in Navy Boot Camp in the 1980s we spent about 30 min on the thing I don't think anyone got anything out of it other than the impression this is like being on a ship

[@BB12659]

When I was in the Sea Cadets and later in the USNR I was sent to Philadelphia, and did time on the Buttercup. Great 'platform' for flood training. I can recall the instructors throwing firecracker into the hatches as we desperately attempted to keep the Buttercup afloat. Alas, we failed, 7% list was enough to sink us. This was a pleasant memory of those times, thanks, Paul!

[@milwaukeeroadjim9253]

We had a Buttercup at Treasure Island in 1972 HT Firefighting school

[@xpatsteve]

I went to Boot Camp at RTC Orlando in 1980. We had a landlocked training ship we called the USS Neversail (not sure if that's the official name). The days we spent pretending to be on a ship were the closest we had to actually having fun.

[@edwardpate6128]

Its official name was the USS Bluejacket.

[@xpatsteve]

@@edwardpate6128 Doh! Now I remember. Thanks!

[@edwardpate6128]

I went to boot camp at the now long gone RTC Orlando in 1980 and our landlocked ship there was the USS Bluejacket.

[@spaceghostohio7989]

Wow....how things have changed since the 80's....thanks USS Cod !!!

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

USN Boot, San Diego, Late May, 1968. I don't believe my company spent an hour "aboard" that thing. We did a lot of silly marching with bolt action Springfield rifles, which we of course never saw again. I later spent 4 years at NAS Miramar, USN, 68-74, ETR-2, maintained GCA RADAR and TACAN. I am 76

[@georgeburns7251]

In 68 we did sound powered phone training on the Recruit. Hull is basically open inside. She has been modernized since then. Have visit the ship a couple of times when in the area. Glad they kept her. There are still several buildings left and repurposed from the training center. A nice walking trail along the water front. The USMC training center is still there and in operation.

[@charlesgantz5865]

Just don't hop the fence trying to get to the airport.

[@rustysquid]

Paul, WOW such a step back in time. I went through RTC San Diego in 1984. I got set back four weeks after suffering an injury in my first recruit company. Thankfully, I only had to endure USS Recruit and the gas chamber once. I remember becoming flummoxed when a chief asked me what a particular type of fire fighting equipment was called. After a few forever and ever, the chief asked me what the name of my girlfriend was and I was allowed to move forward. Good memories at the RTC, except for the tear gas chamber. Cheers!

[@Species5008]

What company were you in at RTC San Diego? I was there same time

[@stanleybest8833]

The flags? Remember to drink your Ovaltine.

[@macmedic892]

A stupid commercial?!

[@andrewfischer8564]

0:11 cpo sharkey? don rickles? cant remember lunch but a 50 yr old tv show yes

[@andrewfischer8564]

2:05 thats a yes

[@panhandlemikee5573]

I have always wondered why the Navy closed the San Diego and Orlando boot camps? Then, kept Great Lakes boot camp open. Boot at Great Lakes 1967, but luckily, it was in the summer.

[@miketreffinger7525]

Great Lakes winter of 1979. Snow patrol.

[@rwklueg]

Kwai 70-71 , 11 weeks of fun November to January. But I thought it was lucky to be there in the winter we did only fast marching in the cold.

[@Fred_Lougee]

Recruit Co. 85379, 4 Nov 85 to 10 Jan 86. Navy Basic over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. The only good thing was that we did our drilling and PT indoors. Doubletime was suspended so everyone who smoked was fat and short of breath for the 2 mile run in final PT. Then I got on a plane and landed in San Diego for A School. There were three of us who had been at Great Lakes in the class and we were obvious. Pale with no "grinder reminder" line on our foreheads.

[@macmedic892]

@@miketreffinger7525Great Lakes 1977-1981 was my Dad’s last duty station before retiring at an ET Senior Chief.

[@stevewindisch7400]

I remember that as a Sea Explorer in the !970's (we had the chapter name "USS Cod"), we all took a bus for a weekend trip to Great Lakes, and saw a similar ship there . That night we took advantage of the vending machines selling beer. The scout masters were not happy but we were ;)

[@garywayne6083]

I hope you made it to the 52 Boats Memorial nearby the Recruit - I found it well done and an excellent tribute to each sub lost.

[@paulfarace9595]

Didn't know about it!😮

[@railroad9000]

Went to boot camp in SD in early 60's. I think it was called the USS NEVERSAIL. It's been too many years!

[@georgemartin1436]

Those hockey pucks should let you in there.

[@paulfarace9595]

They had no clue i was coming!😅

[@georgemartin1436]

@@paulfarace9595 I know but I had to get one of his phrases in there!

[@jbar4ranch]

I marched past it many times in 1974, but was never aboard. Company 934 - flag company.

[@glocke380]

We were taught sound powered phone discipline on board her.

[@chrissakal532]

You should visit Oklahoma! We have a landlocked submarine, U.S.S. Batfish. I haven't made it up to Muskogee to visit, but I would like to.

[@paulfarace9595]

Yes I hope to visit our sad sister sub... I fear that it may be too late.

[@billsmith8739]

I wish they would have kept the training ship USS Blue Jacket at NTC/RTC Orlando, FL

[@bigsarge2085]

Interesting!

[@steveweinberg462]

Named after the original USS RECRUIT, a wooden "dreadnought" in Manhattan's Union Square from 1917-1920.

[@jrmotorsports5532]

Very interesting.

[@geofftimm2291]

I saw the beginning and thought "CPO Sharkey" wow, hardly a man is now alive... Geoff Who was in the US Army.

[@maxseed4730]

Right there by point loma

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

The Recuit at RTC had the gas chamber in the aft section.

[@chrismaverick9828]

So when do you put in a bid to get the USS Texas moved up from Gulf Copper to moor alongside the Walther G. Mather? :D

[@paulfarace9595]

Never! We know better!😅

[@TX-biker]

Had no idea this even existed 🤠

[@anthonylowder6687]

San Diego Recruit Training Center…..not Reserve Training Center

[@wbix2298]

Recruit Training Command/Service School Command/Naval Training Center San Diego

[@SovietDictator]

flags say RECRUIT