Hello again Jay. No kidding? That's too bizarre! Is your friend still around? Were you able to work after the Navy? I got out because I got married and my wife wasn't sold on moving to Mayport, FL and not seeing me for nine months out of the year. Back in the day, the ship deployments were nine months. We need to talk!
10 Tanks (Now more)
Ya, he is still around although he is going down hill a bit. The government did take care of him as he gets 100% military and social security disability benefits.
Ya, I was still able to work. In fact I just retired around 6 years ago. I had a few different jobs including being a machinist and owning my own computer repair/build/website building business. I do fine now with my 30% disability and social security. Actually I still do a little computer work but not much. One thing I still do is collect old computers and parts.(helped now and then by donations of stuff by a local computer shop). I rebuild and turn the old stuff into viable systems and donate to people, normally with kids, that can't afford to buy one on their own.
Never really considered myself handicapped although, technically, I have no depth perception which requires stereoscopic vision. While it isn't depth perception exactly like someone with sight in both eyes I still do have depth perception. The brain is an amazing thing and, if allowed, will find other ways to do things. Two years after losing the sight in my right eye I won an MVP trophy in a softball tournament playing outfield. If that isn't judging depth I don't know what is. I had a theory on this and an eye doctor agreed that my thought was largely correct although there were also other factors. Boils down to the fact that I know the size of things. The further away an object is the smaller it will seem. My brain 'learned' how to turn this into depth. Kind of cool actually.
It isn't 100% but mostly works. I just refused to allow the eye to hold me back.
What would you want to talk about? I wasn't in the Navy long enough to do any sea duty or anything. Shoot, 7 months of my time in was in the Naval hospital in Philadelphia. Actually I was mostly an out patient after a month or so but the hospital was my billet. I went home to Ohio on weekends and such. For about the last month in Philly I was housed at the Navy ship yards and assigned to in coming/out going personnel. I actually processed my own separation papers. Pulled a little 'con' on the Navy with that. I knew within a day or two when my separation papers would come back. A couple of days before I knew that the paperwork would be back I drew 6 months advance pay. Walked my paper work through the chain of command myself. Once my separation was official I went to collect my travel pay home. The paymaster looked at me kind of odd and went back a page or two in his ledger and said "Job well done.". At least in 1973, when separated, all financial debts to the military became null and void. Bought myself a 1969 Chevy Impala with some of that money. Actually my grandfather found that car for me through a police auction. Even in 1973 getting a 4 year old Impala for $600.00 was a heck of a deal.
Funny that you mentioned Mayport. I lived in Jacksonville Beach for 16 years. Started my computer business in Ft. Worth Texas and kept it going in Florida until I shut it down in 2009. That business was why I have 'Most Valuable Professional' awards from Microsoft. Actually I'm pretty proud of those awards as I'm 100% self taught. LOL! I've taught computer classes at the junior college level but never attended a class as a student.
