Norfolk
Naval Base is the biggest in the world.
Hq, Co. 24th Marines, my old reserve unit, spent two weeks at its Little
Creek Amphibious Base in August, 1977. Its
mission this time was to make a landing from the Atlantic. The first week had the usual training: gas
chamber, S-2 briefings, and climbing between the tops of telephone poles on the
obstacle course with cargo nets when it was 97 degrees. We saw our first Harrier jet when it landed
in front of our bleachers. It makes a
tremendous noise. Recon units seem to
spend a lot of time dangling on ropes from helicopters making runs across the
waterfront. I took a picture of the
aircraft carrier USS Kennedy docked there as we boarded an amphibious
ship. People back on the block have no
idea how enormous carriers are.
Water
survival was off Little Creek Park in a rubber raft, in uniform of course. Being from the Midwest, I naturally worried
about sharks, but it fades when the instructor dumps everyone overboard and
overturns the raft. The immediate
concern is getting the most agile fellow on top, grabbing the ropes and leaning
back until he flips it upright. It
amazing how hot it can get in a rubber life raft. On board our LPD, SSgt. Grimes is modeling a Kapok, the Navy’s old version of a life jacket.
Notice he still wears the old green utilities just now in 1977 being
replaced by camouflage. It was interesting
how little interaction there was between us Marines and the “Squids”. They looked like teenagers. I guess it’s because we were reservists and
Hq. Co. was packed with returning Vietnam veterans.
Behind
SSgt. Grimes is LPD-23, the USS Anchorage, one of many that are the meat and potatoes ships of
every Marine Corps landing. It’s a
special type of troopship with a helicopter or Harrier flight deck and a well
deck below that floods to discharge landing craft we called Amtracks. LPDs apparently don’t have any life boats. I didn’t see any. What happens if one is
torpedoed? Our LPD-20, the USS Green Bay, which was
anchored next to the USS Kennedy, is preparing for the landing which was to
take place during our second week at Little Creek. (note: Greenbay and Anchorage and their numbers were passed on to their replacements. I believe the identifications are correct, but I could be wrong).
I took the last photo from a Mike Boat as we
floated around Norfolk Harbor. Notice
the antiaircraft guns on the ship’s port side and the old fashioned ramp.
I never saw an old Mike Boat again.
Hover Craft replaced them. As for
Norfolk Harbor and before I forget, it’s where the Cherry family came to
America as indentured servants from England in 1635, but I did not know it at
the time.
