Chris Kuhn, CTA2 USN, 1965-1969


September 1965:  I was 19—grew up in rural north-central Ohio.  Having bombed out of two 
different colleges in two years and with no job prospects and with “Rolling Thunder” just under way, 
I decided my only option was to join the military.  Since my home town wasn't big enough for a 
full-time recruiting office I went to the next larger town down the road.  Showed up at the recruiting 
office at lunchtime.  Went up the stairs and turned left to the Army—closed for lunch.  Turned right 
into the Navy/MC office.  Made eye contact first with the Navy recruiter and went that direction.  
I could just as easily have looked at the Marine recruiter and ended up in the Marines in 
September 1965—God help me!

I tested well and was asked what I wanted to do.  “If I'm in the Navy I want to steer the ship—make me 
a quartermaster.”  Fortunately (or unfortunately) I was already a skilled typist so ended up at YN/PN “A” 
school in San Diego.  Finished there in March 1966 and was sent to NAVSECGRUHQ where I spent 
the next 3 ½ years behind a typewriter.

Initially I was kind of disappointed in being sent to WASHDC instead of off to see the world, but quickly 
decided that it really was a great and eventful time to be there.  I was always interested in history and politics.  
During my time there we had the big buildup in Viet Nam; we had the USS Liberty and USS Pueblo incidents; 
we had Tet; we had the assassinations of MLK and RFK (after MLK we had burning buildings and Army jeeps 
with machine guns in downtown DC); we had politics and drama every day; we had the October 1967 march on 
the Pentagon (which I attended (in civvies, of course)).

I was discharged CTA2 in September 1969 and got on with my life.  In the Navy I made friends that I still cherish.  
I learned a lot of good and bad about the military and the country.  You had to be there.


Chris Kuhn, CTA2 USN, 1965-1969