Paul Galow, CT2 USN, 1952-1956


My CT story. Paul Galow
 
There are a lot of very interesting stories here. It seems that 17 or 18
year old kids have many of the same ideas and love of adventure.
 
I grew up in a rural area in northeastern Pennsylvania.   My grandfather had
a small farm in Dorrance (no indoor plumbing, no electricity, etc.)  and my
father was a carpenter. I went to a poor high school in Mountain Top, PA.
There were 26 students that graduated in my class. To me, the only subjects
that were interesting were math and science.
 
I graduated in 1951 during the period when there was a draft so getting a
job was difficult. A close friend and I decided to go south after the first
snowstorm in 1951. I had about $125.00, which seemed to be enough money to
last a long time. We hitch hiked south and got as far as Washing DC. We each
found jobs with very little pay. I worked at the airport and found a room in
Alexandria and my friend stayed in DC.  
 
That lasted a couple of months and I went back to Pennsylvania. My uncle
spent 20 years in the Navy and was in during the first world war, my 3
cousins and my brother were in the Navy during the second world war so it
seemed normal for me to join up.
 
I took some kind of test at the recruiting office and they said if I
enlisted I could be an HSSR. (High School Seaman Recruit) This was some kind
of guarantee to be assigned to a Navy school. I was really surprised because
I never thought of myself as having any special aptitude.
 
After Bainbridge, MD boot camp (company 316 1952) Lester Heller and I were
sent to Treasure Island for ET school. We traveled by Pullman train. I was
incredibly naive and learned a lot from Les. He is Jewish and I had never
met a Jew. During one of our many conversations he told me he was Jewish. I
said something to the effect that I did not know he was Jewish. He said,
"Paul, I couldn't look more Jewish than if I were Jesus Christ himself." He
became one of my best friends.
 
The personnel man at Bainbridge that assigned my CT rating asked me if I
wanted to be a gumshoe. I asked what that meant and he said it was some kind
of radio technician.  It sounded OK to me.
 
My hometown had a crossroad with a gas station two bars and a small grocery
store. My mother wrote to me and asked me if I was in trouble because 2 FBI
agents were asking the local people about me but did not tell anyone why I
was being investigated. I became famous among those people. 
 
After Treasure Island, I was assigned to Cheltenham for the next three
years. These were some of the best years of my life and after 50 years I
still communicate regularly with the friends I made there.