Ronald Frederick O'Day, CTRCM(SS) USN Retired, 1957-1977


I've enjoyed reading the accounts of others.  My story begins while I  
was in high school during the winter of 1956.  Like a lot of  
rudderless teenage boys, I got into a bit of trouble.  I was a 16 year  
old "know it all" and believed I was smarter than the adults who were  
trying to help me.  Needless to say, my attitude and behavior  
ultimately got me knee deep in big muddy.  I was given the choice of  
"Boy's Republic"  in Chino, CA or the Army.  I chose the latter and  
off I went to Fort Ord, CA.  After boot camp, I was sent to Fort  
Leonardwood, MO where I completed Combat Engineer training. While I  
enjoyed the Army and was growing up, I was under age.  I was  
discharged and sent home to Newhall, CA.  Shortly thereafter, I turned  
17 and decided to join the Marine Corps.  I convinced three of my  
boyhood friends to enlist with me.  We decided to meet at the Los  
Angeles recruiting office and made a plan.   On the agreed upon date  
and time, I arrived a bit early at the recruiting Center but the  
Marine sergeant was off to lunch. However, the Navy chief was there  
and he invited me to join him for a hamburger.  After lunch, my  
friends were still not there and I figured they had a change of  
heart.  Moreover, the Marine recruiter had decided to take an extended  
lunch.  In their absence, the Chief talked me in to joining the Navy.   
I was easy then and remain so to this day.
 
He administered the appropriate tests and I qualified for the  
electronics field.  I was given the option of not going to Navy boot  
camp since I had already completed the Army version.  However, I opted  
to do it again in a white hat.  After boot camp in San Diego, I was  
transferred to Imperial Beach, CA and CTR basic school.  Like most, I  
had no idea what the school was about - no one seemed to know.   
However, I was quite surprised that it involved dits and dahs.  I had  
some experience with Morse Code as a Boy Scout, so only had to learn  
to type.  While there, I had several chats with gentlemen wearing  
coats, white shirts and ties.  Some of the interviews had to do with a  
GTA (grand theft auto) charge against one of my high school friends  
(another sailor); that is another story.  Meanwhile, folks in my  
hometown and teachers at my high school were visited and interviewed.   
I'm sure many thought that I had finally crossed the line and was  
going to prison.  Because of my past escapades, it took me quite a  
while to get a final clearance.  In fact, I spent a year in Guam  
working in COMSEC because the background investigation took much  
longer than usual.  However, someone, somewhere finally deemed me  
eligible for entrance into the inner sanctum of spookdom.  After Guam,  
I was sent to the 6th Fleet as a fully vetted CT where I served on the  
USS Des Moines and USS Springfield.  The rest is history.
 
As a postscript, I remain friends with many I trained or served with  
during my Navy career.  Three of those I met while at Imperial Beach -  
Jack "Blackie" Barrett, Frank Cote and Larry Gifford.  Several of the  
1959-62 COMSIXTHFLT group (Kelly Bowling, Ken Collins, Ray Hanes, Paul  
Ceglia, Chuck Zumbaugh, Jake Otten, Ed Brogan, Bob Haskell and Mike  
Powers) remain in contact and meet each year at the annual NCVA  
reunions.
 
 
 
Ron "Chic" O'Day
1958-1977
CTRCM retired
Guam
USS Des Moines
USS Springfield
USS Bang
USS Shark
USS Scorpion
USS Skipjack
Hawaii
Philippines
Chargerhorse
USS Sterett
USS Oriskany
USS Constellation
Northwest
COMNAVSECGRU - CTR TECHAD