David William Young, CWO3 USN Retired, 1957-1977 I've enjoyed reading your stories and will likewise read the stories broadcast after mine. Observation: Most were direct-coupled CTs. A few story tellers began their Navy life before they became CTs Early 1950s, at Boy Scout weekly meetings in Falls Church, VA, I watched "Victory at Sea" films and the ember of my Navy career began to warm. John Wayne et al. as Seabee or other naval role continued to raise that temperature. Two weeks after high school graduation (12 JUN 57) with my father's blessing (at 17, I was not permitted to enlist without it), I was on my way to NTC Bainbridge, MD, via Ft. Holabird, Baltimore, MD. 12 years later, my 7-digit service number was supplanted by a 6-digit number, which transitioned to my SSN. I stow by Boot Camp Company 118 "The Compass" with my high school yearbooks. (From HSSR (high school seaman recruit) on a "kiddie cruise" to HSSN took six months.) Basic battery testing at Boot Camp showed excellent ARI/GCT and mechanical scores, but (thankfully) failed all tests that required use of my ears such as the Morse Code or music (tone recognition). During rate selection process, I liked light blue non-rated stripes and said I wanted to follow the constructionman path to CE (electrician) or CM (mechanic). Ah, the processor said, how 'bout CT? Yup, that sounded good. Little did I know, as all of us did not know, what that was all 'bout. A few other Company 118 "boots" were also selected to be CTs, some operators or maintainers, and we took turns imagining, in our ignorance, what we would be doing. The first four months after Boot Camp were at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA. Since, I also, had taken typing in high school, my day job was Personnel Office gofer and my four-section watch evening jobs were gate guard, fire 'n' security watch, Quarterdeck Messenger, or elevator operator. Others in the holding pattern for school were assigned to the Mess Hall and received a much different introduction to navy life. No one in Monterey would/could answer my question, "What is a CT?" Years later, I learned my cousin (Korean-police-action Army-draftee) had gone to Monterey for language training. He has as many months sea duty (CVA) as I have days (troop transport between Guam and Ft. Mason, SFRAN). Following ET "A" School (CTMs did much better academically than most of our ETN, ETR, or ETS classmates), I was stationed near Andrews AFB at NAVCOMMSTA (R) WASHDC, Cheltenham, MD. Needless to say, I understood very little of what I was told about the brave new and wonderful world of NAVSECGRU. The most important thing I learned was, "Don't talk about work except at work." The WWII placard with picture and words, "Loose Lips Sink Ships," remain etched in my memory. You bet, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. As a direct-coupled CT, my perspective is much different than the many CTs that I have had the pleasure of serving with who converted from other ratings. It was from the convertees or capacitor-coupled CTs, that I gained my greatest appreciation for having been a part of the Naval Security Group Command. Lest we forget, the foundation of the Naval Security Group is the rock-solid RM and Specialist Q, On-the-Roof-Gang, shipmates. They served before and during WWII at places such as Stations Hypo, Cast, Tare, X, etc. Some of our heroes are CAPT Kisner, (later) CAPT Rochefort, (later) CAPT McGinnis, and many, many more. We must never forget the WAVES who lived at Sugar Camp and toiled in NCR Building 26 in Dayton, OH, and later at NAVSECSTA WASHDC. Those ladies (WAVES) first built some 120 BOMBE machines and later operated and maintained them aiding in breaking the German 4-rotor Enigma "secure" traffic. Also, the many civilians. My personal civilian hero of WWII is Mr. Joseph Desch. Mr. Desch designed the 4-rotor BOMBE machines. Granted, our English cousins at Bletchley Park designed and built a 3-rotor BOMBE using intelligence provided by three Polish engineers, but they had more time to do it than did Mr. Desch, a premier NCR engineer. Remember, also, our predecessor NAVSECGRU shipmates who died at the hands of enemy action. Few were fortunate to captured and held as POWs because they lived through WWII. "But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It behooves you, therefore, to be watchful in your States as well as in the Federal Government." Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address, March 4, 1837 Never forget: 7 DEC 1941, 8 JUN 1967, 23 JAN 1968, 12 OCT 2000 and 11 SEP 2001! David Young Fairfax, VA CTM/CWO USN Retired NTC/RTC Bainbridge, MD 1957 NCS (R)/NSGD WASHDC Cheltenham, MD 1958-1959 CRF Portsmouth, VA (TSEC/KW-26A "C" School) 1959 NCS/NSGD Guam, MI 1959-1961 USNSGA Edzell, Scotland 1962- 1964 NSGA (National Cryptologic School-NSA) FT G G Meade, MD 1964-1967 ADCOP PJC Pensacola, FL 1967-1969 NCTC Pensacola, FL 1969-1972 NCS/NSGD Adak, AK 1972-1974 NAVSECGRUHQ NAVSECSTA WASHDC 1974-1977