RTC ORLANDO, FLORIDA
January to April 1974

My first experience with the Navy was during recruit training (boot camp) at the Recruit Training Center, Orlando, Florida. I was there from January to April 1974. This introduction to Navy life placed lots of stress on my fellow boots and me. Most of the course was learning how to adapt to military life. Overall, it was not difficult (especially the academic part) and I considered it a good introduction to the Navy. Due to my high test scores on the ASVAB, I was allowed to sign up for the advanced electronics field. This gave me an automatic advancement to E-3 from the first day of active duty and would allow me automatic advancement to E-4 upon completion of my "A" school. At that time, I did not know what any of that meant except that I would be paid more. Sounded good at the time.

My company was 041 and we won many military awards as a unit. We became the brigade company and carried every flag available (except one: the academic champions). We received the personnel inspection award, the marching award, the most athletic award, and several others but could never reach the magic level to receive the academic award. We started study groups to help everyone pass all of the tests and even "found" the tests so we could prime the, shall we say, more mentally challenged individuals with the answers before they took the tests.

During boot camp, I was interviewed for my initial background investigation. Since I was designated as a Communications Technician (Maintenance), CTM, I needed a Special Communications Intelligence (SCI) Top Secret clearance. Part of this investigation required that my family line be free of any association with the Communist Party. I had to answer a lot of questions that I didn't have the answers for. One question concerned my natural father. I had to call Grandma to find out about him. She said that he was from Helena, Kansas, and had died in a car wreck in 1964. Later on, during my family research, I found that Linzel Vassar died in 1987 in Oklahoma. I believe that my Grandma may have believed that he died during the 1960's. At this point in time, I did not know what SI (Special Intelligence) was nor did I really care. All I knew was that my Company Commander was jealous that I was going to be a CT because "They always get the shore duty."

After completing boot camp, I went on leave to Columbia, Missouri, to visit my then girlfriend, Carla Harris. She was attending college there and wanted to be a travel agent when she finished. While there, she decided that she was going to join the Navy. I flew back to Texas to spend a few days with the family before reporting to Great Lakes for school. While I was there, Carla flew down and signed up on a delayed entry program.

While I was on leave in Barnhart, I was at the house when an FBI agent stopped in to interview Mama. I was alone at the house at the time so he stopped by and asked me who I associated with while growing up. I got him some coffee and we talked for several hours before Mama finally got back from San Angelo. I guess I did okay because I got my clearance. One thing about the clearance was that everyone the agent talked to told me "He only wanted to know who else I knew that knew you!". I learned later on that the reason for that is simple: whoever you list on your form will naturally be positive about you. The agent just wanted to find a couple of people who were not on my list. Maybe they would have a different story about me.