Veteran Status?

darnold

darnold

Joined
Mar 4, 2023
Messages
48
Points
68

Location
SW Ohio
I'm curious to know how many veterans are present? What branch? What sparked your interest in crafting model ships?

I'll start. I'm a US Navy veteran, served 1987-1991 on the USS Ticonderoga CG-47. Among other things, I was in Operation Desert Shield (which preceded Operation Desert Storm). I purchased a wooden ship while deployed to Spain directly from Artesania and have been carrying it around for over 30 years. I finally broke it open 1.5 years ago and have been enjoying working on it.
 
Commissioned in the USNR as ensign at graduation from the US Merchant Marine Academy in 1969 then USNR while serving in the US Merchant Marine at sea and ashore 1969-1973. Only did a few 30 day stints on USN ships including USS Hank and USS Yosemite.
Allan
 
Commissioned Ensign USNR upon graduation from the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering in 1965 and ordered to active duty with VADM Admiral Rickover’s Naval Reactors branch of the US Atomic Energy Commission.

Spent four years working on the piping systems and reactor plant shielding for new construction and existing nuclear submarines.

Roger
 
Commissioned 1988 out of USAFA, did 20 in the Air Force, and have spent the last 17 years alternately working for the Department of the Air Force and Department of the Navy. On a side note, my penultimate assignment on active duty was as the USAF LNO to US 7th Fleet. Prior to that, I was the US Liaison Officer to Allied Forces North in the Netherlands.
 
I retired as a CW3 from the US Army (1979 to 2002), then 15 years as a Naval Civil Servant; I retired again in 2019. I started modeling by designing and building RC large-scale planes as an offshoot of my work for the Navy designing unmanned aircraft control systems...
 
Retired US Army after 23 years in 1991. Two combat tours S.E.A. Grew up fishing and sailing from Passamaquoddy Bay to Cape Cod. Salt water in the veins.
Had an aunt who was a contemporary of Portia Takakjian. I inherited all her tools and a number of incomplete hulls. A number of her pieces are in the Maine
Maritime Museum. Trying to keep the fire burning.
 
Allan,

There were two prime contractors for the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion plants; Westinghouse and General Electric. Actually there were three as the submarine Tullibee was powered by a Combustion Engineering plant. All Navy plants use pressurized water reactors. The GE boiling water reactor is not considered suitable for the confined environment of a warship’s hull.

The prime contractors each functioned via several government owned but contractor operated organizations:
A laboratory responsible for design work
A procurement organization
Land based operating prototypes of selected new design reactor plant

In the case of Westinghouse, they operated the government owned laboratory at the old Bettis Field SE of Pittsburgh, near McKeesport. The Bettis lab included the Bettis Reactor Engineering School, a post graduate level engineering school with the sole job of educating the naval officers assigned to Rickover’s Naval Reactors organization. Completing the course was a rite of passage for all young Naval Reactors engineers like me. The idea was to give graduates from many engineering, science, and mathematics backgrounds a common understanding of reactor plant technology. The course was taught by Westinghouse engineering personnel and required six months of intensive study. We each received TAD orders to move from Washington DC to Pittsburgh to attend the course. We were given the usual BS about just learning and not worrying about grades but upon returning to DC we all met with Rickover who knew everyone’s grades. Those who just squeeked by were treated to his caustic comments.

I suspect that your father worked at Bettis.

Roger
 
US Army 14 years. 1964-1979 SFC E-7, USASA and SATCOM. Graduated from DeVry U. Electrical Engineer. Started modelling at 8 years old, progressed through RC airplanes. Left the hobby for many years (Married w/daughter) and got back into it model building when my wife bought me the Artesiana Latina SF II. Now on my 2nd build OcCre Nuestra Senora del Pilar.PYDo_C47_ontheBeach004.jpgIMG_2086.JPGIMG_1826.JPG
 
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