After i was released from active duty February 1971 in Seattle, Washington, i traveled to Paris, Texas with my financé, then on to Tennessee, moved my goods to Watertown, New York with massive help from my good friend Henry Harding, back to Paris to get married, and became a sports writer in upstate New York for the Watertown Daily Times.

i was still obligated for two years of Navy reserve time and joined the Watertown reserve unit. It was a financial blessing. The amount i earned going to reserve meetings once a month was equal to a week’s pay at the newspaper.

i was amazed. Hippies remained in full swing, and the military was resisted by many after the anti-war sentiment of young folks in the late 1960s. The reserves were trying to recruit and retain from that ilk. The Watertown reserve unit (and probably the majority of reserve units) was struggling to retain its reserves. Consequently, things in vogue that did not fit with the Navy regs, were allowed, like hair length. That didn’t fit well with me. Rules are rules. i was also still upset when the reserve lieutenant gave me incomplete information after i joined the Nashville unit and told me i would complete my obligations by going to the “active status pool” (NOPE!).

But it wasn’t hard, only a monthly Tuesday night reserve meeting and i met some several good folks in a similar situation. And i let my hair grow, in spite of my dislike of wavering on regulations.

In the summer of 72, i flew to Mayport for two weeks of ACDUTRA aboard the USS Waldron (DD 699). Having the luxury of not adhering to the Navy’s regulation haircut, my hair was longer than it had ever been. So before i left Watertown, i had a buzz cut.

This gave me a new recognition about our personal judgement process. When i came to Watertown and my new job, i was still pretty close to Navy regulations in hair length. The older reporters, management, liked my short hair and i was considered one of them. But with the tacit approval of the reserves, i let my hair grew, longer than i had in my life. The older staff began to distant them from me, and the younger, long haired guys began to take me in as one of their own. When my ACDUTRA was confirmed, a couple of days before i left, i got a buzz cut from my barber, even closer than Navy regs required. When i returned, the old guys took me under their wing and as my hair grew again, the younger guys also accepted me. Hair. Crazy hair.

Those two weeks of dutywas aboard the USS Waldron (DD 699). i have an admiration for FRAM 1 destroyers. They retained the open bridges. i served on three ships with open bridges, the USS Lloyd Thomas (DD 764), Waldron, and my last ship, the USS Yosemite (AD 19).

Unlike most two-week reserve duty, there was no liberty port. It seems like we were at sea the whole time in a major fleet operation. i stood my bridge watches with a young LTJG who had no fleet steaming experience. There were several times when i advised him what to do in situations he had never faced. Several times he was worried about helicopters dipping sonars close by. i calmed him down and explained how it worked.

When i left, the captain gave me a letter qualifying me as a Fleet OOD. i remain proud of that accomplishment.

Even though the extra income was a life saver, when i became sports editor and the guild obstructed my getting the pay i deserved for what i was doing, coupled with my wife being pregnant with our daughter, i began to consider my options. None looked better for security than getting back in the Navy. So i applied for becoming active. The officer in charge of such applications told me i could get in immediately if i requested to become a “Training and Reserve” (TAR) officer. i rejected that option immediately. He then said my chances for acceptance was not likely. Before i initiated the process

i reached out to my Commanding Officer, CAPT Max Lasell, of the USS Hawkins (DD 873), who made the effort to appear before the screening board and recommend i be accepted. i was one of six line officers accepted for that fiscal year.

i received my notice and orders to report to the USS Stephen B. Luce (DLG 7). i gave the Times notice and recommended my assistant replace me sports editor. He spent his entire career there. My wife Kathie gave birth to our daughter Blythe on July 7, 1972. We went to Paris, Texas where the two of them would stay while i flew to Korfu, Greece to report to the Luce. It was good to be back at sea.