My Parental Grandfather

  2025/08/19

Posted Tag: #Personal
Other Tags: #Linux, #Windows, #All

When I was seventeen I was approached by my parental grandfather and asked if I would want to attend the United States Navy Academy in Annapolis. He had been a county commissioner and knew a then United States senator he said he could approach for an appointment. I had no idea what to do. My father had placed a lot of responsibly on me thus far and I guess my grandfather saw that and saw who I was. I used to go to the town my grandfather moved to after my grandmother died and take walks with him. He showed me a plaque on a county building with his name on it. But thanking back to this I realize how significant it was for my grandfather to offer me this.

My grandfather sold his house next to my fathers and moved to the county seat. A retired Navy Commander bought it. He had a son that had been in the Navy and was on submarines. He told me of what he called spooks that came aboard for certain periods of time and ride the boat. He had no idea of what they did. I was very intrigued. I had no idea what a computer was back then but I had a strong interest in electronics. Later when I took the ASVAB test I scored within four points for the nuclear program. My recruiter said they could wave that and get me into the program. But I was too interested in electronics. The Navy offered me almost two years of school and would give me E4 or Petty Officer Third Class after graduation if I would give them six years. Testing and what everyone was telling me I was so intrigued.

In Navy boot camp we did what was called dream sheeting. There were ten areas of electronics I could choose from and I needed to pick three. I asked the guy about CTM and he said if I was interested put it at least as my third choice. I guess they needed someone so I got CTM or Cryptologic Technician Maintenance. My father helped me with the Defense Investigative Service application and the mayor of the small town was a character reference. My father drew maps to people's houses.

We make defining decisions in our lives and wonder if we made the right ones. I could have been potentially a Naval Officer and took an entirely different path in my life. But I learned computers, solid state electronics and tubes.

I ended up as a spook riding submarines for periods of time. But I knew what we did.