I can’t remember a time in my life that the Navy wasn’t part of my family.
My Dad served in World War 2 and my Grandpa Mac served in World War 1. I joined at 17 and later was joined by my little brother on the USS San Francisco.
Tom’s son and my nephew Artie also served in the Navy and both on Submarines. SO, I guess you could say we were a Navy family.
(By the way, I have other nephews that served in other branches, and I am just as proud of them… but their stories for another time)
But over the course of my career, I had many other brothers and later sisters.
From Boot Camp to today (over fifty-four years now), The Navy has been part of my family. We shared sacrifices and success. We served hardships and happy days. We cried together at funerals of those who left too soon. We have awesome feelings of joy when we get those rare opportunities to be together.
My question is, did you have the same experience?
Was the Navy part of your family and can you share why you feel that way.
Examples would be greatly appreciated.
I am the guest speaker at this year’s Greater Charleston Navy Ball and the Navy Family is part of my theme
Mister Mac
(Fun Fact… Today, October 10th 2026, the counter on the blog turned 995,000 reads… thanks to all who have read the stories I post. One million seems just within grasp)
Mom and Dad both served in the Navy during WW2, one of the things that lead me to enlist in 69 in the Navy.
My Dad (capitalized intentionally) was an AECM when he retired (shortly before I enlisted in 1969) and was initially horrified to learn that one of his sons had gone over to the ENEMY. Over time, he agreed I’d made a good choice; regretfully, my first wife insisted I get out, so I missed further promotions and experience to share with him.
Don’t know if this counts, but here goes :
When I joined the Navy under the delayed entry program I was still 17 and had not yet graduated from high school. All my life up to that point my father had told me that he did a “kiddie tour” in the navy. I thought he would object, or at least try to talk me out of enlisting because he had always told me that he hated his time in. Instead he was enthusiastic about it. When I asked why he was in favor of it for me if he hated it for himself, he simply said “Ah.. It’ll be good for you”.
Now comes the interesting part. My father turned 17 in June of 1941. He was a troublemaker, and had been told by a county judge that he could either spend time in jail or go work for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). He chose the latter. He hated it. Sometime before December 7th he fraudulently enlisted in the Navy to get out of the CCC (he said he was 18 and he did NOT get his parents permission). The fraudulent part was never told to me until he was 95 years old. While in boot camp in San Diego they discovered that he and one other guy in his company had fraudulently enlisted (I’m not sure if the other one was age related or something else). They asked both of them what they wanted to have happen. The other guy said he wanted out, and my dad said he wanted to stay. They told the other guy that he was not going anywhere, but they told my dad to pack for home (There’s a lesson in there about not telling the Navy what you really want, because most of us have had first hand experience with getting the opposite). In any case, my 95 year old father almost came to tears when he confessed this to me and said “If only they had not found out until December 7th nobody would have cared”.
In addition to this, my mothers cousin served in WWII in the surface fleet and my uncle served on the boats. My younger brother did 9 years on the boats (and we made a few patrols together for awhile). Also, my son spent a short time on a boat before he was medically discharged.
So yes, I’d say we are a Navy family.
ICFTBMT1(SS) Maxey, USN (retired)
Navy family, yes, and Navy=Family with several past shipmates, Mac.
A 1st cousin, 9 times removed, was John Peck Rathbun, Continental Navy Captain and Massachusetts Privateer who died in a British naval prison, Old Mill, in 1782 of Influenza – the day he was to be released. Most of his immediate family also died early or tragically, including a young wife in childbirth, a few months before he was to be sent home (he never knew).
Turns out I also have a distant ancestor on my dad’s side who was a Dutch/Moroccan pirate in the 1400’s – a story for another day.
My dad was USNR from 1955-63, and later had a career managing the programs at Honeywell that built the inertials for subs and P-3s. I had two uncles who served, USN, in the ’50s as well, a destroyer Sailor and a CVA Sailor. Also, my 1st wife, 2nd (and final) wife, and one of my two sons.
I entered boot camp at San Diego 1 SEP 78, Co. 148. DP “A”, then 1st tour on HUNLEY (S-7), DPSR/A/N, at Guam, ’79-80 (Agent Orange exposure – ugh – got V.A. benefits 42 years later, thanks in large measure to you, Mac).
Got picked up for BOOST, dropped after 10 mos, and cross-rated to AW, non-acoustic (P-3s). PATRON-26 for 2 years, deployed to Kef and Bermuda. Met 1st wife (also USN) and left active duty to get married. My 2nd son was also USN, IT2, from 2017-23.
Affiliated USNR: AW2 & 1, VP-4549, NAS Pax River and NAF Andrews for 3 years. Cross-rated again to QM1 (few CPO billets in AW); at NCSO, MARDEZ, JICPAC, IBU-11. Still no CPO billets. Met wife (now ITC, Retired) in USNR. 1997, ONI; still no CPO billets for me. CPF; cross-rated again, to IS1; ONI again; selected for Intel LDO with TIS waiver in my 22nd year, spouse found out a few days later she’d made ITC – 9/11 was 6 weeks later.
We both Mobilized USNR x2 years; I was picked up for an FTS tour. They then made all FTS billets AC shore tours – so, all the way back to the Fleet for moi. Stayed on AC service from ’02-14; last sea tour IWO JIMA LHD-7, ’07-09. Retired, LT, 2015. Offered a GS job taking off my khakis, did that for 8 years.
“Retired-retired” now. 18 AC, 19 RC, 8 Civ…45 very memorable years.
Happily married now for 30 years to the best person the Navy ever introduced me to.
About 10 other shipmates are such good friends that I consider them family – and celebrate all their success, commiserate with their sorrow, and frequently stay in touch.
The Navy did that for me, a former loner kid who found his place.
I am very Blessed and thank God I was smart enough to take advantage of new opportunities every time I stepped in it/had to turn another direction.
John
Great life story, thank you for sharing. I will add your response to my remarks at the Navy Ball
Bob
Thanks, Bob. I’ll look for the video on Youtube!
V/R John
Um… Yeah. My wife of 55 years, Carla, was a DP2 at CinCPacFlt Data Communications Pearl Harbor. We met at Oceans Eleven CPO Bar. As an E-8/E-9/CWO ~1970-1975 I was Leading RM, Commo, COB and other on USS Sargo SSN-583 home ported P.H. In 1971, we met and married topside aboard Sargo anchored a mile off Lahaina, Maui, by a Navy Chaplain we flew over from Pearl. His Nickname was ‘Digger’ Odell. The tradition of throwing somebody overboard from a submarine to celebrate a momentous accomplishment was impractical (even as crazy as we may have been way-back-when) while too far offshore. So, as Bubbleheads improvise, the waited until our reception at our hotel pool. Still clad in our whites, the ladies literally threw Carla into the pool and of course my shipmates ejected me into the pool. Then the acid length-of-marriage test: as planned, the Boat three weeks later departed for a six-months WestPac with the usual spook stuff up north and Vietnam down south that turned it into seven months. Numbered letters worked. She’s kept me for 55 years so far… imagine that. We’re even still friends. Keep up the good LeanSubmariner work shipmate. Bob Gerle
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Awesome story. Congrats on 55 years. Mrs. Mac and I are just past 46 on our way to at least 50 depending on my heath. Thanks for checking in.