THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 20, 1994 TAG: 9407190375
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATRICK E. BRODEUR
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Retired Navy chief Patrick E. Brodeur of Virginia Beach wrote this after some crew members complained when the assault ship Inchon was called back to sea duty less than two weeks after finishing up a six-month deployment.
I was sitting at my kitchen table the morning of July 6 when I read the article about the complaints of U.S. Navy sailors who were recalled to ``get under way'' for Haiti. I am disgusted, disillusioned and disappointed to see this topic discussed in the media. Something is amiss.
I served 20 years in the U.S. Navy and retired as a chief operations specialist, E-7. During my career, I served in the Vietnam War, the '73 Yom Kippur War, the '86 Libyan conflict and the '91 Persian Gulf war. The only two I missed, in the last 20 years, were Grenada in '83-'84 and Panama.
My tour in 'Nam was 11 months. My '73 Med cruise, which was supposed to be six months, ended up being 13 months. I was newly married and the deployment lasted 35 months; I was home eight of those 35 months.
My first wife had said the same thing being said in the paper, with the same anger. Who could blame her for leaving? I was never home.
My second and present wife has stuck it out for the last 14 of my 20 years in the Navy. I don't know what I could have done without her. She knows about supporting her husband. She's the best.
My point is this:
My fellow chief petty officers have all been down the road today's sailors are traveling. We took the good and the bad. When we signed up, we knew what we were in for. At the worst possible time in U.S. history, we went in the service on a volunteer basis. We were called ``baby killers,'' ``war mongers.'' We were spit on, and all kind of objects were thrown at us. But we stuck it out for the duration. You have to decide what your duration is. Whether it be four years or 30 years, it's your choice.
Regardless of the time element, your loyalty belongs to the U.S. Navy and you defend it as you would your country.
If you want to complain, do what a retired master chief told me to do: ``Walk into the TV room, turn the TV to maximum and complain to your heart's content.'' Then turn the TV down; nobody has heard you.
You owe that to your country until you are discharged or retire. In the meantime, quit bellyaching and do your job. Just like everyone before you. Give them 100 percent. It's what you're paid to do. I don't care whether or not you think you're paid enough. You agreed to a contract. Honor it and your country.
Sailors before you have, for 200-plus years. It's your turn. Do us proud. We haven't written letters or called congressmen or senators.
Your family has free medical. Don't complain about that. Try seeing yourself as a retiree, especially for dental work. You're better off paying for it yourself; you'll get seen faster. You also have VHA, which helps for decent housing, and you have job security with a paycheck guaranteed.
Count your blessings. Love it or leave it. by CNB