Chuck, I temporarily changed my name to "You Go Girl" because I am on love with Sarah Palin pictured on this photo. You will see me change my picture a million times. Take care and God Bless. Luis

Chuck that is awsome!!!!!! pics are great. 3rd gen Navy!!! AWSOME make sure you tell em' I said thanks for protecting us!!!!

Chuck we just got a letter yesterday from Brad and he said that he scored 100% on his firearms test and that he will not be going to Fla. for two years as we thought for school...he will only be there for 4 wks and then he will be heading out to different places and that he will be going to Afghanistan he is in spec/ops ATF. Brad will be graduating sept 26 from bootcamp. Iam so excited to see him I can hardly wait.

Chuck where in pa are you?

hey Chuck...letter from Conner stating he is drilling with drum corp for ceremony team while at RTC. Guess his marching in drumline in HS payed off after all! Meagan will be in Pensacola after RTC for her AM training. Conner off to San Antonio after finishing basic. Take care

I thought I’d forward this short note that I received from Eric as he deploys to the mid-East. I know that sometimes it seems like they will never grow up and that they will never start to use the brain God gave them for anything purposeful……Then you receive something like this and you start to think that maybe things work out after all………….



Brings a tear to my eye………..


I leave tomorrow to assist in maritime operations. To do my job in assisting in aviation maintenance which will in the end help to put warheads on the foreheads of those who dare to upset the balance, to hurt the innocent and to those who we deem terrorists. As in the rich naval tradition since October 13th 1775 I sacrifice my time and being to put my life in the hands of my fellow shipmates who in turn puts those same trusts into mine. To cast off and set sail to cross the seas in something bigger than what it is we can understand. To help those who need it is what we do, although we may be the cold forged steel harvesters of death in the modern age, we supply hope and change to those who need it most. In these final moments I realize that everything ive done, sacrificed in this last year all amount to something now. It finally means something. What Im not sure but its reassuring to know that im not here in vain. I will dearly miss you all and cannot wait till my return next year. I look forward to seeing you all and telling my tales of other lands and the sea. Wish me fair winds and following seas as I look forward to my return home. Delete Comment

thanks Chuck...I appreciate your kind words and have sent your message to Eric.

and as a personal note- I note that your son is thrid generation Navy....please thank him for me....and thank you and your father for your service. Only through the actions of great Americans such as your father, yourself, and your son do I have the continued freedom to write these messages.

Chuck,
Meagan's (daughter who ships Monday) fiance has his PIR tomorrow then off to Pensacola where they will both have A school. Conner is still having "fun" and is at Ship 06 in Division 948. He has met several other "newbies" from all over and is just excited about his future. His PIR is 10-17-08, 4 days after his birthday and says it will be one to remember!

Hi Chuck...will be going up to RTC on Oct 16 for son's PIR on 17th. He's currently Forward Hold (supply closet) PO and is doing great. Says he likes the food (he wasn't an adult leader in troop long enough to enjoy our cooking!) and has his firearm quals this week. Daughter shipped 9-15-08 so her fun hasn't started yet.

Yes Chuck, it certainly is. Every letter that I have received has commented on how much his "scouts" training has given him. As his mom and I divorced some 10 years ago I am ever so grateful that he and I we were able to continue doing this on the weekends and all the other activities that the program offers. Will have to see how his firearm quals go....I told him he better get at least "sharpshooter" for all the rounds we've spent at the range!

Chuck, what an accomplishent for all your kids. I'm sure her brothers are also very proud...as long as we continue doing what we do in loving and supporting them we will in our own way be "leaving this place better than we found it"

Hey Chuck,
I Know VP-4 very well, all my friends i shipped to Hawaii with were in VP-4. It's a good squadron, not sure when they will be on deployment next. Also my best friend's wife was a mechanic in that squadron. KBay is a good base for your first duty station.

Great news for you! Older sister lived in WA state for long time and it is really beautiful over there so I'm sure Andrew will have a blast ( as soon as he gets to "fix something" ) That was funny, they do get so anxious don't they?

Chuck...only two weeks till Conner's PIR!!! Hooyah

ya know Chuck I get confused who's where sometimes too! Daughter Kat is on the Abraham Lincoln and son Eric on the Theodore Roosevelt....

thanks Chuck. All is good with Conner, his letters have been all positive and he's very anxious to get going with his school. I've been antsy all week and can't wait to head north. Take Care.

Chuck, I'm sure it was a good time for all to have your sailor home for the week and am hoping the best for him. Am packing for my first PIR and will have MANY photos to upload. Got call from Conner last night and man was he excited! Only a few more weeks until oldest daughter has her PIR so here I go again...take care

Thanks Chuck! I haven't slept much this week so it will definetly be an experience for me. This shot of Conner was taken on the Ocoee River as his last "Official" outing as my ASM...needles to say, I was the one who got "pitched" during the white water run. Thank you again for all the words of wisdon and great advice.

Hi Chuck, Kyle loves being in Groton (New London) but as you can guess, once BESS started we have heard very little from him. He does love what he is doing. He said that he is with some of the Best and smartest people in the Navy. He too wants to be a diver. Stay in touch...Jim

:) Morning! You see me online because I am on the navyformoms.com site :) LOL so it will always seem like I am on. I moderate over there just like EG does here.

Thank you for the wall post- hope your week is going well! Sincerely, CC

Hey Chuck,
Kyle would do anything to go back to Key West, we have spent several summers there and in Marathon Key Florida. I think that the dive school he spoke of was going to be held in Panama City ( Bet He hates it there...LOL) but it's going to be awhile, he still has A school for SR still to go after BESS. Talk to you later....JIm

Chuck, I'll reply to this one to cover the one you sent this am. My usual Monday morning sales mtg was very short due to my still being on "cloud 9" from Conner's PIR. It's all I can talk, think about and it'll drive everybody crazy I'm sure...then we get to do it again on 11-07-08! I've always known Conner would be fine with his decision, I just had no idea he would rise as far and as fast as he appears to be going. His group was last out due to the drumline gear having to be stowed but when we got him and it was "my turn" we hugged, both got teary and he looked at me and said, "thanks dad, for all that you did for me during scouting. It has provided me with the necessary tools to make this happen". I nearly lost it at that point...

Chuck- thanks for telling me your U-505 story! While I've always know much of the history about the Wolfpack, there was something about being inside the sub and seeing it from the German sailor's experience that humanized it all for me. I think that the entire exhibit reminded me that those subs were crewed by other sailors...maybe a world apart and enemy by politics, but sailors never the less. On my page, in my pictures, I have a photo of Eric touching the starboard screw guard- for some reason this photo (at least to me) communicates that sense of one sailor, serving his country, reaching out across 70 years to other sailors who served their country........

waiting on orders for Lackland AFB for MA "A"school in San Antonio.

daughter might get rating change, said Whidbey is a possibility

not really sure Chuck...I'm getting this info from a letter to her mom about not going to P'cola. She (ex) has the tendency to get things a little distorted sometimes. will get more info from Meg's letter this week.

Thanks for info Chuck. I'm ok with whatever happens and I'm sure Meg is too... a little bit of a damper since her fiance is in P'cola waiting on his to start. They had planned a brief wedding on base but now Jeremy has said he will use his leave to go to wherever she is for the ceremony. He's a great kid...they're both crazy about each other.

Morning Chuck :)

we've talked and texted more in the last few days than I can remember...Chuck, everytime something comes up that he's doing he will say something about his Eagle and how much it has helped him. I'm so proud I'm about to burst!

Meg's is 11-07-08. she's been under the weather but got to make up live fire and scored in marksman range...

So did Conner! It's amazing what the Navy can accomplish in such a short time. Meg's feeling much better and has made everything up...1 more week and I'm heading north again.

just got a text...OC day...he said it was hard and his eyes were burning but he passed. He seems to be fitting in very nicely. Still says he having fun!

You, as I, are indeed priviledged to be a part of the BSA and the fine young men that come out of it. We have made a difference in not only our boys, but others as well. Conner will actually get leave at same time our troop will have annual Christmas party and has said he can't wait to get back to talk to the youth. Chuck, it's going to be real hard for me to get all choked up...I can promise you that. May be we are more fortunate to see the transistion as these are our boys but I understand your "seed" reference. I just received a letter from past Eagle who is currently training with 82nd Airborne in Ft Benning GA thanking me for not giving up on him. Man, that was great...take care this week, I'm off to Meg's PIR!

Chuck- you must very proud of what Andrew is doing and of the journey Adam has started. The CG is a vital branch of the military that rarely gets the recognition and thanks that it deserves. Be sure to check out the CG Dads site that EG started- there is a link on the main NavyDads page.

Please your sons for me for their service and thank you for helping to keep a simple American safe and free. Paul

yea Chuck, I'm still a bit numb from it all. Kids are full of surprises aren't they?

Bravo Chuck-- the first parts of Andrew's Navy journey are almost over! And I think I'd rather visit him in Hawaii than soggy Washington too! I'm know you'll have a great Christmas with him and I'm sure he can use the break from the bleak rainy Northweat as well....Kat is a confirmed desert rat and she is not very excited about another winter in Everett! My best regards to you and to Andrew! Paul

if I really try hard I could probably think of maybe one...no maybe two possible worse places than Hawaii to report to in January....I am jealous!!

Kids are doing well. Kat is back in Everett (home port for the Lincoln) and glad to be back on land after seven months at sea. Eric is cruising somewhere in the mideast about two months through his seven month cruise. I have to keep sending care packages of good ol' Arizona hot sauce....good thing USPS has flat-rate shipping boxes otherwise his hot sauce care packages would be costing me a fortune. I'm not sure if his carrier will do a Tiger Cruise....home port is Norfolk...so we'll have to see. Am thinking about flying back anyway when they return sometime in April.

And not to run it in....there are expecting 85 here tomorrow.....wish it would cool off to the 70's!!!!

Chuck congrats to Andrew. He did his part now it's time for the Navy to hurry up and reward him for that. It's crazy how it all works. Evan's cruise is coming to an end and will be back home in S.D. in a week. He finally got stripes on his arm. He is finally an airman. Now he's working on getting his wings. Talk to you soon.

I guess he was on the Roosevelt for Thanksgiving...naturally Eric was sick as a dog and din't eat a thing all day and don't think he saw him at all......typical Corona luck!

I'm sure Griss can handle that investigation! So long he is getting better...I'm still not sure what Eric's story is...e-mail has been very spotty. He was on various meds and was having a day or two of hives with one of the 'biotics....that is ALWAYS a worry, but only lasted two days and he seems to getting better...we was complaining and the "5000 morons on this ship" and I figure that was a good sign! No matter where they are we keep worrying about them don't we!!

As I told Conner "you didn't join the Navy to stay near home" I also reminded him that his aunt (who now lives near us) was in the Seattle area for 30 years and has many friends still there...so he won't be as alone as he thought he was. Heck, 3 others from SanAn are shipping with him.

Hi Chuck, just checking to see if there's any good news out of Whidbey Island yet? May the Lord bless Andrew with an open door to get off that island and get home! Merry Christmas, Kevin

Chuck,
Glad to hear andrew is suffering in all that horrible weather! Isn't it great to know our guys already have some of the "tools" that scouting provided to help them in their Navy journey? I know I do... any idea when he might go to the big sandbox? Conner is finishing his MA orientation at Bangor,WA. SWFPAC at Kitsap sub base. He'll go on "camp out" with Seals in a few weeks and can hardly wait. Meagan is back in Pensacola and was able to have rate changed to AC, will classup soon, finish in May and transfer out to Norfolk, where my new son-in-law is IT onboard USS New York LPD 21. they should all be at these posts for about 2 years, unless the Navy changes them around...nah..that'll never happen!

I bet Andrew is pretty happy to get to do some actual "hands on" work.....class is nice but really fixing things is what it is all about! And sounds like the climate is pretty nice. With the possibility of joining his squardon reality hits I imagine...I've reminded several folks when their kids were at GL that this is serious stuff our children are part of and anyone that thinks the Navy is like summer camp has a reality check coming. It all brings the meaning of "shipmate" and "bothers in arms" to bear doesn't it?

My two are doing well...Kat took about 9 days of leave and just stayed in Everett and "veg'd" out...see told me she really did not want to go back to the ship for the first time when leave ended...all the other times she was worn out and needed work to rest! Eric is doing ok I guess...not too much comm recently...more about familiy issues like getting his Trailblazer SS registered in Arizona and mundane things like that. Some mention of Tiger Cruise being arranged...he has put my name down for that so I am pretty excited about that possiiblity in a few months....the chance of a lifetime..spending three days on the carrier with my boy! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for sure!

Chuck,
My son Andrew ships out to Great Lakes 1/21/09. It's getting close!
When he graduates he will go to Lackland Air Force base for his MA A school.

Chuck,
Andrew and Conner are both having withdrawls from having transportation I can see. I'm checking on having his Jetta shipped at this moment. Nearest town is a 45.00 cab fare. Good news on non-deploy at this time...

Were doing good. it's hard to get used to his absence.

Were not sure if were going to pass and review. We will have to do some checking.

Hi Chuck...know what you mean by the transporation stuff...guys need their cars!! Conner will go "on the wire" soon, couple more weeks of PRP to do. He'll be on for 2 and off for 2 and is planning on a flight back home in mid March...our council lost our oldest leader (Joe was 96 and actually met Baden-Powell) and we'll have a life celebration that Conner will have a part in. Meagan has been on Med hold due to old records that just surfaced...might not be able to stay in...she's holding on in P'cola awaiting the Dr's decision. Jeremy working on 4 different NEC's and will go to San Diego for more training in mid Feb. Say's it gets pretty cold in Norfolk but there's plenty to do and see.