Lawrence "Larry" J. Myers, CTR3, USN, 1965 to 1969

How I became a CT is an interesting story from all of us. Here is my story.

At age 15, I started studying to become a ham radio operator, and in March of 1962 I passed my Novice 
exam and got on the air. Fast forward to the fall of 1965, and the Army sent me my predraft notice to go 
to downtown Buffalo, NY and take a physical. The Vietnam war was raging at the time, and I did not want 
to go somewhere where I would be shot at.

The Navy recruiter up in Niagara County had been hounding me to join the Navy. So, I called him and said 
I wanted to talk to him seriously. I went to his office and he said because I was a high school graduate and 
a ham radio operator, the Navy would guarantee me Radioman's school. My code speed at the time was 
about 18wpm. Toward the end of boot camp, I was offered the chance to go to CTR school in Pensacola, Fl.

I arrived there in the fall of 1965 and started school after the first of the year. It was to be 12 weeks of phase 1 
and 8 weeks of phase 2 for a total of 20 weeks. However, because they had so many recruits there going thru 
school, they decided to create an advanced class and push us ahead of everyone. So, I had 8 weeks of 
phase 1 and 4 weeks of phase 2 and graduated 4th out of a class of 43.

During phase 1, they asked me to teach morse code at night to a group of about 15 students who were on 
the verge of bombing out of school. In return, I would have no extra duty for the remainder of my time there 
and I was given a 24/7 pass to come and go as I pleased. One Wednesday night, I came back to the base 
around 1am and the Marine guards were getting ready to write me up when I showed them the pass. They 
scowled and let me come on the base. I am happy to report that all 15 men in my class passed their morse 
code requirements and graduated from CTR "A" school.

My first assignment after school was the Army base in Bremerhaven, Germany in the summer of 1966. 
The shift they had us on meant very little time off and it rained all summer. Lucky for me several of us got 
transferred to the Air Force base in Karamursel, Turkey in Sept. of 1966. It was supposed to be for 18 months, 
but after 15 months, I was given orders to go back to Pensacola for "C" school in hfdf. Then in March of 1968, 
I was sent to Adak. I hated Adak. But, I loved the job we did there and it meant a lot to me that we did what 
we did for the Navy and the U.S. After one year on Adak, I was transferred to Imperial Beach, California to 
finish my 4 year enlistment. The base had no barracks so the navy subsidized our studio apartments on the beach.

After my honorable separation and subsequent discharge, I would go on to graduate from college on the GI bill, 
get married, raise a family, and have a career in the computer field. I am now retired. And yes, I am still a ham 
radio operator and enjoy that hobby to this day.

I look back and wonder about all the time that has passed and the sailors I served with. Wow, where did that time go