Beer runner to FAA Navy Representative
Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:05 am
Naval Air Station, Kingsville, TX my first duty station after air traffic school.
My first section leader would let me take four day weekends to drive home to Denton, TX and see my bride to be. The catch was I had to load down the trunk of my yellow Mustang with Coors beer, because at the time it wasn’t sold any further south than the Dallas/Fort Worth area. So on Friday morning when others were going to work, I was heading north just as fast as I could drive that little Mustang. Then on Monday afternoon with the trunk loaded with Coors beer I would head back to Kingsville hoping not to get stopped by any city police or state highway patrol.
I was really young and dumb back then and I had so much good going for me. We use to go down to the Mexican boarder to party and then get back to the base just in time to shower, get in uniform and get to work. I don't know how many times I was in the control tower and not legally sober. Thank the Lord that is not so easy to get away with these days.
One night myself and two friends had been bar hopping in Corpus Christi and was on our way back in my Mustang and we decided to stop at a donut shop just coming into Kingsville. It was about 1:30 AM and why in the world we pulled into that parking lot I still don’t know. To make matters worse there was a Police car in the parking lot and we still went in. Inside I went to sit on one of those tall counter stools and I missed. I found myself on my back looking up at my two friends and yes, two Police Officers. One Officer asked “Is he driving?” Now why couldn’t my friends just say no, instead one of them replied “Not now he’s not.” We were allowed to leave immediately, without me driving.
At some point I changed section leaders, a slender E6. At this point you can tell I was a little snot nosed know-it-all and was always pushing things too far. One day after section briefing I was told me to stand fast while everyone else was dismissed to go to their assigned work stations. After everyone was out of sight my section leader came over to me, backed me up against the wall and began to tell me, in some very colorful language, what life was going to be like in “his Navy” if I didn't change my ways.
As I stood at attention looking at about the middle of his chest I began to realize that I was nowhere near the hot shot I thought I was. You can bet I believed every word he told me about life in “his Navy.” For many different reasons, from that point on I did become the super star I thought I was. I studied and devoted as much of my time as possible to getting qualified in the tower and radar room.
I became one of the youngest control tower supervisors and later the Control Tower Chief and FAA Tower Examiner on my second tour at NAS Kingsville. When I went up for advancement I made it first time, every time. The only time I didn’t make rank the first time was when I was up for Senior Chief and I was told that was because I was still too junior of a Chief. I made it the second time up. Ironically years later at his retirement I relieved that same section leader, now a Senior Chief also, as the Dept. of the Navy ATC Representative, Federal Aviation Administration, SW Regional HQ in Fort Worth, TX..........I hope I made him proud of me.
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My first section leader would let me take four day weekends to drive home to Denton, TX and see my bride to be. The catch was I had to load down the trunk of my yellow Mustang with Coors beer, because at the time it wasn’t sold any further south than the Dallas/Fort Worth area. So on Friday morning when others were going to work, I was heading north just as fast as I could drive that little Mustang. Then on Monday afternoon with the trunk loaded with Coors beer I would head back to Kingsville hoping not to get stopped by any city police or state highway patrol.
I was really young and dumb back then and I had so much good going for me. We use to go down to the Mexican boarder to party and then get back to the base just in time to shower, get in uniform and get to work. I don't know how many times I was in the control tower and not legally sober. Thank the Lord that is not so easy to get away with these days.
One night myself and two friends had been bar hopping in Corpus Christi and was on our way back in my Mustang and we decided to stop at a donut shop just coming into Kingsville. It was about 1:30 AM and why in the world we pulled into that parking lot I still don’t know. To make matters worse there was a Police car in the parking lot and we still went in. Inside I went to sit on one of those tall counter stools and I missed. I found myself on my back looking up at my two friends and yes, two Police Officers. One Officer asked “Is he driving?” Now why couldn’t my friends just say no, instead one of them replied “Not now he’s not.” We were allowed to leave immediately, without me driving.
At some point I changed section leaders, a slender E6. At this point you can tell I was a little snot nosed know-it-all and was always pushing things too far. One day after section briefing I was told me to stand fast while everyone else was dismissed to go to their assigned work stations. After everyone was out of sight my section leader came over to me, backed me up against the wall and began to tell me, in some very colorful language, what life was going to be like in “his Navy” if I didn't change my ways.
As I stood at attention looking at about the middle of his chest I began to realize that I was nowhere near the hot shot I thought I was. You can bet I believed every word he told me about life in “his Navy.” For many different reasons, from that point on I did become the super star I thought I was. I studied and devoted as much of my time as possible to getting qualified in the tower and radar room.
I became one of the youngest control tower supervisors and later the Control Tower Chief and FAA Tower Examiner on my second tour at NAS Kingsville. When I went up for advancement I made it first time, every time. The only time I didn’t make rank the first time was when I was up for Senior Chief and I was told that was because I was still too junior of a Chief. I made it the second time up. Ironically years later at his retirement I relieved that same section leader, now a Senior Chief also, as the Dept. of the Navy ATC Representative, Federal Aviation Administration, SW Regional HQ in Fort Worth, TX..........I hope I made him proud of me.
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Sometimes the hard way. If we were lucky we didn’t get killed or hurt and neither did anyone else.