Welcome to the USS Independence CV-62 Guestbook Forum

Years Served: 1974-1977…AIMD, IM2, GSE Shop. Flight deck troubleshooter for the yellow gear. Orange bug juice koolaid, powdered milk and powdered eggs. Waiting in line for an hour at the geedunk stand when they had ice cream. HoJoes that set up on the hanger deck when we pulled into port overseas. Riding the launch back to the ship after a bad night of liberty. When you turned on the shower you either got steam, cold water, water that smelled like fuel and left you coated in an oily sheen, salty water or no water at all. Sleeping one deck under the forward cats ( can sleep through a hurricane). Trying to repair a crippled piece of equipment at night with a red flashlight in a 30 mile an hour wind, with two dozen hot airplanes moving around. Good friends, great times, wouldn’t go back for a million bucks.

Years Served: 1986-1989…Served on board in Air Department, V-2 Div. Waist Cat’s. I was the TOPSIDE PO for CAT 3. Joint Indy in SLEP, took her around the horn to San Diego. Best years of my life were on INDY. GO NAVY

Years Served: 2.5 years…Go Navy

Years Served: 64-66…Re-inlisted on Saratoga in 1964, was transferred to Independence. One bird farm to the next. Took Indy on her 1st West-Pac cruise. The first carrier off the east coast to make a West-Pac cruise. First port of call was Subic, WOW, will never forget Olongapo. Operated in Tonkin Gulf for up to 60 days straight. A long stretch at sea, but was worth it. In addition to Subic Bay, we visited Yokosuka & Hong Kong. Would Pick West-Pac over the Med anytime. Attented Indy’s de-commissioning in Bremerton. A sad day, not a dry eye in the crowd. This is a great website, a perfect way for shipmates to locate lost friends or make new friends. WELL DONE !!!

Years Served: 1978-1982…this was my first command and i was scared as hell when i reported aboard.i knew it was going to be a long tour when we got underway for my first time and i asked a crew member how to get to the bridge :D