NTC History -- The Sixties

[Navy6064]

THE SIXTIES


When the year 1960 began, President Eisenhower was still in the White House, the Korean War was long over, clean cut young male collegians sported crew cuts and button down madras shirts and sang "Kumbaya" and "Michael Row The Boat Ashore ­ Alleieuya" at what were called "Hootenannies." Pink poodle skirts ( where did they come from?) were still in vogue for young women, and there were rumors, unsubstantiated and mysterious, that somewhere in dark places in the land, there were "hopheads" who took "goofballs" and smoked "pot" -- what was that stuff?
Ten years later, America was in the midst of its most wrenching conflict since the Civil War, and its longest war bar none; President Kennedy, his beloved brother Bobby, and Rev. Martin Luther King had been assassinated; young collegiate men wore shoulder-length hair and Army fatigues (often sans benefit of bath), while mini-skirts were popular with young women, the Rolling Stones couldn't get no "Satisfaction", and America had a serious drug problem. Ninety-eight percent of young American men drafted for military service obeyed their country's call, while many of their influential peers managed to avoid their obligation, and actually seemed to be proud of it. The Baby Boomers were growing up, as America fought the Cold War and Vietnam.
In 1960, Great Lakes was poised to answer America's need for an unprecedented world-ranging military force on a continuous basis. The first families in the new "Capehart Housing", later called Halsey Village, moved in, and would soon be joined by a total of 425 families. Forrestal Village was in the process of building and renovation. After a million man-hours of work, and more than $16 million, our new hospital was completed. It still stands. Before then, hospital facilities during WW II had spread to over 50 different structures.
Not for the last time, Great Lakes' student population grew, while human and financial resources remained constant. We had to work harder, but we performed the mission well. In 1960 alone, we trained 55,000 recruits and 11,000 Service School students.
In 1962, President Kennedy guided the country through the Cuban missile crisis, thought to be the closest the world ever came to nuclear war. The next year, Great Lakes was testing a fallout shelter. We put 93 recruits in a 25 by 48 foot buried steel box for two weeks, to determine if a fallout shelter system could eventually be deployed on a larger basis. The test was successful, but we didn't construct an extensive system. All around us, America was sprouting fallout shelters, as children were taught how to crawl under their school desks if we were nuked.
One of our most important commands of the time was the U.S. Naval Examining Center. It was the central control point for the development, distribution, and scoring of all Navy advancement exams, and for a variety of special programs. In 1962 alone, the Center developed 1,592 different tests, with over a quarter million questions. It was the world's largest facility of its kind, and employed both officer and enlisted subject matter experts, as well as civilian research psychologists, educational specialists, and statisticians.
In the same year, two Great Lakes alumni met on the field of football battle for the annual Armed Forces Benefit Game on September 7th. George Halas of the Chicago Bears had been a Great Lakes football player during WW I, and a coach here in WW II. Paul Brown had been a Great Lakes Lieutenant, and a football coach during WW II. He brought his Cleveland Browns, and the storied fullback Jim Brown, to the unfriendly confines of Soldier Field in Chicago. The CNO, ADM George W. Anderson, was there to present the Eisenhower Trophy to Bears end John Farrington, the outstanding player of the game. However, there were simply too many powerful Browns for the Bears that night, and they lost the game. The Bulletin editor was so miffed about it, he declined to give the score.
In 1963, the new Navy Regional Finance Center was opened in Building 2700. It served a 19-state area, including the 8th and 9th naval districts, disbursing over $1 billion a year (a lot of money in those days).
On November 22nd, President Kennedy was shot and we joined the nation in mourning. Probably nothing in our history compares to the event except the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, and the assassination of President Lincoln. Center activities were muted. The Commander, 9th Naval District, RADM Yeager, wrote a message. "Those of us in the Armed Forces can and will continue to pay tribute to the memory of President Kennedy by dedicating ourselves to serving our country with the same high standards and principles that he upheld"
In 1964, we trained 61,000 recruits and 20,000 at Service School. During that year, about 140,000 civilians visited here, to graduations and to our Armed Forces Day Open House. A $1.4 million RTC classroom building was opened, and a new dispensary and dental clinic was abuilding. We celebrated the 4th of July in Milwaukee with a Recruit Review and Graduation, and President Johnson's 16-year-old daughter Luci was our parade marshal.
During this time frame, we had the services of a rather famous sailor. His name was DL1 Edward N. "Kid" Bates, who worked at the Regional Finance Center. He entered the Navy at Great Lakes in 1943, but for 15 years before that he had been a professional boxer. He held a boxing record that must still stand, earning it in Atlantic City, NJ in 1930, when he knocked out Artie Moore in one second. Said a press account, "Bates hit Moore with a right to the jaw, and Moore hit the floor. That's all there was, there wasn't any more. Referee Harry Ertle did not find it necessary to count." DK1 Bates lived in Forrestal Village with his wife, Shizuko and five children. Bates also had 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, which is pretty amazing too.
By 1965, we were taking casualties in Vietnam. Corporal David G. Lassely, of the Marine Barracks, Great Lakes, was awarded the Purple Heart for leg injuries he had suffered in a firefight with the Viet Cong. Lassely was still on crutches, recently discharged from our Hospital.
Great Lakes joined the city of Chicago in welcoming our new astronaut heroes, LCDR John Young, USN, and Major Virgil (Gus) Grissom, USAF. The Great Lakes Band, the Blujackets Choir, and Great Lakes leadership cheered with a million Chicagoans in a State Street parade for them in April.
Construction here went on. Bids were let for RTC and SSC barracks, a new mess hall, a technical training building, staff barracks, rehabilitation barracks, extension of the WAVE Barracks, expansion of the brig, and repair of our roads. That same year, Public Works Center came into being. Before then, the various public works facilities were under independent commands, and then grouped into one and placed under the control of the Naval Administrative Command. The first CO of the new PWC was Captain William J. Byrnes.
There was a headline in the Bulletin in August. "Why Viet-Nam? Why Are We There?" It noted that our national policy was to protect peace and freedom in Southeast Asia, and that Congress had just passed a resolution authorizing President Johnson to employ our Armed Forces in Vietnam ­ the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of 1964. The war, for America, would go on for nearly a decade.
By early 1966, our Hospital had treated 300 injured servicemen from the war. Politicians and dignitaries began to come to Great Lakes to visit the boys. Some of them included Congressman Mendel Rivers (SC), Under Secretary of the Navy H.B. Baldwin, Moose Scowron of the White Sox, and Playboy bunnies.
Construction of Howard A. Yeager Elementary School, North Chicago, began in 1966, named after the Commander, 9th Naval District, RADM Yeager. The President of the Board of Education told the community the school was named in honor of the admiral's many contributions to the city of North Chicago. RADM Yeager responded, "This honor recognizes the efforts of all, rather than my own personal contributions."
In September, 1966, the Admiral sent a special message to Great Lakes and the 9th Naval District. It read, in part, "The Navy is behind the Equal Employment Opportunity Program 100% all of us will be working together to insure its successTo do less would mock the American dream of freedom and equalityIf the behavior of any misguided individual is in any way discriminatory, then we are going to change it or him Our motives should be our very own conscience and our determination to make of this country all that she claims to be"
On July 5th, 1966, we buried our First Recruit in the Great Lakes cemetery. Joseph W. Gregg had passed away on June 30th, almost exactly 55 years after his eager arrival at our gates. As the last rites were observed, LCDR Joe H. Parker, Hospital Chaplain, said, "This is his final and greatest homecoming." Seaman Recruit Gregg is now with us always.
"Sing Out 66", later to be "Up With People" performed in front of the Hospital only a few weeks later. About 10,000 Sailors were there to enjoy the 120-member musical group. The performers were founded that year, with a mission, "To wrest the microphone away from today's headline seeking college beatniks and pacifists." The wholesome musical group wrote perhaps the only song dedicated to Great Lakes as a command. Entitled, "Great Lakes NTC", the chorus goes, "Great Lakes ­ Heart of the Navy. Great Lakes ­ rulers of the sea. Great Lakes ­ has what it takes to keep our country free!"
The CNO, Admiral D.L. McDonald came to Soldier Field, joined by hundreds of Great Lakes Sailors, for the Annual Armed Forces Benefit football game in 1966. The CNO said, "Never before during the three-plus years that I have been CNO have I been as proud to hold this position as I was [tonight]". The year ended as Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Fuhrman of Lemont, Illinois came to Great Lakes to receive a Berlin Freedom Bell from the Chief of Staff, 9th Naval District. The Fuhrmans' son, TM3 William R. Fuhrman, was killed in Viet Nam while trying to save his shipmates from an ambush.
The year 1967 opened with the famous blizzard of that year. We got about two feet of the white powder. Strong winds and heavy drifts snowed us in tight, and personnel on station--including maintenance and transportation, security, firefighters, and working parties--worked day and night to keep the Center going. We kept Galley 5 open on a 24-hour basis for snow removal crews. Many local civilian communities experienced food shortages, but Great Lakes had enough chow for everyone as we dug out.
The Great Lakes Bulletin changed in that year from a purely military operation to a joint endeavor with a civilian publisher. For the first time, the Bulletin would run advertisements, which in turn would pay most of the operating expenses. That arrangement continues today.
On March 11, 1967, there was a tragic fire in the quarters of the Commander, 9th Naval District. RADM Howard A. Yeager and two WAVES, HM2 Lora Garrett and HM3 Laura Martin died on that day. The Admiral's wife, Jean, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, was critically injured, and succumbed six days later. The two WAVEs had been providing medical care to Mrs. Yeager. The Admiral and WAVEs died trying to save Mrs. Yeager as the fire raced through the quarters. To make the situation even grimmer, the Admiral was to retire in a matter of days, and take a job in the civilian sector. He had already written his last message to Great Lakes. The Bulletin published his last message the day after his funeral on March 16th.
The message ended, "The Navy doesn't belong to the admirals, the officers, the chiefs or the giants of industry. It belongs to all Americans. Our Navy exists to serve a great nation and the cause of freedom throughout the world. I thank God for His allowing me to be part of this mission. And I thank you ­ men and women of the Navy and friends of the Navy ­ for making my role in that mission a truly wonderful experience."
Great Lakes kept building. A new enlisted club was under construction, and it still houses the facility. We opened the new boat marina in May, renovated a number of Service School barracks, got two new boilers for heating, each with a quarter million pound pressure per hour, another housing development got off the ground, and Galley 525 was begun.
We dedicated the recreation park in RTC to the memory of our First Recruit, Joseph W. Gregg in 1968. His daughter, Mrs. Clifford W. Dow, came by for the ceremony. The same year, one of our first officers visited the Center. He was Captain John J. London, USN (ret). He reported here for duty in 1911, and was listed as one of the commissioned officers aboard for the official opening ceremonies, at which President Howard Taft was Guest of Honor. The Captain spoke at a testimonial luncheon on base.
The year 1968 was an annus mirabilus or horribilus, depending on who and where you were. The Viet Cong launched the Tet Offensive, which set almost all South Vietnam ablaze, though the effort destroyed the VC, and was really an allied victory. Dr. King and Senator Kennedy were killed. The Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia, the USS Pueblo was seized by the North Koreans, and the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago, in a haze of tear gas and anger. President Nixon was elected as the year ended. Hippies seemed to be everywhere.
At Great Lakes, 16 months after the fire in Quarters AA, the restoration was complete. The interior had been gutted by the fire, and Public Works personnel had to re-build most of the first floor level, and most of the second floor. The ornate plasterwork on the first floor would have been too expensive to restore, so it was replaced with modern walls and ceilings. The stairway was put back into shape, and carpeting replaced the hardwood flooring destroyed by the fire. Quarters AA was officially re-opened on June 19th.
Navy SEALs began finding new people at RTC. The first experimental company of 37 recruits graduated in December. They were chosen from 250 volunteers, and given special recruit training to prepare them for the more rigorous SEAL training to come at Coronado and beyond. Many, perhaps all of them, looked forward to combat in Vietnam.
War means training at Great Lakes, and the inevitable expansion. Construction kept booming, while recruits and student Sailors flowed in and out. Another sure sign of war here are blood drives. In March of 1969, we recorded our 25-thousandth pint of blood donated for our fighting men.
A few months later, Galley 535 opened. It cost $3 million, and was designed to serve 3,500 Service School students. In June, though its days were numbered, the western craze still held sway. We had another rodeo at Great Lakes, graced by our very own Queen of the Rodeo, Seaman Lee Fox of Galva, Illinois. We ended the year with a hearty Christmas meal at the galleys: roast turkey, Virginia ham, cranberry sauce, parsleyed buttered potatoes, apple and pumpkin pie.