About ColdWarHeroes.com
I
(Jeff Redding) served as a Yeoman in the U.S. Navy from 1977 to 1989.
This service included a tour with Patrol Squadorns 16 and 60, NAS
Atlanta, GA, NAS Glenview, IL (my home town), and NRC Rome, NY.
When I was in the Patrol (VP) Squadrons, I frequently served as Operations
Department Yeoman, typing flight
schedules, keeping flight logs, etc.... My liberty and R/R was
often spent with my aircrew friends. When we deployed to Keflavik,
Iceland and Sigonella, Sicily, we worked hard and had fun on liberty.
While in the Navy, I visited Germany, England, Wales, Chile, the Philippines,
Bermuda, and Hawaii.
During five of the twelve years of my active duty, I was stationed in my home town, less than a mile from where I grew up in Glenview, Illinois. These were great years, I was a "Ground Pounder," stationed in my home town during peace time.
While stationed at Naval Reserve Center, Rome, NY, my last duty station, there were only about seven active duty personnel. We had two to three hundred reservist that drilled twice a month. One of the duties for active duty personnel was Burial Detail: performing as pall bearers or on the Rifle Squad, at Navy Funerals in our area. This was the saddest duty I ever performed, yet it was the duty I tried my hardest to perform with dignity and respect.
I remember a day in
May 1987 when the USS Stark was bombed with two Iraqi missiles in an unprovoked
attack. Thirty-Seven sailors were killed including two from the Rome,
New York area. It was the duty of our Reserve Center to inform the
families and perform military honors at the funerals. At the time,
we had a deserter who had turned himself in to our reserve 
center. I had processed him for return to his command, and he
was waiting for us to give him a ride to the airport. The young sailor
watched as we listened to the news of the incident, and we found out some
of the causalities were from our area. This must have scared him,
because when it was time for him to go he no longer could be found.
He had slipped out the back door during all the commotion.
One of the sailors
who was killed was only 18 years old. and he was from a small town in Upstate
New York. At his funeral we performed both as pall bearers and on
the Rifle Squad. After moving the coffin from the hearse to
the grave site, we picked up our rifles and marched to the designated spot
to perform the 21 gun salute. The entire town turned out for the funeral.
After the funeral, the Sailor's fiancee walked up to us while we were still
in formation, and she handed each of us a red rose. This is my most
cherished memory of my 12 years in the Navy.
The
entire twelve years of my service was during peace time. It was also part
of an era called "The Cold War." I have the utmost respect for the
brave men and women who patrol the seas protecting our great nation in
peace time or in war time.
Now I am a disabled veteran because of my poor vision. I have bee legally blind since 1993. I lost my central vision, and can no longer drive or ride a bicyle. Since 1993, I have been living in Sarasota, Florida. I am the Founder of Linkable.org, a website which links together the personal webpages of PEOPLE who happen to have a disability. Maintaining this website and helping other disabled people has been very rewarding. Many have sent email to thank me for designing and maintaining the website.