Beneath Navy Wings

[gray eagle]

Made in the late 1960s.

Naval Technical Training School at Memphis, Tennessee

The actual location of the Navy Aviation Schools was located at Millington, TN

It was closed by "Brac '93" and in 1993, most or all schools relocated at Pensacola, FL

[PhantomTweak]

I went to Millington twice!
Once in 78-79, for Avionics schools, Including AVA and AFTA, then back in 81-82, for AVI-C7.

Great memories! First time, I wound up brown-bagging in the mud-flats, with two lovely WAVEs, Leslie, who had a bad lisp, and Beth. Opposites. Beth was tall, slender, blonde, and Leslie was short, stocky, brunette. Both wonderful girls. No idea how I got lucky enough to hook up with them.
Spent time riding horses over on North-Side, swimming and boating at Navy Lake, etc.

When I went back for C7, I was married, and once again, I lived in the mud-flats. About 3 doors down from my last address I didn't tell my wife about Leslie and Beth

Great times. Been a long time, though...
Pat☺

[gray eagle]

I went to Millington twice!
Once in 78-79, for Avionics schools, Including AVA and AFTA, then back in 81-82, for AVI-C7.

Great memories! First time, I wound up brown-bagging in the mud-flats, with two lovely WAVEs, Leslie, who had a bad lisp, and Beth. Opposites. Beth was tall, slender, blonde, and Leslie was short, stocky, brunette. Both wonderful girls. No idea how I got lucky enough to hook up with them.
Spent time riding horses over on North-Side, swimming and boating at Navy Lake, etc.

When I went back for C7, I was married, and once again, I lived in the mud-flats. About 3 doors down from my last address I didn't tell my wife about Leslie and Beth

Great times. Been a long time, though...
Pat☺

I guess you may know those Mud flats were torn down quite awhile ago. When I got here in '82 they still were there. The horses are all gone, buffalo too.
A few years ago, they built a solar farm, loaded with rows and rows of solar panels where the brick enlisted housing on Bethul road was. Maybe you know of that location.
I think Navy Lake (Snake Lake) is gone as well. They want to extend the runway to about where snake lake is/was and develop the north side to attract more commercial
air business.

[MrZippy]

Ah, good ol' RatCenter Mucus! June '68 till Late Feb '69. Went for Afun-P school, Avionics Fundamentals, and At-A school. Summer temps were 90 degrees and 90% humididity. We were first placed into the old wooden barracks and then we were the first company to move into the "new" barracks just down the road from the mess hall, Thanksgiving '68...undercooked turkey gave me the worst case of the screaming trots known to mankind! (Salmonella)

[gray eagle]

Ah, good ol' RatCenter Mucus! June '68 till Late Feb '69. Went for Afun-P school, Avionics Fundamentals, and At-A school. Summer temps were 90 degrees and 90% humididity. We were first placed into the old wooden barracks and then we were the first company to move into the "new" barracks just down the road from the mess hall, Thanksgiving '68...undercooked turkey gave me the worst case of the screaming trots known to mankind! (Salmonella)

During your time frame there, I was a NAS Cubi Point - I actually requested for and got it on my Dream Sheet. Wasn't married then either.....

[MrZippy]

Now I feel gypped! Where were those cute Waves hiding when I was there??

[johndetrick]

I was there 77/78 for Avionics as well. AVI. If I remember well it was MATSG-901. I remember staying in the old WWII era barracks on the North Side. In 80/81 I was there for AVI C7. Stayed in the newer barracks. In fact I ended up being in charge of one of those barracks for a few months. And I too had few rendezvous with some waves. During C-7 I ended up staying in the ville with a girl who bartended at Silky Sullivans in Memphis.

[PhantomTweak]

During my first stint, before I moved out with Leslie and Beth, I was in Bks. 911. First one, closet to the chow hall, in that group of 6, 3 on each side. Duty hut, rec rooms etc, in the middle of it all. I still had to maintain a rack in the barracks, and show up for field day every thursday night. Had to stay in the barracks on duty section weekends, too. Small price to pay for the benefits I was getting!

I thought they were great. Actual ROOMS! In boot camp, open squad bays. When I first got to Millington, I got stuck into the, you guessed it, open squad bays, over on the opposite side of the chow hall from the new ones. Very old. I saw notices on some little used doors that they were condemned. At least we were able to make small, individual, two-man, "rooms" by using the wall lockers as walls. I think the wall lockers were original to the building...
When I got back for C-7, those old barracks were gone. I heard, for what it's worth, some Marine (surprise, surprise!) got caught in one of them with the base CO's daughter. The CO, ummm...., hastened the destruction of them. All hear-say. No proof whatsoever.

John, do you remember seeing some guy on a pink Suzuki 500 2-stroke bike around? That was me! The bike started out red, but got sun faded over time.
When I graduated AFTA, I got my orders to El Toro. I was to leave THAT NIGHT at 1700. I had 1 afternoon to check off the base, pack up, and get to the airport. Somehow. I made it, but it was a b*&^h. I left the bike there for whoever wanted it. Left the keys with a note on the bulletin board, full tanks of fuel and oil. I hope someone got some fun out of it.
I am pretty sure I was with 901 as well. Small world huh?

Sorry to hear about the horses, and more about Navy Lake. Lot of real good memories of that place. I got caught in a thunderstorm riding horses with Leslie one afternoon. Right on the hill overlooking the end of the runway. There were some huge anchor chains layed out alongside the runway, I believe as arresting gear. A huge lightning bolt hit the chain as we were watching. Took some effort to control the horses!
We were soaked in the first few minutes, which was a blessing in disguise. Leslie had a big chest, and when she got her clothes soaked in the rain, it was a wonderful view!


Sorry, I could go on for hours.
Have fun all!
Pat☺

[Navy Chief]

I was there the Winter of 72. Very cold! AME school. Left there I think, in February of 73. Then off to VF-101 Tramp (F-4s), and ultimately to Pax River. NC