Call me what you will. I joined the Navy in 1961. Trained in Coronado San Diego at the NAVAL Amphibious Base with UDT Team One. Went to Cuba during the big almost-war with a unit called BeachJumpers. I was there when they cut the water off, when the Marines were playing football in a minefield and about 4 of them were killed.

We were ordered to not tell anyone what kind of work we did. Our unit was a top-secret unit that no one knew anything about. We jammed radar, interfaced communications, and sent bogus messages to the enemy and caused large boats to appear on the enemies’ radar. We only had a small PT boat. Imitative deception...we slept on the beach instead of the barracks that they had in Gitmo.

When notified that there was going to be a nuclear war I almost cried. I was young, scared as hell, knowing that I would not see my family again. Well, you know what happened; I was sent back to San Juan Puerto Rico for r/r.

In 1965 our unit was sent to Nam for a six month tour of duty. When that duty was done, we were sent back to Okinawa for stand down. After six months, back to Nam running operations on the PBRs extracting the SEAL Teams in and out of country. I didn't want to go but had no decision in the matter. I did what I was told and didn't question anyone about whether the war was right or not, I just did it...I didn't know that people were running off to Canada and didn't understand why they did it.

If I were to do something like that, my family would have disowned me. My older brother was in WW-II: Iwo Jima, a war hero; my brother-in-law Korea - another war hero.   My father was in the 82nd Airborne and was killed on 11 July 1943 after being shot down by our Navy under friendly fire. My whole family was in the military and I was not going to tell them I wanted to hide in Canada.

Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do...but stand up and be counted. Those people that didn't want to die I can understand but not me. I would have died for our country and almost did twice after being blown up in the air on the Delta twice. My last tour I came home in a partial body bag and could not participate in the UDT any longer because my ears were blown and my legs were almost destroyed. I stayed in the Navy and served my 20 years and ran like hell. I turned down the VA offer for 60 percent and finished my time.

Now that I look back at it, I don't think I would do it again. But we all learn from our mistakes.... NO, NO, NO; I would never have gone to Canada knowing it was only three miles across Lake St. Clair...from my home to Canada...I passed and I have no respect for anyone that wanted to leave this country and hide like a little baby. I’ll bet that the ones that came back don't talk about their deeds to anyone knowing they would be looked upon as a traitor to the US and their families.

So, no, I don't agree having any passion for those who did go to Canada...it’s just not in me.....

d2

© by Dave Davies 2/19/2006