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Sonar Tech Career path: Life Aboard the USS Hewitt

World's Finest Strike Podcast

13 Plays2 months ago

Join host Patrick Riley as he sits down with longtime friend and USS Hewitt shipmate Rob Gage for an in-depth conversation about naval life in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Rob shares his journey from joining the Navy in 1987 as a sonar technician to serving on two ships - the USS England (CG-22) and USS Hewitt (DD-966) - before transitioning to shore duty as base security in Japan.

In this episode, Rob recounts his experiences from boot camp in San Diego to his adventures across the Pacific, including memorable port visits to the Philippines, Thailand, Egypt, and extensive time stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. He discusses the challenges of making rank as a "non-push button" sailor, the camaraderie of shipboard life, and the unique experiences of being base police in Japan during the early 1990s.

Rob also reflects on liberty adventures in places like Subic Bay, Roppongi, and climbing Mount Fuji, while sharing insights into the cultural differences and memorable moments that shaped his nearly nine-year naval career. The conversation touches on his post-Navy life with the postal service, his passion for competitive shooting, and how military service prepared him for civilian success.

Whether you're a Navy veteran, military history enthusiast, or simply enjoy hearing authentic stories of service and adventure, this episode offers a genuine glimpse into Pacific Fleet operations during a pivotal time in naval history.

Part of the World's Finest Strike Podcast series, featuring stories from USS Hewitt veterans and their naval experiences.

Transcript

USS Hewitt Memorabilia and Naval Career

00:00:52

Patrick Riley

Yeah, I'm glad we got that one reset because the other 14 seconds I'll just get rid of because that's just, it wasn't right.

00:00:57

Rob

ah

00:00:59

Patrick Riley

ah But and again, this is a work in progress. But yeah, and yeah of course, this is dedicated to the USS Hewitt, which I do always have my hat up here.

00:01:09

Patrick Riley

Here's the Hewitt Towers. And that I do have, I've got the old Corey Station one back here as well. ah That was from my C school, A schools t school, C school.

00:01:16

Rob

You got your... don't have your mouth with me?

00:01:21

Patrick Riley

No, I don't know why I don't have that one. I think I need to find one. um I do have like a golf pullover and it has Mount Whitney. It says veteran. But yeah, I bought that years afterwards.

00:01:34

Patrick Riley

But I need to and need to get a Mount Whitney one in there. Yes, you're you're exactly right.

00:01:38

Rob

Yeah, I didn't, I don't have my hat staged or anything, but we are in my ah plaque room.

00:01:38

Patrick Riley

And that's...

00:01:42

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:01:44

Rob

So I got my shooting stuff and any Navy pictures I have kind of like bootcamp graduation and some school graduations up there.

00:01:55

Patrick Riley

Oh, that's awesome. yep Yep, I have those as well. I was looking for my the actual shellback certificate, and i don't i don't have that. I've got the small little card.

00:02:07

Rob

That's all I've got to I've got it right up there. And actually, I blew it up. I don't know if you can.

00:02:13

Patrick Riley

Oh, yeah.

00:02:14

Rob

Yeah, right here. This was Hewitt. And that was the England. So I just blew up the card.

00:02:19

Patrick Riley

Okay. Oh, that's awesome. Mm-hmm.

00:02:23

Rob

And I don't know what happened to the certificate either. But um I had the card.

00:02:27

Patrick Riley

Yeah, yeah.

00:02:28

Rob

I just blew it up and photocopied it and and I laminated it and Yeah, because you know, the longer you the further you are removed from that, the kind of like the more you want to get back to it or remember it because you know,

00:02:40

Patrick Riley

Exactly, exactly.

00:02:41

Rob

like

00:02:41

Patrick Riley

Well, I was going to say, let me introduce yourself. I'll introduce you.

Rob Gage's Journey in the Navy and Postal Service

00:02:45

Patrick Riley

You're Rob Gage, um one of my good friends from the USS Hewitt. um If you want to just introduce yourself and tell me a little more about what you are, who you are.

00:02:55

Rob

Yeah, um my name is Rob Gage. i i knew Pat on the Hewitt. um Hewitt was my second ship. um i was I joined the Navy in January 1987 and a sonar tech.

00:03:10

Rob

And my first ship was the USS single England. And my second ship was the Hewitt. And then I went to Sea-Face Security in the coast of Japan for three years. I was my shore duty.

00:03:22

Rob

before I got out. So I did almost nine years altogether, reenlisted once. um And since then, I've been, got hired on with the postal service in 1997. And I've been there 28 years now. So I'm currently a manager twenty eight years now so i

00:03:37

Patrick Riley

ah That's great.

00:03:39

Rob

currently manager

00:03:39

Patrick Riley

So and it carries all that retirement carries over, right?

00:03:41

Rob

yeah

00:03:44

Patrick Riley

From.

00:03:44

Rob

Yes. Yeah. So actually I, what they, they call it, you can buy your time back. So it's all federal retirement. So anybody in the federal government, FBI, it doesn't matter what you do in the federal government, you can buy your military time back um and it counts towards your service.

00:04:01

Rob

And um that's what I did. It was, shes it was worth it because really I have 37 years.

00:04:08

Patrick Riley

wow

00:04:09

Rob

So um yeah, that'll, of course I get a pension, but it's not It's not ah like a military pension. It's, it'll probably end up maybe 38% of my high three average.

00:04:16

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:04:21

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:04:22

Rob

Yeah.

00:04:23

Patrick Riley

Okay. Oh, that's good. Well, I mean, this better than nothing.

Retirement Plans and Federal Benefits

00:04:26

Patrick Riley

So that's, that helps.

00:04:26

Rob

Oh yeah. I mean, oh yeah.

00:04:28

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:04:29

Rob

not bad all. I mean, I can't complain. There's not many jobs that have a pension anymore.

00:04:31

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:04:33

Rob

So yeah.

00:04:34

Patrick Riley

Exactly. like And are you, are you thinking about retirement in the coming years? What, what are you thinking about for

Transition to Tech Management and Leadership

00:04:40

Patrick Riley

retirement?

00:04:40

Rob

um I can retire now. In fact, I just got some retirement paperwork in the mail yesterday. It's right here where they basically spelled out what I would get if I did retire now.

00:04:47

Patrick Riley

Oh, great.

00:04:53

Rob

um It's tempting. um But I would say probably within the next, probably before um sixty I'm I'm 57 now. So i'm I'm thinking maybe before I hit 60, I'd like to go.

00:05:10

Patrick Riley

Oh, great. You know, and I'm 55.

00:05:11

Rob

yeah

00:05:12

Patrick Riley

I'm thinking about the same thing. Give me five more years. And ah the nice thing is the company I'm with now, they offer a sabbatical after five years. So that would be just started with them back in March.

00:05:25

Patrick Riley

So that would put me at five years at my experience.

00:05:25

Rob

oh

00:05:28

Patrick Riley

my 60th birthday i'll take that one month off and just figure out what i want to do and i would probably work further on if i'm in the right position and have the right team because right now i'm a technology manager and it's it's great i love the team but and it's not as a technology manager i don't have to you keep up with the kids but i kind of leading the kids anyways right now which is great because

00:05:42

Rob

Yeah, yeah.

00:05:54

Rob

Yeah.

00:05:55

Patrick Riley

I don't have to put hands on keyboards and code. I have to kind of direct them in exactly how to resolve problems and they can think for themselves and they're getting there, but it's definitely fun.

00:06:05

Rob

Yeah, I think.

00:06:06

Patrick Riley

And ah or there's a bit of a, a work difference or work mentality. But I, because I've been working for so many years, it's just, you get up, you grind and you come home and you take it easy.

00:06:22

Patrick Riley

But, you know, now I'm getting to the point where I write and I just try to stay active that way. And I'm hoping that when I turn 60, I can continue to write and maybe that'll help.

00:06:34

Rob

Yeah. Yeah.

Navy Sonar Tech Experiences

00:06:36

Patrick Riley

So.

00:06:36

Rob

Really. Yeah. would think.

00:06:38

Patrick Riley

So I was going to use, use we're a sonar tech. um And of course, the Navy has two different types of sonar tech, um submarines and surface. I did have the opportunity when I went through boot camp.

00:06:47

Rob

Yes.

00:06:53

Patrick Riley

kind of I didn't make the physical qualifications to be a diver. So they put me in apprenticeship training.

00:06:57

Rob

Okay. Okay.

00:06:59

Patrick Riley

And through apprenticeship training, they said, if you're the top of your top six people in that class, you can get a chance to change your rate. And I really didn't want to go out to the fleet as a bosun's mate.

00:07:14

Rob

Yeah.

00:07:15

Patrick Riley

Didn't sound great to me.

00:07:16

Rob

Yeah.

00:07:16

Patrick Riley

So I was number two in the class. Number one had small boats. He didn't want to give that up. So I was... ah default number one. So I had electronic warfare, but also there was sonar tech surface.

00:07:34

Rob

ah

00:07:34

Patrick Riley

And the only thing about sonar tech surface was it wasn't advanced electronics and electronic warfare was. So I chose that.

00:07:41

Rob

and

00:07:42

Patrick Riley

But so after, where where did you go for bootcamp?

00:07:47

Rob

San Diego.

00:07:49

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:07:49

Rob

Yep.

00:07:50

Patrick Riley

Oh, great. Yeah, we had Rob rob Clements on ah for the first podcast and he went to San Diego as well. oh

00:07:57

Rob

Yep. if I was there in January through March of 87. It was cold. You don't think of San Diego as being cold, but when you're, you know, marching around at three in the morning, it's kind of cold.

00:08:07

Rob

yes

00:08:08

Patrick Riley

Yes, definitely. Yeah. And same thing. I was in Orlando in August, which was very, very hot and and humid and just miserable.

00:08:13

Rob

Oh yeah.

00:08:16

Patrick Riley

So not not fun. um But then I can

Navy Deployments and Memorable Ports

00:08:20

Patrick Riley

see the dog kind of going a little crazy over here. So I might have to go on mute.

00:08:24

Rob

No problem.

00:08:24

Patrick Riley

I do. I mean, but this video, it's nice because it does kind of cut out that up that low.

00:08:29

Rob

Yeah.

00:08:31

Patrick Riley

But so after boot camp, where was a school for you?

00:08:31

Rob

It

00:08:34

Rob

was in San Diego.

00:08:36

Patrick Riley

OK.

00:08:37

Rob

Still there. Fleet ASW Training Center is in San Diego, like right at Point Loma. Used to be right across the street from old NTC, if you knew where that is.

00:08:47

Rob

The Naval Training Center, which was where RTC was, boot camp, it's all closed down now.

00:08:51

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:08:53

Rob

It's gone, you know, but um the ASW base is still there.

00:08:53

Patrick Riley

Right. Yeah.

00:08:57

Patrick Riley

Okay. Point Loma. Oh, nice. Okay.

00:08:59

Rob

I just went to a school because I joined the Navy on a three by three. So when I first signed up, I didn't want to commit to six years. I was offered, I was offered sonar tech right away. I did well on my ASVABs.

00:09:14

Rob

So they actually wanted me to take the nuke test and I did take the nuke test, but I didn't pass it. I didn't do well enough on it get in, which I was kind of happy about. I didn't really want to do that, but they were kind of really pushing me for that.

00:09:25

Patrick Riley

right Right.

00:09:27

Rob

like, yeah, really want it, but yeah. They did offer me. um I didn't know anything about anything back then. And Sonar Tech sounded cool, you know. um And so I signed up by for three years active, three years reserve.

00:09:40

Rob

So I was only supposed to. And so you don't get school out of that. um So I wasn't a button third. Most of the Sonar Techs that go to the fleet end up going as third classes. So I went as a seaman.

00:09:50

Patrick Riley

right

00:09:51

Rob

I got to my first ship as a seaman recruit.

00:09:54

Patrick Riley

Oh, wow.

00:09:54

Rob

was

00:09:55

Patrick Riley

Oh, wow.

00:09:55

Rob

Six months in Navy, yeah.

00:09:57

Patrick Riley

Oh, geez.

00:09:57

Rob

Well, I was right at six months. I put on Seaman Apprentice right after I got on board. um

00:10:02

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:10:03

Rob

But it was hard to make third. ah i spent almost the entire two and a half years on my first ship. I made third class the month I left. That's long to make third.

00:10:13

Patrick Riley

Wow. Okay.

00:10:15

Rob

i may I took the test three times. I passed it each time, you know, P&A.

00:10:20

Patrick Riley

Mm-hmm.

00:10:20

Rob

The third time I made first increment, which means that you put it on first day, you get paid the first day. Well, that was because I studied my butt off, you know, and I really, because we had two other seamen in my division that were four-year seamen.

00:10:26

Patrick Riley

Yes.

00:10:33

Rob

They never made third class. You know, it was that hard to make third because there were so many push buttons. The third class was flooded. So it was hard to make.

00:10:41

Patrick Riley

Yes.

00:10:42

Rob

So I came to the Hewitt as a third class just having just made it. But I'd been in the fleet two and a half years at that point, you know.

00:10:47

Patrick Riley

Right.

00:10:50

Patrick Riley

Wow. and yeah So where was the England's, uh, stationed at?

00:10:54

Rob

Stationed out of San Diego, 32nd Street.

00:10:56

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:10:56

Rob

yeah So actually, well, I met it after A school. I met it in the yards in Long Beach. So which was kind of cool.

00:11:02

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:11:04

Rob

I wasn't upset about that because when I joined the Navy, I was living in San Pedro, California, which was just across the Terminal Island Bridge, you know, 10 minutes away um where I could go sleep in my old bedroom.

00:11:17

Patrick Riley

Oh, wow. Okay.

00:11:18

Rob

my dad's house, you know, so I was driving home every day for the first few months I was on board if I didn't have duty, sleeping my old bed.

00:11:26

Patrick Riley

Yeah? Oh, that's awesome.

00:11:27

Rob

Yeah, so, but being in the yard sucks.

00:11:28

Patrick Riley

That works.

00:11:30

Rob

I mean, the very first thing I did was hit the handle me needle gun, get to work.

00:11:33

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:11:35

Rob

you know, chip and paint and, and they put me on a tiger team in the engine room, just cleaning the engine.

00:11:35

Patrick Riley

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

00:11:40

Rob

It was just all filthy work. had nothing to do with being a sonar tech. I didn't learn anything about being a sonar tech for the first several months because you're in the yards and if you've ever been in the yards, that's what it's like.

00:11:51

Patrick Riley

Mm-hmm.

00:11:51

Rob

Yeah.

00:11:52

Patrick Riley

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I've been in the yards a couple times. I was on the towers ah one year on the towers before I got decommissioned.

00:11:57

Rob

Yeah.

00:12:01

Patrick Riley

and We did go into the yards just temporarily. i think it was the wintertime. It wasn't bad. But at the end of my time, I did spend a couple months in the yards in Norfolk.

00:12:15

Patrick Riley

And because we were expanding our birthing to take on women under the ship because we were they were changing the combat ships at that time.

00:12:21

Rob

the okay Right, right.

00:12:24

Patrick Riley

But yeah, so so once the, and what type of ship was the England?

00:12:29

Rob

It was a Lahey-class cruiser.

00:12:32

Patrick Riley

Okay. Oh, nice.

00:12:33

Rob

CG-2 guided missile cruiser. We had...

00:12:37

Patrick Riley

And that wasn't nuclear, right? It was not a nuclear ship?

00:12:40

Rob

It was not a CGN.

00:12:40

Patrick Riley

No.

00:12:41

Rob

It was a steam ship. So we had boilers on board. They weren't gas turbine. They were boilers, you know. So we were one of the old steam ships. And, but yeah, the Hewitt was gas turbine.

00:12:53

Rob

But, no, this was just a – so we had ETs and had two engine rooms and two fire rooms.

00:12:54

Patrick Riley

Yep.

00:13:00

Rob

Big ship, you know, bigger than the Hewitt, a little bit. 420 crew members, something that.

00:13:04

Patrick Riley

Right.

00:13:05

Rob

crew members um so But it was already an old ship when I got there.

00:13:08

Patrick Riley

Absolutely.

00:13:10

Rob

It was commissioned in 63. Yeah.

00:13:13

Patrick Riley

Oh, wow.

00:13:14

Rob

yeah

00:13:14

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:13:15

Rob

So it decommissioned in 94, think.

00:13:15

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:13:17

Rob

Yeah. Okay. i think

00:13:20

Patrick Riley

Mm-hmm.

00:13:20

Rob

yeah

00:13:20

Patrick Riley

Okay. Yeah, because the Towers was Adams class and it was a lot smaller. It was smaller than the Hewitt. So it was the opposite for me.

00:13:26

Rob

yeah yeah

00:13:27

Patrick Riley

And that decommissioned, it was commissioned in 1966, I believe. And then decommissioned in 90 when I got off of it.

00:13:36

Rob

and okay

00:13:38

Patrick Riley

So yeah, that was, it was tiny.

00:13:40

Rob

When I first, yeah, when I first arrived on the England, one of, one of the guys that showed me around at the summer tech had come from the towers. So he was, I guess that would have been before your time.

00:13:53

Rob

Cause he would have been there 85 or so, 85 to 87, maybe he was there.

00:13:53

Patrick Riley

Yes.

00:13:58

Rob

Um, but him and another guy were both from the towers and another guy was from the Cochrane. Um, all of my ship and my divisions, they all kind of were there at the same time.

00:14:03

Patrick Riley

Oh, wow.

00:14:07

Rob

So they knew a lot about Japan. Um,

Life and Work in Japan

00:14:11

Rob

So they have

00:14:12

Patrick Riley

Is that how you they talked you end into going to Japan? How did you decide that?

00:14:16

Rob

um to be honest. Yeah. Um, it was probably West pack my first West pack. So we went to, um, six month deployment, Persian Gulf, you know, um, and of course we hit the typical ports. We did not hit Japan though.

00:14:31

Rob

We hit, uh, the Philippines, of course, you know, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Singapore, um,

00:14:31

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:14:40

Rob

Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Oman, and Thailand. But just hearing a lot of stories about Westpac and what it was like just living over there. And I just, especially after spending time in PI, it was like, I want to go back. So...

00:14:57

Patrick Riley

okay

00:14:58

Rob

How can I get back? You know, and and I was coming up. I knew I had a bargaining chip because I was coming up on an end of my enlistment, you know, at three years. um

00:15:05

Patrick Riley

Mm-hmm.

00:15:06

Rob

I still had like six months after that deployment, but I'm like, I knew i i could, I was going to re-enlist. So I could, I had to gamble, you know, I could either re-enlist for school or I could, you know,

00:15:18

Patrick Riley

yeah

00:15:18

Rob

big ship I want to go to. So, uh, actually tried to get a ship out of the Philippines, but I couldn't get to stare at that was really the only ship at the time.

00:15:28

Patrick Riley

right

00:15:28

Rob

ah and then they gave me orders to the Ohlendorf, which had been and, and actually i accepted those orders, but then I found out the Ohlendorf was leaving Japan like soon.

00:15:40

Patrick Riley

ye

00:15:41

Rob

And I'm like, well, if I take those orders, I'm just coming right back. So, um, said I said, don't want those. um I renegotiated. And then we had, well, we have another ship, the Hewitt, which is transferring to Japan.

00:15:53

Rob

So right around the time, I think the Ollendorf left. And I'm like, all right, I'll take it. you know And that's what I ended up doing. and

00:16:01

Patrick Riley

So did you go to Japan on the Hewitt or did you fly over? Okay.

00:16:06

Rob

I wrote it over. Yeah.

00:16:08

Patrick Riley

okay

00:16:08

Rob

So I reported on board end of June, 1990. nineteen ninety And then I think we we got underway on our way to Japan. I think it was August, mean, sorry, whatever day that Saddam Hussein invaded um Kuwait.

00:16:26

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:16:26

Rob

The day went away was the day that that ah we left to head to Japan. And my old ship to England was the only ship in the Persian Gulf at that time when that happened.

00:16:40

Rob

And theyre I hear stories from guys that were that i still knew that were on the England after I left.

00:16:41

Patrick Riley

Oh, wow.

00:16:46

Rob

They went to GQ for like 48 hours. They were, you know, because they didn't know, you know, all hell was going to break loose. They're the only ship in the Gulf. there There's no carrier there, nothing. one Cruiser in the Gulf and there it Oh Okay

00:16:58

Patrick Riley

Wow. That's amazing.

00:17:04

Patrick Riley

Yeah, that was, um, so yeah, I was on the pier when the Hewitt pulled in. So that was, that was where I was.

00:17:09

Rob

okay Remember all the protesters

00:17:11

Patrick Riley

Um,

00:17:14

Patrick Riley

Oh, yeah. Yeah. I was actually in the middle of the protesters once. um i they They said, hey, you've got to get off base before before we lock the gates.

00:17:25

Patrick Riley

You know, there's going to be a protest. And I was heading up. I think they've had quite a few protests over there. And and their protests were different because I remember they were marching down the street.

00:17:30

Rob

Oh, yeah, yeah. All

00:17:36

Patrick Riley

And the Japanese police all had them, like they were lined up on the sides of the road. And then they kind of funneled them together and they marched with them.

00:17:47

Patrick Riley

And then they encircled um like just kind of surrounded them as they continue to march. And of course, I i noticed that the protesters had helmets on and occasionally the Japanese cops would crack them in the head just to test out their helmets.

00:17:56

Rob

right.

00:18:02

Patrick Riley

They worked. But I and then I just I was like kind of walking along the sidewalk as they were marching. I didn't feel in danger at all just because there were so many police and they had them in such a well-controlled environment.

00:18:18

Patrick Riley

I turned around and looked and all the Marines were kind of lined up on the other side of the fence. And I'm in between the Marines and the protesters. I was like, yeah, this might not be a great place to stand, but.

00:18:31

Patrick Riley

I made it to the train station. I didn't get locked in the Yuska that day. So,

00:18:35

Rob

Many times I think a new ship got transferred there, they had those protesters and

00:18:36

Patrick Riley

i

00:18:40

Rob

um

00:18:41

Patrick Riley

yeah.

00:18:41

Rob

I just remember on the water, they were like floating in inner tubes and whatnot saying, he would go home.

00:18:44

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:18:46

Rob

And I'm like, wow, this is our welcome. out You know, it was a little leery at first.

00:18:49

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:18:50

Rob

not I'm like, this is because that's my first experience. I've never been to Japan first time.

00:18:54

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:18:55

Rob

I'm like, oh, they don't like us here. It was a little leery first, but.

00:18:57

Patrick Riley

yeah yeah Just a fringe faction. They really didn't come across. And that was I think that's what I... I didn't notice that... I don't think they protested outside the gate.

00:19:09

Patrick Riley

Of course, they would always protest. And I think that at time was another time that they ah were protesting us. They always did. um But yeah, i remember they were out on the water. I forgot about that.

00:19:19

Rob

but Yeah.

00:19:19

Patrick Riley

um But that was the thing.

00:19:20

Rob

Yeah.

00:19:20

Patrick Riley

Once you once you guys got on... I was talking to some of the guys and they wanted to go to circus in Yokohama. And i was like, you're not going to circus in Yokohama.

00:19:27

Rob

Yeah.

00:19:29

Patrick Riley

We're, we're going to Roppongi. So I took, I don't know if you were with me or not, but, um, I did go to, but took some guys up to Roppongi and we hit the new Sano first, got good and drunk there.

00:19:32

Rob

yeah

00:19:41

Rob

and

00:19:42

Patrick Riley

And then over to Roppongi, went to Java Jive.

00:19:43

Rob

yeah

00:19:46

Patrick Riley

That was the place i always hung out at.

00:19:48

Rob

remember that place. Yeah. Yeah. No, I don't know if there was anyone in my division that had been to Japan before.

Shore Duty and Community Interactions in Japan

00:19:55

Rob

So, um yeah, I probably learned it the old fashioned way, just getting out there and and going, you know, didn't take long.

00:20:02

Rob

um

00:20:02

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:20:03

Rob

I do remember going to circus in Yokohama. um And then of course, well, you know, Roppongi was always the pretty much, you're either back on the train by midnight or spending the night. So a lot of long nights and luckily the bars there stayed open until,

00:20:13

Patrick Riley

Yep. Yep. Yep.

00:20:18

Rob

you know, 5 a.m.

00:20:19

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:20:20

Rob

on the weekend.

00:20:20

Patrick Riley

Yeah. I think even that, that night, um, we missed the train coming back. Oops.

00:20:27

Rob

Yeah.

00:20:28

Patrick Riley

And I ended up calling ah one of my friends who they lived in Shinagawa. So we were able to crash on their place and before the love.

00:20:34

Rob

Oh, that's nice.

00:20:35

Patrick Riley

And that was cool. So that was their first night in Japan. We missed a train and at least I was able to call in a favor from a friend. So.

00:20:43

Rob

Are those all EWs you're with?

00:20:45

Patrick Riley

No.

00:20:46

Rob

Oh.

00:20:46

Patrick Riley

No, I think we had some ETs, some DSs, just anybody from the electronics division. Of course, I don't remember the damn division name. I had the cruise book. I sure I can go back through there.

00:21:00

Rob

CSE or something, CSW or?

00:21:00

Patrick Riley

But yeah, yeah, I think it was CSC. It's got to be. I know I'll probably I'll pull up the damn book later.

00:21:08

Rob

I got it right here.

00:21:09

Patrick Riley

But there you go. That's it. I've got the same one.

00:21:12

Rob

Yeah.

00:21:13

Patrick Riley

ah Yeah, I took.

00:21:14

Rob

You brought it to the reunion.

00:21:17

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:21:18

Rob

Yeah, I think it says CSE. Yeah, that's one the ETs, DSs, EWs, yeah.

00:21:26

Patrick Riley

Yep. That's it. There we go. Yeah. I saw a ham right there. So, and green.

00:21:30

Rob

yeah

00:21:32

Patrick Riley

So yeah, I got to get a hold of Don Green.

00:21:32

Rob

and i didn' I'm going to turn the light on. It's a little dark in here. Okay.

00:21:40

Patrick Riley

There you go.

00:21:43

Rob

Yeah, there he is. yeah and download

00:21:45

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:21:46

Rob

Yeah. I was looking through on Sunday to kind of refresh my memory.

00:21:46

Patrick Riley

Yeah. We're going to

00:21:51

Patrick Riley

Right.

00:21:51

Rob

That's tough, you know.

00:21:53

Patrick Riley

I know. Yeah, it's it's pretty good. And I'm just going to kind of make my rounds through and and pretty much give all these guys a call and you know just kind of get their stories and what they've had, the what they learned and their experience on the Hewitt. Because of but out of all the ships I was on, I think the Hewitt was probably the best for me.

00:22:13

Patrick Riley

ah The Towers was really good. But of course, the Mount Whitney, not great because I wrote the book about it. did.

00:22:21

Rob

Yeah.

00:22:21

Patrick Riley

But there is ah my old chief from the Mount Whitney. I need to give him a call. And there is an EW that I work with as well. I want to get his story. Because when I got on the Mount Whitney, he was an E3, like you were talking about. He didn't go to C school.

00:22:38

Rob

and here yeah

00:22:38

Patrick Riley

So he wasn't that push button ah third class like like I was. And of course, I spent two years in Japan. And then I go to the Mount Whitney and

00:22:48

Rob

Before you went back to school, huh?

00:22:50

Patrick Riley

Yeah, I went back to school. and And that was the odd thing was that when I was in school for school, I was one of the only people that had my surface warfare.

00:22:52

Rob

yeah

00:23:00

Patrick Riley

So I kind of stood out. But, you know, I did really well in school and I enjoyed it. But then they sent me to the East Coast, which was pretty bad. So um but the you did shore duty in Japan as well.

00:23:09

Rob

yeah

00:23:12

Patrick Riley

Right.

00:23:13

Rob

Yes, yes, CFA. Yep, CFA Security did three years there. Yeah.

00:23:18

Patrick Riley

Okay. And then for what was see fake?

00:23:19

Rob

but

00:23:22

Rob

Uh, base police, military police.

00:23:24

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:23:25

Rob

Yeah.

00:23:25

Patrick Riley

I gotcha.

00:23:26

Rob

So CFA is the command commander fleet activities, you coast good.

00:23:26

Patrick Riley

it

00:23:30

Rob

That's the base, but I was at security for CFA.

00:23:31

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:23:33

Rob

So we were the base police, straight around police cars. We were base police. Yeah. Not just base but off base.

00:23:38

Patrick Riley

Nice.

00:23:40

Rob

Um, I don't know how much experience you had with them. Um, but we patrolled the haunch.

00:23:44

Patrick Riley

no

00:23:47

Rob

Um, and then we had a detachment in the Gishi.

00:23:47

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:23:50

Rob

in Yokohama, which was where I ended up eventually.

00:23:51

Patrick Riley

OK. OK.

00:23:53

Rob

But up there, you patrolled the base and then you had to go up to Roppongi or Tokyo. Anytime an American service member was involved in something, we had to respond.

00:24:05

Rob

So we went up to Tokyo a lot, mostly to pick up the service member, bring it back. you know

00:24:11

Patrick Riley

okay

00:24:12

Rob

But yeah, when I was ready to get off the Hewitt, I still had a lot of time left because I just reenlisted. And for a sonar tech, there really wasn't much in Japan to for a sonar tech. Everything was back in San Diego where our training base was. and um So if I wanted to stay in Japan, i had to take something that they offered there.

00:24:37

Rob

And I really wanted to stay. i would have at that time been there for almost two years and I'm like, I love the place. And I was like, I want

Social Activities and Travels in the Navy

00:24:45

Rob

to stay. So, um, or security, pretty much anybody who can, then most people that take those orders that they just want to they want to stay in Japan, you know?

00:24:46

Patrick Riley

Oh

00:24:54

Rob

So, and it was, it was good duty though.

00:24:54

Patrick Riley

yeah.

00:24:56

Rob

Um, it was like, after living on a ship, I mean, I literally lived on the ship for four and a half years. I didn't have my own place. until just before I got to security. And then me and don't remember Sean Jeter.

00:25:09

Patrick Riley

oh yeah

00:25:10

Rob

I went and found a place off base. He was still on the ship, but I knew i was going to shore and we rented a place over and ah near Hayama. It was actually called Ashina, but on the opposite side of the Mira Peninsula, um but by the beach, five minutes from the beach.

00:25:25

Rob

And so I lived there for three and a half years. It was like, almost like being a civilian again. So it was a nice change from living on a ship, just even though the house was tiny, lot of bugs, you know, it always felt whatever temperature it was at outside, it felt like it inside.

00:25:37

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:25:41

Rob

It was either hot in the summer, cold in the winter, you know?

00:25:42

Patrick Riley

Right. Yeah. Yeah.

00:25:45

Rob

But um it was home to me, you know, I loved it, you know, so.

00:25:45

Patrick Riley

Oh, that's great. So what what kind of When you were a on base and you were, you know, as as a police officer, what what did you experience? What were some of the, like he said, you went out to Roppongi to do some pickups.

00:26:03

Patrick Riley

Like what were some of the things that you saw as a, you know, just security for this?

00:26:08

Rob

Well, no yeah most of the time, anytime off base, I mean, if you're, but you know, if you're working, you know, a graveyard shift, it's pretty much fights, you know, fights in the haunts are destruction of property.

00:26:09

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:26:21

Rob

A lot of that you get drunk sailors that are, you know, breaking bar signs, you know, I guess the haunch isn't quite the same as it used to be, if it even exists really anymore.

00:26:31

Patrick Riley

Okay. Hmm.

00:26:31

Rob

from what heard from people that have been there recently. But, um, then, you know, there was tons of bars and, um, especially when the fleet was in or you had a, yeah, especially when the carrier was there, whatever carrier midway or independence when they're in port.

00:26:34

Patrick Riley

wow

00:26:45

Rob

Yeah. You're, you're busy on the weekends out there, just mostly fights, um, and destruction of property was the main things. Um, There was nothing ever really too serious that I was involved in. I know that there was a, I think there was a ah shooting once, but it was in Sasebo and we had to transport the guy back up to Yokosuka.

00:27:10

Rob

um And there was a guy that they stole a gun from a ship or something, and but I wasn't involved in it, but it was like, that's you know it happened when I was there.

00:27:20

Rob

you know We was able to wrestle the guy and get the gun out of his hand. But for the most part,

00:27:25

Patrick Riley

Right. Yeah.

00:27:26

Rob

A lot of domestic disputes too, which aren't fun. you know Typical stuff you deal with here, but at at least the gun aspect of it, you rarely worried about that because you don't, on approaching people thinking they're armed.

00:27:30

Patrick Riley

right

00:27:40

Rob

We weren't armed either, except for shotguns we had in the trunk of our car. They gave us a ah PR 24, which is basically a night stick with a handle. um

00:27:49

Patrick Riley

yeah

00:27:50

Rob

He's trained us in that and um shotgun in the trunk. The only person that had a 45, it was 1911 45 is the though's section commander at the desk um on duty. It's basically a watch commander, whoever's in charge is the only person they gave 45 to. Everyone else had shotguns in the trunk. And I know that's that's different at other agencies, but there in Japan, I guess really Japanese did not want to see weapons off base.

00:28:17

Rob

So they really frowned upon us. So in the trunk, yeah, you really didn't, you would, yeah, they'd probably freak out if you popped your trunk and pulled that shotgun out. It had to be something pretty serious because the Japanese don't ever pull their weapons.

00:28:29

Patrick Riley

Oh, yeah.

00:28:32

Rob

and It's very rare. Yeah.

00:28:34

Patrick Riley

Yeah. Well, and that was yeah one of the first experiences when I brought Jumko on base. and She was just amazed with the Marines right there because, of course, they carry 9-11.

00:28:46

Patrick Riley

I think they carry Berettas.

00:28:46

Rob

Oh yeah.

00:28:48

Patrick Riley

um

00:28:49

Rob

Well, that's yeah.

00:28:49

Patrick Riley

but I think they're

00:28:51

Rob

Breda's basically took over for the 1911 as a standard firearm, but we didn't, we weren't issued them. We still, at least the Navy was, I had a 1911 until I got out of the Navy.

00:28:58

Patrick Riley

right

00:29:01

Patrick Riley

right

00:29:02

Rob

That's what was that security 45, you know, eight round magazine, you know, um,

00:29:04

Patrick Riley

yeah yep yeah ah same thing when i was in australia when i was topside rover i was carrying that 1911 and of course all the girls were just like what you've got a how you how can you carry it a a sidearm in australia and it's like well this technically isn't australia this is the us so yeah

00:29:20

Rob

and

00:29:30

Rob

Yeah, yeah. When you're on that ship, that's the US.

00:29:33

Patrick Riley

yeah yeah Yeah, same thing with Yakuska. And yeah, she was also

Global Travels and Personal Growth

00:29:37

Patrick Riley

amazed when I paid for dinner with American cash. She was like, what do you how do you use dollars? This is Japan.

00:29:44

Patrick Riley

And she quickly got around to the like, okay, this is the way it works. But yeah, that was a bit of an experience.

00:29:48

Rob

Uh-huh.

00:29:50

Patrick Riley

But yeah, that was, ah yeah, in Japan, always felt safe out in town. i never had an issue. And I'd be, uh, and I, I, I did hear that the, was it bumblebee that I used always get a corn dog before I staggered across the street.

00:30:06

Patrick Riley

That was always kind of my go-to place right outside the haunch, but I rarely drank out there. Um, if I did drink, know, it would be on the base and then go out in town, but it really, I didn't, I didn't give any bars.

00:30:16

Rob

Yeah. yeah Yeah. There were some people that were regulars out there, but yeah, it was expensive. But I mean, for us, it was expensive. It was probably 500 yen a beer maybe back then.

00:30:27

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:30:27

Rob

It's probably not much different, honestly.

00:30:30

Patrick Riley

Not much different. Yeah.

00:30:30

Rob

I don't think the prices have changed that much.

00:30:31

Patrick Riley

Yeah, it's not.

00:30:33

Rob

um

00:30:34

Patrick Riley

No.

00:30:34

Rob

since we were there. Okay.

00:30:36

Patrick Riley

yeah Yeah, I was going say, one of the um times, and of course I had shore duty occasionally. i was Well, I had shore duty outside of Japan. Whenever I was in Japan, i was always a ship's driver.

00:30:48

Patrick Riley

So I would just drive wherever they told me to. I didn't have to drive too crazy. I think I went up to the air base at Tsugi.

00:30:57

Rob

Yokota is the Air Force Base.

00:30:58

Patrick Riley

so

00:31:01

Rob

sugi was the name

00:31:02

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:31:02

Rob

yeah

00:31:03

Patrick Riley

Yeah, so I would go to Tsugi. But I had to take up some officers one day, but that was was about my extent of driving. But I was just driving around base, picking up sailors from the A-Club and bringing back to the ship.

00:31:16

Patrick Riley

And and then I eventually so became a taxi driver because I i still do side gigs today.

00:31:17

Rob

Yeah.

00:31:21

Rob

was.

00:31:22

Patrick Riley

My thing's just side gigs. Besides writing, i also do, you know I've got Bronco Security.

00:31:30

Rob

Yeah.

00:31:30

Patrick Riley

um I used to do a you know Uber and stuff, but just it's fun because I always just like to make a little extra cash, and that's the way it was in Japan. You got to make the extra cash because, like you said, it's expensive out in town, and I love to go downtown.

00:31:43

Rob

it was Yeah. Yeah.

00:31:45

Patrick Riley

but

00:31:45

Rob

yeah yeah

00:31:47

Patrick Riley

And, of course, I had a girlfriend who lived with her parents. I lived on the ship. Well, you got to make it work. Well, you got to love hotels, so.

00:31:55

Rob

Oh yeah, exactly. Yeah. That was the one benefit of getting my own house was always had a place.

00:32:02

Patrick Riley

Yeah, exactly.

00:32:03

Rob

Yeah.

00:32:03

Patrick Riley

Yeah, on the towers, I did have a and one of my buddies. he He was married, but then his wife didn't like Japan, so she headed back to the States. So he's like, hey, crash here. So a bunch of us on the towers would just crash there, and it was in the wintertime.

00:32:20

Patrick Riley

So like you said, weather outside, it feels the same way inside, and they had the kerosene heaters.

00:32:25

Rob

Oh, yeah, yeah.

00:32:25

Patrick Riley

remember damn kerosene things, filling those up. Yeah, that was always, yeah, it was always chill.

00:32:31

Rob

The first kerosene heater we had at our house, my my lungs are probably still black from this thing, but it turned, we had white walls. It turned them all black where we had to paint the house within a few months because it must, we must've been either the, it was a bad heater or we're putting the wrong kerosene.

00:32:40

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:32:51

Rob

I don't know, but I was breathing that stuff every day, but we needed it.

00:32:55

Patrick Riley

Right.

00:32:55

Rob

but

00:32:57

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:32:58

Rob

Yeah. Crazy.

00:32:58

Patrick Riley

And those walls are not insulated. So that was one of those problems that people just didn't realize that. Well, I didn't realize it, but that's great. So um when you went down to the sea, because I remember going to the Philippines a lot.

00:33:08

Rob

Yeah.

00:33:13

Patrick Riley

I love the Philippines.

00:33:14

Rob

you

00:33:16

Patrick Riley

yeah Where did you go when you were in the Philippines? Where was you? Would you always go out to like Barrio or would you say a like home?

00:33:22

Rob

Well, when my, my um My first ship to England, you know, the the first, we were there twice, you know, the first time was for a week and i don't think we left, um, McSysay. don't even remember.

00:33:38

Rob

I remember the FTN. Um, yeah, I think that first night probably hit every bar down to excise, but, um, so I, you know, that first week we probably stayed most of the time on McSysay.

00:33:45

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:33:52

Rob

Um, but then on our way out of the Gulf, we were supposed to go to Sasebo, Japan, but we cracked a boiler casing on the way out of the Gulf. And I can still remember the announcement they made over the one was like, you know, instead of going to Sasebo, we're going to the Philippines for three weeks. Everybody's a big roar.

00:34:13

Rob

right oh and we limped into, into the Philippines on, you know, one boiler. Um, and And we spent three weeks there. So that's when I found out about the barrio. um There's a place called Jack's Tavern.

00:34:31

Rob

I don't know.

00:34:31

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:34:32

Rob

um I don't remember if it was even there when we were on the Hewitt. but it was there in 1989 when we spent three weeks there and we had our ships party there. I mean, division at that place where we had, ah we had a guy that was, uh, we could throw darts at him.

00:34:41

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:34:48

Rob

They had, that's where I saw my first peso show.

00:34:50

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:34:51

Rob

You know, don't how much detail should go from that, you know what

00:34:52

Patrick Riley

Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We could use our imaginations, although i I've got firsthand experience. I know exactly we're talking about.

00:35:01

Rob

talking about.

00:35:02

Patrick Riley

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

00:35:03

Rob

So, um, Anyway, it was right on the run on the beach and it was fun. But um on the Hewitt, I think we went to PI so many times, it just became like a second home that we were just, as soon as you got the ship, it was just jump on a trike jeep knee straight to Mario.

00:35:21

Rob

um I liked the Midnight Rambler, which was kind of like at the end of the street on the right. um It was kind of an outdoorsy bar. Also abracadabra. I remember Rock Lobster.

00:35:34

Rob

um god several but yeah i really liked i really liked barrio um

00:35:40

Patrick Riley

Yeah, I cannot remember the places. I would always go to the barrio. Occasionally I go to McSaysay and Alangapo. And, of course, i did I do have a picture.

00:35:53

Patrick Riley

of course, I don't brandish that picture out that much. I probably did show you, though, ah years ago.

00:35:58

Rob

yeah

00:35:58

Patrick Riley

But it it had a few guys from the Hewitt. And we went all the way down to... um Blowhaven. Got to go to Blowhaven and Subic. A few of the guys are in there.

00:36:08

Rob

Yeah. oh yeah

00:36:11

Patrick Riley

I'm sure they don't want that picture out. but I keep it quiet. um

00:36:15

Rob

Yeah.

00:36:15

Patrick Riley

but yeah It was a good time.

00:36:16

Rob

Okay.

00:36:16

Patrick Riley

and and I do have a picture.

00:36:16

Rob

I

00:36:17

Patrick Riley

I found another one. from and i forgot where this place is. but It was ah Muff Divers. I don't know where Muff Divers was.

00:36:23

Rob

don't remember.

00:36:25

Patrick Riley

and it was um I know I saw Ham in that one. so It was a lot of EW guys. and I think I was with the girl I met originally in with the towers, she was in there, but quickly moved on from her found another girl, but yeah, that's a, that's the beauty of the Philippines.

00:36:44

Patrick Riley

And when we were there and I know the, the sailors nowadays don't get to see that and, you know, experience the Philippines and, you know, feel like, did you, how was that?

00:36:50

Rob

No. I told you I went back after the base closed, right? Yeah. In November of 94, I was stationed in in Japan at security.

00:37:00

Patrick Riley

Okay. Okay.

00:37:04

Rob

And and i sure I know you don't remember Darren Little, who's my old roommate.

00:37:08

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:37:09

Rob

After Sean Jeter went back to Texas, Darren moved in with me. And we decided to go on a vacation. And we ended up flying to the Philippines for a week. And we We thought that Alangapo was dead, which it was.

00:37:24

Rob

So we went to Angela City.

00:37:25

Patrick Riley

yeah

00:37:27

Rob

We right from the airport straight to Angela City, which is where the Air Force Base Clark, was it Clark Air Force Base?

00:37:27

Patrick Riley

OK.

00:37:33

Rob

I think this was

00:37:33

Patrick Riley

Yes, Clark.

00:37:35

Rob

there and we spent one night there um had fun but then you know Darren actually said you know I don't care what it's like I just want to see what along the post like I'm like okay check it out so we jumped on a bus you know filled with people and their chickens like mean if you could imagine very rural like people holding chickens pigs and we took that bus to uh along a po and it dropped us off at the I think was the victory liner station there and McSci-Sci and

00:37:46

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:37:54

Patrick Riley

Yes.

00:38:04

Rob

We walked around down McSciSci down. them it was It was dead. I mean, there was no bars open. lot of stuff was still boarded up. It was kind of depressing. You know, we were sad.

00:38:13

Patrick Riley

Wow.

00:38:14

Rob

But then we're like, well, let's go check out Barrio. And we jumped on a trike and he drove us out to Barrio. As soon as we got there, he he dropped us in front of Abracadabra.

00:38:26

Rob

And i'm like we opened the door and it was like, it was happening. It was like, that wasn't the only bar, but it was, it was still happening in Barrio. There was, but it was mostly at that time, a lot of retirees retired.

00:38:37

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:38:37

Rob

And there was a lot of Australians there too. um But we were at that time, I think I was 26. Darren might've been 23 or 24, but they weren't used to seeing young sailors anymore. And needed to say ah we had a good time.

00:38:54

Patrick Riley

Oh, of course. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, that's, um i do I do get those stories back from one of my friends lives over in Pattaya. So, of course, I always hear the stories from him about what it's still like now.

00:39:08

Patrick Riley

Pattaya, don't think it's ever changed. it

00:39:10

Rob

Yeah.

00:39:11

Patrick Riley

Did you ever go to Thailand at all or did you go to Phuket?

00:39:14

Rob

Phuket. went to Phuket twice. Yeah.

00:39:16

Patrick Riley

Okay. And never Pattaya?

00:39:17

Rob

But never Pattaya. Yeah. Just unfortunately never came about. i was i left the Hewitt before the trip that they went to Pattaya. So, yeah, I was on the yeah we went to Phuket in England and on the Hewitt both.

00:39:32

Patrick Riley

Yeah, I miss Phuket altogether because i flew I flew back to the States for C school from the Hewitt, but I flew out of Egypt.

00:39:33

Rob

Yeah.

00:39:42

Patrick Riley

So I missed that way back.

00:39:42

Rob

Oh.

00:39:44

Patrick Riley

And of course, I missed going back over as a shellbacker.

00:39:48

Rob

I didn't know you left out in Egypt. Okay.

00:39:50

Patrick Riley

Yep. Yeah. I left after the second visit. So, or during the second visit. So the first one we went to her gotta, um, was it her God? Yeah. Her gotta the first time. And then Safka the second time, because Safka, we were outside that, uh, uh, destroyer tender.

00:40:07

Patrick Riley

And I think they put beer on a pier for us.

00:40:08

Rob

Okay.

00:40:10

Patrick Riley

Um,

00:40:10

Rob

Did you ever get a chance to go to Cairo and do the tour?

00:40:14

Patrick Riley

no, no, I, the I miss it.

00:40:15

Rob

of the up that

00:40:19

Patrick Riley

Uh,

00:40:20

Rob

Yeah, I mean, I went there and it was it was pretty much the highlight of ever being in Egypt because, you know, I climbed on the pyramids and went inside of them, went to the museum, saw King Tut.

00:40:32

Rob

I have pictures of me standing way up on the pyramid. Like they let you climb up there. They don't stop you.

00:40:38

Patrick Riley

Wow.

00:40:39

Rob

Yeah.

00:40:39

Patrick Riley

Oh, wow. yeah Was that the first visit or the second time we went in?

00:40:45

Rob

might have been the second. Didn't we go more than twice?

00:40:47

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:40:48

Rob

I don't remember, but I know it was like a three-day trip.

00:40:49

Patrick Riley

I think Yeah.

00:40:52

Rob

So we took a bus there.

00:40:52

Patrick Riley

Yeah. So... Yeah, the way I did it, because the first time we went in, we went scuba diving. So that was our thing. And the scuba diving was incredible in the Red Sea.

00:41:02

Rob

Yeah, yeah.

00:41:02

Patrick Riley

Loved it. um But then the second time, i remember I was like, all we're going to the pyramids. That's it. And then I got shot down because they're like, oh, by the way, you're flying out. like, oh, crap.

00:41:12

Rob

my

00:41:12

Patrick Riley

So I couldn't go to the pyramids. And to be honest, I don't want to go back to Egypt. i So I probably missed the pyramids. I knocked it off my bucket list. I'm not going.

00:41:23

Patrick Riley

So

00:41:23

Rob

yeah i don't think i would have ever gone to egypt if it weren't for them taking us there and dropping us off but ive figured while i'm here i might as well see it and uh it's pretty cool you know not many people have seen it and

00:41:31

Patrick Riley

Heck yeah.

00:41:36

Patrick Riley

Yep. Yeah.

00:41:37

Rob

and

00:41:38

Patrick Riley

Maybe, I don't know. But the my big highlight in my bucket list thing, because people ask, like what's your bucket list item? So I already saw the sunrise from the top of Mount Fuji. That's a cool sunrise or a cool bucket list item.

00:41:50

Rob

I did the same thing. Yeah.

00:41:52

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:41:53

Rob

Yeah. I climbed it in 94.

00:41:53

Patrick Riley

But nice.

00:41:54

Rob

Oh, no. 95, 95. Yeah. Right before I left Japan, it was July.

00:42:00

Patrick Riley

Mm-hmm.

00:42:01

Rob

Did you do it? So you did it at night and then saw the sunset and then down after our sunrise.

00:42:04

Patrick Riley

it

00:42:06

Rob

Yeah.

00:42:06

Patrick Riley

Yep. Saw the sunrise. Yeah. We climbed, the I think we climbed in the afternoon. it was right before the, I climbed it while I was on the towers. So and we were just, I was just getting off and I was before the Hewitt.

00:42:20

Patrick Riley

So i think it was like 91.

00:42:20

Rob

oh

00:42:23

Patrick Riley

So 90, 90, geez. Yeah. It's just getting to be a blur nowadays. I'll get there.

00:42:30

Rob

I know, at least I have yeah pictures of that. I went with ah a Japanese friend of mine, actually friend that I'm still friends with. He was a security guard that I worked with at security and um he was in Nagishi in Yokohama. I worked with him and we ended up doing so many trips together, ski trips, hiking trips, camping.

00:42:48

Rob

So I got to know him and his Japanese buddies. and, uh, they'd bring me along on all these trips. And, um, so it was cool. Um, but he went with me on that.

00:42:56

Patrick Riley

yeah

00:42:58

Rob

Um, and, uh, yeah, good time.

00:43:01

Patrick Riley

That's right. So you went, we went skiing with myself, I think Mark Marks and then Rob Chapin as well up to Junko's ski condo.

00:43:09

Rob

Yeah. Um, was that was not my first ski trip in Japan. Um,

00:43:14

Patrick Riley

yeah

00:43:15

Rob

ended up going several times later, you know, mostly with Japanese. I went a couple times with some American friends, but I went quite a bit with my Japanese friends too. And, uh, oh yeah, it's great skiing in Japan.

00:43:28

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:43:28

Rob

Yeah.

00:43:28

Patrick Riley

Oh yeah. Yeah. We went to a place the first time when I was on the towers, we went to a place called Megamico. And I went with the MWR. So that was a pretty good place.

00:43:38

Rob

Mm-hmm.

00:43:40

Patrick Riley

And then um when we went on the Hewitt, I remember we had to rent skis from the um MWR, take them up there. And that was a ah good way of doing it because When I went back on my own, i didn't have ski boots, so I couldn't find the size 11 for the ski boots. Same thing. I bought a motorcycle helmet up in Wano, and they had to run down the street because I guess my noggin's too big.

00:44:09

Patrick Riley

and find an extra large helmet for me. And it fit. and I still have the helmet downstairs, but the lining is so worn out, I can't wear it. It's just a trophy piece now because I can't give up that damn helmet I brought back from Japan.

00:44:23

Rob

so you were So you were skiing back then. they didn't even Did they even have snowboarding at that time?

00:44:27

Patrick Riley

No, no. Yeah, I don't think snowboarding was a big thing in the early Okay.

00:44:29

Rob

because

00:44:32

Rob

No, I remember the first time I snowboarded was in Japan in 94.

00:44:37

Patrick Riley

yeah

00:44:38

Rob

I went with ah a Japanese. I went with a couple American guys and another couple Japanese that we took a, um took we rented a base van and ah drove, i can't even remember the name of the places now, but...

00:44:49

Rob

um Nagano. I think maybe it was Nagano. Yeah. But anyway, yeah, one of them was a snowboarder and he let me borrow a snowboard for one day.

00:44:53

Patrick Riley

yeah

00:44:58

Rob

And I remember the conditions were so icy and I sucked and I fell so many times.

00:45:01

Patrick Riley

Yeah. Yeah.

00:45:03

Rob

And it wasn't fun for me because I was like, I'm not used to falling because pretty good skier. but i did I did pick it up again later, but it was when there was more powder, but it was back when I came back to the States.

00:45:09

Patrick Riley

yeah

00:45:15

Patrick Riley

Oh, yeah.

00:45:16

Rob

Now I'm so mad.

00:45:16

Patrick Riley

Well, like I said, we got to get you next winter, you'll have to come out. We'll go s skiing in Breckenridge. Let me know when you come out.

Navy Friendships and Their Impact

00:45:24

Patrick Riley

So...

00:45:24

Rob

Didn't you say were going to trip with your brother in Utah or something?

00:45:27

Patrick Riley

Yeah, we might. Yeah, I might go to Utah um because this is my off year from usually skiing in Breckenridge. So I think I can do i could do Utah. Yeah, let me figure it out.

00:45:38

Patrick Riley

<unk> We'll set that up.

00:45:39

Rob

Mm-hmm.

00:45:39

Patrick Riley

so And, of course, this is a great time to discuss ah our ski trips. It's during a podcast. so But that's...

00:45:46

Rob

Mm-hmm.

00:45:46

Patrick Riley

We'll let other people sign up as well. Hey, we'll be, it'll be a big party. um

00:45:50

Rob

Mm-hmm.

00:45:51

Patrick Riley

And then of course you do know next year we're having that Stu's or Stewart's retirement party. So that'll be, think.

00:45:59

Rob

Yeah, he would be in as well, right?

00:46:01

Patrick Riley

Yep. Yep. Exactly. I think we're going to have, i think Hanstein has a ah park already set up for us out there. So, and you saw him just recently, right?

00:46:10

Rob

So he mentioned.

00:46:13

Rob

I did. I was in San Diego the end of April. My daughter lives there and met up with him. i hadn't seen him. I think since 2008, we saw each other Hawaii when he was stationed there.

00:46:23

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:46:25

Rob

um But no, it was good time seeing him reminiscing, talking about just our Hewitt days and you know what we've been doing since. And when bar hopping around North Park in San Diego, it was cool.

00:46:40

Rob

Yeah.

00:46:42

Patrick Riley

Oh, that's great.

00:46:42

Rob

Got all caught up.

00:46:43

Patrick Riley

Yeah, because we did the same thing back in beginning December. um Yeah, Stuart had a change command.

00:46:52

Rob

yeah

00:46:52

Patrick Riley

So went out there for that. And there was quite a few guys. Um, and it was only the guys from the Hewitt that showed up that were from his past, which was pretty cool. So, um, we all just hung out.

00:47:02

Rob

I know about it. Yeah. Yeah. I had no idea.

00:47:04

Patrick Riley

I know it was a last minute thing. And I kind of tagged along because, you know, was trying to pimp a book like, Hey, I got it.

00:47:12

Rob

Well, I wasn't super close to Joel.

00:47:12

Patrick Riley

Okay. Okay.

00:47:14

Rob

I mean, he actually slept in the bunk right above me. You know, and we weren't in the same division or anything.

00:47:18

Patrick Riley

okay

00:47:21

Rob

I didn't hang out with him, but I mean, i seen him every day, usually in his skin.

00:47:25

Patrick Riley

Right.

00:47:25

Rob

Yeah.

00:47:27

Patrick Riley

Yeah, exactly. Well, and I remember he was always next to me for up in CIC because that's to where the fire control system was.

00:47:32

Rob

Yeah.

00:47:35

Patrick Riley

We were right up front with the EW council. And i remember when that five inch gun would always go off, would just rattle the hell out of us. But yeah. And that was a crazy thing was that when I went through surface warfare, I had to go and see how that five inch gun worked.

00:47:45

Rob

yeah Oh, wow.

00:47:51

Patrick Riley

And I remember I was inside of the the turret when when it loaded and fired and I couldn't really hear anything because like they said, you don't need your earplugs because I had earplugs and earplugs. They were like, take it all off. You're fine.

00:48:05

Rob

They're crazy.

00:48:05

Patrick Riley

And sure enough, you couldn't hear anything. It was just, it was just the whine of the hydraulics and that was it. But heard a poof. It was so quiet because you're in such a, you know all that steel.

00:48:16

Rob

but That's where you heard it, huh?

00:48:19

Patrick Riley

Yeah. Yeah.

00:48:20

Rob

I love the voices of the show.

00:48:20

Patrick Riley

I thought it was just going to rock me, but no.

00:48:23

Rob

Wow.

00:48:23

Patrick Riley

Oh, that's great. Yeah.

00:48:24

Rob

i've never Yeah, i never witnessed that Never seen it from near that location. That's too bad. I have a picture of me standing with that five-inch gun. It's down. It's like right at my chest, and i'm holding my arms up.

00:48:38

Rob

Don't shoot. and here It was right right in my chest. It just so happened to be pointing down.

00:48:43

Patrick Riley

Exactly.

00:48:43

Rob

I don't know.

00:48:44

Patrick Riley

That's funny.

00:48:45

Rob

thought it was something.

00:48:45

Patrick Riley

Yeah. And I did see a picture recently. Somebody showed a picture from an Adams class destroyer. And I think the barrel was mushroomed out, like it blew apart.

00:48:57

Rob

Oh, really?

00:48:57

Patrick Riley

And somebody made a comment like, oh, the guns on our ship were much longer barrels. I really hope that guy was kidding because I looked at it, was like, yeah, I don't think that's supposed be that way.

00:49:05

Rob

No,

00:49:08

Patrick Riley

Don't worry. it's

00:49:09

Rob

I didn't see the picture, yeah.

00:49:11

Patrick Riley

Come on. Yeah, but it was it's it was definitely a good experience. And and so looking it back at your Navy experience and you know what it's done for you, is it is this something that you do relish on?

00:49:26

Patrick Riley

Do you cherish your memories with the Navy? I mean, is it something that's good memories?

00:49:30

Rob

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, I look back, I wouldn't have done anything differently. I, I think it pretty much made me who I am. know, I'd like to think that, you know, I had this type of personality kind of any anyway, you know, I'm like, just have a sense of duty and, um, you know, I'm accountable and dependable and I,

00:49:53

Rob

I'd like to think I had that before, but I think kind of like the Navy kind of kind of instills that a little bit more. um And no, I think it's, I would recommend it to anybody who's not really hundred percent sure what they want to do with their life. Cause that's kind of where I was um my senior year high school.

00:50:11

Rob

I wasn't, I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do. And ah I got a cold call from the recruiter. um just calling a high school seniors. And I just happened to pick up the phone and he was pitching me, you know, and I'm like, yeah, right. At that time, like I want to join the military. You kidding me? No way.

00:50:30

Rob

And when he started talking me up, like, man, just, just come meet with me, you know? So I did of course. And then of course he's got his, he's got his cruise book out and he's showing me pictures of this is Thailand.

00:50:38

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:50:40

Rob

This is Hawaii. I'm like, that looks fun. he convinced me, you know, he sold me on it. And ah yeah, the rest is history. But i mean, I'm glad I did. It was the best thing I ever did.

00:50:52

Rob

You know?

00:50:53

Patrick Riley

Absolutely.

00:50:53

Rob

um

00:50:53

Patrick Riley

like

00:50:54

Rob

Yeah.

00:50:55

Patrick Riley

Yeah, and that's the thing. I do want to talk to newer sailors just to get their perspective and you what has changed.

00:50:58

Rob

Hmm.

00:51:02

Patrick Riley

I know um I do have a new member with the VFW here in Parker, and she spent time on the Nimitz, and she spent time in the Persian Gulf as well. So I definitely want to get her perspective and what she learns. Because, you know, did ask her, like, what ports did you go to? And it sounds like she, like, they...

00:51:22

Patrick Riley

just bypassed everything in Southeast Asia and went like straight to the Persian Gulf. And they said they, she did a port visit in India, which I was like, really, I need to dive into that a little more ah because we bypassed India all the time.

00:51:34

Rob

Yeah. And honestly, like, It almost seems like they're so afraid of a Liberty incident that they're just like, they don't want to anybody to make them look bad.

00:51:45

Rob

i mean, you, we went through this somewhat, you know, anytime there was a serious incident off base where they closed the base down or they give us a midnight curfew or that kind of thing. But I know like even in Japan, like recently they'll, they'll shut the, but they'll cut off Liberty for months.

00:52:00

Rob

Like you leave the ship or you can't leave the base for months.

00:52:00

Patrick Riley

Wow.

00:52:03

Rob

Like if there's one you know, alcohol incident where someone's beat up or civilians beat something like that. I know there's been a lot of stuff like that, but I just think, yeah, maybe they're just afraid of making the U S look bad.

00:52:16

Rob

So I just, I'm on the ship, but I George Washington.

00:52:16

Patrick Riley

Yeah. Well, I think ah after I left, was it the Lincoln or Washington that pulled in? Who? Or...

00:52:26

Rob

Yeah.

00:52:27

Patrick Riley

It was George Washington, because I think once they pulled in, they caused a lot of problems.

00:52:28

Rob

Yeah.

00:52:31

Patrick Riley

And what I heard was that they put them, yeah they just moved them out, anchored them out in Tokyo Bay and left them there for a couple months.

00:52:40

Rob

I wouldn't be surprised. Yeah. Um, I, that was after my time, but, um, yeah, I know those carriers, you know, yeah. That's why was so glad every time, nearly every time we pulled into the Philippines, we didn't have a carrier with this because whatever the carrier is there is just chaos.

00:52:57

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:52:59

Rob

You know, it's better when you're independent steaming, you pull in, you might be the only english shipping port or maybe another one other and yeah

00:53:07

Patrick Riley

Yeah. And that was a nice thing because, you know, with the Hewitt, we were always by ourself and that was nice.

00:53:13

Rob

Yeah,

00:53:14

Patrick Riley

um But yeah, with the towers, we were with the Midway battle group. And of course the Midway was a lot smaller than George Washington.

00:53:22

Rob

yeah. yeah yeah

00:53:25

Patrick Riley

And yeah luckily when we pulled into Australia, they put us at a ah smaller port, like 40 miles south of Perth. And the midway was, they had Perth and they, fine, you guys stay up there.

00:53:40

Patrick Riley

We were down in nice little port and we had fun.

00:53:40

Rob

okay

00:53:42

Patrick Riley

So yeah, it's it's definitely a good adventure. And and same with thing with Hong Kong. Hong Kong, we went Pearside. While in tower the towers, we had to anchor out with everybody else.

00:53:54

Patrick Riley

he still I guess in Hong Kong we were able to blend in a little more and we didn't have to worry about the midway as much. But yeah, you're right. In Alangapo, you had to always go out to Barrio and try to escape a little bit.

00:54:09

Rob

Yeah. Yeah. i was, I was happy that, yeah, both of my Westpac site, we were independent steaming. We weren't with a battle group. So never really experience a whole cruise with the battle group.

00:54:21

Rob

Just exactly.

00:54:21

Patrick Riley

Oh, you're lucky.

00:54:23

Rob

exactly

00:54:24

Patrick Riley

That's a good thing. And then I think one of the craziest things I remember in just being in Yakuska, and it wasn't really with the battle group or you with the carrier. And um I think it was because we were with Hewitt. So the Midway was already in the Persian Gulf, but there was a British ship that pulled in.

00:54:43

Patrick Riley

And I can't remember the guy's name. He was a DS. But he came back and he was on shore patrol that night and he had blood all over his uniform. I'm like, are you hurt? And he's like, no, was the other guy.

00:54:56

Patrick Riley

I was like, okay, good.

00:54:57

Rob

ah

00:54:58

Patrick Riley

Because, yeah, those

Christmas with the British Navy

00:55:00

Patrick Riley

Brits love to fight.

00:55:01

Rob

No, I spent Christmas of 88 in Bahrain and I spent it on a British ship, the HMS Brazen, because they're in board the same time we were in in Bahrain.

00:55:14

Rob

And those guys love to drink. You know, i met them at the They called it ASU. We called it the alcohol sports unit, whatever. But um anyway, I met him at that the at the club, and then he brought me back on the ship, me and another guy.

00:55:28

Rob

And they can drink on the ship, on British ships.

00:55:30

Patrick Riley

Wow.

00:55:30

Rob

have Each birthing has a refrigerator. And, of course, it's all British beer, which is strong. Nothing I recognized, you know, and all it was really strong. But, yeah, we sat there and drank beers on the um the ship and just talked. And, you it was fun.

00:55:45

Patrick Riley

Oh, that's awesome. How do they do that while they're underway?

00:55:46

Rob

It was cool.

00:55:49

Patrick Riley

Do they?

00:55:49

Rob

Underweight, they're limited to, I think, maybe two beers a day, something. They can't get drunk, so but they have you know that's like ah that's like drinking water to them. they they they They couldn't go a day without a couple beers, so they all have it.

00:56:02

Rob

Yeah, they have rationing of it, even underway.

00:56:04

Patrick Riley

wow Wow, that's that's crazy. Yeah, I wouldn't imagine couldn't imagine that. um Yeah, because I was trying to get, well, I was trying to think, is there a way I can get the beer back to the ship when I was in the Mount Whitney when I was in Germany?

00:56:20

Patrick Riley

But I couldn't figure out a way of, yeah, I needed to find an officer, had the officer bring it on. Of course, they'd lock it in their stateroom. And ah because I was able to procure a whole case of beer from a local brewery in Kiel, Germany.

00:56:27

Rob

Yeah, yeah.

00:56:34

Patrick Riley

But that was the... I tried. Well, then we tried to drink it all in a park and that didn't

Competitive Shooting Hobby

00:56:40

Patrick Riley

work either. so

00:56:40

Rob

happen You know, one of the better, you reminded me some of the ports you visited while you were on the East Coast, but there's not too many stateside ports that are great, but like one crew One port that we did visit when I was on the England was the was Portland, the Rose Festival.

00:56:59

Patrick Riley

oh

00:56:59

Rob

So at least i don't know if they do it anymore, but they used to have the Rose Festival every year and one Navy ship is invited and you park, you drive up the river, I think it's the Columbia River and you park right at the fairgrounds.

00:57:06

Patrick Riley

Okay.

00:57:09

Patrick Riley

Yep.

00:57:11

Rob

You're the only ship there and you had offered you know tours and everything. There's people lining the, pi it looks like Australia, like from what I can imagine, they they just wanted me to sailor.

00:57:21

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:57:21

Rob

You walk off the ship, there's girls everywhere, you know, looking for sailors. I mean, it was it was unreal. I wasn't it expecting to see that because there's no military there. So like in San Diego, there's just sailors everywhere, you know, but there, there's nothing around there.

00:57:31

Patrick Riley

Right.

00:57:36

Rob

So um that was pretty cool, you know.

00:57:39

Patrick Riley

Oh, yeah.

00:57:40

Rob

That was right before I left.

00:57:42

Patrick Riley

Yeah. And because we did the same thing, um we pulled in into Savannah, Georgia, for St. Patrick's Day. And St. Patrick's Day was known as the second largest street festival behind Mardi Gras.

00:57:56

Rob

Mm-hmm.

00:57:56

Patrick Riley

So, and it's, I think it was like a festival that was going on for like 175 years straight. So it was a really good party and same thing. we were on the Mount Whitney all by ourselves. We pulled in and that was ah a pretty good party as well. And I remember that you sell you a cup and you would just go to different places.

00:58:17

Patrick Riley

places and they would fill up your cup with a with beer and there is a beauty salon that was poured beer like okay i'll take some beer from the guys that's great

00:58:26

Rob

Yeah.

00:58:27

Patrick Riley

sir Although I think the other one that was really cool and is outside the States, though, it was up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We pulled in there and that was a pretty good party.

00:58:34

Rob

okay

00:58:37

Patrick Riley

But again, we kind of just blended in because Halifax was a really good sized city and they had a big bar crawl that one day. And that's how I got out and met people.

00:58:48

Patrick Riley

Yep.

00:58:49

Rob

Yeah. You're talking about having Rob Clemons on your on your um podcast. and Rob did not, and Rob and I didn't hang out all that much, but I was looking through my old photo albums. And like one of the first, last things I did on the Hewitt was we went to the black ship festival in Shimoda.

00:59:03

Patrick Riley

Oh, yeah.

00:59:04

Rob

Um, um, and, um, I had had a bunch of pictures of that, you know, that's where you have to wear your uniform. They have a big parade.

00:59:10

Patrick Riley

Yep.

00:59:11

Rob

don't know you ever did it or not.

00:59:12

Patrick Riley

Yes.

00:59:12

Rob

Usually so one ship that gets to go every year.

00:59:13

Patrick Riley

Mm-hmm.

00:59:15

Rob

Um, think it's one ship, but, um, anyway, so Rob and I were hanging out, um, I remember i have some pictures of us at the beach at this bar, you know, just drinking and, you know, and whatnot.

00:59:27

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

00:59:28

Rob

But anyway, reminded me of like, Oh, there's Rob.

00:59:31

Patrick Riley

Yeah, I did the Black Ship Festival with the towers and we actually had the ah the Fife was there with us.

00:59:39

Rob

Maybe there was another, right?

00:59:39

Patrick Riley

So we had.

00:59:40

Rob

No, there's pretty much anchor out. And then I took you take the Liberty boats on it.

00:59:43

Patrick Riley

Yep. Yeah, yeah, was. Yeah, I was one of the i think on the towers, I was a photographer. So.

00:59:51

Rob

right.

00:59:52

Patrick Riley

Because ah kind of the, what do they call it, Tiger Crew? I forgot what they called it. But whenever we were, because we were always up in CIC anyways, all our equipment was up just on top of CIC.

01:00:06

Patrick Riley

So that's where our shop was. And then if we ever got buzzed by a ah Russian bear or their bear, ah surveillance aircraft or bombers. Whenever they flew by, we had to go out there. Snoopy crew, that was it.

01:00:20

Patrick Riley

i was I was part of Snoopy crew. So I'd always grab the camera and they sent me to school to take pictures. So um I was...

01:00:27

Rob

Really?

01:00:28

Patrick Riley

Yeah, yeah, I was able to take pictures and most of the pictures I took were of, you know, Russian bears or, you know, with their, those bombers that we took pictures of.

01:00:29

Rob

just

01:00:39

Patrick Riley

But I always take those up to up to Tokyo and I take ah night photos and all that.

01:00:39

Rob

yeah and

01:00:45

Rob

Oh, cool.

01:00:45

Patrick Riley

So, yeah, absolutely.

01:00:46

Rob

Probably have a lot of nice pictures, huh?

01:00:50

Patrick Riley

Yeah, it was pretty cool. and So I did want to talk to you just about you know the military. Did you do any shooting inside? ah like I know we always, ah to get qualified, we just shoot off the fantail and, okay, you're qualified.

01:01:04

Patrick Riley

Or i remember they...

01:01:05

Rob

Yeah, for I did all that. Yeah, but I did, I earned my, um well, i if I earned my sharpsier medal when I was on the England and I, course I got expert pistol when I was at security um because we didn't still didn't shoot much, but you should shoot more than you do on a ship.

01:01:22

Rob

um

01:01:23

Patrick Riley

Yeah.

01:01:23

Rob

But ah I remember I was on the England And I had been, my dad has been a competitive shooter since I was a little kid. You know, so before I joined the Navy, when I was about 17, I started competitive shooting with him for about a year and a half.

01:01:40

Rob

Cowboy shooting and at that time it was called combat action. was kind of of the predecessor USPSA, which I do now. um So I started doing that for about a year and a half and then I joined the Navy.

01:01:52

Rob

And so I kind of thought of myself as a decent shooter, but nobody knew anything about me, you know, going on the ship. And so I decided to go for my, ah and just go for qualifications, you know, at certain times ah they shoot for ribbons.

01:02:01

Patrick Riley

Thank you.

01:02:07

Rob

um And I went, had, but chose a 38 revolver, probably should have taken took the semi-auto, but, um and they let you take 10 practice shots before the actual, I think they give you like 30 rounds.

01:02:22

Rob

And then it's basically like 25 yards on paper and they score you and you get what you get. Well, out of the 10 shots that I took when they brought the paper back, only one shot was in the lower left corner.

01:02:37

Rob

And like, what the hell? And of course it's a gunner's mate. And I'm telling him, said, there's something wrong with these sites. I'm like, and I only got one shot. He says, there's nothing wrong with that gun. There's wrong with you. I'm He's not got to believe me.

01:02:50

Rob

So I aimed in the upper right-hand corner on all of my shots and I ended up getting sharpshooter with it. He comes back around my target.

01:02:57

Patrick Riley

Wow.

01:02:59

Rob

Look at me. as like, you couldn't believe I was the same person who shot just that one in the lower left corner. But I got my sharpshooter out of that. But, uh, yeah, that's a fun story to tell.

01:03:10

Rob

But anyway, I'm still still shooting now, but I, I didn't get back into it again until 45 years Um,

01:03:11

Patrick Riley

Oh.

01:03:17

Rob

My dad moved back here. He was living in California, moved back here. He's still doing it. He's 81, going to be 82 years old. I still shoot with him. um And ah so I used to work crazy hours, different shift.

01:03:30

Rob

And then I got a job pretty much the same place I'm working now, but where I had weekends off. And soon as I got weekends off, I said, I'm going.

01:03:35

Patrick Riley

Awesome.

01:03:37

Rob

And then that that was 12 years ago. So it's, progressed and now I shoot pretty much one day a weekend at least. i shot tonight. It's called Tuesday Night Steel. shoot sometimes Thursday Night Steel. It's all sorts of variations.

01:03:52

Rob

If you see my Facebook page, you'd see some videos on there. But yeah, it's it's pretty much my main hobby and I reload and hum yeah, so we'd probably do a whole show about that.

01:04:01

Patrick Riley

ah

01:04:06

Patrick Riley

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, and I remember when I came out there a couple years ago for Collins baseball tournament, You know, Kevin and I went in the shot with you.

01:04:12

Rob

Right, yeah.

01:04:14

Patrick Riley

So, yeah, we had a good time. And um I do have an office in Phoenix. So I do have one team member that lives out there. I did tell him, I was like, I've got to go out and just visit.

01:04:21

Rob

yeah

01:04:26

Patrick Riley

There's some other people within the office I need to see. So I'm trying to talk to the boss like, hey, I need to go out and see my team members. So he agrees. So um I think we're going to try to get that set up.

01:04:36

Rob

i Yeah. We can go shooting or something you know, walk

01:04:40

Patrick Riley

Absolutely. And of course I do have some, uh, uh, several other their friends out there as well. I need to, I'll do a book signing out there too. So, um, exactly, exactly.

01:04:50

Rob

You gotta sign mine because I haven't got it signed. There

01:04:54

Patrick Riley

I'll, I'll sign your book. Um, but I was like, I can do

Book Signings and Tax Expensing

01:04:57

Patrick Riley

that. of course, you know, I love to expense things anyways, and just write it off the taxes is at the end the year.

01:05:02

Rob

ah you go. There you go.

01:05:03

Patrick Riley

So I did a book signing in Indiana and Colorado. And well, it's one in um Illinois, but it was really, really small.

01:05:07

Rob

Oh, wow.

01:05:11

Patrick Riley

it was just my buddy and I, but we talked about books anyway. So I was like, I'm expensing the pizza. So it worked out good. So.

01:05:20

Rob

Nice.

01:05:20

Patrick Riley

Well, Rob, again, thanks again for the time.

01:05:20

Rob

Nice.

Promoting 'Deception Underway' Book

01:05:24

Patrick Riley

I'll promote my book again, Deception Underway. It's at underwaybooks.com. That's my website. I'll sign it for you. It's cheap. I'll

Podcast Availability on Platforms

01:05:32

Patrick Riley

send those out. so And then, of course, the podcast. It's on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and I think whatever else is out there for

Book News and Library Availability

01:05:40

Patrick Riley

podcasts. and the book Actually, I heard today that they're going to put my book in ah in the library here in Parker. so

01:05:46

Rob

nice

01:05:46

Patrick Riley

um It'll be there in a couple weeks. and get it out there.

Closing Remarks with Rob Gage

01:05:50

Patrick Riley

But Rob, again, thanks so much for the time.

01:05:51

Rob

Cool.

01:05:52

Patrick Riley

I appreciate it. Hang on. We'll let this whole thing process and, you know, great talking to you.

01:05:57

Rob

right. Good talking to you

01:05:59

Patrick Riley

Thanks bud.