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jimgrms
Senior Nomad
Posts: 664
Registered: 9-30-2005
Location: oceanside ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: its always good
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Ex military
How many of you are ex military? and how did you get interested in baja ? jim grooms
denver
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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I didn't serve but I was born on an american army base in France while my dad was serving. Many of my friends are Nam vets.
Many of them have a hard time with starched shirts and too many rules.
They are an independent group of survivors and explorers.
Baja seems the perfect fit.
.
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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I served in the United States Navy from 1968 to 1972. After boot camp and communications school I spent two years shore duty at NAVCOMSTA in Rota,
Spain. Then the remaining time aboard the USS Inchon, LPH-12, based in Norfolk, VA. My last 6-months was spent on a Med-Cruise, which was very
interesting to say the least.
I moved from Miami, FL in 1984 to San Diego, CA. Met a friend who's family owned a home just North of Ensenada, in Cibola del Mar where we would go
down every once and awhile with several other friends on weekends. Met more locals in the area who started talking about places of interest further
south and my wife and I began to explore more and more. Been going back ever since to see more of Baja!
Bob H
[Edited on 7-30-2006 by Bob H]
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jimgrms
Senior Nomad
Posts: 664
Registered: 9-30-2005
Location: oceanside ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: its always good
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I served from 1955 till 1976 in the us navy spending most of my time as a minewarfare electrician, did 1 tour in viet nam in the brownwater navy on
a river minesweeper and a tour as a advisor and was involved in sweeping the mines from hiapong harbor . first went to baja (san felipe ) in 1952
and got hooked on the fishing , later while in the navy went to the area below ensanada often to camp and fish santo thomas erendera punta prieta
punta banda, , most of those trips were on a triumph trophy and in a 57 international pickup,those were before the road was paved and it was
pretty desolate ,then after retireing with a cartop tin boat and a 75 chvy van went all over mostly the cortez side till my wife did not like it
any more and didn;t go back till 85 or so don't go as much as i would like due to health reasons but going for a month or 6 weeks in oct nov a
fast run to assuncion for a week then to sandiego to refill ox bottles then back to san guintin el rosario anf santo thomas area then more
oxygen then to s/f and gonzogo for a while maybe some of you folks want to accompany me jim grooms denver
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Reeljob
Nomad
Posts: 235
Registered: 12-1-2004
Location: Durango, CO
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Jim:
Navy 1955 - 1960 most all aboard USS Bremerton CA130 (Heavy Cruiser)
I bet you could get some pilots to bring down OXY for you so you wouldn't have to travel back and forth. I know I would be happy to and will be back
and for th to Cabo several times. Could stop anywhere between Durango and Cabo to drop of what you need.
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2237
Registered: 4-23-2006
Member Is Offline
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vet?
yup....2 tours to viet nam.....that has however nothing to do with my interest in latin america. ive been traveling/living in mexico,central/south
america since i was a kid.....just appeals to me i guess
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Retired US Army (Reserve and National Guard) Captain (20 years, 10 months and 9 days!!!). Enlisted in 1966, went through OCS in 1978 and retired in
1987. Various units and assignments (EOD, Ordnance, Military Intelligence). Last unit (other than current Retired Reserve)was the "Fighting IRR". Hope
to start collecting $$$ from Uncle Sam soon. Started travelling in Baja in 1962 while in high school, day trips to Rosarito and Ensenada....bitten by
the bug and still have the fever!!!!
Retired recently as a Lieutenant with the Nevada DPS, and we just purchased (under construction) a home at the Baja Counrty Club in Ensenada.
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jimgrms
Senior Nomad
Posts: 664
Registered: 9-30-2005
Location: oceanside ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: its always good
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Reel job I usually haul enough ox to last a couple of weeks , and just to cover my butt i get refilled every chance i get even going back to el
norte to do it, i dont think i can get my bottles refilled down there , i know in san felipe i can't i have to have them brought from mexicali , and
it needs to be medical grade, so i usually stay close to the border and keep close track of my reserve , as every once in a while a what i think is
full bottle is really empty, and don't like depending on other folks to much , but thanks for the offer
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
Member Is Offline
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Jim, did 4 years in the 50's on West Coast minesweepers. No wars or conflicts then. I was in the Battle of Seattle -- me, my pal and 2 other drunks.
Radarmen were critical - made E 6 is 3 years, 4 months. Did not want to ship over but I told em I'd extend for 24 hours if they made me Lt.
Commander by 13:00.
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jimgrms
Senior Nomad
Posts: 664
Registered: 9-30-2005
Location: oceanside ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: its always good
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Where you on the mso's or the am's
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
Member Is Offline
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USMC 1960 - 1966. Cuban Crisis then Far East for 13 mos. First enlisted men were sent into Vietnam the day I saild for the States.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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My father, 1 uncle, and maternal grandfather were Naval Officers and Academy (USNA) Grads, and another uncle was a Marine Officer in WW II (Pacific
Theater), but I never took the plunge-----just never interested me, and I was highly discouraged from joining by my surviving relatives.
My widowed mother and her sister began taking me to Baja in about 1948------they were real backcountry campers, and introduced me to the boonies of
Baja back then, when I was 10. We later owned a second home on the cliffs above the Pacific at Punta Banda, just north of Rosarita Beach, for about
10 years. Started going to back country Baja on my own in about 1954-----been going back ever since.
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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USMC 1961-1964 active. 13 months in the Far East. Went over as a 106 mm "Reckless Rifle" gunner. Became an intelligence scout. Broke the range
record with the .45 at Camp Schwab. Assigned to the Far East Division Rifle and Pistol Team. Just before I'd have gotten to go back to the "world" to
shoot at Camp Perry, we mounted out and sailed in circles in the Tonkin Gulf for what seemed to be about half a lifetime! (Floating Battalion) Got
out with two stripes just before Christmas '64
After college, I moved to San Diego and through Lucky Yamaha, San Diego Suzuki, and Suzuki Lemon Grove, where I was a mechanic, became exposed to the
riding in the Laguna Juarez area.
I was then officially hooked. Military/Baja connection? If any, it would have to be the lure of what's over the next hill, and can I get back
without help.
Semper Fi
[Edited on 7-30-2006 by vgabndo]
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
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GREAT THREAD
no formal sevice. been building military (camp pendleton, pt mugu-port hueneme, vandenberg, yuma proving ground, murphy canyon, etc...) housing for
the past long time. consider this my way of giving back to those who give so much, in so many ways.
the baja connection runs deep. surfers and carpenters are a peso a dozen. first time was 9th grade (+/- '78) ditched school to go surf popotla.
been a baja junky ever since, thru good times and bad.....
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3687
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy amable
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USS Boxer- went aboard at North Island it was CVS-21, 10 days later headed for the Canal and Norfolk, and when we got to Norfolk they had painted a
big "4" on the stacks and we were the first LPH= LPH-4.
Went to boot camp in SD but was always afraid to go over to TJ on liberty, too many guys got in trouble in those days.
Went to Baja in 1971 to help a friend pit for the 1000- got totally hooked and built a truck and raced for the next 12 years, been back constantly
since then (you can read about it in Bernie's new book)
Jim- not to open old sores, but do you recall the posts on medical Oxy last year? You need never worry about running out, oxy is oxy...
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Neal Johns
Super Nomad
Posts: 1687
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Lytle Creek, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: In love!
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USN 1948 - 1957 Chief Electronics Technician
Hawaii Barbers Point NAS Transmitter Station
Hawaii Ford Island Electronics Shop
Japan Instructor, Underway Training Element Yokosuka
China Lake Naval Ordinance Test Station, Guided Missile Unit 25
USS Gyatt DDG 712/DDG-1 World's First Guided Missile Destroyer
First trip to Baja: 1977 solo in an FJ-40 Land Cruiser to save my sanity due to a recent divorce.
Viva Dick Cepek and Armstrong Tru-Traks
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
Member Is Offline
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Jim, MSOs - one tin, one lumber. Spent a month one Xmas in the Sea of Japan trying to stop the Russians from shipping arms to whomever. No guns, top
speed 13 knots. Two MSOs - kinda like a Mexican armada.
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Debra
Super Nomad
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
Member Is Offline
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I'm way to old to have served (they didn't let us women serve back then)
I was the wife of Viet Nam vet, the daughter of a Korean War vet, and my Grand-Dad served in WWII........don't mean to hi-jack this thread, just
wanted to say thank you to all of you that keep our country safe, and what it is THANKS!
Mean people suck!
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jimgrms
Senior Nomad
Posts: 664
Registered: 9-30-2005
Location: oceanside ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: its always good
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Spent over 13 years on mso,s 170 ft long 35 wide packard diesels slow rond bottom nasty ridiny s o b ,, loved them i retired cause the would not
send me back to them in fact we visited accupulco on a sweep they kicked us out of port ,for having to much fun
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
Member Is Offline
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Jim, I went to Acapulco on the U.S.S. Toucan for R&R too in 1957
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