USS Rich

Old Sailors,

We look back on our time in the Navy prior to the 90s and we see it for what it was; the end of an era. We didn't realize at the time that we were living a life that would go away and never come again.

We knew our job was to steam the ship to its mission and protect it with our lives if necessary. That's why we look back on pictures of those old ships with so much nostalgia. Because we know they were once worth more than we are. I don't think today's sailors understand that.

Don't get me wrong, they still leave home, they still go in harms way and they still deserve our respect. But I don't think they understand the importance of their ship and their shipmates.

That's why you get a young man who hides for seven days while his shipmates search for him. That's why young officers let one of the biggest damn ships in the world, in one of the worlds busiest sea ways point it's bow at their ship. I don't think they understand that, at this point in time, their ship and their shipmates are the most important thing in their lives.

I'm glad I served when I did and I'm glad I served with the men I served with.

Fair winds and following seas.

Bob Combs‎

Bob Combs