TIGER ALUMNI CENTER -- ERHS/RCHS
Wes Weston
After graduation from ERHS with the Class of 1964, Wes enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He attended 'boot camp' at Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, IL.
His first duty assignment was at Naval Air Station Glynco in Brunswick, GA as a member of the flight line crash and fire crew.
Wes was then transferred to Naval Training Center, Memphis, TN and enrolled in 4 months of specialized training. He was then assigned to the USS Ranger (CVA-61) and deployed for 3 years in the Gulf of Tonkin, Viet Nam. On the Ranger, Wes worked on the flight deck starting and moving aircraft, loading bombs and doing whatever else the job required. Duty was for 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Ranger then went to the shipyard in Bremerton, WA for an eith month mini-overhaul. Wes and the Ranger were then redeployed to the Gulf of Tonkin. When the North Koreans commandeered the USS Pueblo, the Ranger was reassigned to cover that crises. Adding to crew difficulties was that there was no cold weather gear on board. They had to make do with what they had but flight operations never ceased and missions still maintained.
Wes returned to the U.S. for discharge in 1968. For his four years of dedicated service, Was was awarded six combat ribbons.
Congratulations and thanks, Wes.
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