m14dan
01-18-04, 08:59 AM
My name is Dan O'Neal. MM1(sw) if anyone knew me. I worked in 4 engine on the midway for 3 years starting when I was 17 years old back in 1986. I had the honor of being the youngest crewmember onboard for a time and boy was it fun. My grandfather had just retired from the navy maybe 10 years before that and he is the one who talked me into going in the navy. He also made real sure the recruiters life would be made very miserable if I didn't get on the midway. My granddad was a VERY senior master cheif when he retired and still had lots of freinds and respect in the navy to do that. ANyway, he served in ww2 on various aircraft carriers and after the war he was on the midway in ships company for the commisioning ceremony and served a couple years before he got out. Times were hard back then for the family and he rejoined the navy durring the korean war and stayed in to complete a 3o something year hitch. He spent a lot of time on the midway before and after the move to Japan. I remember hearing him talk about all the different planes he worked on on her over the years like the f-4 , wich was his personal favorite, and the a-4. He really loved the fantoms and had so many sea stories about them you wouldn't beleive.
My step father served on the midway with the marines durring the vietnam war with a marine squadron. I don't know wich one but it was off and on for him. He never talks about it. Those were pretty bad years for marines and I don't blame any of them for not wanting to remember. When I got on I was asked by the cheif engineer about my grandfather. Apparently they had talked about my pending arrival. He used to work for granddad back when he was enlisted. The cheng was a captain LDO and was a plane "mech" back in his younger days. He liked my granddad a lot apparently. Not hard to understand.
Anyway, as my granddad was getting up there in years I tried talking him into coming for a visit all the time to see his favorite ship once again. He knew it from the time it was a straight deck flattop till well after the angle deck. Timing never worked out and after ten years in the navy I got out and joined the army res so I could be closer to home. I never was able to get grandad to go see the midway with me but really enjoyed listening to all his sea stories.. He died a couple years ago and now I am trying to talk my grandmother into a burriel at sea for his ashes. I doubt I will ever talk her into it but I can't think of anything he would like more than being with the midway forever. I don't even know if it would be allowed but I am pretty sure he would have liked it.
Anyway if anyone remembers master cheif John Apple, He was my granddad.
My step father served on the midway with the marines durring the vietnam war with a marine squadron. I don't know wich one but it was off and on for him. He never talks about it. Those were pretty bad years for marines and I don't blame any of them for not wanting to remember. When I got on I was asked by the cheif engineer about my grandfather. Apparently they had talked about my pending arrival. He used to work for granddad back when he was enlisted. The cheng was a captain LDO and was a plane "mech" back in his younger days. He liked my granddad a lot apparently. Not hard to understand.
Anyway, as my granddad was getting up there in years I tried talking him into coming for a visit all the time to see his favorite ship once again. He knew it from the time it was a straight deck flattop till well after the angle deck. Timing never worked out and after ten years in the navy I got out and joined the army res so I could be closer to home. I never was able to get grandad to go see the midway with me but really enjoyed listening to all his sea stories.. He died a couple years ago and now I am trying to talk my grandmother into a burriel at sea for his ashes. I doubt I will ever talk her into it but I can't think of anything he would like more than being with the midway forever. I don't even know if it would be allowed but I am pretty sure he would have liked it.
Anyway if anyone remembers master cheif John Apple, He was my granddad.