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Boot Camp

Recruit Training Command
US Naval Training Center, San Diego, California

Company 63-422

Company 422 was formed 18 Sep 1963, marched in graduation ceremonies 6 Dec 1963, and departed NTC San Diego 9 Dec 1963. Many recruits from eastern states were originally scheduled to undergo basic training at Great Lakes NTC, near Chicago, but were diverted to San Diego due to a spinal meningitis outbreak at Great Lakes.

Row 1: Phillip Rensen, Joel Lindsey, Charles Burrow, John Garcia, Ralph Mathis

Row 2: Troy Noonan, Howard Barnett, Jack Sheldon, Robert Mace, Thomas Hux, Calvin Fowler (Company Commander), John Goodling, Lee Brown, Wilbur Tatum, Adrian Synegal, Andrew Shepard

Row 3: Donald Lake, Stephen Rutkowski, Allyn McCombs, Kenneth Henderson, Tommie Edmonds, James Ries, Gus Cavil, Donald Scorcz, Leroy Griffin

Row 4: Loy Smith, Kenneth Crock, Fred Zivicky, James Bigbie, Billy Williams, Richard Farner, James Heayn, Jan Samson, Phillip Wells, Wendell Pittman, Fred Dunn

Row 5: James Reish, Carthell Lewis, Danny Johnson, John Yates, Jerry Kelly, Raymond Ward, Joseph Washington, Robert, Rivera, William Lee, Alan Lefkowitz, Thomas Mitchell, Melvin Scroggins

Row 6: Ronald Huffert, William Tyler, Victor Criswell, Patrick Horton, Melvin Patton, Joseph Orban, Dale Uzzel, Karl Anderson, Benjamin Trower, Russell Groomes, Lennet Grivat

Row 7: Johnnie McVey, Ronald D’Angina, James Lawson, Jesse Bennett, James Knight, George Taylor, Danny Shaw, Alfred Roberts, Donald Hays, Carl Abbott, Leo Grabowski, Sidney Kilpatrick

Company 422 – Graduation ceremony – December 6, 1963

Company officers

Kneeling
Charles Burrow, Yeoman, Coupeville, Washington

Row 1
Troy Noonan, Guidon Bearer, Savannah, Georgia
Thomas Hux, Recruit CPO, Savannah, Georgia
Calvin Fowler BM1, Company Commander
John Goodling, Recruit Assistant PO, Savannah Georgia
Andrew Shepard, Right Guide, Lufkin, Texas

Row 2
Phillip Rensen, Educational PO, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Joel Lyndsey, Squad Leader
Ralph Mathis, Master At Arms, Ozark, Alabama
John Garcia, Non-Swim PO, Houston, Texas

Row 3
Wilbur Tatum, Squad Leader, Savannah, Georgia
Lee Brown, Squad Leader, Lynn Haven, Florida
Adrian Synegal, Squad Leader, Tuskegee, Alabama
Robert Mace, Squad Leader, McDonogh, Maryland
Jack Sheldon, Squad Leader, Riverton, Wyoming
Howard Barnett, Laundry PO, Hanceville, Alabama

Clowning around
On guard Joseph Washington & Andrew Shepard	At ease Charlie Burrow	Gotcha! James Knight & Joseph Washington

Charlie's first letter home, September 21, 1963 “So far, we’ve spent most of our time marching, standing at attention, and getting chewed out.”	Letter home, September 26, 1963 “Well it’s 1700 (5:00pm) and the temperature is down to a mere 109°. It was 115° most of the afternoon. This set a record for San Diego for all time. “After getting up at 0430 this morning, we spent most of the morning marching. Two guys had to go to the dispensary for heat prostration.... “I have been appointed to the job of company yeoman. I have to keep charge of watch guard rosters, check out sheets, walking permits, daily schedule sheets, morning strength reports, and permits for inspections, drills, mess, and numerous other activities. I must also keep the Commanding Officer’s office clean, and keep him supplied with coffee from the Battalion Office. “Right now, we are still forming. That means that we are still taking qualifying exams, physical exams, being issued clothing. Incidentally, right now we are wearing bell bottom jeans and blue denim shirts, with web belts and leggings. Since I am yeoman, I get to carry a sheathed bayonet on my belt. Up until yesterday we wore white sneakers, but now wear black boots. All recruits that wear the white sneakers are easily recognized as greenies and affectionately called “mothballs” by everyone else.”
Recruit Petty Officer Second Class Patch worn by company squad leaders, master-at-arms and yeoman.	RPO2 Certificate of Appointment November 18, 1963
San Diego Evening Tribune November 22, 1963	San Diego Union November 23, 1963
Letter home, November 24, 1963 “Ironically, I was taking the”JFK Physical Fitness Test” at the very moment that Pres. Kennedy was assassinated. We had just finished a 300 yd. Run when I overheard some other boys discussing the shooting. At first it seemed almost impossible to believe.”
The Hoist USNTC San Diego November 27, 1963	The Hoist USNTC San Diego November 27, 1963
Letter of Commendation Company Academic Award December 5, 1963	Letter of Commendation Company Honorman December 5, 1963
The Hoist USNTC San Diego December 6, 1963	The Hoist USNTC San Diego December 6, 1963

Company Honormen
The Hoist, December 6, 1963

Company 63-422 Roster

Mealey, T.M., Ltjg, Battalion Commander

Fowler, Calvin S., BM1, Company Commander

Abbott, Carl L., Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
Andersen, Karl V., Eureka, California
Argo, Danny W., Houston, Texas
Barnett, Howard, Hanceville, Alabama
Bennett, Jesse, New Orleans, Louisiana
Bigbie, James E., Savannah, Georgia
Brown, Lee T., Lynn Haven, Florida
Burrow, Charles H., Coupeville, Washington
Cavil, Gus E., Cameron, Texas
Criswell, Victor E., Manchester, Missouri
Crock, Kenneth A., Bellevue, Washington
D'Angina, Ronald L., Norwood, Ohio
Dunn, Fred J., Griffin, Georgia
Edmonds, Tommie J., St. Louis, Missouri
Farner, Richard B., Little Rock, Arkansas
Garcia, John R., Houston, Texas
Goodling, John M., Savannah, Georgia
Grabowski, Leo F., South Plainfield, New Jersey
Griffin, Leroy, Chadbourn, North Carolina
Grivat, Lettet J., Jr., Loreauville, Louisiana
Groomes, Russell E., Riesterstown, Maryland
Hall, Douglas V., Groton, Connecticut
Hays, Donald L., Seattle, Washington
Heayn, James T., Levittown, Pennsylvania
Henderson, Kenneth F., Mansfield, Missouri
Holweger, Mark C., Franklin, Ohio
Horton, Patrick M., Seattle, Washington
Huffert, Ronald O., Montville, New Jersey
Hux, Thomas M., Savannah, Georgia
Johnson, Danny R., Pasadena, Texas
Kelley, Jerry W., Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Kilpatrick, Sidney, Mobile, Alabama
Knight, James L., Fort Worth, Texas
Lake, Donald P., Grand Junction, Colorado
Lawson, James R., Maple Valley, Washington
Lee, W.H., Felsenthal, Arkansas
Lefkowitz, Alan G., Boonton, New Jersey
Lewis, Carthell, Jr., Panama, Florida
Lindsey, Joel W., Jr., Savannah, Georgia
Mace, Robert J., McDonogh, Maryland
Mathis, Ralph, Ozark, Alabama
McCombs, Allyn D., Uncasville, Connecticut
McVey, Johnnie R., Grand Junction, Colorado
Mitchell, Thomas F., Grafton, West Virginia
Noonan, Troy E., Savannah, Georgia
Orban, Joseph F., Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Patton, Melvin E., Palisade, Colorado
Pittman, Wendell W., Foxworth, Mississippi
Reish, James F., Denver, Colorado
Rensen, Phillip L.J., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ries, James R., Cincinnati, Ohio
Rivera, Robert C., Ontario, California
Roberts, Alfred W., Riverdale, Georgia
Ruch, William T., Cincinnati, Ohio
Rutkowski, Stephen T., Greenport, New York
Samson, Jan N., Birmingham, Alabama
Scroggins, Melvin M., Houston, Texas
Shaw, Danny G., Absecon, New Jersey
Sheldon, Jack C., Riverton, Wyoming
Shepard, Andrew E., Lufkin, Texas
Skorcz, Donald D., Rock Springs, Wyoming
Smith, Loy O., Elizabethtown, Illinois
Synegal, Adrian L., Tuskegee, Alabama
Tatum, Wilbur D., Jr., Savannah, Georgia
Taylor, George, Marion, North Carolina
Trower, Benjamin, Greenport, New York
Tyler, William W., Atlanta, Georgia
Uzzel, Dale E., Houston, Texas
Ward, Raymond B., Savannah, Georgia
Washington, Joseph A., Montgomery, Alabama
Wells, Phil W., Kingsport, Tennessee
Williams, B.L., Jr., Birmingham, Alabama
Yates, John T., Mobile, Alabama
Zivicky, Fred, Baltimore, Maryland

Our “year book,” The Anchor

Naval Training Center, photo from The Anchor

Links

The Quarterdeck – NTC history

Liberty Station – NTC transformed

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Updated: 24 October 2006