I did 4 years on the USS Independence CV62 as a BT, home ported in Norfolk I got out as a BT3 in '79, spent the whole time in the pit and did two Med. cruise's, a North Atlantic/Arctic Circle run and a bunch of Carribean and Gitmo Ops. There's a couple of other vets on the site too if they care to speak up. I have a couple of buddies who were Grunts and I knew some of the MarDet guys on the boat, all decent enough guys.
Welcome to the site, it's a lot of fun, mostly decent guys and gals. Watch out for Longride, he was a Chicago Fireman and likes to go on "retreats"...(you konw, the whole "Brokeback" thing....I probably don't need to explain.....)