S. S. Fehr's Letters to Mom

Lakehurst NAS: October 1960 - April 1961

Mike Hopkins, Steve Fehr, Sam Magill, AG "A" School, Lakehurst NAS, April 1961

Excerpts from Letters to Mom in italics.

The cherry AA (Airman Apprentice, E-2) reported aboard his first duty station In Lakehurst, NJ, for Aerographer's Mate "A" school, not knowing what to expect, not knowing shit from Shinola, fresh out of boot camp. An Aerographer's Mate, or "AG," is a weather observer with training in weather analysis and forecasting. AGs had to learn numerous weather codes used by the World Meteorological Organization. Classmates included J.D. Becker, Robert (Sam) Magill, Mike Leech, Gerry Brigowatz, Mike Hopkins and Dick Chilson. Several would later be selected for special duty and receive top-secret cryptographic security clearances to serve in an elite group.

At "A" school, students had classes all day and studied evenings and as much as possible weekends. After classes there was PT (physical training), usually running around the perimeter of the base- unless one was a member of the band. Navy students weren't free after classes. They had to hold "field days" (cleaning parties prior to inspections) on the classrooms and barracks, in addition to holding normal watches. Each morning at reveille sweepers would man their brooms for a clean sweepdown fore and aft! College was a breeze compared to Navy "A" school.

Navy Dirigibles, Lakehurst NAS, Circa 1960

NAS Lakehurst was also home to a squadron of dirigibles and there were some huge hangers on base. It was quite a sight watching the dirigibles glide silently overhead. Later, during breaks tracking pibals (pilot balloons) for upper air wind/speed observations, the curious students would track the dirigibles in the theodolites (a telescope calibrated to record azimuth and elevation), for fun. Or train the theodolite's telescope on the windows of the WAVE's barracks. Helium was used to inflate balloons used for upper air observations, and practically everybody put the hose to their mouth to talk hilariously like Donald Duck.

Heard some funny stories waiting in the chow line and at the White Hat Hanger (enlisted men's club) from the lighter-than-air ship crewmen about farmers taking pot shots at them; guess the farmers thought the dirigibles seeded clouds and interfered with rain. In turbulent weather their chow trays slid all over the mess table, or so they said, which had special wooden edges to stop the trays from sliding off and hitting the deck. Some of the biggest buildings in the world are at Lakehurst to house those dirigibles. When the wind blew, especially in winter, those huge buildings collected and funneled that wind so fiercely it took some effort to stay on your feet near those hangers.

Hangers for Navy Dirigibles, Lakehurst NAS, Circa 1960

There was also an airfield for jet fighters, so it was an active air station. Directly across from the AG "A" school barracks was another "A" school for Parachute Riggers. These are the guys that pack the chutes for pilots. Before they graduated each student had to not only use a chute he had packed, but also pick a chute randomly packed by one of his fellow shipmates and jump with it. They tended to be a rowdy lot.

23 October 1960 (Postcard)
The food is good; we sleep to 6, and the evenings are our own. The movies cost 15˘. [Even at the flicks RHIP or Rank Has Its Privileges. When the show concluded, it was required Navy etiquette that enlisted men in segregated seating sections remain standing in place allowing the officers and guests to depart first through the front doors, followed by chiefs and dependents and finally the white hats could exit via the side doors.] Get this - I'm trying out for the base band... I have plenty of space - ˝ a closet and a whole upright closet. My shipmates seem like pretty nice guys.

3 November 1960
I'm always glad to get a letter from home. When I was home I was only telling you I could usually predict what you would say. Your letters don't bore me at all. In fact they seem to go so fast. The band plays in some parade in Bel Mar this Sunday. So I'll get off duty for a while on Sunday.

S. Fehr on Sousaphone, NATTU Lakehurst Band, circa 1961.

Blizzards of snow closed the base seemingly every weekend that nasty winter of 1960-61. "Now hear this! All liberty is cancelled due to snow." Forget about drawing your liberty card! And if you had duty section, that meant report to the Master-at-Arms shack to draw a shovel for snow clearing.

One night during a particularly nasty snowstorm when liberty had been cancelled, Fehr barged into the MAA shack seeking his liberty card after a few brews at the White Hat Hanger. He demanded, "Give me liberty or give me death!" The Patrick Henry wannabe was lucky the Chief Master at Arms that night was an AG instructor more amused than angry who just ordered the drunk back to the barracks to sleep it off!

5 February 1961
This weather [snow] gives me a little more time to spend on studies & letters. Will you send me my W-2 forms from the Food Fair and Ore Mines? [From July 20 to the end of 1960, the Navy W-2 indicated total wages of $441.]

I'm going to NYC next weekend to see Spartacus or Exodus and maybe some musicals or concerts. Take care of yourself and don't work too hard. [Several classmates visited the Big Apple a few times taking in more interesting venues. The famous Café Wha? at 115 MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village was open till 4:00 A. M. with folk songs, hootenanny and jazz. A 19-year old Bob Dylan had just visited the Wha in January. And the young enlisted men did the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge where Chubby Checker had introduced it.]

Prior to graduation, Chief Mills solemnly inquired and individually interviewed AA Fehr and several top classmates. Would he accept a top-secret assignment upon graduation? He accepted the honor without knowing what would be involved. The new AGs would be reporting for duty at the Anacostia Naval Receiving Station in Washington, D. C., awaiting a security clearance and further unknown duties.