Veterans Month
November 2003
NS Veterans Remember
Eddie P. Prillaman
Business Account Consultant
IT Roanoke Virginia
I served in the US Navy from 1968 to 1972. I had basic training in Great Lakes Illinois. I went to radioman A school in Bainbridge, Maryland. My first tour of duty was in Adak, Alaska. It was a beautiful place and really a nice tour of duty and was considered sea duty. When that year was over I got married to Linda and took her to my next tour. It was the USS Eldorado, a communications flagship stationed in San Diego California. Since it had just come back from a western pacific tour of duty I knew it would be in port for at least a year. It turned out to be true, however all good things come to an end. We were to be the home of the Commander Amphibious Forces 7th Fleet during the later part of the Vietnam conflict. We left for a WestPac tour of duty in February of 72. We saw Hong Kong, Singapore, Subic Bay, Bankok, Pearl Harbor, San Francisco, Okinawa, and of course Danang. I was lucky with the Vietnam portion in that the most danger we saw were mortar flares lighting up the night ski so the ground troops could see the enemy. While a radioman I earned the rank of Petty Officer 2nd class. I received an early out for school and was back in school and the railroad by Sept 72. I'm proud to have served this country and would not take anything for my experience there.