Talking to a Navy recruiter

At seventeen and about to graduate from high school, it's time to go to the Navy Recruiting Office and see what they have to say. Since I'm a minor my mom has to be with me when the recruiter talks to me. Twenty-one was the legal , said age. They tell me that early enlistment enables me to graduate from high school six months early. With a less than stellar high school career, I don't trust the school to grant me the six months of credits, choosing instead to attend classes and ensure the credits are earned. The Navy can wait until graduation is achieved. Graduation is June of 1957. The recruiter informs me that joining BEFORE my 18th birthday for four years, I'm only required to serve three years to earn the four. A year is a longtime if you don't like it. And only four year enlistments were available. It made sense to go for the Kiddie Cruise as it was called. My enlistment date was set for August 19, 1958, seven days before my 18th birthday. Kind of like, "If you give me $3 I'll give you $4 back."

In typical Curt fashion I found a job for the summer washing dishes at a girls summer camp located at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. A hundred or so teenage girls and seven teenage boys. It was a fun summer!

It was a requirement to take and pass the Armed Forces Entrance Exam to determine what type of  Navy job you could train for. When the recruiter saw my test results he said, "You can go to any school you want to." "Be trained in any specialty, those are some of the best scores I've seen." Not much of a high school student but that didn't mean the information didn't sink in! I choose Naval Aviation with the specific specialty to be decided on after Basic Training and Aviation Fundamentals School.