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“It was probably the best time I had in the Navy, and it was the best part of growing up.”
Bill Streeks is a Navy veteran.
His is not the story of someone you hear about after 20 years as a career Sailor.
His story is a more common one.
“I served from 1960 to 1964,” said Streeks. “I did not have my life together before I went into the Navy. I went in with a 9th grade education, and I came out with a little bit of college. I spent most of my time focusing on finishing high school and not really going after rank. The Navy was good to me.”
It was during the middle of the Vietnam War that Streeks decided to join, entering the fleet undesignated—or without a Navy rating.
“My first duty station was aboard USS Benham,” said Streeks. “I was only on it for about six months. They always wanted me to climb the main stack, but I had a terrible fear of heights; so, I wouldn’t do it. Then I was transferred over to USS Sierra. That was when I started working in the draftsman locker. I stayed aboard for a year and a half, painting names onto coffee cups until eventually I was transferred over to USS Canberra.”
With a natural talent for graphics, design, and calligraphy, Streeks began his pursuit of striking as a Draftsman. Streeks would have put on DM3 as his official title were he to reenlist, but he left the military as he was striking to be a Draftsman.
“I wanted to be a commercial artist,” said Streeks. “The Chaplain aboard spoke to me about it, and he asked me what I needed to do art for the [Public Information Office]. He gave me money and sent me out into downtown Norfolk to buy what I needed before we left for Europe.”
Stocked up on supplies, the ship left for a European tour. After it’s first brief stop in Rota, the ship headed on.
“I designed the port pamphlet for Genoa,” said Streeks. “Now, that started something. I drew a nice picture of Genoa and included all the information of what to do and what not to do, but it became a thing. I had to do it for every port after that.”
All the crafting and design was done by hand. The fonts, which look machine perfect, were hand drawn. Beyond port pamphlets, Streeks’ talents brought other benefits.
“We called it comshaw: I’ll do something for you if you do something for me,” said Streeks. “I would draw pictures of the guy’s wives, and because of that, all my Levi’s were pressed. I did a picture of our captain with a kangaroo—the mascot of the Canberra—and he just went crazy for it. Then I got pulled into making the cruisebook.”
The cruisebook of USS Canberra (CAG-2) is full of insights into the crew of the time. It manages to capture the humor of some of the crew, but also details the accomplishments of the deployment. The ‘Kan do Kangaroo’-attitude of the crew shines throughout the book, which is full of Streeks’ comics and graphic designs.
“It was a team of three of us that worked to put that book together,” said Streeks. “It was a lot of work. Sometimes General Quarters would sound off, and I would just shut the door and keep drawing. Looking back, I have a lot of great memories of my time in the Navy.”
It’s time to acknowledge my relationship with Bill.
He is my grandfather-in-law. I met Grandpa Bill several times before I decided to join the Navy myself. I didn’t know that he had been in the Navy. I spent my time on the Delayed Entry Program and went through a Military Entrance Processing Station just like most Sailors. Then, I was offered the title of Mass Communication Specialist.
Of course, it was introduced to me much like it is to all of us: “You’re going to take pictures.”
Oversimplification aside, I jumped at the opportunity. It wasn’t until Grandpa Bill caught wind of me joining the Navy that he spoke of his job and showed me his art. Even then, it wasn’t until “A” school that I learned that I now do what he did.
Grandpa Bill speaks modestly of his role. He served for one tour, and he is humble about his art—impressive creations beyond the scope of my own talents.
It fell on me to remind him that he helped capture a moment in time. For his fellow crew members, this cruisebook might be the thing that they have held onto to remind them of their time in the Navy, be it a single tour or a full 20-year career.
As Mass Communication Specialists, I think it’s important that we sometimes break from the norm to share a little piece of ourselves beyond the simple nuances of our own style. We all have little pieces of our journey here that make up who we are, and we shouldn’t rob ourselves of the opportunity to put pen to paper to dictate our experiences for others to read.
I loved taking moments to talk to Bill, my grandfather-in-law, to hear his tales of his time in the military—an oddly comparable experience to my own, now that I do what he used to.
I would also like to dedicate this story to Faye, Connie, Dorothie, and Duane. I’m a junior Sailor by all accounts, but in my short time in the Navy, my husband and I have lost too many of our grandparents. With each loss, we have been unable to travel home, an all-too-often unspoken sacrifice. Though we know they would have understood, this is what I signed up for. We all did.
I encourage all who took a moment to read this story in its entirety to give their grandparents a call if they are able.
Take a moment to read a story. Take a moment to hear one.
Take a moment to write it down.
| Date Taken: | 12.28.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2021 13:33 |
| Story ID: | 412154 |
| Location: | FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 88 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Years Apart, by PO1 J. Keith Wilson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
