• The United States Navy Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes Illinois •

•The United States Navy's Recruit Training Command is located at the Naval Training Center Great Lakes Illinois just north of Chicago.
•Shortly after the Spanish-American War the Navy decided that since many of their best Sailors came from the American Midwest “Naval Training Station Great Lakes” should be located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. The 172-acre site opened its gates on July 1, 1911 and the first recruit arrived two days later.
•Ensuing Navy requirements established Recruit Training Centers in San Diego, California (1923-1997) and Orlando, Florida (1968-1994) but in 1993 the Base Realignment and Closure Committee (BRAC) directed that Orlando and San Diego be closed.
•Since the closures, Great Lakes has been the only enlisted basic training location responsible for conducting the initial orientation and indoctrination of incoming recruits. Running at approximately eight weeks long, everybody who enlists in the U.S. Navy begins their enlistments at this command. Upon successful completion of basic training, qualifying sailors are sent to various apprenticeship, or "A schools", located across the United States for training in their occupational speciality, or ratings. Those who have not yet received a specific rating enter the fleet with a general designation of airman, fireman, or seaman. In 1997 the Navy began a $770 million modernization of the Recruit Training Center that was completed in July 2010.
•My Base Guide History of Great Lakes


COMPANY 510
First Regiment - 13th Battalion
United States Naval Training Center
Recruit Training Command
Great Lakes, Illinois
19 October 1967 - 15 December 1967

Sixteen pages of "The Keel" yearbook are specifically about our Company. They are:


Top Row:
Lt. F. J. Sullivan - Brigade Commander • Lt. D. J. Willett - Regiment Commander
Middle Row:
BMCM C. Raines - Battalion Commander • MM1 A. Twiford - Company Commander • SA L. Chapiewski - Company Commander's Aide
Bottom Row:
K. Priest - RPOC • N. Ishler - EPO • J. Sabin - First Platoon Leader • R. Puckett - MAA (Honorman) • G. Hughes - Company Clerk

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Top row:
Daniel Acosta, Anthony Allen, Joseph Almandarz, William Bentz, Timothy Bensing
Second row:
Harold L. Black, Michael Bouffard, W. Bridgeford, David Brinsfield, Mark Chilcoat
Third Row:
Patrick Clifford, Bruce Cress, Thomas Davidson, Louis J. Donini
Fourth row:
Jerome Donahue, Danny W. Durham, Walter Dyniewski, Robert Gillock, Tim A. Godair
Fifth row:
Joseph Graham, Kenneth Hazel, Joseph Henson, Dennis E. Hill, Paul W. Holgate

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Top row:
Dana L. Jaques, Mckinley Jamison, Robert W. Jean, George M. Keller, Allen Kerchner
Second row:
Anthony Kloss, Michael Krumlauf, Michael K. Laub, Richard Lawrence, Lanny L. Lupold
Third Row:
Walter MacDonald, Dennis McCartin, Bruce McCrady, Walter McKinney, Alan M. Mercer
Fourth row:
Thomas Migliore, Charles Myers, Anthony Parker, Jack M. Paviat, M. R. Wise
Fifth row:
Harvey S. Payne, Robert A. Peetz, Louis C. Petrone, Michael P. Pion, David E. Pivato

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Top row:
Roger R. Racine, David C. Ryan, Steven Rinehart, James A. Robare, Irving Robertson
Second row:
Roger P. Roy, Gerald E. Rusch, Robert P. Ryan, William C. Shaw, Edward Shiflett
Third Row:
John D. Smith, David E. Smith, Alan J. Southard, Jackie R. Stran, Robert Stetson
Fourth row:
Thomas Sublett, Jon R. Tabb, Robert Tavela, Robert Thomas, John J. Twomey
Fifth row:
Gerald Vess, Robert Williams, F. W. Draxton

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Apparently the Navy photographers new our schedule - about once a week they showed up for some "Kodak Moments" as we progressed through our training and the seasons. The following uncaptioned pages depict Company 510 as:
•We had our TB Tine Tests read by Medical
•We stood around the barracks
•We attended knot tying and 'powered talkie' class
•We performed our Service Week - mostly working in the galley
•We stood in the phone line to call home or our bookies
•We stood in fromation outside the barracks
•We marched to class or elsewhere
•We GRADUATED from RECRUIT TRAINING at GREAT LAKES

A larger version of all the pages is available with the Download Link below each photo. I scanned them at 600 pixels per inch and did not retouch them so a good photo editing program might improve their quality.



Page 5

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Page 6

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Page 7

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Page 8

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Page 9

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Page 10

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Page 11

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Page 12

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Page 13

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Page 14

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Page 15

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Page 16

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Download Graduation Review Program

Download Recruit Training Handout


More to follow after I scan the rest of the Keel Yearbook.
Comments welcome at the link below.
Winds & Seas - Bob

    → E-Mail: Bob