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Third generation serves in Navy

March 3, 2004 1:10 am

When Christopher Buchanan finished Navy boot camp Dec. 22 in Great Lakes, Ill., he joined the ranks of his father and grandfather.

Edwin "Buck" Buchanan served in the Navy from 1944 to 1947, and Dennis "Buck" Buchanan served from 1971 to 1977. Both are Spotsylvania County residents.

Christopher is a 1999 graduate of Fredericksburg Christian Academy.

Over Christmas, the three generations exchanged "sea stories," sailors' tales, Dennis said. Although, for now, they have only boot camp in common. In separate interviews, each man recounted what they talked about.

Dennis was interested to hear how his son's experiences at boot camp compared to his own.

Christopher described a mentally draining and physically exhausting eight weeks. He told his dad about "battle stations," the equivalent of a final exam. It's a series of disaster simulation exercises the recruits must conquer, all while staying awake for 30 continuous hours.

After passing "battle stations," Christopher's company got to exchange recruit ball caps for ones that say "Navy." "It was one of the emotionally moving moments in boot camp because we knew we were done, at least we thought we were done," Christopher said.

What the company didn't know was that, after sleeping for only 45 minutes that night, they would be awakened, this time to find four pretend explosives hidden around the base.

"[The Navy doesn't] want you to stop and think in an emergency situation," said Christopher.

They challenge recruits in this way, he said, to "break down the individual and bring him back up as a team member."

Dennis doesn't remember any breaking down in his 13-week boot camp. "I don't know if I could have gone through that," Dennis told his son.

When Dennis entered the Navy, Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. was in command. Under Zumwalt's leadership, regulations on hair length and uniforms, among other things, were relaxed; it was referred to as "the new Navy."

Boot camp in 1971 was simply meant to be a transition from civilian life to military life, Dennis said. During their spare time, Dennis and his buddies would head over to the recreation hall where they could play pool and other games.

"They let you guys have fun?"

Christopher asked his dad in shock.

"I guess I led a charmed life in boot camp," Dennis chuckled into the phone during his interview.

Upon Dennis' arrival at boot camp, also at Great Lakes, he was asked to audition for the band because he had been a drum major in high school. He and the other members of the drum and bugle corps were on a slightly different schedule than their fellow recruits because they had to practice daily for the Friday graduations.

"[The other recruits] had more classes, more hands-on, more of a physical training regiment than we did," he said. "They probably didn't have as much free time as we did."

Father and son did find some similarities in their experiences, besides the time of year they attended boot camp--December for both--and the location.

Dennis recalls how, everywhere they went, the companies had to march and shout cadence. On one particular day, his company of only 10 men--all musicians--marched through a tunnel and sang the requisite "Anchor's Aweigh." Passing them was a company of 80 men who also struck up a chord, but not as loudly as Dennis' company. The other company's commander ordered his men to turn around, pass through the tunnel again and sing it until they could be heard over the first group.

Marching companies who cross under that tunnel today still must sing the Navy theme song, Christopher told his dad.

The Navy also continues to give demerits in boot camp for unkempt lockers, sleeping area and personal inspections. Dennis received 10 demerits and had to work it off during "happy hour"--physical training while holding an 11-pound rifle.

Christopher didn't have to pay for his demerits; they were just a hit against his division in a companywide competition.

Edwin didn't talk as much about his time at boot camp. He joined the Navy during World War II. Boot camps at that time were held all over the United States and he attended one in Sampson, N.Y. It was only four weeks long.

After graduating, Edwin requested patrol torpedo (PT) duty, but instead was sent to torpedo school in Newport, R.I. He asked for PT duty several more times before he actually got it.

Edwin wanted PT duty so bad because he craved the fast speed of a PT boat, and he wanted to be in the action. "I wanted to be up on the deck, not down in the boats where I couldn't see what was going on," he said. "If anybody was shooting at me, I wanted to be able to shoot back."

And Edwin got that opportunity when his boat was involved in a strike on a Japanese base. He was standing at the front of the boat and could see bullets hitting the water right in front of him. "I thought that was strange, but then I realized they were shooting at me," Edwin said.

Edwin escaped unscathed, just like he assumed. "When you're that age, you don't pay much attention to it. You know you're going to live forever."

Edwin tells his son and grandson another story they like to hear. It's about the time he stood at the helm of his boat in a typhoon for 20 hours. When they finally got through the storm, Edwin's hands were molded to the wheel and his knees were locked.

That never would have happened, Dennis said, in the boats he was on because they were a lot bigger. "The sea has a little more say on what you do in a smaller ship," he said.

Boat size, Dennis remarked, often determines the experience a sailor has while he's in the Navy. "Once Christopher goes to sea, I suspect his experience will be somewhat like mine," he said.

Dennis was on a landing platform dock boat, the amphibious transport for the Marines.

All three Buchanan men approached their decision to join the Navy in a very practical manner.

"The war was on, and I wanted to go," Edwin said. "I didn't like mud too well, so I figured I'd go in the Navy where I'd have a clean bunk to sleep in."

Of course, the promise of travel was tempting, too.

"When they said, 'Join the Navy, see the world, they meant it,'" said Edwin, who spent a total of seven months stateside after signing on and enjoyed every minute of it.

Christopher ultimately chose the Navy over the Air Force--the two service branches he was considering--because he thought he'd also get to see the world.

His dad thought the decision was an appropriate one "based on family history," but only after Christopher actually joined.

Dennis talked him out of going into the Navy after high school. "I've questioned myself since then."

Dennis said at Christmastime, he saw more than maturity in his son. "He's got a different attitude. He's put all the pieces together, found his niche," he said.

Dennis, himself, chose the Navy because as he said "I'd rather ride than walk any day of the week."

To reach RACHELLE STIGER: 374,5000, ext. 5749. rstiger@freelancestar.com