Vic's Speech at Retirement

Captain Jim Campbell Retirement from USNR Forty Years of Naval Service
A NAVY HERITAGE By Vic Campbell ... August 2, 2008 - Naval Air Museum - Pensacola.

Jim, you have finally achieved what few men ever think they can possibly achieve in their lifetime. You have made your Momma proud.

Our family was blessed with a lot of Military Veterans who set examples for the youngsters following in their path. Many were Navy, including our father, J. Lee Campbell. Most came from the backwoods North of Pensacola and in time of national crisis, they poured out of the woods to find a place to enlist. The Pensacola Naval Air Base was a natural receiving point for many of them. In WWII they served on the land, the sea and in the air. One cousin served in Korea - a marine - with Chesty Puller - in the worst of conditions - and provided us with a tremendous example of character over the years. He is with us today, as are some of those legendary WWII veterans and their spouses who showed us over the years what character is about. If not here in person they are here in spirit.

As descendants of pioneer farmers in this area, our father was able to provide both a FARM culture and a NAVY culture for his children. Dad's last 10 years of Navy service were here at Pensacola or at airbases within 300 miles or at sea. The farm was stabilizing for his children, Jim, myself and Wanda who is also here today. Wanda kept the Navy theme too and married a Navy flier. Jim's earliest job here at NAS Pensacola was selling vegetables to sailors and grocery operations on the base. As teenagers, he and I would often arrange to pick a truckload of watermelons or okra, or cantaloupes or sweet corn - or all of these ready for early delivery to Pensacola when dad drove the truck to his workplace at VT-4 and later at the NARF hangars just yards from THIS VERY SPOT. As dad did his Navy work, it was our job to sell off the farm produce.

Often we would sell out and then spend the day watching dad at work on jet engines or watching the student pilots take off and land or catch a movie on the base for 10 cents, or get a haircut for 25 cents. The VT-4 hangar was and still is the home of the Blue Angels. Sometimes we saw them practice. - I once had my Sunday shoes shined by the man who shined the shoes for the Blue Angels. It was a mountain-top experience for me - the son of an enlisted man - and a local cracker farm boy. Jim and I were quite privileged among our contemporaries.
Jim and I had Daisy Air rifles. In the absence of X-box and Reality TV, we came up with a way to have war games using our BB guns. The rules were simple. Aim below the chin and don't shoot if closer than 50 feet. One day, in a skirmish around our grandparent's barn, the battle was a little too intense and Jim managed to close in on me and leave me with several extremely painful welts some in places that were later added to the "no shoot zone". I was in great pain from the BB assault. It was here that the compassion of a future NAVY CORPSMAN poured from my brother's heart . He put his arm around me and bent close to my ear and offered these comforting words ... " If YOU TELL DADDY..... I'LL KILL YOU".

That is when I grabbed his BB gun and slammed the genuine imitation wood grained plastic stock against a tree. Now there was a fight. We were pushing and pulling and shoving when daddy saw us. He stopped the fight and then said.. "Fight to the finish - Nobody stops until one of you is down for good". Such serious words and consequences. A fight began. Jim landed enough blows on me to have me in tears. This was not before I landed blows to his face ; my only option against his body blows. Blood streamed from his face.

I was crying for two reasons. One -- my hand was hurt badly from his bony face and Two - I could not believe in my heart that I hated my brother enough to draw blood. In the end, Dad allowed us to stop the fight and we shook hands. From that day forward, my brother has always been my friend. And blood never bothered him much after that. Think how the world would be now if only ADAM had been a Navy Chief when Cain and Able got angry with each other. That last story was modified slightly to fit your retrovision screen.

After High School, Jim went off to college. His year did not go so well and soon he was back at our local Pensacola Jr. College. As events moved along, he felt his better option was to join the Navy. He began this amazing career path to Captain. His first rank was Seaman Apprentice and from there he went to Corps school; and then assignments to various Navy hospitals.
As he did these things, his younger brother was trailing along at PJC and then continued to UWF. I had this dream of wearing an officer's uniform and having my Dad salute me, like he used to salute all those student pilots we saw at the Navy Base. As it turned out, I had a chance to pursue that dream and one day in the summer of 1971, my Dad saluted me. My goals with the Navy were met early. Not long after, I discovered a few things about the Navy. ONE - It is a MILITARY organization requiring discipline and focus similar to most other military operations. TWO - (I don't know how I missed this in my geography classes -- but) THREE QUARTERS of the earth is covered by WATER !! My Navy career was short.

Jim had different goals. He could see a career developing for himself. He married a Navy Dental technician - Lynne. You could say she is a Navy issue wife!! They eventually left active service but Jim remained in the reserves. As their family grew, their education advanced. Jim progressed to Chief Corpsman. He completed an MBA and soon after was advanced to Lieutenant Jr. Grade. And now, as you can see, he is a Captain. I think the proudest moment for him and his family was when our dad, the old Chief, pined on the silver eagles.

Jim's active duty assignments and his civilian career took him all over the world; Korea, Norway, Maine, Iceland and more. On assignment in Iceland, he took along Dad's old flight logs from his PBY service in the Battle of the Atlantic. He located a local historian to look over the flight log and learn more about VP84 squadron that was based at Reykjavik. It turned out that a historian, Ragnar Ragnarson, was writing a book about VP84 in Iceland. And it turned out that our Dad was crew on a famous civilian mercy flight to save a sick child several hundred miles up the coast from Reykjavik.

The pilot, Joe Higgins was described by our dad as the best PBY pilot ever to fly. You can see a restored PBY hanging here in the museum. They are amazing planes. Higgins and his crew flew in the most awful weather, with enormous waves. They landed off a tiny beach surrounded by mountains . With the wind against them - they climbed the air to return and the child was delivered to a Navy Hospital. Her life was saved. A gold medal presented by Iceland to Higgins in the 1990's is now here in the Aviation Museum archives. After learning this story, Jim was better able to understand, why---- when he had the chance in California in 1956 to ride Disney Land's MR FROGGY's WILD RIDE - dad declined.

There was a time when Jim took to the sea with his fishing boat and some of our cousins to harvest a shrimp feast. That episode ended with the boat sunk and the three cousins adrift in Pensacola Bay, making landfall after hours of late night swimming.
Ever one for safety, Jim's preparation assured plenty of flotation devices and they even saved SIX shrimps for their future feast. In light of this experience, it may be best that Jim never got to experience sea duty in his 40 year association with the Navy. Jim takes pleasure in noting that - while he may have sunk a boat - his brother managed to sink a car in one of his own misadventures.

This ceremony is all about HERITAGE... not unlike the piece of wood I hold in my hand.

The oldest and most revered ship in the US Navy is the USS Constitution "Old Ironsides". It is still in commission, manned by American sailors and is ready on a moments notice to defend our shores from a British Invasion ... as it did in the war of 1812 ... as long as they fight fair.

The ship has its masts replaced in overhaul every fifty to eighty years. In Boston a few weeks ago... the new masts and spars were being installed. The old mast would become an educational exhibit to show how masts are built. The older exhibit of the prior mast - with years of exposure and rot were being discarded. The wood on those old masts, removed perhaps in the 1920's or 30's, were available for the taking. At least that is what the Chief told me.

This wood is from THAT mast. In a way .... it seemed to me ....symbolic of the generations of sailors who drive the service forward for a time and then retire - to make way for the next generation of sailors who will drive the Navy forward in peacetime and in war. There are pieces of wood here to share with everyone after the ceremony. I invite you all to take a piece of it in symbolic remembrance of ALL THOSE we honor for service to our country in the past.

Even in retirement the mast of the USS Constitution provides an example of heritage and service for the NEXT generation. Like this retired mast from Navy's most honored ship, Captain Jim is not permitted to fade away. He will be an example for those who follow - with lessons in leadership - in management - in honor and
in service to his country.

Jim, Generations of our family and our friends who served America's Armed Forces before you are surely saluting you now in recognition of your accomplishments and your service.
Your family, your friends and your fellow service comrades are here now to IMPRESS UPON YOU our respect for YOU and our pride in your service on OUR behalf as citizens of the United States of America.

Jim, this remnant of the USS Constitution is for you.

Reflect on it sometimes, because one of the stories in it is that of Captain Jim Campbell, Medical Service Corps, USNR - Retired.