The christening of this ship with Levin’s name is despicable in my opinion. So much so it prompted me to wonder if Ray Mabus had ever been in the military at all.
Mabus is two years older than me and he served as an officer in the US Navy from 1970-1972 aboard a surface ship. I am no dummy and only 2 years in the Navy, or Air Force only indicates one or two things.
At that time the draft as implemented was for 2 years active and 4 years reserve. The Navy and Air Force would take certain draftees at that time but their active duty term was 4 years and 2 inactive reserve.
If he got drafted and then got in the Navy somehow, he’d have served 4 years. He served two years as an officer (he’d presumably had a college degree on entering). How is that? Wounded and medically discharged? Convenience of the Navy? Discharged for some other reason? Sure makes me curious how this man could be a Secretary of the Navy.
I could be completely wrong. I’m just going on my own experiences at the time and seeing how people get out early.
Maybe he was in the Jagoff office??
I don’t recall the air force or navy drafting during the war, the Marines did and the term of service was 2 years active and 4 years reserve I believe.
One way he could have served less than 4 in the active navy would be if he had a sibling KIA and his mom cited sole support for a discharge. Unfortunately this happened to my best friend’s brother after my pal was killed in 65.
No one drafts unrestricted line officers. He may have had a commission as a reserve officer. In the early 70s, as the Navy down sized from Vietnam war, a lot of reserve officers were let go before they had finished their initial service obligations. I held a reserve commission from OCS and was almost cut in 1974 after two years active duty.