April, 30, 1973, Monday

This is our work week. We will spend the rest of the week repairing and cleaning the classroom equipment. We all passed. We all got our orders. I am to report to Norfolk, Virginia. I have been assigned a ship, it’s a destroyer. I am going to take a test to become a third-class petty officer. I fly out May 6, next Monday. Later.

It’s a small fucking world. I was standing with a group of classmates. We were in a circle having a heavy discussion about nothing. I was in the middle of saying something completely unimportant. I heard a voice behind me. “George.” I spaced it out, I was in the middle of a speech, I had an audience. I wasn’t going to waste it. “George! George!” He wouldn’t stop. I turned around to face the rude person. “Just a minute, let me finish!” I turned back to my friends. They say they never saw eyes get so big so quickly. It was my cousin Paul. He was in the navy, and I didn’t know. He just finished boot camp and started school. I was over whelmed to see him.

He tried to find out where I was. But since I never call or write home, my parents didn’t know where I was. Somewhere in California they said. Wow! Mr. Journal this is so cool. Paul is one year older than me. He has always been my partner in crime. I did so many crazy things with him. Wow!

I made the guys find a ride home. Paul had an apartment not far from the base. After class we went to his place. We made spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner. We got high and drank lots of beer. We laughed all night. Except for the short hair and the palm trees, it was like being home. I stayed the night. He’s coming over my pad on Wednesday. It’s the running of the grunions, a full moon means a big party. My cousin is here, you have no idea what that means to me Mr. Journal. Later.