Navy Days

	Note to readers: This article is part of "Robin's Personal Memories Project"
	The information on this page is from my personal history and memories and should NOT be used for any reason other than reading enjoyment

"Navy Days"

<- Early Days -- Club History -- Early BackDrop ->

When I joined the Navy in 1957, I went through "Boot Camp" at Great Lakes, Ill. I often visited a "friend" of my family who lived in Chicago, who introduced me to the largest Polish family I had ever seen. I spent a fair amount of my "Liberty Time" teaching the girls of Chicago about the joys of being tightly bound and "forced" to enjoy themselves.

After "boots", I was transferred to Electronics and Electricity Prep School (E&E Prep) and then to Electronics Technician Class A (ET"A") and ET "C" schools. This meant I spent nearly two years in schools at Great Lakes during the week and Chicago homes on weekends. (Later on, I studied radar, radio, sonar electronics; cryptography; ship damage control; search and rescue; fire fighting; and the use of explosives.)

I was transferred to CinCLantFltNorVa (Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk, VA). A lot of free time allowed for travel all along the Atlantic coast. On one trip to New York to see the sights and visit friends, I spent a weekend with someone who worked for Irving Klaw. That trip changed my life: the friend introduced me to a career as a 'Professional Bondage Photography'.

Read story about Robin and Klaw photography

In 1959, we took the USS Robert L. Wilson (DD-847) "out of the yards" at Norfolk. In Jan 1961, on a trip to the Caribbean, we were diverted to Recife, Brazil. Our Task Group was chasing the SS Santa Maria, a ship taken over by a group of Portuguese separatists. (The book below was written about our 'exploits'.) We were the first American ships to visit since WWII. Using the phone book, I found a modeling studio and paid them a visit. The American dollar went a very LONG way that weekend! (Visiting foreign countries and making friends, oh boy!)

Nexus: Recife, Brazil
The following articles are related to "Recife, Brazil" as their nexus History of the Robert L Wilson Read about "pirates" seizing the SS Santa Maria in 1961 Data about USS Robert L. Wilson (DD-874) - The ship I was aboard Crossing the Equator and becoming a "Shell Back"" Entering Recife, Brazil as a liberty port See also [ Nexus ]

Later, the Wilson made a Med Cruise, all the while teaching English (or was it "la vice Anglais"?) and showing them the ropes.

Graduation
from ET School
The "Willie Boat" in port
Book about "pirates" and going to Recife
Underway replenishment during a storm

Nexus: WestPac
The following articles are related to "WestPac Cruise" USS Duncan (DDR-874 Ship stats) Hong Kong Raffles Hotel Subic Bay See also [ Nexus ]

The Duncan
Commissioning Day aboard the Chicago

My second tour of duty was quite different. Since I spoke a fair amount of Japanese, I was transferred to the USS Duncan (DDR-874)] homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. We made port calls all over the Western Pacific, including Hong Kong, and I made a side trip to Singapore. This allowed for a fair amount of in-port time, and I was able to spend time traveling around Japan, making friends, and learning the various Japanese styles of bondage. (I find it interesting that although we did a fair amount of bondage, we never used the title "Shibari.")

See also Beppu Japan and/or Tiger Balm Gardens

I was later transferred to the USS Chicago (CG-11) as a member of the pre-commissioning crew in San Francisco. I worked aboard ship during the day, but I was spending free time at my home parents' Sunnyvale.

After commissioning, the Chicago transferred to southern CA. On a weekend trip to visit friends in Palmdale, I met Connie, who became my first wife.

Read some of the poetry that I wrote for Connie

When the USS Chicago went to WestPac, I was transferred to the Fleet Anti-Aircraft Training Center {FAAWTC) in San Diego. Connie and I got married.

As I traveled with the Navy, I continually honed my bondage skills while making new friends.

In 1966, when I got out of the Navy, I had dozens and dozens of friends from around the world who were interested in bondage. He started a small 'newsletter' (some issues even had bondage photos) to keep everyone informed of 'things bondage'. Those first newsletters were printed on a teletypewriter using a paper-tape reader with pictures sent as photographic prints. (Several newsletters were actually sent as 8 x 10 photographic prints.) He found that a lot of my photographer friends were looking for models, and vice-versa. He was asked by a lot of friends were asking that he teach bondage techniques and, as they say, "The BackDrop Club was formed".