From
Nov 1978 to Dec 1980, I was assigned to the Navy Resale System
Services Office (“NAVRESSO”), the headquarter’s
office in Stanton Island, NY. However, I was physically located
in our West Coast Branch Office at the Navy Supply Center, Oakland,
CA. As a Military Team Leader, my job was to supervise and to
accompany teams of civilian auditors who audited 160 Navy Exchanges
located all over the world.
This is the only time in my life when I lived next to the ocean.
I purchased a condo in a complex in Alameda, CA that was on the
shoreline facing the water. The only problem was I was rarely
there to enjoy the scenery: I was traveling around the world living
out of a suitcase 75% of the time during this tour!
I
had also bought a used Datsun 200Z sports car to compliment my
new status of living by the sea!
My
condo actually faced the interior of the complex and overlooked
the pool and jacuzzi, so it was fairly secure. Since I was living
alone and the duration of my audit trips around the world ranged
from 10 days to more than 3 weeks, I was fortunate to have a place
that had this security.
The
condo was a 2-level unit with a living/dining room, kitchen, and
bath upstairs. There were 2 bedrooms and a bath on the lower (ground
floor) level. This is a view of my living room on the top level.
And,
this is a view of the same upper level living room from the opposite
side looking toward the front door and kitchen.
I
stopped in Boston on a return trip from Iceland and bought several
LIVE LOBSTERS. These are a 5 LB and a 3.5 LB lobster—the
largest I have ever cooked and eaten!
My
tour as Navy Exchange Officer at NAS Miramar began 7 July 1981
when I assumed responsibility for running the old Exchange facilities.
We soon ‘broke ground’ for construction of the Navy’s
largest combined Exchange and Commissary Complex in the
world (at that time). On 10 August 1983, more than 25,000 people
attended the GRAND OPENING of this new complex. It was my good
fortune to have had not only the opportunity to oversee the construction
of this $15 Million store project, but to also have had overall
responsibility for managing the completed facility for one year
after the Grand Opening!
Some
of my Duty Stations were BETTER than others...NAS Miramar was
the BEST!
Not
long after reporting to Miramar I picked up COMMANDER and had
a 'wetting down' party at my house. Jim Bogart stopped by to help
me celebrate!
One
of the very few times that Steve ever wore his sword (as part
of his Full Dress White Navy Uniform) after OCS was at a change
of command ceremony at Miramar. This was taken in front of the
old Exchange Office Bldg.
And,
this photo of a very slender Steve was taken the same day at the
rear of his NEX Office Bldg. The red Nissan 300 ZX had replaced
the older 280 ZX he had been driving while living in Alameda,
CA.
This
photo of me wearing the Blue Mess Dress uniform (with bow tie
and cumberbund) was taken right after I arrived in San Diego in
1980 (because it is still showing my older LCDR rank).
During
this tour I still had an Akita dog, “FUGI.” While the
Akitas are an interesting breed, they are dumber than dirt compared
to the German Shepherd breed.
GROUND
BREAKING FOR THE EXCHANGE/COMMISSARY COMPLEX. Who said that BOGART
and I never “PHYSICALLY” WORKED?
To
say that I was sitting very rigid while the RADM made his opening
remarks to a group of about 20,000 dignitaries and patrons waiting
in line for the ribbon cutting of the new Exchange is a mild understatement.
In
this photo, the Commissary Officer and I are given the "Keys"
to our new facilities after the Grand Opening speeches.
I
had never before...or since...had anything to do with an "Olympic
Event," but we had "Sammy the Eagle" (official
mascot of the 1984 Olympics) in attendance for our Grand Opening
event.
This
is the original artist’s design conception for the Miramar
Navy Exchange and Commissary Complex (and it now hangs in Steve’s
Computer Room)!
This
is the entrance to the Main Retail Store as it appears in May,
2001 (following the conversion of the base to “Marine Corps
Air Station Miramar”).
My
neighbor next door was a retired E-7; another neighbor across
the street was an active duty E-8. In this photo we are making
about 8 GALLONS of “home made” KAHULA (using 180 proof
alcohol from Mexico, vanilla beans, coffee and sugar) and ‘aging’
it about 4 months!
My
Deputy, John Dowdy, was also interested in shooting. We liked
to go out to the desert on weekends—where there were no telephones—and
shoot trap, rifles, and pistols. John is throwing a clay pigeon
for me in this photo.
Another
shooter who often accompanied us on these trips was Jim Davis
(closest in the photo), our Maintenance Manager. Jim had spent
four tours with the Seabees in ’Nam blowing up things and
he still liked to hone his skills.
I
had gotten my Federal Firearms License during this tour so that
I could buy ammo and guns at discount prices. In this photo I
am having a ball firing my UZI (semi-auto!) 9mm submachine gun.
Of
a number of rifles I owned, one of my favorite to shoot was this
M-1 Grand.
To
celebrate the completion of the new NEX/Commissary complex, Jim
Davis invited all of the Managers to his house for a real TEXAS
PIG BBQ roast! In this photo Jim is busily basting the hog as
it slowly cooked over the fire for about 8 hours.
And,
this is the hog, fully cooked and ready to carve! A good time
was had by all that day! <grin>
Never
let it be said that Steve was afraid to tackle the complex and
time-consuming job of stuffing and baking a large bird for a special
holiday!
To
say the least, Steve wore some rather exotic well-patched jeans
while he cooked, BUT, the result of his culinary efforts was an
incredibly well-prepared TURKEY.
My
parents were able to visit with me in San Diego for Christmas
in 1983. Fred appears to be enjoying some joke in this photo of
us having dinner at my house.
This
is one of the few photos I have of my mother without glasses.
It was taken during our gift exchange while she was opening her
present.
Fred
had always enjoyed bird hunting when he was younger. During his
visit, I took him to the excellent trap and skeet ranges aboard
NAS Miramar where he got to shoot for the first time in many years.
GRAND
OPENING OF THE NAVY EXCHANGE/COMMISSARY COMPLEX
SAN
DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1983
MASTER
OF CEREMONIES...........CAPTAIN G.E. HAKANSON, USN, Commanding
Officer, Naval Air Station Miramar
TURN
OVER OF KEYS..........Mr. P. McDowell, Vice President, Trepte
Construction Company, Inc. COMMANDER S.E.
SNIDER, SC, USN, Navy Exchange Officer LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
C.C. WEEDER, SC, USN, Commissary Store Officer
REMARKS
REAR
ADMIRAL G.M. FURLONG, USN, Commander Fighter Air-borne Early Warning
Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet
CAPTAIN
STEVEN H. EVANS SC, USN, Vice Commander, Navy Resale and Services
Support Office
CAPTAIN
G.N. KACHIGIAN, SC, USN, Officer in Charge NAVY RESALE AND SERVICES
SUPPORT OFFICE, FIELD SUPPORT OFFICE, SAN DIEGO
RIBBON
CUTTING
REAR
ADMIRAL G.M. FURLONG, CAPTAIN STEVEN EVANS, CAPTAIN G.E. HAKANSON,
CAPTAIN G.N. KACHIGIAN, COMMANDER S.E. SNIDER,
LCDR C.C. WEEDER
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From
Nov 1978 to Dec 1980, I was assigned to the Navy Resale System
Services Office (“NAVRESSO”), the headquarter’s
office in Stanton Island, NY. However, I was physically located
in our West Coast Branch Office at the Navy Supply Center, Oakland,
CA. As a Military Team Leader, my job was to supervise and to
accompany teams of civilian auditors who audited 160 Navy Exchanges
located all over the world.
|
 |
This is the only time in my life when I lived next to the ocean.
I purchased a condo in a complex in Alameda, CA that was on the
shoreline facing the water. The only problem was I was rarely
there to enjoy the scenery: I was traveling around the world living
out of a suitcase 75% of the time during this tour!
|
 |
I
had also bought a used Datsun 200Z sports car to compliment my
new status of living by the sea!
|
|
 |
My
condo actually faced the interior of the complex and overlooked
the pool and jacuzzi, so it was fairly secure. Since I was living
alone and the duration of my audit trips around the world ranged
from 10 days to more than 3 weeks, I was fortunate to have a place
that had this security.
|
 |
The
condo was a 2-level unit with a living/dining room, kitchen, and
bath upstairs. There were 2 bedrooms and a bath on the lower (ground
floor) level. This is a view of my living room on the top level.
|
|
 |
And,
this is a view of the same upper level living room from the opposite
side looking toward the front door and kitchen.
|
 |
I
stopped in Boston on a return trip from Iceland and bought several
LIVE LOBSTERS. These are a 5 LB and a 3.5 LB lobster—the
largest I have ever cooked and eaten!
|
|
|
My
tour as Navy Exchange Officer at NAS Miramar began 7 July 1981
when I assumed responsibility for running the old Exchange facilities.
We soon ‘broke ground’ for construction of the Navy’s
largest combined Exchange and Commissary Complex in the
world (at that time). On 10 August 1983, more than 25,000 people
attended the GRAND OPENING of this new complex. It was my good
fortune to have had not only the opportunity to oversee the construction
of this $15 Million store project, but to also have had overall
responsibility for managing the completed facility for one year
after the Grand Opening!
|
 |
Some
of my Duty Stations were BETTER than others...NAS Miramar was
the BEST!
|
 |
Not
long after reporting to Miramar I picked up COMMANDER and had
a 'wetting down' party at my house. Jim Bogart stopped by to help
me celebrate!
|
 |
One
of the very few times that Steve ever wore his sword (as part
of his Full Dress White Navy Uniform) after OCS was at a change
of command ceremony at Miramar. This was taken in front of the
old Exchange Office Bldg.
|
 |
And,
this photo of a very slender Steve was taken the same day at the
rear of his NEX Office Bldg. The red Nissan 300 ZX had replaced
the older 280 ZX he had been driving while living in Alameda,
CA.
|
 |
This
photo of me wearing the Blue Mess Dress uniform (with bow tie
and cumberbund) was taken right after I arrived in San Diego in
1980 (because it is still showing my older LCDR rank).
|
 |
During
this tour I still had an Akita dog, “FUGI.” While the
Akitas are an interesting breed, they are dumber than dirt compared
to the German Shepherd breed.
|
 |
GROUND
BREAKING FOR THE EXCHANGE/COMMISSARY COMPLEX. Who said that BOGART
and I never “PHYSICALLY” WORKED?
|
 |
To
say that I was sitting very rigid while the RADM made his opening
remarks to a group of about 20,000 dignitaries and patrons waiting
in line for the ribbon cutting of the new Exchange is a mild understatement.
|
 |
In
this photo, the Commissary Officer and I are given the "Keys"
to our new facilities after the Grand Opening speeches.
|
 |
I
had never before...or since...had anything to do with an "Olympic
Event," but we had "Sammy the Eagle" (official
mascot of the 1984 Olympics) in attendance for our Grand Opening
event.
|
 |
This
is the original artist’s design conception for the Miramar
Navy Exchange and Commissary Complex (and it now hangs in Steve’s
Computer Room)!
|
 |
This
is the entrance to the Main Retail Store as it appears in May,
2001 (following the conversion of the base to “Marine Corps
Air Station Miramar”).
|
 |
My
neighbor next door was a retired E-7; another neighbor across
the street was an active duty E-8. In this photo we are making
about 8 GALLONS of “home made” KAHULA (using 180 proof
alcohol from Mexico, vanilla beans, coffee and sugar) and ‘aging’
it about 4 months!
|
 |
My
Deputy, John Dowdy, was also interested in shooting. We liked
to go out to the desert on weekends—where there were no telephones—and
shoot trap, rifles, and pistols. John is throwing a clay pigeon
for me in this photo.
|
 |
Another
shooter who often accompanied us on these trips was Jim Davis
(closest in the photo), our Maintenance Manager. Jim had spent
four tours with the Seabees in ’Nam blowing up things and
he still liked to hone his skills.
|
 |
I
had gotten my Federal Firearms License during this tour so that
I could buy ammo and guns at discount prices. In this photo I
am having a ball firing my UZI (semi-auto!) 9mm submachine gun.
|
 |
Of
a number of rifles I owned, one of my favorite to shoot was this
M-1 Grand.
|
 |
To
celebrate the completion of the new NEX/Commissary complex, Jim
Davis invited all of the Managers to his house for a real TEXAS
PIG BBQ roast! In this photo Jim is busily basting the hog as
it slowly cooked over the fire for about 8 hours.
|
 |
And,
this is the hog, fully cooked and ready to carve! A good time
was had by all that day! <grin>
|
 |
Never
let it be said that Steve was afraid to tackle the complex and
time-consuming job of stuffing and baking a large bird for a special
holiday!
|
 |
To
say the least, Steve wore some rather exotic well-patched jeans
while he cooked, BUT, the result of his culinary efforts was an
incredibly well-prepared TURKEY.
|
 |
My
parents were able to visit with me in San Diego for Christmas
in 1983. Fred appears to be enjoying some joke in this photo of
us having dinner at my house.
|
 |
This
is one of the few photos I have of my mother without glasses.
It was taken during our gift exchange while she was opening her
present.
|
 |
Fred
had always enjoyed bird hunting when he was younger. During his
visit, I took him to the excellent trap and skeet ranges aboard
NAS Miramar where he got to shoot for the first time in many years.
|
|
GRAND OPENING OF THE NAVY EXCHANGE/COMMISSARY COMPLEX SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1983 |
|
MASTER OF CEREMONIES...........CAPTAIN G.E. HAKANSON, USN, Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station Miramar TURN OVER OF KEYS..........Mr. P. McDowell, Vice President, Trepte Construction Company, Inc. COMMANDER S.E. SNIDER, SC, USN, Navy Exchange Officer LIEUTENANT COMMANDER C.C. WEEDER, SC, USN, Commissary Store Officer REMARKS REAR ADMIRAL G.M. FURLONG, USN, Commander Fighter Air-borne Early Warning Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet CAPTAIN STEVEN H. EVANS SC, USN, Vice Commander, Navy Resale and Services Support Office CAPTAIN G.N. KACHIGIAN, SC, USN, Officer in Charge NAVY RESALE AND SERVICES SUPPORT OFFICE, FIELD SUPPORT OFFICE, SAN DIEGO RIBBON CUTTING REAR ADMIRAL G.M. FURLONG, CAPTAIN STEVEN EVANS, CAPTAIN G.E. HAKANSON, CAPTAIN G.N. KACHIGIAN, COMMANDER S.E. SNIDER, LCDR C.C. WEEDER |
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