I never had to chat with the admiral. I only feel safe now because I'm
pretty certain that he's really dead--but you never know.
I was an enlisted puke. We didn't get as beaten up as the officers. My
interviews even with his hatchet men were pretty scary, but I was
exhaustively briefed before I set foot in the office. Here's a story. I'm
going to copy in the rest of FOT because it's kind of funny.
Didn't happen to me. A friend of mine was going to be interviewed for a
position in NR (Naval Reactors--the admiral's Gestapo). His captain told him
that when he went for his interview they told him the Admiral would try to
get him off balance by asking him questions before he sat down. So the first
thing he had to do was get to the chair, sit down, and compose himself. Then
answer. The pre-interview team drilled this into him with maps of the office
and where he would sit.
When he was called in to the office, he opened the door and Rickover was on
the phone. He said "get out", but the captain was well trained and headed
for the chair. Rickover started screaming "Get out. Get out". But he marched
doggedly to the chair. In the middle of hysterical screaming, two aides came
in and dragged the captain out. He spent a couple of hours in the infamous
"closets", contemplating his sins and then passed his interview without
incident.
While my friend was waiting for his interview a civilian who was also
waiting asked him what he thought it would be like. My friend related that
story. The civilian said "Your captain is messing with you. This man
commands the entire nuclear navy, he could never be that arbitrary".
As soon as he said that, two captains walked in, set up an easel with a map
of Rickover's office and said "Now the first thing you need to do is get to
the chair..."
-----Original Message-----
From: Gerald M Van Vlack [mailto:jerryvv@alltel.net]
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 12:06 PM
To: Bill Babcock
Subject: Re: Nomination
Interesting Bill, when I graduated College in 1969 I went to work for the
Government at the NSTR office located at the Bettis Atomic Power Lab.
I worked in the QA office with several Nukes from Subs and Surface Ships.
Does Captain Claytor ring any bells with you? he was the "NSTR" at the time.
I learned a lot from that experience. I was once brushed by Rickover when
standing in NR's lobby at Crystal City complex in DC. That's as close as I
ever wanted to get to him. I suppose that you had one of those famous
interviews on the chair with one short leg and sun in your eyes.
Lots of memories.
Jerry Van Vlack
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Babcock" <BillB@bnj.com>
To: "John Price" <jprice1@txcyber.com>; <Gt6steve@aol.com>; "Friends of
Triumph" <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 2:40 PM
Subject: RE: Nomination
> Too late then, though I'd certainly second anyone whose email address
> ends in babcock.com. And as a former navy nuke, nuclear reactor
> operator and utility hack, I recognize the domain name of the ancient
> and honorable Babcock and Wilcox company.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net] On
> Behalf Of John Price
> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 7:44 AM
> To: Gt6steve@aol.com; Friends of Triumph
> Subject: Re: Nomination
>
> I will second that nomination.
>
> John
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Gt6steve@aol.com>
> To: <FOT@autox.team.net>
> Cc: <rhlamp@babcock.com>
> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 8:51 AM
> Subject: Nomination
>
>
> > Amici,
> > I'd like to nominate a potential addition to our ranks. I'm sure
> > some
of
> you
> > know him already. Randy Lamp of Masillon Ohio has an original SCCA
> > GT6
> with
> > all the documentation from day one! If someone will second we can
prevail
> on
> > Randy to introduce himself and his racer.
> > Would you believe it's RAINING here in Las Vegas? Steve Smith
> >
> > rhlamp@babcock.com
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