Phillip Krakowiak:  

Phillip Krakowiak, graduated (barely Class of 72). A band geek who wanted to attend The University of Michigan school of music. Due to the Draft, and lack of basics for college life (grades to get in and cash), enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a musician. Another good deal gone wrong. The Navy needed Corpsmen more than musicians. Joining the Navy to stay out of the Army and Marine Corps was not the best thought out plan. I ended up as a Marine Line Company Corpsman with the Second Marine Division, pounding ground, going places where I never knew existed, doing things I could never imagine as possible. I once spent six weeks assigned to a British Marine unit as part of an exchange program during a training exercise. While with this unit, Prince Charles of England was our assigned Helicopter pilot. A very personable fellow with a great sense of humor. Being the Yank on board,well I was almost treated a royalty. Not bad for a kid from the Detroit area, meeting the future king of England. When the fun ran out with the Corps, I decided to take a stab at a further education. The Navy had a school, Advanced Hospital Corpsman, Independent Duty, which at the time was sponsored by The George Washington University. I never gave any thought about a college education but I was about to begin one. Upon a being selected for the school, I quickly discovered my academic achievements of the past would come to haunt me. The university reluctantly accepted me as a student due to my poor academic performance as a high school senior and placed me on academic probation. Animal House was the new movie out and of course, my roommates placed me on "double secret probation." At the end of the first semester, I was placed on the Dean's List and remained there for the rest of my time at the school and upon graduation. Yes, like most students, I did my fair share of beer study groups. Upon graduation, I was offered a spot in the Navy's Physician Assistant School. Being young and dumb and excited to go to sea, I chose a career as a Submarine Independent Duty Corpsman, Another school, but this one was only a year and I pretty much partied for year, I had already had the majority of course work at GW and ended up assisting my classmates with their studies. Sixteen years later: Three tours on subs, One tour of Instructor Duty and another degree in Vocational Education, I retired after spending 22 years as a Sailor. A good time was had and I needed a change. During this time I married the former Regin...Expand for more