Daniel Barber:  

I was promoted from Alvarado Junior High from the seventh grade directly to the ninth grade. Before Rowland opened its doors for the first school year, I walked around the campus and peeked into the classrooms where the carpet was being laid and furniture was delivered and arranged. In Navy tradition, a member of a new Navy ship or other command is considered a “plank owner” for that new command. I consider myself a “plank owner” for John A. Rowland High School. I was incredibly nervous because I was leaving behind my friends whom I went to elementary and Jr. High school. They were in the class of 1969. I graduated from Rowland as a member of the first four-year students in 1968. I planned to enlist in the United States Navy. I did not want my parents to spend money to send me to school. I was the oldest of six children. But because of my age, I had to wait for my eighteenth birthday before the Navy would allow me to enter boot camp. I promised the La Puente recruiters that I would join, with my parents’ permission, when I reached 18 years old. On July 8, I was obligated to join the Navy the same day that I met my future wife, Diane. I started my Navy career on January 14, 1969, when I entered boot camp in San Deigo. After I completed advanced training, I was sent to NAS Barber’s Point, Hawaii. In December of that year, I received permission from my command to take leave to marry Diane. We got married on December 13, 1969—a day after her eighteenth birthday. We just celebrated our 55th anniversary this year. Our adventure began as a married couple living in a treehouse on a small farm across the highway from the high school where Diane finished her high school education. Diane was born and raised in Santa Monica. She started surfing when she was 7 years old, so she was incredibly happy where we were living because her high school was located adjacent to her favorite surfing beach. My job was to publish command newspapers, write feature stories, and take photographs or shoot videos. In Puerto Rico, I was allowed to work as a DJ on the American Forces Caribbean Radio network for a couple of years. After some more training at the Defense Information School, I was ordered to Naval Air Station Adak, Alaska, in the Aleutian Islands with the direction of the Admiral to improve the image of the command. I was in charge of the graphics and reproduction department of the base probably because I needed those services to publish a newspaper. While there, I also participated in a weekly half-hour public affairs television program on the American Forces Rado and Television channel, discussing the latest issues important to the Navy leadership. I supervised a couple of Lithographers (printers) and Draftsmen Illustrators. I had one Yeoman to assist me with the office work. I was the photographer. At this command, I got to escort a National Geographic Photographer on his assignment on the Aleutian Island. I took advantage of this by picking his brain about wildlife photography. I also escorted a Japanese National Broadcast crew while they worked on their story. I got permission to take a week-long leave to shoot a video story about commercial fishing in the Bering Sea for Navy/Marine Corps News. This was done in 1982, years before the Discovery Channel started their series “Dangerous Catch.” I got one of the local fishing boat owners to take me out with them. It was the scariest thing I have ever done. I spent 20 years on active duty but only served on a ship for 2 months during a deployment to Vietnam and one overnight visit to the USS Enterprise. Because of my job and reputation, the Naval Air Forces Pacific Commander mostly assigned me. At my last duty station before I retired, I was sent to Fallon, Nevada, to assi...Expand for more