The engaging story of a navy Wave, from basic training and gunnery school to the author's subsequent posting as a gunnery instructor in California.

With the introduction of guided missiles to the U.S. Navy, the Gunner's Mate Missile (GMM) rating was created. Tasked with operating, maintaining and repairing guided missile systems, the GMM had broad responsibilities. GMM training included two phases. GMM strikers studied for the Petty Officer 3rd Class rating (GMM3) and then advanced to 2nd Class (GMM2). From these candidates, some would be given additional training to obtain 1st Class (GMM1) or Chief Petty Officer (GMMC) ranks. This Gunner's Mate Missile M 2 & 3 manual was originally issued in 1972, when the Talos, Tartar and Terrier missile systems were in use. Chapter topics include an explanation of the Gunner's Mate (Missile) rating, how to hit a target from a moving ship, principles of missile flight and jet propulsion, missile guidance and control, launching systems, typical gun and missile systems, applications of servomechanisms, hydraulics and pneumatics, electrical devices, explosives / pyrotechnics and magazines, small arms and landing party equipment and demolition, general maintenance, common test equipment and troubleshooting, launcher checks and missile replenishment and servicing, and information input and output.

This work describes riverine combat during the Vietnam War, emphasizing the operations of the U.S. Navy’s River Patrol Force, which conducted Operation Game Warden; the U.S. Army-Navy Mobile Riverine Force, the formation that General William Westmoreland said “saved the Mekong Delta” during the Tet Offensive of 1968; and the Vietnam Navy. An important section details the SEALORDS combined campaign, a determined effort by U.S. Navy, South Vietnamese Navy, and allied ground forces to cut enemy supply lines from Cambodia and disrupt operations at base areas deep in the delta. The author also covers details on the combat vessels, helicopters, weapons, and equipment employed in the Mekong Delta as well as the Vietnamese combatants (on both sides) and American troops who fought to secure Vietnam’s waterways. Special features focus on the ubiquitous river patrol boats (PBRs) and the Swift boats (PCFs), river warfare training, Vice Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., the Black Ponies aircraft squadron, and Navy SEALs. This publication may be of interest to history scholars, veterans, students in advanced placement history classes, and military enthusiasts given the continuing impact of riverine warfare on U.S. naval and military operations in the 21st century. Special Publicity Tie-In: Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War (Commemoration dates: 28 May 2012 - 11 November 2025). This is the fifth book in the series, "The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War." TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction The First Indochina War The Vietnam Navy River Force and American Advisors The U.S. Navy and the Rivers of Vietnam SEALORDS The End of the Line for U.S. and Vietnamese River Forces Sidebars: The PBR Riverine Warfare Training Battle Fleet of the Mekong Delta High Drama in the Delta Vice Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. Black Ponies The Swift Boat Warriors with Green Faces Suggested Reading

This book is a true reflection of the personal memories of a lifelong Arsenal fan who, despite being born in a predominately Chelsea-supporting enclave of London, started going to Highbury in 1957 as an 8-year-old schoolboy and had lived through all the triumphs and tragedies up until 2018. These were experiences that many Old Gunners and Gooners, and all football fans, will either relate to or discover for the first time, depending on their age. It's written with humour, honesty and insight and details how the North Bank got its name plus all the great mates, terrace characters, legendary players and funny stories that have been encountered along the way. As an old mate of mine once said, "You can change your wife but not your football team".