Chapter 3 - My Career in Electronics

 Soon after I married Louise, I applied for U.S. citizenship.  By virtue of my being married to an American citizen, I was able to acquire my citizenship pretty quickly, and officially became a citizen in late 1963. Obtaining my U.S. citizenship opened many doors of opportunity for my career in the Coast Guard.  Now I could change my rate and there were so many to choose from. I decided to become an ET (Electronic Technician) because I liked the challenge of repairing complicated electronic equipment. While on the Nemesis, I requested to change my rate and received a highly favorable endorsement from the captain.   

In 1964, I took the Electronics Technician exam and easily passed it, and shortly after, I officially began my training. After clearing a background check for Secret security clearance, my rating was changed from Stewardsman to Seaman and I was given a set of orders to undergo six months of Electronics Technician ‘A’ school at the Coast Guard Training Center in Groton, Connecticut.  It was a great feeling to know my job as a steward had finally come to an end. Louise and I had two children by this time; Dave and Tina.  They stayed in St Pete in a rented house near her parents’ while I was in training. 

I graduated at the top of my class in ET School. The promotion happened very quickly as the Coast Guard had a shortage of ETs and was looking for applicants at that time to fill its needs. 

After ET school, I served at various Coast Guard units: Washington Radio Station, LORSTA Batan, USCGC Juniper, USCGAS Miami, and finally USCGC Chautauqua before I went to Officer Candidate School (OCS). I became Chief Electronics Technician while stationed in Miami in 1968, less than 10 years’ time since I joined the Coast Guard.

While in Washington in 1964, I became interested in amateur radio. The unit had an amateur radio station on base (K4CG).  I obtained my license and amaeur radio became a favorite hobby.  My call sign was WA4VNT.  While in Batan, I was also able to use my morse code skills that I learned from being a ham operator.  

As a brand new chief ET, I was assigned to the Coast Guard cutter Chautauqua (WHEC-41) out of Honolulu.  The Chautauqua did Ocean Station Victor patrols, and I was out on the open sea doing search and rescue, so I wasn’t able to spend much time in Honolulu. 

During my service on the Chautauqua, I was active in operating the amateur radio station on board.  I spent much of my free time making phone patches to give our crewmembers the opportunity to talk to their loved ones in Hawaii and the mainland by amateur radio.  

 One evening, I was able to connect with Barry, who was another radio operator from Arizona. His call sign was K7UGA.  We made phone patches for a couple of hours, and I noticed he was especially helpful.  I received a postcard (QSL card in ham lingo) from Barry a month later to confirm our contact, and only then did I learn that K7UGA was Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona!

I had some difficulties being an Electronics Technician.  I was the first Filipino to change my rate to ET, and also the first one to make Chief.  It seemed like every duty station I was assigned to the crew appeared dismissive and doubtful about my qualifications.  They hadn’t seen a Filipino in this capacity before and the racial bias and prejudice made proving I could do the job an uphill battle.  But after a few months, I was able to demonstrate my capabilities as an ET, and over time, I gained their respect, admiration, and acceptance. The officers I worked for on the Chautauqua (CWO4 Jonas and LT Bundy) recognized my leadership potential, and in 1969, I was selected to go to Officer Candidate School (OCS).

The Coast Guard was actively seeking minority applicants for OCS. My ship’s Executive Officer, Commander Billingslea, encouraged me to apply, and I accepted without hesitation. That December, I reported to the Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia, while Louise and the children stayed behind in Honolulu.

It felt like boot camp all over again—only this time, I was twenty-nine years old and probably the oldest candidate in the class. After sixteen grueling weeks of training, drills, and relentless discipline, I graduated successfully and received a temporary commission as an Ensign.

The next seventeen years as a Coast Guard officer were demanding, filled with challenges, responsibility, and hard work. My duty assignments all revolved around electronics, and I must have met the service’s expectations because each time I fulfilled the requirements for advancement, I was promoted. Early in my career as a Coast Guard officer I did a tour of duty aboard the Coast Guard icebreaker Glacier (WAGB 4) and made two Arctic West deployments. 

One highlight was being awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal for my service as Commanding Officer of the Loran Monitor Station in Kodiak, Alaska. My final tour was as Executive Officer at the Coast Guard Electronics Engineering Center in Wildwood, New Jersey, where I retired with the rank of Commander and received the Coast Guard Commendation Medal.

I often reflected on how far I had come—just imagine, a little Filipino kid from the war-torn streets of Manila, once cowering in an air raid shelter, now standing in the uniform of a U.S. Coast Guard Commander.