Joseph "Joe" John Jordan, Jr.

CDR JORDAN WAS BORN AT THE NAVAL HOSPITAL NORFOLK VIRGINIA WHERE HIS FATHER WAS SERVING ACROSS THE BAY AT THE NAVAL BASE NORFOLK. . HE ALWAYS REMEMBERS TWO ITEMS FROM HIS CHILDHOOD THAT CONNECTED HIM WITH THE SEA SERVICE. ONE WAS A MODEL OF A SPANISH GALLEON, ROUGHLY 3 FEET BY 3 FEET THAT HIS DAD BUILT AND A FRAMED SPEECH BY JOHN PAUL JONES, THE FOUNDER OF THE US NAVY.  THESE WERE BOTH PROMINENTLY – AND PROUDLY – DISPLAYED ON THE LANDING OF THE 2 STORY HOUSE HE GREW UP IN. CDR JORDAN READ THE SPEECH SO OFTEN, HE REMEMBERS THE FIRST LINES OF THE SPEECH  TO THIS DAY.

 AS HE APPROACHED COLLEGE AND HIS 18^TH BIRTHDAY, THE MILITARY DRAFT WAS ON EVERY YOUNG MAN'S MIND. NROTC LOOKED LIKE A VIABLE OPTION AS IT GAVE YOU A DEFERMENT, A POSSIBLE CAREER OPTION AND BETTER PAY AND BENEFITS.   SO CDR JORDAN SIGNED UP FOR NROTC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME AND UPON GRADUATION WAS COMMISSIONED AN ENSIGN IN THE SUPPLY CORPS OF THE US NAVY.  DURING HIS FINAL MIDSHIPMEN CRUISE, WHILE TRAINING ON THE USS VALLEY FORGE (LPH-8)   HE WAS IN THE TONKIN GULF OFF THE COAST OF VIETNAM WHEN THE TONKIN GULF INCIDENT OCCURRED, WHICH IS CONSIDERED THE START OF THE U-S ENGAGEMENT IN THE VIETNAM WAR. ONCE COMMISSIONED, HE WAS ORDERED TO NAVAL SUPPLY CORPS SCHOOL IN ATHENS GEORGIA FOR A 6 MONTH SCHOOL FOLLOWING HIS GRADUATION AND COMMISSIONING FROM NOTRE DAME. JUST SO HAPPENED ATHENS IS THE HOME OF UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA . AND THE UNIVERSITY OFFERED NAVY STUDENTS SEASON FOOTBALL TICKETS FOR $25.   THAT WAS FOR 5 GAMES AT A PRICE OF $5 A GAME. GREAT DEAL!  ALSO ATHENS WAS IN A  DRY COUNTY BUT SO HAPPENS THE NAVY SCHOOL WAS FEDERAL PROPERTY AND EXEMPT FROM STATE AND LOCAL LIQUOR LAWS.  THIS MADE GETTING DATES AT THE UNIVERSITY MUCH EASIER ,AS THE  NAVY SCHOOL HAD AN OFFICERS CLUB AND REALLY GREAT BAR. .  

AFTER GRADUATING FROM SUPPLY CORPS SCHOOL, CDR JORDAN WAS ORDERED TO LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA WHERE HE SERVED FOR TWO YEARS ON THE USS CHEMUG (AO-30). UPON REPORTING TO THE CHEMUNG HE ALREADY KNEW ONE MEMBER OF THE CREW. THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE USS CHEMUNG(AO-30) WAS HIS FRESHMEN NROTC INSTRUCTOR.   IT WAS A SHORT REUNION AS CDR MCKAY WAS TRANSFERRED  SHORTLY AFTER THEN ENSIGN  JORDAN ARRIVED. SIX MONTHS LATER, IT WAS OFF TO THE WESTERN PACIFIC TO JOIN THE 7^TH FLEET IN OPERATIONS OFF THE COAST OF VIETNAM. SINCE THE CHEMUNG WAS A SUPPLY SHIP IT`S MAIN PURPOSE WAS TO KEEP THE COMBATANT SHIPS AT SEA BY SUPPLYING THEM WITH FUEL AND OTHER ESSENTIALS.  THIS MEANT THAT THE USS CHEMUNG MADE FREQUENT PORT CALLS TO STOCK UP WITH FUEL AND OTHER ESSENTIALS.  ONE OF THE MORE EXCITING EVENTS WAS WHEN A CARRIER REQUESTED THE EQUIVALENT $500,000 CASH IN TODAY'S DOLLARS.  THIS TRANSACTION REQUIRED CDR JORDAN AS DISBURSING OFFICER TO PICK UP THE CASH  AT A NAVAL BANKING FACILITY IN THE PHILIPPINES WHILE IN PORT AND THEN TRANSFER  IT TO THE CARRIER  DURING AN UNDERWAY REPLENISHMENT.  THE DISBURSING OFFICER HAS SOLE CUSTODY, CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE SHIPS CASH AND CHECKING ACCOUNT.  TO MAKE THE TRANSFER CDR JORDAN SAT IN A CHAIR WITH THE MONEY AND RODE A HIGH WIRE FROM SHIP TO SHIP, WHILE THE SHIPS WERE STEAMING AT 20 KNOTS WITH AN ELEVATION CHANGE OF 80 FEET. THE TRANSFER OF THE CASH TO THE CARRIER WAS MADE AND A REIMBURSEMENT CHECK WAS RECEIVED FROM THE CARRIER. AND THE PROCESS BACK TO THE CHEMUNG  WAS REVERSED. .

ONE OF THE MORE REWARDING SITUATIONS OCCURRED DURING PORT VISITS WHEN LARGE QUANTITIES OF HOMEMADE COOKIES AND LETTERS OF APPRECIATION ARRIVED FROM THE SCHOOL CHILDREN OF AMERICA. GRATIFIED,  CDR JORDAN SPENT MANY NIGHTS AT SEA READING AND ANSWERING THOSE LETTERS.    FOLLOWING HIS TOUR ON THE CHEMUNG CDR JORDAN WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE NTC SAN DIEGO WHERE HE SERVED AS OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF A DEMONSTRATION TEAM AND ASSISTANT SUPPLY OFFICER FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMAND.    CDR JORDAN COMPLETED HIS ACTIVE DUTY AT NTC SAN DIEGO AND THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE NAVY RESERVE WHERE HE SERVED UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT RISING TO THE RANK OF COMMANDER , SC, USN..