Persian Gulf War Veteran
Doug Clingan
Interviewed by
Shaylyn Kelly
1999
2017
" I enjoyed it and I’m glad I did, you know, because I saw other jobs that I would not have been
as interested in, so I felt pretty lucky."
~ Doug Clingan (23:51)
Name:
Douglas Lee Clingan
Date of Birth:
June 22, 1960
Branch of Service:
U.S. Navy
Dates of Service:
1983 - 2002
Location of Military Service:
based out of San Diego,
but traveled worldwide.
Residence at Time of Interview:
Harwich, Massachusetts
Doug Clingan's Story:
From the ages of 21 to 41, Doug Clingan spent his time in the United States Navy, working in various attack submarines as a sonar technician, a USS Plunger and eventually a sonar supervisor, traveling from ocean to ocean in order to help his country. Though it was not necessarily what Mr. Clingan imagined doing for 20 years, it was not strange for him to leave his family in 1983 to join the U.S. Navy; as a child, his family traveled and moved many times. Before joining the Navy, Mr. Clingan grew up in Florida and earned an Associates Degree in general studies in community college. In his time serving, Mr. Clingan learned to operate equipment, control simulators, manage electrical equipment,, and much more. Equally important, he learned the value of relationships among his comrades.
One thing Mr. Clingan really enjoyed about his job was the fact that he got to travel. He went to boot camp in Orlando, Florida, then submarine school in Connecticut. He got to travel to San Diego to learn sonar, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he saw the USS Arizona Memorial. Mr. Clingan felt fortunate to experience different parts of the world through his job in the military. In his interview, Mr. Clingan said, “[the military] gave me a much broader appreciation for different cultures and learning about other places and people and finding that we’re very much alike. Because, you know, I’ve traveled to probably about 15 different countries and, you know, it’s also made me more politically aware.”
The time Mr. Clingan spent in the armed forces was mostly happy. In his interview, Mr. Clingan speaks of his darkest, happiest, and proudest moments. His stories are filled with funny memories and fascinating adventures. After retiring, Mr. Clingan moved to Cape Cod. Today, he lives happily in Harwich, Massachusetts with his wife and has two daughters. Looking back at his time serving, Mr. Clingan says he is overall very pleased with his experiences, but misses the commeradie. As he reminisces on the 20 years of hard work, it is clear that Mr. Clingan has no regrets about his decision to join the U.S. Navy back in 1983.
Mr. Clingan doing sonar work.
Mr. Clingan showing the "Bunk Pan", where his clothing was kept
This is the lounge area of the submarine, where the crew played cards, ate their meals, watched movies and more.
This is the bathroom of the submarine Mr. Clingan worked on.
This is where Mr. Clingan slept, in a small bunk with reading lights, a curtain, outlets, and more.
This is the type of submarines Mr. Clingan worked on
Metals earned when Mr. Clingan retired, showing his various rankings
Hat that Mr. Clingan earned as a USS Plunger, meaning a diver
Map showing San Diego, California, where Mr. Clingan was primarily stationed
This is a map showing Connecticut, where Mr. Clingan spent a lot of time during his 20 years serving, also where his submarine school was located.
Map showing Ford Island where Mr. Clingan traveled while in the service.
Map showing Orlando, Florida, where Mr. Clingan attended boot camp
Mr. Clingan with Shaylyn Kelly
Thank you for your service, Doug Clingan!
