Vietnam War Veteran
David Harwood

Interviewed by
Thomas Harwood

"I thought the service was fine, um… the service did exactly what I was hoping it was gonna do."
~ David Harwood

David Harwood's Story:
David Harwood is a retired E-5, Petty Officer 2nd Class of the United States Navy, he served from Oct. 19, 1965 to Sept. 18, 1969 as a damage controlman (he was responsible for keeping the ship afloat in event of attack on the vessel). David was born on November 22, 1946, he grew up in Waban MA, his early years were like many of those in Mid-1900s America, the wealth and prosperity from WWII had created a standard of living in the United States that yet to be seen to date. David Harwood went to high school at Newton South High School in Newton, MA. After graduating High School, he felt he wasn't quite ready for college life so he joined the service. He went to boot camp at Great Lakes Training Command, IL in October of 1965, after 9-10 weeks he went to Damage Control-man school. When he was finished with that, David was stationed on a Dry Dock ship in CT, it was the ARD-5. There, his job was to build the keel-blocks that held up the submarines they were servicing while the dry dock was drained and the repair crews worked on the repairs that had to be made. David Harwood spent about two and a half years on the dry dock before he was stationed on the USS Kearsarge (CVS-33). While serving on the CVS-33, David taught sailors of lower rates about damage control. He even flew by helicopter to other destroyers in the carrier's battle group to teach the sailors on those ships about damage control. David left the United States Navy on a Thursday and met his wife when he got home from California, he then got married on the following Saturday and went to college eight days after he left the service. David Harwood currently is retired and resides in Brewster MA, at 43 Baron's Way.