"I remember entering port and we could see smoke coming up from the beach and there were Syrian gunboats throughout the area."
-Petty Officer First Class Jarrell Correll Jr., USN
The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the February 2021 story of the month has been selected to recognize the service of United States Navy Veteran, Petty Officer First Class Jarrell Correll Jr. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Petty Officer First Class Jarrell Correll Jr. of the Tin Can Sailors Association of New Jersey DESRON 2 - Phoenix Squadron in the Spring of 2019.
Petty Officer First Class Jarrell Correll Jr. began his interview by sharing, "I decided to join the Navy out of high school, I lived in Illinois. The only thing to do there was to pump gas and plow fields...I joined early and was part of the delayed entry program." In August of 1977 he entered active service and attended basic training at Great Lakes with company 250. He commented, "it was a complete shock...your learning how to take orders and how to work as a group." Correll recalled the experience as it was yesterday and cherished the value of the training and entry into the United States Navy. Upon graduation, he proceeded to Sonar Technician Schools which opened new doors and experiences.
The USS Myles C. Fox DD 829 was his first assignment. The ship participated in reservist training exercises from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. As a reserve ship, the Fox remained on the East Coast and traveled as far North as Canada and as far south as Cuba. His next ship was a Knox Class frigate, the USS Vreeland FF 1068. Aboard the USS Vreeland he deployed to ae Mediterranean in 1982.
The Vreeland participated in the Beirut Crisis by escorting members of the PLO through the Suez Canal. Correll recalled, "I remember entering port and we could see smoke coming up from the beach and there were Syrian gunboats throughout the area." Following the crisis, the Vreeland encountered Soviet vessels in different areas of the Mediterranean. Submarines were identified as friendly or the enemy. He shared the different techniques used to identify exactly which ship or boat they were encountering.
Part One Joining the Navy and Memories of Great Lakes in 1977
Part Three Joining the Crew of the USS Myles C Fox DD 829
Part Five Bomb Threats & the Accidental Flooding on the Fox
Part Seven Joining the Weapons Division of the USS Vreeland FF 1068
Part Nine Awards & Service Memories as a Sonarman on the FF 1068
Part Eleven Celebrating the 4th of July and the Role of a Sonarman
Part Two Reporting to Sonar Technician Schools
Part Four Service in the Weapons Division & Weather Conditions
Part Six Life & Memories of the Weapons Division on the DD 829
Part Eight South American Operations on the USS Vreeland FF 1068
Part Ten Encountering the Soviet Navy and Detecting Submarines
The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Petty Officer First Class Jarrell Correll Jr., featured within this series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at https://www.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service.
To view this interview please visit the Tin Can Sailors Association of New Jersey DESRON 2 - Phoenix Squadron Collection on the Navy Memorial Stories of Service page.