Admiral “Amazing Grace” Hopper, pioneering computer programmer - Amazing Women In History

Awesome depended on whether you were a Victim of Gracie. She had a thing about with a Single Question or two to set you up. "What are you doing" (Put you at ease, before she eats your lunch) "Why are you doing it that way". The Worst Answer "Thats the way we've always done it Admiral" went downhill from there. 'If I thought that Way there would be no Damn Computers, Just because you are too stupid or lazy to find a better way, Don't you dare blame My Navy" She could be a Mean Bugger sometimes.

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel - Well by the time you met her, she was one of the plankowners to Noah's Ark. What could you possibly tell her she didn't already know? I damn sure wouldn't want to be on her bad side, but she has made some serious contributions to the Navy. I read that ADM Rickover was a beast too. Wonder who was meaner?

SSG Warren Swan - One of the Best Lecturers I heard in my Career.

In 1975 I was in a Navy C School with a batch of Training Devicemen (TD was the abbreviation). These were the guys who ran all the Navy computer simulations, and between beers they convinced me I should convert out of my beloved Seabees into their egghead 'war-gaming' rate. Towards that end I took some leave and 'visited Mecca', the Naval War College up in Rhode Island. When we established the dates of my visit, I was told; "Make sure you bring a dress uniform!!", so I did. During my visit, Admiral Hopper was giving a lecture, they told me; "You have to meet this woman, so we got you on 'the list'. I went to her lecture and even understood some of it as I recall. Admiral Hopper was a natural teacher and loved her enlisted computer geeks so there was also a reception where she did a "meet n greet". My buddies introduced us. She had, never before, had a knuckle dragging, Seabee E-4, on leave or otherwise, attend any of her 'festivities' so she was sort of curious about me and what I was doing there. We 'chatted' for a few minutes, long enough to satisfy her curiosity, she said if she could help me with my cross rate effort in any way, I should contact her. I remained a Seabee though. TD was a pretty screwed up deal; due to security clearances and related issues, they had no overseas duty and only a single "Sea Duty" billet in the entire Navy. Without foreign duty or "Sea Duty", promotions didn't happen in those days; the entire TD 'career path' consisted of waiting for someone ahead of you to die or retire. And they didn't get issued 782 gear or green uniforms of any kind. No rifles, no bayonets, no e-tools. F**k that!