April 1963, Judith Cheryl (Burdett) Goff entered boot camp at the Recruit Training Command (Women), at the U.S. Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland. Upon graduation she reported to U.S. Naval Air Technical Training, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida for training at the Photographer’s Mate School. It was during this time that our President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The memory and profound affect it had on his troops still resonates in his service members today.
Successfully completing Photographer’s Mate School, Airman Judith C. Burdett was given orders to the U.S. Naval Photographic Center, Anacostia, Washington DC. There she worked in Research and Development and was assigned to the chemistry lab in quality control for photographic systems.
The Research and Development Department oversaw testing and recommendations everything relating to photography used in the Navy. The department was also involved in the photography aspect of the Manned Orbital Laboratory, which was cancelled in 1969.
Judith was enlisted during the Viet Nam Era, but never overseas. Instead she was part of the support system afforded our Veterans upon return. She mustered out July 1966, as a Photographer’s Mate third Class, after serving a three-year enlistment plus 90 days due to frozen discharges because of Viet Nam.
We honor you, Judith Goff.