I am, Richard "Dick" Crowe, a retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Photographer's Mate living in Escondido, California after over thirty years of Naval Service. While in the Navy, I went by the name of "Dick" but, as a civilian, I am "Richard".

My Navy career began in the Naval Reserve from 1957-1960 during which time I attended Navy Boot Camp and then, Navy Photographer's Mate "A" School at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

When I reported for active duty I was attached to Light Photographic Squadron Sixty Two, Jacksonville, Florida (1960-1963). VFP-62 flew F8U-1P Photo Crusader aircraft and did the low level photo reconnaissance of the Cuban Crisis. I processed and printed the large photos which Ambassador Adlai Stevenson displayed in the United Nations.

Later my duty included working in the Photo Lab of the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia (1963-1964) from which I was selected to attend the Special One-Year Enlisted Cinematography Program at the University of Southern California. As a result of that training, I eventually became a Navy Motion Picture Director (NEC-8144). Also, as a result of my year at USC, I found that I liked higher level education and ended my educational career with two Bachelor's and one Master's Degree.

Upon completion of my USC Program, I was assigned to the Pacific Fleet Combat Camera Group, NAS North Island, San Diego, California. I served with the Combat Camera Group from 1965-1972 and spent about 26 months In-Country Vietnam as a Combat Cameraman and Naval Aircrewman (NEC-8288) . I filmed all facets of Navy and Marine Corps activities during that conflict.

Some of the activities that I covered included three opposed Marine Corps amphibious landings, all facets of the "Brownwater Navy" including the introduction of the PBR river patrol boats and PACV air-cushion vehicles to the conflict. I flew with the Navy Seawolf HU-1B helicopters (HAL-3) and the Navy Black Pony (VAL-4) OV-10A attack aircraft. I worked with the Navy Seals inserting acoustic, magnetic and seismic sensors for the Dufflebag program and I made an incursion into Cambodia with the Vietnamese Navy. I filmed a Navy Surgical Team working in a Vietnamese hospital in Rach Gia on the Gulf of Thailand and filmed medevac operations of Marine Corps casualties from the field in the I Corps Area to USS Tripoli where I covered the triage and surgery. I was pulled from Vietnam and sent to the DMZ in Korea right after USS Pueblo was captured by the North Koreans and I spent a month on the DMZ in that country.

In the interim between deployments to the Pacific area, I covered Navy activities and events such as Sealab II and did a film on the history of the aircraft carrier for which I shot film interviews with Navy aviators from World War II and earlier.

My next duty station was the Naval Weapons Evaluation Facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico where I spent four years (1972-1975) running the photo lab and from there to USS Constellation (CV-64) where I became Leading Chief Petty Officer of the ship's Intelligence Center (CVIC) and later was assigned as Constellation's Photographic Officer and OP Division Officer (1975-1978).

I received orders to Fighter Squadron One-Two-Four at NAS Miramar, California where I was the work center supervisor for the introduction of the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) for the Navy F-14 aircraft from 1978-1980.

I then returned to the Combat Camera Group of the Pacific Fleet Audio Visual Command where I my duties included Command Senior Chief and Training Officer (1980-1984).

I cross trained to be a Drug and Alcohol Counselor since that was the only way to remain in the San Diego area. As a counselor I served at the NAS North Island Counseling and Assistance Center and as an Instructor at the Navy Drug and Alcohol Counselor School. (1984-1989)

In 1989, I retired as a Master Chief Photographer's Mate and worked as a counselor at various non-profit organizations as well as an free lance photographer.

I use a variety of Canon DSLR cameras (30D, 40D, and 7D) as well as a variety of Canon lenses. I also use a Tokina 12-24mm and a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro lens. My absolute favorite combination for general and travel photography is the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and 70-200mm f/4L IS lenses on the 7D and 40D cameras. I enjoy all facets of photography which I now do only as a hobby except for an occasional gig as a dog portraiture photographer.

I am married to a wonderfully intelligent and supportive lady, Judy; who is a retired nursing professor. Between us; we have children and grandchildren in Carlsbad, CA; Albuquerque, NM; and Upstate New York.

We share our home with a beautiful and loving 70-pound Goldendoodle and four Maltese, three of whom are rescues that we adopted and one little guy who is our AKC Champion. Although we were once involved in breeding and showing purebred Maltese; we have focused our efforts totally on rescuing these wonderful little dogs. Judy and I assist in the rescue efforts of the American Maltese Association. We usually have several rescue Maltese staying at our home in addition to those whom we have adopted. We socialize these foster dogs and find them "furever" homes. In 2010, over thirty Maltese rescue dogs passed through our home on their way to their own "furever" homes, including five litters of puppies. We did the same in 2011 and it looks like we will exceed that number in 2012. http://www.americanmalteserescue.org

During the past few years, I have visited the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska and we have traveled in our motorhome throughout much of the Western United States. Judy and I spent two weeks in China in the Spring of 2010 where we toured Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Yangshuo, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Hangshuo and Shanghai. I have recently visited Yosemite National Park and plan return to Utah for the Fall colors and to visit Sedona, Arizona in the near future.

I can be contacted at: richardpcrowe@gmail.com