Welcome to the Canteen, Western Phil...thanks for sharing your experiences.
Another NRL related memory comes to mind: One afternoon (must have been April 1, 1966) I had gone to the dispensary to get some required shots for an expedition on NRL’s EC 121 ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4836024154/in/set-72157624597444010 ) to the far east. While I was there, I overheard action in the adjacent room. An electronic technician friend, Norm, was being prepped to be part of the search (on a Navy ship) for the for the H bomb resting in the Mediterranean ( http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/h-bomb-lost-in-spain ). He had earlier been involved with a mid Atlantic search for a lost nuclear submarine. NRL had a policy of only giving shots when there was a medical doctor on the premises.
They were questioning Norm about his shot history – had he ever had any reaction to any kind of shot?
The answer was that once when he was in the Air Force he had a slight reaction to a tetanus shot. “In that case, we will give you half a dose today and the other half in a few days.” Apparently this was done & immediately there was a jolt of excitement. His blood pressure had gone to zero and the medic gave him a shot of adrenalin in the heart. Quickly they hauled him off to the hospital. During this activity, I stayed in my room, but after they left, I discussed the issue with the medical people and let them know that I was acquainted with Norm & his family After I returned to my office, I received a call from the Admin people. They wanted me to make the call to the family. I did that, but afterward wondered if his wife might have thought it was an April Fool’s thing. That was not the case.
Norm was conscious during the whole process and later described the adrenalin shot as quite painful. The physical location of NRL is pretty much on the south tip of the District of Columbia. The ambulance left in a hurry before it was determined that the young Navy personnel driving the ambulance did not know where the hospital was and had to be directed by the patient. He was released in a day or so, but did not make the trip to the Mediterranean.