It was Christmas Day, 1960 and I was in Korea. A Santa Clause mask dangled from the concertina wire just outside the hooch. One week earlier I had broken my foot and because there was snow and ice on the ground, I didn’t feel confident enough with
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I was going to be a trumpet player. I was inspired by my next-door neighbor who was about six years older than I, and a trumpet player in the high school band. “The trumpet is the best instrument there is.” Roy insisted. “I mean, why do you
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My -almost- Television Career I almost had a career in television. For the last three months I was in the army, I took part in a program called “Operation Transition.” That enabled me to find a job in the civilian sector….while the army continued to pay me.
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My Thoughts on the Ken Burn’s Special I watched Ken Burn’s special show about Vietnam with mixed feelings. I was sure that he was going to portray us in the worst possible light, and though some of it reflected badly on the American solider, I think that,
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A Memory of Hurricane Katrina With the hurricane in the news today, I’m reminded of the last major hurricane to hit the US. It was, of course, Katrina, and when it made landfall at Gulf Shores, Alabama, Ruth, our dog Charley 1 (as opposed to our
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Today, 17 June, would have been my brother, Tommy’s 77th birthday. He was a DEA agent when he died, 27 years ago….one month short of his 50th birthday. Tommy was a unique personality, a great athlete, very personable, and afraid of nothing. I shared, in an earlier
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The Immeasurable Impact Teachers Have on Students I wonder if school teachers actually know what an impact they have on the lives of their students, an impact and a presence that remains long after the teacher is gone. Let me share four of my teachers with
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The Anniversary of the D-Day Landing I was in Korea in the 1950s….though it was after the war. I was an EM then, and I was a squad leader in A Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Our Battalion was selected to participate
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Sergeant Smith and the Cigarette Roll My first assignment after getting my appointment to Warrant Officer was to an a/c maintenance company in the 101st Abn at Ft. Campbell, KY. My first job was as PBO, (property book officer) which made me the supply officer of the
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