Past Lines

Life in a nutshell ...
At the Naval Academy, you're taught to recite you were "born on the crest of a wave, and rocked in the cradle of the deep," but I was born at home. The site is now a part of the Norfolk Navy Yard. When my mother expired of typhoid fever in '33, I was carried westerly to the Kanawha country, and "farmed out" for a few years at the Lower Falls of Coal River. I started sixth grade at age ten at Millersburg (KY) Military Institute; seventh and eighth at Gulfport's Florida Military Academy (actually won a medal for being the smartest kid in school!); then, lived next door to the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine for two years at Florida Naval Academy. Charlotte Johnson, where are you? My father wanted me to be on the FFV (First Families of VA--or was that on the C&O's "Fast Flying Virginian?) at Woodbury Forest, not my choice. Instead, went to the Cincinnatti Conservatory of Music long enough to discover I was not destined to be a concert pianist. Mae Estelle Forbes, my teacher, agreed. I almost didn't graduate from Greenbrier (WV) Military School ... a matter of conflicting with a teacher's insistence about conforming to his standards. Not an outstanding football player, I did earn an NRA Distinguished Rifleman's medal.

Then came COLLEGE(s). Did heavy studies in Coors relationships in the Rio Grande valley at the University of New Mexico, ably coached by my Life brothers in Sigma Phi Epsilon. That year netted 7 transferrable credits. Fortunately, I scored first in New Mexico, second in the nation on the NROTC Holloway Plan, and chose The Ohio State University for my scholarship. Did the summer cruise on the USS Missouri (BB63), but dropped out of the program because of a lover's rejection. Ah, youth!

Opting for active duty as an enlisted reservist (then with three years of college, and Midshipman's credentials), I spent boot camp at Bainbridge (MD), where I was the (unprecedented) Drill Team Leader for eight graduations. With experience as an Amateur Radio Operator (still, now KV4FR), the Navy and I chose to go to San Diego's telecommunications school. I almost had a date with a movie star, but Howard Hughes beat me to her ... he had more money. Disappointed in love (again), I chose for my duty assignment Staff, Fleet Air Wing ONE--because no one knew where it was (classified). It turned out to be service with the admiral responsible for the Formosa Patrol Force. That extensive tour of the Far East during the Korean United Nations exercise has too many sea tales for this limited biograph. Completing the mandatory sea duty, I mustered out at Whidbey Island (WA) as a PO3 communications watcher.

Back to WV, married the girl friend of the one who rejected me, and took her to Morgantown, where we had an eventful semester at West Virginia University during her pregnancy. Oops! Back to the Kanawha, accounted for expenses of United Fuel Gas Company (Columbia Gas System), and after two boring years, accepted a direct commission in the West Virginia Air National Guard. Requesting Extended Active Duty, I was "Pipelined" to Strategic Air Command B-47s (1000 Hour Club), and other interesting assignments until the RIF by Mr. Nixon in '69.

We went to the Virgin Islands to build a bowling alley, but were aced out by the factory delivery of the franchise to a Puerto Rico operator. After two years, and a loss of $30K invested, returned to work for my family interests in various capacities as "gofer," auditor, engineer, manager, soldier of finance, etc., then remarried. Worked for Kanawha County several years as it's first Communications Director, designing and implementing a central dispatching complex, integrating various federal, state, and local networks for emergency responses. I was commisioned in the FEMA National Defense Executive Reserve during that period. After some years interval, during which I attended Morris Harvey College, the University of Nebraska, and the College of the Virgin Islands, I finallyl was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree by West Virginia State College. A Master of Science was earned at The International University.

After that, west to Denver (wife's birthplace) to write "the great American novel" (still in progress?), sustained by minimum wages and the long-term employment of my spouse with a major national retailer, from which she recently retired after 30 years. Here's a picture of the type aircraft in which she served as a Flight Attendant (not with TWA):

Are we having fun, yet?

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