I worked in the aircraft parts manufacturing industry - I guess formally they call that the "aerospace industry" - hell we made airplane parts for everything that flew, literally. Joints gave out and I couldn't swing a hammer any more, so I drove the delivery truck for a while...they finally decided they were paying me too much and my health was getting to bad for their health care policy so I had to seek other employment...so I went to work for the state..for about 4 and a half years and I got sick of their dissing the vets I was hired to take care of; so instead of shooting the sobs who needed to assume room temp, I resigned, talked to my shrink, and here I am at home; being a Certified DAV Service Officer in all of my spare time now. Been doing this for a total of 6 years, including the 4 1/2 I worked for the state. This is a lot better than the state any way. It's more like being a First Sergeant again. I liked that a hell uv a lot more.
Body may be broken down and crippled up, but I can and still do get to hunt and fish as much as I want to; still drink copious quantities of coffee (and probably always will, unless they burn South America to the ground) smoke like and old Chevy with bad rings even though my doctor is on my case to quit cause the emphasima isn't getting any better - yea, no duhhh.
If any of you folks that I've been stationed with before read this, gimme a shout. I'm trying to find a few old photos to post on here to either jog some memories or for some of you to use for scare crows in the spring time in your gardens. It'll work either way for me....I still ain't any prettier than I was 20 years ago or so...a lot older, and a bunch uglier and greyer - what's left of it on top...the beard is damn near all grey now.
Diabetes forced me to loose a few pounds so I'm down to my "fighting" trim of 180 now for the first time since 1985, and trying to keep it there. This stuff don't play - it'll kill ya quick.
1971-1971, 3rd Training Brigade (Cadre) Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Best Friends Garland Fonken; toughest little MAN I've ever met. 5 foot zip of total ruff and tumble. We did BCT and Inf AIT together at Ft Jax, SC. 2 different platoons in BCT, but same platoon in AIT w/C-12-3
Worst Moment 3 sets of order for the Nam, 3 sets of orders revoked, and every time I got a levy for Nam, I went to the Bn Dispensary for Med processing and those clowns had lost my shot records - so I got the SEA shots 3 damn times. I found ALL THREE RECORDS in 1986 when I was at the Adv NCO 71L course at Uncle Ben's Rest Home at Fort Fumble, Indiana while doing an official OMPF check.
Other Memories Blew out my right knee (2 x) and got reassigned to Co Cadre' as a clerk OJT/Asst to the Training NCO, SFC Tom Pelfrey...that cat was NUTZZZZ, but a lot of fun to work with. Taught me a helluvalot about being true to the troops. 1SG Lindler - total straight up man...a First Shirt's First Shirt; CPT Glendon Davidson - Probably the sharpest company grade officer I'll ever know. He lived by Von Steuben's creed: You as a leader do not eat, drink, sleep, smoke, rest until all of your soldiers have had ample opportunity to do so first.
