Part 34: Climbing To The Top!

Merry Christmas to everyone. This was a huge week at Frito Lay, today the stores were packed. Next week on Sunday I'll be building a Super Bowl display. Sales will be really good next week. Here is the next part in my book. Enjoy.

It was October 1972, and my family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. I had two weeks leave before I was to leave for Japan. I decided to fly to Ft. Wayne to see my grandfather for a day or two, then I would fly to Texas to see my family. After I landed in Ft. Wayne I rented a car to get around. “Do you want insurance for $1.00 more per day?” asked the lady working at the rental counter. I bought it and I was so glad because the next morning I was crossing an intersection when I was broadsided by a pick up truck. The accident seemed to happen in slow motion. I watched the glass from the passenger window break into small bits and hit me in the face. The seat came loose and broke the shifter off the floor. My head smashed into the drivers window. Instant headache! I was frozen in time, the next thing I know was a police officer helping me from the car. I had blood dripping down the side of my face. I ached all over. The officer said that I didn’t look too bad but he should take me to the hospital to get the glass out of my ear. He took my report and told me to call the car rental place after he took me to the hospital. The officer was so nice that after the hospital he gave me a ride to my hotel. Then he told me he was a friend of my fathers.

I called the rental office and they asked me to come to their office downtown and fill out some paperwork. When I showed up the manager greeted me with, “so you bought the insurance?” Well that saved my ass. The manager asked me if was staying in town for a while and I confirmed that I was. When I left I headed to the hotel and then to the airport for the next flight out to Texas.

When I arrived in Corpus the family was waiting for me. It seemed nice to see them again. My father had taken a job on the long shore docks loading ships. The money was real good more than they were use to. However, the work wasn’t everyday and layoffs happened frequently. They had moved to Texas because it was home to my mother and my father had a retirement fund of $20,000. Thats what they used to move with. At that time in the 1970’s it was a lot of money, but it didn’t take long for it to dry up.

The next day was great. I had lunch at one of my favorite places Whataburger. They had great hamburgers of course. Freshly made just the way you would like. Later I would go to 5 points and have the awesome Dr. Pepper over crushed ice. This trip would bring back memories of my childhood as well as my famous trip when I was sixteen on my motorcycle. Remembering that, made me realize that I should go see my Mimi.

Mimi lived in a small house that my mother and her two brothers and her sister had grown up in. I could never figure out how they all lived in such a small place. Mimi had been a waitress for as long as I could remember. When we were younger and our parents took vacation time to Texas we would arrive at the restaurant where she worked. It was a dinner with booths and the little juke boxes right at the table. We always thought it was cool. We would sit there and play Elvis and Pat Boone.

My Mimi was glad to see me, however she scolded me for what I had tried to do by making the trip on my motorcycle two years earlier. We talked about uncle Floyd, he had died while I was at boot camp. I knew that I was going to need a car when I got back. I ask her if I could have it or buy it. The car was just sitting in the back yard. For no reason she said no. I guess she didn’t want to part with that part of Floyd.

My family living in Texas didn’t make any difference. They were all the same. After only a couple days my father and I were back at it. I couldn’t wait for my leave to be over. It was kind of like one of those vacations from hell.

Part 33: Climbing To The Top!

Wow! Only 7 days till Christmas. My favorite time of the year. The songs at church are filled with joy. I too am filled with joy as it is a time for the children and I love seeing them enjoy this time of the year. Please enjoy this part of my story as I return home for my first Christmas as a Marine.

“Where to?” asked the cabby. I gave him my address. He told me that he was an ex-marine. I was taught that once a Marine always a Marine. He told me that I should try and forget about what had happened at the airport. He said that kind of stuff was happening more often. It’s just not something you would see in a small city like Ft. Wayne.

I rang the doorbell and my mother answered with a big hug and a kiss. She was so surprised. The first words that came from my father, “Where’s your leave papers?” I showed him. “Where’s your return ticket?” I showed him. I thought to myself, he hasn’t changed, what a jerk. My sister Cathy came to me and gave me a big hug. My little brother, Eric, came from his bedroom. What the hell? His hair was long, I mean long! So now that I was gone my dad took a little easier on my brother, letting him get away with a lot of crap. My father always demanded that us boys have short hair. After all we weren’t hippies.

It didn’t take very long for me to want to return to base. After I changed into street cloths. I wanted to go work on my car that I had almost finished before I went to boot camp. I looked in the back yard, no car. No car! “Where in the hell is my car?” I exclaimed. “I sold it.” said my father. “I sold it to the next door neighbor” he said. “You know it only took him a little while to fix it.” “All he had to do was reconnect the brake lines.” I asked him for the money and he said that he only got $50.00 for it and he took the family out to eat. I asked him where my tools were and he said that he was keeping them to pay for the rent of my car sitting in his yard. I now remembered why I had left to begin with. I returned back to base a few days early.

Saddened by my father selling my car, just because I have the same name as he, and him basically ripping me off, I decided to concentrate on my career as a Marine. I excelled in demolitions, so I was asked to attend a school in Norfolk, W. Virginia. The school was called Atomic Demolitions Munitions. This required a secret clearance. The F.B.I. would have to go back into my life seven years and do a security check. So that I would be clear to attend this course.

What a shock it was for my parents, teachers, neighbors, friends and former employers. Needless to say I don’t think that a boy from a small town in Indiana and only 19 could have done much to not be rewarded with the pleasure of attending this school.

I learned a lot about explosives, and the type that I learned about the most was thankfully one that I never had to deploy. There a lot of practice on the procedures of deploying this type of explosive. I was part of a team when I returned to Camp LeJeune. As a result of doing well I became the Commanding Officers driver. I drove a jeep wherever he needed me to drive. I also was a chaser. A chaser is the one that escorts prisoners from the brig to court and back as well as taking the prisoner to the PX for toiletries.

This wasn’t a bad job to have, except it got a little boring. I soon was assigned another job. This job would be tied to the base USO and recreation departments. I had an office with a desk with a type writer. What do you know my first job as a pen pusher. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I joined. I thought I would be like John Wayne. I really wanted to fight for my country. I believed in peace and I wanted to bring it to all people that wanted it.

After a few months I signed up for orders to Okinawa, Japan.

Part 32: Climbing To The Top!

Hi to everyone. Again I come to you chilly, as the weather here has decided to be cold. Yesterday it produced very cold temps into the low 20's with the first trace of snow of the season. Sales are still moving along. Here is the next part of my story. Please enjoy as I will be experiencing new things in my life.

I was assigned to a new company and platoon. Head Quarters Battalion. I was with a platoon of engineers. Some of us were new and there was a few more that had been there for a year and then there were the ones returning from Vietnam. A lot of these fellows had attitudes and a few brought back from Nam something that I saw for the first time.

Marijuana had a sweet smell and was smoked in a cigarette form or put in pipes. I discovered this stuff when I was along for a ride to town with another man that was in my engineer school and a vet who had just returned from Vietnam. One of them lit up, what I came to know, as a joint. I didn’t know at the time though. I had thought it was a homemade cigarette. It smelled different too. They turned up the music on the tape deck, and passed the joint between them. The music was so loud the the speakers cracked while listening. We were driving down the road and they were choking and laughing and I did not understand why. When we made it to town I left them and went to a movie.

The next day I talked to John, he was the man that I went to engineer school with, about the day before. I was wondering what was so good about smoking joints. He told me that it was like drinking booze only with no hangover. I knew that it was illegal and I didn’t want to get in trouble. I told him that they’re secret was cool with me, just don’t involve me anymore.

These kind of people were in plenty, as Marines come from all walks of life. I learned a lot about people and the different ways of life that they came from. There were a lot of fellow Marines that smoked pot and a lot the drank alcohol. Some were still scared to even be in the Marine Corps. For a few this was there first time away from home. They were pretty lost when it came to exploring the life outside the barracks.

Most of the pot smokers hung out together, some of the drinkers went to the enlisted club or to town in groups. Others who didn’t partake in the adventures of these vices usually stayed behind and wrote letters and read books. There wasn’t much else to do if you did not have a car to explore places outside the base. There were busses to take you to and from town.

The town outside of base was Jacksonville, NC. It was a small town filled with bars, x rated theaters, and massage parlors. Just the kind of town for young men to explore. Looking back I would say that I saw only what I wanted to see. And I’m sure that was the same for all young men, especially the ones that were out on they’re own for the first time in they’re lives. I’ve been to Jacksonville years later and it is a totally different town now that from my past.

It was getting close to the holidays and they way it worked for our company was that half of us got to choose to go home for Thanksgiving and the other half got to go for Christmas. I chose Christmas, it was my most favorite time of the year.

I flew in to Ft. Wayne for the Christmas holiday. I was to be there for two weeks. No one new that I was coming. It was to be a surprise. I was in full uniform had a good flight I even hit on a flight attendant and she sat with me a while and I felt so happy to be a Marine. On my way to the cab there was a few people standing around outside when one of the girls that was with them ran up to me and spit in my face and grabbed at my cover and scratched the bill. She called me a baby killer, a murderer. The others started to come at me and a cab pulled up quickly to my rescue.

Part 31: Climbing To The Top!

Burr, it sure is chilly outside here where I live. Soon winter will be here and we all will be spending more time inside. I'll be spending more time working on my book. I'm still leading as the number one salesperson with the highest over plan to last year. Please enjoy this next part as boot camp is over.

It took a little over seven hours to get home as I had a layover in Atlanta before I could make it home to Fort Wayne. Atlanta was a huge airport, it almost freaked me out. Leaving home just as I had done in the past was turning into a real experience. I had already done more and had been through more than any of my friends or my family ever had.

When I got off the plane at home I was so proud and there I was all decked out in uniform, spit shined and wearing my Sharp Shooters medal. I was in the best shape of my life and I felt like I owned the world. I walked down the stairs from the plane and saw my family. My mother was full of hugs and kisses, my father shook my hand, and I hugged my brother and sisters.

I went around to all of the places I liked to hang out at and even back to the school to see a teacher that I liked. I was in uniform and trying to look tough. In the next couple of days I visited a couple of bully’s in the neighborhood. I showed them what a Marine could do. I look back and I find it hard to forgive them. I felt and still do feel that they had it coming. They chased me to school and beat me up several times. Now I was a man, not just any man, but a Marine. I took care of business.

I had two weeks leave then I would have to return to California, at Camp Pendleton for training. This training was what every Marine had to do. This was the training that taught you to fight in a war setting. I was glad to leave home, it hadn’t really been all that long that I was gone while in boot camp. The two weeks went by quickly. Training was to be only a couple weeks long then we would all get our orders. Mine was to Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. I was to become a combat engineer. I was going to learn how to build bridges and how to blow them up.

It seems that blowing things up was what I excelled at. I was good at construction too. School went on for four weeks and at the end of the four weeks I was promoted meritoriously to Lance Corporal. Only the top two or three in the class got promoted. I was motivated, I was adapting to a new way of life, I was overcoming my past. That’s what Marines do, they adapt, they overcome and they improvise.

This lesson is what I grabbed on to through out my life. I would of course have to adapt and overcome many obstacles if I was to succeed. My first obstacle was to get a G.E.D. After all I had not finished high school. I studied, took the test and past. I couldn’t believe it. I passed! I overcame!

Part 30: Climbing To The Top!

Happy Thanksgiving! Shop till you drop or you credit and cash is all used up. It's hard to believe that the holidays are here already and that we are coming to the end of 2009. Please remember the reason for the season. Remember all of the people in the military as half or more are not going to be home. In most cities through out the United States the sunday in a special push for the Marines and Toys For Tots, please see your way clear to give what ever you can a small new toy or a donation of cash is happily excepted.

Enjoy part 30 as I am now leaving boot camp.

One of the times I loved during boot camp was qualifying at the rifle range. We were to try to qualify with the M-14, that was the weapon of choice at that time in the Marines. I would later in the next year have to qualify with the M-16, the newest weapon.

I had fired a 22 long range rifle in boy scouts, so I thought I knew it all. Wrong! The 22 was like a cap gun, a toy compared to the M-14. This rifle had a big recoil and a loud sound. We learned to adjust the sights and we learned about Kentucky windage. I also learned to break down the rifle for cleaning and believe me you did not want to fail an inspection. We had several days of training on the range. We also learned about the all mighty Sand Pit. The Sand Pit was where you would be sent for a little motivation. This place was not necessarily any place in particular. Just a spot the drill instructor would pick out in all of that sand. The Sand Pit was hell of its own kind. One individual or a whole platoon could be sent to the Sand Pit. I personally learned about the Sand Pit while being sent there by the Hernandez, he did not like my tone when I answered him. He escorted be to the pit. When we arrived I had to do one hundred bends and mothers. While I was doing to exercises I smacked a flee on my arm. Hernandez screamed at me like I had just killed his best friend. What did you just do? He said. I told him that a flee was bothering me and that I killed it. I learned that in his Marine Corp there were two protected things provided by God to this world. One was the flee and the other was the rattle snakes that were all over the base. These things were protected, kill them and you pay. I paid for killing the flee by having to do guard duty for the rest of our time there at the rifle range. I believe that I wanted to kill alright just not any flees.

The dictionary describes “Pit” as a whole it the ground, Hell. “Sand” as from the desert. “Sand Pit” = Desert Hell

I qualified as a Sharp Shooter, I almost made Expert, missed my just a couple points. The people that did not qualify would be put back and have to do it all over again. Firing a weapon with some accuracy is important in the military.

Back at San Diego, boot camp was back to the same crap. We were only a few weeks away from graduation. As I suppose, a reward when you have only a couple weeks to go you get to unbutton your top button. This is a significant big deal. We were veterans as far as new recruits were concerned. Blouse unbuttoned at the top, starched cover, shined boots. When we drilled we were as close to perfect as a platoon could get. This made our drill instructors very happy. Things were easier, however, one little mistake and you would be called out and made an example of.

I had a cousin that was also a Marine and he was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. And he came to my graduation, my family couldn’t make it. That would be a very expensive trip. Dusty had been in the Marines for a couple years and I hadn’t seen him in a lot more than that. It was good to have someone there for the ceremony.

Just before graduation we had formation and the Commanding Officer presented promotions. There were only a small handful of us that got promoted. I was now a PFC. This would be my first meritorious promotion. Not bad for being King Rat. I would have to get all my uniforms sent off to have their first stripes put on.

I was all packed to leave and it felt great. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as I could. I said my good byes to Tagalari and to Hernandez. It felt good to not be looked down as a recruit. I met up with both of them at the airport and we all had a beer together. Hernandez was really human after all, he thanked me for being there for him when he needed his medication. They told me I would go far and to keep my head down if I made it to Vietnam.

Part 28: Climbing To The Top!

Hi everyone this weeks blog is coming a day early as I have to have a procedure done on Friday. I am not having much fun today because I have to take the prep for cleaning out the system today. Tomorrow at high noon I will get up the wazoo! Wish me luck. Enjoy this weeks part of Climbing To The Top!

We were now into our third week and things were not getting any better. We were running further and drilling was getting more intense. It seems that there was at least two or three constant screw ups in our platoon. The drill instructors started getting more pissed off at the same two or three people. The platoon was getting more upset at these same individuals. We all started warning them of the consequences that could happen to them if the didn’t straighten out. Well I guess that it was just too much for two of them. The next morning when Hernandez came into the hut where they stayed he found both of them in bed together. The dummies fell asleep together.

All hell was about to break loose. Hernandez made me go get Tagalari. We were called out to formation, then the two men were called to the front. Hernandez ordered them to their knees. He asked them if they were queer, and they both said yes. I don’t think that the drill instructors believed them. Tagalari came around the platoon and stood before the men, unzipped his fly, pulled his dick out and told them to suck it. Of course they did not do so and it made most of us laugh which cause us all some pain.

The two were escorted to the Commanding officers office. The rest of us got to do 50 push ups. We never saw the two men again. One way I guess to get kicked out of the Marines is to do something like that.

In the next couple of weeks we had two more men try something to get out of boot camp. Both tried to make it across the San Diego air strip that was almost right next to the quonset huts. Jet liners land and take off every 6 minutes, the possibility of making it across was doubtful was told to us when we first got to boot camp by the drill instructors. The only other way to go A.W.O.L. (Absent with out leave), was to try to cross the freeway, and that was harder then crossing the airstrip. Obviously the best way was to finish and graduate from boot camp.

You know that when you are given a choice between staying at the huts and squaring things away or running five miles and as a group you choose the latter every time, then you know that there was brain washing happening to you. We would get this choice a couple times a week and we always chose to run.

Letters home and receiving them could be a chore in boot camp. I say a chore because it was demanded that you write home every week. Receiving letters (mail call), could be fun, or it could lead to push ups. Letters usually from girl friends with the S.W.A.K. on the backside of the envelope would mean push ups and you needed to kiss the envelope however many times the Drill instructors said. If there was a picture of your honey sent along then you had to open it up and show everyone in the platoon. It was then placed on the Hog Board.

I couldn’t wait for boot camp to be over with. The ten weeks sure did not go by fast, the clock seemed to slow down. Every time you saw a jet take off you wished you were on it. The one company of jets was called PSA, and on each jet there was a line painted toward the nose and under the cockpit that looked like a smile. So that would piss me off. My imagination would let me think that every one on those jets was smiling at me and waving goodbye. I wanted it to be my turn.

Part 27: Climbing To The Top!

Wow what I hard week. When the volume of business doesn't seem to be there and it looks like you might miss your number for the week, you just look down deep and come up with a plan. Here is what my plan looked like. I am in a contest to win cool scooter that has a Tostitos cooler attached. Wish me luck!

When I returned to camp I reported to the hut were the drill team stayed. I found Sergeant Hernandez sitting a chair wrapped in a blanket and shivering. He looked real bad I went to him and asked him if he needed anything. He told me to get his keys from his jacket and to run to his car and get some pills he had and bring them to him. I took off as fast as I could. My legs were killing me from the workout they had all day. I made it to his car In was a cool red Carmen Gia, a VW sports car. I found the pills and doubled timed it back. When I arrived he was in the same condition. He took the pills. I stayed with him a short while and we talked a little. He told be that he had contracted Yellow Fever in Nam. He didn’t want to talk much and said that he would be fine. I returned to my bunk.

The next morning came quickly a trash can went flying and the yelling began. That little shit Tagalari was in charge today. “Fall out!”, the order came. We were given the order to piss, shower, and shave. I believe that we all made that happen in ten minutes. We jot dressed and fell back in formation. In boot camp you have to keep your blouse (shirt) buttoned to the top. It was to be done until you made it to the last week of training. Wouldn’t you know there is always one who just wouldn’t follow orders. Tagalari gave him a ration of shit and we all had to pay. “Everyone down!” Tagalari yelled. “Push ups!” My body was still hurting from the day before, I groaned, Tagalari heard me and while I was doing my push ups he put his boot on my back and gave me some encouragement.

After about thirty or forty pushups we were back in formation. We were ran to the mess hall for morning chow. Morning chow was the best, eggs, bacon and toast and milk. No coffee, no soft drinks. These were very bad for you while in training. after chow we were going drill. That’s learning to march to perfection. Would you know it the same person that caused us to do all the morning push ups was the same one who couldn’t keep in step with the rest of us. “Everyone down!” yelled Tagalari. More push ups and more push ups.

By the end of the day we pretty much understood what marching was all about. We were finished with supper chow and was marching back to the huts when the very same screw up that had caused us all of the problems all day tripped on his own boot laces and mess up the marching. “Halt!” came the order from Tagalari. “I want everyone in formation position facing the way we were marching”. “Ready for push ups!” “Everyone first get on your knuckles and remain in the up position!” Tagalari looking around at each one of us. “Eyes front!” he said. “Now forward march!” and we were down like we were getting ready to do push ups and we were on our knuckles on the asphalt marching or I would say crawling forward. Tagalari had a lot of enjoyment from this. We did this for what seemed like eternity. Then we were given the order to make a formation and we marched back to the camp.

That night about ten of us got together as secretly as we could and we took a bar of soap and wrapped it in a towel and went to the hut where the screw up was and we beat the crap out of him with the soap. This was called a blanket party. The next morning Hernandez was feeling better and when we had formation and he saw this man all black and blue, he asked him what happened. The recruit said that he fell out of his bunk.

Part 26: Climbing To The Top!

Today is a troubling time for the men and women that serve our country. The idea that an attack on one of our own bases in our own country brings sadness to all. My heart and my tears go to the killed and injured. Please pray for all who serve and include a prayer for all of humanity so that one day there might be peace. Please enjoy this next part of my book.

A few weeks into training Hernandez came to me and said that he needed to send some to the special infiltration course and I was it. He told me this training would be good for me. That I would need it if I made it to Vietnam. This could save my life. So off I went to the other side of the base. When I arrived there were quite a few others. This new drill team seemed meaner the looked meaner. They yelled louder if that was possible. I was given a helmet and a dummy rifle made of heavy wood. This training consisted of a course with barbed wire and ditches filled with water and saw dust. We had to climb under the wire without hitting it. Sometimes we were on our stomachs, and sometimes on our backs. The drill team walked along the course with us cussing and yelling and on several occasions put there boot on my head and pushed me under the water. All the while yelling “move faster”. After the course we were sent to this room we lined in a circle and were closed in there by ourselves. Suddenly, gas! It was tear gas. I remembered the smell from a protest that I was at back home at the park. We were all panicking and screaming to be let out. We were crying and choking. It seemed like we were left in there for a long time, it wasn’t but it felt like it. When the door opened we ran.

Outside the drill team was waiting for us. Yelling for us to make a formation. We did. The next thing we did was a lot of P.T., thats physical training. A lot of it. We got a water break, enough to just wet the inside of your mouth. Then before I knew it we were filling two buckets with sand and lifting them out to our sides parallel to the ground. Crap they weighed a ton. More harassment followed as our arms started to give way. We were at this for quite a while. One man passed out, and I wanted to.

After what seemed like eternity we went on to some more hand to hand combat. This training was really intense. Little by little, one after another men were becoming defiant. Those few were sent back to there platoons and were told that they would have to go to motivational training. I didn’t like the sound of that so I dealt with the crap that they were dishing out.

Finally the day was almost to and end and we were told to return to our platoons. As I walked back toward the quonset huts on the other side of the base the sun was setting it was a big orange ball in the sky not so bright that you could not look at with a glimpse. You could almost see it falling toward the horizon. I was walking past the main offices when I saw several Marines approaching the flag poll. Suddenly I heard one of the Marines start to blow on a bugle, everyone around stopped in their tracks and came to attention and as I watched and joined in our right arms snapped and held a salute while taps was played and the flag of our great nation was lowered. For the first time in my life I felt chills run down my back as I listened and watched. I now knew exactly what it must feel to be patriotic.

Part 25: Climbing To The Top!

Hello to everyone on the fine Friday. Only two days left to my vacation. It really went by quickly. I know that everyone says that and really seams like there is not enough time to get done what you really want to. So is the way of our lives. We look back and we can remember ourselves at a very young age then before we know it, here we are later in our lives looking back and wondering, what happened to all of the time that has gone by? Time flies! Please enjoy this next part.

We were marched to the mess hall for breakfast, lunch and dinner if that is what you would call it. The best meal of the day was definitely breakfast. However you sure was hungry at the other meals, so you ate what you could. It they put it on your plate then you had better eat it all or face trouble.

The third day was more marching and running and yelling. Some of the fat fellows had some bad problems keeping up when we were running and some had problems just marching. They were picked on hard. They were told that if they couldn’t cut it then they would be sent off to the “Fat Farm”. If they couldn’t make it there then they would either be kicked out or worse, stay for another ten weeks. It seemed like everyday for the next few days that one at a time they would be sent off to the “Fat Farm”.

I was lucky that I had run track in Jr. High school. I ran the mile and I was pretty good at it. I several first places, once came in third in a all city meet with a time of 5 minutes and 18 seconds. I loved it when we ran, there was less harassment. Except for the who would fall out, they would go through a lot of pain.

After about a week of intense training in marching and exercising it must have become my turn to be messed with. Tagalari would screw with me and the next thing would know Hernandez was on my case. I got choked a lot. I did a lot of push ups. Then one day I had the pleasure to learn what bend and mother fuckers were. This exercise was a squat thrust with a push up. They were very hard, but I caught on quickly.

In making up our platoon there had to be a leader that lead the way. He was called a guide on. This position was usually assigned to the largest man, usually the toughest. He would lead the way. He also excelled at drill that’s why he would be at the front. That position would lead to the first stripe that you would receive meritoriously upon graduation from boot camp.

I was on of the thinest men in my platoon, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to be the guide so I tried everything I could. This meant matching up with him in hand to hand combat training. When we fought with pug-el sticks. Once in the pug-el circle he got the stick and I got the rubber hose. The hose represented a bayonet. I got my ass kicked. The drill sergeants loved seeing me try. Always as a result of me losing I would get extra bends and mother fuckers to do.

One day Hernandez asked me why I kept trying and I said that I wanted to lead men. I wanted to be promoted when I graduated. He then told me of a job that I could have and that I would have a team of two other men to lead through out boot camp. This position had a lot of responsibility. the name of the assignment was “House Mouse”, I was “King Rat”. This job was a job that made me and the other house mice look like kiss asses. I would have to run to the mess hall and get coffee, we would have to spit shine the drill sergeants shoes and boots. We got real good at that.

Part 24: Climbing To The Top!

Hello! When you answer, speak up ! Eyes forward! This next part is a part in learning. I don't mean like when you were in school either. The lessons that I learned during my time in boot camp and all the while I was In the Marines, are the lessons that helped me to be a leader at the different companies that I worked for later in my life. These lessons you will see and hopefully come to understand as what drives me to this day. Please enjoy Climbing To The Top!

Some of the recruits were heavy set. That was an issue that would haunt them the whole time they would be in boot camp. I only weighed 122 pounds. I needed to put on some weight.

After we all had our hair cuts we were taken to another large building. There we had been told to strip down and put all of our belongings into a box. If you had any weapons, like guns, knives, blades or any kind of drugs, those items you should throw into the trash can provided. If you had any of these things and you threw them away you would be off the hook. If you proceeded to put them in the box with your personal belongings then you would be under arrest. The trash can was filled with a lot of stuff.

We were given some socks, and sweat cloths. Then we were marched to where we were going to live during our time at MCRD. We marched past some buildings that looked like living quarters. I thought to myself, not bad. We however kept marching a ways until we came to some buildings called quonset huts. This was going to be our homes for the next ten weeks.

We were assigned a hut and a bunk. We were told to get to sleep because in a little while we were going to be very busy with another full day. I had just fallen to sleep when all kinds of yelling started. It was one of the drill sergeants. he came in and kicked over a trash can, shaking all of the bunks and screaming to get dressed and get out side in formation.

In formation? What the hell was that? Well it didn’t take long to learn what they meant. Make four rows of equal lengths. Then you would stick out your right arm and touch the next mans shoulder for spacing.

It must be to be a Marine was to be able to yell at the top of your lungs. That’s all we heard and the way we answered back. Yes sir! No sir!

The day was filled with a lot of running to one location to another. We got a duffel bag and then we received our dungarees, olive green, socks, olive green, blouses (little rubber bands to hold our trousers up over our boots), olive green, covers (hats) olive green, skivvies (under wear) white.

Then we would get medical shots. In both sides of the butt, in the arm both sides, and after each shot we had to do push ups. We received shots with needles, and with something new a gun at one point we got the gun shot into each arm at the same time. That was scary. We were assured that we would be immune to just about everything.

Then it was picture time. We all lined up and when it was our turn we had a Blues uniform placed on us. I said placed because it was just the front and top half of a uniform. This picture would be our graduation picture, if we lived that long.

Sergeant Hernandez, was a short but very muscular, mean bastard. He was the lead Drill Sergeant. He would stand in front of you and then get to his tip toes to look in your eyes and to yell in your ear. He could bark out orders with the best of them. Surely he was what they made movies of drill sergeants from.

Sergeant Tagalari was another short framed man. His deal was that he liked to get you to smile and then you would get caught by Hernandez and he would come over to you and grab your throat and choke the hell out of you all the while yelling, what the fuck are you smiling at ass hole? Of course you couldn’t answer because you were passing out. Then he would let go just before you did.

Part 23: Climbing To The Top!

Hi everyone hope all is fine. Fall is here and the chill is about. This will give me more time to work on my book. I hope you enjoy this next segment. Happy reading.

Chapter 5

Experience Hell

I was off to another adventure. It had seemed like the bus was going to stop at every small town through Indiana. It took a few hours to get to Indy. I spent a little while waiting at the AFES station for a few others to show up. Then a Sergeant drove us to the airport. We boarded to big jet for San Diego. The trip was going to take five hours. I had never been on a jet before. I had been on a plane though. Once when I was younger, my father took us all to a small airport in Ft. Wayne, called Smith Field. That day we got to fly for a penny for every pound we weighed. This flight was just like on the commercials on T.V. coffee, tea, or me. At least that was what I was thinking. The stewardess’ were very pretty. I leaned the seat back a little and lit up a smoke. I tried to act cool, and tried to talk to the stewardess’.

I was day dreaming for a while. Remembering back to when I went to Mississippi. I had seen the convoys and had told myself that I too was going to be a soldier. I must have fell off to sleep after a while. I dreamed of Darlene. I dreamed of taking her on a date and then going parking. Suddenly I heard the captain of the plane make an announcement that we would be landing soon. So much for the dream.

We all filed off the plane and was met by a couple of men in uniform. We grabbed our gear and was led to a plain gray bus. We were on our way to MCRD, that means Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. A lot of the fellows were joking around and seemed to be enjoying themselves. We turned off the freeway and came to a gate with a Marine in dress blues pants and caky shirt very neatly pressed, he had on white gloves came to attention and waved the bus thru the gates. It was about three in the morning when the bus came to a stop on the base.

Suddenly there was a uniformed man running up on the bus and he was yelling at the top of his lungs. “Everyone of you maggots of the bus!” Then another two uniforms joined him and started yelling at us to to line up on the yellow foot prints. There were these yellow foot prints painted on the pavement and when you stood on them, your feet were angled so as you were at attention. The yelling did not stop. Actually it did not stop for ten weeks. Thats how long this hell that I volunteered for was to last.

They were coming up to each of us yelling to keep our eyes forward and not to look around. To stand at attention with out moving. Not to speak unless one of them was speaking to you. You would answer by yelling back, “Sir Yes Sir!” “Sir No Sir!” and it seemed that they could only hear you if you yelled at the loudest that you could. To tell you the truth I was scared to death. What had I done?

We stood there for a long time. We were waiting to get our hair cuts. All the while we were waiting other buses were showing up with more recruits. We stood there so long that at least two men fainted. They were splashed with water and brought back around. All the while they were being yelled at that they were about to become the drill sergeants favorites.

When it became my turn to get my hair cut, and there were several of us getting it done at a time. The barbers made quick in shaving all of our hair off. Some of the other men looked like hippies and had been drafted, they were harassed the most. I was glad that I had shorter hair when I had arrived.

Part 22: Climbing To The Top!

Correction, she didn't have big beast, she had big breast!

Sorry Darlene

It was right after school had let out for the summer. It was 1971 and I remember this day and many more to follow as my sister Cathy had a couple of her friends over to the house and this one girl really caught my eye. I couldn’t wait to meet her. I watched her move, she looked real good. She had long hair, slim body, with big breast. Did I ever want to meet her. My sister introduced us. Her name was Darlene. All I know was that I was going to make her my darling Darlene.

Though I had many girlfriends, I found that they were just conquest for me. I wanted to add Darlene to my list. There was something about her that held my interest more than the others. She rode her bike over to our house a lot that summer. I kept looking for an angle to make her mine. She was fun to be around and when she would get ready to leave for home I’d see her home.

One night we kissed, I knew that I would be in charge then, just like when I was with the other girls. One kiss and the rest would be history. Now I can say this, Darlene was special. She wasn’t going to be an easy one for me. I could tell that she really liked me though. I just wasn’t going to get any further with her. I tried all the selling I could, she just wasn’t buying. My testosterone was going to get the best of me. I was going to be leaving soon for the Corps. I made a stop at one of my old girlfriends and went to a movie and then to the park for the evening.

The next day was the day to remember for ever. This was the day I left for boot camp. August 8th. 1971. I told everyone in my family that I was leaving. I asked my father for a ride to the bus station. I think he still didn’t believe me. I then showed him the papers. He stood there and just stared out the window into the backyard. Darlene had come over to see me off. She and my family all came down to the bus station to see me off. A few minutes before the bus was to pull away my father came onto the bus and sat next to me. He said that he sorry to see me go but that he knew just as I did that this was the best thing for me. I looked up at him and he had tears in his eyes. In all my life I had never seen my father cry. He had always told me that men don’t cry, and so I didn’t. I shook his hand and he wished me good luck. As the bus pulled away I saw my mother, Cathy and Darlene standing together and they were crying. I waved goodbye and I was off.

Part 22: Climbing To The Top!

Here's a thought.

Wake up thankful

Be approachable

Complain less

Smile

Really start early & go long

Go beyond expectations

Have a sense of urgency

Be resourceful & resilient with no excuses

It was right after school had let out for the summer. It was 1971 and I remember this day and many more to follow as my sister Cathy had a couple of her friends over to the house and this one girl really caught my eye. I couldn’t wait to meet her. I watched her move, she looked real good. She had long hair, slim body, with big beast. Did I ever want to meet her. My sister introduced us. Her name was Darlene. All I know was that I was going to make her my darling Darlene.

Though I had many girlfriends, I found that they were just conquest for me. I wanted to add Darlene to my list. There was something about her that held my interest more than the others. She rode her bike over to our house a lot that summer. I kept looking for an angle to make her mine. She was fun to be around and when she would get ready to leave for home I’d see her home.

One night we kissed, I knew that I would be in charge then, just like when I was with the other girls. One kiss and the rest would be history. Now I can say this, Darlene was special. She wasn’t going to be an easy one for me. I could tell that she really liked me though. I just wasn’t going to get any further with her. I tried all the selling I could, she just wasn’t buying. My testosterone was going to get the best of me. I was going to be leaving soon for the Corps. I made a stop at one of my old girlfriends and went to a movie and then to the park for the evening.

The next day was the day to remember for ever. This was the day I left for boot camp. August 8th. 1971. I told everyone in my family that I was leaving. I asked my father for a ride to the bus station. I think he still didn’t believe me. I then showed him the papers. He stood there and just stared out the window into the backyard. Darlene had come over to see me off. She and my family all came down to the bus station to see me off. A few minutes before the bus was to pull away my father came onto the bus and sat next to me. He said that he sorry to see me go but that he knew just as I did that this was the best thing for me. I looked up at him and he had tears in his eyes. In all my life I had never seen my father cry. He had always told me that men don’t cry, and so I didn’t. I shook his hand and he wished me good luck. As the bus pulled away I saw my mother, Cathy and Darlene standing together and they were crying. I waved goodbye and I was off.

Part 21: Climbing To The Top!

Hi again. I believe that fall time is here again. I'm scrambling to get two things done before the end of the year. I'm sure you know by now that I'm trying to finish this book and to continue on my quest to make The Salesman Of the Year the title of my book. Well I'm working very hard on both and I am on goal to get them done in time. Please enjoy this next part.

The Corp paid my way there on a Greyhound bus and put a group of us up at the YMCA. The next day we were taken to the AFES where the test and physicals were to be done. This was a really new experience for me. It reminded me of the Arlo Gutherie song Alice’s Restaurant. Inspected, injected and probed. I remember standing in formation with about thirty other men naked. the next orders were ones I’d always remember. Bend over and spread your cheeks. I was glad I was in the last row. Next thing you know a doctor sticks his finger up my butt! To this day I tell people about that experience by kidding about it. I tell them I was so naive that I bent over while grabbing my cheeks on my face and pulling to the sides.

I passed the physical with flying colors. When I got back home I told my sister, Cathy about the experience. I knew when I would be leaving to go to boot camp, August 8th. I would be 18 in June. This meant that I’d be quitting school before I graduated. So I would finish my junior year of high school. I’d have most of the summer for screwing around, then I would be headed for San Diego, California. I had never been there before. I was given my choice of San Diego and Paris Island, South Carolina. I had heard stories about Paris Island. I was told that there was a drill instructor there that had marched his platoon into the Atlantic as punishment and several drowned.

I sold my motor cycle so I would have some money to run around with for the summer. I few months earlier my uncle John gave me a car. He said that he was my God Father and he had never given me anything and he wanted me to have it. He also knew about how my father had reacted about me having a car, and I think he did it to piss him off a little. It was a 1962 Buick Special convertible. When he gave it to me it had snow tiers on the back and it was a three speed on the column. It had a 283 with a Holley four barrel. Very quick! I thought I was a big shot driving the car. That winter not realizing that the snow tiers were meant for snow I decided to peel out, burn rubber, and bam! I blew the rear end out. I got the car to the back yard at my parents house.

My uncle John happened to have an extra rear end for the car. He had that kind of stuff around as he worked on cars a lot. The catch was that I had to do the work myself. I spent a lot of spare time that winter working on the car. I remembered telling something I’ll never forget, my father on a very cold day when he was working on his car, he had demanded that I help him. He had gotten so frustrated with me for not paying attention and handing him the wrong tool. He was very upset and we got into another argument. I told him that one day I’d make enough money that I would be able to pay someone to do the work for me. I told him that someday I’d be a great salesman and I’d be driving new cars that wouldn’t break down. But now I was on my own and didn’t have that kind of money.

By the time I had left for my physical for the Marines I had most of the work done. I had switched out the rear ends with no help. I should have finished the job instead of screwing off. Instead of taking my trip.

I thought that I would have a car while I was in the Marines. I’d get it finished when I came home from boot camp. But right now I was concentrating on planning what I was going to do that summer.

Part 20: Climbing To The Top!

Hi to everyone. I hope you all are doing fine. This weeks part takes us into chapter 4. A new journey is about to begin. Please enjoy this weeks part.

We got home early in the morning and I suppose I was glad. My mother was glad to see me. She kissed me and hugged me. Then scolded me, in that order.

When I woke up in the morning I left the house before anyone knew I was gone. I did leave my mother a note not to worry, that I was not going anywhere, except to try and get my job back.

I needed to get some money built up fast and the fastest way to start was to go back to the supermarket. The manager wasn’t too happy with me and he knew the trouble that I had caused my folks. He scolded me too. he was very reluctant to take me back. But I promised that I’d do what ever it took.

That day I had the pleasure of emptying the dairy case and scrubbing it down. This was going to take all day. The next day one of the freezer cases went down and I had the pleasure of cleaning it too. The next day I had to stay around after closing and help strip and wax the floors. So I went through a lot of crap, I made more money because of the hours. I believe my father put the manager up to it.

When payday came I bought the brakes for the motorcycle. I didn’t know anything about repairing the motorcycle so my father stood by and told me how to replace the brakes. Even though he was helping me, he was still giving me a lot of crap about the trip I took. He told me that he would always remind me of this summer. He has all my life. I think he will till he dies. When ever I see him and he brings it up, I make light of it.

It only took a few days till I broke his curfew again and the arguing started all over again. He kept threatening me that he was going to take me downtown and sign me up in his almighty Navy. The fight we had was so bad that I went downtown and bypassed the Navy recruiter and walked right into the Marine Corps office and signed up. I was only seventeen but the papers I signed was for the following summer when I was eighteen.

I was amazed at myself for what I had done. My father hated the Marines. I didn’t tell anyone except for some close friends. Time went by and there were more fights and arguments and more threats of sending me to the Navy. I stayed in school through the eleventh grade. When my birthday came in June I was so happy that I’d be leaving soon.

A few weeks after my birthday I had to go to take my physical an be sworn in. I told everyone that I had to go to Indianapolis to take my physical. Of course my folks didn’t believe me, my sister Cathy did though. So I left and they didn’t know any different. I was gone overnight. I was sure that they thought I took off again.

Part 19: Climbing To The Top!

Here we are again. I hope you all are looking forward to reading this part. I'm really enjoying writing, I wish I had more time to do so. I wasn't much in school for English class and I'm sure some of you can tell. Still I am making the effort to do this. This week I got all of my sales lined up to finish out the year and we are going out big. I'll keep you in tune with the big finish for Salesman of The year. Happy reading.

Finally the sun came up and my world was about to change. After they got cleaned up we were ready to go. We went outside and my father said to leave the bike and he would have but my uncle convinced him not to. My father got a small piece of garden hose out of the trunk of the car. He said that I was going to syphon the gas out of the bike. I had never done that before so my uncle explained how to do it. I put one end in the motorcycle tank and the other end in my mouth and sucked on it, crap! Gas filled my mouth, I choked. They were really laughing at me, gas went all over my clothes. I finally got the tank emptied. The next task was to load the bike into the trunk of the car. Olds-mobiles had really big trunks. I tried to lift it on my own, my father called me a pussy and pushed me out of the way. He and Jude put it in and tied it down.

Before we left they took all of my money, told me to get in the back seat and that they didn’t want to hear from me all the way home. They bought lunch at Kentucky Fried Chicken and didn’t share any. No lunch for me. I sat there and looked out the window. All I could see for many miles was poor broken down shacks at the edges of cotton fields. My heart went out to those people. I kept thinking of how bad they had it. I thought that I had it bad. I ran from my living conditions. Why can’t these people just get up and go? Go find a better life. Go find a better way to live. It wasn’t until I was older that I understood about these people. I know that I was lucky to have been born to the family that I had. Still at that age all I could think of was how I was going to get away. Far away!

Supper time came and went as I watched my father and uncle eat a couple burgers and fries. Still nothing for me. As we drove down the highway we came upon a convoy, similar to the one I saw days earlier. I made a comment that I couldn’t wait to join the service. My dad had told me for years that he was going to stick me in the Navy. Thats where I would learn to become a man. He had been in the Navy and he seemed proud that he had been. He honestly thought that the Navy would be good for me. We argued a bit and then I guess I had had enough. I told my father that sailors were a bunch of pussies. I wasn’t going to join up with a bunch of queers. That did it! He started to reach back at me and tried to hit me. The car swerved and I laughed at him. Then came the rest stop. I guess he had to pee more than he wanted to hit me. I was glad, my father had been a Golden Gloves boxer in the Navy. The Christmas the year before he got me a set of boxing gloves. He said anytime I feel man enough that I should put them on and come for him. A few weeks later I did and I paid the price. He put on his gloves and in about a minute he came at me like I was a speed bag and put me out cold right there on the kitchen floor.

The rest of the way home I kept quite and slept some. My uncle Jude must have thought that I was really asleep. He and my father was cutting up about me. They got a real kick out of me getting a mouthful of gas when I syphoned the tank on the bike. I was trying to think of a way to get back at them. I started to day dream. Maybe I’d screw with my dads precious Olds-mobile. Maybe I set Jude up with some ugly chick for a date. My imagination was spinning away. It was dark now and we were somewhere in Kentucky when I finally drifted of to sleep.

Part 18: Climbing To The Top!

Hi again! I hope everyone had a great Labor Day holiday. This week was another very successful sales week. I hit a home run with one of my accounts by setting up a huge sale for October. Here is the next part of my story, enjoy!

I had finally drifted off to sleep when the phone rang. It was my mother, she sounded concerned. I told her where I was and I could hear my father in the background yelling to stay where I was that he was coming to get me. My mother told him where I was and said that I was lying. He thought I was at one of my friends, that I would never do such a thing.

I told my mother about my brakes and of how much money I had left and that could she send me some money so I could continue with my trip to Texas. Of course I knew the answer, no. My father was coming to bring me back home. So I guess I thought I had no other choice than to give her the details of where I was.

The next morning I went looking around Jackson. I started thinking about getting a job. I thought with the little money I had left I could buy a sleeping bag and some snacks. Go to a campground and live while I worked for a couple weeks. I’d be able to get the brakes fixed and have enough gas money to make it to my Mimi’s. I knew that I would make my father really mad when he would arrive at the motel to discover that I was gone. I could just imagine the look on his face after he came all that way.

As I walked along I thought more about it. I decided to head back to the motel. I thought long and hard about joining the Marines as soon as I could. I’d get as far away from home as I could. I’d start a new life. Besides, my father was an ex sailor. The navy hated the Marines.

I ate supper at a place called The Pit. I had a slab of ribs that were out of sight. They were really hot too. The meat just came off the bone. They were served with two slices of white bread and some potato salad. I ate it all like I had never ate before.

I went back to the motel and crashed. I awoke to the sound of someone beating on the door. It was my father and my uncle Jude. I unlocked the door and they kicked it in and I went flying across the room. My uncle was standing over me laughing at me. My dad got in my face, I thought I was done for. He picked me and put me up against the wall and slapped me. I cussed at him and I pushed back. that made him really mad he smacked me and I fell to the floor. He looked down at me and told me to just stay there, then he jumped on the bed and claimed it for his own. My uncle took the chair. I asked where I was supposed to sleep? On the floor I heard. I asked for a blanket, but Jude took it and they told me to shut up and go to sleep.

As I lay there on the floor I thought about making a break for it. Hell I came this far I could make it all on my own. I got up slowly after a couple hours and I thought they were asleep. But I guess they were just waiting for me to try something. My uncle caught me going toward the door. I didn’t sleep a wink. Daylight took its time coming. At this point I thought my life as I knew it was over. I could not dream of what the day would be like.

Part 17: Climbing To The Top!

Hi to everyone. It's been a long week as we at Frito-Lay gear up for the final summer holiday of the year. I hope you have a great weekend. Enjoy this weeks part of my story.

I told her about my trip on my motor cycle and thats where the bugs came from. I told her everything! I told her about the arguments that I had with my father. How I didn’t want to go home. I told her about how my uncle Floyd was sick and that I was going to stay with my Mimi. I told about my brakes and that I was thinking of looking for some work so that I could continue my trip.

She told me that she would wash my clothes while I stayed in my room and watched some television. She was ending her shift and it was no problem helping me out. She returned after a while with my clothes. We talked a little more and she asked me if I wanted to go with her to a revival meeting. I didn’t know what she was talking about. She asked me if I had seen the fairgrounds across the highway. That there was a prayer meeting going on. There was this preacher called Billy Graham. He was one of the best preachers around world. I told her that my momma had said something about him, and I seem to recall that my father didn’t like him for some reason. That was what made me decide to go.

When we got there there was already a lot of people there. It was packed! We got us a seat and when Billy came out the crowd clapped really loud and long. He talked about the Bible. He talked about the Bible in ways that I had never heard before. He talked about the boys in Vietnam and he talked about our political system and that we needed to pray for both to our Lord Jesus Christ, so that they all will make the right decisions. That the kind of unnecessary killings had to stop.

He said one thing that stuck with me for a long time. He said “that the truth will set you free”. I say those words stuck with me, but I’m not saying that I didn’t lie after that, but when I did lie and I would feel guilty then I would remember.

On the way back to the motel Sara talked me into calling home. She said that I should at least let my folks know that I was alive. she said that they would be worrying about me. I told her that I would think about it and then she left for her home.

I didn’t want to call home, really it was the last thing I wanted to do. I was however sure that my mother would be worried, but not my father. He would be very mad. I imagined that he was out looking for me and that was probably making him even more angry. So why call and go through that hell. I watched some television for a while and day dreamed about the trip I had been on and where I was going.

It was about 1:00 a.m. as I lay there in bed thinking and not being able to go to sleep. I was thinking “The truth will set you free”. So I called home. My sister Cathy answered the phone. I asked here where mom and dad were? She wanted to know where I was. I hesitated to tell her but she insisted, so I told her I was in Mississippi. She did not believe me. I told her all about my trip. Then she told me that our folks were out looking for me. I was astounded! Out this late looking for me. I really couldn’t believe it.

I talked to Cathy for a little while, she was the next youngest of my siblings. We were closer, I suppose because we were only a couple years apart in age. I told her to tell mom that I was okay, that I could take care of myself. Cathy insisted on me calling back or at least give her the phone number at the motel. I decided to give her the number though I really didn’t want to.

Part 16: Climbing To The Top!

Hello again. I am so proud to bring the next part of my book. I hope that I am keeping you interested? I am enjoying bring you a part of my life that you may or my not know. Enjoy.

When I got close to Jackson I adjusted my speed so I wouldn’t have to use my feet as brakes. I rode into town just as it was becoming dusk. I decided to stop and get a room at a cheap motel. Stopping was still the problem, down with the foot brakes. My feet heated up again. If I kept this up I wouldn’t have any of my Chuck Taylor’s left. The bottoms were melting. I made it into the motel without incident.

It was barely light out when I checked in. It cost me $20.00 for the motel room. It was just off the highway and had its own diner. I went to my room. It had a large bed and a television. I was hungry so I bought a burger and a pop and ate it in the room. I decided that I needed a shower after being on the road all day. I took off my clothes and noticed that they were covered with bugs. Yuk! They really looked nasty but what could I expect. I had been wearing them for almost two days. They smelled bad too and they were all I had. After all I didn’t take time to pack any extra things. I hung the clothes up and tried brushing them off, it worked to a point. I suppose that they looked a little better.

After my shower I got dressed and stepped out of my room for a smoke and to look around. I was standing outside smoking and thinking about what I had gotten myself into. I knew that the money I had left wasn’t going to get me far. I remembered the t.v. show Route 66. They would go from town to town and stay a while and do odd jobs. That’s it! I'd find a job and work a couple weeks to get some money for brakes for the bike and and some more for the rest of the trip. So what if it was going to take me a little longer to get to Texas.

I had just finished the smoke and was thinking of going back to the room and watch to television, when I saw the maid. She was an older, heavy set, black woman. I heard her talking to another person staying at the motel. She was laughing and shaking her head at something the man had said. As she approached me I could see the lines on her face the showed from the times of her past. She had a tissue that she was using to wipe the sweat from her forehead. She wore a blue outfit that looked as it were the uniform of her life. As she approached me she smiled and asked me how I was doing? I said that I was doing fine. She asked me if I was with someone else. I told her that I was all alone and making a trip to Texas to see my grandmother. She asked me how old I was and I told her that I was eighteen. I wanted her to believe me. I was afraid that I would get into trouble for leaving home at a younger age. I thought that eighteen would work for me as I thought I looked older anyway.

Her name was Sara. She told me that I looked younger than eighteen. For some reason I trusted her. I felt that everything would be okay. She asked if I had eaten anything? I told her that I had a sandwich from the diner out front. She asked if I had any other clothes, because the ones I was wearing certainly looked dirty and had bugs all over them.

Part 15: Climbing To The Top!

Hello everyone. I hope your week is going fine. Please enjoy this weeks part of my book as my trip and adventure continues.

Man it sure was going to be great living in Texas and not being at home fighting with my father about everything. I day dreamed a lot on this trip. It made me feel good and the time really flew by. Time for more gas. I took the exit and when I came to the stop sign I kept coasting, I was slowing down but not really stopping. I put my feet down and dragged them on the pavement. My feet started to heat up. I didn’t make the stop, oh crap! I turned the bike into the grassy area just off the road and came to a stop. I guessed that I needed the front brakes after all. I made my way to the gas station. I was pretty shook up. I told myself that it was a good thing there wasn’t a lot of traffic or it could have been really bad.

I got myself together, went to the restroom and splashed some water on my face. Bought a soft drink and some cigarettes, had a smoke, then back on the road. I really wanted to make it to Jackson for the night. I figured when I got there I could find someone to help me with the brakes. I didn’t think about my money situation. I had just over $60.00 left.

The sun was in my eyes all the way to Jackson. Even my really cool mirrored sun glasses weren’t much good. Seventy miles to go. Hey look, there’s a sign that says New Orleans. I had never been there before. I know, after I get my brakes fixed I could head there and then around the coast to Corpus. Maybe I could find some of my cousins in Lake Charles. Spend the night, eat some great shrimp gumbo. I loved it down there. Earlier in the summer we had went there on vacation. What a great place, there was moss hanging from the trees. I must have had thirty, third cousins, from my mothers side. Cajun music and cajun food. And the food was great! We had shrimp made so many ways that my mothers family could have written the recipe book for The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.

I noticed something that was different for me. The homes along the road were not all that nice. They what looked like one room shacks most with porches. On some of the porches were old bath tubs and it looked like they were used as barbeque grills. There was smoke coming from some of them. I could smell the food from the road. It sure smelled good. They people looked to be very poor. I had never seen anything like this before. There were no pretty flower gardens, no lawns, just weeds. The paint was peeling if there was any paint at all. I also started to realize that it looked as though there weren’t any white people living in Mississippi.

As I was riding down the road I noticed moss hanging from the trees and all of the fields were white, white with cotton. I had seen corn fields where I came from. Corn forever! But down here it was cotton forever! Up north the farmers used equipment to harvest the corn, down here it looked like people were out in the fields picking it by hand. I sure wouldn’t want that job. I imagined, it’s at least 90 degrees, the sun beating down on me. I’m standing in the dirt with some burlap sack, bugs flying all around me, sweat dripping off of head and into my eyes. I’m dirty and smelly. Nowhere to go to when you have to pee and take a crap. No way! That job sucks!

Part 14: Climbing To The Top!

Hello everyone! This weeks part of my book is really starting to become interesting. This trip was a memory of a lifetime for me. Happy reading, pass it on.

I made my way to Tennessee, Some more really pretty country. I came to Nashville. Wow! This where the Grand Old Opery was. I new that from the show on television called He Haw it was filmed in Nashville too. There had to be a lot of famous people here. Maybe I’d get lucky and meet someone famous, maybe I’d get their autograph. If I did I’d give it to my mom, she loved country music. My mom....so there I went again thinking of home, thinking of my mom, and how worried she probably was. Then I remembered why I left. I was all grown up. I can make my own mind as to what I want to be and do. Down the road I went. I made my way to Alabama. Down through Birmingham. I remember that there was a lot of trouble down here. Riots. KKK. Yankee go home. Wait a minute I’m a Yankee, I thought. Better be careful down here. I made my way south thinking about my goal of Florida.

I needed some more gas so I took an exit and when I went for my brakes I felt the front one grind. Crap! I didn’t think I was going to have any problems. I thought everything would be just fine. Until now I didn’t have any problems. I was so close to Florida. How much further would I need to go? It was late in the afternoon, and it felt like it had to be in the 90’s. I thought I would still be alright to ride the bike after all I still had another brake. I also thought it might be best to make the turn toward Texas and head to my Mimi’s.

I headed toward the next large city, Jackson, Mississippi. It was starting to get late in the afternoon. I don’t remember how far I had gone and I kept thinking about my front brakes. I didn’t have much money left. How was I going to get them fixed? Did I really need the front brakes that bad? Surely I could still make it to Texas with one brake. My Mimi, would help me I’m sure. I had been to Texas many times while on vacation with my mom and dad. Mimi was full of love and she was strict with us kids. She once made it a point to tell my folks that, “children should be seen and not heard”. She expected us kids to stay outside, which was fine with us because we didn’t want to be around the adults anyhow.

I remember having a lot of fun in Texas. There was Padre island, where we would spend all day and get sunburned. We didn’t know about SPF back then. I also remember a place where my mother loved to go, it was a restaurant at a place called 5 points. The only thing we went there for was Dr. Pepper over crushed ice. Man was that great. We all and there were 5 of us kids got our own glass of the great elixir, 10-2&4, Dr. Pepper. Then my dad would drive us out over the causeway or we would go down to the longshore docks. In the evening we would make a trip down to the T-Heads and check out all of the yachts that the rich people owned. Other afternoons we would go out by the breakers and seek out sea shells. We would find some small ones that had hermit crabs in them. We would collect sand dollars and star fish that had washed up on shore.

Part 13: Climbing To The Top!

Hello everyone, I hope all is fine. In Part 13 you will be along for an adventure with me as I am heading for Texas and am about to be side lined. Thanks for all your support. Enjoy.

My uncle Floyd was a real cowboy. For most of his life he rode rodeos. They took a big toll on his body. He walked with a limp. Every time you saw him he was wearing his boots and a cowboy hat. He had a really cool car too. It was a black Ford with a retractable hard top. I loved that car. When we went to see my cousins in Lake Charles, LA. I got to drive it all the way from Corpus Christi. Quite a feat for a 16 year old. Floyd kept a cooler of Pearl beer behind the front seat. It was always full of beer. I really don’t know if I had ever seen him to be sober. Still he was my uncle and he never gave me any crap.

I woke up early. It was still a little dark outside and real foggy. I never drove in the fog before. This proved to be real interesting. I found that I couldn’t wear my sunglasses to protect my eyes, and I had no other eye protection. Bugs were hitting my face, man they really stung. I slowed down thinking that might make a difference. It did, but, I was going a little too slow for the traffic on the interstate. I pulled along side the highway and drove slow there until the fog lifted.

I saw a lot of hills and some pretty scenery along the way. Kentucky was a sure beautiful state. Unlike Indiana, not flat everywhere. Lots of hills and rock formations. Now that I was moving more south it was warming up quite a bit. I was really picking up the speed now and was making real good time. I stopped for more gas in Bowling Green, KY. At the gas station there were a lot of bikers. They were all long hairs and were wearing leather vest. a couple of them came over to me was said they liked my bike. I wasn’t really nervous at the time I just felt like I was one of them. standing there talking about our bikes. They had some really nice ones, all Harley Davidsons. Some were choppers like I saw in the movies. They were all part of a gang called the Out Laws. I finally realized that they were just having some fun at my expense. Still I felt real cool for the moment. I fueled up the bike and left.

As I was riding down the highway I started day dreaming about being part of something like those fellows and their gang. Just about that time I came onto an Army convoy. There were a lot of trucks and Jeeps following all in a nice line. I then started thinking about my friends that were leaving for the service. After thinking about them and watching the convoy I was determined that I was going to join up. I thought about being like John Wayne in the movies. Then I be part of something.