The Doctor's blog: "In My Life"

 

Well it started off as a crazy year, my last semester in High School, get called to the guidance counselors’ office and find out that I need three history credits to graduate.  I already had planned on having almost totally computer/free periods (completed all computer classes) for this last semester, and even maybe taking some college level courses.  Damn, there goes my “easy” schedule.  I figure that I would take Modern European History (since I have been back from Germany less than 2 years ago), Civil War History (since I am a civil war buff) and Modern Government.  I will admit here that history is my worst subject, but figured these would be the easiest for me.  Problem is all the dates basically coincide; I barely pass with a D, D and a C.  My plans to design IBM Computers (the ground work as already laid down) disappear.  To bring the grades back up, I go to a community college after I graduate (yes, I did graduate, barely though, but I graduated) where in the Computer teacher and I in the first weeks got into an argument on programming.  After I proved my point, I never attended another class figuring that if she could not teach me, then what good is spending my time there (stupid 18 year old).  This undoubtedly is the biggest mistake of my life, but I live with it. Disco comes to the front all though it has been around for a number of years (since the late 60’s), the popularity increases and actually I can remember dancing to most of this music. I won a dance contest during this summer and got into a fight with my friend over his girlfriend.  I also remember dancing on roller skates at the rink, especially to Brick House.  I also worked for two weeks at a carnival that had come to town, working one of the booths and helping to break them down.  It was a Carnie that talked me out of leaving a go back home and get back in school, don’t remember their name, but I do appreciate it.  Best advice I was ever given (though I did not go back to school until I was 35). Since I got stupid, I needed to earn money so I started working as a roofer, this is where I met two friends, Terry and Gary (whose girlfriends were good friends of mine), and I entered the work force.  Terry was from North Carolina and came to the DC area for work.  I remember that he went on vacation for a week (he was a piece worker) came back from work one day to find him and his Chevelle out in front of his girlfriend’s (Jill – sister of my classmate Sheri) house.  He was drinking what looked like water in a jar, I went up  grabbed the glass and bottoms up, before he could even get the words out “George, don’t …”  Man, I never chugged white lightning again lol, it burned going down.  In September I met the future mother of my daughter and son.  She came up to live with her dad, he was Air Force, mine Army.  They moved into the townhouse next to one of my other friends, two doors down form Sheri and Jill.  Had fun that winter playing spades with her “step-sisters” cousin, Joe.  During the winter, I came close to falling of a three story apartment building, but that same day Gary did fall off another building.  It had been snowing the previous day, and the snow and pile of mud is probably the only thing that kept him from getting seriously hurt.

 

Me and my buds were pretty wild back then.  During the same time as the carnival, my gang and I got recognized by a real motor cycle club “The Outsiders”, and termed us the insiders lol.  Paul, Eddie and I kept having fun with cars, every once and awhile Sahid would also join in.  Paul get reckless, as did I, and we both totaled our cars.  Paul was drunk and hit a bridge (didn’t hurt himself, but totaled his Coronet) and the friend I had gotten into a fight with?  Freddie, had made a comment (begins with n), in an all black neighbor hood and a brick went through my window and I plowed into a steel encases concrete pole (lucky, because behind the pole was a power substation).  Oh, by the way, me and Eddie got into it again about his stupidity.  Funny what beer will make you do, and he never did it again (at least not in my presence because I had friends of various ethnic, sexual and religious slants.  I am the guy that gets along with anyone, don’t hate anyone (that is a wasted emotion) and will stick up for my friends.  And that is basically my life in 1977.

 

MUSIC:

 

Songs to come out:  Dancing Queen (ABBA), Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock (AC/DC), Walk This Way (Aerosmith), Year Of The Cat (Al Stewart), Undercover Angel (Alan O’Day), I Just Want To Be Your Everything (Andy Gibbs), So Into You (Atlanta Rhythm Section), Looks Like We Made It (Barry Manilow), How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees), Rock and Roll Never Forgets (Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band), Foreplay/Longtime; Peace Of Mind (Boston), Lido Shuffle (Boz Scaggs), Nobody Does It Better (Carly Simon), I Want You To Want Me (Cheap Trick), Baby, What A Big Surprise (Chicago), Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue (Crystal Gayle), Heroes (David Bowie), Hotel California; Life In The Fast Lane; New Kid In Town (Eagles), Telephone Line (Electric Light Orchestra), Lay Down Sally (Eric Clapton), Don’t Stop; Dreams; Go Your Own Way; The Chain; You Make Loving Fun (Fleetwood Mac), Cold As Ice; Feels Like The First Time (Foreigner), Southern Nights )Glen Campbell), Rich Girl (Hall & Oates), Barracuda; Dreamboat Annie (Heart), Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (Ian Dury), I’m Your Boogie Man (KC & The Sunshine Band), You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (Leo Sayer), Blue Bayou (Linda Ronstadt), What’s Your Name (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Blinded By The Light (Mannfred Mann’s Earth Band), You Don’t Have To Be A Star – To Be In My Show (Marilynn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.),Black Betty (Ram Jam), Short People (Randy Newman), Tonight’s The Night (Rod Stewart), Car Wash (Rose Royce), Peg (Steely Dan), Jet Airliner (Steve Miller Band), Give A Little Bit (Supertramp), Cat Scratch Fever (Ted Nugent), Brick House (The Commodores), Best Of My Love (The Emotions), Father Christmas (The Kinks), Disco Inferno (The Trammps), American Girl (Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers).

 

The Albums:  Let There Be Rock (AC/DC), The Stranger (Billy Joel), Spectres (Blue Oyster Cult), Aaaa…The Name Is Bootsy  Baby (Bootsy’s Rubber Band), Heroes (David Bowie), Slowhand (Eric Clapton), Rumors(Fleetwood Mac[The best album of the Year and of the band]), Foreigner (Foreigner), Terrapin Station (Grateful Dead), Little Queen (Heart), Running On Empty (Jackson Brown), JT (James Taylor), Changes In Latitude, Changes In Attitude (Jimmy Buffet), Point Of No Return (Kansas), Love Gun (Kiss), Bat Out Of Hell (Meatloaf), Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome (Parliament), Frampton Comes Alive! (Peter Frampton), News Of The World (Queen), Aja (Steely Dan), Cat Scratch Fever (Ted Nugent), I Robot (The Alan Parsons Project), Tejas (ZZ Top).

 

Events:  Alice Cooper enters rehab, EMI terminates Sex Pistols contract, American Bandstand turns 25, B-52’s debut, Sid Vicious new bassist for the Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd starts Animals tour, Supremes perform last time together, Elvis Presley dies, Marc Boaln of T-Rex dies in auto accident, Ronnie Van Zandt – Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd die after Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashes, Saturday Night Fever opens in theaters, INXS forms, Def Leppard forms, Whitesnake forms, Dire Straits forms,

 

MOVIES: 

Airport ’77 (Jack Lemmon), Annie Hall (Woody Allen), Black Sunday (Robert Shaw), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Richard Dreyfuss), Demon Seed (Julie Christie), Exorcist II: The Heretic (Linda Blair), Freaky Friday (Barbara Harris), Greased Lightning; Which Way Is Up? (Richard Pryor), Heroes (Henry Winkler, Sally Field, Harrison Ford), High Anxiety (Mel Brooks), Oh, God! (George Burns, John Denver), Pete’s Dragon (Helen Reddy), Saturday Night Fever (John Travolta), Semi-Tough (Burt Reynolds), Smokey and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Sally Fields, Jerry Reed, Paul Williams), Star Wars [before it was Episode IV] (Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Sir Alec Guinness), Telefon (Charles Bronson), The Deep (Jaqueline Bisset), The Gauntlet (Clint Eastwood, Sandra Locke), The Spy Who Loved Me (Roger Moore, Barbara Bach).

 

EVENTS:  Apple Computer is incorporates, Legionnaires Disease Bacterium identified, snow falls for the first time in Miami FL, Bucharest earthquake kills 1500, crash between KLM and PanAm jets collide killing 583, first use of fiber optic cable for live telephone, Studio 54 opens, Stuttgart court sentences Andreas Baader – Gurdrun Enslinn and Jan-Carl Raspe to life imprisonment later this year they commit suicide in their cells, A. J. Foyt wins record 4th Indianapolis 500, Roy Sullivan struck by lightning for the 7th time, Groucho Marx dies, Food Stamp Act is enacted, Atari 2600 is released, Commodore Computers release PET, Bing Cosby dies, last natural case of small pox is reported, Guy Lombardo dies, Charlie Chaplin dies.

 

TV SHOWS:

 

Debut:  Carter Country, CHiPs, Eight Is Enough, Fantasy Island, Hard Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Lou Grant, Roots, Soap (I really loved this show, lol), The Love Boat, The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour, Three’s Company.

 

Ending:  Baretta, Bionic Woman, Chico and the Man, Emergency!, Fish, Kojak, Let’s Make A Deal, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Maude, McCloud, McMillan and Wife, Police Woman, Sanford and Son, Six Million Dollar Man, The Bob Newhart Show.

 

Good Morning to all. I will be away for a few days celebrating my 50th Birthday, I have family and friends coming from all over! Lot of last minute details for the party to take care of, and if you remember, have a drink for me about 12 midnight EST. Many thanks to all my family and friends here on Fubar, for all you have done and continue to do and I will see everyone soon.

 

Love, “Doc” George

 

Oh the joy of Fatherhood, it changes ones perspective on many things all at once! Yet, this is not about me, but about my father. My dad was in the military, army to be exact. He was not a perfect dad, for I have found out later in life that there is no such thing. I spent a lot of my younger years being mad at my dad, because of things I couldn’t do “because he said so” or things that I didn’t get to have. But I loved him like child would. It didn’t upset me until later years that he and mom didn’t attend my football, basketball, baseball or bowling games and banquets or band stuff, but they loved me, I knew that, Dad was too busy all the time, army, American Legion, 40 & 8. Yet my teen years must have been the hardest on him, for as I also found out later, we were so damned much alike. I was rebellious, coming at the end of the hippie generation in my teen years, anti-establishment, and since dad was army that meant him too.

 

I grew up and had children, when my daughter was born, it seemed mom and dad were always on the go still, but this same man who could sleep through a nuclear bomb blast, could hear the lightest sniffle of my daughter through two close doors. This is the same man that would spend $300 at the base commissary on food for my kids when they came visit, buying them whatever they liked (we had over 10 boxes of cereal for a three week stay!), this was not the man who I grew up with that I had to beg for 25 cents and them make it up with chores, who was this man.

 

Even when my son punched a hole in the above ground pool and let all the water out, it was me that got made, and my dad just laughed. We had become estranged over the years, not by choice, or mean words, but distance. I would talk to him when I called home, but it was always brief.

 

Then the miracle happened. I cannot to this day remember what prompted the call, maybe it was mom’s birthday, but at the same time, and I can’t remember what that was either, I was fuming at one of the kids, doesn’t matter which because I can’t remember for it was not important. Neither was whatever they did. What was important was that day for some reason, I talked to dad, really talked to him, and the first words out of my mouth were “Dad, I am really sorry for all the shit I did and put you and mom through.” He chuckled, and said “What did they do?” I guess I explained to him who and what was done. None of that, as I said, is really important, what was important that day was that we talked, really talked and became friends. I thought that I knew it all and I thought I knew my dad, but during our conversation I came to realize I knew absolutely nothing about my father. A lot of the stuff that I couldn’t have or do, I really didn’t need, I realize that now, as I realize he did many things for me for my own good (though it never seemed like it at the time, but I know better now). I had always admired and respected him, for who he was, and this grew even more that day. A few yeas later, on April 25, 2002, less than a month before his 67th birthday, he was called home to heaven. Many people that knew him had come from different parts of the country and the world, to come pay their respects to my dad, many I knew and just as many I didn’t. At the time of his passing there were no regrets, we had mended oh so many fences and bridges, I just wish that I had known my dad the way I know him now, when I was growing up, but that will always be the way it seems with parents and children.

 

So when my grandson was born, and his mother (my daughter) was talking about the things he was doing to get in trouble, or the problems etc. (he is only 4 now, lol, just wait) I tell her, you didn’t come with an instruction book, as I didn’t and neither did my grandson, we just have to do the best that we can to be good parents, and it won’t always be easy (yes, there were times that my daughter said “I hate you dad”, though I know like me she doesn’t mean it, she is learning, thank God faster than I did, lol and we are good friends). I learned that day so long ago that is because of my dad, that I grew up to be who I am and the kind of person I am, and I am proud to say “I am just like my Dad!”

 

Happy Father’s Day, dad. Though you are no longer here on earth with me, you are and always will be my father, and you did a great job raising me. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. I love you and I miss you so much.

 

 

May 21, 1935 – April 25, 2002

 

As most of you know, I am an army brat from birth.  If you have read the "In My Life" blogs,  you also know I have been many places and done many things, courtesy mostly of my Uncle Sam.  You may have noticed my status yesterday "Miss you Dad. RIP"  I do sorely miss him, he passed on in April of 2002.  He had served in the Army for 26 years.  He was very active in the 40 & 8 Organization, and he and mom had many friends all over the world.  Through all the good times, and the bad times (the 18 year old who knew it all, lol) we made our peace.  I am still a member of the Sons of the American Legion, and these veteran organizations do a lot for our troops, vets and those we need to remember.  It is at this time of year, Memorial Day weekend that I have the fondest memories of dad, even though I didn't get to see him much during this time.  You see, dad was heavily involved in what is called the Tri-Grande Memorial Day Festivities.  Anyone from the DC area knows about the 40 & 8 and the Tri Grande festivities.  Dad was always in the middle of it on the committee and always doing something.

This is a mention of my most memorable Memorial Day Weekend because it happened the month after his passing.  I had always looked for dad on TV, for he was always with his fellow forty and eighters, legionnaires and veterans at the laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.  Yet, I did not know the activities that were put forth.  On that Saturday and Sunday, many people, some I knew and most I didn't were still telling me how sorry they were for my loss.  I barely remember what we did during the course of those two days, I know there was a meal and a tour to a lighthouse and boats and stuff, but it was the Monday that sticks in my mind.

We boarded a bus at the Greenbelt Legion (if memory serves me correctly) and headed down to the Arlington National Cemetery.  Our bus had special privileges.  Before we disembarked to the amphitheatre, we toured Arlington National Cemetery and stopped at 2 graves.  I only remember one grave in particular, Jack" Pershing, who commanded the United States Armies in Europe from which members of the American Legion formed the 40 & 8.

After this we headed to the Amphitheater and the "Tomb of the Unknowns" where traditionally the President or his designated representative, would place a wreath at the Tombs.  What is not seen is that many of the Veteran Organizations, the American Legion, the 40 & 8, the VFW and so many more that I can't even begin to name (or even knew they existed) would place wreaths also at the Tombs.  The changing of the guard at the Tombs and all the respectful silence before the 21 gun salute and "Taps."

Many have forgotten why Memorial Day exists, except to barbeque and sales or day off work.  The true meaning is getting lost.  Even when most of the people did not like the President personally, they still respected the office and the position of the "Commander in Chief" because this all about those that served to protect our freedom and this great country called America.  Not just those that died in battle but also those that died after serving in battle or in the forces itself, because these are the men and women who put their lives on the line daily to protect one document, the Constitution of the United States of America, one idea - Freedom, and one people Americans.

 

So dear reader, as we celebrate Memorial Day, thank a vet and mourn with them for their lost comrades, because they are also our comrades.  Mourn with the husbands and wives, children, parents, grandparents and other family and friends who have lost loved ones to protect our freedom, as I will remember them this Monday, for I am grateful to be living in the greatest country on God's green earth, no matter our differences, our religions, our politics we are still and always will be AMERICANS.

I will remember those that served, people I knew and met, and those that I don't know for I have the utmost respect for all who answered the call to defend America, and most of all, I will remember a Master Sergeant, who was a good friend to many, a son and brother, an uncle, a cousin, a husband, but most of all

 

he was my Dad.

In more ways than one St. Patrick's day holds special meanings for me, but the most important one would be a special anniversary to two people special to me. My dad use to go out to this bar in Middlesex, New Jersey called Tim Kerwin's. Tim Kerwin's is an Irish Pub. The story he tells is that this bar was also frequented by Lee Van Cleef, before he became famous and while he still lived in the area. Any way, dad and some of his friends were out at the bar on St. Patty's Day, drinking green beer and getting into the spirit. It is at this time that my mom and her sisters went into the bar. When they met, my dad (who I am named after), introduced himself as Kelly Fitzpatrick (not his real name of course, lol). When dad went to meet her family she introduced him as, of course, Kelly Fitzpatrick. Well, an Italian and Irishmen, well, at least he was Catholic lol. After that dad made his confession on his real name, but until the day he died, mom's side of the family, as well as she herself, called him Kelly. Even my cousins grew up calling him Uncle Kelly. Well, "Kelly Fitzpatrick" (dad to me), a little white lie blossomed into a long and happy marriage, and one son, which I am eternally grateful and to you I toast. I miss you and wish you were here, I will see you again some day. Cheers! Love,your son, George

Since I can't wait until I can't to this point in my life, I am going to go a little out of order (you all will forgive me won';t you?). Most of you probably know or have guessed (how I don't have a clue, hee hee hee) that Mare and I are together now. What started as a great friendship has become so much more! My time will not be as much on the computer as it was in the past, since instead of having to talk to her on the computer, she is her with me. That does not mean that I won't be on, since you all have been great friends and helped me and many others. Thank you all for your well wishes, we love you and will keep in touch, promise! When a dream comes true, you just have to chase it to wherever it will lead you, and I hope, no I pray that all of your dreams come true. Love, Doc

UPDATE: Isn’t funny how dreams and memories work? I was sleeping when one of my memories came back to me of this year. Volleyball! We used to love to play volleyball in the summer and would drink and play for hours. We had a mixture of all types of people (just like the people I fit in with). We had the Jocks, the cheerleaders the heads, the bookworms, lol, we all loved to play around together in the summer, we did not have definitive cliques. From dawn to well into 10 pm we would always be doing something. Hmmm, what can I say here? This year I gave up my league bowling and concentrated more on football, basketball, baseball and band. One thing I didn’t mention in 1973, because I am getting the years mixed up was that I played for the Cowboys once again, but this year is different I am on JV and started my lettering. This is also my second year in JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp), have my eye on being company leader next year, I am also in the JROTC Drum and Bugle Corps (one of 2 ways I attained Sgt. And my piping) and this is the first year for the Rangers. We had loads of fun and went on maneuvers it was so cool. Worked the Oktober fest on base as a waiter in the Bier Tent, would close up after and have to clean up the next morning. We would always find money laying around, Sunday morning I made 1000 Marks, close to five hundred dollars, the 4 of us would split anything we found, and yeah we were all honest, so we each ended up with about $177 or so. The Germans would always look at the Americans like we were crazy. First off, when served bratwurst it was served on paper plate with broechen (hard roll) and a dab of spicy brown mustard. Being Americans, we would split the broechen, put the mustard in followed by the bratwurst and eat it like a hotdog on a bun, Wrong! Lol. The correct way (Deutches – German) is to dip the bratwurst in the mustard and take a bite, then take a bite of the broechen, (know why didn’t we think of that?). The other reason is being Americans, you know how we love our corn on the cob with butter and salt (hehe this is a good one). The German people always wondered why we were eating pig food (Pig Food? Yep, that’s right, you hear me! Pig Food!). Corn is grown exclusively to feed the hogs in their slop, and not eaten by humans. Some did get brave and tried it and even liked it! Good times. Back to football. IF you have ever read Doonesbury and that football team with Zonker Harris, that was about 80% of the team. Think Gary Trudeau has heard rumors about us lol. Our half back would go out before games, put his helmet on and run up against a brick wall. During a helmets only practice, Stan came rushing though the line (he was a defensive tackle, I was a half back), through my ass on the ground, pointed at me and said “Just so you know that I can do that at anytime” He then smiled his big smile reached down, helped me up and dusted me off. That was the last time the whole year he ever “touched” me lol. Back to Zonker, we had peoples that would get high, drink, smoke or combination of any and all of the three. On the away trips we would hang up a army blanket about a quarter way from the front of the bus, and the partying and music would start (both before and after the game, lol). I remember listening to stuff like “Funky Stuff” and “Men Green” just to name a few. Our most memorable game was against Bitburg, now that is like us going against Frankfurt. Bitburgs field we had to go down a little valley at it sat on top of a hill higher than the school. This was near the end of the season, as a matter of fact the next to the last game so it was near the end of November. It was cold, I mean cold and that is how the game started, though sunny (for the time being). In the second quarter it started to rain and boy was that miserable. This should have been an easy game for us, in the third quarter the wind picked up, the temperature dropped and it started to snow. We had a hard time seeing who was who on which team because we were all brown from mud. The middle part of the field was a mud hole. Then in the fourth the sleet came, just when we thought it couldn’t get any more miserable. But we had fun and we won 12 to 8. Can you say party?! Yep, and that night we had a dance to top it all off. You should have seen how fast the guys (and girls) got showered and changed and to the dance, record time. Went to the Winter Dance, dress in JROTC as were most others and had a ball dancing (love dancing, more on that in the later years). Behind Patrick Henry Village (we were lived) was an old burned out barn. Used to have rumors of bodies buried there, etc., but was a popular make out place for the older kids. At this time I had friends from Seniors to Seventh Graders. On of the seventh graders was with me and two other friends when we decided to jump the fence and see. We were walking around front, and he was blowing on something. One asked what are you doing? He said seeing if this balloon is still good. We busted out laughing; he was blowing into a used rubber. Never let him live that down, but also never told anyone who wasn’t there. I have a girlfriend (TJ) whom I just recently got back in touch with, and she would be my last girlfriend in Germany. TJ (and I used to go to the swimming pool off post, it was indoors and had a 5 meter (15 foot) dive. We also babysat children together at the American Legion Post Home (during the meetings). This was also a sad year for me, I lost three friends. Near the end of the summer, two of my friends, who went bike riding to Karlsruhe, were killed by a drunk driver. If I hadn’t been grounded I might have been with them. The driver went through one 3 foot diameter oak tree before being stopped by another after hitting them, two died instantly and the third at the hospital. Found out later it was my girlfriends’ mother who had served him the last drink at the Club and sent him home; she was broken up about this for quite awhile blamed herself. The other happened during the beginning of my freshmen year. Kerri Quinn, a very good person, had gotten leukemia, but wasn’t diagnosed until too late. She was a classmate, friend and confidant and I miss her a lot. She succumbed before Thanksgiving. I remember our times together dearly, but those are my precious moments of her brief life and I don’t share them with anyone, not even her family or other friends. There are probably many things I am forgetting, so much happened during this time, it is like a blur. After talking to some of my old friends from that time, most are the same way. We remembered we had fun, we had a good time we laughed and loved, but damned if we can remember much of anything else. As I remember I will update it. MUSIC: Songs to come out: Waterloo (ABBA), Tin Man (America), You’re the First, the Last, My everything (Barry White), Smoking in the Boys Room (Brownsville Station also Martian Boogie- my fav), Let It Ride, Taking Care of Business, You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet (Bachmann-Turner Overdrive), Kung Fu Fighting (Carl Douglass), Haven’t Got Time For The Pain (Carly Simon), Another Saturday Night (Cat Stevens), Diamond Dog, Rebel Rebel (David Bowie), Blackwater (The Doobie Brothers), Already Gone, Best of My Love (Eagles), The Bitch Is Back, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me (Elton John), I Shot the Sheriff (Eric Clapton), Cat’s in the Cradle (Harry Chapin), Heartless (Heart), Rock The Boat (Hues Corporation), Bungle In The Jungle (Jethro Tull), I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song (Jim Croce), Whatever Gets You Through the Night (John Lennon his only solo hit), Jungle Boogie (Kool and the Gang), Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynard), Midnight At The Oasis (Maria Muldaur), I Honestly Love You (Olivia Newton-John), Billy Don’t Be A Hero, The Night Chicago Died (Paperlace), Magic (Pilot), Killer Queen (Queen), It’s Only Rock And Roll (The Rolling Stones), Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (Steely Dan), Don’t You Worry About A Thing (Stevie Wonder), Seasons In The Sun (Terry Jacks) and Jet, Band On The Run, Juniors Farm (Wings). The Albums: Waterloo (ABBA), Alice Cooper Greatest Hits (Alice Cooper), Bad Company (Bad Company), Badfinger (Badfinger), Endless Summer (The Beach Boys), Diamond Dogs (David Bowie), Burn (Deep Purple), Dark House (George Harrison), Kansas (Kansas), KISS, Hotter Than Hell (KISS), Feats Don’t Fail Me Now (Little Feat), Queen II (Queen), Goodnight Viena (Ringo Starr), Rush (Rush), Desolution Boulevard (Sweet) and It’s Only Rock And Roll (The Rolling Stones). Events: Jefferson Airplane becomes Jefferson Starship, Beatles breakup is finalized after 4 years, Cher files for divorce, Peter Gabriel leaves Genesis, Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks join Fleetwood Mac, and the following bands form and debut: Blind Faith (Clapton, Winwood, Baker), Ramones, Van Halen, Blondie, Talking Heads, Rush, Kiss and Kansas. MOVIES: Airport 1975 ( Charlton Heston, George Kennedy), Back To The Planet Of The Apes (Roddy McDowall), Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little), Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (Peter Fonda), Peanuts: It’s The Easter Beagle Charlie Brown, The Godfather II (Al Pacino), The Great Gatsby (Robert Redford), The Longest Yard (Burt Reynolds), The Odessa File (Jon Voight), The Terminal Man (George Segal), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Marilyn Burns), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (Walter Matthau), The Towering Inferno (Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Richard Chamberlain) and Thunderbolt And Lightfoot (Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges –looks cute as a girl lol, George Kennedy, Gary Busey). EVENTS: NBC and CBS start 24-hour News Radio, Nixon Refuses then relents to handover White House Tapes, Nessie (The Loch Ness Monster) is photographed, Jaws is published by Peter Benchley, first human heart transplant, Patty Hearst is kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, max speed on autobahn reduced to 100 kph (62 mph), Iran/Iraq border war (still at it?), People magazine begins sales, Watergate grand jury indicts 7 presidential aides, worst air disaster to date – Turkish DC-10 crashes killing 346, US Monitor is restored and docked at Cape Hatteras, Charles DeGaulle Airport opens in Paris, last Japanese soldier that has been conducting a guerilla war for 29 years after WWII ended surrenders, Mount Etna in Sicily erupts, first performance at the Grand Ole Opry in Opryland in Nashville, Oil embargo against the U.S. ends, attempt made to kidnap Princess Anne from a mall in London, at least 148 tornadoes are recording in close to a dozen states, World Trade Center opens (remember 9/11), Hank Aaron ties then breaks Babe Ruth’s all time homerun record, Red Brigade kidnaps Italian General Sossi and than later frees him, Barbara Walters becomes news co-anchor on the Today Show, NFL grants franchises to Seattle and Tampa Bay, Symbionese Liberation Army is destroyed in a shootout killing 6, Isabel Peron succeeds her husband as President of Argentina, House Judiciary Committee approves 2 articles of impeachment against President Nixon and recommends impeachment, Richard Nixon resigns, Congress says we can own gold (whoot!), Hurricane kills 4000 in Bangladesh, Gerald Ford becomes the first non-elected president (he was appointed VP by Nixon, and succeeded Nixon after he resigned, never being elected to either office), President Ford pardons former President Nixon of all federal charges, Record 7 hour plus baseball game lasting 25 innings and having 202 plate appearance between the Cards and Mets – cards win 4 to 3, Gerald Ford awards amnesty to all draft dodgers of the Vietnam war, General Haig becomes Supreme Commander of NATO, Riot breaks out in Boston over busing and National Guard is called in, Muhammad Ali KO’s George Foreman in Zaire the famous Rumble I the Jungle, Hurricane Fifi strikes Honduras killing 5,000, first elected Mayor of Washington D.C., United States vs. AT&T antitrust suit to break up AT&T, Freedom of Information Act is passed and the LA Skid Row killer starts with his first killing. CARTOONS: Hong Kong Phooey, Valley of the Dinosaurs, Land of the Lost, Shazam and the Harlem Globetrotters TV SHOWS: Ending-Love American Style, Dean Martin Show, Flip Wilson Show (the devil made them do it) and Monty Python’s Flying Circus signs off on the BBC. Debut – Six Million Dollar Man, Rockford Files, Good times spins off from Maude (Dyn-o-mite!) and every ones favorite ‘hood/cool guy is born when Happy Days premiers (Aaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!)

Goodbye Junior hello Senior! Start my last year of High School! I almost became a father (false alarm). My friends and I have many things going on, jumping over the wall to the pool after it closes lol umm, alcohol and illegal substances could have been the cause for one of my friends sitting on the diving board on a chair (many years later, the pool scene with Cameron in the movie “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off” reminds me of this, lol). The Lords are official (my gang I am the first and last leader, two in between me) formed to prevent other punks from coming into our neighborhood causing trouble. Only two of us actually had a nick name, mine was Ace and David’s was JC (because he looked like some of the pictures of Jesus). We are also nickname the insiders (a real biker gang in the area, The Outsiders saw us and our colors and their leader said They were the Outsiders so we were the insiders) this happened at the carnival, which I later worked at for a week and almost joined, but the Carnies talked me out of it, said education was most important. Won my, hmm lost count, dance contest, got into a fight with a friend (sort of, just through one punch and knocked him down). Family came down in the summer and we toured all around Washington DC, the Washington Needle, the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and Mount Vernon. I celebrated the 4th of July at the reflecting pool in DC, man the fireworks were awesome! Had the group of five at the high school Sheri, Pam, Dawn, Chip and me. Senior year starts of good, have two computer classes and am pumped because in my last half of my Senior year I would have half a day of my beloved computers, and was looking at going to IBM. Forgot to say last year got my Drivers License (yippie!) Dad taught me how to drive I the snow in New Jersey. Problem with the driving part of the test was it seemed pretty simple. First you parallel park, then do a three point turn, and if all goes well on the course, the DMV person says “Okay, pull over next to the office. Problem is this is where 65% of the people fail. Because on your way over there, you are facing the back of a building that is red with white lettering, and the stop sign at the end of the course blends in pretty well. Run that stop sign and it is an automatic fail, no matter how good you did on the rest of the course (I passed on my first try!). MUSIC: Songs to come out: Last Child (Aerosmith), Year of the Cat (Al Stewart), Saturday Night (Bay City Rollers), You Should Be Dancing (Bee Gees), [Don’t Fear] The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult), Foreplay/Longtime, More Than A Feeling (Boston), Convoy (C.W. McCall –Mercy Sakes, Pig Pen), If You Leave Me Now (Chicago), Sara Smile, She’s Gone (Daryl Hall & John Oates), The Rubberband Man (The Detroit Spinners), Love To Love You Baby (Donna Summer), Taking It To The Streets (The Doobie Brothers), Take It To The Limit (Eagles), Evil Woman, Living Thing, Strange Magic (Electric Light Orchestra), Bennie and the Jets, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Elton John last one with Kiki Dee), I’d Really Like To See You Tonight (England Dan and John Ford Coley), Rhiannon, Say You Love Me (Fleetwood Mac – oh Stevie), December 1963 (The Four Seasons), Dream Weaver, Love Is Alive (Gary Wright), The Wreck Of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot), Crazy On You, Magic Man (Heart), You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate), Welcome Back (John Sebastian), Shake Your Booty (K.C. and the Sunshine Band), Beth, Shout It Out Loud (KISS), You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (Leo Sayer), You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Lou Rawls), Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Kiss and Say Goodbye (Thew Manhattans), Blinded By The Light (Mannfred Mann’s Earth Band), This is it (Melba Moore), Love Rollercoaster (The O’Jays), Still The One (Orleans), 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon – Just slip out the back, Jack!), Do You Feel Like We Do?, Show Me The Way (Peter Frampton), Somebody To Love, You’re my Best Friend (Queen), Disco Duck (Rick Dee’s-Disco is getting ready to start), Afternoon Delight (Starland Vocal Band), Fly Like An Eagle, Rock ‘n Me, Take The Money And Run (Steve Miller Band), Boogie Fever (Sylvers), Things We Do For Love (10cc), Jailbreak, The Boys Are Back In Town (Thin Lizzy), Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry), Let em In, Silly Love Songs (Wings). The Albums: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, High Voltage, TNT (AC/DC), Agents of Fortune (Blue Oyster Cult), Night Moves (Bob Seger), Boston (Boston), Chicago X (Chicago), Hotel California (Eagles), Dreamboat Annie (Heart), Leftoverture (Kansas), Destroyer (KISS), Presence, The Song Remains The Same (Led Zeppelin), One More From The Road (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Frampton Comes Alive! (Peter Frampton), A Day At The Races (Queen), The Ramones (The Ramones), 2112 (Rush), Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller Band), Free-for-All (Ted Nugent), Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy), Why Can’t We Be Friends (War), Wings Ovr America (Wings). Events: Concert Promoter Bill Sargent offers $30 million and Sid Bernstein offers more for the Beatles to reunite, KISS adds their footprints to the sidewalk at Graumans Theatre, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards dies in an auto accident, Grand Funk Railroad disbands, Deep Purple disbands, Ike and Tina Turner split, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic start the P-Funk/Rubber Band Earth Tour – the biggest and most revolutionary stage show ever. MOVIES: All the Presidents Men (Robert Redford), The Bad News Bears (Walter Matthau, Tatum Oneal), Black Sheep Squadron (Robert Conrad), The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (John Travolta), Burnt Offerings (Karen Black), Carrie (Sissy Spacek), Charlie’s Angels (Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett Majors, Jaclyn Smith – guys fell all over Farrah), The Enforcer (Clint Eastwood), Futureworld (Peter Fonda), Gator (Burt Reynolds), The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (Dan Haggerty), Logans Run (Michael York), The Man Who Fell To Earth (David Bowie), Midway (Charleton Heston), Network (Faye Dunaway), Ode To Billy Jo (Robby Benson), The Outlaw Josie Wales (Clint Eastwood), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (Peter Sellers), Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), The Shaggy DA (Dean Jones), Silver Streak (Gene Wilder), A Star Is Born (Barbara Streisand) and Taxi Driver (Robert DeNiro, Jody Foster). EVENTS: Liberty Bell moves to it’s new home behind Independence Hall, NBC replaces the peacock logo, Bank Robbery in Beirut nets between $20 and $50 million dollars, Apple Computer is founded by Steve Wozniak and Steve Forbes, Barbara Walters becomes the first woman nightly network news anchor, Legionnaires Disease has first outbreak in Philadelphia American Legion Convention killing 29, Entebbe raid by Israel frees Air France Airbus that was hijacked, 8.2 earthquake in Tangshan, China kills between 250 and 750 thousand people, earthquake and tidal wave kills over 8,000 in the Philippines, Cathy Comic Strip debuts, WTBS becomes nationally televised, Jimmy Carter is elected President, 2 Dollar Bills first minting because . . . Happy 200th Birthday America! TV SHOWS: Marcus Welby, MD Ends. Bionic Woman, Donnie and Marie, Laverne and Shirley, Rich Man Poor Man (Miniseries), The Gong Show, Alice and Wonder Woman debut and Gone In The Wind is televised for first time on TV.

My sophomore year carried me through to 1975, many things going on all around. Last year dad got transferred to MEDCOM, his secondary MOS Military Occupational Specialty) is in English, so he joins the newspaper, the Medical Examiner. He is now the Adjutant for the American Legion Department of France and has joined the 40/8. We traveled to different place such as Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, France and all over Germany. One of my favorite memories is that of my girlfriend TJ. We used to love mixing German Dark Beer, Heineken or Lowenbrau and mixing it with root beer, mmmm great! This is also the first and last time I ever bet a female on anything. All this year I had been doing great in the football pool, but when I bet TJ on the Los Angeles/Washington play off game, the bet being the other would be the slave) have to do their chores etc.) I lost. The first and only playoff bet I had lost in Germany the whole 4 years I was there. One of my chores was to carry her across the parking lot from the indoor pool. Never ask a woman what she has in her handbag; you really don’t want to know. Joking around (and I don’t remember about what), she jokingly swung her hand bag at me and I ducked into it getting cold cocked. She had put our shoes in there but it was actually a piece of brick that hit me upside the head, like I said don’t ask. Dad interviewed the convicted Nazi Architect Albert Speer, and after talking to him thanked him for giving him a fair and not prejudging him before the interview. Mr. Speer gave my dad one of his books (in German) and autographed it (when Dad passed away, I inherited this book and have it stored). Another memorable time was at a pep rally, sort off, John Holt’s band Baar Soup was playing a set. The lead guitarist was really going off when all of a sudden sparks flew from his guitar and we lost all power in the auditorium. It seems that his ring hit a string just as it touched the pickup, short circuiting and blowing the schools fuse. Really cool fireworks, and yes he was okay. I was getting pumped for my junior year and it looked like we might be able to stay all the way through, but the Army had other plans for my dad. He got his orders to rotate stateside in the middle of summer, and after sending our belongings stateside we lived in the BOQ (Bachelor Officers Quarters) until we had to leave, which was about two weeks later. TJ was the first I asked to marry me hoping that somehow I would be able to stay, after all you were considered an adult at 16 in Germany because you were out of school and could legally drink. Needless to say that never happened, but before we had left during the summer festival, I had won a teddy bear and gave it to TJ (side story – this bear would get us in touch 32 years later look in 2007 when it is written, lol). Next duty station was the Pentagon. While dad was searching for a place for us to live, we stayed at Nana’s in NJ. I started my junior year there in Manville New Jersey, we had a winning team. I was a quarterback on the Varsity. Though I think I had a better throw (being that I was knocking down receivers on fifteen and in’s from a five step drop back), I was the new kid and the played second fiddle to the one that had been there for the first two years. Two a days in the heat were killers. I remember playing Highland Park and was in for a set because starter had to come out for equipment failure. Didn’t do to good, first down pass deflected, run was set back about 8 yards, and the pass on the sideline 40 yards down was dropped, though I was on my butt and couldn’t see if I had overthrown or just he was bumped (later I think cause he was a great receiver). Made a lot of new friends and had a girlfriend named Lynn for 2 months. Dad had found a place and mom moved down to Maryland, but I talked dad into letting me stay until the end of football season (found out from Nana the year before she died that that year was the last time Manville had a winning football team). At the end of the semester I transferred to Parkdale High in Riverdale, MD. We lived in Greenbelt at an apartment complex called Spring Hill Lake. This would be the center of my life for the next few years. Dad was now working at the Pentagon as was mom. Made many good friends there, a few I keep in touch with and one I married, but that is still 3 years in the future lol. When I transferred in the counselor said that I was okay and just needed the normal course work every year. This is the first time I started working with computers. The teacher, Mr. Calhoun, was pretty cool, but he had a thing about smacking gum in class. Learned a lot and between him and the physics teacher Mr. Lentz. We were still doing punchboards and tabulation machines and punch cards. MUSIC: Songs to come out: Sweet Emotion, Walk This Way (Aerosmith), Only Women Bleed, Schools Out (Alice Cooper), Sister Golden Hair (America), Pick Up The Pieces, Cut The Cake (AWB- Average White Band), [Hey Won’t You Play] Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song, Feel Like Making Love, Good Loving Gone Bad (Bad Company), I Write The Songs, Mandy (Barry Manilow), Saturday Night (The Bay City Rollers – start of hair bands lol), Dynomite Part 1 (Bazuka), Jive Talkin’ (Bee Gees), Walking In Rhythm (The Blackbyrds), Roll On Down The Highway (Bachman-Turner Overdrive), Convoy (C.W. McCall mercy sakes alive!), Fame, Golden Years, Young Americans (David Bowie), Theme from Mahogany [Do You Know Where Your Going To?] (Diana Ross), Love To Love You Baby (Donna Summer), Black Water (The Doobie Brothers), Best Of My Love, One Of These Nights, Lyin’ Eyes* (Eagles, *First song I learned to play on a guitar in 1979), Shining Star (Earth, Wind and Fire), Evil Woman, Strange Magic (Electric Light Orchestra), Philadelphia Freedom, Island Girl, Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Elton John who’d you think, Sugar Bear? Lol), Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (Eric Clapton), Slow Ride (Foghat), Who loves You?, My Eyes Adored You (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons), Before The Next Teardrop Falls, Wasted Days And Wasted Nights (Freddy Fender), Rhinestone Cowboy (Glen Campbell), Never Can Say Goodbye (Gloria Gaynor), Once Bitten Twice Shy (Ian Hunter), At Seventeen (Janis Ian), You Are So Beautiful (Joe Crocker), Thank God I’m A Country Boy (John Denver), Send In The Clowns (Judy Collins), Get Down Tonight, That’s The Way [I Like It] (K.C. and the Sunshine Band), Rock And Roll All Nite (KISS), Lady Marmalade (LaBelle), Your No Good, When Will I Be Loved? (Linda Ronstadt), Saturday Night Special (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Spirit In The Sky (Mannfred Mann’s Earth Band), Wildfire (Michael Murphy), Lovin’ You (Minnie Ripperton), Love Hurts (Nazareth), Fire, Love Rollercoaster (The Ohio Players – rumors have the scream as a ral life murder, various scenarios all false, it is one of the band members), I Love Music (The O’Jays), Have You Never Been Mellow? (Olivia Newton-John), Magic (Pilot), Have A Cigar, Welcome To The Machine (Pink Floyd), Amie (Pure Prairie League), Bohemian Rhapsody, You’re My Best Friend (Queen), Chevy Van (Sammy Johns), Black Friday (Steely Dan), Lady (Styx), Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You (Sugarloaf), Dreamer (Supertramp), The Ballroom Blitz, Fox On The Run (Sweet), I’m Not In Love (10cc), He Don’t Love You [Like I Love You] (Tony Orlando and Dawn), The Hustle (Van McCoy), Low Rider, Why Can’t We Be Friends? (War), Squeeze Box (The Who), Listen To What the Man Said, Venus And Mars Rock Show (Wings). The Albums: ABBA (ABBA), High Voltage (AC/DC), Toys IN The Attic (Aerosmith), Welcome To My Nightmare (Alice Cooper), Beautiful Loser (Bob Seger), Born To Run (Bruce Springstein), Chicago VIII (Chicago), Young Americans (David Bowie), One Of These Nights (The Eagles), Fleetwood Mac (Fleetwood Mac), Fool For The City (Foghat), Dreamboat Annie (Heart), Dressed To Kill (KISS), Physical Graffiti (Led Zeppelin), Hair Of The Dog (Nazareth), A Night At The Opera (Queen), Fly By Night (Rush), The Tubes (The Tubes), Initiation (Todd Rundgren), The Who By The Numbers (The Who), Fandango (ZZ Top). Events: The beginning of the “Hair” Bands (Bay City Rollers), One Hit Wonders abound and Funkadelic coming to main stream. Tommy premiers in London. .38 Special forms. Firefall forms. Sex Pistols form. Billy Davis and Marilyn McCoo leave the Fifth Dimension for solo careers, breaking up the band. Peter Gabriel leaves Genesis. Apple Records closes down. Ritchie Blackmore leaves Deep Purple and forms Rainbow. Cher divorces Sonny, 4 days after the divorce is final Cher marries Gregg Allman and 10 days later files for divorce (woman make up yo mind!). MOVIES: The Blue Knight (George Kennedy), Death Race 2000 (David Carradine – How many points for an old lady? Lol), Dog Day Afternoon (Al Pacino), The Eiger Sanction (Clint Eastwood), Escape To Witch Mountain (Eddie Albert), The Great Waldo Pepper, Three Days Of The Condor (Robert Redford), The Hindenburg (George C. Scott), Jaws (Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfus), The Man Who Would Be King (Sean Connery), Monty Python And The Holy Grail (John Cleese, Graham Chapman), Moses (Burt Lancaster), One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (Jack Nicholson), Be My Valentine Charlie Brown, You’re A Good Sport Charlie Brown (Peanuts – Poor Charlie Brown and the Red Haired Girl and somebody hit Lucy she is so mean!), The Reincarnation Of Peter Proud (Michael Sarrazin), The Return Of The Pink Panther (Peter Sellers), Return To Macon County (Nick Nolte), Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (June Foray – voice), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien[the creative genius], “Little” Nell Campbell, Patricia Quinn, Meatloaf. Liiiipppsss, Time Warp and elbow sex!), Rollerball (James Caan), Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne), Shampoo (Warren Beatty), The Stepford Wives (Karen Rodd – I wish I was Sam Elliott, lol), The Strongest Man In The World (Kurt Russell), Tommy (Roger Daltry) and Walking Tall Part 2 (Bo Svenson). EVENTS: Space Mountain opens at Disneyworld in Florida. 1800 Unification Church members married at one time in Korea. Bobby Fischer is stripped of Chess title after refusing to defend it. USAF Transport carrying orphans from Saigon crashes killing 155. Frank Robinson becomes the first black Major League Baseball Manager. Khmer Rouge captures Phnom Pehn. Last U.S. helicopter leaves the American Embassy in Saigon, shortly there after Saigon falls. Trial against members of the Baader-Meinhof gang begins in Stuttgart, Germany. Vice President Rockefeller reports on 300,000 illegal CIA files on U.S. citizens. Eastern 727 crashes at JFK airport killing 113. Teamster Union President Jimmy Hoffa disappears (Jimmy where are you?). 500 drown as two riverboats collide in China’s West River. First Assassination attempt on President Ford by Lynette Alice “squeaky” Fromme (member of the Manson Family) and a second attempt by Jane Moore 17 days later. Chartered 707 crashes killing 188. 3000 dead as a 6.8 earthquake hits Lice, Turkey. Boston begins court ordered busing. Rembrandt’s “Nightwatch” is slashed and damaged in Amsterdam. Space Shuttle Orbiter OV-101 “Enterprise” is rolled out. Congress passes bill allowing women into Military Academies and Coast Guard is the first to admit a woman. The Thrilla in Manila Muhammad Ali tko’s Joe Frazier in the 15th. Juan Carlos is declared the King of Spain. 4000 die from earthquake in Pakistan. The “Hail Mary Pass” was dubbed as a last second pass from Dallas Cowboy Quarterback Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson with 24 seconds remaining to beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-14 in the NFC Divisional Play Off Game. Aristotle Onassis dies. CARTOONS: Hong Kong Fooey, Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape Show, Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty, The Shazam/Isis Hour, Uncle Crocks Block, Ghost Busters, Oddball Couple and Return to the Planet of the Apes. TV SHOWS: Debuts – Wheel of Fortune (Game Show), The Jeffersons (spin off from All In The Family), Barney Miller, Ryan’s Hope (Soap Opera), Three for Money, One Day At A Time and Saturday Night Live (George Carlin was the first host, RIP George). Ends – Gunsmoke.

I have just completed the 8th grade and turned 14. This will probably be in no certain order since to me it all happened at the same time, lol. My dad is heavy into the American Legion and becomes the Department of France’s Assistant Adjutant. On that note, the Heidelberg AL post #3 starts it’s own Sons of the American Legion Squadron (SAL) of which I am the Adjutant. We have blood drives (yes, I donated with parents permission), and garage sales (this is where I got my “wonder” bowling ball) and even participate in events all over Europe. We took a bus trip to Nance, France for a Memorial of WWI soldiers, Flanders Field. A very somber time, and I still have the medallion that commemorates the event. I was so moved that I wrote my first poem “Unknown Soldier”. Unfortunately, I never signed it and left it on the bus. I was surprised when the publisher of the Post #3 newsletter (my dad) gave me the following copy with my poem in it, but it was signed author unknown. My dad said though he knew it to be my handwriting (no one can ever fake my chicken scratch, lol); it was his decision not to give me credit it for it because it was unsigned and he didn’t want to show favoritism. Dad was pretty hard on me all my life, like I guess most military dads are and I hated it (until later in life, with children of my own I realized that he actually had been pretty fair and taught me a lot, though I didn’t listen – wasn’t his fault, lol). He was very forgiving most of the time, even when I burned his silk T-shirt (he had a lit blue, gold and black, it was the light blue I ruined trying to iron it for a dance that night. Many years later the remaining two became mine). In band class I am in love (okay, being an adult now I can say infatuated) with the girl who sits in the first clarinet chair, Nancy G., and constantly find myself singing the Stones song Angie, but replacing her name in it (go figure). New friends are made during the school year, Sonny and Danny who both live in my stairwell. We do almost everything together. It is with these two and another friend that the most famous of poker games that I had written in TAG UR IT came about. We had been playing for an hour or so, penny and nickels of course, after all we are not rich, and if memory serves me correctly it was Sonny’s deal. Everyone bet the limit and when we all laid down, we all had a Royal flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit) I had Spades, Sonny – Diamonds the other boy –clubs and Danny – Hearts. We had an argument over the top hand, and it was settled by Hoyles Book of Rules for Cards, and ended up me being the winner. Depending on where you are playing either Spades or Hearts can be considered the high suit, but by reasoning, we were on an American Army Base which is essentially American Soil so Spades is high. We are doing more and more bike riding this year, riding all over the place, together or alone if one or more is grounded, which seems like a lot these days. I found out that you are not to forge you father’s signature on an official document (some kids were playing on the scaffolding and wouldn’t get off. My dad was the area MSG, sort of like HOA president, and I wrote a note for them to take home to their fathers and signed dad’s name. The jig was up when one of the parents came by to thank my dad and assure him it wouldn’t happen again. (can you say ooops! – busted and grounded). Played Basketball during the winter-spring, I believe I was on the Super Sonics, but I remember one of the cheerleaders was a girl named Cheryl (whom I keep in touch with on her own website for us HHS Alumni). Most of the time the upperclassmen would ignore us, but not always. It is due to this that I got into my habit of how I eat my hamburger and fries. At lunch, besides having open lunch (again, thank God), we could also go to the cafeteria and have either the normal nutritious meal, how get stuff like hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, etc. My usual was a cheeseburger with three orders of fries (that would fill up the tray, lol) and then outside for football or baseball or whatever. Well a couple of upper’s would come by and steal food off your tray or take a bite of your burger. I told my friends I would fix them, and I did, the next day he took one bite of my burger, threw it back on my tray and another ate a couple of fries, and then put the rest down. You see, I put tons of mustard on my cheeseburger and heavily salted my fries with no ketchup, lol, never bothered me again, and I never changed this habit, still how I eat them. Somewhere during the spring a senior flute player in the band and I had made out (ring of hickeys, lol, both of us wore turtle necks the next day, I blame it on the alcohol, so did she). I also got into trouble at school for my first and only time, where as the vice principal called my mom to let her now I was getting 3 spanks. It was stupid, really. I believe it was in 7th grade maybe, like I said a lot happened. Me and two friends where in the boys bathroom, at the long urinal. A partition wall separated it and the sink. Well, boys being boys we pushed and shoved, and Kevin, who was on my right got pushed so hard he started to pee up the partition. We though this was cool and had a competition going over who would be the first to go over the partition and into the sink, until the Vice principal walked in. He wasn’t happy to say the least. Got it when I got home also, didn’t sit for a couple of days, but I learned. Bowling has been wonderful this year. I received four awards, most improved, highest game, highest series and high average. Thanks all to my “wonder” ball I had mentioned earlier. She was a brown and cream marble that I got at one of the American Legion garage sales, for only $1 and had to beg dad for it. The ball weighed 13 pounds and when I started bowling found out it was left handed (I am right handed). It changed my set, approach, alignment, mark and curve (drastically, but finally got the feel for it), far right of lane, right mark next to center, and curve would come back to the 1 and 2 pins, if I hit the mark right it is a strike or at least an easy eight. I now start and the very far end of the lane on my set and approach. The weight of the ball slows me down from rushing. I am also the team captain. For those in the know, let me state that I am bowling 10 pin. One of my favorite passions is to collect patches, I do this with both the SAL and Boy Scouts of the places I have been. Went on an all Europe Jamboree, it was great! We survived off of C-Rations, my favorite being the brownie. Also started smoking this summer. The Asst. Troop Leader, a junior, and I went walking in France to slide out and have a smoke. I tripped over a root (turned out to be unexploded bomb). On another trip we were heading to West Berlin. We got in trouble by the officer of the crossing guards. One of the other guys (never found out which one) was trying to trade a pack of Marlboro’s for an AK-47. Officer was not amused. We also went on tour of Germany, staying in youth Hostels, great time; downstairs were the boys and upstairs the Girl Scouts, with the stairs being heavily guarded (dang!). The most memorable one was to Italy on the train, four of us were playing poker, and I had just enough to buy a few souvenirs. I learned my lesson that if I lose 3 hands in a row, walk away because the cards are not in my favor. Lost everything to a good friend of mine Stan. He bought a Dashiki with the money I lost, I bought a patch. Baseball was great; this is where I met the Holt brothers. Steve who was my age, tall about 6 or so and short hair. Met him during basketball and he was the cause of my sprained ankle (going for a lay up and he shoved me to block, and came sown on my ankle – ouch) and his brother John (probably around 5’4 or so, a junior with long hair to the waist). Steve played third and John was a pitcher. John would tuck his hair under his hat. Every once in a while he would throw with a force and jerk that the hat would come off and his pony tail would head towards the plate and psych the batter out (lol). Keith Showell played first base (he is what we call an afro-american today), and he was great couldn’t get anything paste him. He would pull the hat down over to the top of his eyes. We used to joke when it was getting dark to smile so we could see him and this big white smile would break out underneath the brim of the hat. God I miss Keith, he taught me a lot about the drums, you see both Keith and John played drum, but not in a school band but a rock band. I remember John’s band was Baar Soup. I need to explain here so no one gets the wrong idea of me or how it was on an army base. There was never a problem with the “N word” it came out quite frequently as I have been called a redneck, cracker, honky, wasp and even “n” lol. That is the way it was, we didn’t hate each other and never ever took it personal, but let someone that was not a brat (our term for the military dependents) and he would soon find himself against all of us, that is the way it was. Today it would probably be different, but my friends would still be the same, the color of the rainbow, wide and diverse I love them and miss them but hopefully will see some of them next summer (2009). I worked for the army this summer, mowing lawns on a riding lawnmower (we had lawnmower races, lol) the red was faster than the blue. Old Man Fritz (a German national in charge of the gardener’s) had a cucumber garden at the shop (where we kept all the tools). Lunch consisted of a loaf of French bread we got from the PX (Post Exchange for the non-military) for 25 cents and one of Fritz’s cucumbers (he would always pick them himself) with salt and a coke. No wonder I was so skinny (lol). Between that, baseball and swimming, I kept mighty busy. On a different note, ran for Freshman Class President against my friend Stan and lost of course, but we had fun. MUSIC: Songs to come out: Dram On (Aerosmith), Elected, No More Mr. Nice Guy (Alice Cooper), Rambling Man (The Allman Brothers), Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (Bette Midler), Me and Mrs. Jones (Billy Paul), Will It Go Round In Circles (Billy Preston), Let It Ride (Bachman-Turner Overdrive), Behind Closed Doors (Charlie Pride), Feeling Stronger Everyday (Chicago), The Jean Genie (David Bowie), Smoke On The Water (Deep Purple), China Grove (The Doobie Brothers), Right Place Wrong Time (Dr. John), Tequila Sunrise (Eagles), Daniel, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Saturday Nights’ Alright For Fighting (Elton John), Ain’t No Woman Like The One I Love (The Four Tops),Mid Night Train To Georgia (Gladys Knight and the Pips), We’re An American Band (Grand Funk Railroad), Delta Dawn (Helen Reddy), Bad Bad Leroy Brown, I’ve Got A Name, Time In A Bottle (Jim Croce), Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh), D’yer Mak’er (Led Zeppelin), Let’s Get It On (Marvin Gaye), The Morning After (Maureen McGovern), I’m Just A Singer IN A Rock And Roll Band (The Moody Blues), Let Me Be There (Olivia Newton-John), Helen Wheels, Hi Hi Hi, My Love, Live And Let Die (Paul McCartney and Wings), Kodachrome, Loves Me Like A Rock (Paul Simon), Money, Time (Pink Floyd), Killing Me Softly With His Song (Roberta Flack), Angie (The Rolling Stones), Do It Again (Steely Dan), Stuck In The Middle With You (Stealers Wheel), The Joker (The Steve Miller Band), You Are The Sunshine Of My Life (Stevie Wonder), Ballroom Blitz (The Sweet), Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around The Old Oak Tree (Tony Orlando and Dawn), The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia (Vicki Lawrence) and Cisco Kid (War). The Albums: Aerosmith (Aerosmith), Billion Dollar Babies (Alice Cooper), Bachman-Turner Overdrive Bachman-Turner Overdrive II (Bachman-Turner Overdrive), Beatles 1962-1966 and Beatles 1967-1970 (The Beatles), Piano Man (Billy Joel), Los Cochinos (Cheech Y Chong), Desperado (The Eagles), Don’t Shoot ME I’m Only The Piano Player and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John), Foghat (Foghat), We’re An American Band (Grand Funk Railroad), Houses Of The Holy (Led Zeppelin), Dixie Chicken (Little Feat), Lynyrd Skynard [Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd] (Lynyrd Skynard), Tubular Bells (Mike Oldfield), Band On The Run (Paul McCartney and Wings), The Dark Side Of The Moon (Pink Floyd), Queen (Queen), Riding The Storm Out (REO Speedwagon), The Joker (The Steve Miller Band), Styx II (Styx), Quadrophenia (The Who), Live And Let Die (Wings) and Tres Hombres (ZZ Top). MOVIES: American Graffiti (Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Wolfman Jack and the Blonde in the TBird – Suzanne Somers), Bang The Drum Slowly (Robert De Niro), Battle For The Planet Of The Apes (Roddy McDowall), Brother Sun, Sister Moon (Graham Faulkner), Cahill, US Marshall (John Wayne), Charlotte’s Web, The Day Of The Jackal (Edward Fox), Enter The Dragon, Return Of The Dragon and Way Of The Dragon (The Dragon Himself – Bruce Lee), The Exorcist (Linda Blair, Max Von Sydow), High Plains Drifter and Magnum Force (Clint Eastwood), Jesus Christ Superstar (Ted Neely, Yvonne Ellerman), The Legend Of Hell House (Roddy McDowall, Pamela Franklin), The Paper Chase (John Houseman, Lindsay Wagner), Paper Moon (Ryan and Tatum O’Neal), Serpico (Al Pacino), Soylent Green (Charlton Heston – The Secret Of Soylent Green Is People – IT”S PEOPLE), The Sting (Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan), Walking Tall (Joe Don Baker), Westworld (Yul Brenner) and last but not least Live And Let Die (Roger Moore, Jane ‘God She is a Fox’ Seymour). EVENTS: Watergate Trial Begins, Bruce Lee dies, Eddie Rickenbacker (WWI Flying Ace The Ace of Aces, George Foreman beats Joe Frazier by TKO in the 2nd, Roe vs Wade legalizes abortions, JRR Tolkien Lyndon Johnson and Pablo Picasso die, Hagar the Horrible is created, American Indian Movement (AIM) occupy Wounded Knee, Chicago Sears Tower is finished, The Rocky Horror Picture Show opens in London, Skylab is launched, Billy Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in the Match of the Sexes, The Yom Kippur War, VP Spiro Agnew resigns after pleading no contest to tax evasion charges, Gerald Ford replaces Spiro Agnew, maximum speed limit is reduced to 55 MPH and Secretariat wins the Triple Crown of horseracing. CARTOONS: Yogi’s Gang, Addams Family, Super Friends, Lassies Rescue Rangers, Star Trek, Jeanie and everyone’s favorite, come and sing along – School House Rock (still remember most of the words to most of the songs, lol). TV SHOWS: Barnaby Jones, The Young and the Restless, The Midnight Special. Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In signs off for the last time.