Lot of thing happen

The year was 1964 and I was off to the US Navy boot camp in San Diego, I did not know boots camped, school and graduation, I did not go to graduation, was behind me. It was a time of great excitement for me; I was on my own, for the most part. All my friends and family were left behind. I did not know it at the time, but it was the last time I would see most of them, family not included.

 Well boot camp was going fine, something new everyday. It was about two weeks and we were all standing in the clothes god gave us in this big hall, and the doctors were looking us over. They came to me and ask about the surgical scar on my knee. I told them about the surgery and they ask if they could take x-rays of it, as if I could have said no. Now I was a reservist, I was supposed to just go through the eighty day boot camp, and then return home. They ask us if there were any of us that wanted to volunteer for a two year tour of duty in Vietnam. Now as I really did want to go back home, I was having fun, so I raised my hand. It was my choice and I did not have to ask mom or dad for permission, I was going to sea and the world.

Well a couple of weeks went by, and I was aboard ship waiting to ship out, we were to have our tech schooling on our way to Vietnam, we were an electronic maintenance group. The shore patrol came and took me back to Balboa naval hospital. I had left my sea bag on-board ship, thinking I would be back. The young doctor there told me I had some growths on my knee he believed it was caner and they were going to discharge me and send me home.  Well my plans just went up in smoke; I was a little scared of what he told me.  I was going to fly home in a space-A (space available, I form of hitch hiking in the military) navy transport plane it was a Beachcraft Aero Commander L26, prop job,

I was setting in my seat and they were starting the engines. I look out the window as the right engine started to turn the prop, then I heard a loud pop and the prop fell on the tarmac, guess I am walking.  Well we got off the plane and were give train ticket to get back home. Now all this was giving me a little bit of worry about my future, would I live to see 21.

 Well the train ride went smooth and I may say I did not care much , I was drunk on old Mr. Boston sloe gin  and 7up that a fellow recruit , hi Don where ever you are,  that was head home also had got before we left the base. I got home and my dad set up an appointment with our family doctor. When we told him what the navy doc said he just laughs, and said”you have had those bone spurs all your life at least as long as I have been your doctor and their nothing to worry about.” 

Two months pass and we got some mail from the navy, I got a letter with my dd214 and my dad got a letter from the war department saying I was MIA and presume dead.  The fellows I was to go with to Vietnam were all killed on August 24 1964, there was a paper work mix up, and I was listed as one of the missing they found my sea bag.

Over the years I have had a number of things that could have been my end, but it seems someone has been watching out for me and pushes me in another direction.  This last year when my wife pass I would have ended it all cause I felt like there was nothing left for me in life, but the month before she died an old and very close friend that I believed had died, I had read a obituary of what I believed to be him, came walking up my driveway, Richard that was a shock. Then  few days later, I was on Face book and someone posted something that I new about and I new their name, it had been fifty years since I had heard their name and had to check it out, they were part of a Face book group called “Remembering Ogden, Riverdale and beyond”. I joined and found many of my friends and school mates that I had not seen or heard of or from in fifty years. I have reunited with many of them and it has save me from doing the unforgivable.

I have had many surprises in my life and few that I have seen what could have happen to me, if it had not been for something or some being pushing me down a different road.

Has any thing like this happen to you???

Thank you for stopping by and reading my true story.  God bless