Chapter 1

As I wrote in my story "Gus", we came back from Japan in April 1964. We had the son, Jason, and a 4-month bun in the oven. I still had another year in the Navy. I had to extend an extra year to get 3 years in Japan.

This gave me time to advance in rate to SK-2, which allowed me to ship household goods, including wife and child, to the States at the Navy's expense.

My next duty station was in Long Beach, CA, (then Calif ... come and live in Florida). No way am I going to bring a pregnant, recent immigrant, language challenged wife to Long Beach. Just as well, I was at sea when my daughter was born.

Gus was left with my parents in South Georgia, where she endeared herself to my close-knit family, as well as the whole community.

October brought a beautiful baby girl, named after my Dad's Mother. That December was fine, even though my daughter was 9 months old before I saw her.

I was discharged in early July, 1965, one day before involuntary extensions for all the Navy. Lightning struck just behind me, but missed.

I was on the USS Valley Forge, a converted carrier which now was a helicopter assault ship. We ferried three loads of Marines to Okinawa, part of the big Nam build-up after the Turner Joy incident. Three round-trips to WestPac. I did get to take 1 week of leave in Japan, to visit in-laws. That was my longest stretch on land from late January until discharge.

I did get to go back to the town outside of Atsugi, to visit Satchiko. I carried two very innocent sailors with me, and she shook their hands (see "Satchiko"). Actually one poor geeky virgin wound up with her panties over his head, much to everyone's amusement.

Our Division Chief was manning the enlisted brow when we returned. He was pleased that I had taken the two under my wing, and got them safely back. He didn't know each of us had 4 fifths of whiskey, in neatly wrapped packages!

It was a long trip back to the States, but each Navy ship must do one high-speed run annually. The old girl was still able to achieve 35 knots, even though it took 24 hours to build up, 24 to maintain, and 24 to decelerate.

I landed a job in my hometown, at a farm supply/commodities warehouse (read peanut plant, ala Jimmy Carter).

We moved into my Granny and Papa's cracker cottage, which my Mother owned. One gas space heater, no insulation, one of the coldest Decembers I ever experienced.

My job was a back-breaker, and in addition, all the local farmers knew where I lived, and had no qualms asking me out after hours to sell something they just didn't have a chance to come get during normal hours. They were out hunting, or fishing, something I never got a chance to do, thanks to them.

My boss was no Hank Steinbrenner, and the wages and equipment reflected that. We were going into the hole, financially, and I was taking my life into my own hands each time I drove any equipment. My last trip, on an old flat-bed with a nitrogen tank mounted with 16d nails, terminated with me making an emergency turn at an intersection, flipping the nitrogen tank off the truck, and a busy intersection ahead.