LARRY'S RAMBLE: 1958

Sunday, May 29, 2011

1958

Moving and moving on

We'll call 1958 Moving and moving on, that describes it very well. It was to be my finish of 12 years of school, I graduated May 18, 1958 from Milford High School. Two days later my family moved back to Maine, being "away" was too much for my parents, they were kind of home sick. We lived in a house that belonged to my Dad uncle George.
I tried to get a job at about everyplace I could think of, ended up digging up 'dead men' to make room for a trailed park. Dead men are weights the railroads used to tie to the ends of those stability cable that help utility poles stay upright. It was long, hard work - in the dirt and ballast those were buried about 5 or 6 feet deep, so pick and shovel.
On August 28, 1958, one day after Moms 45th birthday I finally gave her the present she wanted, I joined the United States Navy, she'd let them watch over me - for a good long time. Actually I had joined in June but had to wait because with the economy down a lot of guys were joining. There wasn't a war at that time - it came later.
Boot camp was, for me, a very different experience - probably for most people it was. We had arrived late at night and went to a barracks and to bed. At six o'clock the bugle blew reveille and we were off and running. A small breakfast, some beans and fried mush with sugar water, a cup of coffee and a glass of milk - and out the door. We got our uniforms, physicals (we'd already had one), dental exams and rifles that didn't shoot, 1903 Springfield's from WWI, to be exact. Heavy if you carry one and exercise with it from 6 in the morning until 9 at night. Never answer "yes" when you're in a group and the group is asked "does anyone know how to type?", that's how I got to be Company Clerk, it really wasn't too much extra work anyway.
I developed appendicitis after about six weeks and was sent to the Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, Illinois (that's where Boot Camp was), then I got pneumonia, I stayed in hospital until just after Christmas; joined up with another company and finished boot training at near the end of January.
After a couple of weeks at home, I boarded the train bound for Norman Oklahoma and my first school, Aviation Fundamentals Preparatory; a little physics, some math and lots of catalog and publications training. Oh, and a close up look at a jet plane - we stood in back while the engine ran to feel the blast! That school lasted 10 weeks then I was off to another school in Jacksonville Florida, Aviation Storekeeper, another 10 weeks. One very interesting thing happened to me in Jacksonville; I went into the Greyhound Bus Station for a cup of coffee, that's not too interesting. The counter man told me I had to leave "this side is for colored" he told me, I had to think hard to get the message; "white folks are on the other side" he said. Holy Cow!! Segregation struck home, it proved to be a valuable lesson both in history and in human relations.
After I finished in Florida it was off to my first duty station - Naval Air Station Alameda California, over time the best place I was ever stationed - twice. I met many people some friends I'm still in contact with after 52 years!