I am a retired Speech-Language Pathologist who worked with adult neurogenic patients in hospitals all over the DFW area for twenty-five years. I have also spent a lot of time in the classroom, both as a student and a teacher, and acquired a BA, MA, MS and the coursework for a PhD. Not much of this was the result of planning, but of just taking advantage of opportunities when they arose. Since my retirement I have written articles for The American Thinker (3), Human Events (1), Touchstone Magazine (1) and Speakfree.co (3).
1967-1967, TDV-0000, Fleet Airborne Electronics Training Unit, Pacific (FAETUPAC)
Best Friends Dave Sheriff, Ernie Gerrard and Gary Brown.
Best Moment It actually snowed for about five minutes in San Diego while I was there. It was a good duty station, but too congested for an old country boy like me.
Worst Moment Driving the strand everyday from Imperial Beach to North Island! That's where my hatred for traffic jams was born.
Other Memories My primary duty while there was operating and maintaining the sim for the E2-A Hawkeye and the old P2-V. We also had a sim for a helo, but I never spent any time with it. There was a big helo base in Imperial Beach and there were several TDs stationed there.
Our reefer crapped out at the unit and someone knew someone who would give us a new one if we would just come and get it, so Dave Sheriff, at least I think it was Dave, and I checked out a truck and went to La Mesa to get it. We laid it on its back and covered the bed with a tarp that was lashed down securly. On the way back Dave was going just a tad faster than the speed limit (although we were taking back roads) and we were pulled over by a member of the CHIPs. We were both in uniform, and in an official US Navy vehicle so Dave convinced the officer that we were transporting a "red label" piece of equipment that had to fly out within the hour on a plane headed for Vietnam. The officer did his duty and gave us a police escort to the main gate at North Island where the astounded gate guard just waved us on through. I asked Dave what he would have done if the cop had looked under the tarp and seen the reefer and he said that he couldn't give us a worse ticket for lying than we would have gotten for speeding.
