I'm a veteran!

     I served in the marine Corp from Nov 85 to Nov 89 for 3 years 11 months and 27 days. Sounds like a strange number  doesn't it. It's because it was the Thanksgiving  weekend and I was allowed to leave early due to that. I enjoyed the time I was in. traveling the states to different schools for training. I got married six months into the service, that was a challenge all in its own. I flew home home on a Friday, got married Saturday and flew back to Memphis on Monday with my new wife. The money was scarce but, we enjoyed each others company. After 6 more months in Memphis I was stationed in Washington state for more training. Ann had to stay in NY for that period, she came to visit while I was there. We got stationed in Cherry Point,NC. when I got there to check in I was told I would be shipping out in November on the USS Kennedy for 6 months. It wasn't an easy departure for Ann and I. She told me I wasn't allowed to leave. I told her to talk to the man with the gold leafs on his collar and he might let me stay. She declined. I toured the Mediterranean visiting many ports and seeing the sites. It was tough at times, I missed my family and my wife. I think I sent a letter or card every day and tried to phone when possible. By the time we left the service and I say we because, Ann was my support and she stayed by my side. If she didn't support me she would have left a long time ago.

     We had great time while I served, making the best of it. The day we left was pretty funny and scary. There was a major snow storm from Virgina north. We left late afternoon with moving van and car in tow. By the time we hit Virginia and DC it was snowing hard. Ann being 7 months pregnant meant we had to stop a lot. We got to noreth of Harrisburg and Ann says "Don't you remember the last time in this area we had to stop for an accident for almost 2 hours??" Within a few minutes I noticed brake lights in the distance. Again, an accident, this one was 4 hours long. During our wait Ann had to go to the bathroom. I told her since she opened her mouth about the accident and it came true she can go outside.(  She declined.)   I then took out my last soda from the cooler and pointed to it and said "there you go!" Mind you we made it home safe. (24hrs later)

     We had some funny trips like that throughout our days in the service and I wouldn't take any back. I will put more road trip stories up on another day.