30 Years Ago.
July 9, 1976 was my mother's Fifty First Birthday!!! But however it was the day that I signed up for the Navy. I swore in the morning of the 9th at New Cumberland Army Depot outside of Harrisburg. I took a train to Boot Camp that evening to Great Lakes, Ill. I arove there the afternoon of the 10th. So the first full day of Boot Camp was July 11th, my 18th Birthday!
I can't imagine that it has been 30 years since I joined the Navy. Time has flown by. In Boot Camp and also my Class A technical school in Pensacola, FL I wanted to get a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle or a chopper. I never did get my Harley or a motorcycle until 28 years later and I bought a Yamaha 1100 V-Star Silverado and a Honda Silverwing scooter for Kandi. June 9, 2006 I traded in both bikes and got me a Harley-Davidson Street Glide (FLHXI) a touring bike. I really like the bike. I liked my V-Star as well so I will never say anything bad about Yamaha or even Honda scooters too. I liked riding the scooter as well.
Yesterday, July 11th I turned 48 years old. I couldn't believe that 30 years ago I was in Navy Boot Camp! Jordan and I went for a motorcycle ride and wound up at Shade Gap seeing my mother. I did get a little ride on my birthday. We came home 30 minutes late for supper and Kandi was angry with me.
The State College HOG Chapter was having their meeting and BBQ also but I stayed home instead.
After we ate I took Morgan (9) for a little ride out the road. He enjoyed it and it was his first ride since I put the passenger grab rails for them to hold onto. He held on to them at first and then put his arms around me and held tight as I went out the valley. I really enjoy sharing my love of motorcycling with my sons.
2 weeks after I joined the Navy Greg Ott from my High School Graduation Class showed up at Boot Camp. Then 2 weeks after that Andy Rutter showed up. We all joined delayed entry in High School. Greg and Andy both said it was better on them seeing me every so often out there because they weren't as home sick. I spent those first couple of weeks not knowing anyone, not knowing what was going on, not knowing anything. Yes, I did get homesick, yes I was stressed out about things. By the middle to the end of Boot Camp it was second nature to me. When we were leaving Boot Camp I didn't want to go because I knew I would never see any of the friends I made there again.
I look back on things and see that I have had a few different lives. First was a Grade and High School Student. Then 10 years in the Navy. During that 10 years I was married and divorced and married again. I got out of the Navy and started to work. I couldn't get any well paying jobs around Huntingdon County. Then I went in for Brain Surgery. My second wife left me. So I started a 4th part of my life as a College student. I first went to and graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College with an AA Degree in Business Studies. Then I went to Lebanon Valley College and got 2 degrees. A BS in Management and a BS in Labor Relations. So I started a 5th different life. I got married for the third time and got a job selling boats for a few years and then selling multi-media equipment (LCD Projectors) then back selling boats. Then my 6th phase of life happen. I was awarded total 100% disability from the VA and Social Security. So I bought a double wide down in Ft Myers, SW Florida. We stay there from Oct to May and up here in Cassville, Pa from May to Oct.
I have a 28 year old daughter, Christie who has 2 sons Joey and Mickey, a 22 year old daughter Jamie, then two sons to Kandi Jordan 10 and Morgan 9. I say I have a full life. Not too many people have so many different stages of life than I have.
What a wild and adventurest 30 years it has been.
I can't imagine that it has been 30 years since I joined the Navy. Time has flown by. In Boot Camp and also my Class A technical school in Pensacola, FL I wanted to get a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle or a chopper. I never did get my Harley or a motorcycle until 28 years later and I bought a Yamaha 1100 V-Star Silverado and a Honda Silverwing scooter for Kandi. June 9, 2006 I traded in both bikes and got me a Harley-Davidson Street Glide (FLHXI) a touring bike. I really like the bike. I liked my V-Star as well so I will never say anything bad about Yamaha or even Honda scooters too. I liked riding the scooter as well.
Yesterday, July 11th I turned 48 years old. I couldn't believe that 30 years ago I was in Navy Boot Camp! Jordan and I went for a motorcycle ride and wound up at Shade Gap seeing my mother. I did get a little ride on my birthday. We came home 30 minutes late for supper and Kandi was angry with me.
The State College HOG Chapter was having their meeting and BBQ also but I stayed home instead.
After we ate I took Morgan (9) for a little ride out the road. He enjoyed it and it was his first ride since I put the passenger grab rails for them to hold onto. He held on to them at first and then put his arms around me and held tight as I went out the valley. I really enjoy sharing my love of motorcycling with my sons.
2 weeks after I joined the Navy Greg Ott from my High School Graduation Class showed up at Boot Camp. Then 2 weeks after that Andy Rutter showed up. We all joined delayed entry in High School. Greg and Andy both said it was better on them seeing me every so often out there because they weren't as home sick. I spent those first couple of weeks not knowing anyone, not knowing what was going on, not knowing anything. Yes, I did get homesick, yes I was stressed out about things. By the middle to the end of Boot Camp it was second nature to me. When we were leaving Boot Camp I didn't want to go because I knew I would never see any of the friends I made there again.
I look back on things and see that I have had a few different lives. First was a Grade and High School Student. Then 10 years in the Navy. During that 10 years I was married and divorced and married again. I got out of the Navy and started to work. I couldn't get any well paying jobs around Huntingdon County. Then I went in for Brain Surgery. My second wife left me. So I started a 4th part of my life as a College student. I first went to and graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College with an AA Degree in Business Studies. Then I went to Lebanon Valley College and got 2 degrees. A BS in Management and a BS in Labor Relations. So I started a 5th different life. I got married for the third time and got a job selling boats for a few years and then selling multi-media equipment (LCD Projectors) then back selling boats. Then my 6th phase of life happen. I was awarded total 100% disability from the VA and Social Security. So I bought a double wide down in Ft Myers, SW Florida. We stay there from Oct to May and up here in Cassville, Pa from May to Oct.
I have a 28 year old daughter, Christie who has 2 sons Joey and Mickey, a 22 year old daughter Jamie, then two sons to Kandi Jordan 10 and Morgan 9. I say I have a full life. Not too many people have so many different stages of life than I have.
What a wild and adventurest 30 years it has been.
posted by Mean Joe | 5:55 PM
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