WAY BACK THEN I was a radio operator (Pfc;MOS 2531) with Sgt Wille's comm platoon. I was promoted to LCpl by Capt R.O. Gillick in Nov '62,prior to his promotion to major and subsequent transfer to the battalion S-3. My running mates were Joe Fabrizio, Danny Rodriguez, Mick Shavor and Gary Wartick. Had fun at Camp Fuji and remember that several of us walked back to base camp from Gotenba the day we got the news about the Cuban missile blockade. Six-bys with megaphones blaring had swept through the area instructing us to return to base camp, so we dutifully marched off. Our route back was a circuitous one which took us, as I recall, to most of the bars which were open along the way. Numerous Sapporos, Asahis and sakes later, we arrived, singing "I'll Go For God, My Country and My Baby" in a drunken array of disharmony. The unit was packed and ready to deploy back to Okinawa. Ultimately, the Russians backed away from the brink of nuclear war, and the remainder of my tour was uneventful. This was my first tour on active duty, and for many reasons, I have always considered it to be my favorite. We had the most professional group of officers, SNCOs and NCOs ever assembled on the same unit roster, and we formed a strong bond that still exists more than 40 years later. Ooh rah!

AFTER THAT TOUR I returned stateside and served at various postings (CamPen, Okinawa again, RVN twice, Oki a third time, I & I duty and OCS and Basic School at Quantico).

SINCE THEN I retired in Jun '81 at CamPen and have remained in the San Diego county area since. After retirement, I was involved in the restaurant and bar business for 18 years until my "final" retirement in 1999. I have been married to my soul mate, ToniLee, since March of 1989. We recently moved into a new home in San Marcos, CA.