Loved it Bill! Smartly written and the imagery was “spot on”!
I didn’t get to grow up in that era, but my Mom did… I can just see her with her guy… them taking a spin, stopping in “their spot” for some “quick fun”
I remember many trips to Asbury Park, the beach, and the boardwalk from my 28 month adventure at Fort Monmouth, NJ trying to survive my interrupted college education to learn and then teach as an instructor at the Army Signal School. Being drafted forced me to enlist in the Army to avoid becoming a Marine and wasting a semester of college with my report date mid-semester. Delayed entry and getting a decent MOS of choice was improved by testing out of the first 10 weeks of basic electronics classes and being offered a longer, better course. Then getting selected as an instructor to finish out my Active Duty requirement without going directly to Vietnam and not collecting $200 was like a "Get out of jail free" card while playing Monopoly with your life at stake.
The boardwalk was a tangible option to distract me from the terrors of military service and growing up trying to pay your own way in life and your education. My life turned into an unexpected adventure of multiple paths that included travel to every state except Hawaii and eight trips to Europe as my military career extended to over 33 years, from E1 to E9 Sargeant Major while only belonging to three units: Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Advanced Individual Training at Fort Monmouth, NJ plus becoming Permanent Party status for the rest of my Active Duty period, then after a year of Inactive Reserves, I was invited to join a Major Logistical Headquarters Unit in Kansas City, KS near my home that lasted for over 30 years. The stories would fill multiple books but the experience and opportunities were amazing.
My civilian career as a Fire Protection Systems Engineering Technician took me to projects in every state and 10 countries an a lifetime of fulfilling my lifetime goal of always helping others.
Loved it Bill! Smartly written and the imagery was “spot on”!
I didn’t get to grow up in that era, but my Mom did… I can just see her with her guy… them taking a spin, stopping in “their spot” for some “quick fun”
I love this! Thank you!
I remember many trips to Asbury Park, the beach, and the boardwalk from my 28 month adventure at Fort Monmouth, NJ trying to survive my interrupted college education to learn and then teach as an instructor at the Army Signal School. Being drafted forced me to enlist in the Army to avoid becoming a Marine and wasting a semester of college with my report date mid-semester. Delayed entry and getting a decent MOS of choice was improved by testing out of the first 10 weeks of basic electronics classes and being offered a longer, better course. Then getting selected as an instructor to finish out my Active Duty requirement without going directly to Vietnam and not collecting $200 was like a "Get out of jail free" card while playing Monopoly with your life at stake.
The boardwalk was a tangible option to distract me from the terrors of military service and growing up trying to pay your own way in life and your education. My life turned into an unexpected adventure of multiple paths that included travel to every state except Hawaii and eight trips to Europe as my military career extended to over 33 years, from E1 to E9 Sargeant Major while only belonging to three units: Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Advanced Individual Training at Fort Monmouth, NJ plus becoming Permanent Party status for the rest of my Active Duty period, then after a year of Inactive Reserves, I was invited to join a Major Logistical Headquarters Unit in Kansas City, KS near my home that lasted for over 30 years. The stories would fill multiple books but the experience and opportunities were amazing.
My civilian career as a Fire Protection Systems Engineering Technician took me to projects in every state and 10 countries an a lifetime of fulfilling my lifetime goal of always helping others.
I wish you’d write them, I bet you have a ton of stories in you just dying to get out!