Joined the Navy at 17. I came out of Great Lakes, Ill. as a Fireman Apprentice and reported for duty aboard the USS Yellowstone AD27 in May of 1958. I didn't particularly like 'tender duty'. Got transferred to the USS Bristol May of 1959. We made various cruises to Gitmo, one Med. cruise, one northern Europe cruise (which I missed because of a fractured knee cap I got on the weekend playing baseball with my little brother on the weekend). We served as Engineering School Ship out of Newport, R.I. for approximately one year. After another Gitmo cruise I departed the Bristol Feb. of 1962 as an EN3. Released from active duty June of 1962.

I met the girl that was to become my wife in Oct. of 1958. We married in Mar. 1961. We had a son and a daughter and now have three grandchildren. I hauled steel for seven years and then went to work for General Motors for 25 years. The plant closed and I went back to driving truck. Hopefully soon to retire.