JD after the Navy post 1 1st night as a civilian

    I walked out of the gates of Naval Supply Depot as an SK3 but was told that as of 2400 tonight your new rank is PFC, Private F'inn  Citizen. I thought about my time in the Navy about Midway and Nam about the guys I left behind. About the good times and the bad and wondered where I was headed now.
   I was scheduled to go to my Sister Phyllis house in Corning so I grabbed a ticket to San Francisco and planned to grab a flight to Chico from there.  I was in dress whites,  I loved the Navy uniforms, no tie to choke you, bell bottoms, and the neckerchief, but was ready to be a civilian.  The short flight from Seattle-Tacoma went quickly, and I found my self in San Francisco International. I inquired about a flight to Chico Ca. and found out there would not be a flight for 12 hours. I was ready to party and did not want to be stuck in the Airport over night so I asked about a flight to San Diego.  I was told there was one loading right then and I had to hurry. I bought the ticket and ran through the airport like a TV commercial Made it aboard and headed to my Sister Pats House. With my sudden change of plans no one knew I was coming so I had to wait until we landed to call them.
      After touchdown, and gathering my bags, I headed for the phones. Pat answered and I asked "How long does it take you to get to the airport? She told me and I replied well then you have that amount of time to get your butt over here and pick me up.  She was excited and hung up to get re4ady. (this was late at night probably 10:30)  I went to the bar and had a couple of quick drinks to celebrated and went outside to wait.  I looked at my watch and it was 0003  I was a Civilian!~~!~!
     I decided I didn't need my uniform but didn't want to go to the bathroom to change, so I simply started removing my jumper to replace it with my shirt. An old Navy Chief was there and Jumped my case. I told him I am a civilian and bite me I was going to look like a civilian.  We got into an argument and I explained that as of Midnight he had no say over me.  He got all excited and was calling the Shore Patrol to have me arrested for out of uniform. I completed the change and he was looking for the SP. About this time I saw Pats car coming, her and Sam pulled over and I jumped into the back seat. They pulled away with Chief still cussing me lol  It was great to see family again, but it was my first look at Pat & Sam as "Hippies" I had no problems with that anyway, just was a shock to see clean cut former Air Force Sam with long hair and a beard!!!!!!

My Car Wreck

  It was April 1967 I was on my way to see the recruiter and get my report date for active duty. I was approaching the intersection of Hwy 80 and Highway 111 when The car died I looked down and turned the key to start it again and when I looked up the light was red and a pickup had started across the intersection.  The car had re stared so I was under power, and I hit the brakes but too late, my left front met his right front and *Crunch*. We got out of the cars and checked, we were both uninjured, and we exchanged insurance info, before CHP arrived. His truck was drivable and after the officer finished, he went on his way. My car, actually my Dad's car" on the other hand was not.  I had the CHP push me off the road and I called my cousin to help me.  We used a Farmall tractor to tow the car  back to the house and park it behind the fence. I knew my dad was going to be really mad so I called my sister Pat to come get me. She took me on to the recruiters office and then to her house in Brawley, and we waited until time for dad to get home and called and told him what happened. He was pissed but we knew he would calm down by the time we got back to Holtville lol.
  The car was totaled and dad wound up buying a pink  1953 Cadillac from my Uncle Andrew to have transportation. This was the last incident to happen before leaving Holtville for the US Navy so this string of blogs is at an end. My memories from birth until I joined the US Navy in June 1967

Those were the best days America had to offer. No locked doors, we kids could run all over town, lots of friends homes to visit, people had good times without drugs families picnicked and did things together. Kids could pop up a lemonade stand on a hot summer after noon everything was cooler back then

Life in the Felon Tank:

I was placed in the felon cell at  Imperial county jail. 18 years old and scared to death.  My charge was Strong Arm robbery.  I found a bunk and settled into it. My plan was to keep a low profile and  hope to get out soon.  There was a guy playing Badass, saying I am a US Marine and you best not mess with me. Was he a Marine? I do not know. But he was claiming it and acting bad.  That night after lights out, a few of the real bad asses cornered him and worked him over pretty good. Last I saw of him he was hanging onto the cell door screaming for the jailer to save him.  I was aware that I was in bad company so I was trying real hard not to piss anyone off.  Monday morning rolled around and a couple of the guys wandered over to check me out. They asked me what I was in for, and I explained that I was in for Strong arm Robbery.

     The older guy introduced himself as “The Arizona Gunman” a guy I had seen on the evening news. He had started a crime spree in Phoenix that ran all the way to El Centro. Had performed many robberies and shot a few and killed at least 2.  His friend was likewise an armed robber, and they decided to take a liking to me.  Both were already 2 time losers and would be going up for life because of the 3 strike  Part of our judicial system.  They started telling me I would be going to Chino with them.  They gave me a rundown on how things went at the big house and told me they were planning their escape already and wanted me to be in on it and run with them.  They said when you get to Chino ask to work in the garden, that was where they would be. Told me we would steal the farm truck and make our break..  Well I was not ready to make a jailbreak, but listened to them because I had nothing better to do. Also as long as they were my friends everybody else in the cell left me alone.  We  spent all day Monday, and Tuesday planning what we were going to do.  Their plan was well thought out because they had both been to Chino before. I was sure I was going to prison. and that these two were going to force me to help them make their escape. I was worried  that I had really screwed up my life. Even when I was bailed out on Wednesday, they said “See Ya in Chino”. They had told me horror stories about prison life, and convinced me I was going to find out for my self.  Well Thanks to being honest with the Sherriff and with the Grace of God I did not go to prison.  Did I live a straight life after that? Not always but God Protected me and kept me from harm.

I did proudly serve my time in the US Navy and receive an Honorable discharge….And as I look back at my Jail Time I have always wondered did my “friends” tell me all that to scare me? To make me realize what could happen if I didn’t straighten up? I think that was their motive and it did work to a great extent!!

OUT OF JAIL:

    When I got home from Jail that Wednesday, I first called my sister Patsy.  Her and her husband Sam and I were supposed to go to the Drag Races the Sunday I was in jail, and I wanted to say sorry I missed it and talk to her about what had transpired.  Plans that Sunday were important to me because it was going to be the first time we had big name racers at our strip, “Gas Ronda” was the headliner and he was one of my favorites. When I told her “I am out and home!” she asked “Out of what?” I said Jail, and she was surprised because when they went to get me all Dad told them was I hadn’t came home yet.  I filled her in on things and she was not happy with me.    Next I called Meredith and found out He and Wayne didn’t know either.  They came to the house and we talked about it.  My car had been impounded, and Meredith took me to pick it up.  We cruised El Centro that night, and everybody thought I was crazy because I raced a guy ring in front of the courthouse, me being out on bail.  Time passed and I got a call from the Sherriff and went to see him.  He explained that my friend had said he would join the Job Corp, and since I was already in the Navy they were going to dropp the charges, but I had to contact the farmers where we had messed things up, and arrange to make restitution. I di male contact with both farmers told them who I was and what I had done. Both took my name and number and said they would get back to me.  Neither ever called me back.  Court day came and Meredith and Wayne went to court with me. At the hearing all charges were dropped and I was free to go.

      The time came and I headed for AFFEES in Los Angeles,   While going through processing, I was asked “Did you get into any trouble while waiting for active duty??   I explained that I had but all charges were dropped. They asked why charges were dropped and I replied “Because I was already signed up for the Navy. I was sent to some officers office and he said if the charges were dropped just so you could stay in the Navy we may not want you. He sent me back to the hotel until the next day and when I returned to his office he said the charges were dropped for “Lack of evidence”  I said fine if that is what they want to say so be it..  At that point I resumed processing and started n=my hitch in the Navy.  God had been watching out for me, ande I was on my way to an interesting life.

I have one more part of the Jail story I will post tomorrow. Life in the Felon Tank..........

Run in with the Law

I have said many times I have done things in my life I am not proud of. I have wished I could go back and make changes, but everything I  have done has made me what I am today.  I could go on telling my story with these parts but then I would not be telling the whole story. Will I admit to all the wrong I have done in my life, NO! but I will share some of it so everyone can get a glimpse of the real me. And in some cases will realize that my feelings on certain things come from my own downfalls.

It was a Saturday and a friend I had recently met had dates with two young ladies we knew. In fact it was these ladies that had introduced us to each other.  I was the one with the car so I went to his house and picked him up, and we phoned the girls to let them know  we were on the way. Well that was when we were stood up, lol, Seems one of the girls parents had grounded her and the other was not going alone.  He and I decided we would go cruise El Centro to kill the evening. At 19 I was the oldest, I believe he was 17. At some point we decided we wanted to drink a couple of beers.  We drove around town and stopped at the bowling alley to see who was there. I found a friend I knew was over 21, and made him a deal I would pay for a case of Coors and split it with him if he would make the purchase.  He agreed and we headed to the liquor store.  I promised him if anything happened I would never tell who had bought it for us, and to this day only he, the other guy that was with me and myself know who he was.  So my friend and I headed out of town to drink some beer. This was my first time to go out drinking, and I had only had a few sips of beer at any given time before. We had a 6-pack each and parked out in the country to drink them.

  We found out we had some things in common, and decided we would go camping the next week end we got the chance.  After the beer ran out we started cruising the country roads and ditch banks, not wanting to go home yet. We were feeling pretty good on our buzz, and as we were going down an irrigation road we saw 2 camping lanterns and a can of fuel. We decided we could use this on our camping trip so we stopped and picked it up, actually we knew we were stealing it but didn’t care at the time.   Later we ran across the irrigator sitting in his car and I still do not know why we stopped but we did and started talking to him. He was a Mexican guy and I or my friend did not speak much Spanish at the time. Well my friend decided he liked the guys watch, and we thought it would be a good idea to trade him the lanterns and fuel for his watch.  He did not know English, and we found out later that through our sign language thought we were going to pour the fuel on his car and burn him if we did not get the watch. This was never our intent, but he gave us the watch and the lanterns.  We were Laughing about that when we ran across some equipment parked in the field. We got out and found some tools and other things we took and then we vandalized the tractors and stuff. To make it short, we vandalized 2 fields that night and harassed another irrigator. I dropped my friend at his house and headed home.

     I made it almost to the Alamo river bridge going into Holtville, when my world lit up big time. Not sure how many officers were all around but there were lots of red lights.  I pulled over, and they told me to get out of the car with my hands up. I quickly complied, and was surrounded by all types of law enforcement with weapons drawn.

   They searched my car finding all the stolen things and put me in cuffs. They then drove back to my friends place where his house was surrounded and they had him in custody as well.  We arrived at the Imperial County jail about 0400 Sunday Morning.  I reminded him not to tell who bought us the beer and we both told them it was some wino off the street.  My friend was taken to Juvenile detention, and I was placed into the felony cell.  I did manage to call my Dad and let him know I was in jail.  He had always told me “You get yourself in jail, and you can get yourself out!!” so I did not expect any help and I was right.

    I found a bunk and laid down but could not sleep.  I stayed in my bunk (near the door) and kept my mouth shut.   Monday morning the Sherriff called me to his office and started talking to me. He ask me what happened and I told him everything just as it happened.  He asked if I had ever been in trouble before and I replied never, not even a traffic ticket. I told him I was in the Navy and waiting to report for active duty, and he decided to try to help me as much as he could. Monday after noon I was taken to the courthouse to be arraigned on charges. I had spoken to a defense attorney and told to plead not guilty so that is what I did.

  On the way to the court, I was shackled to a very large black gentleman. He said it I start runnin you better keep up!!!! I replied if you start runnin you are going to have to drag me to get me to come with you!!!! He didn’t run and didn’t get on my case back in the cell either. (Thank You Lord!!)  I was charged with “Armed Robbery-Strongarm” I was really worried now.

    I was in the sheriff’s  office 3 times on Monday, and we were starting to become friends, LOL,  He knew everything, and had a pile of evidence in his office.  They had found my Dad’s hunting knife in my glove compartment and he asked if I had used it during my “Crime spree” I told him No we did not intend to hurt any one!  We were just having a little fun.  During our interviews he decided I was not a criminal but a kid caught up in showing how bad I could be to impress another kid. He said he would get it arranged with the DA so I would be charged as a juvenile instead of an adult so it could be sealed into my juvenile record. He asked about who my family was and many visits were as much just to talk than to question me.

On Tuesday he again called me to his office to talk. One visit he said “I just thought you might like to get out of the cell for a while.”.  I remember the jailer telling me If I kept getting called to the office he was going to wear out a pair of shoes LOL. 

     On Wednesday, I was called to the Sherriff’s office again, this time it was to talk to a bondsman.  The bondsman would not tell me who had contacted him, but I narrowed it down to three possibilities.

1.    My Dad

2.    My Uncle Andrew

3.    The Sherriff himself.

    To this day I do not know who sent him, but he and I made a deal I had half his fee and would pay him the rest on Friday when I got paid. He did all the necessary paperwork, and drove me to the field were day Dad was working because Dad had my money. I did not go back to work that day but instead had the bondsman drop me at my house. I contacted my sister Pat, and found out Dad had told no one where I was.  I called my cousins and they hadn’t known either…….

JOINING THE WORK FORCE.

In September 1967, My dad had me start going to work with him with the Holtville Alfalfa Mills. They harvested alfalfa year round and dehydrated it to make cubes, pellets, and other feed products.  The basics of the process was for one machine we called a Swather  to cut  the alfalfa down and leave it in rows, which were then pushed together with rakes into a row suitable for the choppers to grind up and shoot into the trucks. The product was then taken to the mill where it went through final processing in to feed.  The choppers could not pick up too large a row and if it was not large enough it took too much time to get the trucks filled. During the summer the job was easy because the hay was thick, but during winter the hay was short and then and it was a chore to keep enough down for the chopper.  I worked for a week without pay, and at the end of that week, the foreman (Which was also my Uncle Andrew) told me I was doing good so I said “Does that mean you are going to put me on the payroll?” he laughed and said yes.   Problem with the job was it was 7 days a week and we seldom had a day off.

       The hay was thick, and we would cut a few sections and stop and wait for the choppers to catch up. Usually it would go like this. Get to the mill, load up in the company pick-up and head out to whatever field we were in that day, service our equipment and lay down a few sections. Then we would stand around and talk for a while until it was close to lunch time. Then we would lay down a few sections and load up and go to town or a local grocery store or café to eat. Go back to the field lay down a few more sections and stand around talking or working on our rigs until about quitting time and lay down enough sections to keep the choppers going until the night shift arrived.

   Many times if we knew we would not finish a field that day we would take our own cars to the field and work on them during down time. One day we were cutting a field behind the Barbara Worth Country Club and my Uncle and My dad were under my car replacing the starter for me. While they were working, the service truck was parked next to my car and I pumped my tank full of company gas LOL. Every body was taking gas when they got the chance anyway.  I was always grabbing a few gallons. One day in the middle of the week my cousins and I wanted to go cruising, but we’re all pretty broke. Well that afternoon I pulled the choke out on my tractor and then went and got the service truck and filled the tank. That evening we drove to the field and siphoned the gas from the tractor to put in my car.  This became a bad habit but we never got caught, although I thionk my dad was getting wise to us because he made a statement about it was funny how they always knew where we were parked. So we quit this process.

During the winter it was different, we had to keep moving or as Uncle Andrew said “:Cut‘er down and Move” a phrase I still use to this day. Another phrase I learned was from my co-workers.  It seems the swathers at times would get plugged up and leave a big knot of hay for us to straighten out. Many time requiring us to get down and spread the hay then rake it up into the row. So every time we had a problem, regardless of what it was we would say “Hit a knot?”  Again a phrase I have used ever since. 

   The mill had a contract with the New Holland Equipment Co, since they used equipment 365 days a year, to test new products. I was often using a hay rake that had never been used before. I was pretty rough on equipment. Both  because of my age and my wanting to do as much as possible as fast as possible.  One of the New Holland mechanics at the time once said to be “We’re going to keep developing until we have one that is James Proof!!”  Another memory was the day they brought out the first “Hydrostatic drive”  Swather.  Drew had to be the first to try it and he mounted up. With the hydrostatic drive you had one lever to control the forward and reverse. Push to go forward, pull to back up. Well Drew had the header up on that thing and when he pushed to go it went to fast so he pulled back and when he did the back end raised up like a reverse wheelie. LOL so push forward again, and repeat the process. That thing bucked him around and we all waited to see if he would make 8 seconds.   I learned a lot about working and holding a job from that experience, but did not want to make a career of it working all the time. Also in 1967  many of my classmates had gotten their draft notices, I did not want to be in the Army so I joined the Navy.  I was on a program where I joined got, sworn in and then had 120 days before I reported for active duty.

 So I continued to work until June 1967. During the time I was waiting for active duty I had my first run in with the law but that is another story..

Back to my "HOMETOWN"

   I always have and alway swill consider Holtville California as my Hometown. As I grew up there until the fifth grade, surrounded by my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and some that we just called cousin. In September 1954, Myself, Meredith, and Douglas, all started school at Pine Union elementary.  Now I am Very sad to say, I am the only one left living of us three. One other Classmate from that class I know has Also Passed, Paul Denton.  and I am sure others.  But the memories of those three are wonderful, I loved the Halloween Carnivals, Hay Rides,  and trips to the desert and Salton Sea, I was looking forward to reliving my youth at 17.  Meredith and Wayne were also excited as we had always been close, while living up north I had spent many summers at their house. Now we would be reunited. I was a senior and Meredith should have been but was struggling with school work. Wayne was on the Jr. Varsity Football team.  I reported to school and was given my schedule, when the counselor saw that I had had Senior English in Hughson he put me there again, but told me that it was not required in this school to graduate. I tried to get out of it but he said no go ahead and take it. which lead to some good times. Mr. Eikleberry was the teacher, and also assisted the student putting on the Jr & Senior Plays, I got to help him build scenery, and work behind the scenes which i actually prefer to being in the spotlight. Also After my "Checkout" interview at Semester, and I found out all I had to pass for my diploma were my 3 state required classes, I went to Mr Eikleberry, and informed him that since i did not have to have his class, I would park myself in the back and as long as he did not bother me, I would not disrupt his class. This worked, and often i would ask to leave and go to ag shop to work on something which he always allowed. When it came time for finals, he made his request.   As he handed me a copy of the Test I said "why do I need that I am going to flunk?", he Replied, i accepted your terms now I have a request. "I would appreciate it if you would look through the test and see if you have absorbed anything the past semester!!" I answered maybe 10 out of 100 and got those ten right lol and asked if I could go to Ag and finish my project. He approved, and after Graduation He was the first teacher I seen downtown, and I walked up and said "Hi Burt!. How is it going!" we visited a little and haven't seen each other since.

       After Meredith got put on a 1/2 day schedule when he got caught smoking, he and I would skip a lot of class. and another friend also liked me to skip with him so I missed a lot of school the rest of the year LOL, My sister Pat was an adult and could write excuses for me so that was a plus. Dad worked all day and went to the bar at night so was pretty much out of the loop.   Living in My Aunt & Uncles house across the driveway from them was a plus. Many an afternoon found a small group of friends playing pool on their patio, while Pat wrote excuse note signing the appropriate names to them.  Jerry, Meredith, Wayne Patton a few times, and a couple of others. We never got caught. My first class was study hall, and in would walk Jerry or Meredith, and tell the librarian the Mr. Hart wanted to see me in the Ag Shop, lol and away we would go to town or even to El Centro 10 miles away. Funny thing is it was never all three of us, it was Me and Meredith or Me and Jerry.  But after all that I managed to pass all my state requirements and in June 1966 became a graduate of Holtville High School. 

      Another Teacher that was one of my favorites at Holtville, was Mr. Hart, the Agriculture teacher and FFA advisor. He was really easy to get along with, and all the kids liked him.  we usually got away with cheating on our Classroom test too. LOL one afternoon we walked into class and the desk were spread all over the room.  He said NO Cheating on this test. Well of course after the test started you could hear desk scooting across the floor. One particular time, was the annual "Farm CO-op" test which was a contest within the FFA. We supposedly did not cheat on that one, and I placed third in our class. Not Bad but not good enough to go to Regional.  Well after the test when results were announced, a kid named Steve Merton that had placed 2nd told Mr. Hart " I cheated on this test I copied off Larry Pigg, the first place student. Steve said I would like to see Dickey go to regional with Larry. WOW what a deal. I indeed go to regional and at regional, I placed ahead of Larry, but again placed third in Region so did not advance.

  The FFA was in charge of concessions for the school athletic events, and Mr Hart put me in charge of that. We would sell popcorn, and coke and candy, and the money would go to the club. That was great, partly because I got into all the games free. But also a lot of responsibility  When we have tournaments I would be tied up for 2 or 4 days. The best game I could remember was when the Harlem Travelers came to town. One of their players came over during the game and said "Give me a bag of popcorn", the kid serving was shocked and didn't know what to d since it was obvious the guy didn't have money on him. He looked at me and I say just give it to him. He walked back on court and stood there eating is pop corn while the game went on around his. At one point the other team had the ball, and he handed the popcorn to the player with the ball and took the ball away from him.lol Since my uncle Cecil was a janitor, I was allowed to go into the locker room to meet some of the players. What a rush...
       Well that year came and went and soon There we were at Graduation. What now I had no plans, Vietnam was getting hot, and  I really did not want to fight but did not want to go to college either!!!!!!!!  I laid around until September and then gained employment with the Holville Alfalfa Mill along side my Dad.