Random thoughts from oldmcgyver

​     So, coming back from Korea the Army gave me 30 days leave and and a plane ticket home. Leaving Korea we landed in Japan to change planes for the trip to Travis Air Force Base in California.  In those days we crossed the Pacific ocean in a two engine passenger plane with 30 men on board and 2 stewardess. I felt really bad for the 2 stewardess because some of the guys didn’t know how to act like gentlemen but the girls knew how to handle their remarks and put them in their place. We stoped in at the island of Guam and Hawaii for refueling.  We landed in Guam at night, looking down from the air all we could see was a single light and they didn’t light up the landing strip until we were lined up to land.  We were not allowed off the plane and as soon as it was refuled we were off again to Hawaii where we were allowed off the plane but locked behind a chain link fence and then back on the plane to Travis AFB where they gave us a plane ticket home, 33 hours in t...

​     We arrived at the port of Inchon, on the West side of the Korean Peninsula about mid day and it took us the rest of the day to get off the ship and into some barricks.  Then, the next morning we got another round of 8 shots to protect us from various diseases. I was assigned to ORD 55 an ammo dump about 80 miles South and a little East of the capital city (Seoul). I had to wait for 2 days to catch a ride to my new assignment. It was a fenced in (8 foot high fence topped with razor wire) compound.  A small Village had grown up around outside the main gate and there was a lake just outside the compound from which we drew our water and the people used for bathing and washing their clothes. They would take their clothes and a washboard down to the lake and clean clothes and diapers. It was so dirty they had to really treat the water that we drew from it with a heavy dose of chorine, it was almost undrinkable. Got used to it after a while.       ...

​     In basic training I forgot the worst part, KP. Kitchen Patrol, during the 8 weeks of training I was assigned KP 3 times.      They get you up at 2 AM to report to the cooks at 2:30. The first time I was the last one in line and got the last and worst job. They had  seven assignments, two people for the dining room, two cooks helpers, two for washing and drying trays and silverware and a pots and pans man. Well, I got pots and pans man. From 2:30 AM until 11:00 PM I washed greasy pots and pans and while learning how to do it right I had some do overs. When you are feeding 200 people three times a day you have a lot of pots and pans, big ones.       So the second time I got KP I was the first one in line and hoped for a better assignment.  I walked in the door and was met by one of the cooks and he asked me if I had been there before and I said yes looking forward to, mabye a dining room assignment.  He asked me what job I ...

When I signed up for the Army, they wanted my High School transcript, gave me an aptitude test and a basic physical test and asked me what I wanted to be trained for. I asked to be trained in electronics. They told me to come back next week and we would talk again. Next week they sat down with me and told me they could get me into electronics school right after basic training. They said basic training is a tough 8 weeks and you don’t want to fail because that record will follow you the rest of your life. If you make it thru that then it’s unto electronics training, are you sure you want to sign up? I said yes. They said the only thing I could bring with me was the clothes on my back and a shaving kit. They gave a bus ticket for the Detroit induction center leaving that Friday. We arrived early afternoon. They met me at the bus station and took me to the induction center, and there my life as I knew it ended. Over Friday and Saturday: I had to remove my clothes and t...

BACK GROUND As you probably already know, my life changed at the age of 11 when my mother passed away and about 9 months later my dad married Della Parks. My sister Jean came down from Lansing in January for a couple of months to keep house for us. In February dad and I were in an auto accident and my jaw was broken in 4 places and my tenth were knocked loose. I was in Foot Hospital for a week and it was decided to move me to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor to try to fix my jaw and teeth. My jaw had already started to heal so they had to break it again to put it together right. So with braces on my teeth and my jaw wired shut and a bandage around my head, I came home with a bandage around my head and one missing tooth on the left side, which I could fit a straw thru to receive liquids. My menu consists of baby food, warm milk, grape juice, water that vegetables were cooked in and eggnog. I couldn’t stand the eggnog so my darling sister Jean took out the nutm...

(Credit: insite of life) I looked in the mirror And what did I see, But a little old lady Peering back at me.  With bags and sags and wrinkles  And wispy white hair And I asked my reflection How did you get there? You were once straight and vigorous  And now you are stooped and week, When I tried so heard to keep you From becoming an antique.  My reflection’s eyes twinkled  As she solemnly replied  Your looking at the gift wrap  and not the jewel inside.  A living gem and precious, of unimagined worth Unique and true, the real you, The only you on earth.  The years that spoil the gift wrap With other things more cruel, Should purify and strengthen  and polish up that jewel.  So focus your attention on the inside, Not the out On being kinder, wiser, more content And more devout  So when your gift-wrap is striped away Your jewel will be set free To radiate God’s glory  Thru all eternity.