Nearly Twenty-six years ago, January 1981, the U.S. Navy ordered me to Jacksonville, Florida for service. I was assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Eleven (HS-11), based at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville. I was just barely 19 years old. I loved the Navy, and I loved being a part of Naval Aviation. It is an exciting life for a young man, and I enjoyed almost every part of it.
But, I'm leaping forward. I was born and raised in the absolute middle of...of...the desert. China Lake is a Naval Weapons Test Station in the middle of California's Mojave desert. Ridgecrest is the small town that borders the base. All in all, it wasn't a bad place to grow up. Fresh air, mountain stream trout fishing an hour away, wide open spaces and the rest of the great things about California's geography within easy reach, made for a pretty good life.
In December of 1979 I joined the Navy. I left for boot camp in August, 1980. After boot, I went to Naval school in San Diego. After finishing, as I said, I received orders to Jacksonville, Florida. Really, to be honest, I became a man here in Jacksonville. When I arrived here, I was a know-it-all kid, who really knew nothing.
I met my wife, at a party on August 28th, 1983 around 5:00 pm. Her parents were friends with a friend of mine. This friend, invited me to a party at their house. My future wife wasn't there, but her sister was. Once, when her sister walked by, I remarked to Jamie's mother, "You have a pretty daughter." She replied, "Oh yeah? You should come back next week and meet the one your age."
That was Jamie's mom, always looking out for me. Well, I did go back the next week. The moment I saw her, I knew she was the girl for me. Within two weeks, I bought a ring and proposed to her. At first she said yes, but after a week, she got cold feet. I wouldn't hear of it. I got down on my knees and begged her to marry me. After much pleading and listening to my "Top Ten Reasons Why We Should Get Married" list, she finally agreed.
On October 30th, 1983, two months almost to the day since we had met, we got married. I left to go to sea the next day--which was one of the hardest things I've ever done. At any rate, it's all been good since then. Sure, we've had rough spots...who hasn't? But, we've never considered divorce. "J-Girl" asshe is often called, is my soul mate. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else.
J-Girl is an elementary school teacher, and frequently can be found reading a book about teaching techniques or some related thing. She is a true professional, and deeply cares about education and the future of your children. She is an accomplished chef, and reads novels of varying subjects for relaxation. As I pointed out above, she is my soul mate, and, this world...my world...is a better place because of her existence. She has given me two sons, and we are very proud of both of them. Certainly, they have done things that we find disappointing, but overall, we can't complain. They are decent young men, and we feel quite strongly that they will make their mark upon this planet.
Me? I'm a Federal employee involved with Naval Aviation. I enjoy my work, and while some days I don't want to get up (I'm tired, ya know!), I look forward to doing my part helping our Navy fly quality aircraft. My day-to-day job involves inspecting the maintenance work performed by the mechanics, electricians, metalsmiths, and other aviation related trades. Ensuring that the work meets certain quality standards. Most of the guys that do the work are very professional, and for the most part, make that part of my job fairly easy.
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