Vietnam, 1967 R&R (Rest & Relaxation)

It was as though the Devil had given us a pass from Hell!  I was on my way to Honolulu for a week’s worth of R&R!   On the plane, most of us were happy.  But, at the end, it was all overshadowed by the six months most of us had left in Vietnam.  We knew what it was like to have to go to war and, after our R&R, would have to do it again!    

One of the most wonderful memories of my life was walking into the airport past a glass wall behind which the wives and sweethearts were going into a frenzy of joy to see us.  I found Susan and held her for a very long time before we went to our hotel. 

One morning, a few days into R&R while Susan was showering, I sat on our balcony.  I have no idea what made me do it but I wrote down the serial numbers of the $20 bills I was carrying in my wallet.  I think I was enjoying looking at US money again and I noticed that some of the serials were sequential.  That little almost nonsensical act had a profound impact on my tour in Vietnam and probably changed my life. 

Later that day, we drove up Diamond Head to take pictures of the spectacular waves smashing onto the lava flows.  As we walked down the steep slope, three men were climbing up.  I had a bad feeling about them but they kept moving.  Suddenly, I remembered that I had left my wallet in the car.  No one in Vietnam carried a wallet.  When I got to the car, the wallet was gone. 

Suddenly, out of nowhere came an unmarked police car. A Detective asked me if I had lost anything.  I said that my wallet was gone.  The car roared out of the parking lot and up the road.  A few minutes later, the suspects were apprehended a short distance up the road and arrested. They were the same three men who walked up the lava flow.  However, my wallet and the money were missing.  

As we stood there awaiting a uniform car to take them to jail,  I remembered my list of serial numbers which I had placed in the glove compartment of the car.  I told the incredulous detective that I was providing him with a list of the serial numbers.  He stood there dumbfounded.  I remember him asking, “Can you tell me why you wrote those serial numbers down?”  I told him that I really didn’t have a good answer for him.  He just laughed and said that it was a moot point since the money had not been recovered.  We searched the area but to no avail.  The police left to take the suspects to the Station.  We learned that they had been under surveillance suspected of committing series of robberies in the area.   We also learned that they were “bad boys” who were dangerous. 

Susan suggested that we search some more.  After about a half hour, we found the wallet under three rocks.  We called the police.  At the Station, the Detective asked me again why I would have written down the serials.  I couldn’t give him a good answer.  The DA had to retain the money as evidence but they gave me $300 from a special fund so we could continue our R&R.  Two days later, we learned that the men were to be indicted and tried.  I was held over for a day in Honolulu but Susan had to return to her teaching job in New York.

What had been a joyous reception a week earlier was now a scene of somber wariness for the future.  A pall of sadness was everywhere as the wives and sweethearts filed back into planes.  Many of these couples would never see each other again. Those thoughts played inside my head until I finally cleared them at the hotel bar that night.  Since I had missed my original flight, I was routed back to Vietnam through Saigon where I had to catch a “hop” on a C-130 to DaNang and then a truck out to my Battalion Headquarters where an arrest warrant had been issued.  When I presented the credentials from the Marine liaison in Hawaii, I was returned to duty immediately.

My Battalion became part of Marine Amphibious Unit with the mission to attack the North Vietnamese Armies as they moved south for what we later learned was the Tet Offensive.  My job was in Operations and Legal but the losses grew in the intensified  ground combat.  We had trouble getting replacements on a timely basis since our casualties were so high.   

In early March, 1968,  the Battalion trapped an NVA Division on the banks of the Cua Viet River.  The Battalion Commander decided to take everyone off the ship who could carry a rifle for the attack.  Dutifully, with about 30 days to go, I got my rifle, pistol, extra magazines, and hand grenades and climbed into a C-46 Assault Chopper for the hop into Dong Ha.  

Suddenly,  a Corporal from HQ Personnel appeared and I was pulled from the helicopter.  I had priority orders to Honolulu to testify at the trial!  I went from the USS Valley Forge aboard a chopper to DaNang two hours later.  In DaNang, I was priority on the first flight to Okinawa.  I did three days of processing there in five hours and was placed on a Continental Jet for Honolulu.   Upon arrival, a Marine Corps staff car was waiting on the tarmac to take me directly to the District Attorney’s Office.  I was able to call Susan and tell her that I was in Hawaii!   I went into the Courtroom wearing combat boots and the utility uniform.  The trial went quickly.  When it was my turn to testify, the Prosecutor went to great lengths to stress that I had been in Vietnam and headed for commbat just days ago.  He asked me how I knew that the three men on trial were, in fact, the three men that I saw.  I told him that in our training, we focused on details to potentially save our lives in the field.  I then drew a picture of a tattoo.  I told them that if they looked on the left arm of the defendant, they would find a similar tattoo.  The defining moment came when the tattoo was shown to the jury.  I had other identifying details for the other two men.   The Defense tried to shake me.  He asked if it were possible that I saw them on the beach.  I said “no!” and told him that I felt potentially threatened by the men and focused very hard on them.  With the corroborating testimony by the Detectives and other witnesses, the jury took less than an hour to convict! 

I was sent to the USMC HQ in Hawaii Camp H. M. Smith.  I was apprehensive that they would return me to Vietnam.  However, the Major in the Legal Office offered me a chance to stay in Hawaii.  However, when he learned that I only had six months left on my enlistment and was married, I was given orders to Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.      

The simple act of writing down serial numbers plus some determined wifely persistence set in motion a series of events that got me out of Vietnam about five weeks early and potentially saved my life.  I often look at my Children and Grandchildren and think back to that fateful day in a hotel room overlooking the ocean where I wrote down the serial numbers!  Perhaps I cheated the Devil out of his due!      

 “Sleep When You are Dead”

25 World War II Veterans, 25 Marine Guardians, and 5 Honor Flight Staff assembled at the American Legion Complex in The Villages, Florida beginning at 0315 on Sunday, 8 September 2013 to begin their journey to Washington, DC.  I would say that the general atmosphere was enthusiastic anticipatory, and very happy.  Almost all of us had not been on an Honor Flight and little did we know what was to come!

Honor Flight is a national organization dedicated to bringing the remaining Veterans of World War II to Washington, DC to see “their” memorial on the Mall as well as the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Air Force Memorial, and Arlington Cemetery.  The motto of the Honor Flight is “All they did was to Save the World!”.  They are dying at the rate of 700 a day across the United States.  Even here in Florida, the numbers of World War II Vets are diminishing quickly.  The oldest Vet on our Flight was 97 and the youngest 87.  Like I said, we didn’t know what was to come!

Eight of our Vets came from the US Navy;  eight from the US Army;  five from the US Marine Corps; two from the Army Air Corps (later the US Air Force); and, two from the Merchant Marine.  Within this group were veterans of some of the toughest fights in the Pacific (Iwo Jima, Leyte Gulf & Guadalcanal); one who worked with the Navaho Code Talkers; veterans of the hard fighting in Europe (tankers, infantry, and one who crossed the beach at Normandy); fighter pilots and tail gunners in the Pacific; a UDT Commando (forerunners of the Navy Seals); US Navy gunners aboard warships; and, veterans who steered convoys across the Atlantic facing Nazi submarines. 

The Marine Guardians were from my Marine Corps League Detachment here in The Villages.  Among them were several Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan Vets.  I was proud of have had a PhD, Professor of Audiology, who taught at Gallaudet University as a Guardian.  She is an Associate Member of the Leesburg, FL MCL Detachment.  One of our Guardians was a former Commanding Officer of the Helicopter Squadron that serves as Marine One.  He flew Presidents Reagan and Clinton in this capacity. Our Honor Flight was the first one ever to have all Marine Corps Guardians.  We looked splendid in our red shirts, covers, khaki trousers, and short haircuts!

We boarded our bus for Orlando International Airport 0425.  As the bus pulled out of the parking lot, we went under an arc of water spraying in the air from two fire trucks.  Suddenly, two police cruisers with sirens and flashing lights took their place and moments later a convoy of 25 Patriot Guard motorcycles each flying flags snugged in behind the police cruiser.  We went roaring through Leesburg and other towns with people standing on the sidewalks cheering.  I have to tell you that I got misty eyes, the first of a lot of them to come.  We were escorted as far as the Florida Turnpike where we settled in the one hour ride to the airport.  We unloaded, each team getting a wheelchair, and assembled.

At Orlando, we were greeted by an Honor Guard from the TSA and a crowd of cheering passengers.  We thought this was unbelievable.  Everywhere we went, people would thank our Vets, cheer us, smile, and wave.  We were escorted by TSA through Security to our gate where volunteers with breakfasts served us.  My 87 year old Vet (the UDT Commando) couldn’t believe the attention we were all getting! 

We flew Southwest Airlines.  Our Group boarded first, settled in to our seats, and then the Crew and Passengers came aboard, clapping and giving our Vets high fives.  As the plane pulled out of Orlando, an Honor Guard stood at attention and the plane went through high arcs of water from two fire engines.  Soon, we were off!

We landed at Baltimore at 0935.  As we deplaned, another Honor Guard and more crowds of cheering passengers greeted us.  We moved through the airport and got onto a bus.  As we left, an escort of two National Park Service police cars and another group of Patriot Guard motorcycles surrounded the bus.  We had top priority on the freeways.  The NPS police pushed traffic aside and we quickly drove to Washington, DC to our first stop at Arlington National Cemetery for the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  The crowds were friendly and supportive all day long!

Our next stop was the U. S. Air Force Memorial which I had never seen.  There are three steel arcs going high in the air representing the tail exhausts of the Thunderbirds.  There are Memorial tributes, statues, and a spectacular view of Washington, DC.  We settled in there and had a box lunch while enjoying the view. 

Next up was the US Marine Corps War Memorial which depicts the flag raising over Iwo Jima.  We were further honored when Deputy Chief Commandant of Air Operations, BGEN Glaner visited us.  He was warm, welcoming, and enjoyed chatting with our Vets.  They enjoyed picture opportunities with the General and the Statue.  Of course, it was an emotional moment for our Marine Guardians and Vets who consider the place sacred soil.

Our police escort then got us quickly to the Mall and the World War II Memorial.  We unloaded wheel chairs and pushed our Vets around the Memorial Circle.  Most wanted their picture taken in front of the columns for their individual home states.  The Vets of the Pacific and Europe fighting spent time studying the monuments to those theatres of war with the great battles commemorated on the walls. At the “Wall of Stars” where one star represents 100 killed in action, we took a group picture in front of the 4400 stars representing 440,000 dead from WWII.  It was both a somber moment and a joyous moment as our Photographer finished his pictures people kept running up to take our group pictures!  There was more clapping and cheering!  Remember the misty eyes?  All of these stops were emotional for everyone and it showed.

We had about two hours afterwards to push our guys around the Mall.  I took my Vet up the elevator to the Lincoln Memorial as it was his first visit to Washington.  He gazed up into Lincoln’s eyes and read the quotes from the Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address and had tears running down his cheeks.   I remembered my visits to the Lincoln Memorial with lots of emotions as well.  As we came out of the Lincoln Memorial, we passed by another Honor Flight trip from Montana.  Our Vets greeted each other as we passed.  I did note that two of their Vets had “hospice care” tags on their wheelchairs. 

We then headed for the Korean Memorial.  My Vet  was wearing down a little and I was having fun pushing him along in the wheelchair although he was pretty mobile most of the time!  At Korea, you see a patrol outfitted with almost the same gear that I carried in Vietnam.  The statues of the soldiers on patrol are sculpted in a haunting, almost eerie soft white color depicting anxiety while anticipating the worst.  I am always affected by the realism which sparks memories.  My Vet had the same reaction.  We took time there to rest, hydrate, and chill out with some of the other Honor Flight teams.   

With time passing quickly, we went over to the Vietnam Memorial.  My Vet was shocked and saddened at the 58000 names carved in a granite wall.  We went by the Memorial with the poignant pictures of the dead left by still grieving family members or friends all these many years later.  My Vet was affected by all of this.  I showed him the names of many of my comrades and that of Jedh Barker, a close friend who won the Medal of Honor posthumously.  As we passed the final section of the Wall, my Vet shook his head and dried yet another tear.  I did, too. 

By now, we had been up for more than 14 hours,  I had been handling a wheelchair since the airport in Orlando.  We were getting tired physically but the adrenalin was pumping!  Soon, we were off to our next adventure of the day!

Remember our police escort?  You should have seen them in action as we went for a tour of downtown Washington, DC!  We went to the Capitol, the US Navy Memorial, the US Coast Guard Memorial, the White House, Supreme Court, and about every major Cabinet Department Building, and, of course, the Washington Monument.  This monument had been damaged a couple of years ago by a rare earthquake and is in the process of being repaired.  As of this time, there is an incredible scaffolding pattern on the monument that is so spectacular that many are suggesting that it be retained.  The jury is out on that one for now.

Our bus returned to Baltimore with screaming sirens, parted traffic, and we arrived right on schedule.  Once again we had an Honor Guard and fantastic reception by the crowds of passengers.  We went to our Gate and had supper at a nearby Food Court.  I have never had a diet Pepsi or Quizonos sub that tasted so good!  We gathered at our Gate and soon we were on our way to Orlando!  It was now 2020 as we took off with an Honor Guard and cheering passengers! 

At 2230, we came off our plane in Orlando.  This time, a bagpiper played all the Service Hymns while passengers cheered and a TSA Honor Guard welcomed us home!  As we embarked onto our bus, little did the Vets know that there was one last surprise to come! 

We rolled up the Florida Turnpike getting off south of Leesburg.  Everyone on the bus was either sleeping, drowsy, or just waiting for this to end.  Suddenly, the lights in the bus flashed on, the command “attention on deck!” given, and bus rolled to a  stop in front of a housing development called “Legacy” where golf carts with their lights on illuminated a cheering crowd who were waving flags and cheering!  My Vet said to me, “I keep pinching myself to see if this is real or just a wonderful dream!”.

Soon, the bus rolled northward through Leesburg when, yet again, police cruisers lit up the night sky with about 50 Patriot Guard motorcycles joining the convoy back to the American Legion Complex.  About fifteen minutes later, our Vets looked from the top of the entrance, down on hundreds of people who came to see them home!  There was a band, playing, a drum line, cheerleaders, twirlers, and fire trucks shooting arcs of water high in the air!  The motorcycles came down hill, engines roaring, horns honking, and throngs of people all shouting and cheering.  My Vet just stared and there came the tears.

We exited from the bus right into an honor line with the drums drumming, the band continued to play, people hugged our Vets, and it was a scenes of what I would call organized, chaotic joy and happiness!

The cameras flashed, news crews rolled their cameras, and we went to a stage where chairs had been set up.  In a brief ceremony, our Vets were introduced to the crowd who cheered the loudly.  Finally, at 0130, on Monday Morning, we put my Vet into our car and drove home.  Now, by the time we arrived, we had been up for more than 24 hours!  We came into the house and two of our closest friends, popped a bottle of champagne and a little wine and celebrated our homecoming!

My Vet opened up a little and started telling me about some of his experiences during the War.  He said that he had never talked about them but we spent about 30 more minutes talking.   Finally, at about, 0230, I told my Vet that our motto that day was “Sleep when you are Dead”.  I reminded him that if we didn’t some sleep, we might be “dead” and, so,  we headed for the showers and the rack.

You will notice that I use the term “our Vets or my Vet” in the writing of this blog.  This day was all about them and not about us.  We tended to their every need at every moment.  We did so with the understanding that our Vets would be recognized by name in the ceremonies but that we would be “the Guardians”.  We paid our own way on the flight and seek no special glory or honor other than to be fulfilled in a wonderful way.  Writing their story is fulfillment enough for me.

Honor Flight is running out of Vets to honor!  The organizers here said that the age of the Vets on the waiting list grows older.  The Vets on the flights are more infirm and less mobile now.  In the not too distant future, Honor Flight will start taking Korean Vets to Washington.  This made me think a bit about how much our younger folk know about World War II.  How much they realize that our opportunity as a Nation to develop and grow in freedom was bought by these men and women in the battlefields of Europe, the Islands of the Pacific, and in air over both theatres of war.  Honor Flight honors their legacy and I was proud to have had the privilege of being a Guardian. 

THE WILD BLUE YONDER!

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

And so, to celebrate the double nickel, I decided to take a ride in a perfectly good airplane and jump out it somewhere around 14,000 feet! Above “Skydive The Ranch” near Gardiner, New York, just next to the beautiful Hudson River at the Poughkeepsie bridge.

Where did this come from?

I’ve always been adventurous although am now considerably mellowed in terms of what constitutes a thrilling adventure!  Although I have salt water running in my veins, the sky has always fascinated me.  I love to fly, even took flying lessons for a time until I sat down and tried to figure out what I would do with a pilot’s license.  The answer was “not much”.

The paratroopers jumping out of their planes above occupied France during WWII were probably the first real influence on my psyche.  I had no fear of heights.  I jumped off high cliffs into the waters of lakes in the Catskill and Adirondack mountains as a teen ager.  I tried to get as close to the rim of canyons as possible to see what I could see which drove my poor Mother crazy.  Later, in Vietnam, I rode a number of helicopters into battle.  I even volunteered to become a machine gunner on medevac helicopters but my request was denied.  I loved to fly in Piper Cubs and small Cessnas as a passenger. I loved being up in the Empire State building or the Towers.  I loved being on the edge at the Grand Canyon.  Heights and flying were fascinating to me and still remain so to this day.  I am an amateur photographer so I have some spectacular shots from unusual places.

And, so, we return to the “Ranch”.  I arrived without my wife who refused to come over and watch me do the “skydive thing”.  I needed to get this out of my system.  I checked in with a rather beautiful woman who showed me into a room to watch a film.  The room darkened and, .lo and behold, there was the likeness of Charles Manson, beard and all (of course, it wasn’t but……) who proceeded to tell us that we could die.  Then, there were several variations on how we could die.  But, I trucked on….and soon we saw a film on how to pack a parachute and how to do a lot of things!

My “Team” had twelve skydivers.  Eight of them were doing single jumps because they were experienced, four had been US Army Rangers Of the remaining four were three 30 something males, full of bravado, courage, and BS.  The final member was me.  The four of us had to be schooled in actually packing a parachute, although we didn’t for our upcoming skydive.  Most of the session was devoted to what happens when it is time to actually jump;  pulling the ripcord at a certain altitude;  how to land out of the skydive; and, what to do if there was any problem.  One thing our instructor said that I remember with crystal clarity is “When you are coming up to the door, you will hear the wind howling, and your mind will turn to mush.  When that happens just jump out of the door!”.

We then met our tandem partners.  The tandem jump is two people connected together.  My guy had jumped over 1000 times and was an instructor at The Ranch.  He was ex-US Army and was the most experienced tandem jumper there.  He was lanky, long-haired, and very, very professional.  We had quite a discussion about why I was jumping and if I could go through with it.  I convinced that not only could I do it, but I would without hesitation.

Remember our threes macho males?  After they spoke with their tandem partners, the testosterone levels seemed to have receded a bit.  No more braggadocio, much less posturing, and much quieter.  Personally, I had crossed the “line of departure” in my mind and there was no turning back.  We spent the next half hour watching the teams that were to jump before us load into the planes, take off, and pretty soon you saw the chutes way, way, way, up in the sky.  As the skydivers landed, they joyfully whooped, screamed, and cried.  It was all good.

Soon, our turn came.  We lined up in front of our plane.  Being the oldest one on board, I was first in to the plane in position number 1 (first in, last out).  I was a little annoyed with that but there was some history of skydivers over 50 chickening out.  We were soon all sitting in our positions.  Suddenly, with a roar, the propeller started churning and we taxied to the runway.  No one said a word in the plane as it gathered speed and then lifted off into the sky.  I remembered being very, very calm with great anticipation.

Our plane climbed with great circles, each lifting us higher and higher.  We leveled off just under 14,000 feet.  The “flight Commander” announced that we were ready to go.  All that was missing was the klaxon and blinking light from military aircraft.  The pilot gave the command to jump!  The first eight jumpers went out the door, several seconds apart, and you could hear a “whooshing” noise as each jumper cleared the door.  Now, it was our turn.  The first two young males moved to the door with some hesitation but each jumped.  I am sure their tandem partner was encouraging them on as was mine.  Suddenly, the jumper in front of me, froze for a moment.  I kicked his back and motioned that he should jump or get the hell out of my way!  He moved to the door and was gone!

The walk from the back of our small plane to the door was was filled with anticipation for me.  Then, suddenly, I was there.  I looked down and everything looked like a little toy.  My Instructor said to me, “Mr. Davies, are you ready to go?”.  I replied, “Yes, are you?”  I then leaned out of the door and tumbled into the blue.

The first thing I was told to do was to put my hands out just like Superman.  I did and it stabilized us from tumbling to actually flying.  What a sensation!  As we fell, I looked up the Hudson River and was stunned at the number of bridges that I could see.  As I was marveling at the number of bridges, my neck suddenly jerked back.  My Instructor said that I had missed the cutoff point to pull the ripcord!  I replied, “Yes, but look at all the Hudson bridges you can see!”  He laughed and explained that he had pulled the ripcord.  We were in good shape!

As we fell, we started to do left turns, the some right turns, and I think we did a circle.  He was impressed with my handling of the directional cords.  He said, “See that little circle down there?”, I said, “Yes!”.  He said, “think you can land on it”.  I said, “I’ll try” and so we went left, then right, the left, and suddenly we were right on target to actually hit the circle (which when I first saw it looked like a penny).

We walked out of our landing after hitting the circle without falling down.  We later learned that we were the only ones who did.  I was beyond thrilled!

We had to go into a post-jump debrief.  My young male who was in front of me thanked me for “encouraging him”.  My Tandem Instructor said that I could probably become a “certified” skydiver.  I told him that I had now checked something off the life list now known as the “Bucket List”.   I was glad to have had this once in a lifetime experience  over the beautiful Hudson River Valley.

As the summer of 1965 approached, I was in my senior year in College.  Vietnam had blown up and on March 8^th, 1965, US Marine Corps Battalion Landing Team 3/9 waded ashore on Red Beach just south of DaNang.  I completed four years at Wesleyan in May but decided to return in the Fall to finish up my degree requirements due to changing my minor too late to take all of the required courses.  I was fine with that because I thought (rather naively) at the time, that perhaps Johnson would resolve Vietnam. 

Over the last two years of my College life, my career interests continued to evolve.  I did plan at that time to become a candidate for Navy OCS upon graduation.  As world events evolved, it looked like it was going to be a reality rather than a possibility particularly with the early bombing of the North.   None of this deterred me from exploring other options such as studying Law or a career in the U. S. State Department Foreign Service. 

Although I actively dated in College, I had determined a year or so previously that I was not going to enter a long term relationship until my military status was determined.  The draft had started up and was already snaring people that I knew.  Returning to Wesleyan guaranteed me a 2-S status for the Selective Service System aka “The Draft”.  2-S was a student deferment until after graduation. 

For the summer of 1965, I decided to go back to Martha’s Vineyard and have a fun summer for what I thought was probably the last time.  I looked at several job options and decided to drive the freight truck for the Martha’s Vineyard Cooperative Dairy.  This meant arising at 4:30AM, driving out to the Dairy, driving the freight truck to the ferry in Vineyard Haven, taking the 6:00 ferry to Falmouth, driving to the Hood Distribution Center in North Falmouth, loading the truck with an iron hook by myself (my loads varied from 12 to 18 tons of dairy products, driving the truck back to catch the 12:00 ferry, and unloading the truck at the Dairy and be done by around 2:30 in the afternoon.  I did this for 6 days a week.  It was a perfect job to leave some beach time and to have a social life.  The catch was going to bed by around 11:00. 

Martha’s Vineyard was a center of protest against the Vietnam Conflict.  My coffee house, The Mooncusser had gotten a little famous so it was packed every night with quality folk and mountain music.  As a long term “customer”, I always had a seat when I went even if I helped around the place a bit.  I almost never had to pay the cover charge.  I grew to really love that music and it is an affinity that I have to this very day.  I attended some beach parties with some of the bands who played there but I soon discovered that Ms. Mary Jane was very popular so I stopped going to them as the police were very tough on drugs.  I wasn’t interested in drugs at all.

I lived at The Wesley House which was an old Resort Hotel built in 1879.  I had worked there for the previous two summers.  The Owner said that I could stay there with full room and board in exchange for helping out when and where needed.  So, I performed repairs, bussed when needed, waited when needed, and worked behind the desk on a limited basis.  In short, I was a troubleshooter.  The Staff of the Hotel was all College students working for the summer.  They were from good schools and mostly were nice kids.  I was a little older than most of them (perhaps a year or two).  Among the staff was a woman named Susan Olson who, on a whim, decided to apply with her sister for a job in the Wesley House.  Susan had graduated from Augustana College (Illinois) and had just finished her first year of teaching in Littleton, Colorado.  Little did I know what was to come!

I had an active social life on the Vineyard that summer.  A girl whom II had dated on and off for three years was back for a little while.  I met a number of women at The Mooncusser, some of whom were more than very interesting.  But, as I said, I wasn’t going to pursue any long term relationships until my military situation was resolved.  However, as the summer progressed, I grew very interested in Susan.  We never dated formally but went out in Groups.  As things went, we wound up talking to one another a lot.  I remembered being a little concerned that she dated a Secret Service agent for part of the summer.

In early August, a crewmember from Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow’s yacht returning from a beach party drowned in the waters just off East Chop.  A day or so later, I took a date to dinner at Monroe’s Restaurant in Oak Bluffs, We were shown to a table for two just near some secluded booths.  My date saw Frank Sinatra and I told her not to bother them or even to look at them.  When it came time for me to pay the dinner bill, the waiter said that it had been taken care of with thanks.  We got up, nodded, and left.

The Civil Rights movement was very active.  Congress passed the Voting Rights Act in July but the violence continued in the Deep South and then, unfortunately, in August, the Watts riots began.  All of these events were reflected on The Vineyard with peaceful demonstrations, intellectual discourse, and great awareness.  Of course, in the Northeast, we thought that we knew it all.  We did not!

By the end of the summer, I knew with some certainty that my immediate future after College would most likely involve military service.  I also knew that I had strong feelings for Susan.  Since I used to talk about Susan with her Sister, Carol, who ran the bakery, I am pretty sure that I got “ratted out”.  But, I struggled with myself because of my impending military plans.  At the end of the summer, as we all said our farewells, I felt empty and drained.  Susan sailed off into the morning sun and I thought I probably would not see her again.

I remember going to the Mooncusser the night they left.  Someone sang “The Times they are a’ changing”…and how right that song was!  They were a’changing for me..and I didn’t know it yet!