User:Drhrsr/sandbox

J

Journey into Enlightenment

or the

Tracks of a Seventh Grader

By                                               Herman Roberts Sr., 5th D. Ed

Who I Am I was born on Friday, the Twelfth day of June, 1942 in a log Cabin located at the end of Estep Ridge in McDowell County, West Virginia. Estep Ridges lays Southwest of Bluefield Virginia and Northeast of Ashland, Kentucky and is known throughout the Nation for its beautiful mountains. The best Coal in the Nation and wonderful people. During my birth our Nation was engaged in horrific War with the Axis powers of Italy, Japan and Germany. The history of my name shows that Herman is derived from the Old High German name Harriman and literally means Teutonic Warrior or Solider. Roberts is from Anglo Saxon (Welsh) and means Bright Fame, or Shining in Fame. I am the sixth of eleven children born to Hannibal and Ada Roberts of Paynesville, West Virginia. Records indicate that I am a descendant of Cornelius Roberts who was born in 1746 in what is now Henry County, Virginia. Records show that he married Mary Benton in 1767. Further, records indicate that I am probably a descendant of a Frenchman named Pierre Robert who immigrated to South Carolina in 1656. The earliest memories of my life are of those crawling around on the floor of a house located at the mouth of Grapevine Hollow in 1945. My fondest memories of those playing around the Farm and listen to Mom and Dad tell stories about growing up in the mountains. I remember Booker Rife and Crockett Hagerman coming to the house on Friday and them singing and preaching to the wee hours of the morning. My most vivid memories are those of my journey to the Jockey Ground on Saturday with Daddy and him coming home from working in the Mine all black with coal dust and Mom cooking and cleaning for the many visitors that always show up at supper time. The journeys to the Jockey Ground on Saturday with Daddy were always a special event for me. Men would come from far and near to swap and trade farm animals into the wee hours of the morning. I recall one time Dad sold and re-bought a chestnut horse several time and at the end of the day still had the same horse and several hundred dollars in his pockets. That’s why people still remember him as the Horse Trader. Gathering wood for the heating and cooking stoves was a real challenge for us kids, we would journey into the woods and pick up dead limbs and branches and dragged them back to the house and cut them into pieces that would fix the stoves. I remember helping Mom wash clothes on an old gasoline washing machine that took longer to get started than if we had wash the clothes by hand on a washboard. That old washer was always a battle getting it started and a battle that we could not win. Thankfully, Dad sold it for a battery powered Radio which allowed us to listen to a greater World than the Hollow we lived in. Each week day and the other men in the community would gather around and ole Potbelly Stove and the radio and listen to the news and the Grand Ole Opry. During the week day us kids could listen to the Lone Ranger and the Shadow. In 1946 Dad moved us to a farm at the head of Grapevine Hollow and then Uncle Jim’s family moved across the Mountain. I recall making many trips to his house and playing Cowboy and Indian with my cousins till dark. Then we would all gather around the Fireplace and listen to the adults tell about how bloody Bones chopped up the family who lived down the road or how the Headless Horseman lost his head. It seemed they always concluded with stories about a haunted house that we would have to pass on our way back home. Each year around Valentine Day, Dad would clear the snow and ice from the ground and plant lettuce seeds and onions sets then waited until the last frost to plant the vegetable garden and the corn and beans. I remember helping Daddy and the other men in the community dig the holes in the ground and us kids coming along and dropping two corn seeds and two bean seeds into each hole. Then the older kids would come and cover up the seeds Mom and Dad had one of the better Vegetable Garden in the community that produced fresh food right up till cold weather. I remember helping Daddy dig a hole in the floor of the Fruit Cellar to store the fruits and vegetables that was left over. Those fruits and vegetables along with Pinto Beans were the mainstay of our Family’s diet. Our Family would chop up, cut or string up what every came from the garden. Canning, drying the fruits and vegetables required everyone to work to the wee hours of the morning. If you were going to eat back then you had to help with taking care of the farm animals and planting and cultivating the crops.

With the arrival of the first snow Uncle Carlos would come by and kill the Hog that we had raised from a little pig. I remember helping him prepare the Hog for the salt house. My job was cleaning and scrapping the hair off the hog, then he would remove the insides and cut the meat into sections. Mommy always took the fattest part of the Hog to make Lye Soap and someone down the hollow always got the head and guts.

When I was about five years old Ira Baker and I went hunting for supper one day and returned home empty handed, not looking forward to another bowl of bean. Anyway Mom had this ole pet Duck named Hitler that lived up to its name. Terrorizing the neighborhood, messing all over everything, biting us kids or anything else it didn’t like. Even the dog would get out of its way. Anyway Ira’s wife Florence had agreed to fix supper for everyone while Mom and Dad went to town. When they returned and found their favorite meal of Chicken and dumplings we all dug in and had a great meal. Mom never did find out what happen to her Duck and I wasn’t going to tell her. A Jersey Cow provided the milk and butter for our Family I remember going in search of that ole cow and hollering until my throat was sore. Returned home only to find her in the barn and fresh milk in the spring house and Mom smacking my backsides thinking I had been out playing instead of fetching the cow. Most of our meat came from the farm animals we raised or from the wild game that passed through the farm. I don’t recall a hunting season growing up Ira and I just went hunting whenever we needed something for supper. Squirrels, rabbits and sometimes a groundhog or a Turkey would come by and fill the cooking pot. There was always a large supply of white tail deer on the farm, but I don’t remember anyone killing them. Bad to the Bone

Dad had a little Cur dog that wasn’t afraid of anything I remember one day Ira Baker and I were out hunting and the dog ran something to its hole. We spent over an hours trying to twist it out with a forked stick. Finally, Ira sent the dog in and that dog dragged out or it chased him out one the biggest and meanest looking ground hog I had ever seen. A battle to the death ensued as Ira and that dog tried to kill it. The fur flew in all direction as Ira struck at it with a Mattock and the dog biting it and me trying to get out of the way. Finally Ira and the Dog won and Mom cooked and baked the Hog for supper. Dad's Blue Tick and Red Bone Hounds were for Hunting Coon and they only hunted on nights when there was a full Moon. The rest of the time they just lay around and slept. Mom always said that those dogs were only good for target practice and then only on cold days. We didn’t have any house cats growing up, but every now and then some stray would come by and get in and mess all over thing and Mom would get the broom and chase it out, then we would spend the rest of the day disinfecting the house with Lysol. I still don’t like the smell of that stuff. The journeys to the Jockey Ground on Saturday with Daddy were always a special event for me. Men would come from far and near to swap and trade farm animals into the wee hours of the morning. I recall one time Dad sold and re-bought a chestnut horse several time and at the end of the day still had the same horse and several hundred dollars in his pockets. That’s why people still remember him as the Horse Trader. Mom taught me how to read my first words from an old Sears Catalog that she had plastered over the inside of the house, then somewhere around my fifth Birthday Mom sent me to the Rock Ridge School with the other kids. We made the trek there and back each day throwing Rocks and other assortments of projectile at anything that would run. Everyone was having a great time until someone reported us to the Teacher and he lined us all up and busted all our back sides. It was a long time before any of us threw anything else. At the beginning of the school year Dad would buy us new shoe and we wore whatever clothing that was passed down from the family or what the relatives brought in. The Teacher had a few books and a few pieces of chalk and we took turns making the letters and numbers on the chalkboard and reading from the Premier. Our Lunch consisted of whatever Mom packed that was leftover from Supper. Sometimes we would haft to take turn eating out of a Lard Bucket filled with Milk and Bread. Every now and then I would go home with Jean Powell for lunch and her Mother always prepared something to eat even if was only milk and bread.

When school let out for the summer and our chores were finished us kids would journey to Bradshaw to swim in the Dry Fork River. It was the only clean hole of water in the region and kids came from miles around and played till dark. Cousin Media is still convinced that I save her from drowning during one of our outings. The Grapevines on the hill usually left someone with a bruised backside and their pride hurt. Then in early April of 1951 Mom went to the Clinic at Lex and got our new Sister Kathryn. It seemed like all the women in the family showed up with something for her to wear or they brought in cans of Carnation Cream for her to eat.

With the arrival of fall Daddy sold the Farm and a bought house at the mouth of Bee Branch Hollow to be closer to his work at the Mine. None of us wanted to leave the security of the hollow but, Mom packed up what few possession we had and Dad chose Cousin Oscar and me to lead the Cow to its new home. Oscar and I still laugh about how we pulled and sometimes dragged that ole Jersey Cow to its new home. When school resumed that fall Mom enrolled us at the Bradshaw Grade School. None of us were interested in book learning or anything associated with school, but recess was always a good time to get my knuckles skinned up. Sometimes fighting and scratching over a plug of Brown Mule Chewing Tobacco and I didn’t even like Tobacco. Winter came in with a bang and the economy became worse almost overnight. Then the Mines began shutdown and left the miners to fend for themselves. The State Commodities were the only source of food for most of the laid off miners, but thankfully Daddy knew of places that we could sort coal from the many piles of Slate that littered the area so he could buy Flour and Meal for the Family. The Coal Company paid one dollar for each ton of Coal that we brought in. With the arrival of Halloween we boys would go around the neighborhood soaping people’s cars and windows, throwing rocks at their houses or turning over their outhouse. Sometimes our intended Victims came out of the house shooting. I don’t remember any of us getting hit, but we sure could hear the bullets over our head. It was a good thing that Mom and Dad didn’t have a Telephone back then. In 1954 Dad went to work at the Mine in Virginia and he moved us to a house at the foot of Three Forks Mountain. Mom enrolled us in the Hagerman Grade School where James and I continued to get into trouble over the next two years. I recall one dispute we had with the Maynard kids who lived across the road. We took turns shouted and hollered at each other for hours until James finally got tired of the hollering and shouting and got Dad’s 12 gauge shotgun and sent some lead in their directions. Things quieted down until Dad got home.

A long hot summer in 1955 kept most of us kids indoors. I was promoted to the Seventh Grade and sent to the Bradshaw Junior High School. I was more interested in girls than fighting and scratching especially this one girl who lived up the hollow. Her name was Joan Sue. We started hanging out with each other, planning to get married with no thoughts of where we would live or who would pay the rent or buy the food. I arrived home from school one day that Fall and found Mommy and the neighbors frantically carry water from the creek trying to put out the fire. I ran in the house and dragged out a few of her pictures and things then the House seemed to explode. Looking back it was really a foolish thing to do. When Dad came home he sent us to live with relatives until a new house could be built. Joan’s Grandfather and the men in the neighborhood helped Dad built a new house. I don’t recall anyone getting paid for their work, they were neighbors being neighbors. It seemed that as each year went by the Coal miners seemed to be getting farther behind. During the fall of 1956 I quit school and went to work in the Mine. (I still don’t know why someone didn’t get me by the shirt collar and say no.) Anyway I believing that I had learned enough to take care of Joan and me so I started off my career like all of other boys making Fifty cents an hour. I still recall making the twenty mile trip to the Mine each day in the back of Dad’s old pickup. Arriving there sometime cold and wet and always returning home black and dirty. My job was taking care of the Battery Shop, dumping the Coal into a Chute, removing the Slate that had fallen in the tramway and General clean up around the Mine. Helping inside with the drilling and blasting the coal. Every now and then Dad would let me help loading the Coal Cards. That is where I celebrated my Fifteenth Birthday.

I continue working at the Mine and saved my money to buy a car and with Mom help I bought a 1947 black Plymouth Sedan in need of major mechanical repairs. Fortunately, Cousin Harvey knew how to fix the problems and after a week or so we finally got that ole Plymouth on the road. I was the only kid in the neighborhood with a car and not old enough to have a license so driving fell to James and Oscar. They usually just drove around the area looking for girls. I recall one time when they went riding and looking for girls and returned with a vanity plate on the front of that ole Plymouth that said “Bradshaw Hornets” I had no idea that it was stolen until a few days later a Constable served me with a warrant for possession of stolen property. My first Court case anyway the Judge fined me $18.50 for possession of stolen property. James and Oscar have never admitted to any wrong doing. In 1959 my Brother Earnest was shot and killed by Richard Breeding. He was Mad at Ernest over taking his wife Pearl to the Grocery Store. I recall running to the scene and found Ernest lying in a pool of Blood. We didn’t have a Telephone so I hopped in Dad’s truck and hurried down to Clyde Brown Store, I quickly returned to the shooting scene and provided what little comfort I could. After about twenty minutes the Ambulance finally arrived and we quickly headed towards the Doctors Office at Iaeger. Earnest never regained consciousness and died while we waited for a Coal train to clear the tracks at Iaeger. He was Twenty years old and I still think of him. My financial life was a mess and if, Joan and I were ever going to get married my financial condition had to change. Cousin Everett suggested the Marines. He said they would point me in the right direction. I finally convinced Mom and Dad to let me join the Corps and reported to Parris Island South Carolina in July of 1960. Arriving there as a malnourished boy from the Mountains of West Virginia with something to prove to myself and to the world. I had no idea what awaited. The first few days and nights all ran together with the DI’s hollering, shouting and moving us from one place to another. I remember thinking they will eventually get tired of all this hollering and screaming and let us get some rest. I was wrong they just increased the pace moving us from one place to another. After a few days I noticed that some of the recruit had left and no one knew what happened to them until the Senior DI told us that he had ran them off and he was going to weed out the rest of us. I was determined to finish and be there at the end and to think all of this pain and suffering for Eight-three dollars a month, what was I thinking? Training day and night at least that’s the way it seemed until everything fell in place, we were finally certified to be physically and mentally fit to serve the Corps. Our Commanding Officer said we I had been by the rights of passage to be a part of the Few and the Proud. I wasn’t quite sure what he meant. Anyway, I was now a United States Marine. Upon graduation from Boot Camp I was transferred to the Advanced Infantry Training School at Camp Geiger, North Carolina to learn the ways of the Infantry. From November to December 1960 was devoted to learning new ways to kill our fellow man. After training I was granted ten days of leave to visit Mom and Dad and Joan’s Family before my journey to the Fleet Marine Force in the Pacific.

Okinawa bound

In December of 1960, I boarded a plane for my journey to Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California and was assigned to a Fleet Marine Corps Replacement Company. The next few weeks were spent learning about the Orient and the ways of the Fleet. Then we embarked aboard the USS Breckinridge for our journey to Okinawa. I became seasick before the ship even left the dock and I was beginning to understand what some of the ole salts said about how they would rather die than get back on a ship. After a few days my stomach finally settled down and by the time we arrived at the US Naval Base in Honolulu Hawaii we had completed most our training to become members of an Amphibious Assault Group. At that time I really didn’t know what an Amphibious Assault group was, anyway all hands were mustered to honor to those who had had died when Armed Forces of Japan attacked us on December 7, 1941. I had to stay onboard and guard the ship while my shipmate went ashore. The next morning I finally had my feet on solid ground. LT Copper and I just wandered around the Island for a few days taking in the sights and sounds of Hawaii. Truly a beautiful place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. The USS Breckenridge continued its journey to the Naval Port at Sasebo Japan. I was excited about my first visit to a foreign country until I disembarked and found all of the locals wearing surgical face masks. They were experiencing a Flu epidemic and I did not want to catch the Flu. So I headed back to the ship and remained there for the rest of our visit. Then on to Naha Okinawa, then we headed to Camp Hague and the 12th Marine Regiment. It was hard to believe what the Marines had done to this Island sixteen years earlier. Okinawa was the last Island the Marines took from the Japanese during World War II. A battle that costs tens of thousands lives, hundreds of thousand injuries and almost destroyed every living thing on the Island. After fifteen years the Naval and Civil engineers had returned it to its previous status as the Gem of the Pacific. With almost perfect weather, this place was truly and Island Paradise and had the best Coral Reefs in the Region. It’s no wonder the Japanese fought so hard to keep the Island. The next morning I was taking a shower when I was introduced to some of the Japanese culture. The prettiest girl I had seen since Joan came into the Head (Marine term for bathroom) and totally ignored me and all of my glory. Here I was in the middle of nowhere and over ten thousand miles from Home and on an Island Paradise and It looked like I was going to be staying here for thirteen months. Oh well! Somebody had to do this kind work and it looked like I was stuck with it. It seemed that the Japanese were always working at something. Men and Women worked side by side in the Rice Paddies as half naked young girls played in the streets. This was a place where Men and Women took baths together with total strangers and no one seemed to care. Oh well! I would have to learn to deal with my new environment. Steel Rain

I assumed my duties with the G-4 Logistic Section 12th Marines in early February of 1961. This Regiment was responsible for Artillery Support within the 3rd Division. I would soon learn what the Regiment’s Motto meant. I settled into learning what was expected of me and trying to keep pace with those old salts and staying out of the way of those College Graduates better known as Sir. The first few weeks were spent getting to know the Section, learning how to prepare documentation on loading an Assault Ship, how to evacuate the dead and injured from the battlefield. Life became a routine of skills and drills and the days and weeks just flew by. In early June of 1961 the Regiment packed up and embarked aboard the USS Tom Green County for a voyage to Lebanon. I had no idea where we going. The old salts said we were going there to support the Government of Lebanon and it was about half a World away it would take about a month to get there. I didn’t like being cooped up aboard a ship for days on end. We spent most of the time on skills and drills and just hanging out with our friends.

When things settled down in Lebanon the Regiment was directed to Japan for an Amphibious Landing. Our landing was uneventful. We formed a convoy and headed towards Mt. Fuji to practice Fire Control. I was driving the CO in the lead vehicle and immediately headed to the right side of the road as the entire Regiment followed in my tracks. After several minutes the CO told me that the Japanese drove on the left side of the road. You should have seen the Japanese Media filming our convoy as we moved to the left. They are probably still laughing about our flawless landing.

My most memorable event was after we arrival at Mt. Fuji. We had set up our tents and prepared our weapons for an artillery barrage for the next morning. All Hands were ready and the weapons were primed to fire as we waited for the Fire Control Officer to plot a solution. Then just as we were going to blast a big hole in Mt. Fuji everything came to an abrupt halt by a Forward Observer who had spotted Japanese protesting our firing on their sacred Mountain. What they could not do during World War II was accomplished by a few dedicated Japanese. Later that week a Typhoon came ashore and destroyed most of our equipment and supplies and we limped back to Camp Sukiran to regroup. This should have been a sign of things to come.

Our return trip to Okinawa was peaceful and quiet and things had begin to settle down around Regimental Headquarters when the Regiment was notified to deploy its resources to Thailand to assist SEATO. During my time with the Regiment it seems that the Chinese were always in a state of resentment over Taiwan. It appeared that we were going to go to war with China over an Island I had never heard of and against a Government that we rescued from the Japanese during the World War II. None of this made any sense to me. Anyway the Regiment began loading Marines and materials aboard ships and quickly departed towards Taiwan. I was beginning to understand what the ole salts said about Marines being the “First to go and the last to know” anyway after a few days the Navy set up picket lines off the Straits of Taiwan. We took up our assault positions and waited. Then just as quickly the Chinese and Taiwanese were able to solve their problem and the threat simmered down. We returned to our bases on Okinawa in late June of 1961. I learned later this dispute over Taiwan had been going on for years and it was getting to be a habit for Marines Units assigned to the 3rd Division. The problem even still exists today. Jan –Oct 61. In late October of 1961 a shortage of Personnel plagued the Regiment. I was transferred to the S-1 Staff and assigned to the Military Postal Department. I would now be collecting and depositing the daily funds from the Marine Post Offices scattered around the Island. I didn’t understand what this had to do with Logistics, but who was I to complain. Anyway I now had three hot meals a day and a hot shower every morning Saturday afternoon and Sundays off. What a way to prepare for a war. I continued working there until January of 1962 and was awarded a Letter of Appreciation by the Commanding General. Then the Corps extended my tour of duty for ninety days and transferred me to Regimental Headquarters to learn administration procedures and then my tour of duty was completed.

I had grown used to the daily skill and drills associated with an Artillery Brigade and had mix feelings about leaving. Anyway I was dispatched back to the States and didn’t like the idea of that long journey by ship back to San Diego. We had been at sea about a week when the fresh water station tore up and we had to take our daily showers in sea water and everyone was restricted to about ½ gallon of fresh water a day to rinse off. I still don’t like salt water - Awarded a Letter of Appreciation and my Platoon gave me a Swagger Stick. Nov 60- Jan 62. Here we go again

I returned to the States in April of 1962 and went home to visit Joan and the Family and then reported to Marine Attack Squadron-332 at Cherry Point, North Carolina. Three Thirty-Two is a Front Line Fighter Squadron responsible for a Security Zone along the Eastern part of the United States. After getting to know everyone in the Administrative Section things began to settle down into a daily routine. Then in May of 1962 I went home and Dad and Clara took Joan and me to Lebanon, Virginia for our Wedding. I still recall having only eleven dollars in my wallet and giving the Minister five dollars for his service. We really did start off our Marriage with almost nothing. I returned to Cherry Point and went to see the Housing Officer to apply for Quarters for Joan and was promptly told that the only way that Joan could move on base would be if she was pregnant. I call her with the news and Doctor Whitley signed the necessary paperwork to make her pregnant. I went home to pickup and gather up some pots and pans from Mom and Clara and some canned food from Mom and her neighbor. The next day Cousin Everett and his wife Mary drove us to Cherry Point and Joan and I moved into Base Housing unit 619B. It t didn’t take Joan long to get to know everyone on the block. She and some of our new neighbors dressed up our apartment using the Corps sheets for curtains and throws. I have always believed they knew it was illegal but they did it anyway. The Marine Corps provided a place for us to live and everyone else helped with whatever they had. The Marines and their family treated everyone like one big family. I recall many times some young Marines coming by with trays of T-Bone or sirloin steaks. Sometimes bringing over a tray of cake, fruit or whatever was left over from the mess hall. We all shared the bounty with our friends and neighbor. The Corps had to know what was going on with the leftover food. After about several months of Marital Bliss rumors begin circulating around that the Squadron would be making an invasion somewhere along the West Coast of Africa. We prepared for our invasion by deploying to The Fentress Air Station in Virginia where we worked almost day and night living and working in tents in support of the Pilots running Air Combat Maneuvers. My most memorable moment was when a tremendous thunder storm came in late one night and flooded the area. I recall waking up as I floated out the door on my air mattress. We cleaned up and gathered up and returned to our Cherry Point as the drum of war beat a steady beat. The Corps sent all Dependents home during our deployment so I went Home to pickup up Joan and returned to the Air Station and waited. The News Media began reporting that our U-2’s had photographed the Russians placing Offensive Missiles in Cuba. 14 days in October We had been on and off alert for most of the summer and I was not surprised when the Sergeant Major called and said get over here with your Gear now! I could hear the stress in his Voice and knew that something was wrong and figured that he needed my help in securing a down aircraft. Anyway I grabbed my gear and kissed Joan good bye, not realizing that it would be a long time before I would see her again and rushed back to the Squadron and found everyone packing up equipment, records and material as our Pilots prepared for immediate Launch. The rest of the Squadron embarked aboard an airline and headed for places unknown. After about two hours in the air we landed at a Naval Airstrip and our Jets immediately established a secure Zone as members of the 2nd Marine Division and the 102nd Airborne Division were afloat off the Coast of Cuba.

The next few days were a constant blur as Marines and Materials poured into our Forward Operation area. The CO said we're preparing for an Air assault. Later that week one of our Naval Pilot Photographed the Missiles in Cuba. Then the Navy established a picket line around Cuba and we all waited. President Kennedy announced to the World that the Offensive Missiles in Cuba were a threat to the Security of the United States and they would to be removed. I knew the situation was beyond serious when we went Defense Condition II on the morning of the 24th and our B-52 Bombers were assigned targets in Russia. The Russians had set in motion events that could destroy most of Civilization if not the entire world. A war with the USSR seemed a foregone conclusion and such a war could cost hundreds of millions of lives and untold damage to the world ecosystem.

The day the World Stood Still Tensions between our two countries became much worse on the 27th of October when the Cubans shot done one of our U-2’s. You could hear a hush all over the world as the fate of millions hung in the balance. The preverbal stuff was about to hit the fan and we were going to take the first bite. We went to full combat status waited and prayed. It didn’t appear that any people living in Cuba, those in the proposed target areas in Russia or any of us would come out of this alive. Castro wanted the Russians to blast us off the map. I often wonder if he really was that stupid. After numerous prayers from around the world and many stressful days and nights and with the worse possible outcome just a push button away the crisis came to an abrupt halt on the 28th. The leadership in Russia and our Government had finally come to their senses. The Russians would remove their missiles, if we would not invade Cuba. We breathed a collective sigh of relief and it looked like we were going to live to fight another day. The fate of millions had been spared. The United Nation agreed to supervise the removal of the Missiles and all of our Military Force around the world stood down. This was the closest the World had ever come to being destroyed by a Nuclear War. We could no longer take a chance that the Nuclear Genie could get out of its bottle and destroy the World. The Leaders on both sides of the Atlantic established a direct radio-telephone contact between the Premier of USSR and our President to defuse any future nuclear events. I believe this Crisis was a direct result of our non-involvement in the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April of 1961. President Kennedy had promised to back the Invasion of Cuba with Marine and Naval air support and then changed his mind at the last moment leaving thousands of Cuban Freedom fighters to be slaughtered on the beaches waiting for our help. The CIA planned attack had been a disaster from the beginning. Four of our Pilots were killed in this Invasion and Over 1,100 Freedom fighters were taken prisoner. Most of the prisoners were released to the United States in exchange for $53 million in Food and Medicine. This Invasion had been a total failure and an embarrassment for the United States and at the United Nations. Our non-involvement in that Invasion emboldens the Russian and made us appear weak and undeceived. The Cuban Missile crisis had brought the World to the brink of a Nuclear War and we stood firm, thus became more determined than ever to confront Communism around the world. I believe that this Crisis encouraged the United States Policy makers to embark on another adventure that would result in the death of Tens of thousands, if not Millions and Billions of dollars loss in a small Asian Country called Viet Nam. This Crisis allowed me to demonstrate my abilities to manage things. In early November the Squadron returned to Cherry Point and I was placed in charge of the Management and Accounting Section and then in June of 1963 I was appointed as the Administrative Chief of Marine Fighter Squadron 332. My duties would require me to be responsible for maintaining all records, documents prepared, published or distributed within the Command. My appointment resulted in me becoming the youngest and lowest rank Admin Chief in the Corps. I was a twenty-one year old Eighth grade drop out with no formal education and now the Corps was awarded me a Meritorious Mast and a Meritoriously Promotion to Corporal for Managing and Maintaining the Squadron Personnel and Classified records, now I was on the right track. - March 1962-Dec 1964 My first tour with the Marines had been very interesting to say the least. I reenlisted on the 18th day of October for an assignment at Marine Barracks, Jacksonville, Florida. With my reenlistment bonus in hand, Joan and I went down to the local Ford dealer and bought a new Ford. We gathered up our personal possession and the Corps packed up our meager possessions and moved us to Jacksonville, Florida.

At Marine Barracks I was assigned to the Legal Section to prepare legal documents and transport documents and Marine prisoners throughout the Region. I had just settled in to my new position at the Barracks when President Johnson sent some of our Marines to the Dominican Republic to restore order. When the causalities began arriving I was dispatched as the Hospital as their Liaison to ensure that their personal and Logistic records were prepared and maintained and to function as the contact for the Doctors and Marine Staff. Our incursion into the Dominican Republic cost the lives of thirty Marines and several hundreds wounded. Back to the Island

In September of 1966 I was Promote to Sergeant and selected to train at the DI School, Parris Island, South Carolina. I was a Noncommissioned Officer in the most lethal Military force in the history of the world and on the right track marching straight ahead when it all came undone. After several weeks of training at the DI School an injury to my lower back sent me to the Hospital. I was withdrawn from the class, but determined to continue my career in the Corps. I return to Marine Barracks at NAS Jacksonville in the winter of 1966 as the Drums of War beat an unsteady step, January 1965-Dec 1966.

Okinawa – Once More In January of 1967 I was assigned to Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California for deployment into Viet Nam as a Platoon Sergeant. Our mission had been defined by President Kennedy and was being implemented by President Johnson. He had authorized the Marines at Da nang to move out and engage Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces in combat. We were going to South Viet Nam to remove the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong from the South’s territory by force. I still recall thinking here we go again to kill the yellow man. As the Senior Non Commissioned Officer I was responsible for the Unit training program an Amphibious Training program that required me to be involved at all levels of training and planning with the Marines. The Escape and Evasion training exercise was the most realistic training that I had experienced in my many years with the Corps. I remember the CO telling us that we were being assigned to the 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, 3rd Marine Division in Viet Nam and that we going into Indian Country/ He shake hands with each Marine around you and wish them well. We knew that Indian Country meant we were going into harm's way. A surreal event unfolded before our eyes as The Marine Band played our Hymn we all lined up and boarded a commercial Jet and departed Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California for the war. What a way to go to war and after what seemed like a week in the air we finally arrived at the Kadena Air Force Base on Okinawa. Upon arrival, I was assigned as the Chief Administrator of Communication Support Company.

Having been the Admin Chief several times in the past I thought I was prepared for this assignment, but nothing compared to the demands that would be placed on me during my tour. I would be responsible for all administrative procedures required to train Field Radio Operator for placement in Viet Nam. Many days the staff and I burned the candle at both ends trying to stay ahead of an Enemy who was killing or injuring our Radio Operators as fast as we could get them trained and when graduated they were deployed to forward units in Viet Nam. I don't remember anyone being overly concerned about the war in Viet Nam we just continued to grind out Radio Operators and it’s no wonder the Media referred to the 9th as the Walking Dead with a life expectance of less than thirty seconds in a Hot Landing Zone. The landing of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Da Nang in 1965 marked the beginning of large-scale Marine involvement in Vietnam. Even before the full 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade had been deployed to Da Nang, American leaders were considering the use of our Marine, with Army units following in active operations against the Viet Cong. The 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade contained nearly 8,000 men with nearly half assigned to the two Seventh Fleet Special Landing Forces (SLF) Alpha and Bravo. The two SLFS each consisted of a Marine Infantry Battalion, supported by a Helicopter Squadron and reinforced by small detachments of artillery, tanks, engineers, and other specialized units, totaling about 2,000 men embarked upon the ships of a Navy amphibious ready group. The other components of the 9th MAB were the 26th Marines (Rear) Headquarters, a Communications Support Company, and a Provisional Service Battalion on Okinawa as well as MAG-15 with squadrons at both Iwakuni, Japan and on Okinawa.

The other ships of the amphibious task group included the USS Navarro (APA 215), USS Alamo (LSD 33), USS Whetstone (LSD 27), and Vernon Comity (LST 1161). Although the 26th Marines (Forward) and its three infantry battalions together with its attached artillery, the 1st Battalion, 13th Marines, were in Vietnam under the operational control of III MAF, these units remained under the administrative control of the 9th MAB. The Brigade had made it initial landing of the War at Da Nang the previous year and would maintain a continuous presence there until its final mission to evacuate the American Embassy in Saigon on 30th of April 1975. Once again solidifying the Marines role of First in and last out. The Brigade had three Medal of Honor which included one of our Radio Operator, Douglas E. Dickey who gave his life in defense of fellow Marines. I often think about those who did not return and I sometimes wonder what we were doing in Viet Nam in the first place.

During training exercise my old nemesis raised its ugly head and was I medically evacuated to the Naval Hospital at Naha for rehab. After several weeks of rehab and I was making any process, so the Doctors sent me to the Naval Hospital in Japan for evaluation and then onto Jacksonville, Florida. Our participation in the Viet Nam War left over 13,000 Marines killed and over 88,000 wounded. Awarded a Certificate of Commendation, February-July 1967 I finally arrived at the Naval Hospital NAS, Jacksonville for rehabilitation and then I was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps. I was going where all the rules and regulations were minted. Joan and I pack up our few possessions and the Corps moved our Mobile Home and we moved to Fairfax, Virginia. After a few days of R&R I reported to Marine Barracks and was assigned to a Disability and Retirement Section. This section was responsible for evaluating and maintaining records of retired and disabled Marines. I inherited a group of dedicated Civil servant and Marines who worked tireless providing for the timely response of all inquiries. In March of ’69 I was promoted to Staff Sergeant and assigned as the Section Chief and continued with my duties until November of 1970 - 1967- 1970.

Back to the Fleet

After three years at Headquarters Marine Corps I felt a need to get back to the fleet. I began searching for an Position in Arizona and a friend suggested that I called the CO of VMT103, MCAS, Yuma, Arizona and he told to get here before Thanksgiving. Yuma appeared to be a good place for Joan and the Boys to be for the next two or three years so I reenlisted for an assigned to MCAS Yuma Arizona. Upon arrival I was assigned as the Administrative Chief of Marine Training Squadron-103, Marine Combat Crew Readiness Training Group 10. This Squadron mission was to train and certify Air Combat Crew for placement in Viet Nam. It didn’t take me long to make changes in the Squadron’s administrative procedures, changes that would result in a Commendation from the Commanding General. In June of 1971 a Naval Medical Board placed me on extended leave to await the result of a Physical Evaluation Board. I was devastated that I might have to leave the Corps, but I would march on to other challenges. After three tours of duty in hostile areas and almost twelve years with the Corps the Naval Department felt that I was no longer physical fit to serve in the Marine Corps. I still wonder what were they thinking -- Nov 1970, Jan 1972.

A new beginning

In June I971 contacted Wayne Sasser about job opportunities in Panama City and he told me to come on down and that we could stay with him until I found apartment. In July ’71 I left Yuma, Arizona and the Corps and headed to Panama City, Florida and went to work as the Dispatcher for Panama City Concrete Company. Later that month Joan and I decided to move to West Virginia to be closer to the family and I went to work for Wyoming County as a School Bus Operator. In a few short months I had left a world of spit and polish where my word was absolute. Now I had entered a world where there was very little order and very little discipline and it no wonder that so people refer to teachers as saints. In June of 1972 I enrolled at the Southern Community College to study Business and Accounting and found most of my classmates were recent High School Graduates and ten years younger. The first two semesters seemed like one constant blur with me constantly running from my job as a School Bus Driver and then to Beckley and trying to earn a few dollars on the side. In July of 1973 I bought Mike Justice’s house and rented our old house to Joe and Linda Whittington. We became good friends right off and spent most of our free time just hanging out. I recall one event when Joe, the girls and I went to Cross Lanes, West Virginia to take in a Dinner Show. As we were returning Joe spotted a Tractor and Trailer loaded with Chickens. After a few minutes he stopped the Truck Driver and we bought thirty chickens and headed home hacking and coughing all the way. The next day Joan and I went to Joe and Linda’s house to help prepare the chickens for the freezer. I established an assembly line with me chopping of their head and Joe placing them under a tub until they stop flopping then he placed them in hot water. Next Joan picked the feathers off and Clara and Linda cleaned the chickens and cut them up for the freezer. The process was working very well until the women started running to the bathroom to throw up. Later that day we gave all of the chickens to a Vest Hatfield. It would be a long time before any of us were interested in eating chickens again. I continue working for the Board of Education driving the School Bus until fall of 1982 when The Board hired me to teach Science at the Coal Mountain School. I had left the public school in the 8th grade and now I was returning as the teacher. This should be interesting to say the least. Anyway managing people and things had been my forte in the Corps. This was what I had been trained to do. I thought teaching children should be a breeze. I had no idea that children behavior had change for the worse over the years. I inherited a group of students that were out of control. Students that didn’t want to be in class let alone learn Science or any subject that I taught or anyone else was teaching. I tried teaching them the traditional way and nothing seemed to work until I placed them in small groups. I was surprised that these students need the support of a group to engage in classroom discussion or participate in activities. I wanted them to look forward to school each day and I was determined to keep them from falling thru the cracks. My first year was a good learning experience for me and a very successful year for the students. Most of them had survived my first year. - September, 1982- August 1983. The next year the Principal chose me to teach Physical Education. What a way to earn a living playing games with children all day seem like taking money under false pretense but I wasn’t complaining. Even thou I had every student in the school there were very few discipline problems. The kids seemed to enjoy the daily games and activities.

During the fall of 1983 the Board hired me as the Chapter 1 Reading and Math Coordinator/Teacher at the Coal Mountain School. This Department had three Teacher’s Aides to assist with over almost a hundred students each day. Students that needed extra help with Reading or Math. Students learn better in small group settings and one that required repetitions I applied these technique over the next three years and saw a significant increase in their learning. It appeared that I had found my place in the Education Field.

1985 was a difficult year for the family. Mom had been in and out of Hospitals for most the year and we all knew it was just a matter of time but we were all shocked when Dad died suddenly on June the 6th of Pneumonia and we knew that Mom would follow soon. I think of them often.

That Fall I accepted a position at the Herndon Consolidated School as their Reading Specialist. Hendon was a new school with a great Administrator in Walter Nixon with an excellent group of teachers. I felt right at home working with Middle School children and decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in that Field. Then In the fall of 1989 I moved to the Riverside School at Pineville where I would teach Reading and Math until I received an Administrative Degree and was assigned as the Adjunct Principal until my Retirement on September the 7th of ‘94. – August 1989-1994.

In 1992 my world was once again shattered when my wife of thirty years suddenly died in my arms. After the Funeral I decided to move to North Carolina and began searching for a suitable home. Just when I had came to grips with their death I was medically retired. Later that year I went to Hiddenite, North Carolina and purchased a new Home. Reflections, Struggles & Goals

My journey has taken me from the Hills of Appalachia to lands where people held strange beliefs and attitude than those of mine. Where people washed the bones of their ancestry to allow them enter into an afterlife. I have journeyed to the Orient and walked upon Japan’s Mt. Fuji. Marched through the Tropic and strolled upon the sandy beaches of the Caribbean. I have seen the splendor of a single Rose as it lay among desolated ruins of a village and I have been captivated by the effects of a single wave as it crashed upon the bow of a warship. I have seen the brilliance of a sunrise from the heights of the Appalachians Mountains, from the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

My journey had taken me to places where untold death and destruction could occur at any moment and I wondered what it all meant. I have seen the faces of young Marines as they struggled to understand the violence that we had inflected upon the enemy and the violence inflected upon them and I have seen their character as they continue to struggle in this world. My goal in life has been searching out knowledge about myself and the environment that I live in. My struggle in life has been trying to overcome the effects of a misguided childhood and the results of an injury while serving with the Marines. Many people I have known through my journey, but I can count only a few of them as friends. My goal in life is to know more about my Lord and Savior and my regret has been wondering what life might have been, if I had finished the 8th Grade? Herman Roberts, Sr. ---	Genealogy

Cornelius Roberts was born sometime before 1746 in what is now Henry County, Virginia, his father was probably James Roberts and his mother’s name is unknown. Cornelius married Mary Benton in 1767 and they lived along Cedar Creek and later obtained land as a Right of Settlement in Grayson County, Virginia. He served with Lord Dunmore during the war with the Shawnee Indians 1774; then served with the Militia of Elk Creek District and fought against the British in the American Revolution, finally settling down in 1783 in what is now Russell County, Virginia. In June of 1788 while on an expedition to collect ginseng on Black Mountain in Virginia his party was attacked and he was killed and scalped by a band of Cherokee Indians led by Robert Benge. Cornelius and Mary’s 12th child was born a few months later and was named Mourning in his memory. Records show that twenty-five years later Cornelius’ son, Daniel and his party killed Dick Benge the son of Robert Benge in retaliation for the death of his father. Cornelius and Mary raised 6 boys and 6 girls and they left a legacy of 117 known grandchildren and 660 known great grandchildren and numerous descendants.

My Paternal Grandparents were William Harvey Roberts and Missouri Baker Roberts and Maternal Grandparents are Jounce, and Harriet Estep, they all lived and died in McDowell County, West Virginia. My Father, Hannibal Roberts born on the 8th day of November, 1914 at Paynesville, West Virginia, died at the Welch Hospital, Welch, West Virginia on the 6th day June 1985. He is buried at the family cemetery on Estep Ridge, Paynesville, West Virginia and my Mother, Ada Estep born on the 20th day of February, 1914 at Paynesville, West Virginia and died at the Welch Hospital, Welch, West Virginia on the 14th day of August, 1985. She is buried beside Dad. My siblings: Rose born Dec 17, 1936, Ernest born September 16, 1938, Omie, born Jan 20, 1944, Chloe born June 25, Lonnie born Dec 16, 1948 and Carol Sue born Jan 5, 1957, Naomi and Starling died in childhood. Surviving family members are James Estel, born July 12, 1940 on Estep Ridge and Kathryn born April 7, 1951 at Lex, West Virginia.

My first marriage was to Joan Sue Hagerman, on the 18th day of May 1962, she was born December 31, 1942 and died November 29, 1992, the daughter of Clara Hagerman and Boyd Simpson. Our children, Herman JR, born on the 22 day of February, 1963; he married Paula C. Cartwright on 31st day of August 1985 and her birth was on November 8, 1963 and their only child is Herman Charles Roberts III “Trey” born on the 21st day September 1996 at the Iredell Hospital, Statesville, North Carolina. Jeffrey Allen, born on the 11th day of October 1964; he married O. Rachelle Akers on the 15th day of January 1985 and their children are, Tabitha Jasmine born at Fairlea, West Virginia on August 19, 1987 and Morgan Brittany born at Raleigh, North Carolina on December 9, 1989. Second Marriage, Nancy C. Blankenship on the 29th day of December 1996, born on the 9th day of March 1944 and her children are Billy Ray, Donald Eugene, Jeffery Lee and Timothy Blankenship they are all the children of Dennis Blankenship. --- Education

Professional Credentials 1. Principle, Elementary, Middle School-Junior High K-8 2. Principle Middle School, Junior High- Senior High 5-12 3. Superintendent, Major K-12 4. Supervision General Instruction Major K-12 5. Vocational Administrator, Major 5-Adult 6. Elementary & Middle School Teacher 7. Reading Specialist K-12, Adult, College & Graduate School Education 1. Armed Forces Institute, High School Diploma-1963 2. West Virginia State Police School- Lutheran Award 1973 3. Beckley College, Associate in Business Administration-1975 4. Concord College, Regency Bachelor of Arts -1980 5. Concord College, Bachelor of Science in Education- 1986 6. University of WV, Master of Arts, Ed. 5-9, May-1988 7. University of WV, Graduate in Reading, July-1985 8. University of WV, Masters of Arts, School Admin. 1991

Other Education

US Marine Corps Parris Island S.C. Graduate 1960 Camp Geiger, N.C. Advanced Combat Training 1961 US Postal Services Camp Hansen, Okinawa 1962 US Armed Forces Institute - High School 1963 US Marine Corps Institute - Techniques' of Spelling 1965 US Marine Corps Institute - Personnel Punctuation 1965 US Marine Corps Institute - English Punctuation 1965 Parris Island, S.C.DI School 1966 US Naval Department - Medical Self Help Training 1969 US Marine Corps Institute - Principles of Automotives 1967 US Naval Department - Effective Writing Program 1969 US Marine Corps Institute -Personnel Reporting 1970 WV State Department of Education - Law Enforcement Training 1973.

Employment Financial consultant. Hiddenite, Stony Point and Taylorsville, NC 1996-2012. Provide financial, retirement, investments, and debt management to family members and clients' Evaluate their financial goals to deal with future financial challenges that may occur in their life. Provide answer to financial questions about their benefits and retirement plans. Teacher - Wyoming County Schools, Pineville, WV. Taught children to reading, writing, mathematics, earth science and Physical Education. Used instruction methods such as Math Games, Computer assisted instructions, video and physical instruction in how to play games.. Encouraged children with self directed activities through homework and classroom projects. Created Test and maintained a daily records of students achievement. Encouraged Parents to participate in their children learning by provided a positive learning environment through Home Learning Projects. School Bus Operator - Wyoming County, West Virginia. Operated a School bus over an established route adhering to predetermined schedule in a safe, efficient and courteous manner to allow students to board, travel and alight at scheduled stop. Ensured that students entered and exited the bus in a safe manner along the routes. Troubleshoot problems with the Bus, evaluate situations, and contacted Management regarding all critical situations. Performs other duties as assigned1972-80. Dispatcher - Panama City Concrete Company, Panama City, Florida. Supervised the Dispatcher Office and directed the Truck Drivers to specific location throughout the Panama City Area. Tracked vehicles and equipment, recorded information related the efficient operation of the Concrete Company. Coordinated operations with suppliers to ensure a smooth flow of raw materials from providers with in the supply chain. 1972.

Administrative Chief - MCAS, Yuma, Arizona. Supervised the Administrative Staff to ensured that all duties were being carried out correctly at all times. Directed all paperwork coming in and going out of the office at all times was responded to in a correct and professional manner. Managed all directives and correspondence that flowed through the office that were being drafted are published with in Command 1970 1972 Section Chief - Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, DC. - Directed the activities of Marines and Civilian Employees of the DNC Section of the non-disability retired, disability retired pay and retired pay along with certification of the reserve service and survivor annuity programs. Provided certification of Identification Cards for dependents of Marine Killed or wounded while on active duty and those with twenty years of active or reserve years of service. 1967 1970. Administrative Chief - Communication Support Company 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, Camp Hansen, Okinawa. Directive the Administrative Staff to ensured that all duties were being carried out correctly at all times. Supervised the activity of all paperwork coming in and going out of the office at all times. Managed all directives and correspondence that flowed through the office to ensured a  timely responses to all activities that were being drafted or published with in Command. 1966-1967 Platoon Sergeant - Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California 1966. Managed and directed the Platoon Daily training activities. Ensured that the Platoon were discipline and training in accordance with Marine Regulations. Prepared the Marines for their assignment in Combat. Provide management and direction for all logistics and medical aid. 1966-1967 Marine Liaison/Legal Assistant - Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. Supervised and track the daily activities of all active duty inpatients and outpatients receiving care at Naval Hospital, NAS, Jacksonville, Florida. Provided support as needed to Active Duty, Reserves, Retirees and Dependants. Served as the primary point of contact for Marines, their respective commands and physicians. Visited daily with all patients to ensure that their welfare were been met. 1965-1966 Administrative Chief/Clerk - VMA-332, MCAS, Cherry Point, N.C. Directive the Administrative Staff to ensured that all duties were being carried out correctly at all times. Supervised the activity of all paperwork published or distributed wit in the Command. Managed all directives and correspondence that flowed through the office and ensured a timely responses to all inquires. 1963-1964 Logistic Specialist. Headquarters 12th Marines, (Okinawa) FPO, San Francisco, California. Assisted in the planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of forces. Help with the design, development, acquisition of storage and disposition of material and the movement of Marines. Helped with the Construction, and disposition of facilities within the Command. Provided advice and logistics service of embarkation and landing of Marines within the field of operations. 1961-1962 Coal Miner Helper. Help with the extraction of coal from underneath the earth, clean up around the Mines, assisted the Coal Operator with underground coal mining. Set timber (short pieces of tree) to shore up the top in the mine. Helped drill, packed dynamite and measured the fuse to blow the coal loose. Loaded and transported the coal outside. Strung wire and maintained the Battery Shop. Dumped the coal into a tipple to be transported to the railroad cars in the Valley. 1958-1960

Other Positions

Chief of Police/Police Officer Oceana and Pineville, West Virginia Directed the activities of the police officer assigned to the municipality. Design and implement various patrol routes for each officer in each community Provided supervision for the staff within the Department. Provide a visible presence throughout the community to deter unlawful activities. Patrolled around the community to develop trust through regularly activities and assisted the public as needed. Conducted foot patrol, issued parking ticket., enforced road traffic violations and issuing tickets that provided penalties for relevant offences. Arrested those that appeared to be intoxicated in the public or while driving. Maintained records of daily activities, transported violators to jail or other facilities for dispositions of their cases. 1973 - 1977 Accountant - Shilling Accounting Firm and JC Tax Services, Pineville, West Virginia. Prepared financial statements, audited financial records, develop financial plans and tax returns. Analysis cost accounting methods, auditing and management advisory procedures. Maintained records and transactions in journals and posting them to a ledger. 1974

President - Public Service District, New Richmond, WV,  Supervised the Public Service District of New Richmond and directed the daily activities of staff assigned to the PSD. Monitored the water system to ensure a safe quality and quantity of water provided daily and   recorded daily results. Read the meters each month and installed and removed water meters as needed. Initiated and obtain funding from the regional authority to drafted and installed water lines to adjutant neighborhoods. Insurance Salesman, Reserve Life Insurance, 1980-81/ Electrolux Salesman, Sara Lee Corporations. Conducted daily Door to Door contact to sale products as established by the parent company. Observed the consumer desire to purchase product and then demonstrated the function of the product and made suggestions to increase the sale based on the individual's desire to purchase the item. Established and environment where the consumer and I feel satisfied with the transaction. Maintained daily records of sales and Canvassed the area to establish future contact. 1979-83 Radio Broadcaster/Operator/Salesman - WWYO, Pineville, WV. Established daily contact with the public by presenting clear, informative and entertaining information to the audience,  Announced the music selections from the compiled daily song lists and broadcasted songs to the public. Took calls from listeners and broadcasted their song request along with commercial announcements. Broadcasted the news, time and temperature on the quarter hour local. Attended regional sport events, special radio sponsored events and cconducted personal interviews with local sports coaches and the community.

Associations

1. Disabled American Veteran-‘72 2. Chief of Police, Oceana, WV.-‘73 3. Patrolman for the City of Pineville, WV. ’74-76 4. President of the PSD- New Richmond, West Virginia, ‘78-80 5. Life member of the National Education Association, ‘82 6. Member of the West Virginia Education Association, ‘82 7. Wayside Baptist Church-Taylorsville, North Carolina, 2000 8. Volunteer Minister-Taylorsville House-‘01 9. Voluntary Minister – Valley Nursing Home, Taylorsville ‘05 10. Voluntary Minister – Carillon Newton Where I have been:

Place of Birth, June 12, 1942 Cabin end of Estep Ridge, Paynesville, West Virginia

Early years 1945-51, Farm located at the head of Grapevine, West Virginia Hagerman Elementary School, Jolo, West Virginia 1951-54

Visit onside of state- Cincinnati, Ohio 1953

Parents moved, Bradshaw, West Virginia Fall of 1953

Job - Coal Miner, Jewell Valley, Virginia 1957-1960

Airplane ride - Recruit Training, Paris Island, SC July-October, 1960

Advanced Combat Training - Camp Le Jejune (Camp Geiger, NC) November 1960

Jet ride - Los Angel AP Regimental training, 1960-1961, Camp Pendleton, C

Vvoyage, January 1961, Naval Base, Honolulu, Hawaii

Foreign Country, February 1961, Sasepo, Japan

Duty assignment – Logistics Specialist, Camp Hague, 12th Marines, Okinawa FMF

Live fire exercise, Mt. Fuji, Japan- May 1961

Submarine, Naval Station, San Diego, California back to the States Jet flight - Los Angeles, California to Cincinnati, Ohio April 1962

Marriage -Proposed to Joan late April 1962 at Bramwell, West Virginia

Married Joan Hagerman, Lebanon, Virginia May 18, 1962

Living Quarters for Joan and me 1962-1965, 619B, Cherry Point, NC

Marine Barracks, S-1 Legal Department, Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida

Marine Corps school - DI School, May 1966, Paris Island, SC Platoon Sergeant, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California 1966

Marine Liaison Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida 1966

9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, Camp Hansen, Okinawa1966-1967

Marine Barracks, HQMC 1967 1970 Joan and I lived @ 247 Wales, MP, Fairfax, Virginia Staff Quarters, MCAS. Yuma, Arizona 1970 1972 Dispatcher Panama City Concrete Company, Panama City, Florida 1972

School Bus Operator, New Richmond, West Virginia 1972-80

First College Degree 1975, Beckley, West Virginia Science Teacher, Reading Teacher, Coal Mountain, West Virginia 1982- 1986

First Master Degree, West Virginia College of GS 1988 Reading – Math Specialist, Herndon, West Virginia 1986-89

Reading – Math Specialist Pineville, West Virginia 1989- 94

Retired Hiddenite, NC 1996-98 Taylorsville, NC 1998-2003

Stony Point, North Carolina 2003-2005 Noah’s Landing, Hiddenite, NC 2005 -2012