Been thinking about Andy, Shelby's man. I could have been his superior officer, had not life taken a different path, in the late sixties.
I was in the Navy boot camp at San Diego. Vietnam era. I wasn't adjusting well but still scored the highest notch in their initial test, across about 250 guys. (I found this out at my exit hearing)
I was a smart, troubled guy without a real father in my life. Nobody to say "Hey, stick with it, you will go far!".
Who knows how far I would have gone in the Navy, had not me and a buddy decided to go awol, crawling down a culvert into downtown San Diego, for hours.
Until we were busted, walking around in skivies, with no money. MP's hauled our sorry asses back to base.
At which point I was dispatched to the bad boys camp. I was forced to walk around a fucking metal table, carrying a heavy artillery shell, for hours.
They never broke me. Then they booted me. But, all of that brass up before me in military court, were really sorry to see me go.
And, they were kind enough to give me an honorable discharge, because they thought I had a future, just not with them. Thank you U.S. Navy!
So, now I'm sitting on the sidewalk in downtown San Diego, with a few bucks, and decided to hit the Haight Ashbury up in San Francisco. Can't remember how I got there, but I did. I hit it at it's prime, fish and chips on the strip and pure meth up the nose in the park.
How I survived that is a mystery in my mind, but of course, how have I survived almost seventy six years, to arrive here? Typing this now!!!
Hmmmmm......
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