Camp Lejeune

My first clear memories of living on a military base was when I lived at Camp Lejeune.  Camp LeJeune is a  Marine Corps base located in eastern North Carolina near a town called Jackson.  My father was stationed there right after he returned home from Vietnam in 1967 and I was five when my family moved there.

I was very young when I lived there so I don't have a lot memories of my time there.  We only lived there just about a year.  I do remember there being a lot of pines trees there.  I remember using all of those pine needles to build small walls and mounds to play in, what can I say I was five.   I also remember in the summer it was very hot and humid.  There were also, many mosquitoes and they were as big as I was.  I wish I was kidding.  My favorite memory of my time at Camp Lejeune was my first visit to a movie theater where I saw Disney's Jungle Book.  That was the first movie I remember going to and I was totally amazed.

I was supposed to start school the year I lived in Camp Lejeune which would have been kindergarten.  For whatever reason kindergarten was not part of the public school system.  The family didn't have enough money at the time for me to attend, so no school.  I was disappointed, to say the least.  My mother taught me instead.  which in hindsight turned out much better for me personally than if I had got to go kindergarten.  She taught me a lot.  She taught me as much as I could absorb.  My mother's efforts made my time at school a year later much easier for me; I could read and write the day I started first grade.  Thanks mom.

In 1968 my dad got orders for his next assignment, Rota Spain.  That's for next time.  Bye for now.



 

Theme or Not to Theme?

I have debated on whether I wanted my blog to follow a theme this semester, or was it better just to go with whatever nonsense happened to pop in my head?  I've decided to follow a theme.  I figured it would be easier to decide what to write about and make more sense if I knew the subject.  Give the whole project some structure if you will.

I'm a military brat, so I going to blog about stories that happened to me when I was a much younger person living on various military bases.  I was a military brat during the 60s and 70s.  The only time I didn't live on a base during that time was when my father went to Vietnam in 1967.  I have lived on eight different military bases from California to Spain.  The longest time I spent at one base was when I lived in Rota, Spain for 3 years from 1968 to 1971.  I went to nine different schools within 12 grades.  I would always be asked by friends if I hated moving so much.  I would always reply the following to that question:  Compared to what?  In other words I didn't know what it was like not to move.  I am glad I moved so much and got to live in so many different places and meet so many different types of people.  I believe it has made me a better person.

We will get into more stories next time.  Good-bye for now.

I Am From

I Am From

I am from Warm Light

From Tide and Dawn

I am from the White Cozy

I am from the Bee Balm

The Oak whose long gone limbs I remember

I’m from Holiday Dinner and Determination

From my daughters Raven and Kelly

I’m from Pancakes and Coffee

And an occasional Family Party

I am from Eat Your Dinner and Clean Your Room

And Your Dad Will Be Home Soon

I’m from Family Reunions

I’m from Barstow California and the British Isles

From Potato Salad and Spaghetti Italian Style

From Mom and Dad and their many Family Members

From Baby Pictures on the wall that make us Remember