Visiting Ron in Amarillo, Texas
November 11, 2008
Happy Veteran’s Day
We spent the morning with the geese at the little park across from the Walmart figuring, organizing, and relaxing. In the afternoon we headed over to visit with Will’s Navy shipmate, Ron. They served on the USS Plattt, all oilers were named for rivers, from 63-65. Will always says he was in the Navy for 5 years 7 months 16 days 3 hours and 22 minutes. But it was really 5Y, 7M, 16D, 6 hours and 22M; he never caculated the time change for Pittsburgh.
Will and Ron told stories one after another. It was fun listening to them reminisce and remember fellow shipmates . . . . Doing maneuvers one night and discovering a ship along with them off station; turned out to be a Russian trawler. . . seeing the jungles as they approached Vietnam shore to refuel a ship and thinking one bombardment from shore and both ships would go up. . . visiting ports of Hong Kong, Philippines, Hawaii, Japan . . . Captains “Wild Bill” Fargo, who went on to be chief of staff Comservgru- 3,and JL Butts, and Moore, both airdales that went on to become captains of aircraft carriers. . . .Will played his guitar and sang folk music; Ron taught him a few country songs…
On one leave they both were flying out on the same flight. Ron talked Will into spending the weekend in Texas since he had a whole month leave. They arrived at the airbase in Armaillo where they were picked up and driven to Tulia, TX. That night they drove up one side of the wide western street of town to the monolith, then did an u-turn and drove the other way, slowing for the dips in the road. They did this along with all the other cars. When anyone saw someone they knew horns acknowledged the sighting.
Mrs. Garret has served okra…that was at a time before Will learned to appreciate things like zucchini and squash as food.
One story was about the night they decided to drive to Plainview (“Keep going, you’re still in plain view”) to a dance. Will bought a pair of jeans and Ron gave him a tan shirt and yellow bandanna. He lso pulled out a pair of old boots from the back of a closet. Will spent the rest of the day cleaning the boots rubbing them with a steel brush to get the knap up on the donkey leather. They drove Ron’s brother’s Studebaker to the dance and Ron immediately asked a girl to dance. He came back and told Will that he knew no one here either, so just go out and ask someone to dance; they would show him how. Will soon learned to do a Texas two-step. They danced all night!
The next day Ron asked Will if he wanted to go see the hill. Now if you know this part of Texas it is flat as a table top. They get in the pick-up truck and drive and drive. Will looks around, there is no hill or bump in sight. Ron says, “We are almost there.” All of a sudden they drop down into Pala Dura Canyon! They drive across the canyon floor and up the other side. Ron does a quick turn spraying dust everywhere. With eyes wide Ron says, “Let’s do it again!”
We picked Ron up from his home in a large trailer park and spent part of a time a bar Ron likes and then at a Mexican Restaurant he enjoys. It was great to see him again and enjoy the stories of times past.
Happy Veteran’s DayWe spent the morning with the geese at the little park across from the Walmart figuring, organizing, and relaxing. In the afternoon we headed over to visit with Will’s Navy shipmate, Ron. They served on the USS Plattt, all oilers were named for rivers, from 63-65. Will always says he was in the Navy for 5 years 7 months 16 days 3 hours and 22 minutes. But it was really 5Y, 7M, 16D, 6 hours and 22M; he never caculated the time change for Pittsburgh.
Will and Ron told stories one after another. It was fun listening to them reminisce and remember fellow shipmates . . . . Doing maneuvers one night and discovering a ship along with them off station; turned out to be a Russian trawler. . . seeing the jungles as they approached Vietnam shore to refuel a ship and thinking one bombardment from shore and both ships would go up. . . visiting ports of Hong Kong, Philippines, Hawaii, Japan . . . Captains “Wild Bill” Fargo, who went on to be chief of staff Comservgru- 3,and JL Butts, and Moore, both airdales that went on to become captains of aircraft carriers. . . .Will played his guitar and sang folk music; Ron taught him a few country songs…
On one leave they both were flying out on the same flight. Ron talked Will into spending the weekend in Texas since he had a whole month leave. They arrived at the airbase in Armaillo where they were picked up and driven to Tulia, TX. That night they drove up one side of the wide western street of town to the monolith, then did an u-turn and drove the other way, slowing for the dips in the road. They did this along with all the other cars. When anyone saw someone they knew horns acknowledged the sighting.
Mrs. Garret has served okra…that was at a time before Will learned to appreciate things like zucchini and squash as food.
One story was about the night they decided to drive to Plainview (“Keep going, you’re still in plain view”) to a dance. Will bought a pair of jeans and Ron gave him a tan shirt and yellow bandanna. He lso pulled out a pair of old boots from the back of a closet. Will spent the rest of the day cleaning the boots rubbing them with a steel brush to get the knap up on the donkey leather. They drove Ron’s brother’s Studebaker to the dance and Ron immediately asked a girl to dance. He came back and told Will that he knew no one here either, so just go out and ask someone to dance; they would show him how. Will soon learned to do a Texas two-step. They danced all night!
The next day Ron asked Will if he wanted to go see the hill. Now if you know this part of Texas it is flat as a table top. They get in the pick-up truck and drive and drive. Will looks around, there is no hill or bump in sight. Ron says, “We are almost there.” All of a sudden they drop down into Pala Dura Canyon! They drive across the canyon floor and up the other side. Ron does a quick turn spraying dust everywhere. With eyes wide Ron says, “Let’s do it again!”
We picked Ron up from his home in a large trailer park and spent part of a time a bar Ron likes and then at a Mexican Restaurant he enjoys. It was great to see him again and enjoy the stories of times past.
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