Veterans Day

[harley hawkins]

Hope everyone has something special to do on Veterans Day and remember our brothers that gave it all.


Mick Hawkins

[Jim Sheppard]

I slept in! Wonderful!

Also of interest, for the past week I have worked on putting together an updated history of the 50th Infantry Regiment. I was contacted by the Battalion at Fort Benning and tasked with giving them something they can pass alone to the trainees that is slightly expanded from the existing dates and unit assignments. As I contemplated the request, I realized that I have ammassed little bits and pieces of where all the elements of the Regiment served over the years...particularly the 3 Battalions & other 50th designations from Vietnam. Some additional digging reveal some interesting information about pre and post WWII & I completed a 1st draft (6 page outline) on Friday. Once finalized, I will get to work on updating our "History" page. I would also like to work on our Hearaldry page and spruce it up a bit.

My work is progressing nicely (Currently working on documentation obtained in July of 2011) and I will begin to prepare for the reunion immediately after this year's holiday season.

Hope you all have an enjoyable Veteran's day!

[Russ Roth]

The 3/4 Traveling Wall is currently in Portland for several days so I left right from church to go see it. My granddaughter wanted to go so we were together.

It was showing at the cemetery on Skyline blvd where my passed on grandparents, aunt, uncle, brother,
sister and several family friends reside. So I visited them also. Jordan became very helpful for a while after she figured out how the system worked and helped some people find the name they were looking for. She asked why some were crying and I explained what the Wall was all about.

I tried to look up all 6 of the guys I lost with 2 from D company and 4 from A. I couldn't recall 2 names from A company but knew the month and would have recognized their names but ultimately did not find them. I left the D company boys for last and got a little help from a lady volunteer. I shared with her how they lost their lives and the day before when were ambushed near the beach entrance to the 505. She thanked me and all of you for our service.

Our route took us right by the fire station I retired from and Jordan wanted to stop. My good friend Ed Snyder was working and he is only 1 of 2 still there. Most of the rest of the crew were not even hired at the time I left. We spent over an hour and Jordan wanted some candy she knew we always kept around. She found it and still only 50 cents a bar. She talked me into buying 4 and then I noticed some shirts. They had "The Double Deuce" on the front with a Fire logo on the back with that also on it. I thought I was the only one that used that term and that was with my next door neighbor. That's because it was Station 22 and I had to buy one.

I need to tell a lil story about Ed and I. Working together we were cooking partners. I had something I made with potatoes, Kielbasa and cabbage. We decided we would make it as it was well liked. For some reason I got the bright idea to make it very low fat by using no-fat Kielbasa. Well the end result was not quite as I hoped. We sat down anticipating a pretty decent meal. At first bite it was not at all the same and it was very quiet as all were likely thinking about the same thing. Trust me when I say it is not common for a fire station to be very quiet. Well my dear cooking pard finally says " not bad Russ, it's got everything except taste." Of course that got a real laugh out of everyone and I don't have tell you I never made it again with no-fat Kielbasa!

Fast forward a couple years and Ed is still on shift with a different cooking pard. I happen to drop by and guess who is cooking??? They invite me to stay which I do and now is my chance! Mind you it's only a couple years so most of my old crew is still there and were at the prior (disastrous) event. We sit down and no one except me has a clue about anything. A couple bites and I say " hey, not bad Eddie, has everything except taste!" Place broke into an uproar and it was really funny when you had been there both times. Even Ed was laughing pretty hard. However, unlike what I had made, his was very good.

So that was pretty much my day. Other than getting soaked in the rain Jordan and I had a very nice time together. I have raised her about 70-80% of her life so we are quite close. Couldn't have been much better. Hope yours was at least as good.


RR

[rockymark092]

It is a nice post

[dan schlecht]

Russ, you remembered me as your replacement in the field at bridge 25 during the late summer of 68. It was nice reading about your vets day. Mine was not so eventful but I got alot of gardening and yard work done. This is sunny Arizona so that kind of stuff is in order.
I have been retired for a year after 38 years teaching high school science and coaching football. For some reason I thought you were a truck driver but it sounds like you were a fire truck driver. My grand daughter whom we care for alot, much in the same way you do, is Kayleigh. Her father, Donald, is also an Army veteran. (MP)
Looking around this little town it looks like many of your neighbors are here plus many from Washington and Idaho.
Stop by and see us some time...Dan & Marion Schlecht, Parker, Arizona

[Russ Roth]

Dan,

I had my first paid truck driving job when I was 17 years old between my junior and senior years. The place had 2 nearly new 2 ton GMC trucks with dump beds. We had a dairy farm so i had driven similar rigs and other farm equipment for a number of years and that's basically the reason I got the job. The plant was only about 200 yards from our house so we knew them and did custom baling for one of the owners. While I did other things for a bit most of my first several years out of the service was driving commercial truck. However that was not what I wanted for a career.

I was a career Firefighter for the City of Portland, OR and did drive for most of my time there. Fifteen years at the house I retired out of which was the St. Johns Station 22. BTW, I live in WA now, east of Vancouver, about 25 miles as the crow flies from where I grew up and guess what? The horse barns about 2 miles down the road now own one of the 2 trucks I drove at 17. I've stopped and looked at it and there is NO doubt. Doesn't look near as good as summer of '65.

I have been retired from the FD since December '99, worked not quite 27 years. Many of my cohorts do head for AZ during the winter but I like to fish for winter Steelhead on the coast so I'm not really much interested in that hot weather. I always tell them I'm glad they golf and go to AZ because I don't have to fight them for a rock to stand on. I don't so much anyway where I go.

I was in AZ one summer shortly after I retired. 116* and waaaaaayyyyy too hot for me! No AC in the rig I had either. Maybe I will get that way again someday and I will look you up if I do.

I do remember very well the day you were brought out to Bridge 25 as my replacement. I was really happy to meet you. Do you recall how the conversation went? I do.

RR