Brian Varley:  

path), Pvt. Jay Topping (Who turned me onto reading - "A Separate Peace" by John Knowels and a club in Tuscon called the "Whistle Stop"), Spec. Russell, Victor Laguer, and others ... Sgt. Higgenbothem, Wanda Dukes (turned me onto tennis, racquetball, skating, and diso dancing), and many other people. (Graduated HS Marshfield, 1978)... Military US ARMY , 1979-1980, PFC, Military Intelligence, Image Interpreter, 96/D. Recruited: Coos Bay, Oregon station, Doug B. Schapp. Good guy. Didn't lie to me a bit. Then, he invited me back to do hometown recruitment. I did OK... I got to stay for months! Basic: Fort Leonardwood, MIssouri (AKA - Fort Lost-in-the-woods, Mysery - fits), 1979. "Hey, Sgt. Veola Bryant, I'd like to talk to you about that little choking incident with my dog tags!" Some things just can't be forgiven. : ) A drill sargent called me "Trooper Do". it stuck! Oh, we were one of the first co-ed basic training groups, the women getting busted for contraban. The sargents took their candy and booze. On graduation day, the sargents went to retrieve the stuff and it was gone from the secured storage room. Those women were wild and creative, and meaner than the guys on forced marches and during PT: Peggs (dork), Wippler, Sullivan, and Renshaw, & Julie Vichas "vicious". Hometown Recruiter: Coos Bay, Oregon US Army Recruiter Office, supervisor, Douglas B. Shapp, SSG, 1979. I got to go to schools and talk at various events and recruited quite a few people. Was a good learning experience. Thanks Sargent Doug. Advanced Individual Training: Fort Huachuca, Arizona, 1979. WOW!!! I met some of the coolest people in my life: Wanda Dukes taught me how to really play tennis, racquet ball, to roller skate, and to dance - it was disco then, sort of like now, strange? Tony Tomlinson. A red headed Burt Reynolds type, but bigger and drove a little "Le Car", can't tell ya funny it was watching him crawl out of that!!! Nice guy. Gary Fazenbaker and family. Good people. Jay Topping, who turned me onto reading "A Separate Peace" by John Knowels and he took me to a club called the Whistle Stop in Tucson. Ben Johnson (I believe, total comic. A sargent named Joyce Higgenbothem. she was very cool, mover and a shaker. I went to Mexico a couple times, enjoyed that except for one experience I choose not to discuss. In any case, at AIT I met some life changing, affirming people! Fort Hood, Texas (West Ft. Hood, actually, 15th MI Bn (AE), A Compan (II): I didn't like it here much, but Tony Tomlinson and Gary Fazenbaker were there, that was cool. Met a guy named Ceasar, he was this tall skinny black man, really liked funky music and would go to the lake and tan with me. Brenda Yonkman was there, we went and saw "Up In Smoke Together". A tall, sturdy woman with huge biceps and long blond hair. We were waiting in line for this movie once when a little guy with bandaids holding his glasses together tapped on my shoulder and said, "Does your wife beat you, too?" It was a new one for me!!! Yonkman's friend was named "Wheels". I also enjoyed Cpt. Street and the XO, Lt. Johnson. They sent me on to TDY at Washington DC. LOVED IT!!! Washington DC (TDY), 1979-80, US Army Intelligence and Threat Analysis Center (ITAC), Imagery Intelligence Production Division (IIPD). It was cool. Every now and then they would send me to the Pentagon and civilians would ask me my rank. They knew capt., ltc, and the like, but not mine!!! Huge confusing place. Hated having to find offices. Once I was getting candy from a machine and all my change came out of my pocket and I was trying to pick it up - underfoot. And this huge man comes over to help. I get all my change up and then stand up. And I see all these stars on the mans shoulder. I couldn't get a word out. Finally, he just patted me on the shoulder and said, "It's OK trooper do!" How do these names get started???? The day I was discharged. I had a little party with my ex. - Cindy Gallegos-Woods, Tony Tomlinson, Jim Taylor, and a few others. Then I got into my beat up old Plymouth Gold Duster (225 slant 6, mind you - without air or even defog) and headed back to Washington DC to live for a while before moving back to Coos Bay to attend College. There it is, not so short, but sweet....