Frederick La Chance:
CLASS OF 1970
Pine Forest High SchoolClass of 1970
Fayetteville, NC
Frederick's Story
WHAT HAPPEN TO FRED THESE LAST 40 YEARS
EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT FINISH WITH THE CLASS OF 1970 BECAUSE OF A BONEHEAD THING I DID IN JAN. 1970. I DID RECEIVED MY GED WHILE IN THE NAVY AND PINE FOREST HIGH SENT ME A DIPLOMA. SO I LIKE TO THINK THAT I CAN SAY I AM PART OF THE CLASS OF 1970.
AFTER THE JUDGE TOLD ME I COULD GO IN THE SERVICE OR SEE BABBA IN RAEFORD PRISON, I LEFT FAYETTEVILLE JAN.21 1970 AND JOINED THE NAVY. I WENT TO BOOT CAMP AT GREAT LAKES ILL. AND FROM THERE WAS STATION AT BAINBRIDGE MD. WERE I MET MY FIRST WIFE AT THE AGE OF 17. RIGHT AFTER I WAS MARRIED I WAS SHIPPED OUT ON A CRUISE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA IN THE SUMMER OF 1971.I WAS STATION ON BOARD THE USS ALLEN M. SUMNER DD 692. WE DID PORT CALLS IN SPAIN, ITALY, MALTA, GREECE, AND GIBRALTAR. I THINK SPAIN WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF MY FIRST MARRIAGE, BECAUSE I DISCOVERED THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT JUST LIKE THOUSANDS OF SAILORS BEFORE ME. AFTER SIX MONTHS AWAY FROM THE STATES WE ARRIVED BACK AT MAYPORT FLA. WERE I WAS TRANSFERED TO ANOTHER DESTROYER, USS McCAFFERY DD860. THIS TIME I WAS ON MY WAY TO VIETNAM IN 1972. WHEN WERE NOT ON THE GUN LINE OFF THE COAST FIRING AT THE ENEMY, WE WERE ENJOYING GREAT PORT CALLS IN JAPAN, SINGAPHORE, TAIWAN, HONG KONG AND THE PHILLIPPHINES. TO THIS DAY I STILL HAVE A SOFT SPOT IN MY HEART FOR THE ASIAN LIFE. AFTER MY TIME IN VIETNAM I WAS TRANSFERED TO THE USS YOSEMITE IN 1973 UNTIL 1974 WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE NAVY FOR A YEAR. I LIVED IN JACKSONVILLE FLA. FOR A YEAR AND MET MY SECOND WIFE IN 1975. I WAS SELLING USED CARS FOR A LIVING AND SHE WAS A SECRETARY AT THE DEALERSHIP, AFTER WHICH I REJOINED THE NAVY IN 1976 AND WAS SENT TO ADAK ALASKA IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. DURING MY SECOND MARRIAGE WE HAD TWO GREAT KIDS AND I WAS STATION ON THE USS BOULDER LST 1190 DURING 1978-1980, LITTLE CREEK VA.
IN 1980 TO 1984 I MOVED TO MOREHEAD CITY N.C. TO BECAME DOCK MASTER AT THE PORT FOR THE NAVY. I HAD PLENTY OF TIME ON MY HANDS SO I BOUGHT A BAR ON THE CIRCLE AT ATLANTIC BEACH. IT WAS CALLED THE BOS'N LOCKER (A NAVY DECK TERM). I HAD THE BAR FOR 3 YEARS AND THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF LOSING MY SECOND WIFE AFTER 10 YEARS. I MET MY THIRD WIFE WHILE STIL...Expand for more
L OWNING THE BAR. WE WERE MARRIED TWO YEARS LATER AND WE HAD A DAUGHTER TOGETHER. AFTER MOREHEAD CITY I WAS STATION AT ASSAULT CRAFT UNIT TWO AND WAS A CRAFTMASTER ON LCU 1662. THIS WAS GREAT DUTY FOR AN ENLISTED MAN. THE BOAT WAS 132 FEET LONG AND 29 FEET WIDE AND I WAS THE SKIPPER. WHAT A GREAT TIME THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WAS, 1984-1989. SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND OF COURSE BACK TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. THE YEARS 1989 TO 1992 FOUND ME IN ORLANDO FLA. AS A DRILL INSTRUCTOR AT BOOT CAMP. 1990 I WENT TO THE PINE FOREST 20TH YEAR REUNION AND ENJOYED MYSELF. AFTER ORLANDO I WAS STATION BACK AT LITTLE CREEK VA. WITH PHIB CB TWO UNTIL I RETIRED IN 1993. I OPENED A STORE CALLED LACHANCE'S SEABAG AND STILL HAVE THE SAME STORE AFTER 17 YEARS. DURING THOSE YEARS I HAVE TRAVELED TO EUROPE AND HAVE BEEN BACK TO VIETNAM 5 TIMES. SEPT 17 2009 WAS THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE. BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU THE BEST TRAVEL I DID WAS RIGHT HERE IN THE STATES. DO YOU REMEMBER THE SHOW ROUTE 66 BACK IN THE SIXTIES. I REMEMBER TELLING MY DAD THAT I WAS GOING TO BUY A VET ONE DAY AND TRAVEL THAT ROAD AND OF COURSE HE JUST LOOKED AT ME AND SAID CHANGE THE CHANNEL ON THE TV. THATS WHEN WE ONLY HAD 3 CHANNELS AND I WAS THE REMOTE. WELL I BOUGHT A NEW 2002 VET AND DROVE ALL OF ROUTE 66 STARTING IN CHICAGO, I TOOK 24 DAYS TO ENJOY THE TRIP ALL THE WAY TO SANTA MONICA CAL. IF YOU EVER WANT TO ENJOY A GOOD ROAD TRIP, YOU MIGHT THINK ABOUT ROUTE 66. I STUDIED THE ROAD FOR A YEAR BEFORE I MADE THE TRIP. THE ALASKAN HIGHWAY IS A GREAT TRIP ALSO. MADE IT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE YUKON IN CANADA AND BACK TO SEATTLE IN A BUICK.
WELL NOW I AM SEPARATED AGAIN AFTER 22 YEARS OF MARRIAGE AND LIVE 10 MINUTES WALKING DISTANCE FROM THE BEACH IN VIRGINIA BEACH. I THINK I WILL STAY THIS WAY FOR A WHILE BECAUSE I HAVE HAD MY THREE STRIKES AT MARRIAGE. BUT ON THE BETTER SIDE OF MY LIFE, I HAVE BEEN TO 25 COUNTRIES, SERVED MY COUNTRY FOR 24 YEARS IN THE NAVY, HAVE THREE GREAT KIDS AND THREE GRAND KIDS. I STILL LIVE MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST....PLUS, "I CAN WALK 50 YARDS AND BE AT MY FAVORITE BAR" CHEERS TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND NEW FOUND ONES !!!
CHECKOUT MY WEB SITE SEABAG.NET
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