Jim Samples:  

I wrote to the State of Michigan and voluntarily removed myself from Social Security Disability. (You have absolutely no idea how degrading it is to some people to know they need to rely on such a thing and how much of a security blanket it creates.) I then went to work for Archway Marketing Services as that companys sole Computer Tech for 400 users. I am presently certified A+, MCP and CNA. For the past two years I was the companies Network Administrator, as well as training and mentoring other Computer Techs to take my place while I concentrated on the Networking aspects of the company. Workplace Pizza Anyone ?!? :-) 6 Mile and Farmington Road Plaza Next door to Baskin Robbins. Military After ending my long and promising high school career I decided “I needed” to go into the military. But because of my lawless fumbles the military could not touch me with a ten-foot pole. In fact, they could never touch me. But I was eager to get away from the "fumbles" and with that in mind the enlistment officer found a little used option of “Volunteering for the Draft.” What I did not know was that the military is not allowed to give individuals who had fumbled with the law – a gun. The end result was that since I was now in the military and the military could not accept me in this manner. They "corrected" my records by actually ripping up my fumbles. Thereby leaving me with no fumbles and the military with a new, and legal, recruit. :-) While in the military I did the same thing everyone else did except when they asked me for my preferred duty assignment I chose Vietnam and Hawaii. I had my reasons. One was that I desperately needed to grow up, and second I needed to cure the fumbles. Besides, I doubt I was the brightest bulb back then. In Vietnam I was just a normal "grunt' assigned to a S&D unit (Search and Destroy). We lived in the jungle 24/7 and were supplied fresh food and water by helicopter every 2-3 weeks. Every other month we walked into a secured area for a 3 day R&R before flying into another area to start over. As I said, we stayed in the jungle 24/7 and as such at night time we needed to secure and mark out our perimeter then set up shifts for guard duty. After about a month or so of guard duty every night I made a deal with everyone else in my platoon to take over Pointman duties permanently. Let me explain Pointman. The Pointman is the guy who walks in front of everyone guiding the rest of the platoon, or company, from point A to point B looking out for booby traps, ambushes, and in the case of Vietnam where we never use trails; he also makes the new trail through the jungle underbrush. Why did I do this? I was young and invincible. But I had other important reasons on my mind. One of those I already mentioned. I no longer had to perform guard duty at night. Hell - I got to sleep ALL NIGHT LONG! :-) Because nobody wanted a tired Pointman walking them through the jungle. And what about those times when we received fresh supplies by helicopter every 2-3 weeks? Well, not only did we get fresh water and rations, but we also got a fresh change of boots and clothing - AND - we got HOT food served to us from the helicopter - and guess who got to choose from the fresh clothing first or go through the line for the HOT food first? MEeeeeee !! I may not have been the brightest bulb back then, but I got a LOT of fumbles erased, no guard duty, and I got HOT food and clean clothes first! As humorous as that may be, one may not understand why a person would do something so dangerous for seemingly so little. But there were several things going on here. One (as I said) I was young and immortal, and two - it was the little things that really counted over there and the price was never an issue. Being Pointman only lasted a little more than 6 months. After being in the jungle for about 8 months I became "displeased" with certain things I had seen and been subjected to that I re-enlisted to get out of the field. I re-enlisted as a Helicopter Door-Gunner (remember that brightest bulb thing?) and I flew in a UH-1 (Huey) for a month then stayed on the ground as a helicopter repairman for the remainder of my term. Though I never really worked on a single helicopter. Instead, for my final two months I drove a jeep for my company captain. After Vietnam I was stationed in Savannah, GA for a year, then I went to Germany for 17 months as an aircraft mechanic Now for the short story. I fumbled with the law, I needed to grow up. I joined the army. I no longer fumble with the law. I got wiser - But I never grew up... :-) Oh yeah, I got my GED while in the service as well.