Joe Young:  

WHATS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE HIGH SCHOOL: 1964/65 = GRADUATED FROM EAST JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL. WENT TO LSU, BATON ROUGE, FOR A SEMESTER AND A HALF AND DECIDED WASN’T SURE ABOUT MY MAJOR SO DROPPED OUT AND WENT TO FLORIDA TO LIVE WITH MY PARENTS AND WORK AS A ROUSTABOUT IN THE OIL FIELD. UNCLE SAM CAUGHT UP WITH ME AND WAS DRAFTED TO GO INTO THE ARMY. MY HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART, MARTY HAMMONS AND I HAD PLANNED A 1966 SPRING MARRIAGE, BUT HAD TO CHANGE THOSE PLANS. I WAS ABLE TO GET TRANSFERRED FROM THE ARMY TO THE AIR FORCE WITH A DELAYED ENLISTMENT FOR JANUARY 66. MARTY AND I WERE MARRIED DECEMBER 27TH 1965 IN HER LOCAL CHURCH IN ARCADIA, LOUISIANA. 1966/70 = WENT TO LACKLAND AFB, IN SAN ANTONIO, TX FOR BASIC TRAINING. THEN TO SHEPPARD AFB IN WICHITA FALLS, TX FOR ACCOUNTING & FINANCE TRAINING SCHOOL. THEN TO FIRST ASSIGNMENT ELMENDORF AFB IN ANCHORAGE,AK. WAS A GREAT ASSIGNMENT AND OUR DAUGHTER, KATHY WAS BORN IN 1969. I LIKED THE A.F. SO MUCH, IN JANUARY 1970, I DECIDED TO REINLIST BECAUSE THEY GAVE ME A REINLISTMENT BONUS, BUT ALSO GUARANTEED TO SEND ME TO BARKSDALE AFB IN SHREVEPORT,LA. SO MARTY WAS ONLY SIXTY MILES FROM HOME! 1970/71 = BARKSDALE WAS A GOOD ASSIGNMENT, BUT VIETMAM CALLED ME AND I WAS SENT TO TAKHLI, THAILAND FOR A YEAR'S REMOTE ASSIGNMENT. WORST YEAR OF MY LIFE, CAUSED A LOT OF FAMILY ISSUES, AND WHEN I GOT BACK MARTY AND I WERE DIVORCED. 1972 = I WAS TIRED OF BARKSDALE AND WANTED TO MOVE ON SO VOLUNTEERED TO CROSS TRAIN INTO THE BUDGET CAREER FILED. OFF TO SHEPPARD AFB, AGAIN, FOR TRAINING AND THEN BACK TO BARKSDALE TO WAIT ON A NEW ASSIGNMENT. THEY TRIED TO SEND ME TO THULE, GREENLAND, BUT THE ASSIGNMENT GOT MESSED UP SOMEWAY AND IT WAS CANCELLED; THANK GOD!! 1972/76 = THEN THE A.F. DECIDED THAT BERLIN, GERMANY WOULD BE A GOOD FIT. BERLIN WAS A REALLY GOOD ASSIGNMENT. MARTY AND I WORKED OUT OUR DIFFERENCES AND WE WERE REMARRIED IN 1973. MARTY & KATHY JOINED ME IN BERLIN. WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME VISITING IN EUROPE, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED. BEING STATIONED IN BERLIN PRESENTED HARDSHIPS FOR GETTING OUT OF THE CITY; BERLIN WAS 90 MILES INSIDE EAST GERMANY! A LOT OF PAPERWORK TO TRAVEL THROUGH EAST GERMANY! MARTY STARTED HER CIVIL SERVICE CAREER THERE AS THE BASE VICE COMMANDER’S SECRETARY AND I PERSUED MY LOVE OF BOWLING AND GOT A PART TIME JOB IN THE BOWLING ALLEY; EVENTUALLY GOING TO BOWLING MECHANICS SCHOOL. I RAN THE YOUTH BOWLING PROGRAM FOR THE ARMY AND AIR FORCE IN BERLIN; GREAT FUN WORKING WITH THE KIDS AND KATHY GOT A LOT OF BOWLING INSTRUCTION!! 1978/82 = ON TO MY NEXT ASSIGNMENT, LANGLEY AFB IN VIRGINIA. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ASSIGNED TO THE HQ TACTICAL AIR COMMAND HEADQUARTERS WORKING THE FOREIGN MILITARY SALES PROGRAMS, MILITARY FAMILY HOUSING AND JAG PROGRAMS. A LOT OF TRAVEL TO THE PENTAGON TO WORK BUDGET ISSUES FOR THE COMMAND. MARTY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL AND FINISHED HER ACCOUNTING DEGREE AND GOT HER CPA. THEN SHE STARTED HER CAREER WITH THE DEFENCE CONTRACT AUDIT AGENCY; ...Expand for more