Linda Wilson:
CLASS OF 1960
Choctawhatchee High SchoolClass of 1960
Ft. walton beach, FL
Chico High SchoolClass of 2000
Chico, CA
Azusa Pacific UniversityClass of 1968
Azusa, CA
Wheelus American Depende High SchoolClass of 1960
Tripoli,
Athens International High SchoolClass of 1957
Athens,
Linda's Story
What I've done is rather haphazard, working, going to school, homemaking, work/school, homemaking as a single mom (all jobs were/are mainly clerk-typist/secretarial). Favorite job was working at Edwards AFB '62-65 at Aerospace Research Pilot School as Civil Service-Level 4; Chuck Yeager was commodant there, Maj. Frank Borman was my boss till he moved to Houston/NASA (some future astronauts like Mike Collins were trained there before NASA called). I took flying lessons there, but after solo flight and one more practice session, I scared myself half to death, and gave it up--I have too little testosterone in me to crave that kind of risk taking. Have done volunteer work, usually church related, including prison ministry. Have always been connected with church in every place I've lived----I am not a loner in that sense--although I can be a recluse at times, reading tons of books of all kinds ( usually non-fiction Christian oriented, conservative--although some secular books regarding history/politics/bio's are also read--and I refer to my college texts re: current events as related to the past--very helpful to see events in context)--but always the Bible (all translations). Husband was reentry college student like me in mid-60's in So. Cal (Christian liberal arts, I graduated '68, BA History); he didn't finish, volunteered for VietNam just after our marriage; he had been Navy, but went to Army basic to start his new warrent officer school; I had the baby in Atlanta, then moved with him and our newborn to Texas 1969 as he trained for helicopter pilot/WO I. We flew to Panama Canal to visit my folks with our newborn during his Christmas break from training (I stayed six weeks and came home just before our move to Ft. Rucker, Ala--where we got to visit Destin one day at the beach on a weekend). I and 18 month old daughter moved in with parents briefly in No. Cal near Travis AFB after my ex flew out of there August/70 with other troops for combat in VN [Dad retired at Travis AFB, moved to Charleston, SC, then to Destin, Fl.). My ex returned for a month to stay with his dying grandmother who had raised him; he also returned for a week in Feb. resting from malaria bout; then again he got out of combat during his official R&R when we rendezvous in Kauai for our two year anniversary--a honeymoon trip, as we had none after our wedding; he returned stateside yet again for some slight wound? in June, setting me up in Long Beach, CA with my own apt. which was next door, as it happily turned out, to my sister's in-laws. His first tour of duty was up in late August, but he apparently had volunteered for another tour to stay in the Army, but we had to move to Savannah area for Cobra helicopter training (advanced aircraft). We lived on Officer's Row, Savannah Beach (now Tybee island) and loved it--had a three story huge house all to ourselves (off season). He was back in VN in December (failed Cobra training as he was distracted by other outlets unknown to me--until later). I stayed with my parents until Dad retired a month later and moved to Charleston, SC, so I got a 2-BR apt. in Lancaster, outside Travis AFB at that time [Jan/72]. My husband asked me to visit him in VN, so I got my shots, VISA/Passport and flew PanAm our of San Francisco in July '72 for three weeks: Saigon/LongBinh/CanTho. Pretty exciting! Only I missed my three year old daughter's b'dau and was concerned for her. We were blessed to fly to Oahu so my ex could attend a Human [Race] Relations class that lasted two weeks [his bosses wanted me to be able to have a real R&R with him], so our daughter came over with her 17 year old uncle, but he had to baby sit her as my husband insisted I attend the HR classes with him (I had attended a Drug Rehab counselor class in VN with him during my first week there, was 3rd ranking student graduate at the end--which he was so proud of, so now he wanted a repeat). I was very upset about this, but he could not see that she needed her mom's attention. After that, we took them to Hawaii island to see volcano, etc. We flew back to CA, he back to Can Tho, then home in Dec/72. Moved to KY/Tenn (Ft. Campbell) upon his return, where he was RIFFED out of the service along with hundre...Expand for more
ds of pilots post-VNam war in May '74. He wanted a divorce immediately, so we separated. I moved to Charleston, SC, worked full-time for school district Psych services until his accident in Alaska where he called for help, so we reunited Feb/76 for two years (my daughter and I loved Alaska but he got tired of it)--we traveled a lot there, even stayed at Prudhoe Bay a couple of weeks, then flew down from the top of Alaska to Valdez in a Bell helicopter, spending the night in it as the first snow of the season began to lightly cover the tundra, then became a blizzard and we were lost in the Thules as they say. Incredible adventure for three days flying down! Eventually moved back to lower 48 to No. Cal where I stayed put with my two kids, as he moved on to So Cal after two years (I finally divorced him in '84 due to abuse of all kinds, shapes and sizes--after 14 years of cycle of ups and downs, but the event of my son's birth at age 39 helped me get some backbone and I never looked back). He did remarry, but at the same time paid for our son and I to travel to Japan for two weeks to see my daughter/son-in-law and darling three year old grandson before they returned stateside four weeks later in Dec/94. My life settled down quite a bit, but still had a fulfilling life with single parenting, church events and outings. We flew to Dallas twice to see grandson at birth and year old birthday before they moved to Japan. Also flew to Ft. Walton Beach/Destin for visits with Mom and Dad (who came often to see all of us in CA to see all grandkids--my three brothers and I; my sis had moved to Hawaii, and older brother Chris had moved back to Florida in '76?) We went to San Diego a lot to visit daughter after their return from Japan and my son to see his dad . Got my paralegal certificate at Chico State U in my late 40's - Went on disability after that stressful accomplishment. After my son graduated from HS and moved to San Diego, I stayed on until I moved to OK City, OK area in Aug/06 to be near my daughter's family and then began to work part time, as well as draw on my ex-husband's SS. Presently considering moving to GA as Mom is 88 and just beginning to lose her eyesight to Mac. Degeneration . But that will have to be well thought out, prayed about, and circumstances lining up in order for me to make a wise judgment call. One thing I did spend some time on is taking more voice lessons which led to solos in church and other outlets--very rewarding and fulfilling; also kept up with art and drama as well; did several classes in Telecommunications around son's birth, worked at a radio station, getting to do some spots (ads) as a vocal. But concentrated on son after his birth, plus juggling my teen daughter's hormones for six years until she graduated. Later learned that I have ADD as I researched my son's symptoms; his dad also has the same we found out--and it makes sense when I think of how I struggled in school to focus and keep up with assignments or even know what the assignment was. I majored in history because I had lived in Tripoli, Libya and Athens, Greece in jr hi years, as well as visiting Germany and Paris--so my concentration hyperfocused when it came to places, dates, events. This life is not ordinary, and there is so much more I have not even shared, including my dealing with deformity from age 9 during the era when, in the South especially, being different is not a good thing. High school was a nightmare, but that was self-imposed as I, in my immaturity and inexperience, focused on self and could not accept that self, perceiving rejection (which may or may not have been real)--but decades later, especially with my spiritual growth and studying emotional problems, I have become much more other focused and understanding of my value as a human is equal to all others---as seen through the eyes of God, and His gift of His Son on the Cross. His amazing grace has saved a wretch like me--and He has led me out of bondage -- and continues that healing--so now I look up, not in, nor out on the crazy world we live in today and am very thankful to have a Rock to cling to when it looks like disasters of all kinds are threatening our country, our families and our sacred honor!
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