Roger Hawk:
CLASS OF 1966
Petaluma High SchoolClass of 1966
Petaluma, CA
Roger's Story
I have yet to join Classmates.com so who ever put their names in my guest book, thank you and Hi from Texas.
I've had a couple of request to put out my story, I just don't think my story is all that interesting, but here goes.
Well, as most of us had to do,I had to do 23months, 6hours and 24mins. in the Army. I had orders and shots for Vietnam. At the last min. 3 of us were pulled out of formation and we all had to get more shots. We all thought "the green machine is at it again". Well our orders were changed and we all went to Europe. The only problem with that is after arriving in Europe, no one knew about my orders. So I just kicked back in Europe in my room, and in town for about 2 weeks "tell they got it together. LOL. Well I did much traveling but the guilt of not going to Nam got the best of me, so I put in a 1049 for Nam. Then I was told I had to extend by about 7 months, couldn't do that, I'm just not Army material. I have yet to go to the wall because too many people I know didn't make it back. Maybe one day.
After the Army I just worked on motorcycles, rode around on them and went to parties. Readjustment was hard for me. One night in Santa Rosa I broke up a fight at a bar with a gang of Hells Angels. Well the owner of the bar got saved but not me. It was pretty bloody and the end product was 9 pool balls hit my cheek and I ended up looking like a fat boy for awhile.LOL. Well I fig. time to go to work and no more bars for awhile.LOL.
Ended up going to college on the G.I. Bill for a deg. Was doing nights so I could work. Spent some time with PG&E then moved on to D.O.D. on Subs. The job got the best of me and quit going to college.Stupid, Stupid.
I had a girlfriend in jr.high and high school. The break up was pretty hard on me so I just drifted until I hit the ripe age of 41 and met my future wife. I ended up as one of her teachers at Mare Island.
I was xfer to Texas during Bush Senior time as President. Most of my family are residents of Texas so it was like going home. Took a 25 year retirement when my mom died and went on to Oregon and worked at a boys home. Found out I had a gift working with troubled kids so the job was a pretty good match for me.
Then got a job offer in Sheridan Wy. as a Discipline Assistant at the high school. Worked there and watched over my daughter that I was lucky enough to deliver when she was born.
After my daughter graduated we all went to Las Vegas for a summer jaunt. On our last day in Las Vegas met the Director of the Luxor, traded one liners with him and he kinda thought I was a funny guy. He arranged for a VIP lunch for all of us and we were treated pretty darn well. Thought that was that "tell I got a phone call back in Wy" asking me to work for them. Felt I needed a change so my wife stayed back in Wy and I retired from the school and I worked in Las Vegas. I ended up in the security / protection at the casino.Did the Acad. and the School and learned the casino bus. My wife came down once a month and at one point she felt it was to hot for her. At the same time my daughter asked me to come back home to Texas. Bless her she felt it was time for all of us to be closer. Leaving Las Vegas was hard but it worked out well.
I ended up working at a middle school doing the same thing I did at the high school. My wife treated me by buying me a Harley, which I fixed up and now she wants it. She took her safety course for motorcycles last year and now thinks I need a bigger one. Hot dog what a wife! So by next year I hope to have a Big Dog "k-9" or some other Big Dog Motorcycle.
To be honest with all of you I never...Expand for more
thought I would still be alive at this age. I think with living and growing up in the 60's and Nam,I just didn't think it was in the cards for me. Of all of the men and women that went to Nam, God Bless You All.
Roger Hawk
June 07, 2019
Hope everyone is doing fine and having a good time in retirement. I thought I would give anyone who might be interested an up date since I was unable to make it to the reunion .
I decided to leave the job at the school I was working at when it was decided for me that I should fill in as a substitute teacher. Told the administration I coached girls basketball and softball for 20 plus years but classroom teaching was not something I wanted to do so I said good bye. I also had issues with the way the school were treating ex gang members, not allowing them to get past their past. I had a real close relationship with them and could usually keep the ex gang members in a calm place . Maybe because I was born in East Oakland in the Projects and could identify with them. I had 4 black mothers that took a liking to me and I would spend most of my time with them in their apartment while they watched over me and gave me much needed wisdom . If it wasn't for them Im not sure if I could have dealt with my home life as I got older ; my home life was not a happy one.
Told Ann, my wife, I went TDY to Port Orchard Washington once and felt it would be a good place. She asked to do a road trip and check it out. Before leaving I helped my son in law enter the Army so he could get some training in a field he liked. It worked out well so I said good bye to Ann and the kids and went to Port Orchard , Washington. About a year later Ann joined me there where she got a job back with the Government. She ended up working at the Bremerton Shipyard (PSNSY). She was lucky enough to go TDY to Japan for 6 months every year while I stayed back building us another home. I planned on joining her on her on her fourth trip but she got a promotion so sadly I wasn't able to go.
After my son in law got out of the Army as a Crew Chief on Blackhawk Helicopters , he got a job in Huntsville, Alabama. So now here we go again, stay in Washington or relocate to Madison/Huntsville , Ala. My daughter and son in law were pursuing us to move to Alabama instead of just visiting once a year. So guess what? another road trip for Roger, LOL. Sold our house in Port Orchard and Ann moved in with our neighbor who in fact was from Japan. I then went to Alabama and lived at my daughters house for about 6 months until our house was finished being built. Ann had to come down several times to make choices and to make sure it was to her liking.
To be honest my brother in law , who passed away when we were living in Wyoming , had great talks about the south and realized we were southern boys at heart. Texas is no where as southern as Alabama is and Ann and I are enjoying it very much. I'm a Joe Namath and Ken Stabler fan and since both played quarterback at Alabama the first thing I got was a license p;ate holder for Crimson Tide, LOL.
On closing I hope to join Classmates but haven't yet I also have not been able to bring myself to go to the Vietnam Memorial . I am trying to muster enough courage to go to the Vietnam Memorial to pay tribute to all the fallen men and women who lost their lives Vietnam . I also want to honor a close friend of mine where we were both stationed in Europe together. We were going to 1049 there together but I just didn't want to extend the 7 months. I regret that very much because unfortunately I don't think he came back.
Take care everyone
Roger Hawk
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