michael osborn:  

I was in the class of 68. My father was a roofer while it seemed to me that all my classmates fathers were Martin Marietta engineers, lawyers, doctors or other professionals, I had an inferiority complex. In my senior year I had speech, I simply could not get up in front of the class to give a speech. Thusly I failed speech and lacked 1/2 credit needed for graduation. I was offered summer school but was both embarrassed and ashamed. In September of 68 at age of 18 I joined the US Marine Corps. I thought they would give me a rifle and send me to Viet Nam. Throughout boot camp I was given a series of IQ test to determine what kind of job I would be assigned. Upon graduation was promoted to PFC (a big deal) I took the GED test for my high school equivalency and then took CLEP that gave me 2 years college credit. The Marine Corps tests revealed that I had a very high IQ and from boot camp I was sent to Computer Sciences School in Quantico Va. to receive my initial training as an IBM 360 Mainframe Operator. My 1st duty station was Camp Lejeune N.C. It was there I met my future wife. A Sgt. she outranked me. I was promoted a couple of times and when I made Sgt. we got married I was 20 she was 23. Our marriage throughout the command was frowned upon be cause she was 1/2 black & 1/...Expand for more