Walt Matzek:  

We moved to Fullerton from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1956. What a difference! No more ice and snow. We moved from Wisconsin to Fullerton because my dad had a job at the Broadway Department Store in Anaheim, when it opened. I had my first job mowing lawns, washing dishes at Woolworths, and working in a gas station. We belonged to the First Presbyterian Church in Fullerton on Euclid at the top of the hill. I sang in the church choir and was in their boy scout troop. I went to school in Fullerton from 4th grade until I went into the Navy at 17. The school board changed the school boundry lines, so I had the opportunity to go to Fullerton Union the start of my Junior Year. It was a big mistake! I didn't know anyone and starting over is just tough! Fullerton Union had all the tradition, but I should have stayed at SHHS. Oh, well. I always wanted to go to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD. Since I left high school I had to settle for just joining the navy. I joined the Navy two days after I turned 17. Would have gone in earlier, but my birthday was on Saturday that year and had to wait until Monday. Out of boot camp, I went to Jet Mechanic school in Memphis, TN. I just got out of school and didn't want to go again. I ended up stationed at Atsugi Naval Air Station about 20 miles from Yokohama, Japan. I worked in their communications center. We worked shifts, 8 hours on 8 off, 8 on, 8 off, and then 8 on. We then had 72 hours off for liberty as the navy calls it. I loved Japan and still do. What a great culture. I had my own car and explored the entire island of Honsho. I spent most of my time in Yokohama, but made occasional trips to Tokyo. One morning after working all night, I woke up on a train car and didn't know where I was. Lost in a foreign country and no one spoke english. Scary! I got on a train going the other way and keep going until I reconized landmarks. From Japan, I went back to San Diego for another school. After school, I was stationed on the USS Annapolis. It was a communications relay ship. I was suppose to meet the ship in the Phillipines, but when I got there the ship was at sea. I rode a Navy Oil Tanker ship out to sea to be transfered to my ship. We stopped in Manila on the way out and got to visit Bataan and Corigidor. Very interesting. When we finally found my ship, they transfered our group via highline. That is where the ships continue moving at full speed and they throw over lines and then pull you over the lines in a basket, 20' above the rushing water. Scary, but fun. We would work for 30 days at sea and then go into some port for two weeks of partying. It was fun. We went to the Phillipines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan. Got to see most of the far east. This was my first tour off the coast of Vietnam. When I left the ship, I was transfered to San Diego, for two years of shore duty. It was ok. I could go home on weekends (My folks still lived in Fullerton). I was in Imperial Beach for awhile and then worked in downtown San Diego. After San Diego, I volunteered for Vietnam. I was stationed in Danang at the Naval Support Activity. It was funny, but I learned to sail in the Danang Harbor. The Admiral had a sailboat, and he would let groups take it out for R&R. I went to Sydney, Australia for my R&R. It was a great place. Saw the musical "Hair" while I was there. Great people, very friendly, and they loved Americans (and still do). I also got an extra R&R to Japan. If the flights weren't full, they would let you go standby. I love Japan and would go back today. The Navy had a policy that if you returned from Vietnam with less that 1 year to go, they would discharge you. I fanagled it so I arrived in the US with 364 days lef...Expand for more