Billie Johnston:  

Life Born & raised in Fort Gratiot. Schools: Keewahdin, Fort Gratiot, little school house off cemetary "5th grade" and Northern H S where I meant my 1st true love, she'll always be in my heart. Graduated 78 and joined the Marines. Asked my girl to marry me but she wasn’t ready to leave. We agreed we chose different paths. A yr and a half later I saw the most BEAUTIFUL GIRL I wanted her to be mine forever. I meant my wife Rosa. Neither of us were looking, but something clicked. I was blessed finding a girl that could replace my empty feeling. What’s funny is I was upset my friend dragged me,and Rosa was upset her friend dragged her too. Neither one of us wanted to be there. She spoke no english,I spoke no spanish. A friend translated a letter I wrote her later that night when I got to my barracks that said I wanted to date her if she was not seeing anyone. My letter touched her heart, She knew I would be her protector, provider, best friend, and a loyal devoted man she so much desreved. I asked her to marry me a week later, she said yes. We got married three months later. Rosa put up with many lonely nights while I was deployed or on training exercises. Rosa volunteered to give Bible studies & started a bread/food and flower give away program on Marine Base Camp Pendleton.Rosa says God put me in her path. I never was a "player", never tried to find anyone after my 1st love, so I am blessed to have met Rosa, A girl I knew the moment I saw her, I wanted forever. Well that's the love story…on with the rest. Retired from Marines 1998. Ran a carpet/ house cleaning business 18 yrs with Rosa. The math adds up, I worked around the clock. I was still in marines and also ran our business. We were hard working. We quit in 02 and moved to MS to open a new business that never took off. Ended up GM of a steak house till 2006. Quit in 2006, sold our ranch and moved back to CA to be with our KIDS and GRANDKIDS. Lived in a Montana fifth wheel & went full time to college enjoying retirement, I enjoyed the gym every morning with my wife and daughter. Golf,racquetball and basketball are my hobbies. Oct 09, hired at a base Gyms as assistant mgr. Stayed there 4mo, then a warehouse mgr for the base police and fire dept on Camp Pendleton CA, then changed gears and became a occupational health and safety specialist and was transferred to Lemoore California Naval Air Station. From there transferred to Naval Base San Diego FULLY RETIRED 2021, Moved to NE TEXAS. Getting old and slow! But thanks to “PICKLEBALL” I keep moving! My dislikes and likes: Can't stand dirty politics, th...Expand for more