Billy Slagle:  

,like to know who you are! Military Left for Lackland AFB on July 6,79.Spent the next 6 weeks in San Antonio,Tx playing the new recruit game learning how to fold clothes,make a hospital corner GI bed,proper hanging of dress blues and fatigues,etc.And for good measure learned some history of the Air Force,also how to render a proper salute.Next to scenic Chanute AFB in Rantoul,Illinois.There I underwent 6 weeks of learning the aspects of firefighting.Learned how to carry injured persons,raising and lowering of ladders,and how to start a great fire and how it burns.Then they showed us different ways to extinguish them.Never did see any marshmallows.Then on to my first assignment,Grissom AFB,Indiana.Spent the next 4 years in the middle of a great big cornfield.Nearest town was a place called Bunker Hill.Nothing much there.Peru to the north and Kokomo to the south.Played softball in Peru on a team called the Pumper Humpers made up of civilian and military firefighters.Played some football where our squadron won the Commanders Trophy.Met some terriffic people I'll remember for the rest of my life,and some I'd rather not.While there I went TDY to Korea for Team Spirit,a joint military operation.Best time I ever had in the service.Went to Alaska And Japan on the way over.Missed going to Hawaii on the way back though.Volunteered to stay and help disassemble Tent City where we slept while in Korea.We were west of of Pusan at Kimhae AB,a Korean military base.Played some softball against the Korean military members while there.Happened to take a ballglove over with me,a few of us were throwing ball,and one of the Koreans asked if we would like to play a game with them.Got a team together and went at it.Don't know who won,didn't matter.Had a great time.One of those once in a life time experiences.Something you never forget.Went back to Chanute after that for fireman rescue course.Learned aircraft,helicopter,and structural rescue technics.The best part was repelling off of structures and lowering "injured" persons from heights.The whole course was exceptional.Left Grissom in October 83 headed for Shemya AB,Alaska for 1 year.It was in the Aleutian islands almost as far west as you can get.While I was there I went back to Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage.Spent the next month learning the duties of being a non-commisioned officer.While in Anchorage I got to see Dorothy Hamill ice skate in person.Isn't she about the most beautuful woman ever!No offense to all the other women I know,but,you know what I mean.Been in love with her since the '76 Olympics.Met some great people up there also,and others not.From there I went to Bitburg AB,Germany.Probably the best over all assignment I had while in the service.Great culture,food,drink,etc.The people were just a joy to be around.The country is awesome.While I was there I went TDY to Spain for NASA Space Shuttle launches.I was certified in orbiter egress,to include gaining access to the astronaut capsule,shutting down the rocket engines and power system and extricating the astronauts.One time we were there for 2 weeks solid because of the delay for weather in Florida.Awesome time.Another time I rented a car and a buddy and I rode around the southweat corner of Spain.Left Seville,went down to Gibraltor,over to Cadiz,and back to Seville.Walked in the Mediterranean Sea,eastern Atlantic Ocean,and ate octopus.Also seen the African continent from the mountain of Spain.I also walked in the northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea while at Shemya.Was actually in Spain for the first shuttle that exploded,but was sent back to Bitburg because of delays.They didn't have time to send us back down for the launch.Was at my apartment in Stahl when I heard the news of it exploding over Armed Forces Radio network.Still remember that like it was yesterday.Have the same patches for the shuttle missions that the astronauts wore on their flight suits into space that I was involved in except for that mission.The NASA rep said they weren't ready.Never went back!