Dale Kelley:
CLASS OF 1969
Albany Union High SchoolClass of 1969
Albany, OR
Dale's Story
Hello to all my classmates of the former AUHS:
I thought I might update you of my whereabouts and update my story. After graduation I enlisted in the U.S. Navy and went straight to Boot Camp that July. Completing Basic I was 1 of 7 that was sent to sea duty. Nearly 200 others in my company got their "Class A" schools and occupations but I got a slap in the face! I wanted to become an Illustrator-Draftsman, about the closest thing to my desired skills. I was laughed at by the counselor. Well, this was the best thing ( joining the military) because I couldn't afford to go to college and didn't want to just stay home. I was assigned to the USS Galveston CLG-3 and (wonder of wonders) I was detailed to the Missile Division! I had decided that if the Navy wanted me to be a Gunnersmate Missileman then I was going to be the best at that I could. As a result of that election to this task I had to be investigated by the NSA to receive a Top Secret security clearance. Some neighbors, teachers, scout leaders, etc. Must have spoken good of me. I got this and it cost the military $30,000 to do this! I never got to see a missile in one piece because they decommissioned this fine ship. My next duty station was COMPHIBGRUONE and my shipmates teased me because they imagined I was going to Vietnam in a gunboat because this was an Amphibious function. It turned out to be staff duty for one of 2 Amphibious Groups and working for a Rear Admiral. Home ported out of the Naval Amphibious base in San Diego was not bad. I went from being a "Missile Maggot" to a "Staff Puke" to some with jealousies. As it turned out, the leadership was trying to figure out what they were to do with 6 seamen checking in. They were orienting us about the work sections ( N1 thru N5 ) and it just so happened that the staff had an Illustrator- Draftsman in the N2 Intelligence section! I expressed a great deal of interest in this and of course they laughed at me but eventually I got this position and was promoted into a PO3, the Staff Draftsman. Talking about a negative becoming a positive! When you are on a staff like this you just don't do your job but learn many different tasks and we worked closely with Marines, Army Intelligence and Naval & Marine Air components. I eventually was responsible for the graphics during the Admiral's daily briefings. RADM W. D. Gaddis was in charge of all Amphibious activities in the Seventh Fleet and this was WestPac and also Vietnam. He had abt. 35 Officers as his advisors and 65 of us enlisted. Part of our mission was to plan, execute and monitor combat Marines (both South Vietnamese and U.S. Marines) in an Amphibious landing just south of the DMZ. There were many days when I was lucky to get 4 hours shut-eye in 24. I earned over 7 months combat for the 2 operations we successfully completed! I was glad to serve. I finally got shore duty after crossing the ocean twice and having been on 10 different Flag ships. I was now a "Blackshoe" in an Airdale Navy at NAS Lemoore, CA. After reporting to Fighter Attack Squadron VA-122 I was told by the Chief that he didn't know what to do with me! I had heard this before! He had an over strength of Draftsmen so he assigned me Special Services- the Recreation Division! I pinched myself. I was assigned to be the station cinema manager. 2 evenings there - 2 days and nights off - are you kidding! With my combat pay I bought my first car, a 1969 Pontiac Lemans. Now is all I had to do was learn to drive! It was fun, I certainly had time to do that. The Navy gives and the Navy takes away! I was the lowest ranked PO Draftsman an single at the time so the Personnel people needed someone to fill Temporary duty overseas so I was It. I protested, "But this is my year of Shore Duty"! They gave 2 weeks free leave to go home and take care of loose ends, OK then! I was now going back to the Philippine Islands (where I left from overseas) to report to Fleet Intelligence Center Pacific Facility (FICPACFAC) in Subic Bay, NAS Cubi Point for up to 6 months. It was a barbed wire locked compound with an armed guard. There I annotated photos from the "Blackbird" spy plane. These went to the Pentagon and certain congressmen I guess. This wasn't bad duty. I got Per Diem for meals, had a housekeeper take care of my bunk area and laundry. Had a girlfriend, Laura, in Olongopo City and spent many nights in town. After 2 months The peace talks progressing and pilot prisoners being released I was told I would be going back Stateside!? So I thought I was going back to my previous position, no such luck. I was to go to wing side and work in the Weapons Training Center doing illustrations and mockups of weapons systems on planes such as the A7 Corsair. I like to think that there may have been a future Top Gun among those Navy Pilots but we didn't know that term at the time. They now a spot for me to do my actual job in Lemoore. I finished my 4 or 5 months of my enlistment and I was done with active duty. They rated me in the highest category for re- enlistment. No - I was tired and lonely! At best it was not an easy 4 years. I did get to see get to see most of Southeast Asia from Japan to Singapore - including all maritime military regions of Vietnam. Enough of this, right!!
At home I went to work for Sears and also part time at the Day-N-Nite Market and then to Linn- Benton Community College where I took prerequisite courses for a degree in Architecture, I hoped. Had the G.I. Bill and pay each month from drilling in the Naval Reserve (I was required to do this for the other 2 years of my enlistment) so I could get by in my own apt. I met my future wife, Loretta Allen and she chased after me until I caught her so-to- speak. Her family welcomed me with open arms. She was an "Army Brat" and her dad had just retired so she was finally in one spot for a change and she was 5 years younger than me. We married 1 June 1974 and had a weekend honeymoon at the Coast. She graduated from High school the following Thursday.
I loved the woman and it was great now not being lonely. We had many similar interests. What I had a hard time with was her discouraging me from reaching my goal of getting my college degree and becoming an Architect! I eventually gave in and the following year I enrolled in the Drafting technology courses at LBCC. It would give me entry level engineering training. After that year and in the summer we both worked at a frozen food plant and it was hard/ long days as you can imagine, seven days a week during harvest. I got a call from somebody in my Church that knew of my drafting/ engineering background and the long of the short his son the engineer hired me as an engineering draftsman. This was a Federal Government 90 day temporary position. They hired me off the street, really. So we loaded up our little Mercury Capri with an assortment of household things and we drove to Grand Coulee Dam, WA. Not only did this work out but after the first day or so my supervisors scared me when they came up were shocked. After being startled they explained that what I had just done in work was not expected of me for 4 or 5 weeks of training. Based on this they gave me a merit promotion of 3 GS pay grades, something that is usually done with only 2 grades. This project at that time was one of the biggest Hydroelectric dams in the world and a third powerplant was being added. I didn't like doing electrical schematics as much as civil or structural assembly drawings so I was detailed to work with a team of Civil Engineers working on designing project needs. There were times that us young draftmen got to go through the galleries in the dam matrix during lunch time and saw much. One time on the roadway over the top of the dam I looked down over the spillway and almost lost my cookies. It was a long ways down. It was 550 ft to be exact, I think, and the dam was more than a mile long! I also got to see the 6 ft in Dia. Shaft of one of the new 35 ft generators and saw that the monitor said it was spinning 80 RPM !! I still can't wrap my brain around something that big spinning that fast in a minute! I was offered a position of being the head draftsman of the project shop (abt 6-8 people) but I discovered that a draftsman could draw good but couldn't draw a good paycheck! I became a Civil Engineering Techn and had many interesting assignments. With a realignment or change of work purposes I was reclassified as Hydrologic Techn. And we still had our supervisor, Franklin Dimick, as our Engineer boss. He was also Me and Loretta's Church Bishop, landlord, home teacher (a Church thing), neighbor and him and Ethel were like p...Expand for more
arents to us. This area is mostly federal people and most were friendly. We developed many friendships which many are still among my friends. The Dimicks moved to Utah where he took another position within the U.S. BuRec. I Moved on to Portland, to take a position with the Portland District of the Army Corps of Engineers. Are you getting bored with my ramblings. This is the short story - the other is a book I am writing. We had our first daughter, Jessica, in 1977. Portland was close to home and I had many new responsibilities in the Water Quality and Reservoir Regulation subsection of the Hydrology Section.
Soon we had James, 1978 and then Jennifer 1980. I had to keep working hard to promote myself because this area was a real cultural shock to our finances, I being the breadwinner (should be crumb winner). Ha!Ha!
I was now in the Army Reserve as an illustrator and went from SGT to SSG on some weekends. The Naval Reserve weren't going to pay me for drilling!? After I got oriented to this Army stuff with the HQ Co. Of the 104th Training Div., I switched to the G-3 test section and became a Test NCO. I became the hands-on evaluator for the Claymore Mines. I also learned and became proficient at all Common Task Training skills that Infantry soldiers, Basic trainees, ROTC and other soldiers should know how to do. I had to learn these things when I found out that as a Sergeant I would need to show Privates these kind of skills and an illustrator and former Anchor-Clanker didn't feel comfortable with scenario. We went to places like Ft. Lewis, Ft. Jackson, SC, Ft. Benning, GA, and Ft. Dix, NJ to test trainees for our summer camps.
One Sunday in May 1980 Mt. St. Helens in WA blew her top. This changed Work agendas as this was within the Army COE area of responsibility. All work sections had to brainstorm methods or ways to prevent the unstable log/ berm dam stopping up Spirit Lake and would cause a catastrophe if broke away. Eventually this was handled by 3 solutions but this affected me because I worked in WQ section and worked with Dr. Douglas Larson, Limnologist (LakeScientist). Spirit Lake itself had been raised 200' in elev. From the event. He was mandated to investigate Chemical/Biological changes in the Post-eruption. He had a fiberglass shack flown by helicopter and dropped into an area known as Milt's Pond where the spot possessed a super-heated area. I was his purchasing agent for all the lab supplies and survival gear needed there - the Mountain was still eerily smoking and still could erupt again. Dr. Doug made sure that I got up there on 2 of his 99 missions - the only way up there at that time was by helicopter. I think 24 people were allowed in the Red Zone. It was like a moonscape to me being all gray and strangely quiet. We always kept one eye to the mountain and the helicopter was on standby and would bug out if it erupted majorly.
What experiences those were. I got to honcho a project in the Toutle River with Hydrolab Datasondes, instruments we used to monitor water temps. And conductivity. These would tell us if the sediment dam and Sedimentation Retention Sructure were effective in keeping silica ash from affecting the downstream temperatures. Thiscwas the first time in history that Datasondes had been used in riverine environments. They were primarily lake devices.
I had as many as 6 of these deployed and taking readings once every hour for a week and then I would change them out with fresh ones. The study proved that there was insignificant temperature differences.
My wife was not doing well domestically. Two of our children were hit by cars on separate events. She didn't take care of things that I thought should be done so I just would come home and cook the evening meal, do dishes, and maybe laundry and smile about it! I suggested that she go to work if that's what she wanted, we could make day care arrangements. I guess I was having all the fun while she was at home. I did get several Performance Awards and promotions to earn not-enough salary. Eventually she earned certification to work in a Senior Care center and she also lost about 80 lbs. She now had her own group of friends. We got a new home in Vancouver, across the river, and were leasing with intentions of buying it. It seems that I didn't want to go party with her and her friends so I was no fun and she was going to leave. She eventually did but I was left with the children and if we divorced she only wanted the family car. She dictated that I would file the papers! Okay then! My good attorney said that if all she wants is the family car then let's do this paperwork before she changes her mind. You will be better without her and just love those kids and take care of them. I became primary parent.
At the same time the Army COE was undergoing a Reduction In Force which meant that 300 people would lose their position. I being one of them! I a combat veteran was not protected from this action!? No, I didn't have $1,100 for a legal retaining fee. My ex had squandered every buck I ever made. I found a position with the U.S. Geological Survey in Harrisburg, PA. They said that any combat veteran in my position is at the top of their list for a continuing position.
So airport day comes and Loretta calls me and wants me to stop by before we fly out to PA. OK, I thought she may want to see her kids and hug and kiss and all that stuff. No, she wanted me to buy her a couple of cartons of cigarettes before we left! Unbelievable! This is just one habit that she picked up. I live by a healthy lifestyle - Walk and not be weary, run and not faint - I still walk a 1/2 an hour daily, at least. No alcohol, tobacco, coffee and all things in moderation.
The Geological Survey is a great agency to work for. I came East to work for the 3 year minimum and then I could try to move West. We lived in motels for 3 months as I tried to find out where in the area we would live. I started attending Parents-Without-Partners and met Colleen Quillen, a witty, humorous woman with a pleasant personality. We married soon after my divorce became final. She was a supervisor for Public Schools Employees Retirement System of PA. She was also divorced with her 10 yr. Old, Jenny. It was a real challenge molding our family. I enjoyed wading and measuring streams. Where we can't wade we measure from bridges, or cableways or boats. I took care of electronic equipment in gagehouses, took care of data, did maitenances, and wrote summaries of all stations and creeks in my assigned area. Became a contributing author of the Yearly White Papers of streams.
Colleen became an Admin Officer in her agency before she retired. She died unexpectedly in 2003 and we miss her. My children miss "Mother" who cared for her. I retired from the Fed. Govt. The same year I retired from the PA Army National Guard where I was a SFC and Team leader of the Meteorlogical section for field artillery functions. A year later I met Karen Wagner, a nurse. We married in 2006. Sold my house in 2006 and downsized to a new townhouse. Downsized ? We still have 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, 2 car garage and screened in back porch. Daughter Jessica is a paralegal at a law firm and lives with her husband, Jeremy in Dillsburg, no children and their fine with this. Son, James, is a documents consultant and supervisor with PA Turnpike. He and Leah and my grandsons: Ethan 15 & Jonah 14, live in nearby Campbelltown. My youngest daughter, Jennifer, is married to Ezzy Zagloul, and have Adam 10, Noran 9, and Zaine 6, my grand children. They own and manage Santos East Pizza and Italian in which I am invested in - I don't want to hear about the daily drama of this business. It is hard but they are very successful since 2010.
Karen is retired from Capital Blue Cross as a nurse working for pre-authorization of proceedures section. She has bad knees, bad hands and is worn out from nursing since she was 16. I call myself a watercolor artist and am being called a noted local artist - i'll take that title. I am also an ordained High Priest and HP group leader in my Church. I have the opportunity to serve many members and others. Can you believe an underachiever and the skinny kid from the "wrong side of the tracks" can fall into so many different experiences! I don't have any degrees or license and only a little colleging! I thank God for these experiences. I often wonder why I was chosen to show Christian Leadership when there are so many good Brothers more capable! I guess I do have experiences to share! Would love to hear from somevof you! Sorry for my wordiness - Government employees are known for this!
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