Lynwood Bellamy:  

I was born in a little house on N Vyne Street (Happy Hill) in Rocky Mount NC on September 30, 1949. At an early age my family moved across town to Armstrong Projects. Me and my 6 siblings: 2 sisters and 4 brothers were raised by our mother (Mrs Elsie Bellamy), It is with a heavy heart and sadness that I note that our dear mother is no longer with us. She departed this world on January 1 2019. (Rest In Paradise mom ❤️🙏). Well, my father drifted in and out of my life and I knew of him but I never did really know him. He passed away on April 4 2002. (RIP) While growing up, I attended O.R. Pope Elementary School, S.C. Baskerville Elementary School, JW Parker Junior High School, and Booker T. Washington Senior High School. I didn't do much while in High School, although, I knew I could have done more academically. I was just an average student who kept a low profile and did my best to stay out of trouble. I just wanted to graduate and make my mom proud. While in high school, my favorite classes were Algebra and French. Oh, and thanks to Gurney Brown teaching me how to play the trumpet ; Mr Woods allowed me to become a member of the BTW High School Band. "The Greatest High School Band Ever". Two days after graduating from High School, I moved to Queens NY and nine months later (March 1968) I joined the US Marine Corps. I completed Basic Training at Parrish Island SC in May 1968 and my first duty assignment was with the 1st Marines Aircraft Wing in Chu Lai, Vietnam as a Supply Warehouseman (August 1968 - September 1969 ). Sadly, I learned that one of our classmate, Marine Private First Class Larry Dubose was killed in Vietnam in November 1968. ("RIP my Brother" - Semper Fi). After leaving Viet Nam in 1969, I spent a few months at Camp Lejuene NC, 1 year at a Marine Barracks, in Colts Neck NJ and 1 year at Camp Courtney Okinawa, Japan and then back to Camp Lejuene for my last duty assignment in the Marine Corps. On March 17, 1972, I w...Expand for more