Michael Puraty:
CLASS OF 1966
Kearny High SchoolClass of 1966
San diego, CA
Michael's Story
Life First off that certainly is no NOW photo!!
I haven't been that thin in over 35 years (except in my wildest dreams)
Army Nov 66-Nov 68,shot in elbow Feb 68 TET offensive. Married 8-69 3 kids Ginelle born 5/74, Geoffrey born 7/75, Gabriel born 8/76 (my 28th birthday) Gabe was killed in single car crash just a block and a half from home in June 1998. He was living with my ex in Delaware at the time. Divorced 1/78. Granddaughter (Ginelle's) Mia Charlotte Puraty-Smith born 8/2003 Grandson Kenji Luke Puraty born 9/2007, Kimie (Kim E A) born 2/2009 and Koji born 5/2011 to Kaori and Geoffrey Puraty
Began Land Surveying Dec 69. City San Diego til Aug 77. Private firms 8/77 thru 11/91. Moved to Orange County Nov. 91. Surveyed with CalTrans District 12 til retirement end Nov 2002. Life Member of following groups:
Combat Infantryman's Association--
1st Cavalry Division Assoc.--
the 5th US Cavalry Association, Vietnam Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart and VFW.
Now I've been retired for 10 years in Nov. and LUVIN'IT!!!!
Workplace
entered army 11/66--got out 11/68 started JC Jan 69..majored in flaking off and GI Bill part time as long as possible..stopped in summer 77 with 75 credits and two classes short of AS in Engineering
worked 1969-2002 ..
69-77 City of San Diego..Survey Section Principal Engrg Aide (I QUIT)
77 Bob Wada and Associates Surveying 9-10 77 Chainman (I QUIT)
10 1977- 11 1982 E.F.Cook and Assoc. Surveying.& Engineering Sr. Party Chief (Laid Off)
4/83- some REALLY rinky-dink yes that BAD! surveying firm.. Party Chief 1 week (I QUIT)
5/83- 6/84 HCH & Assoc...Surveying and Engineering Party Chief (I QUIT)
6/84 - 5/87 McIntire Group Surveying and Engineering Sr Party Chief (I QUIT)
7/87- 4/88 Parker Engineering Consultants..Field Supervisor/Party Chief (I QUIT)
4/88 - 12/89 Church Engineering.. Sr Party Chief (I QUIT)
1/90 - 9/90 SB&O Engineering & Surveys... Party Chief(LAID OFF)
8/91 - 11/91 Brian Smith Engineering & Surveys.Party Chief.(I QUIT)
11/91 -11/2002 State of California Dept of Transportation
Right of Way Engineering and Survey Section (I RETIRED!!)
retired from State of Calif D-12 Surveys.
Military
Volunteered my draft in Aug 1966...went to basic Nov 66..tested well, offered choice of OCS (officer candidate school) or WO Flight..(helicopter pilot school)did 6 wks at OCS..dropped out..sent to Ft Hood Texas avoided first orders to RVN ..then volunteered at Personnel but clerk asked me for $250 to get assigned to Vietnam. There were two guys ahead of me, one paid $200 to go to Korea and the other paid $200 to go to Germany. I refused to pay to go to RVN (actually wrote my congressman and got CI stamped in red ink on my orders.Was only allowed to go to a 1st Cav assignment..Oh CI means Congressional Intervention...translated means irrovocable orders..arrived late 1967 Assigned to A Co. 2nd Bn 5th Cav Regmt. 1st Cav Div (Airmobile) Wounded during TET Offensive in Feb 68..Left Elbow ..took a tracer thru Left elbow..no bones but nicked nerve twice..and spread my elbow joint creating Tennis Elbow type of condition..After nearly 3 mos in Hospital shipped to So. Korea..made an acting sgt at end April made hard rank in June no longer "acting"..big whoop..hated Korea enuf to request Vietnam..but refused to re-enlist to do so
(they said I needed to have a full year left in order to go back but I had less than 6 months left on my two years)...got out as an E-5 in 1 year 11 mos and 23 days.
I was only in the Army 3 wks. when I got 3 wks Xmas leave..Tom Waters asked my dad if I really was in the Army.Got 2 weeks and 4 days before OCS and 38 days on my way to the war..Had to buy back 17 days at E-5 pay rate ($240/mo vs. e-2 rate of $110/mo) cost twice as much as I'd been paid..that blew chunks!!
I signed out of active duty at 8mins,25 sec.s after 9PM on Nov 14th..couldn't get a beer at Sea-Tac airport (escorted from bar by airport police)I was just 3 months past 20..Got into LAX too late to continue to San Diego so took a cab to nearest motel/hotel at 1 AM..Hadn't slept in 3 days so got some sleep. Actually loads of sleep..woke at 8 PM dazed I thought it was 8 AM..and just rainy out..at LAX Inger Stevens' (yes the MOVIE STAR) manager asked if I'd talk with her..She wanted to know what all my uniform patches ribbons and leadership tabs meant..then she offered to buy me a drink..still not legal(I was only 1 day older than the last time I was refused a beer!)so I had to turn her offer down. Had I been thnking, who'd have refused a soldier, in a movie star's company, a drink. The cabbie asked if he could find another fare since I wasn't going far..He went looking and a guy got in the cab while cabbie off wandering.. during the ride he told me there was no reason to get a room, I was welcome to stay at his place..turned out he played on the wrong team (hint hint) so the cabbie stopped and we persuaded him to leave the cab..Slept alone that night.
First rating from the Los Angeles VA was 10% disabled but San Diego had rated me at 20% then LA dropped it to 10..stayed at 10% until 1999..finally rated 100% by VA in 2004..also receive Soc Sec Disability now...Plus the little retirement check from State of Ca. But I would give every penny back to be 100% healthy and able to still run a survey crew or section..(Well not now at 61 everything aches MUCH MORE and just physically unable to do anything really) Honestly who'da thunk I'd live s...Expand for more
o damn long anyway???
Post retirement..
Lived in Orange, Ca. from retiring until buying a home in N Las Vegas in early 2005. Have two fantastic neighbors. Used to drive to San Diego no less than monthly to visit my son's family and also my brothers and sister..My dad passed in early Dec 08.
Mom passed in Sept 96 Now because of special situation fly down for a short visit when able..it is cheaper for me to fly than drive plus it saves some 8 to 900 added miles on the car. Late in 2007 started focusing on my old photography hobby and decided to try to stop shooting snapshots and make hangable Art.
Post marriage.. Began dating a co-worker and it became a serious love pairing and we lived together for nearly 5 years, she was the smartest woman that I ever knew and certainly ever worked with. (A Civil Engineer.) Had run the streets pretty hard until starting that "special" relationship..we were engaged (the only time I asked a woman to marry me, in my life!). At 20th Reunion of Class of 66 ran into an old crush..you know who you are Ms ..had crushed on her since Jr History..we ended up having a seriously wild year together.. Got popped in May 1991 for cocaine possession..got straight in just a few seconds. Quit doing my drug of choice ..and all non-prescription drugs too. Also went 6 years without a drink just to see if I could. Drank infrequently afterward. Drs. ordered me to stop for good when drugs they prescribed were rendered ineffective when mixed with booze..Haven't had another drink other than a shot of JWalker Blue from the 5th that I bought on the flight home from China. Shared with a good friend Bill Appleton. Shared another pair of shots of JW Blue (total I had 2) with an ex co-worker @CalTrans.
Waiting to hear recommendation on low back problem..whole thing started in AIT in 67..Fell 23'+/-out of a dead pine in Ft Lewis Wa. Yes I was literally UP A TREE..What the heck does that even mean?? Have had 3 MRI's not counting the one I had in China. Tripped on steps of Breakfast cafe in SF during layover. Spent a couple hours each of the first 3 days at a Chinese Hospital. Had Ct Scan, MRI, X-rays, 4 poultices a day for the week and transfused a great treatment for my low back problems (2 days for an hour each transfusion) Saw 2 Dr's total of 3 times..Everything cost less than $465!!! I refused a 3 level disc fusion and think I pissed the doc off and he never renewed my scrip for the good Hydrocodone 10's had been giving me 180 a month.. Most months I took about 110+/-. But had severe pain, fell to my knees 2 or 3 times a month.Lay in bed for as long as I could before HAVING to EAT! But life hasn't been all rocks and ruts..Love my kids and grand kids. Mel younger bro stll alive.
Thanks again to those that have stuck with this to hthe end..
Mike
Spent 8 days in SE China with a layover in Seoul Korea in Aug 06..Had a 10 day vacation in Italy in early 07..have 800 photos to prove that..Was in Venice for Carnavale..fabulous costumes! Spent 10 fantastic days in Costa Rica in May 2010. Much more expensive than a country in Central America should be. But beautiful jungles, volcanos and a National Botanical garden with over 1K varieties of Orchids.
Back pain, hip seems to be popping out LT side more. Knee, Lt eblow (where I was shot) also sore shoulders (with a VERY BIG helping of LAZY) limiting physical activity now..
Attended the Oct reunion..08 or 09..need to seriously get off some (most) of my meds.. Spoke with Mary and Ann Ward, JoEllen Roman, Dan Fulkerson Ty Youngs Tracey Chambers, Dickie Fields and Alex Quintinar. Plus many others..It was a nice weekend brought my Daughter-in-law and grandson to the picnic on Sun.
was hoping to see EVERYBODY..even some that I hadn't particularly cared for (not all.. still imperfect! I've grown some but still have a very little ways to go)
missed all since our 30th??
Thank you and take care everyone that has read this far!
In 2003 Plt Sgt (3rd PLT) contacted me and informed me that Alpha 2/5 had started getting together for troops assigned or attached during the Vietnam ?CONFLICT?? They held the first in 03 in Tulsa, OK (I missed that one) In 04 we gathered in Charleston, S.C. Former Capt Mace was a 1 star Gen. commandant of the Citadel voted then to meet in even years only so in 06 Steve Marceau hosted in San Antonio, Tx. the 08 reunion I hosted here in Las Vegas. In 2010 we held the reunion in Wash. D.C. Had our usual group photos taken at the Wall Fri. afternoon. ...
Like I have said. . Had I known I'd last this damn long I'd have taken MUCH BETTER CARE OF MYSELF..Forgot to mention first week in field our squad was sent to the top of the radio relay site outside of some jungle..First nite walking to the chow hall some loud jerk screamed "fire in the hole" I looked all around and there wasn't a thing within 200 meters so I ignored the shout...Well about 4 seconds later I discovered there was an 8" track gun at the very top..I want to let you in on some very important info... The muzzle blast created when that sucker is fired will knock a young lightweight troop over 100 meters down the freakin hill..Couldn't hear out of my lt ear for almost an entire month when hearing returned it was together with some CONSTANT RINGING in that ear. My rt ear was useless for about 10 days..then the ringing in it was frequent but not constant.. both are still ringing...the lt ear has actually grown louder and a hell of a lot more irritating.. May add more sometime...
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Reunions
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