Roger Zay:
CLASS OF 1967
El Cajon Valley High SchoolClass of 1967
El cajon, CA
Roger's Story
HEY FOLKS, IT SEEMS WE'VE MADE IT THIS FAR IN TIME. WHEN I LEFT HIGH SCHOOL I SIGN UP FOR MILITARY LAW IN THE ARMY. I RECALL ENLISTING WITH JERRY YOUNG OF OUR CLASS. WE SERVE BOOT CAMP TOGETHER. I HAVEN'T SEEN OR HEARD FROM HIM SINCE THEN. SPENT A YEAR AT HUNTSVILLE SPACE CENTER IN ALABAMA. FROM THERE I WENT TO VIETNAM. AS SOON AS I GOT THERE SOME ONE ASK IF ANY OF US COULD TYPE. MY THOUGH INSTANTLY WAS INDOOR JOB. BOY WAS I FOOLED. I WAS TRANSFERED TO AN INFIELD ARTILLERY GROUP AT FIRE BASE HUSKY IN XUAN LOC. 45 DAYS IN COUNTRY AN I WOUND UP IN A BIG CONFLICT WITH HALF OF THE BASE OVERRUN. I GUESS IT WAS PRETTY BIG SINCE IT MADE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES. I MADE IT OUT OF VIETNAM IN ONE PIECE BUT WHILE THERE NEAR THE CAMBODIA BORDER I WAS EXPOSE TO AGENT ORANGE AND OTHER CHEMICALS. I RETURN TO ELCAJON FOR 6 MONTHS THEN I GOT A JOB AS A FIREMAN FOR THE STATE. AND THAT'S WERE I MEET LYNDA DARLENE SANDERS OF CLASS OF 66. WE WERE MARRIED FOR 25 YEARS . WE HAD THREE BOYS ALL GROWN UP NOW A...Expand for more
ND WE ADOPTED A 1 MONTH OLD GIRL. NAME HERE KAITLYN. SHE IS 14 THIS YEAR. LYNDA DIED OF CANCER. I TRIED TO PICK UP THE PIECES AND MOVED ON. MOVING UP THE RANKS AS A FIREMAN IN ORANGE COUNTY, THEN RIVERSIDE COUNY. I BECAME A FIRE CAPTAIN SPECIALS FOR THE STATE TEACHING PRISON INMATES HOW TO FIGHT WILDLAND FIRES ETC. I DID MEET JIM BARRON WHO WENT TO OUR SCHOOL. HE DID VERY WELL MOVING UP THE RANKS. IN 1990 I WAS ASSIGNED TO A WILDLAND FIRE IN HEMET, CALIFORNIA WITH A CREW OF 17 INMATE FIRE FIGHTinERS. WE GOT CAUGHT IN A FIRE STORM TWO OF MY CREW WERE KILLED. THE REST OF MY CREW AND ME WERE BURNED BUT SURVIVED THE ORDEAL. I SPENT SEVERAL WEEKS IN SHERMAN OAKS BURN WARD WITH BURNS TO MY ARMS AND MY LEFT LEG. I SURVIED AND IN 1995 I RETIRED FROM THE BURNS. IN 1997 I REMARRIED TO CAROL ACKERMAN OF HEMET. WE ARE BOTH RETIRED NOW IN HEMET CALIFORNIA. I HAVE TWO GRAND CHILDREN. I LOVE TO FISH THE LOCAL LAKES I ALSO TRY HELPING MY EXTENDED FAMILY WITH VERIOUS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AROUND THERE HOMES.
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