Tom Hodgins:  

Graduated from Southern Illinois University, writing a book now. I hope I am remembered as the wise ass cut up that I was, but then who can remember back that far. I always wanted to be a bum that rode the rails. I thought it was an adventurous was to see the world. I relax by hunting. Going moose hunting in Canada and Elk hunting in Colorado this year. Taking up fly fishing to get me out of my favorite chair. Adding a room to the house as a guys room with a bar and pool table, sauna and hot tub. The wildest thing I did in school was drive my Honda 250 Scrambler over a guard rail landing in the top of a tree with the bike in another tree top. Took an hour to get down and a tow truck to get the bike down. If I'm going to work somewhere, I need to have 2 times my retirement pay, pain killers, and medicinal marijuana to be able to deal with the day-to-day. My hero I got to meet him in action. During a fire fight while extracting Force Recon Marines I saw a man get wounded just as he was nearly clear of the enemy. His heroic buddy turned around to help him to keep moving and they were both slowed enough that they were swarmed by black pajama clad VC. Both were captured but one could have gotten away if he had not stopped for his friend. We rescued both 2 days later but it stuck with me. Lucky enough to live around the world because of 32 years in the navy. Kathy Murray from fifth grade was my first crush. I wrote her poems and she made fun of me and she would hang out with older guys who picked on me. I put up with it until a big fight that left me hanging in a fence. A few years my brother and I were waiting to get in the Liberty theater and he said, "Hey, there's ...Expand for more