Clinton Mettler:  

IN THE BEGINNING- thru High School and beyond. Originally I was born in northern California, but my memories begin in Lodi, then in the summer of 1976 my parents moved us to Garner Iowa (a small SMALL town in North Central Iowa). This move happened because my Dad had been out of work and was hired by Winnebago in Forest City IA, just a few miles north of Garner and my parents both wanted to move from California back to the Midwest from where they both were from. Those four years in small town Garner were some of the roughest years I can remember growing up, but some the best times I had there were being in the Marching band at Garner-Hayfield High School, my Freshman Year. I moved to Davenport in 1980 the month before my sophomore year started at Davenport Central. Moving from Garner Iowa, a small town to a good size City was just what I needed. It got me out a town where I never seemed to fit in to a new High school in a much larger community. Davenport just turned into same for me, that is adjusting to a new town, trying to make friends, and attempting to fit in this game called life. All at the same time trying to figure who I was as a person. In HS, I spent a lot of energy trying to fit in and finding out who I was. I was in Band, (yes I was the one who played the flute) I don't remember the how's or whys to me learning to play this instrument, but it sure didn't help my self esteem nor fitting in. BUT being in the Band was one of the best experiences I had growing up. Marching Band was in the fall/spring and of course Concert Band during the winter. Being a part of the band brings back great memories, two trips to Florida (sophomore & senior years) are some the best memories of High School for me. Speaking of memories.. how can I forget the nights hanging out behind the Moose Lodge doing things that should of landed my tail in Juvenile court. Oh well, I guess I had some luck and God was looking out for me because he must have had bigger plans for me than being prosecuted as a juvenile delinquent. Even the things I was doing I should have been. Then there were the dating times, hanging out at the local pool hall. As for jobs, I worked at Brenton Bank as maintenance hand for a couple of years, yes I witnessed them getting robbed. Then I moved on from there to the Hobby/Craft store in North Park Mall. As we all know by the time of your junior year we all start thinking what was next after HS. In the process of looking up to my older brother who was in the 82nd Airborne as a MP and wanting to prove my mother wrong, who always stated that I would never willingly join the military. I decided to enlisted in the Army's delayed Entry program, during the summer of my junior year. So upon graduation in June of 1983 I had a month until I was off to basic training & Military Police school. THE ARMY.............. I joined the Army under the delayed entry program partly as my way of showing my mother she was wrong (after hearing my mother constantly saying to her friends she was not surprised that my brother had joined the military, but it would take a draft for me to join.) Anyway she about flipped when I made the announcement that I too was joining the Army but at least I wasn't going to jump out of airplanes as part of my career. Looking back on that decisions I guess even though it was not made for the best reason, overall it turned out the best for me. The Army helped give me a since of direction in my life, gave me self confidence in my abilities and what I could accomplish, and also helped me realize who I was and what I wanted out of life. Upon graduation from HS I was off to the Army for Basic Training and MP school (one station training). After graduation from MP school my first duty assignment was at the Army Field Station in Sinop Turkey. (Yes Turkey) After about 6 months there and volunteering to be a "Customs Inspector" I was selected to go to the Military Police Investigators School back at Fort McClellan, Alabama. So my orders came down to leave Turkey 2 months early of a one year tour. Upon graduating from this training course, I got orders transferring me to Fort Benning GA. Upon arrival I was assigned to 988th MP Company as a Military Police Investigator and attached to the Provost Marshall's Office. After a year or so there my unit (988th MP Co) was shipped out to Central America and on to Honduras. Our mission was to patrol the community of Comayagua and also rotate platoons guarding a "listening post" on one of the hilltops over looking the boarder. I was there a short time when suffered a knee injury playing a game of "speedball" a cross between soccer & football. I was Med-i-vac'd out of Honduras to Panama. So after 2 weeks of evaluations, they decided shipped me back to my home duty station for surgery. So I was packed up and Med-i-vac'd back to Ft Benning . (leaving my unit behind in Honduras) After the surgery and medical leave, my contract with the Army was running short. The Army was pushing for a decision of re-enlistment but they were not offering anything to stay in as I had seen in the past with others. (no choice of station - in states or overseas, no re-enlistment bonus, No nothing but to stay where I was doing the same job.) I had enough and w...Expand for more