Jerry C Harrison:  

trees play pirates. competition skipping rocks across the water and all that stuff. Like Huck Finn. But not as much mischief. Going back there 50 years later I'm amazed how far we would travel on foot with out our parents knowing it. Now they have gates and fences,keep-out signes. Then, we didn't have a care or fear in the world. We Did have something nobody else had. An old old barn with hole in back wall and tons and tons of recycled comic books, stacks 6 ft. high, 30 ft across. Thousands of them, They had the front cover torn off. But were good to read. That was 50 years ago. A fun place was Behind a dry cleaners on Harrison Ave. next to Tip Top grocery we found on the side at the exhaust vent was always a huge pile of lint wet with cleaning fluid. We would make a little flame on the ground or at the base of the brick wall. Throw a wad of that stuff close by and it would explode and look like a firey napalm bomb. Just kids play. There was a creek just east of the house. It ran through a jungle area with vines so thick over head that it was dark. Known as lovers lane. Close by trees were vines from 50 feet up. We’d cut the bottom and swing like tarzan. Some man had built an iron frame in the sandy creek bed, a creek with water was so clear. He had mounted huge a gun turret form a old WWII bomber, the top was bullet proof clear canopy,with aircraft controls and old machine guns (the didn't shoot of course). So we kids fought the war all over again. On a vacant lot on Harrison Ave across form my house was a lot with white sand, bamboo and palmetto bushes. We dug trenches covered them with boards, sand and grass. Made guns from pipes, and sticks, sometimes real cap guns etc. We made hand-grenades out of small bags filled with sand and sometimes flower from the kitchen. And balloons with water. There were probably 10 boy, no girls allowed of course Bet you didn’t have all that. And that’s only half. Well moving on. I revisited Panama City in 1965 -66. US Air Force. Contacted Nancy Lewis and Sally Stockman. They were in my 1st and 2nd grade classes. Sally a lovely girl then 23 was teaching school. Nancy was a performing dancer with many credits. Both were very pretty at age 7 and only got better looking. My dad Was a dredge boat captain with Hendry Corp. I remember The holidays, Family could Feast with the crew aboard a two story dredge boat. The food was fit for a King. As a kid I would fish from boats and small dredges with my dad. Caught lots of fish, Walked the pipe lines over the water with dad. Heard lots of stories about work on the Intercostal waterway, Got lots of old pictures. I would love to meet anyone with similar background. Tug boats were also my favorites. Back then the bay waters in East Bay, close to Tyndall Air Force base was crystal clear (50 years ago). Had lots of family in PC Will finish this later Military Classmates.com Military Bio 10 27 03 US AIR FORCE 1964-1968 JAN 16TH I guess my start was while in Hi school 10th or 11th grade. I was part or the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). I enjoyed the discipline of a professional organization, the uniforms the marching the training and assignments and associations with flyers. We had a plane for assisting in search and rescue. So when I received a draft notice 1964 I ran to the Air force recruiter. Tested and got electronics field. Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Totally new concept in living. Barracks life, marching to breakfast before sun up. Lots of detail in every thing. But I accepted it and thought it a real venture. Liked it all except skinned heads. Next assignment .a long train ride First week of March 64 Training base Lowery AFB Denver Colorado. Mile Hi City. Air so different from Florida. The air was Clear dry crisp sun was brighter. Went to electronics school till noon then more basic, marching, parades, work details. Sgt Kicklighter, was a tough drill Sgt Later he help me go to Tyndall AFB and avoid assignment to Loring AFB Maine. Impressed with electronics instructors. Even thought of becoming an instructor. Studied and did well, May 26 at a beauty pageant met a girl names Christine. We dated till I had to leave for my next base. My best Air Force buddies were Burney Hoczur and Frank J Hodur, We went to next base together. Liked Denver, City Park beautiful, My first big museum, liked mountains Red Rock was a favorite, fished at Cherry Creek Dam, Flew home mid summer and drove my car back. A 1960 White Pontiac Convertible. The greatest car ever. Perfect for the mountains (on the highways). Have always wanted to return to that area and may yet. Seemed like I was there for a long stay but it was only a 9 month stay. Had to leave last week of Nov 64. TYNDALL AFB, Panama City Fl. assignet to F106 maint "mock-up" repair of electronic circuits. Blacx Box repair all in side work. Impressed by young Sgt Diaz. Tought me logical systimatic troubleshooting techniques that I've used ever since. Joined scuba club which dominated my life from then on. Will finish later 10-27-03