Shawn Ireland:  

As most of you who knew me, know that I moved to live with my father in my Sophmoe / Junior year. I had taken the ASVAB Test for going into the Army when I graduated. I left Westmont and went to Leigh, where I graduated in 1978. I know most of you, my friends thought I was to graduate in 1979 with you, but I did High School in three years. I took summer school and also went to night school to get the credits needed to graduate in 1978. I did this because my mother had me held back in first grade as she and the teacher didn't think I was ready to move up to the second grade at the time. So needless to say I showed them. I worked as a Carpenter for a couple of month after graduationin 78 and went to Basic Training in July of 78. I Graduated top of my Basic Training Cycle, and was the platoon leader for the entire time I was in Basic. I then went on to my Advance Training, AIT. I went into the Infantry, I had originally went in to be a carpenter, but they lost my paperwork and told me if I signed up for four years in the Infantry, that I'd get a signon bonus. So that is what I did. I spent eight years in the Army, and was Medically Discharged from the Army in 1985. I had received a broken left hip and was not able to continue in the Army in that job. They offered me a different job as a clerk, but at 25 years old I figured I'd get out and get a job that I could use in the civilian world. After all My job was to teach soldiers how to kill, and there wasn't much use for that in the civilian world. ...Expand for more