Silver Threads and Golden Strands
Memoir of a Teenage Warrior
by
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DANGERS OF EARLY TEEN YEARS # Some of the happenings during my early teens are unbelievable to me decades later. I hope things have changed for the better, but news stories tell me otherwise. When three or four 13 or 14 year old boys get together, there always seems to be one with all sorts of wild ideas about great adventures. Their colorful tales captivate the group, especially, when they are bored from inactivity. “Pipe Dreams” are not real, so they don't have to be rational. However, when teens become fascinated with the fun they believe they can have, their wild ideas often produce headaches for their parents. I don't have all the answers (maybe none), but I will share two cases I was involved in, and suggest some things to consider. The SIMPLE CASE happened late in October of 1942. I was fourteen and had a driver's license: but was grounded for some reason. I was riding my bike and met two boys my age. One was spinning a tale about how rich you could become in the ship yard in Mobile, Alabama. None of us realized we were too young to be hired; besides, that would've spoiled our dream. Like three musketeers, we set off south on US 45 Highway on bicycles. The mountain starts from the edge of downtown Meridian; a grueling climb for ten miles. Near the summit we found a country store still open. We pooled our meager resources and bought bologna, cheese, and crackers to quiet our growling stomachs. We found a secluded spot on the east side of the highway and built a campfire. The temperature went down with the sun as did our youthful expectations. We kept the fire warm, but it hardly returned the favor. No one slept; we spent the night turning the cold side to the fire and the hot side to the bitter cold. Reality sent in early; but, we had to wait for daybreak. Going down the “mountain” was faster than safe; but, we were heading home. A home we should never have left. The quotation marks on “mountain” are there for two reasons: (1) our mountain never had a name. (2) After seeing the Rocky Mountains, I realized we only had a very big hill. The foothills of the Appalachian Mountains start right where I spent that very cold night. Thankfully, I went home to a warm house full of love. I did not know the other two boys; I didn't even know their names. It was a dumb deal; however, I was smarter than I was before the adventure. Too bad early teen brains have such a short memory span. The “COMPLICATED CASE” happened very late in 1942 or very early in January 1943. That was such a tumultuous period for Americans, my teen brain just overloaded. I went to school with Ronald Moore for nine years. I counted him as one of my good friends. Kids think of their schoolmates as friends; until, they mature and know a friend from an acquaintance. Ronald was a great “spin master”. He was always dreaming up great ideas for fun and adventure. He could convince young, inexperienced, unsuspecting boys that a rattlesnake would make an interesting house pet. I wised up to him too late!
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About the Book
Teenage Warrior is primarily about the effect WWII had on “baby brothers” who watched older brothers leave home to serve their country. Being left behind, feeling useless, and all the normal frustrations of early teens. Bill became a “teenage delinquent” before the term was coined. He wrangled his way into the Navy at 15 and soon had doubts that he could handle it. Remembering his Dad's words, “I'll help you get in but won't help you get out”, he served 32 months during the war. 26 months were spent at sea and 12 months were spent in combat zones. The WWII tales in this book vary from “serious” to humorous. Bill survived the explosion of the Chicago Naval Ammunition Depot, hurricane Cobra, a surprise Japanese “Betty” bombing of B29's at Tinian, and a “psycho ward” on Roi Namur Island. The book is full of surprises as Bill remembers some of the good times he had even in the face of battle. Bill became a WWII Veteran, same as his four older brothers.
About the Author
Bill was born in Meridian Mississippi, January 27, 1928; the youngest of six kids. With four older brothers in military service soon after WWII began, Bill was left behind to finish school. Having a driver's license at thirteen made him popular and vulnerable. He frustrated his parents by getting into numerous “unsavory scrapes”. Bill was expelled from school in the ninth grade. His parents decided to send to his Aunt where he could go to a country school. The object was to get him away from the bad elements in his life. Unfortunately, this plan didn't work as well as hoped. Soon after his last escapade, Bill talked his father into falsifying an enlistment document so he could join the Navy. He was only fifteen at the time. Bill served 32 months on the USS PC600, escorting convoys from Eniwetok Atoll to points west in the Central Pacific. When he returned home in 1946 he graduated high school only fourteen weeks behind his Class. He moved to Oklahoma in 1947, joined the USAF in 1949, and began college night courses to enhance his education. He became quite successful, winning the Air Force Commendation Medal in 1959, 1962, and 1967. He retired from the Air Force as a Senior Master Sargeant and was hired soon after as a Civil Service employee. He was the Commissary Officer for numerous bases throughout the Air Force during his civilian career. Bill has been retired for several years now but his heart has always had a soft spot for those in the military. At 82, Bill's time is now spent serving his church, writing his memoires, and sharing his experiences with his family and friends.