A Father's Story
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Another place we found recreation during those years was at Randy's Roller Skating Rink, located south of Colbert near the Red River. I suppose this is the place where I first became interested in the opposite sex for reasons other than friendship. In order to skate with the girls, we had to put our arm around them and hold them tight. The extent of our romancing consisted of exchanging smiles and winks. In later years we would go for a walk or stand outside and talk. In high school, when some of my friends had cars to drive, we would pick up girls at the skating rink and take them for a ride, to a movie or to their home. We always had fun doing all of these things without dope or alcohol. We also had fun at the many house parties given by fellow students. Sometimes we would walk 2 or 3 miles to go to a house party in the country. The hostess would usually make a freezer of homemade ice cream. One night we were having a party at my house. We were playing a game called, "Knock-Knock." By playing this game a boy could end up taking a girl for a walk. On this particular night, Dick Guiou was walking with a girl through our backyard. As Dick was walking along holding the girl's hand, he suddenly fell in a hole up to his waist. The girl screamed. When we ran to the back yard to determine the cause of the scream, we discovered that Dick had stepped through the top of an old septic tank that was buried in the yard. At first, everyone was silent. When Dick climbed out of the old septic tank covered with shit up to his waist, he started laughing. Every one joined in laughing with him. Needless to say, Dick had to leave the party and go home to change clothes.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
This book is dedicated to all those fine young men and women who pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps out of the poverty of the Great Depression, through World War II, through the Korean War, through Vietnam, and through the Cold War to become responsible and productive American citizens. It describes some of the recollections, experiences, and opinions of Major Robert M. Taber, USAF Retired, who was born in Fort Worth, Texas at the beginning of the Great Depression and who lived on a farm and attended grade school in a two room country school near Colbert, Oklahoma. It is a story about being a poor country boy who suffered the humiliation of standing in a relief line with his mother, losing his father at the age of 5, attending high school during World War II while two of his brothers served combat in Europe. One of them was shot down over Berlin, Germany in 1944, lost his right leg above the knee, was a prisoner of war, but made it back home. It describes Robert’s teen-age behavior while growing up without a father in a small Oklahoma town. The story tells of his experiences in the U.S. Army while serving in the 304th Signal Battalion in Korea during the Korean War 1950-1951. The book is a truthful representation of Major Taber’s life from 1928 to 2000. It contains the genealogy of Major Taber’s family from 1630 to 2000 and illustrates pictures of some of his family. The book also contains copies of documents that reflect some of the highlights of the Major’s military career. His memoirs contain word descriptions of explicit sexual activity and some of that language may be offensive to some readers. This story with exception to the genealogy is based upon the recollections and opinions of the author only and does not represent the opinions or recollections of any other person known to the author.
About the Author
Robert M. Taber was born in 1928 at the beginning of the Great Depression in Fort Worth, Texas. His father was a Driller in the early oil fields along the Gulf Coast of Texas and later a Carpenter and a Farmer. Robert spent his early childhood on a farm near Colbert, Oklahoma until his father died in 1934 when Robert was 5 years of age. The Taber family moved to Calera, Oklahoma under the supervision and guidance of the mother Jennie O. Taber in 1935. Ownership of the farm was relinquished to a bank in lieu of paying off a mortgage on the property. Insurance funds from the death of Robert’s father, Oak T. Taber were used to purchase a home near the school in Calera. Robert attended elementary school during the height of the Great Depression and attended high school during World War II. Two of Robert’s brothers served in combat in Europe during the war. One of them was shot down over Berlin, lost a leg, was a Prisoner of War of the Nazis but made it back home. Another brother performed combat duty in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and in Southern France. Robert Graduated from Calera High School in 1946. That year he enlisted in the United States Army, completed Infantry Basic Training, and performed duties as a Teletype Operator in a communications center, Headquarters Army Ground Forces, Fort Monroe, Virginia until discharged in September 1947. Robert remained in the Army Organized Reserve Corps while attending Southeastern State College in Durant, Oklahoma on the G. I. Bill. In June of 1950 the North Korean Communists invaded South Korea. Robert volunteered for one year of active duty as a U. S. Army Reservist. He performed combat duty in the 304th Signal Operations Battalion in Korea in 1950-51 where he suffered a concussion injury as a result of an enemy mortar attack on his unit. After release from active duty and working for a year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Robert enlisted in the United States Air Force. On December 8, 1952, Robert married Marie Therese Dubois, a young Mademoiselle from Loivre, France who was visiting her sister, a World War II bride, in Port Allen, Louisiana. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on March 2, 1956 and retired as a Major on January 1, 1970. During his Air Force career, Robert earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education at Southeastern Oklahoma State College and earned a Master’s Degree in Administrative Education from the University of Houston. Robert and his family resided in Chateauroux, France from 1959 to 1962. After retiring from the United States Air Force, Robert enjoyed a second career as a teacher in the public schools of Texas for 20 years. Robert and Marie have been married and have lived together for more than 47 years. They are the proud parents of three sons, two daughters, eight grandchildren and one great grand daughter. Since retirement from teaching in 1990, Robert and Marie have revisited Europe on four occasions. Robert completed writing his memoirs titled, "A Father’s Story" in 1999 and has completed writing "Faire L’Amour," the fictional Franco-American love story that is now available for purchase on-line at
ROBERT M. TABER, B.S., M.Ed.
Major, USAF Retired