I was born on April Fool's Day, 1949 in Paducah, Kentucky which is just
across the Ohio River from my parent's hometown of Metropolis, Illinois. My
father was in the U.S. Army so we traveled around the country quite a bit.
Our first duty station after my birth was Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. We
were transferred from there when I was about 4 years old so I don't remember
any of our time there.
Our next duty station was Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas where my father was a
guard at the Army Disciplinary Barracks. We stayed there until I was in the
third grade and we transferred to Ft. Rucker, Alabama. I went to school
there through the seventh grade when my father retired from the Army in 1962
and we moved back to Metropolis.
I very well remember during my younger years, it never mattered where we
were, my mother always ensured that I was in Sunday School and/or church
every Sunday. In fact, the first 18 years of my life I never missed a
Sunday. My mother was raised in the Lutheran church, however, because we
moved to some pretty remote locations, there was not always a Lutheran
church in the area. Because of this I was exposed to various denominations
as I was growing up. Even though I went to church regularly, I did not
develop a personal relationship with Jesus.
When we moved back to Metropolis we joined St. Paul's Lutheran Church and
I became very active in the church. I took Catechism classes as was required
of all Lutherans, I was active in the youth group and even sang in the
choir. But, I still had not developed a personal relationship with Jesus.
In addition to church I was extensively involved in activities at school
throughout eighth grade and high school. I did well academically, making the
National Honor Society. Although I was not that great of an athlete I played
football four years, basketball two years and baseball (my favorite) four
years. I also joined the Christian Fellowship group which met each morning
in the cafeteria before school for devotions, in fact, I was elected
president of that group as well as president of my senior class.
I received a lot of honors while in school, but still had not developed a
personal relationship with Jesus. I did, however, all the things to appear
to others that I was a good Christian boy. Looking back, I can now see that
I was simply living for me. If things were going well for me I didn't look
on that as blessings from God, but rather, as prizes that I had earned
somehow. I felt that I deserved all the honors I received based on the 'good
things' I had done.
Upon graduating from high school in 1967 I accepted a nomination to the
U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. I went there in June of that
year, scheduled to graduate in 1971. During my time at Navy I did well with
the military/physical training and discipline. However, I was so used to
everything being pretty well handed to me that I did not apply myself as I
should have academically. Subsequently, I flunked out of Navy and left there
in April of 1969.
Because I had not developed a personal relationship with Jesus, going to
church was no more than a social event, so I drifted farther and farther
away. It was at this time that what had begun as 'social drinking' had begun
to intensify.
Because the draft was in effect I had to report to the Draft Board that I
was no longer in school. The lady I talked to was very nice, explaining that
since the Navy had given me a DD214 I would get a special deferment. Since I
did not have to worry about being drafted I enrolled in the University of
Illinois at Champaign. Before I could get there though, I received my notice
to report for a physical for induction into the Armed Forces of the U.S. I
immediately went back to the Draft Board and it was explained to me that the
deferment the nice lady spoke of applied to everyone except those who
attended the service academies.
Well, rather than be drafted, I enlisted in the Army in June of 1969. I
had my basic training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky followed by Advanced Individual
Training in Avionics at Ft. Gordon, Georgia. I then went to Infantry
Officer's Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia and was commissioned a
Second Lieutenant in August of 1970. After receiving my commission I was
assigned to the Fourth Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, Colorado.
After ten months at Ft. Carson, I received orders for Viet Nam, arriving
in country in August of 1971. I was assigned to the First Air Cavalry
Division's Third Brigade as an Infantry Rifle Platoon Leader. I well
remember Christmas of 1971. We had come out of the field to a secure rear
area and many of us had the opportunity to go to the Bob Hope Christmas
Show. The show was great. There was singing, comedy sketches and beautiful
women. At the end of the show the entire cast came out and about 10,000 of
us sang 'Silent Night'. I will never forget that moment. In fact, ever since
then I have had a hard time singing that song. During the singing I seemed
to be experiencing every emotion you could imagine. I was homesick, I was
sad, I was angry and bitter. I happened to turn and look at a friend of mine
who was standing near me and , although we didn't speak to each other, we
seemed to communicate. It was as if he was saying to me and I to him,
"Everything's going to be okay."!
It was really a beautiful moment. His name was Bedford Drinnon and he was
from Hammon, Oklahoma. About ten days later, on 3 January 1972, he was
killed as his squad walked into an ambush. I never realized, at the time,
how much that situation would affect me in the years to come.
After seven and one-half months the Third Brigade was going to return to
the States and they allowed those troops with more than six months
in-country to go home also. Needless to say, I did not have to be asked
twice.
Upon returning to the States I enrolled at Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale. I did well that first quarter, however, I had begun drinking
more and more heavily and got to the point where I was spending more time in
the taverns than I was in class so I dropped out half way through summer
quarter of 1972. I then became pretty much a bum, simply living at home with
my parents.
At that time my father worked for the Department of Corrections and in
September of 1972 he transferred to a Juvenile camp outside of Peoria. I
moved north with the folks and still had no prospect of a job. An opening
became available at the Juvenile camp my father worked at, so I hired on
with Corrections in November of 1972. I had decided to take a job with them
until I decided what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Now, here it
is 26 years later and I guess I still haven't decided.
I worked in the Juvenile Division until February of 1980 when I
transferred to the Corrections Training Academy in Springfield. I had met
Lynnda while working outside of Peoria and we were married in April of 1980.
I was still drinking as heavily as ever, a 'functioning alcoholic'.
Our first child, Meaghan, was born on 12 December 1981 in Springfield.
During this time my drinking continued until April of 1983. At that time I
was working a temporary assignment as a Lieutenant at the Pontiac
Correctional Center. I would work at the prison during the day and spend the
evenings closing down the taverns. I woke up one morning and could not
remember what had happened the two or three previous days. That scared me
and made me realize that I had a problem and needed help. I returned home to
Springfield on Friday of that week and the next weekend Lynnda and I went to
Peoria to visit her parents. Sunday morning we went to church at Woodland
Baptist (the church in which Lynnda and I were married). During the
invitation, I went forward to get help for my drinking problem. I am pretty
sure that Bro. Gene Phillips, the pastor, asked me if I was saved, and I
don't remember what I told him. I probably said that I was, not even
realizing what it meant. Basically, what I!
was saying is, "God, if You are who You claim to be, heal me of this
alcoholism." Well, Bro. Gene led the church in prayer for me and God was
faithful. I have been completely healed
