(1974) In the fall of 1931 I was enrolled in the University of Idaho at Moscow. While there, after becoming a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, and spending two uneventful years it became apparent I wasn't ready for the Ivy covered walls. They certainly weren't prepared for me. So, what else, I quit. No, not really quit, but did what a lot of young people did in those days--took the time in our own way to appraise ourselves, and the world we live in, which we had not yet come to know. For the next few years you name it and I was there and did it. This was in the depths of the depression and the purpose was served by such endeavors as carpenter's helper, electrician's helper, laborer, Postal Telegraph messenger and later assistant office manager, hotel bell boy, advertising salesman, printing salesman, clothing presser in a dry cleaning shop, part owner of a beer distributorship and anything else I was fortunate enough to get to.

After too many years of this I found myself in Rochester, Minnesota with some of the answers I had been looking for and the feeling that the Ivy and I could now be more compatible. And so having established residence in Minnesota, I entered, in the fall of 1937, the University of Minneapolis, where I subsequently was graduated with a major in accounting. Before school had started I secured a job as head waiter in a restaurant, later did their bookkeeping also started and operated a campus wide weekly advertising program. This did not allow, for me, a full schedule, so three years were needed for completing all the credits required for a degree.

After graduation I returned to Idaho and in Idaho Falls was employed by C.I.T. Corporation. After only a short time there I was offered the same job out of the Salt Lake office. Since this was a promotion as well as a chance to get to the city I had always been so fond of, and still am, an immediate move followed. In the mean time I became associated with an insurance co. on a part time basis. It wasn't long before I discovered I was doing as well selling insurance part time as I was with my full time job. And selling was fascinating. So a decision was made and full time with insurance it became. Through a lucky break for me, but a bad break of a leg for a lawyer client while skiing, plus the way we took care of him, he got into my hands the names, addresses, etc. of every ski club member in all the Utah skiing areas. This appeared to be a life time work program until some time in 1941. Then every one became war conscious and we all knew it was only a matter of time till we would be in it--our second big crisis--first the depression and now WWII. A trend developed of going into what was called "defense work." So out I went to the Remington Arms plant and got a job in the cost accounting department. On 12/14/41 I was scheduled to leave from San Francisco for Christmas Island on the Pacific where the Co. had a contract. Pearl Harbor, of course, changed that. Instead I was at 4 AM on 12/14/41 in the recruiting office attempting to enlist in the Navy. Fortunately, at such an hour who else would be there, and because of a poor quota showing and a conscientious C.P.O. I was guided into the program I eventually followed. To accomplish this it meant getting back into school and enrolled in trigonometry, which I had never taken, and sworn into the Navy before my number came up in the draft. This I did in Minneapolis. After finishing the quarter at the University I returned to Pocatello expecting to be called to active duty immediately. So, while waiting what turned out to be nine months, I worked as a laborer on the construction of the gun plant.

Finally my orders arrived and I entered Midshipman School at Columbia University in New York City. After finishing there I was sent to the Ohio State University for additional training. Following that to the Sampson Naval Training Station in New York. After a tour of duty at Sampson orders finally came for sea duty aboard an AKA, which was being built in Brooklyn Navy Yard. Upon completion and organization of our ship we served for a while in the Atlantic until hostilities ended in Europe, then through the Panama Canal to Hawaii and on west where we stayed for the duration, and were engaged in all the subsequent action ending with the battle of, capture of and famous storms of Okinawa. WE were the first troop carrying vessel to assist in the occupation of Japan, and since the first group of Marines going in were from my division the ship's captain let me go with them and I had the honor of being the first American to step on Japanese soil at the occupation of Japan. Shortly it was all over and even though I had enough points to be released I stayed on active duty for another year and made numerous trips to various ports in China and Japan, both returning military personnel and taking needed supplies to those countries.

In the spring of 1947 I asked to be released from active duty, after seriously considering a career in the Navy. I returned to Columbus, Ohio where I had met and married my wife who with our child was waiting for me. AS the result of some luck I got a job as an accountant with the man, Don M. Casto, who conceived and developed, among other projects, the first and many subsequent drive in shopping centers.

This was a happy relationship until I decided to strike out on my own, which I did in late 1950, by opening my own accounting office. This led to many ventures I have been associated with as owner, officer, and director--home building, building remodeling, beauty shops, laundry, automobile sales, automobile financing, bar & restaurant, institutional furniture manufacturing, insurance & investments. At present my main interests are the practice of public accounting and investments in Ohio & Florida, and am in the midst, with an associate, of building low income, government financed homes that qualify in small towns and rural areas. We have a home in Columbus, a mobile home on lake in southern Ohio and a home in Florida. IN addition to a very enjoyable work program we enjoy traveling, boating, camping, especially if it offers lots of fishing.

My wife is trained and has a considerable background in the field of personnel, labor & management relationships and civil rights as applied to hiring and any practices of discrimination. She is frequently employed by Ohio Bell Telephone Co. in this area. We have one son who is married, has three children and is employed by the federal government.

One of my most delightful and memorable experiences was our return "home" in August. I have lived in many different places but Montpelier is still that to me. You who have easy access to it I envy. Now something important to me. If I offended any one through poor communications, and I am afraid the possibility exists, please forgive me. It took more than two days after all those years for me to place the names, and in the case of the girls not only the new names but even the old names, on the faces.

Let's all look forward to doing it again.