Haul Up Romeo...

Book excerpt: February 27, 1986. I was looking out the window of my airplane that I caught to Chicago from Atlanta, Georgia—my first plane ride. I see nothing but snow and ice being from the south. I may have only seen snow maybe twice my whole life. Over the plane intercom, ladies and gentlemen, please return to your seats, we are preparing to land. I’m saying to myself she can’t be talking to me I’m already seated. So as we land, the stewardess says again, “Welcome to Chicago O’Hare airport. I left the plane and three other guys that I met at the Meps station in Atlanta and begin our journey by looking for the USO as we were told to do. I knew Atlanta has a big airport, but for some reasons, O’Hare seems bigger. Remember now I’m from the country, so everything I see from this point on is all good to me. We finally see the USO. We pass by this janitor glaring at us saying great mistakes, huh, uh, uh-uh. (That is what they called Great Lakes Naval Training Center back then.) We just looked at him and kept walking. Once we reach the USO, there is a guy in there telling old sea stories about his time in the navy.