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April 2021

THIS ISN’T

OUR FIRST RODEO

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Let’s ride .... Dalton Kasel making waves in the world of bullriding

from tiny beginnings to competing underneath the bright lights in the big arenas. Dalton Kasel has made his name known in the world of bullriding. While he may be from a small town,nothing is stopping him from rising to the top.

Reflecting on a mother’s love and the impact left behind

The impact a mother has on a child is one that transcends this world. The lessons she teaches, while realized a little too late, are a force to be reckoned with. Treasuring the memories, capturing the moments are two of the most important things - don’t let them pass you by.

Subjects with glasses

Local artist kay smith shares more techniques and guidance with us this month as she discusses painting and sketching subjects with glasses. Through new knowledge and technique she has gained through an online course - skitchy - she speaks to the details included in portraits with glasses.

Friends of the library

Herald Contributing writer deanna burnett shares with us this month about a local organization - friends of the library - and how they are investing back into the community through resources available to the residents.

On the cover: Texas has some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets anyone has ever seen. Last month Howard County was privileged to see a breathtaking site as the sun rose one morning and the sky seemed to part. Local Editor Amanda Duforat captured the moment and shares it with us as the front cover artwork.

14 The Rock: A soldier’s life in okinawa former howard county emergency services chaplain joel miller shares a story this month focusing on the life of a soldier based in okinawa and the memories left to linger form the time serving his country.

Published by the Big Spring Herald. Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Living Magazine is published monthly and distributed to businesses and residents of Howard County. Amanda Duforat is the editor of the Living Magazine. Editorial correspondence should be sent to Living, P.O.Box 1431, Big Spring, Texas, 79721. For advertising rates and other information, please call 432-263-7331.

Subjects with glasses By KAY SMITH

I’m just beginning another online course produced by Sktchy which is billed as the social media app for artists and muses and offers unlimited portrait subjects. A steady supply of people to draw or paint is furnished to those who sign up. You can leave comments on yours or others’ works and a ‘Wow’ indicates a ‘Like’. The first muse, or subject, for this year is a girl wearing glasses. Last January with my first Sktchy course there were men and women with spectacles as well. That course emphasized sketching while this current one focuses on using watercolor and gouache. Lost and found edges are key in painting subjects with glasses. The primary challenge in rendering glasses is to be sure that the

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portrait remains a painting about the person and not their eye wear. Usually glasses have straight lines and hard edges and you will want the viewer to see past those lines and edges to the person’s eyes. Pay attention to the slight color and value changes caused by the light passing through the curved lenses. As a right-handed painter my natural arc of my hand runs from 7 to 11 o’clock so I turn the work on its side for that angle of the stroke. Lefthanded people might find it easier to turn the paper upside down. Frames will have a thin shadow beneath or cast shadows as seen in my watercolor/gouache painting of the girl muse. Glasses styles include full-framed older style, wire-rims, or rimless. Some artists prefer to paint subjects minus their eye wear. Glasses can date the painting as styles change and evolve over the years. Who remembers the cat-eye style from the 1960s with pointed edged frames? Also eyes can appear distorted because of prescription lenses; very nearsighted subjects’ eyes will appear much smaller than they actually are, and very farsighted eyes will appear much larger. You may find that spectacles are so much a part of the person’s identity that it is best to paint the subject wearing them and not holding them in their hands. To finalize the eyeglasses the only parts of the lenses you should actually paint are the hinge, the earpiece, and the highlights or reflections. All else should be suggested and leave to the imagination of the viewer.

Let’s ride ... Dalton Kasel making waves in the world of Bullriding By DUSTIN POPE

He was born premature and weighing only five pounds when his parents Kristin and Tim, adopted him. Dalton Kasel has had a fighting spirit from the start. That fight is what has propelled this young man into being one of the best athletes and Bullriders the sport has seen. Dalton grew up in Muleshoe, Texas; as a young child, he was always full of energy. From the age of only one, his parents got him a rocking horse, and it wasn't long before the young man was riding his horse like it was a bucking bull. The rocking horse wasn't the only thing that Dalton would ride. He also loved climbing on his dad's back and having his dad try to knock him off. Little did he know he had already had riding in his bones. Dalton's family didn't grow up around Rodeo; it was watching football on Sundays with his dad that he found the sport of bull riding. After the Football games would end on Sunday afternoon, then Bullriding would come on. Dalton was instantly hooked watching every chance he got. While his parent thought he would outgrow his passion for being a Bullrider, his love grew even more. At the age of 11, Dalton attended his first Rodeo camp. A year later, he went to his second camp. It was then that he

young man confidence and experience. Entering his Freshman Year in 2018 for Howard, the young man had a promising season until he suffered a lacerated Kidney. The injury only motivated him to have an excellent Sophomore year. Dalton

begged his parents to get on the back of a real Bull. So at the age of 14, his father, Tim, got him into the Junior Rodeo Association, and it never stopped since. Dalton would carry his love of the sport with him to High School, where he rode for his high school team. Dalton would go on to compete at the Nation High School Finals Rodeo, finishing fourth. He was able to meet Chad Castillo, the head rodeo coach for Howard College at that time. Castillo recruited the young Kasel to come to Big Spring, Texas, and start his college career. Dalton gives his time at Howard as a huge learning point for his career. His ability to ride and practice frequently was tremendous in getting the

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was able to make it to the College National Finals Rodeo that year. He would go on to have a fantastic Final finishing second. Dalton made his Touring Pro Divison debut in March in Belton, Texas. On June 1, 2019. Dalton had zero points and was unranked. It wouldn't take Dalton long to set the Bull riding community abuzz. On June 20, 2019, he won and finished runner-up, making it a full sweep at the Touring Pro Divison in Williston, North Dakota. After the impressive showing at the North Dakota event, Dalton went on to have six top 10 finishes for the Touring Pro Divison level, including runner-up efforts in Santa Babara and Rocksprings. In Santa Barbara, the rookie turned heads by riding the PBR World Champion Bull Contender Spotted Demon for a stunning score of 93 points. He then followed up, going three for four capped off by a 90.5 point ride on Deep Water to win the event in Big Sky, Montana. It was then Dalton got to make his debut on the PBR biggest stage. He would accomplish something that only four riders in the past ten years have done. Dalton won the first round by ridding Sun Country for a blistering score of 88.75. He would end up finishing seventh at the event overall. The finish would move Kasel up to 37 in the world. He then went on to place 15th the very next weekend. Dalton would then go on to compete in the fourth and final PBR Major event of the year. Kasel would go on to win round one with an 89.25 point ride on 6 Living Magazine

Karabagh. He then beat the second round with a fantastic score of 92 on Fearless. Dalton would go on to continue to climb in the rankings have a historic rookie year. He would end the season ranked number 8 in the world while also winning the PBR Rookie of the year honors. Dalton Kasel is a passionate young man who is motivated to be the best in the world. His goal is to be the number one bull rider in the world and win multiple World Championships. One thing is obvious the sky is the limit for this young man.

ByAMANDA DUFORAT Anyone who knows me, knows I am one of those who heart have never truly processed the loss, the pain, the wears my heart on my sleeve; I’m not one to be shy hurt that swept over my heart that day I found out my about sharing my thoughts - many of my hardest mofather had passed away. ments in life have turned into lessons I feel are meant As a kid, I didn't - maybe because I couldn't or wouldn't to be shared with others. Hard times are a definite for everyone; nobody is going to escape this life without experiencing disappointments, hurts, and sadness. The one thing I have learned is that each of these lessons are meant to teach us something. My biggest thing as I have gone through each of my hard times has been the feeling of being alone, but the reality is we are not alone and we are not the only one who has experienced the pain we are feeling. My most recent heartache is one that I’m still not sure I’m ready to share, but the words seemed to flow out which means there is something who needs to know, it will be okay; we will get through this and there are lessons to be learned. My biggest lesson is that too often in my life, I have realized the lesson too late. My little heart broke a long time ago and I'm not really sure it ever truly healed. At just 9 years old, I was faced with the hard cold truth that death will one day take those we hold most dear, and it will happen in an instant without 501 N. Birdwell Ln. • Big Spring • (432) 267-7781 a moments notice. My mind and my

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never happen. I waited for my dad to come driving down that road, walking through that door and laughing his oh so unforgettable laugh. That day never came and the hole in my heart only grew bigger. The feeling of loneliness, of isolation that I felt, the unworthiness are feelings that I swore I would never feel again, yet, they are feelings that have never left me. I strived at everything I did a little bit harder, and pushed myself to obtain a sense of perfection. I'm not saying I thought I was perfect, but even to this day, there's a piece inside me that feels if I could just reach that perfection, do a little better, then just maybe the pain wouldn't hurt so much. All my relationships suffered from the lack of healing in my life. I chased after people for the attention, but only those who I knew would eventually hurt me; afterall, everyone leaves eventually. Don't get me wrong, I didn't have a horrible childhood - in all reality despite the struggles and the loss, I can't complain. I was always surrounded by people who cared. I learned at a young age that it takes a village to get through this crazy thing called life. It isn't blood that makes someone family, but it's a connection, about heart, - fully grasp that I wasn't the only one hurting; it wasn't until this past week that it really clicked. I'm not the only one who never healed, and the damage created from that lack of healing is damage that I'm not so sure can ever fully be repaired. We all have our own way of dealing with loss. While we may not understand why someone copes a certain way, it's not our job to understand it. (Now that’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way). It's not even our job to make sense of it, and it's definitely not our job to judge it. Our job is merely to accept it and if possible offer support, join together and help in the healing process. Sometimes we realize the most important things a little too late; sometimes, we don't have the opportunity to change the outcome; and sometimes ... well sometimes we are too stubborn - maybe too scared - to reach out. The loss of my father is something I was certain I had gotten over, and maybe I did in a way, but then again, maybe I've been searching for healing for so long I forgot that I still haven't found it. I remember the pain I felt that day as I sat there waiting for the unknown. I still see that day so vividly. That day is one I've never fully let go of and the ramifications of that haunt me even today. I remember never wanting to feel that pain again and even at 9 years old, I found a way to shut myself off and never allow myself to hurt like that again. I remember a few days after the funeral standing at our front door, waiting ... waiting for a moment I knew would

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about supporting someone when it really matters, even if they can't tell you what they need. I have been blessed with community, with friends who have turned into family and for that I am thankful; with that I am blessed. If it wasn't for others stepping in and offering their support along my journey, from before I fully grapsed the importance of it all, my life wouldn't be what it is today. Being connected is important and I was always searching for that connection; I never could grasp why my mother never found the value in connection. Reflecting back on all those years I'm realizing maybe it's not that she didn't find value in the connection, but maybe, like me, she knew all too well the pain that comes with finding that connection. While I lost my father at 9 years of age, I am barely realizing that she lost her

husband and was left with a 9- year-old daughter and a 19 year-old-son, forced to find a way to adapt. She, as we all do, had her own way of coping with the loss, and while I didn't understand it, I failed in the fact that I never stopped judging it. She didn't cope with loss how I thought she should have coped with it, how I wanted her to cope with it. Just as it wasn't her place to tell me how to cope or how to live - which I too often reminded her of in my adult years - I realize now (a little too late) that it wasn't my place to tell her either. My mother never was the outgoing type. She wasn't the one who wanted to see the world. She was content being home with my father; for her that was enough. One day without warning that which she held most dear was ripped away from her, and I honestly don't think her heart ever healed from that moment. It's nobody's fault, but looking back I think that was the moment each member of my family chose to pull away and cope with the loss on our own and honestly, we never found our way back to each other. As I look back on these past two weeks and the decisions I have made over the past year, I realize now, I should have tried harder; we should have healed together, embraced each other through the pain, but instead moments are now lost, opportunity no longer exists and the pain is only compounded. Life is hard. Life hurts and life is unexpected. Every moment is unknown and I have learned that too often we get focused on the wrong mission. I was so busy searching for something to heal the pain and was pulling way to ensure I never felt that pain again, I lost sight of healing. I lost sight of mending the foundation. For so long I held onto anger - not even knowing it - and blaming someone for not meeting my expectations, when in all honesty, she had never been shown how to meet the expectations I so deeply wanted her to reach. Losing the love of your life is something that I can't even begin to imagine and yet I've spent so many years judging my mother for not healing from it correctly. Is there even a correct way to

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heal from a hurt like that? The sad thing is I sit here today and I can't tell you where exactly the relationship with my mother fell apart or why. What I can tell you is I regret that it did and that I didn’t try harder to fix it. I remember the bad times, I remember the good times too though. I remember not getting along with her in my high school years and then not missing a day talking to her in my college years. And then ... somewhere along the way the disappointment set in - on both sides. I wasn't enough for her (no, she never told me that verbally, but in my mind I assumed that is what she thought since she never told me otherwise) and in her eyes, she wasn't enough for me ( even though I never told her that, but I did because I never told her otherwise). Words are heavy; words can cut deep and the unspoken words can cut even deeper.There are some things we don't know how to do simply because nobody has ever shown us how to do them and that extends to the concept of showing love. Life can take a toll and if we let it, circumstances can take away valuable time and valuable lessons. All this time, I was hurt and blaming someone for something that I'm not so sure she had any control over. She was hurting just like her children were. My mother was strong in so many ways. I saw her - in 34 years - be hit hard by life and while she may have fallen down a time or two, she never stayed down long. She never stopped fighting, and she never stopped loving. My mother made it a point to remember every birthday (of everyone), be a support for every heartache for her friends and family. She poured out love and never asked for it in return.

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She was the kind of person who took pride in all that she had. Anything she put her hand to, whether it be her home, her vehicle, the houses and schools she cleaned, reflected the pride she poured into them. Everything she put her hand to looked immaculate. She was smart enough to figure out any challenge she was faced with. After my dad passed away, my mother not only took care of her children, but continued to care fo the country home and life that they had built together. She learned how to take care of horses, keep the land cut and cleared and learned how to make it through the winters when pipes froze. Her knowledge astounded me; she seemed to have all the answers. However, I can't think of a day where she ever believed in herself. I didn't see it until know and I judged far too harshly. I was so busy chasing the high standards I had placed on myself trying to prove that I could be someone my parents could be proud of that I never really found a moment to see the pride that could have been there. Looking through old albums I found countless papers, drawings, work that I had completed over my lifetime and it was then that it hit me - she was proud of me. She may have never told me in a way that I heard, but if I would have opened my eyes, I would have seen that she held on to every moment and the pride was there. Little moments matter, but we have to be willing to open our eyes and our hearts; don’t judge to harshly, don’t assume, and don’t ever miss an opportunity to make amends. Too often we say we will do it tomorrow, but there isn’t always a tomorrow. The pride can stick around far too long, but with each breath, each minute that passes, we are missing out on an opportunity to shine a light into someone’s life; we are missing out on memories that we will one day look back on and cherish. I have many memories with my mother and for those I am thankful. I am thankful that I was able to walk beside her through many of her struggles because the lessons she taught me (even though I didn’t realize them at the time) will stay with me forever. The memories are all that I have to cling to now. Life is fleeting that is one thing I know all too well. In the end community and connection is important, but taking care of the foundation on which we were built is even more important. Take the picture, capture the moment anyway you can, and most importantly tell someone you love them and just so there won’t ever be any doubt, let them know you are proud of them. Don’t let the moments pass you by.

Friends of the Library By DEANNA BURNETT The Friends of the Library is a volunteer organization of community people who want to help the library so they can operate more efficiently. They raise money to help the library with projects that they would not be to do without extra help. The organization always needs more volunteers and Tammy DePauw says that anyone interested can call her at 432-935-0057 and she will explain what the organization is all about and how you can become a volunteer. The organization has taken on a big project to help the Howard County Library and would welcome more volunteers if anyone thinks this would be something they would like to do. In an effort to keep libraries alive during the last year of COVID and in the future, the Howard County Library was given two Cares grants. One grant was given by the state and one was federally funded. The state grant is from the Texas State Library and Archive Commission (TSLAC). The federal grant is from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The purpose of these CARES grants was to help libraries to still operate with COVID safety. It is geared to help people in cities and commu-

nities to use internet and other library resources while using the guidelines of safety. They will use the funds to set up a self-checkout station. This will involve a major project to get the Howard County library set up to be empowered to do this. There are over 50,000 items that will have to be changed. This will take a lot of hours to get this done and the library did not have enough employees to do it in a timely manner so the Friends of the Library are giving them a helping hand. All of the bar codes will have to be changed so they can be used as self-checkout items. This will allow staff to do other things and people won’t have to wait in line. An example of freeing up the staff would be in the computer room. There is always an attendant there and this leaves only one person at the circulation desk. The self-checkout will give the one at the desk more freedom so they can help with the other things that have to be done at the desk. The grants will also be used for things like hot spots, launch pads for literacy, and STEAM kits which may be discussed in future articles.

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By JOEL MILLER

“Pull that last MOS (military occupational Status) We need one on the Rock”, said the separation specialist at the Naval base in Tacoma, Washington. I was on my way to “THE ROCK”, wherever that was. I just know it took 16 days on a troop ship to get there. It was a double stacker and 3,000 troops were crammed into the hold of the ship. We were stacked four deep in fold down bunks. Our showers were in the very back of the ship. ( I found out you do not call it a boat). The chow line was long, with the smell throughout the

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ship. ted down over one on the floor. I couldn’t wait to get back I am getting ahead of myself. I was stationed at Fort to my buddies to tell them about that. Later on we got to Lawton, in Seattle Washington, after tech school. I was where we accepted this as normal. there for only six months before getting orders for the My job, as a petroleum analyzes specialist was to Far East. After a two week leave I had to clear base and sample all the fuel storage tanks once a month. There report to Sea-Tac for further disposition. were storage tanks on all the Air Force bases (2), Army Now back to the barracks. We were to be at the sea facilities, and Marine and Naval bases. On Mondays, port and our ship at 0600 hours. We stood around while were left the lab and sampled the tanks scheduled for the Red Cross passed out donuts and asked for donathat week. For some reason, it usually took most of the tions, as we could not use our present monies in a foreign day. It was a day away from the Captain. The other four port. While we were loading and still tied up to the pier, days was spent testing the fuels. there were some of the soldiers, with their heads hung We had 10,000 barrel and 40,000 barrel tanks to samover the side, losing the night before drinks. And then ple, as well as drums of oil and buckets of grease. Some we were away from our moorings and going out of the of the tanks were underground and some had a lot of Puget Sound and into the Pacific Ocean. The first eleven stairs to climb. We stayed in good shape all our time on days weren’t too bad. I was queasy, but not really sick. the island. Then we diverted to follow the tail-end of a typhoon into There was some night and week-end work. Once, Okinawa. That was when it really got bad. The boat or someone had transferred some gasoline into the keroship (I didn’t really care which one I called it) was pitching sene tanks and it was distributed to living quarters for and rolling. All top-side was cancelled and they wanted their heaters. One blew up and we were called out to us to stay in the bottom of that rolling hell-hold. That first sample all areas where it was distributed. That lasted morning, they had pancakes and watery green syrup with all night, some sampling and a lot of testing. We got the regurgitated milk for breakfast. I made it to the first trash next morning off, but had to come in to work after lunch can before losing the breakfast I had not had yet. The (another good story). rest of the five days into the port was miserable. When Another time, jet fuel was transferred into a tank that we unloaded (debarked), most of us was still sick and had held gasoline. A flight of B-52’s, from Japan, had redidn’t really want to go anywhere, especially a bus ride to fueled at the base and one exploded over the East China our new station. But they made us. Sea. The rest returned safely, but we were called out to What an impression that was on us. We left the beach for the 30 Open Monday – Friday 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday – Sunday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM minute ride to Quarter Master BarURGENT CARE PROFESSIONALS racks. On the way, we saw what we were to later take for granted. YOU CAN RELY ON An Okinawan police traffic control Serving our community for their medical officer needed to go relieve himself needs from strep to stitches! so he stopped all traffic and went on the side of the road. Further Allergy Testing and School and Annual D iagnostic Blood down, an elderly woman squatted Treatment Physical Ex ams Flu Shots and on the side of the road and did the O ccupational M edicine D O T Physicals V accinations same. I was in a petroleum analyze IV Therapy and X -R ays Splinting and Sutures Pregnancy Testing company and was housed in the STD Panels Treatment for a Wide Preventative petroleum division of the barracks. Covid-19 R apid Testing V ariety of Illnesses and Screenings Our first week-end, we decided to Injuries Pediatric explore the island bars. As long Pain M anagement D iabetes Testing as we saw a big red “A” we were allowed to go in and order drinks, no food (blue “A”). Later on we got to where we accepted the “blue A” for food and drink). All the larger bars had “hostesses” to dance with. After a few drinks, I had to go to the bathroom. I went in and saw several urinals laying down in the middle of the floor. I was using the upright Walk-Ins Welcome! ones when I looked around and one of the hostesses was squat(432) 264-1911 | 1700 West FM 700 Ste. B | Big Spring, TX Living Magazine

sample the planes affected. That was another week-end experience. Now to the lunch food story. The cooks were not trained by Julia Childs or Martha Stewart. I think it was by short order hash slingers. When you went through the chow line, you were given whatever was ordered on that day. Most of the time it was unrecognizable, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then the cooks and desert specialists really outdid themselves. Really, it was pretty good, just unrecognizable. On Mondays, when we sampled the Air Force bases, we tried to eat in their mess halls. It was really good. The one thing I can say for our cooks was when we had “K” rations, they would swap them for whatever the Marines were having that day. We had a big bruiser, from the mountains of West Virginia, in our group that loved to cause trouble in other barracks. His idea of fun on a Saturday night was to go over into the Virginia Mountains and start afight. One night, when he was full of the EM club drinks, we were going back to the barracks when he decided to go into an Engineering barracks and grab an entrenching tool and run down the aisle hitting all the bunks and then running out the back door yelling “run, here they come”. We all took off running to our barracks and jumped in our bunks, hiding, just in case. Another time, we were in a small village, when Uncle Ed, as we called him, picked up a huge rock and decided to go Marine hunting. He found six that all wanted to fight, but when all of us gathered around Uncle Ed, they left. We all liked Uncle Ed, but was glad when he went stateside. Stateside was the dream of all of us. The normal deployment time on Okinawa was two years. Since most of the lab was graduate engineers, they had been drafted and only had a two year service. We (me) volunteers had a three year active service

stay, then five years inactive. Since I was the only lab technician without a college degree, when the petroleum service needed someone to go work the tank farms, I was selected. I stayed there for over a year, eventually raising to the rank of Sargent and was elevated to NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge). While on the tank Farm, which was in a Communist area of the city, I was locked in the area during May Day, a Communist holiday. There was a demonstration outside the fence, with some of the men trying to climb the fence, wanting a confrontation with us. I pulled over a 40 gallon foam fire extinguisher tank and aimed it at the fence. That ended the fence climbing. Our daily duty included strapping the tanks (measuring the amount of fuel). It involved climbing those stairs. While there, the Army decided to

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replace all the underground fuel transfer lines. We were American Consulate about the passport. They said I still using the old Japanese line from the 1940’s. would be shipped out and they would send her when the They brought in a road grader and ditch digger to start passport came through. Not going to happen!! I ended the work. One morning, as I was making my rounds, there was a 105 mm shell lying in the middle of the road. up extending my time on Okinawa fir one year. The passport had not come through after eight months, It was a relic from the invasion if Okinawa in 1945. I so I went back to the consulate and was told the passcalled bomb disposal to come get it. They informed me port would be there when it got there. I reminded the it was still live. I had a meeting with the contractors, Consulate I had extended one year to be able to go with letting them know if they found another shell to come tell me, not to just push it to one side. They did find a bunch her at the same time and his answer was “So!” That was too much. I told him I would report it to my congressof Japanese hand grenades and I called bomb disposal man, Senator Robert S. (Bob) Kerr, a personnel friend of again. the family, which he was and I would have. Two weeks They just taped the handles down and threw them into later the passport came through. Imagine that! a bomb disposal box and left. We did find various rifle We set sail that September for the USA. It was a fifteen shells but that was all the big stuff. I found a 75 mm day trip and since we were housed mid-ship, neither got shell casing and made an ashtray out of it and set it on seasick. It was a good voyage. Plenty to eat and very my desk in the office. restful. We were allowed off the ship in Chelung, ForMy time at the tank farm was enjoyable as I had gotten mosa and Yokohama, Japan for several hours. When married and could go home after work. My only weekend time was once a month we had training on Saturday we arrived in San Francisco, my wife got land sick and I had to take her to the hospital. They gave her some pills morning. We were loaded on to a duce and a half (2 ½ and we had to delay our teip home. I got to the U.S. 89 ton truck) and driven to the training area. Out training days before my release and should have gotten an early area was the WWII sight of vicious fighting, known as release, but world situations had changed while we were Hacksaw Ridge. There were coral holes in the ground, at sea and I was held over at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma for the covered with weeds. One soldier fell into a hole and full term. found he was with a skeleton and a lot of unexploded That was a bummer! mortar rounds. So went my soldiering on Okinawa. That was sixty-two That ended the days training. years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. The training Sgt. would stand at the back of the truck and, as we got off, he would fire a single round of a blank ammo through or rifles. That would assure him we would fire our blanks during training. Then we would have to clean our rifles. I had met my future wife at one of Submit your children’s pictures for our Cutest Kid Contest! the Air Force E M clubs, and after (Only submit 1 picture per child.) a year we decided to get married. Little did I realize all the problems we Ages: Newborn - 10 years would encounter. Since I had entered the service at 19 years of age, Deadline to submit photos: I had to get permission from my parents to marry (I was 22 years old by Friday, April 9th now). After getting a certified copy Contest will run April of the O.K., I applied to the Army for 18th through 25th permission. It went from my Captain to the Quartermaster Major, and 1st Place in each age category from there to the HQ of the Division. wins a photo shoot by Then we had to satisfy the Okinawan government and the military translation to the Okinawan officials. Then Email photo to: we had to get the translation for the cutekids@bigspringherald.com U.S. government. All this took about or bring to the six months. Include FULL NAM I was within four months of leavE and AGE ing for the states, so I applied for o f ea ch child! 710 Scurry her passport. When I was within a Photo by www.abstractphotographystudio.com (432) 263-7331 month of shipping out, I asked the Living Magazine 15

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