Blog 49 Volume 3: Coming Home My Final weeks in March

By the time March,1987, began, my stomach was in knots. Maybe I was meant to stay enlisted instead of discharging. Either way, my desire was to experience every thing I had done over the last four and a half years, as well as, to do things I had wanted to do, and spend time with the people I had met.

I was very confused again, because for six years I lived a military life and worked in two fields of upper Radiology that I loved. But, I also learned that I would make much more money as a civilian, that other hospitals and clinics had different types of cameras and procedure protocols, and I was getting very homesick. My sister, Mary, planned to come to help me start packing making sure the apartment would pass inspection, and to get my apartment ready to leave.

I have to admit that I rewound everything I wanted to do again. And, yes, that meant everything! I waited for Mary to do the things I never got around to do. As slow as it seemed to go, the date finally came to get ready. I kept lifting weights and had a special feeling in my heart for San Diego.

We usually gave parties for those leaving, but like my birthdays, I insisted on throwing a pizza party at my expense. But, at the party, they all pitched in for the pizza and had presents. (Oh Well!), but it was a great party. When we left, my weight lifting partner wanted to take me clubbing one more time. We got pretty drunk. Ironically, we actually picked up dates and went to their home.

While my friend went to the bedroom with his date, my date and I sat in the living room talking. We messed around some, but I could not follow through because I really would have rather gone to find the type I wanted. So, when I left, I did just that and felt very ashamed. That made my decision to definitely be discharged and go home.

(Mary arrives)

I took time to spend it with Mary and we enjoyed the visit. The funny thing was taking Mary to the base. We went into my office and Dave came in to do some work. He got called out and when he left, Mary said that she thought he was very handsome and had beautiful blue eyes. When I told her he was gay, her mouth dropped and was sadly in awe during the rest of the visit. The secretaries and typists invited me for breakfast one morning at 5 am. Mary understood my needing to remember San Diego, so when things came up, she was gracious to let me go. It was hard to believe that my Navy life was coming to an end.

(I am closing volume two here. My Life As I Lived it, volume three, “Coming Home” will begin at this point, I hope you all will follow me!)

On March 28, 1987, I had to check out of the base, clean my desk and make my goodbyes. Again, Mary was still in shock about Dave! I took her to my original church and introduced her to Joanne. They hit it off pretty well. I finally got my papers to leave the next day. This was it. I finally knew it was time for me to leave. Mary was excited that Joanne was coming to Dallas in a few weeks.

(I surprised Mary by going through Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada, a miniature Vegas at the border of Nevada and Arizona.)

My chief told me that I could go ahead and leave the evening of March 28, but to call in the next day to make it official. We decided just to go to Las Vegas for the night. Going through Los Angeles on our way, I hope Mary was as happy as I was when I finally saw the HOLLYWOOD sign for the first time after four tries. This was Mary’s first time! I had to go this way because it was the only highway to Vegas that I knew to go. (No we did not win!)

We decided to go by the Grand Canyon, which was 5 hours out of the way. So, by deciding to cut down to another highway, we thought we would get some time back. But, we hit SNOW! (That is right, I have never seen snow on Christmas, not even in Denver, Colorado). But, It snowed half a day on my Birthday, March Twenty-Ninth. What a thrill.

Mary and I reached Midland/ Odessa, Texas for our final stop. I cannot remember if Anna had already moved back to Dallas by then or not, but we did stop there. The next day we arrived back home in Dallas. I stayed with Mary and Bill Fisher until I got all my money and I could move into my own place. I did get my own apartment and my first civilian Nuclear Medicine clinic.

(One more try with Joanne.)

I then asked for Joanne to come to Dallas. We seemed to have a great time. I showed her the best parts of Dallas and did fun things. However, when she came to my apartment, she again started redesigning my things. I wanted to make her happy, but without moving all my stuff. After we got to the airport for Joanne to go back to her home, I sent her a letter telling her it would not work. I assured her again that it was all my fault.