41 Life History --- Last Army assignment - Stationed Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri

I spent the last nine months of my military career at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri, in charge of an engineering heavy equipment training company.  We trained operators for forklifts, road graders, bulldozers, and earth movers.  I also took a drafting course.  I attended church at Springfield several times and renewed old acquaintances.  I started orthodontic treatments at Springfield, and then continued the treatments at the Fort Leonard Wood hospital after learning that they had a resident orthodontist.

20 Life History --- 1964 Trips While in College

Josephine my motorcycle 1966

Very shortly after buying the motorcycle, I rode it on a trip to Akron to visit my folks. Mom and Ken had returned to Akron for a supposed visit a year or two after I came to SMS, but we all knew that she had no intention of returning to Dad in Licking. Mel was also off at college. Dad returned to Akron sometime later, and they eventually reconciled. I remember lots of back pains between my shoulder blades on that long motorcycle ride. While in Akron I visited some relatives, and gave some young ones a ride on the motorcycle.

22 Life History --- Motorcycle Trip to California

Garrett Merrick

LeMerle and John Cochran

One Christmas I rode the motorcycle to visit the Cochrans in Bakersfield CA. They took me to Knotts Berry Farm, and we had other good times. I returned via Phoenix and Albuquerque. However, heading north out of Albuquerque, I made a poor choice and turned east toward Lubbock TX. It so happened that this road crossed a 9000 foot high mountain pass. Unfortunately, it also began to snow when I neared the top! I struggled slowly on until I came to a small town late at night, where I slept behind a gas station. The storm ended, but I still had to slowly navigatge icy roads down to Lubbock. Heading out of Lubbock I slipped and broke the motorcycle clutch handle. My traveling spirit broke, too. I knew some Springfield church members frequently visited Lubbock, so I contacted some church members who knew them and would store my motorcycle until they could haul it back to Springfield for me on their next visit. A young family named Leuck was kind enough to put me up for a couple days before I rode the bus back.