Still In A Uniform
After Douglas mustered out of the U.S. Navy, we settled "back home" in Iowa for about a year. I didn't find my photo of where we lived until after doing these pages, so that will appear later in these pages along with the story of that year. He wasn't satisfied with not being able to work on airplanes, so, furniture was stored and we were off to Tulsa, Oklahoma for him to further his education in that field by attending Spartan School of Aeronautics. We rented a mobile home in the first few months while he went to classes and worked part time for a motorcycle escort service. That was right up his alley as he had a small motorcycle as a teenager and always loved riding. Riding the Harley, escorting motorcades for funerals and dignitaries excited him. After finishing his courses, he was hired on at a company called North American -- back to doing what he did best -- being a hydraulics mechanic -- keeping those airplanes in good condition !! I had gone to work as a waitress to help supplement our income. I had no idea I would be in the work force in some way for many years to come -- up to this point, I had only been a wife and mother. Finances were better, so the family brought our furniture from Iowa to our newly rented home. Tammy was going to be starting kindergarten and the school was within walking distance -- I look back on those days and think about how much we trusted neighbors and the neighborhood -- Now, I would never think of letting a five year old walk alone or even with buddies those few blocks to and from school and then, when she was older, allowing her to walk a couple of blocks up the street to a strip mall !!! What could we have been thinking ?? Anyway, life was being good to us, careers were in the making !!
Labels: North American, Tulsa