Friend
I met Don on induction day of our enlistment at Indianapolis September 29th, 1976. We went through boot camp together at M.C.R.D San Diego, Cal. We both ended up at the Marine Corps Base in Hawaii as grunts. I really don't remember much about those days. Everything was pretty much mumbo jumboed back then. Not like the military today with a brotherhood as I've heard veterans describe. But there were a half dozen of us or so that hung out together when we could. Don was one of those guys. On leave we went snowmobiling in Michigan once. I tried to find him after I got out but had no luck. I got a hold of a distant relative once who said they thought Don had become a town cop at one point but could not say for sure. They had not seen him in years. Said his father had passed away before him, no mention of any other family. I had spent 2 years of my life with Don but suddenly became aware of how little he and I had really come to know each other, or any other Marines we served with for that matter. I know he suffered badly from a broken collar bone he got in the service. In those days you did not get medical care when you needed it unless you were about dead. It was looked down on really bad by the Marines. You sucked it up and drove on. So Dons collar bone healed crooked. He found it difficult to do even the simplest of all we were required to do. When he was finally to the point that he had no choice but to get medical help they refused to do so. I left shortly after that so I do not know what finally happened. I never heard from Don again, I am very sorry to say. And I was deeply troubled to find his obituary almost 50 years later. But I do have one story about Don that is almost beyond belief yet true. I could not forget it even if I tried. Some will smirk for the telling of it and say, yeah right. And at the time I had never heard of Jesus except in profanity, I thought He was a cuss word. So I can't be labeled as religious on this one. I'll just state what happened and you can decide.
I have no idea if Don was religious or not. If he was he never said although I don't recall ever hearing him cuss, which for a Marine just isn't normal. Don could not swim. I warned him many times not to get in the ocean because of the undertow. But he always insisted he would stay only at ankle depth, which was still dangerous on this beach and really bothered me. So I more or less took it upon myself to keep an eye on him when he would wade. But one day the tow was so strong we all decided this wasn't a good idea to stay because the tow was increasing by the minute. Our group of about 5 were the only ones still on the beach. Suddenly I realized Don was not with us. I turned to see him about 40 to 50 yards out in the ocean heading out to sea fast. He was also going under and back up. I flipped my sandals off and turned to holler Don to the guys then turned back to run in. But here was Don laying over a surf board unconscious almost to the beach with this blond haired super muscular beach boy who was half again the size of any of us. And 2 of us weighed 180 pounds. We pulled Don off the board with this guy smiling and the guys turned him over to pump him out. I turned to thank the guy but he was gone! 1 second later this guy was no where! Not in the water! Not up and down the beach! He was just gone! I asked the guys where he went? They said who? The guy who brought in Don! What guy, they said? They asked me what he looked like? Suddenly I realized I didn't have a clue. I remember everything about him but his face, and I saw him Smiling at me!
The ambulance came and a few hours later Don was awake and walking. So I asked him what happened. He said the tow grabbed him before he knew what happened. Pulled his feet right out from under him. He remembered seeing me and knew he was going down for the last time. Then a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his hand as he blacked out. That was all he remembered. I thought back. I saw him go under. There was no one in that ocean besides him. Especially no one on a surfboard. And out of 6 guys I am the only one who saw him. I still see him! I guess that is why I was so surprised at Don's passing. Somebody was sure looking out for him that day. Whether you believe it or not, that's how it went down. And I wasn't drunk and I don't do or ever have done drugs and wasn't religious at the time. Don was a good guy. Always enjoyed his company.
Miss ya bud!
I have no idea if Don was religious or not. If he was he never said although I don't recall ever hearing him cuss, which for a Marine just isn't normal. Don could not swim. I warned him many times not to get in the ocean because of the undertow. But he always insisted he would stay only at ankle depth, which was still dangerous on this beach and really bothered me. So I more or less took it upon myself to keep an eye on him when he would wade. But one day the tow was so strong we all decided this wasn't a good idea to stay because the tow was increasing by the minute. Our group of about 5 were the only ones still on the beach. Suddenly I realized Don was not with us. I turned to see him about 40 to 50 yards out in the ocean heading out to sea fast. He was also going under and back up. I flipped my sandals off and turned to holler Don to the guys then turned back to run in. But here was Don laying over a surf board unconscious almost to the beach with this blond haired super muscular beach boy who was half again the size of any of us. And 2 of us weighed 180 pounds. We pulled Don off the board with this guy smiling and the guys turned him over to pump him out. I turned to thank the guy but he was gone! 1 second later this guy was no where! Not in the water! Not up and down the beach! He was just gone! I asked the guys where he went? They said who? The guy who brought in Don! What guy, they said? They asked me what he looked like? Suddenly I realized I didn't have a clue. I remember everything about him but his face, and I saw him Smiling at me!
The ambulance came and a few hours later Don was awake and walking. So I asked him what happened. He said the tow grabbed him before he knew what happened. Pulled his feet right out from under him. He remembered seeing me and knew he was going down for the last time. Then a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his hand as he blacked out. That was all he remembered. I thought back. I saw him go under. There was no one in that ocean besides him. Especially no one on a surfboard. And out of 6 guys I am the only one who saw him. I still see him! I guess that is why I was so surprised at Don's passing. Somebody was sure looking out for him that day. Whether you believe it or not, that's how it went down. And I wasn't drunk and I don't do or ever have done drugs and wasn't religious at the time. Don was a good guy. Always enjoyed his company.
Miss ya bud!
