I joined the USAF 1-10-52 and went through basic training at Lackland AFB and then
through U S Army basic and MP school at Camp Gordon, GA. I arrived at the Grove and 7519th Air Police
in August 1952 and left there in August 1955. Spent several months at Charleston AFB in SC and was
discharged 1-10-56. Worked for N & W Railway firing steam engines for about 6 months and for General
Electric for a year or so and then went to college at Virginia Tech. I got married in 1960 the first
time and divorced in 1963. Met Leavina in 1964 and we married the June 11th 1965. We have one son Todd
who recently married to Yvonne Marie and they have no childern yet. I started Beaver
Construction Co. in 1960 and later it was Beaver Custom Homes, Inc. Mostly residental Construction
with a little light commerical. I hung it up in 1992 and still do a little real estate and construction.
In 1979 I bought a Sinclair Computer, got hooked and then in 1982 bought a brand new IBM 8086 XT computer
with a color monotor. Man, that was the real thing. I paid $6000.00 for it and WordPerfect and
Lotus 123. A young guy named Bill Gates had just developed the MS Dos operating system for IBM. I stopped
building in 1992. I enrolled at Virginia College in mid 90s and in June 1998 I received my degree in Electronic Technology.
I also went to Virginia Western Community College and earned a Electronic Servicing certificate
in May 1999.
Before the internet I purchased some CDs with white page names and began searching for Grovers.
I have always said that those three years at Shepherds Grove were the best years of my life.
After all even when I was broke, I still had three hots and a cot. Really didn't have any worries and
for some reason the English women loved us. In 1995 we had our first reunion in Branson, MO and
it was great. Since then I have been to reunions in Myrtle Beach, SC, Indiana, Tenn, Columbia SC, and
the Poconos in PA as well as here at Smith Mountain Lake. None of those places offer even a fraction
of what is available in Branson and they all cost more. Branson is in the heartland of USA
and the entertainment capitol of the world and without the gambling to rob you. Branson loves veterans. You can
easily drive there from CA, WA, Fl or any other place in the Country. They recently had one at
Fort Walton Beach. That one was too far for me or those in the NE to travel. The only bad thing about any of them
is getting to the reunion and back. Branson is located so that it is fair to everyone. It ain't easy for all
but it is in the middle. My plans are set in concrete to be in Branson November 7th to 12th 2003. I hope
you guys will all join me and we will need two buses to transport us around.
