_/everything has a beginning.....\_

For the Record

Welcome updated, December 28, 2019!
I began this experiment about a week before Thanksgiving 2019. My hopes were to post something every day, but like everyone else I was busy with end-of-year events. Realistically, posting every day isn't going to happen. Also, I have been announcing new posts on Facebook which I will continue to do. Finally, I have gone back to my multi-part posts to add links to the following part to make it easier to navigate through the story. I hope this helps.

-------αβγδεζηθικλμνξοπρστυφχψω-------

I anticipated watching the Vietnam War documentary from the moment I became aware of it. Airing in 2017, it would conclude on the evening before my wife and I were to leave Maine and drive to Illinois for my 50th high school class reunion. Little did I know just how profoundly that series would affect me.

Look: in an old shoebox I have every letter I ever wrote home (thanks, Mom!) Included are letters from my Navy days (boot camp at Great Lakes RTC, Gunners Mate school at Great Lakes NTC, duty assignment aboard the USS Lynde McCormick DDG-8, San Diego), plus a collection of Familygrams, letters written by the commanding officer of my ship. These letters were sent to the families of the crew, with highlights of the previous 4-6 months activities such as ports-of-call for overseas R&R, listings of crewmen recognized for exemplary service, etc.

After watching the first episode, I produced the shoebox and sorted the contents chronologically. As we watched the series, I read those letters and Familygrams aloud to my wife, Janelle. The combination was emotionally powerful. I began to see my experience for what it is, allowing me to want to revisit that part of my life. So I began cruising the choppy waters off San Diego and beyond, through the magic of modern technology. After navigating those waters for over two years, I think I'm getting my sea legs back. I already have some sea stories to tell, as well as tall tales for you landlubbers.

Blogging is something new for me. I welcome comments and questions, but I expect decency and civility here. I am opening up my past to the world, but more than that, I want to leave a record for my children and beyond. Finally, I have to get this down while it still means something to me, while I have the wherewithal to make it happen.

© 2019 John Robin Swanson