Bill and I

A little bit about my current husband and I.

We were born in the same hospital in Tarrytown, NY.  He, two months after me.  We attended the same high school, although he only came there in his junior year.  We didn't really know each other while in school.  Our SS #s are only digits apart since we both started working the same year (back then you only got your SS card when you wanted to work).

Bill was considered one of the best looking guys in school and had his pick of all the girls.  We didn't actually meet until we both attended a graduation party in the summer of 1964.  He must have liked what he saw.  When I went to start my car when my best friend and I were ready to leave, my car wouldn't start - he had flooded the engine to prevent me from leaving!  Once my car would start, my girlfriend and I were out of there.  I had the attitude of "You didn't want to have anything to do with me while we were in school, what makes you think I want anything to do with you now?"

The next time I saw Bill, I was standing at the sidewalk of the village that I lived in, talking with a male friend.  I had just left the 'drugstore' (that's what we called it back then), after making a cigarette run for everyone that was playing cards at my friend's house.  I saw Bill driving down the road and he had seen me, making sure that I saw that he was going to want to talk to me.  I quickly said to the guy I was talking to, who also happened to be a former boyfriend, "Quick, put your arm around me a pull me close so this guy will think we're together!"  After exchanging some pleasantries, I excused myself to go back to my friend's house and the card game that was waiting.

Little did I know that he followed me and when I pulled up in front of my friend's house, he quickly pulled his car up next to mine on the driver's side, not leaving me enough room to get out of the car.  To this day, I don't know why I just didn't slide over and exit on the passenger side.  After all, there were no bucket seats in my '55 Ford!

At any rate, he told me that he wouldn't let me out until I agreed to go out with him.  I gave in and reluctantly agreed.  I think we went to the drive in that next Saturday night.  We continued seeing each other and got engaged that November.  Both of us only 18 years old.

We had our ups and downs during the engagement, even breaking it off briefly before getting back together again.

It was the age of Vietnam.  Bill enlisted in the Air Force and went off for training.  His first tour of duty was in Illinois.  My mother and I flew there, along with his mother and sister and were married in November of 1965.  Broke, young, and in love, Bill's mates provided a reception for us and we embarked on married life.  Then Bill went to Vietnam.

To Be Continued...