This year is the 35th anniversary of the year 1971. For me it was not a very good year. It was the depths of the Dark Ages, and I would be finishing my prison sentence at St. John's Univerisity and at home. Since I picked the wrong day to be born on, I would be drafted when school was over. I did not really mind that, since I once wanted a military career. It's just that with shitty eyesight, I could not be an officer, but could be an enlisted man. Go figure! Therefore, college was a total waste of time and money. I wanted to quit, but I would have been dis-owned. In 1971, members of the armed forces were lower than politicians and child molesters.
The female front was not going too well, either. With no personal car, and not being able to follow fashions, it was not too easy to attract the ladies. Also, to REALLY be different, I was a country music fan. The reason I was really different was that all of the non-conformists were all looking like hippies and I had short hair and 1950's style clothes. There seemed to be a ray of hope when one sorority girl seemed to like me, and I was pretty hung up on her (my perfect girl?). In March I decided to ask her out, and she said no. OK, we're still friends. Wrong! It was a total embarrassment and I just slid into a hole for 11 months. I should have realized that she sould not be doing me much good in a little while when I was in the Air Force and being stationed in armpits of the world. But like they say, love is blind.
I went through the graduation bullshit on June 6, swearing that I was finished forever with college. I hung around New York for several more weeks, visiting the East End for the first time and going to New England. Then on July 23, the old Bill was gone. I reported to Lackland Air Force Base and it would never be the same. Somehow I survived and graduated. I came home on leave and visited St. John's and got nasty looks and sneers for the military haircut. My one time perfect girl laughed at my crew cut. What can you do.
On September 17 I reported to my first assignment, England Air Force Base at Alexandria LA. My dad was at that city 30 years before me. But that was World War II, this was Vietnam. We were all scum now, and the area was absolutely dead. A bright spot was when I went to New Orleans in November and felt like I was back in New York.
I began to realize that Engalnd AFB was totally dead. With no car it was hell. I just could not take it any longer and finally realized that I HAD to get my own car. Not as easy as it looks, since most financial institutions did not lend to service men. Where there is a will, there is a way and I borrowed $2K from my folks (at 0% interest) and bought a new 1972 Corolla on February 8, 1972. A thaw was finally opening up. 1971 was finally over!
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