Hermann K. Raab (Arab)------------Then and Counting
Two weeks after graduation I joined the U.S. Navy. I went to Boot Camp in Maryland and then to schools in Norman, Ok. and Memphis, Tenn., during the first year. I then was assigned to VA-75, an Attach Squadron from Oceana, Va. I was in GITMO, Cuba three times and spent time on four Carriers. A Med. Cruise on the U.S.S. RANDOLPH CVA-15, a North Atlantic cruise on the U.S.S. SARATOGA CVA-60 where we went up inside the ARCTIC Circle. The U.S.S. FORRESTAL CVA-59 and the U.S.S. INDEPENDANCE CVA62. I was Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Navy the summer of 1960.
After one year in the U.S. NAVY I married my girlfriend from Ft. Lauderdale, FL,
Central Catholic High School. We were married in 1957, after we had a daughter and a son, she divorced me in 1967. She re-married two weeks later and died of cancer 6 years later. I was remarried at the end of that year and have been married to the same person since, a girlfriend of Penny, one of my younger sisters and a graduate of Pompano Bch. High School by the name of Patricia Piper. We have a son and daughter together and they are married as are my two previous children, and our combined grandchildren are 11, with 3 great-grandchildren. They range in age from 25 years old to 1 year old. There are 6 boys and 5 girls, with 3 boys as great-grands. All my four sisters are alive but my only brother, graduated for Pompano Bch. High School, Class of 1949, past away 7 years a go. He was an Auto Mechanics teacher at Santa Fe Community College here in Gainesville, FL for many, many years.
I have too many hobbies to list here. I have worked in construction, aircraft re-modeling, drug store mgr. and I now still work part-time for Publix as a food Salesman/sampler. I help customers with their cooking questions and show them how to cook simple and quick meals. I also teach customers how to cook meats and the use of herbs in cooking.
I'll be 70 years old in a year and a half and back in '56 I never thought I'd live this long. I just had a quadruple by-pass w/ pace-maker and I expect to be back better than before in 6 months to a year. My mother past two years ago and she was 101 years old. She came to this country when she was 23 years old. I hope to live to be an old man and watch my children grow and grow. When my mother past, she had 80+ grand, great-grand and great-great-grand children in total. One of my interests in retirement is to start a Cooking School for Home Cooks.
Note: Now that being from the Middle East may not be real popular, I am not now or ever have been from that area. I am German, Hungarian and Austrian decent. Never thought that I'd have to clear that up.