I WAS BORN (AT HOME) IN MID-1937 IN DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FL , THE FIRST CHILD FROM SAM & FAYBELLE BROWN'S MARRIAGE.  MY MOTHER'S FIRST HUSBAND HAD DIED VERY YOUNG, LEAVING HER ALONE WITH FOUR CHILDREN, TWO BOYS AND TWO GIRLS.  MY YOUNGEST HALF-BROTHER DIED PRIOR TO MY BIRTH (BRAIN TUMOR), AND I DON'T HAVE LONG MEMORIES OF THE OLDER CHILDREN LIVING AT HOME.  FROM THE FIRST FAMILY, ONLY BETTY IS LIVING AND DOING WELL, GERALDINE AND LANIER BOTH DIED YOUNG (APPROX. 40), VICTIMS OF ALCOHOLISM. 

MY YOUNGER BROTHER, JIMMY, WAS BORN 2YRS/4MOS AFTER ME, AND THE KID SISTER, TERESIA, ABOUT 11 YEARS AFTER ME.  THEY ARE BOTH DOING WELL AS OF THIS WRITING...(Note:  Teresia died June 2004)

MY PARENTS WERE POOR, UN-EDUCATED PEOPLE, AND MY DAD WORKED MAINLY AS A LABORER, FARMER, AND FARM WORKER.  EVEN WHEN HE EARNED A LIVING WAGE, HIS LOVE FOR ALCOHOL LEFT VERY LITTLE MONEY TO IMPROVE OUR LIVING CONDITIONS.  WE GREW MOST OF OUR FOOD, AND WORKED ANY JOB AVAILABLE TOO EARN A FEW BUCKS, FROM SMALL CHILDREN THRU HIGH SCHOOL.  I KNOW BOTH PARENTS LOVED US, BUT IT WAS STILL A DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD.

I MANAGED TO COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL, JOINED THE NAVY AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE SCHOOLS OFFERED TO LEARN A "TRADE" IN ELECTRONICS, WHICH SERVED ME WELL THROUGHOUT MY CAREER.  GOT OUT OF THE NAVY AFTER FOUR YEARS, WENT TO WORK FOR VITRO CORP., GOT MARRIED, GOT KAREN, LATER WENT TO WORK FOR AVCO CORP, AND GOT DONNA ALONG THE WAY...IN 1963, WENT TO WORK FOR RCA ON THE EASTERN TEST RANGE (ISLANDS, CAPE, SHIPS, ELY, NV., KSC), SPENT 25 YEARS WITH THEM UNTIL GE BOUGHT THEM OUT, WENT WITH COMPUTER SCIENCES/RAYTHEON WHEN THEY WON THE CONTRACT, AND RETIRED WITH THEM DEC. 1995.  EXCEPT FOR A 7 YEAR+ TOUR IN ELY, NEVADA, WE MADE OUR HOME IN COCOA, FL (NEAR THE CAPE & KSC).

IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING CAREER, WORKING IN MANY ASPECTS OF THE SPACE PROGRAM, IN MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, WITH MANY FINE PEOPLE THAT I TRULY MISS...

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