Written by Marvin Williams

Sadly, since this writing, Marvin passed away October 28, 2021

CAN YOU SEE IT??? A BRIGHT STAR THAT APPEARED JUST OVER THE CREST OF THE DA VIS MOUNTAINS ON 5 MARCH 1941 IN BREWSTER COUNTY, ALPINE, TEXAS. THERE WAS 4 WITNESSES AND ONE PARTICIPANT IN THE BIRTH OF THIS STAR.

GEORGE D. WILLIAMS, (FATHER), NORA A. WILLIAMS, (MOTHER), DESMA Y. WILLIAMS, (SISTER), GEORGE V. WILLIAMS, (BROTHER), AND DR. D.O. JETER. I WAS TOLD MUCH LATER THAT EVERY ONE WAS ELATED TO SEE SUCH A PRETTY BABY (with big ears).SEE ABOVE PHOTO.

MOTHER AND DAD DECIDED TO MOVE TO STAMFORD, HOWEVER OUR STAY THEIR WAS SHORT. WE THEN MADE THE MOVE TO MIDLAND. I CAN’T REMEMBER THE DATE. WE LIVED IN A TRAILER HOUSE ON NEW YORK ST. WHICH WAS VERY CLOSE TO SOUTH ELEMENTARY . I REMEMBER DURING MY 1 sT & 2ND GRADE, I WOULD RUN HOME, JUST SO I COULD SUCK MY THUMB. (Don’t laugh) I HAD SOME GOOD FRIENDS, WHICH ALL OF YOU SHOULD REMEMBER,.DONALD HERRING, MIKE JONES, DOYLE HARDIN, DWAYNE LIESKE, RAY WHITLEY JUST TO NAME A FEW.

IF MY MEMORY DOESN’T FAIL ME, HENRY HARDING WAS THE ALL TIME JOCK DURING OUR 6rn & 7rn GRADE. I DID PARTICIPATE ON THE TRACK AND FIELD TEAM. I WON A COUPLE OF RIBBONS IN THE PULL UP COMPETITION. I DON’T THINK I WEIGHED 100 LBS IN THOSE DAYS. I ALSO REMEMBER DON, MIKE, AND I WAS MESSING AROUND ONE DAY AND DON TALKED ME INTO TAKING MY ONE AND ONLY CHEW OF “DAYS WORK”. I GOT SO SICK, I COULD HARDLY WALK HOME.

SOMETIME LATER, WE MOVED TO KANSAS ST. WHICH WAS IN WALKING DISTANCE TO THE STADIUM. I WENT TO SAN JACINTO, JHS. WHERE I COMPLETED MY 8TH & 9TH YEAR. THEN I WENT TO THE ONE AND ONLY “MHS.” I REMEMBER SO MANY GOOD THINGS DURING THE NEXT THREE YRS. THE YOUTH CENTER, CLUB 15, THE DRIVE IN MOVIES, (we would put 2 or 3 friends in the trunk so only one would pay to get in, pull to the rear of the parking

area, unload the trunk and enjoy the movie), THE BLUE STAR INN RESTAURANT, RENDEZVOUS DRIVE- IN, (we pulled in one night just in time to watch a few jocks pick up a VW and put it on the walkway). FOOTBALL GAMES (Go Bulldogs) JR & SR PROMS, AND SO MANY OTHER MEMORIES. WHEN I GRADUATED I GOT A JOB WITH THE SOUTHWESTERN DRUG CORP. BEFORE LONG I GOT ITCHY FEET, AND WHAT I DID NEXT, CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER.

IN 1960 I JOINED THE ARMY AND FELL IN LOVE WITH IT. IN 1963 I MARRIED MY FIRST WIFE, CYNTHIA JOHNSON, THE DAUGHTER OF DR. HOMER B JOHNSON OF MIDLAND . SHE AND I HAD 3 CHILDREN, TWO BOYS AND ONE GIRL.

THE MILITARY TOOK ME FROM THE WEST COAST TO THE EAST COAST, GERMANY X2, ALASKA, HAWAII, KOREA, AND VIET NAM X2. IN 1994 I DEPLOYED TO VIET NAM. AFTER MY RETURN FROM VIET NAM, I ATTENDED THE DRILL INSTRUCTORS SCHOOL. I WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO FT LEONARD WOOD, MO AS A DRILL INSTRUCTOR. BESIDES TRAINING NEW RECRUITS TO BECOME SOLDIERS, I COACHED T-BALL FOR 3YRS. FLAG FOOTBALL FOR 2YRS. FOR THE DEPENDENT YOUTH ACTIVITIES ON BASE. I BECAME A DEN FATHER FOR THE CUB SCOUTS. I STAYED ON DRILL INSTRUCTORS STATUS FOR 7 YRS, HOWEVER THOSE 7 YRS WAS INTERRUPTED BY MY SECOND TOUR IN VIET NAM IN 1969. MY IDGHEST POSITION HELD WAS WITH THE AVIATION BRIGADE, SECOND ARMORED DIVISION, FORT HOOD TEXAS. I RETIRED ON THE 301’H OF NOVEMBER 1988 . AFTER MY RETIREMENT I WAS ELECTED, THE VERY FIRST CIVILIAN, AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE H.O.W. “HELL ON WHEELS” ASSOCIATION SECOND ARMORED DIVISION, WHICH DIDN’T LAST LONG. (another story)

AFTER MY RETIREMENT I WENT TO WORK FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. A WHOLE BUNCH OF STORIES COULD BE TOLD DURING MY 10 YRS WITH THEM. HOWEVER I DON’T THINK THE LADIES WOULD APPRECIATE THEM

CYNTHIA AND I GOT DIVORCED AFTER 28 YRS. OF MARRIAGE. I STAYED A BACHLOR FOR 9YRS. IN 1996 I MET MY CURRENT WIFE, FERN, AT A DANCE AND FELL IN LOVE AGAIN. WE LOVED TO DANCE TO C&W MUSIC. AS A MATTER OF FACT, FRED ASTAIRE AND GINGER ROGERS DIDN’T HA VE A THING ON US. OUR DANCING DAYS ARE OVER WITH, DUE TO ME HAVING 3 MAJOR BACK SURGERIES, ONE KNEE REPLACEMENT AND FERN HAS HAD. BOTH FEET OPERATED ON. LIFE IS AB—- BLESSING.

WE LIVE IN JARRELL, TX. WITH OUR TWO VERY HAIRY LITTLE BOYS OSCAR & AXEL (POMERANIANS). BETWEEN US WE HA VE FIVE CHILDREN, FOUR GRANDCHILDREN AND ONE GREAT GRANDCHILD. PRIOR TO OUR MARRIAGE FERN LOST HER HOME, AS MANY OF HER NEIGHBORS DID IN THE FS TORNADO IN 1997. IT TOOK 27 LIVES IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. THANK THE “LORD” THAT BOTH SHE AND HER DAUGHTER WERE AT WORK. WE INSTALLED A STORM SHELTER SHORTLY AFTER WE WERE MARRIED IN M. ARCH OF 2000. W.E NOW LIKE TO THINK WE ARE AS HAPPY AS A “BUG IN A RUG” EVEN IF WE CAN ‘T GO BOOT SCOOTIN ANY MORE. THIS IS WHAT I DO SINCE MY RETIREMENT. “I don’t think so”