Where's the hoseline? Don't know, but cool time. Did I say 'cool'
SHIFT 46...my tour with Uncle Sam's Air Force began with at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas in 1978. After six weeks I was off to the first of two Firefighter academies. This one took place at Chanute AF Base in the big town of Rantoul, Illinois. A place where I would return two other times for a 'Rescueman' course and 'P4' crash truck course. This first experience placed me into 'Silvers' turnouts for the first time. You're basically a 'baked potato' with arms and legs.
Rick in Basic Training...clean locker baby!
One experience that I wasn't expecting was after I arrived while walking to my dorm and home for the next 10 weeks. As I approach the dorm building I started hearing a faint, "Rick, Rick". Then it became louder and louder..."Rick, Rick". Next thing I know, I see a crazy dude running towards me. Much to my amazement it was one of my high school best friends, Roy Ingram. Roy had joined the Air Force a few weeks before me and was still at Chanute. I had been out of school for two years and hadn't seen Roy since that summer after graduation. On our baseball team in high school we had a three-some of singers. Roy was Elvis, Rick Fletcher was Mick Jagger and myself...John Denver of course. Anyway, it was good connecting with an old friend. OK, we were still 'kids'. A friend to this day that I like to run into once again.
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