It was a bright sunshiney day in Praraie du Chien Wisconsin, my Maybury. Population 5,280, Three fire trucks, two police cars, and yes one of the cops was even nicknamed "Barney". As close to paradise as I have ever been in this life. I still dream about it.
It was 1962 and I was a ten year old boy in short pants, white Texaco t shirt, and blue flip flops. I was industriously wasting the hot summer day in my gramma Colby's front yard at 219 south Marquette Road when the US ARMY made an appearance, and made my day. I stood tranfixed as the row of green trucks, and jeeps growled slowly by. They all had their headlights on, and they were full of REAL SOLDIERS! As most boys of that time were, I was crazy about all things military. This was like god appearing to me. My heros driving right by my house!! And then I saw the missle truck.
It was an Honest John medium range tactical missle. Deleloped for deployment in Europe to offset the armour imbalence between NATO, and the WARSAW pact, and keep the Russians on their own side of the fence. And it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I watched the line of green until they were a block away, and then miracle of miracles, the missle truck's turn signal came on, and it's brakelights flared. It was turning into the auto parts store! IT WAS STOPPING!!
My flip flops snapping my heels, I took off at full gallop down the street. I was gonna get to see a real army missle, up close. Wowy! COOL COOL COOL!!! In those days you didn't have to lock your kids in the house to keep them safe. I roamed my neighborhood at will, as long as I was home before dark. So I was safe in my innocence, and breaking no rules. I quickly covered the block, and a half to the parts store.(I crossed busy Marquette Road at the light, and looked both ways, before crossing.)
And there it was. I was in little boy heaven. I walked around it. I stared rapturously. I walked around again. Finally working up the courage, I walked up, reached my little ten year old fingers up, and put my hands on the olive drab metal of the truck. It was hot from the summer sun. I don't know how long I stood, and stared at the rocket, but when I heard the five oclock bells from the church start playing, I headed for home. That was the rule. When I heard those bells it was time to get home..or else. But I was a good boy. I had broken no rules. I went home to my wonderfull gramma, watched cartoons, had supper, babbled about the rocket all through that, and went to bed too excited to sleep (I thought as I drifted off.)
The next day Barney, in the one police car was at my house....
