Starting out to be a really bad winter

The worst trip I remember, "me" driving was in about this same time of year, 1968. In late 67, I had received my draft notice, and had to go in for the physical and other hijinks. That was on a bus at gobt expense, and we stayed in an elegant old hotel in Spokane.

But this trip I'm referring to--I had signed up for the Navy, and had to drive it myself. I had a 60 Falcon, with the mighty 144 cid 80hp six, and the heater core regularly plugged with rust. Bear in mind I was young, and had flushed it numerous times.

The week before the big trip, some 80 miles, I had made sure it was filled with fuel, oil up, and flushed it out and let it set until the "big day."

Turns out the night before, I had lost the keys in my messy "ham radio" shack---and didn't find them until more than six years later after I got OUT of the Navy

I got outside about ? 4AM, no keys. Hot wired the thing and it turned out hot wiring the heater was easy, too. Off we go, 80 mi trip to Spokane, it was about 10 F, blowing snow, blizzard. I got across the bridge heading S to Spokane, and the heater plugged, all of about 4 miles. I had brought a sleeping bag and blankets "just in case," but it was still colder'n 'ell.

Likewise, the trip home, cold, ALL the way. Most miserable trip of my life. I would say in that weather and conditions, slick, icy, snowy, about 2 1/2 hours driving time.

At that time, the "height" of the Viet war, the Navy was offering a "120 day delay" program, so you got all tested, physical, and then reported 120 days later. That was somewhere around 26--28 May, 1968--0ff to RTC San Diego, my first ride on an aircraft