Bird Dogs and Keesler
At Hq, TTAF, at Gulfport, Mississippi I had met Col. George Davis,(Comptroller Office) and worked under his supervision. While he was there I enjoyed his company, as well as others. Later on I was assigned to work for a Col. Dellinger and his assistant. We took the Hdq Commanding General quail hunting, over on the Hengen Place and across from where Darius lived. The area now is known as "Destiny Island', and where Darius used to live is now a housing area known as "The Hengen Place."
And now back to the hunting trip. The General and I managed to shoot some quail over near the east of the property, near the Skidus Place. I went over asked asked Mrs. Skiadus, (Stevie's mother), if we could pick up a few that had flown over on her place and she said "Yes." So I went over to get them and Stevie her son showed up and fired some shots over our heads and asked us to "Leave damn quick", He did not want us there. So we did, this was quite an event as it was not expected. Needless to say, I have never been back.
And now at this time I will tell you about a picture of "Speck"the pointer and I.. Speck
was one of the birddogs, that Col Davis had given me (the other, an English setter, died)
The Chevy pickup truck was bought in about 1957. I had just returned from a two week tour in the Air Force Reserve as a Captain. I had been double dipping, meaning I had been paid for my job at Hq TTAF at Gulf port, MS., and also for being on duty at Sheppard AF B Texas. I used the extra money to buy the pickup truck. It came in handy, as my son Bill droved it to high school each day, and also took Helen and Ann to Lopez school each day. Then Marie drove the car to teach school each day and I managed to catch a ride to work each day and that kept the wheels moving. Never a dull moment.
The story about the pointer Speck and an English shepherd given me by Col Davis, is as follows. These dogs were originally given to Col Davis by a lady in the budget office, then he in turn called the lady and I in to his office and gave them to me. So I had to go to Pass Christian and get the dogs. This was quite a pressure deal, imagine receiving a gift and then passing it on to another friend. But it finally worked out okay. Added comment - "Knowing this situation ahead of time I would never do this again. Col. Davis, a year later, went on to Langley AF B, VA and was buried there. Quite a guy. He was a calvary officer, used to ride horses in Texas, and then was transferred to the "Tank Squad" in WW2.
The dog Speck was a real good pointer. I recall at one time Lucius Hengen, Julius Kornman and I were quail hunting, and Speck holding a point jumped a woodcock and then all three of us shot at the bird at the same time, and when Speck brought us the bird, it was so full of shot it had no feathers at all. It was during this time that I and Col Davis, and others used to try and catch alligators in the Bay, using thin aircraft wire on a 8 or 10 foot pole, with a loop of wire on the end and using boats we would catch the alligators in the loop and drag them ashore and look them over and then turn them loose, or take them elsewhere, other than in front of our house area.
At one time Col Davis arranged to get some 30 Caliber bullets to fit in the 30 caliber rifle that Louis Hengen had given me. Louis had sent from Germany several boxes of captured guns and German uniforms home for us to see. He was on the staff of Gen Patton's 3rd Army- the type that the Air Police use. I still have some of the bullets. When I had no use for the gun I returned it to Louis, and it is no doubt in the attic of his or Jamie's house in Biloxi.
In 1957 it was rumored that Hq TTAF, would be closed out in 1958, and be moved to the Main Hqs in San Antonio, Texas. The Hq had been previously at Scott AFB, near Bellville, Illinois. The rumor turned out to be a fact. Since I did not want to go to San Antonio, Texas, I was put on hold and if I could not get a transfer to Keesler, or else where, I could go to San Antonio at a lesser grade, with the same pay or =?? So I managed to get a friend of mine who was a fellow student at LSU and occasional duck hunter, Judge Walter L. Nixon, to arrange a transfer for me to the Comptroller's Office at Keesler.
So, on April 11,1958 I was employed, at the same grade GS-9, as an Assistant Chief of the Management Analysis Division . In this case the Chief a Mr. Boetler was on medical leave, and I became more or less an Acting Chief.
In this mad rush of working I must mention that on January 7, 1958, that Marie and I had a new arrival. Margaret Mae Stillman was born. She was a most welcome arrival. We had built-in babysitters with Bill, Helen, and Ann to help us ( Smile). Now we had a new arrival to teach how to go fishing and hunting and to play the piano And we all went to church on Sundays to the First Presbyterian Church in Biloxi.
During the period 11 April 1959, t o Dec. 5, 1960 I was detailed or assigned to the position of Management Analysis Officer, and/ or Assistant Mgmt Analysis Officer, and served the comptroller in those two capacities as directed. Officers served under are as follows: Col A. J Trummer, former Comptroller, and Major R . A Murray, Assistant Comptroller, and Col. M A Parks, present Comptroller.
Primarily my assignment was to fill the position of Financial Analyst, however actual duties consisted of managing and controlling the Management Analysis Division, consisting of Mission, Financial, and Graphics Branches. Supervision of employees consisted of two or more civilians and eight to ten airmen.
During the time that I served under Col. Trummer and Major Murray, I found myself doing a great job, and was recommended for the position as chief. But when Col Parks arrived, things changed. He had new ideas. I was replaced by a Major and a GS-11, and of course I was a GS-9. So I soon found myself over at Brookley AFB, signing up for a new job there. I had been recommended by the Base Commander as a permanent employee but that made no difference.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, or I mean at home, things had been happening. It was decided that Marie would stay there in Biloxi, and take care of the children and finish the school year, and I would go on and find a home for us somewhere in the area, and that the children could go to school there in the Mobile area in September. Sometimes this procedure was very hard, but I was determined to make the best of it and continue working toward my goal of retirement with the Air Force. The pickup truck that Bill was using to go to school had been ruined by someone putting sand in the oil inlet and it had to be repaired. Lucius agreed to put a second hand motor in it. But this would take time. Darius helped us by putting steps at the kitchen door and in front of the front door. At that time we arranged for a church family the Dick Honeycutt's (Sgt at Keesler) to take care of the house and property - for free, rather than to let it sit idle and be ransacked.
