United States Air Force

I served in the United States Air Force from January 1966 thru May 1969. I attended Basic Training at Lackland AFB in early 1966. I was in BMTS 3703 flight 209. During the time I was there we had a young airman in the barracks next to us die from spinal meningitis. I believe he was in flight 210. We were under a quarantine for a while and my flight along with some others went to Amarillo AFB to finish up basic training. I have a picture posted of flight 209 that can be viewed on Flickr.

I attended Tech school at Chanute AFB, IL, I was in the 3368 Student Squadron, we were training to work on jet engines, particularly on the B-52 & KC-135's. We graduated on June 8, 1966. If you click on 3368 Student Squadron it will take you to a picture of us take on the wing of a fighter. Some of the people in that picture besides my self are, Chad Kail, Carl Tapper, William Sands, William Scales, and Norris Stay. this is not in the order they appear in the picture. I am the 2nd from the left standing.

After Tech school I went PCS to Blytheville AFB, AR, 97th Bomb Wing SAC, working out of the 97th FMS. I served my time out there working on the engines on the B-52's and KC-135's except for a 120 + day TDY to Anderson AFB, Guam from September 1968 thru January 1969. Back in January 2005 I started a Yahoo group for Blytheville AFB. This month on October 12,13,14 we had our 1st Annual Blytheville AFB Reunion. It was a success and everyone who attended wants us to have another one next year, so we are in hopes of having one each year as long as there is an interest. We now have about 200 hundred members in our group. If you had any part in Blytheville AFB come by and visit us, you just might be able to get in contact with some of those you worked with on Blytheville AFB. And if you can, try and make our next reunion which should take place sometime in 2008.

I would love to heard from any of you I served with. In fact I putting this on my blog and posted those pictures with hopes that some of you I served with might come across them and contact me. Above all please come and check out our Blytheville AFB Group, at this time we've got just over 250 members and almost daily someone who served at Blytheville AFB finds us.

May the Lord Bless,
Jerry

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved

Why & How Could They?

I have one picture of myself while I was in the Texarkana Baptist Orphanage, its a group picture. Just so happens I posted it on the internet and the daughter of one of the girls in the picture happens to find it. Also I have a picture of my mother, Elizabeth Carter Davis.

Since that time I have talked with Jo Ann Clark on the phone and we have exchanges a few e-mails. But Joann also has brothers and a sister in this picture, Gale Clark, Dale Clark, and Jimmy Don Clark.

I to have a brother in the picture. I believe he is setting on the arm of the couch but I can't be positive. Hopefully in a couple of days I will know for sure.

But Joann and her brothers and sister suffered somewhat the same fate a I. Their mother died and their father put them in this orphan home. As for me, my mother, brother, and sister died in a house fire about one mile west of Cotton Plant, Arkansas in late 1948, 30 days later my brother and myself were in the orphan home. My sister Dixie Jo lived with a family at Cotton Plant for about 6 months, them she to was put in the orphan home.

But how can a father put there children in an orphan home? I fail to understand that. I understand hard times, but giving up your very own children, I can't understand that.

Which as for my birth father, he had already threw away one set of children. When his first wife died, he gave away all 6 children by that marriage, the youngest 6 months old. Them with us he does the very same thing.

I don't know about Joann's father, but my birth father loved to drink and chase women. I feel sure we children would have been in his way after our mother died. So the way I see it, he got us out of his way so he could enjoy his favorite pastime.

I feel like they are many others out there who have had this happen to them. I really wonder how you feel about it. I had an opportunity to see my birth father when I was a teenager, but I refused. I had no feeling for him. I did not care to lay my eyes on him. The man and woman who raised me from age 5 where my father and mother. They were the ones who held me when I was sick, they were the ones who put food in my mouth, clothes on my back. I have never regretted refusing to see that man, because he is not my father, most any man can father children, but it take more than that to be a father.

The only one that I have ever really missed in my mother. She died trying to save my brother. See she was fixing to start the evening meal. She started a fire in the wood cook stove. My oldest brother E W was off somewhere riding his bicycle. Dixie Jo was setting on the front porch with me. Betty Sue and Bobby Dean were in the house/ For some reason the coal oil exploded. there was speculation and my birth father had gasoline in it instead of coal oil, but that's another story. When it blew up mother grabbed up Betty Sue and took her to the front porch. He told Dixie to take me and Betty Sue and go stand by the fence in the yard. She went back in after Bobby Dean, but Betty Sue run back in the house after her. After which I believe there was another explosion.

When help got there it was to late, least it was from mother and Bobby Dean. They did get Betty Sue out, but she was in critical condition. They took her to Little Rock, but shortly after arriving she died. In 1948 they could not help a person near as much as they can today.

I suppose I should say mother was with child at this time. they were all buried on one casket and put in one grave. They're buried at White Church Cemetery down south of Brinkley. Back in the early 90's when I found out where they were buried the wife and I went up there. It was quite a feeling after all these years to stand at the grace of my mother who was with child, my sister, and my brother.

I might add, I met my mothers last living brother in the early 90's, along with many cousins, nephews and nieces. That was a great event. According to some of them, my birth father would not tell them what he did with us.

But, how can fathers give up their children? Does it haunt them ever day for the rest to their life? I surely believe it would have me if I had ever gave up my daughter.

May God Bless,
Jerry

"I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tent of wickedness."
Psalms 84:10

Texarkana Baptist Orphanage, Texarkana, AR

I know someone out there probably has pictures of the children who were in the care of Texarkana Baptist Orphanage. I only have one, and if you will click on this it will take you to it. This is the earliest picture I have of myself.

I was only in the home for a few short years. From late 48 to 50. But if anyone out there happens to have another picture with me in it, I surely would love to have a copy of it.

Plus I just got to talk with one of the people that's in the picture I have, Joann Clark. Her daughter Debra has been trying to find pictures of her mother in her early life for they have none except for the copy on the one I have which I sent them. Joann stayed in the orphanage until she was 18 years old. If you could help us in any way, I promise we would greatly appreciate it.

May God Bless,
Jerry

"I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tent of wickedness."
Psalms 84:10

Texarkana Baptist Orphanage Picture

I posted the picture I have from Texarkana Baptist Orphanage on July 9, 2007, with great surprise Debra, daughter of one of the girls in this picture found it on the net.

Now I know who some of the people are in this picture, plus I have talked to her and her daughter on the telephone. We had quite a wonderful conversation. She could remember me and my brother, as well as things about the orphanage which I could not. Of course at that age I was a bit to young to remember anything.

Her name if Joann Clark Jones, she lives at Texarkana, which is about 50 miles from me. I have hopes that one evening in the future we can meet up and talk about old times. This is just unbelievable to me.

In the picture her sister Gale is setting to my left, them Dale is setting next to her. The setting right of me is her sister Norma, setting by her is their brother Jimmy Don, setting by him I Joann Clark Jones who I just talked with on the telephone.

Joann remember both my brother E W and me. This is so great, after so many years. How proud I am that I posted this picture on the internet. but I never dreamed of getting in touch with anyone in this picture after so many years.

Joann and some of her brothers and sisters grew up in the orphanage, some were adopted out. She told me which ones, but I surely fail to remember. I will find out and post it on here.

But what a great day July 17, 2007 has been. If this has happened, there is hope of other getting in touch with past friends and or family on this inter-net. If you have a picture of friend or family member post it on the net, be sure to but tags on it that is associated with something your friend and or family member might search for on the net. Debra found this picture of her mother by searching for "Texarkana Baptist Orphanage 1948."

I send hugs to Joann and all of her family, my prayers are that each one of them shall always have loved ones to share their life with, I rejoice that I now know them, this has been a great blessing to me.

May God Bless,
Jerry

"I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tent of wickedness."
Psalms 84:10

The First Picture I Have of Myself

I rightly did not realize it had been so long since I had been to this blog. Just now I thought about putting a link here to the first picture that I have of myself, and discover I had not even posted about my sister-in-laws death from Mesothelioma cancer, nor the death of my mother-in-law, nor the death of my friend John Jones.

Glenda, my wife's twin lost her fight with Mesothelioma on January 28, 2007. Them on February 7, 2007 her mother died, that was all quite a blow for our family, but we all made it thru this with God's help. My friend John Wesley Jones lost his battle with Pancreas Cancer March 9, 2007.

I recently loaded a picture of myself taken at the Texarkana Baptist Orphanage, it was taken shortly after my birth father left me there after mother, sister, and brother died in that house fire back in 1948. Them just a few days ago I out it on my Flicker site. If you will click on picture it will take you to it.

I'm the 6th boy from the left side of the picture in the front row. This is all the children who were in the orphanage at that time. I believe but I'm not positive that the first boy from the left on the front row is my older brother E W. E W lived in the home until he was 16 years of age. From them until he graduate high school he lived with us. The last time I saw E W was when I was in about the 10th grade.

In the back row to the far left is the man I lived with until I August of 1951. He and his wife had some marriage problems, after which they got rid of me after having lived with them for something like 2 years. The 2nd boy to his right is his son, James, thanks to him that I now have this early picture of myself.

A couple of years back I just happen to find him down in Texas, wrote him a letter and he sent me a few pictures which I appreciated very much.

I started once to just delete this blog, but perhaps someone who has gone thru similar things in life will happen upon it someday, if so, maybe we can share thoughts.

May God Bless,
Jerry

"I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tent of wickedness."
Psalms 84:10