My Navy Years

     People have been asking about my Navy years so I thought I'd post some pics I found and tell you about them. 
     I joined the US Navy as a musician in 1982 and retired in 2003 for a total of 21 years. I had wonderful experiences and met some wonderful people and got to play some wonderful gigs. I will always look back on my time fondly. 
     Here are some pics from that time:

We were playing in a small town in France. Here I am with my alto saxophone trying to look cool in my shades...lol. I am to the right of the trombone soloist standing behind the stand that says "States". 

This was taken in the mountains of Italy. I've put down the saxophone, grabbed a microphone, and took the center position. I was too hip for a microphone stand apparently.

This picture has a deep, personal meaning for me and is one of the most important pictures I have. This was taken in Beirut, Lebanon. We were playing in the Marine barracks (I'm on the far right with the microphone) that was bombed a week later killing 241 Marines. We took comfort that we were able to bring some entertainment and joy in the lives of these brave Marines before they met such a violent end. We also stayed in these barracks while we toured Lebanon with Bob Hope as his back-up band. This picture still gives me chills.

So that's just a little bit about me and my Navy years. I look forward to sharing more about me and my life's journey and how it impacts my quilting.