Big Red Part 1

I always said that if I were ever to write my memoirs, the title would be called "All I need is a pack of Big Red". This is a story of my first weekend in Alaska.

I joined the Air Force in April of 1988. I graduated high school in 1983 so I was a little older than your typical airman. I went to two years of college first, then went to work for a while then decided in order to give my resume a boost; I would join the Air Force for more experience. I was involved in drafting ever since junior high and was trained as a draftsman with some college and work experience. I found a job in the Air Force called "Engineering Assistant Specialist." This was perfect. I would be assisting Architects and Engineers by creating drawings and working on land surveys. This was exactly the job I needed to further my career. I was 22 and because of two years of college, was given advanced rank. I was an E-3, Airman 1^st Class. I was trained in Texas with 6 weeks of basic military training and 12 weeks of technical school. When I arrived in Fairbanks in September of 1988 I was greeted by the people in my shop. Staff Sergeant Tim Hughes, Airman 1^st class Dane Boyle, and Airman Basic Ron Bell. There were others in the shop but I these are the principal player's in my first weekend's folly. Dane was 21, Sgt. Hughes was 27, and Ron was 19.

Tim and Dane wanted to welcome me to Alaska by taking me out on the town. It was a Thursday night and we decided to go to a couple of bars. Now, Fairbanks doesn't have much in the way of night club action and being from Chicago, Fairbanks seems more like a mid-sized town than a city to me.

Being new to the Air Force and new to Alaska and new to these people, I was a rookie to all around me. Talk about stranger in a strange land. It starts to snow in late September and doesn't stop until April. Alaskans say they have four seasons during the year; early winter, mid winter, late winter and next winter. This was the first thing I needed to get used to.

Tim was driving his wife's new car, Dane was riding shotgun, I was behind Dane and Ron was to my left. Yes, Ron decided to join us. Don't ask me how, but it seemed like Ron had no trouble getting into bars and getting drinks at his age, and I didn't ask questions.

As the night progressed, we hit a couple of bars, had a few drinks except for me. I wasn't much of a drinker so I was watching the other three booze it up while I sat bored out of my mind and was wondering what I had gotten myself into. I had a lot of second thoughts after I joined the Air Force. I felt that I made a big mistake. I didn't take to military life very well and to top it off, I was stuck in Alaska for a three year tour of duty.

By evening's end, we found ourselves at a gentleman's club and I was watching the fully nude strippers thinking, oh nice, show me more of what I can't have. Dane looked at me and said "Robert, are you O.K.?" I thought he was being concerned that I wasn't having a good time. I said "Yea, I'm good." Dane replied, "No, I mean, are you O.K. to drive, I've had WAY too much to drink." I looked at him and said, "Yes, but I have no idea where anything is and don't know the way home, plus it's snowing heavily out there." Tim said, "No it's O.K. I'll drive." Now understand, Tim, Dane and Ron are all drunk. I am out in a strange town with three drunk people I just met and I am about to be a passenger in a car in a snowstorm.

To be continued...