My homework assignment is to tell you all what I did after Dreux. But, in order to do that I'll start at the beginning and tell you how I got to Dreux.  

	Then

I was born into a military family consisting of a mother/father/older brother/older sister. My dad was army and I was born in an army hospital at Ft. Sheridan, Illinois (a little north of Chicago). I spent my first 18 months in Marengo, Illinois, which was my mother's home, living with her parents while my dad was doing army stuff overseas. We joined him in The Philippines when I was 18 months old. I don't remember any of those days, but my brother and sister told me everything. On the way over to The Philippines we traveled by troop ship and that's when I took up the habit of drinking anyone's left over coffee in their cups and eating old cigarette butts (habits I no longer have). I also gave my mother a run for her money on that ship as I was quite mobile and a little hellion (so I've been told).

We landed in The Philippines and I wouldn't have anything to do with my father since I really didn't know him after not seeing him forever. The only way I would even go to him was when he got me a monkey. I then would let Dad hold me and the monkey. It didn't last long - the monkey - because my mother didn't like the fact I would share my bottle with it. She didn't think that was a good idea so my monkey left (they could have given me up and kept the monkey - that would have made this a short story and I never would have been at Dreux). Next my dad discovered I like jeep rides. That was next and I went to him when he took me for a ride.

After almost 2 years there, we came back to the States. Again, on a troop ship that I have no recollection about. We were stationed at Ft. Lee, Virginia, and later moved to Ft. McPherson , Georgia, right outside of Atlanta. This was around 1952-54 (My dad was in the Korean War). I started first grade then, and as the new girl in town, I was quite shy. In fact, my first day there I was eating my lunch (those days we had a brown paper bag and wax paper for our sandwich) and was too shy to ask where the garbage was. So I ate my garbage - paper bag, wax paper, milk carton, and apple core. Only did that once. The next day I knew where the garbage cans were.

1954-1956 We were in Japan (3 different houses). Went there and came back on a troop ship. I do remember Japan quite well and loved it. I did 2nd and 3rd grades in Japan.

	Now

1956-1957 Ft. Bragg, NC, and the 4th grade.

1957-1958 Ft. Campbell, KY, (Screaming Eagle) and the 5th grade and part of the 6th grade.

1958 The last 3 months of the 6th grade found us at Ft. Lee, VA, while my dad went to some kind of school before we were to leave for France.

1958-1961 We arrived in Paris on Bastille Day. I thought it was neat that they had a parade for us when we landed. I then proceeded to sleep all the way to Evreux. My dad was taking over the command of St. Andre and the 557th which means I was an army brat in a sea of air force brats. I survived.   The best time of my life up to the point of being in France was going to Dreux American High School. I can remember the powers that be were fluctuating between letting the 9th graders go to Dreux or keeping them at Evreux. Never prayed so hard in my life and it worked, we got to go to Dreux. Those of you who knew me at Dreux know how much fun I had. Those of you who didn't know me, I won't be able to tell you. My grades suffered and I was on restriction a lot of the time - for grades and not making my bed so a quarter could bounce off it. I had many roommates and loved every one of them (you know who you are). Then my dad got orders to leave in the summer of 1961. If I could have stayed there by myself, I would have. I never cried so much and ranted and begged. Didn't work, we had to go. Good-bye to the best year.

1961-1964 El Paso, Texas. Since we are army, we had to go to an army post while most of my friends got to go to an air force base. I was furious because my dad was taking me into the middle of a desert where they were still fighting Indians. I was not a happy camper. That and my sister, who was my best friend, got married while we were in France to an air force lieutenant and was no longer with me. I was alone. I went from a school of about 200 to a high school of over 2,000. I went into a shell. But, I survived. I really didn't do anything outstanding at Burges High School except graduate when I should have. One fun thing was Juarez was 15 minutes away and all you had to do was say "American" to get back into the USA. Many fun times over there. Too many to write about. My dad retired from the army October 1963 (in the middle of my senior year).

1964-1967 We moved to an apartment near my high school so I could finish and my mom could finish her teaching job. In January my dad started his master's degree at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces to become a high school guidance counselor. Mom and I followed him up there in the summer when I went to summer school to get a few courses out of the way. My fun had started. During my college years I pledged the Delta Zeta sorority (my mother's). I also was selected to join Angel Flight which at that time was like a sorority for the air force ROTC. I was somehow elected to be Angel Flight pledge president and chosen "Best Pledge." In addition, was selected to be on the 18-person drill team. We went to competitions where we won "Best in the West" a couple of times.   In my freshman year I was chosen Winter Fiesta Princess which was kind of fun. At the end of the year we had elections for a lot of things, one being the Sun Carnival Princess 1965 from NMSU for the following Sun Bowl. Someone put me up and I won. The Sun Carnival at that time was bigger than the Rose Bowl as we had a huge coronation, parade through El Paso, and a week of parties up to the bowl game. At the end of the 1966 spring semester there were the elections again. I was a sophomore and someone put me up for All Campus Favorite. I won.

1966 Summer   The national Delta Zeta sorority offered me a scholarship to attend the John Robert Powers Modeling School in New York City (if I could get there and had a place to stay). My sister lived in NJ and my BIL worked in NYC so that was no problem for me. I went there for 6 weeks. During the week I went to school; during the weekends I went up to West Point where my brother was teaching chemistry (hated that subject). It was then and there I met my husband. He was going into his senior year and was training the new plebes. We didn't get engaged until the following year. In fact, I sort of dropped him when I got home. 

1966-1967 My junior year. Nothing really exciting happened to me until the spring of 1967 when I was selected to represent New Mexico as Miss New Mexico in the Miss American/Miss International beauty pageant in Long Beach, CA. I had a wonderful 2 weeks in California and had Miss Philippines (Imelda Marcos' niece) as a roommate. She was beautiful and should have won. This was in the middle of my semester and my grades went in the toilet. Enough said. It was that summer I reconnected with my husband and went to June Week when he graduated and we got engaged.

1967-1968 We got married at Christmas and left for Ft. Bragg, NC. 5 months later he went to Vietnam and I went to Lubbock, TX, to live with my girlfriend.

1969-1970 Thankfully, he came home and we then went to Ft. Belvoir, VA, so he could attend an engineer school for the army.

1970-1972 We were in Boston. Chuck got his master's at MIT in civil engineering. We had our first son in March 1972.

1972-1974 Ft. Lewis, WA

1974-1977 West Point, NY. Chuck taught the civil engineering honors course, and our 2nd son was born in November 1974.

1977-1978 We were in Newport, RI. Chuck attended the Junior Naval War College.

1978-1980 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (nice place to go, but better to come home)

1980-1983 Ft. Riley, KS

1983-1986 Seoul, Korea. Chuck was commander of the upper-most battalion on the DMZ. He lived up there and the boys and I were in Seoul. He joined us 18 months later.

1986-1987 Carlisle, PA, War College for Chuck

1988-1989 Burke, VA. My husband worked downtown D.C. and we lived in VA

1989-1991 San Pedro, CA. Chuck was the Corps of Engineer Los Angeles District Engineer. I worked at USC in the athletics department (fun job).

1991-1994 Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. Chuck was the chief of staff and I had a lot of jobs on my plate. He retired from the army at this time and went into civilian life.

1994-2002 We were in Pasadena, CA, and South-Central Los Angeles. He was working for the same company and I started again working for USC. The last 7 years of this job for me was at the School of Theatre working for the dean as his assistant/secretary. It was too much fun to be called a job. I cried when I had to leave, but one goes when the husband goes.

2002-2004 Jacksonville, FL. Chuck was working on the restoration of the Everglades with his same company and we traveled all over Florida. Loved it.

2004-2006 Fairfax, VA. He was transferred to the International Division of the company.

2006-present Carrollton, TX, right outside of Dallas. I came here to build a house and Chuck came 2 years later when he retired, retired.

I have 2 sons and 2 grandsons (10 and 4). They are my everything. Our older son graduated from USC School of Cinema and was a film editor for 15 years. He then went to VA to be a farmer which only lasted a couple of years. He's back at editing/directing/shooting and lives in Austin. The younger son graduated from NMSU and is in charge of 2 YMCAs and a sports center near Ft. Worth.

My hobbies are cross stitching and needle pointing, and I travel all over the country and overseas with this hobby. I've met some interesting and wonderful people.