Talk about finding treasure!! Today's find was better than gold... My precious Aunt Glenda Wright (married to my Dad's brother Tom who passed away a year after dad) recently sent me a box that came from my Grandmother's home, which Glenda and Tom had purchased after Granny Wright passed away in the year before my dad (yes, we had a rough few years...) In it was a quilt made by my Grandmother so that both of my girls now have one. Also in the box, I found this pic of a great (great?) uncle eating watermelon and thought it would look perfect in display as we are doing some redecorating in what I call a "funky farmhouse" motif. I'm in love with vintage EVERYTHING!
So, today, I dug a little deeper into the box. There was a large envelope that had "Sonny", my dad's nickname, written on it. Inside was a pic of my dad's recruitment platoon/squadron (terminology??[ Apologies if this is the incorrect term. I even googled it but failed to find an answer]) as they prepared to ship out of San Diego on June 1, 1960. 
Dad is the tall, skinny one with the ears in the back center. 
I thought that alone was cool but then found a pile of yellowed papers that had fallen out from behind the picture and landed on my table!
The pile consisted of my dad's report cards from 5th-12th grades. Apparently, he struggled in History, too! 
There was also a post card mailed from the U.S. Recruiting Office in Nashville to my dad's family in Etheridge, TN in 1960 telling them how he'd passed his exam and would "probably leave today." 
Another letter home written by Dad on April 28, 1960 tells that he was made "Squad Commander" and didn't like telling others what to do and being called "sir". He mentions mailing his civilian clothes home via Parcel Post for $1.97 and seemed concerned over the cost (He always was a penny pincher!) 
(Today, the Oriskany lies off the coast of Floriday and is used as a barrier reef.)
Dad is the tall, skinny one with the ears in the back center. I thought that alone was cool but then found a pile of yellowed papers that had fallen out from behind the picture and landed on my table!There was also a post card mailed from the U.S. Recruiting Office in Nashville to my dad's family in Etheridge, TN in 1960 telling them how he'd passed his exam and would "probably leave today." Another letter home written by Dad on April 28, 1960 tells that he was made "Squad Commander" and didn't like telling others what to do and being called "sir". He mentions mailing his civilian clothes home via Parcel Post for $1.97 and seemed concerned over the cost (He always was a penny pincher!) Also in my treasure pile, a newspaper clipping of what I recognized as his ship, the "Oriskany", having its mast removed and lowered to the dry dock floor so a new system of some type could be installed (the Naval Tactical Data System) to "meet the demands of modern warfare, in which aircraft and missiles may approach a task force at speeds of thousands of miles an hour."
The pile also included some type of membership card that belonged to my grandfather and a business card perhaps of someone named Casey O'Brien who offered "custom made clothes" in Fresno, CA apparently in 1938 as indicated by the calendar on the card's backside. 
What special finds on such an otherwise ordinary day! Can't wait to find a unique way to display these items! Any ideas??
