Page 62 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2025 - Online Magazine
P. 62
by Lance Tamplin, Edited by Katherine
McLamore Lowrance (Gentiva Hospice)
transportation. When he his father-in-law’s farm was, had
called the base to ask for been struck by an F5 tornado.
a ride, they laughed and Fortunately, the twister passed
said, “Take a cab.” After over the farm without harm.
arriving at Boot Camp,
his indoctrination Then in 1973, President Nixon
began—what Glenn decided the Armed Forces were
labeled “pleasant too large. So, Glenn transferred
brainwashing.” Boot to a base in North Dakota, where
Camp was shortened he was cross trained in Disaster
to only four weeks Preparedness. That training
because of the “Vietnam consisted of how to “organize
urgency.” confusion” and to perform “nuke
cleanup” as the threat of nuclear
While in the service, war was gaining momentum.
he caught the “love
bug” for a farm girl Towards the end of his military
from New Deal who career, he was reassigned to
told him when they Alaska’s Galena Air Station off
met that he was just a the Yukon River. It was so cold
“Damn Yankee who that, if you threw coffee in the
forgot to go home.” air, it would instantly vaporize.
hen Uncle Sam called Glenn had gotten a job Not only was the weather frigid,
for the Vietnam draft working on her father’s farm— but the chill of the Cold War was
Win 1967, Glenn Meyers usually until 1:00 a.m.—even
wanted to join the Navy, but it was though he had to be back on base
full. Although most of his buddies by 7:00 a.m. Working both jobs
joined the Army, Glenn didn’t like was challenging but did make
the idea of living in “tents and for a nice Christmas. He married
trenches,” so he tested for the Air Imogene before shipping off for a
Force. His high scores were the three-year stint in Okinawa. When
precursor for a fruitful career as a he got there, he couldn’t live on
jet engine mechanic. base for almost a month. Renting
housing off base led to a crash
Born and raised in Chicago (where
most people commute by bus and course in Japanese culture.
train), Glenn was surprised when In 1970, instead of celebrating his
he landed at the old Lubbock birthday, Glenn found out that
airport to find there wasn’t public the little town of Lubbock, where
62 Lubbock Senior Link
