My parent’s maiden voyage landed them in San Diego where my sister came into the world in 1966 and I followed 3 years later in Brunswick, Ga.
These frequent transfers were part and parcel of being an enlisted US Navy sailor. My father’s final orders sent him to Norfolk,VA where my first memories occurred
We lived in Willoughby Naval housing, subsidized living quarters for enlisted Navy personnel.
There were plenty of Filipino sailors fresh off the boat and this provided a sense of home and culture for my father. My neighbors soon became my “aunties and uncles”. My godfather from back home lived there too
I can recall buying aviator goggles for pennies at a yard sale only to find out they were not waterproof at the base pool. Other memories include a large storm grate falling on my toe and tactile feeling of the feces “squishing” between my toes running across the grass in front of our house.
My first memories of my father occurred when he would hide cap gun rolls on top of one of my mom’s paintings. I had this immeasurable excitement when he would reach up there to hand me some
What I remember about my mother were all her paintings hanging around the house and giving me a prize at my own birthday party that I didn’t deserve.
These times were perfect because I knew I was loved.
Childhood lost 