10/29/07 - During my early years in the Navy I kept a simple log with notes that someday might become a story/novel or components of whatever literary opportunity presented itself. Due to many moves in the ensuing thiry years of active duty life, the log disappeared. The idea of becoming a writer faded as well under the demands of the various assignments and challenges along the way. In the spring of 1979 when retirement from the Navy appeared inevitable, writing vied with other possible roles about what my life would entail post-retirement.
The successful "what next" solution after Navy retirement proved to be as a senior executive at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. My assignments at the Lab changed primarily due to the Lab's tendency to re-organize themselves to accomodate new ideas and challenges. In the process I became the Lab's publisher for a few years along with related duties. The idea of writing again grabbed my attention. "You're too old to start something new like that," and "Who wants to hear more snippets of a former Naval Aviator, and what would I tell them?" rattled through my head. Nevertheless, I jotted down some ideas to add to the "someday" list.
Five years before I retired from the Laboratory in 1993, my sister joined me for a brief visit with my younger brother who was dying of cancer at his home in Florida. At our last dinner together, my sister and I reminisced of some of the incidents we could recall of our childhood. My brother, being the youngest, recalled few but seemed to enjoy the session anyway. His children were entranced. Way past bedtime my sister suggested that I write down our recollections, many that were recalled that evening, and any others I could recall later. The idea was to pass along a form of legacy to the children. I agreed to do it - but without a timetable.
About two years later several small snippets of our young adventures had been recorded. Progress was ultra slow erratic at best. My nine years of consulting after retiring from the Laboratory gave me time to think more about writing, but writing fiction or something other than the structured technical and operational writing I had done for the previous forty-odd years with the Navy and the Laboratory. Writing the family stories looked like an easy entry. After all, I wasn't going to cause famous author Tom Clancy any sleepless nights over what I might produce.
The story as it now stands seemed to grow on its own. Examining the early family recollections I wrote about, I discovered most were my recollections, my interpretations of those long ago events. My sister's review of them recently confirmed that my memory of our early years was flawed. What wasn't flawed, however, were incidents of my personal life, especally those from age fourteen and subsequent following my father's death in 1943 during the war. But who would be interested in them? My sister and my wife, Arlene, knew most of the material already. I jotted down several items anyway.
Slowly the elements of my life began to form what I had secretly hoped for, a novel. The topic I new best was my Navy life. There were many adventures, experiences good and bad, and combat operations in two wars that "might" be of interest to others, even some outside the family. Some experienced writers say to write what you know. I knew that material better than anyone.
Thus began "In Dangerous Waters", a fictionalized version of my first two years as a "green" ensign aboard a Navy destroyer escort operating in the western Pacific and Korean coastal waters. There were incidents to tell, observations of some great (and not so great) people, challenges, lessons learned, and a young man's growing up. So I began. By then it didn't matter who might read it. It was my story. I had to tell it. But why not tell it in a manner consistent with the current novel genre? Why not learn to write fiction and to write it well, perhaps well enough to sell what I write? I didn't need any money (and to this point have received none for the effort). But why not write well enough that I could be proud of the outcome? And why limit the first and future novel to my personal experience. I'd heard enough "sea stories" from other shipmates that their inclusion might enable the first novel to flow better, or perhaps become components of a future effort?
The writing is now finished. I'm pleased with the outcome. My principal editor Elisabeth Tuck is pleased with it, too. The members of my critique group seem to enjoy the chapters I submit to them for suggestions - and corrections - at our regular meetings. If the story is published and becomes a success (ever the optimist here, you realize), much of the credit will belong to these fine people, top writers all, and an to their inspiration.
Bottom Line - it's been fun. I'll press on. Perhaps in a subsequent post I can give you more details and let you know when the book is published, by whom, and where you can obtain a copy.
I learned years ago that you don't retire FROM, you retire TO something you love, something you can do, something that gives you satisfaction, and if you're lucky, something you can share with others. For me, that's writing.
