Charles William Spratt

The Man That Went To Woodstock

Although I wasn’t in the thick of the battle zone in Viet Nam I still served my country and I went when my country said “GO”. Several years after I was back home my wife had a job for a large national retailer in their home office in downtown St Louis...
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1038 Views
4 Comments
Charles William Spratt

My New Best Friend

I went to church one Sunday morning and our pastor told everyone that we were going to have guest coming . We go to a small congregation at a Non-Denominational Family Oriented Church so everyone is tight nit . When our guest arrived our pastor introduced them to everyone . There...
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1045 Views
2 Comments
Charles William Spratt

My Viet Nam Experience

I guess I wouldn’t make a very good politician .With all of the “Pork Barrel Subsides “ and “ Foreign Aid “ I was an Engineer when I was in Viet Nam while others did the fighting . I know that the Infantry and the Calvary need their R & R...
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1060 Views
2 Comments
Millard Don Carriker

There Was No Generation Gap

At Mid-20th-Century radio stations broadcast only on what is now called “talk” or “AM” radio.  The static-free sound of FM radio was far in the future.  Our radios gave us news, entertainment and music.   And what music it was.  The “highbrow” music lover had only to avoid “The Grand Ol Opry”...
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1760 Views
4 Comments
Annie Payne

A Special Heritage Birthday Gift

My son Ken celebrated his birthday on 24th July and, as well as the paella pan we gave him, I decided to put together a special heritage gift for him. Please take a look at my short video, as this is an idea you could try yourself.
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2234 Views
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Tom Cormier

Forgiving Vietnam

I was so embarrassed when I returned home from my tour of duty in Vietnam that I did all I could do to avoid being recognized as a Marine. I had seen so much yet I could tell so little. I liken it to what happens when you come upon a...
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2188 Views
8 Comments
Millard Don Carriker

Saturday Night Was Lively

The American Legion Hall was upstairs in the building across the street from the theater.  Most of the time it was used by veterans for meetings, drinking, poker games, and whatever.  Every few weeks, on a Saturday night, the Legion brought in a Country/Western band and held a dance that was...
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1116 Views
2 Comments
Millard Don Carriker

At The Movies

A few steps down Fourth Street from the high school a wedge-shaped marquee hung over the sidewalk.  In neon letters and paint it identified the Gregg Theater.  Clean, soft carpeting, comfortable furniture in a sunken lobby, padded seats in the theater and a well-stocked popcorn and candy booth made The Gregg...
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1290 Views
3 Comments
Millard Don Carriker

Ah, We Had Soda Jerks With Benefits

Every small town in America has a “main” street.  Caney’s was called “Fourth Street. Our High School and the “Clifton House”, a hotel which I thought was quite upscale as a child, marked the end of the business district on the eastern end.  Four blocks west “Main Street” ended where Pendleton’s...
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1370 Views
4 Comments
Charles William Spratt

The Benifits Of A Copier Repairman

Being a copier repairman isn’t the best paying job a person could have but it does have its benefits. I was at a “High Dollar “Art Gallery in what they call “The Central West End “of St Louis one day repairing the copier in the back room. I was just busy...
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1229 Views
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Karen Jenkins

There are Heirlooms and Then There are Heirlooms

When I showed the finished gown to my mother, she looked at me with such an amazingly strange expression that I knew I was missing something important.

 “Why don’t you want to use the family gown”?

 “What family gown?” I asked totally lost.

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1695 Views
4 Comments
Millard Don Carriker

A Cliff With a View

“Smelder Hill,” kids never used the correct pronunciation “Smelter” when talking about it, was a mile or so northeast of town. a rocky and rutted road ran north from the east side of town, went past “Smelder Pond” and on to the top of that hill.  Smelder Hill was too steep...
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819 Views
5 Comments
Charles William Spratt

The Taco Bell Experience

Working for Taco Bell was quite an experience . Taco’s and Burrito’s were 29 cents . the reason the charged 29 cents were so when you added a penny sales tax it came out to an even 30 cents and it was easier to make change . Crazy theory but that...
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1197 Views
3 Comments
Charles William Spratt

The Cotton Bowl Parade

The first year I was in high School band the band director was more interested in being a state senator than being a director which he became the next year . the next year the school district hired a highly energetic director that wanted to be a director . We went...
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1206 Views
3 Comments
Charles William Spratt

My Memories Of Teresa

During my high school band career I had a lot of wonderful memories . Getting to school before the rest of the kids , practicing the football field shows , practicing marching down the streets and making turns at the street corners to make it look sharp ,dressing up the stage...
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1000 Views
2 Comments
Millard Don Carriker

When The War Ended

World War II ended on August 6, 1945. “The boys” began coming home, all of them that ever would, anyway within weeks. From the moment they arrived all they had on their minds was getting a new car, new clothes, a job, and making babies and not necessarily in that order. ...
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936 Views
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Millard Don Carriker

Boys Don't Usually Ask, She Said

I jumped the gun and wrote about my first "love," and to this day I do believe it WAS love and I've written about Mary Sue, my 4th grade "first date."  Between Mary Sue and Lois, my first love, I dated VERY seldom.  However there was Sue M.  She was a...
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  1186 Views
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1186 Views
4 Comments
Charles William Spratt

My First Own Car

When I got back from Viet Nam I had enough money saved up to buy me a car . My father and I went to the Chevy dealer and looked at some late model used cars . This was the fall of 1968 and I found a beautiful 1962 Pontiac Tempest...
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1076 Views
2 Comments
Millard Don Carriker

A Rousing Sermon

PLEASE NOTE:  This true anecdote from my childhood is not meant to disparage any religious denomination.  I am a practicing Christian.  I do believe, however, that since we were made in His likeness, God has a sense of humor and does "chuckle" with love when He see's some of the things...
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1575 Views
2 Comments
Legacy Blog

Legacy Story Prompt

ANSWER THIS LEGACY QUESTION: WHAT PROUD ACCOMPLISHMENT DID YOU SHARE TOGETHER WITH A FRIEND, COLLEAGUE OR FAMILY MEMBER? Write or record a sentence, paragraph or page. It's like therapy for the soul. September Story Topic: FAMILY LIFE TIP: Click on " View Stories " to read inspiring legacy stories for ideas...
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