KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI
July to September 1981

I attended the Air Force Technical Instructor Training Course here. Sharon stayed in Pensacola in our new home so I traveled back every weekend. My school was to finish on a Wednesday after a three-day weekend. I asked my instructor if I could finish up on Friday and not come back until that Wednesday for the graduation. He said sure so I spent a long time with Sharon that weekend.

I came back on Tuesday night and, Wednesday morning, all we had to do was complete some paperwork and be graduated by the school officer. We finished by 1100 and I went to Gulfport to check out of the Navy side. I completed all of that around 1400 and started back to Pensacola. By the time I got to the Mississippi and Alabama border, I was pretty tired. I stopped at a rest area and tried to call Sharon to tell her I was going to take a nap before coming home. There was no answer. I then tried calling Dave and Alice Blake. Again, no answer. I thought all sorts of bad things so I started driving down I-10 at an accelerated rate of speed. When I arrived home, there was a note on the door telling me that Sharon was okay but she was at the hospital. After arriving at the hospital, I went to the maternity ward to find her. Alice was there and told me that Sharon had gone to the hospital early that morning.

I finally got a nurse to let me go see her in the room. She was really happy to see me but appeared to be in labor. The doctor stopped by and asked to step outside while he checked her out. After several minutes, I opened the door to find out that she wasn't there anymore. I panicked slightly and went around the front again. The nurse asked where the hell did I go but didn't wait for an answer. I changed clothes into the neat blue hospital gown and went to Sharon. Within minutes, I was holding a beautiful baby girl, with brilliant blue eyes, and an inquisitive look. I had barely made it back to witness the birth of my daughter, Rebecca Lynn, born on 9 September 1981.