Meet Paul, a Fighting Marine

I met Paul, a 32 year Marine, during breakfast at Dennis, across the way from the Motel Six and next to the 5 freeway. It was Saturday morning at the popular restaurant. While reading my football story, He sauntered over and stared at the book. 
     "Working on a story about Amby Schindler, who played football for U.S.C. in the 30's. He ordered pancakes without butter and looked over at some  material I had been writing 
   "Well George, I did play football for the Marine team while at the Quantico Base 1952. The city is just outside Washington D.C. My  would you believe my quarterback was non-other than Eddie La Baron. I played guard for the Marine team then and met lots of football players during World War Two.We played other colleges during 1952 just before the Korean War. 
   "During World War Two, I had the fortune to meet Ted Williams, George Halas, Alvin Dark and other famous athletes who doubled as Marines. I even met Joe Coleman, the announcer for Padre games.  In the picture below, Paul Stephenson holds of his picture of Eddie La Baron  He had the fortune to meet many football  players during World War 2, the Korean War and also the Vietnam War.

Well that sure wet my appetite and the more we chatted, the more information I received about the war years and of course Eddie La Baron. 'Amby' Schindler coached the future Washington Redskin star while he played quarterback at Stockton High School in the forties. 
   Schindler along with another coach taught La Baron the hidden ball trick. The quarterback would fake a hand-off to a back and hide it under his belly. With the other team going after the wrong man, he would take off and run with it 
    I took his phone number down and this would be our third breakfast meal. The 89 year old was fascinated with my Schindler story. And since the Motel Six now has phone hook-ups everywhere in the U.S.A I can make a date with Mr. Stephenson at any time, as long as it is early since he takes care of his lovely wife Mary, a invalid. 
    I am overwhelmed at his memory and good health even though he needs to bathe himself everyday and go to the VA for Agent Orange treatments. He and his wife live on a hill a block from the library, and with a good view of the Pacific.  
  
 Today, Tuesday the sixteenth of December,  I met him again at seven o'clock at Dennis. The shell of his story is presented here. I decided  to write his story since he knew a lot about Marine football during World War 2, the Korean War, and Vietnam debacle. He served for 32 years. 
   His old 52 Mercury, in-mint condition, was parked outside. He remembered, not bad for a 88 year old. And there he sat in the back against the window. It had rained and his home was only one block away on a hill overlooking the ocean.
    "George do you wish to sit here or over there."
    "Nice to see you. Rather sit over there, where it is roomier. What are you having?"
    "The Pancakes and eggs. It is my treat."
     I didn't argue with Paul since his $8,200 a month Marine retirement check made mine look anemic. I told the waitress the same. To save time and make it more exciting, I have edited out me and the trifles and regrouped what he told me. So those who need to buy a pop corn or licorice stick at the candy counter do it now during our intermission. And charge it to me.  
      "Last time you spoke about enlisting at 15 years of age. Why did you?"
      He laughs and swallows the last of his pancakes minus the butter. His large warm face is covered by a Marine cap. He had told the waitress to hold the butter do to a health problem.
      "We played soldiers on my block in Akron, Ohio.  We marched in line everywhere. A member made fake rifles out of the old discarded two-by-fours. To get into our club, you needed to take orders and once in never to leave. In other words, once a regiment member it was forever."
      "My Dad suffered from Epilepsy and he shook in the early morning hours. Mom had to put a piece of wood inside his mouth and we had to hold him down. He worked for the railroad and we didn't have much...In Akron, we made a dollar to hold the ropes when the blimps went and retrieved them when the blimp came down."

     "I enlisted when fifteen. My brother was one year ahead of me. I ended up at Elliot Field in San Diego before I shipped out. The one battle I will never forget was the one at Bougainvillea. It must must have been over one hundred and twenty degrees with high humidity. I will never forget the mosquitoes.  I constantly tried to keep the buggers off of me without any effect. 

    "The Japanese used to plant cigarettes on the dead soldiers. They knew we loved cigarettes and used the scent of them to smoke us out. But it didn't work. We were smart enough not to touch the dead Japanese soldiers.  knew where we were from the scent of the cigarettes. Sometimes the dead Japanese soldiers were booby trapped, so we pulled their feet with a rope not to take any chances."
        "In Vietnam, one of my jobs was watching our bombers, particularly in Da Nang. I learned later agent orange had been placed on them since somebody screamed for us to get away when they placed the poison onto the planes.   were used to spread agent orange into the foliage to make it easier to find the enemy."  
        "I needed to wear metal underwear. It was uncomfortable but necessary. A good buddy in my regiment hit a booby-trap and lost all of his limbs. What a shame. We called him Clark Gable since he was handsome. I waved to an helicopter and they dropped down and removed him from the battle field. . They saved his life minus legs, arms and a penis. He died a day after I had seen him in Victorville." 
    At that juncture I asked him for the formation his team used. He mentioned the name of a Stanford coach whose name I can't spell. He initiated the T formation with the quarterback under center and two blocking backs and a fullback He drew the formation down on a napkin for me. 

    Of course above was his T formation with the Quarterback under center. "The fullback did the blocking for one of the two backs and the guard would lead the sweep to one side. Usually the ball would be handed to a back and the sweep would go around end. 
   "Eddie La Baron Played for the Redskins and we got to know each other in 1952. Nobody could scramble the way he did...There were hundreds of Marine teams that took on colleges, or other teams."
Our exchange began at seven and ended at eight o'clock. No I did not need a recorder or stenographer. My mind recalled every word.  
    Now I know why HE wishes me to be homeless. You are forced to run-into people who will surely change your life. 
    "George, ain't ya going to finish your eggs?"
    "No Paul, my energy soaked up your story, and I have no energy left to pick up a fork."