John R. Kenton

To make a long story even longer I'm going to start at the beginning. I was born in a time and place known to all, even to those who don't realize they know it. To help you figure that sentence out, think "Leave It To Beaver".

 No I'm not Eddie Haskell although their are some who have made that comparison, I was born in Mayfield Village, Ohio the town mentioned in the opening of every episode and where the producer of the program was from and the stories are said to have taken place.

Anyhow it's a pretty good depiction of what my childhood was like; coupled with the movie "The Christmas Story" also filmed in the Cleveland area an maybe a little touch of "Dennis The Menace" throw in for spice provides what life was like in those good old days. 

 

To give you a bit more perspective I came along pretty close to 9 months to the day the attack on Pearl Harbor took place and 3 years to the day, the first atom bomb was dropped. While it is doubtful either one of these events troubled me much at the time or had any measurable effect on me, it does point out that I have been around for awhile and if this was an old cowboy movie I would be called undoubtedly an "Old Timer".

Well after watching the "Howdy Doody Show" for a few years, I entered the fabled teenage "Happy Days" of the 50's very well portrayed in "Grease", "American Graffiti" and a bit of "Rebel Without A Cause" thrown into for flavor. And while were in remembrance mode what  American teenage male of the times doesn't remember everyday after school watching those tight skirts on Dick Clark's  "American Bandstand". Oh yes,"Those we're the days, my friend.

Anyhow, I did develop a cause early joining the Air Force auxiliary Civil Air Patrol at 13 or 14 and then after graduation the regular Air Force. Volunteering for duty any place in the world but the U.S., after basic in San Antonio and tech school in Biloxi it was up to Duluth as an "Aircraft Control and Warning" operator and later as an instructor.

Unbeknownst to many those in our air defense system watched 24/7 and continuously trained to eliminate from our skies anything that shouldn't be there excepting UFO's, which we turned a blind eye to. You know the old "I know noth-thing".

But I digress and easily said than done, while most slept we acted like their guardian angels and made sure their lives were not very rudely interrupted by an enemy use of their atomic weaponry.

I mention this because few people realize and appreciate the effort and training of our Armed Forces during the so called "Cold War". Both home and abroad by their dedication to duty they collectively accomplished what only a well prepared military can and that's prevented another and probably more devastating world war. Consider that the first half of the 20th century their were 2 world wars that caused the deaths of hundreds of millions and no world wars during the second half of the century.

Now in order to save some electrons here I will shorten this tale up considerably. After I was discharge from active duty and While waiting to be accepted as an air traffic controller by the FAA, the approval for which came 2 weeks after I started as a salesman with the General Motors of the liquor business Seagram Distillers, the largest distilling company in the world at the time. Finding out early that selling whiskey was a lot more fun and interesting than watching a radar scope all day I continue on with this pursuit for neigh on 50 years with never a dull moments, a dull person or a dull place.

What more can one ask in a livelihood, extensive travel both in the U.S. and abroad, great associates, free samples and a nice paycheck to boot. Couple that with 50+ year marriage to the same lovely women, 2 of the absolutely best daughters there are and 3 terrific grandchildren, it's been a good run.

But as the old saying goes "Into each life the rain must fall" one of those times was when I fell off a ladder and ended up in a wheel chair for 5 months. That however afforded me the opportunity to do something I've always wanted to do; write a book. A book I hope you'll find both interesting and educational.