Page 80 - Stand Down Vietnam

We all got on the airplane; it was mostly people from
the Embassy and some missionaries. We landed in Miami.
There is a beautiful picture in the Miami Herald
newspaper of our son Tim sitting on a truck at the
airport. The headline said: “Tim Gilliam eyes the US.
We flew to Atlanta. We got first class seats. My
husband was the lowest rank Marine but, we got first

class seats.

There was an elderly couple sitting in second class.
They asked Jean Rogers what was going on. When we were
getting off the airplane, Jean was handed a handful of
money and told that the couple wanted me to buy the
children some clothing because we’d lost everything in
Haiti. I think it was $75 which in 1962 was a lot of
money. That shows you the goodness of people.

Note: $75 in 1962 would be $628 in 2019

We went from Atlanta to Knoxville, where Kenneth’s
parents met us. We were home.

While Kenneth was in Japan and of course, Vietnam, I
lived in Kentucky. Kenneth had orders to Beaufort,
South Carolina; we were there a year and a half.
Kenneth received orders to Japan. Teresa, Tim and I
went to live in Dione, Kentucky, Harlan County, with my
mom and dad. The second time we rented a home and the
third time we bought one.

I had not finished high school when we got married. I
lacked three credits. So, while Kenneth was in Japan,
I went back and finished high school (1964-1965). I was
nine years older than all the other students. Many of
the teachers had been my classmates. I ate lunch every
day with my best friend from high school, Francis.