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5 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

I went into the U. S. Marines in 1914 and after training I was sent to Vera Cruz Mexico.

America always sends the Marines in first so we were sent to try to stop the fighting going on

down there. They wanted to use those of us who could speak Spanish.

Most of the boys got to leave in September of 1915 but some of us were held back to see that

there would be no more trouble.

While in the Marines, my mail got lost and when it did catch up with me, I was shocked to

learn that my mother had died from a horrible sickness and Uncle Trent, a man that I never really

knew, was dead also. They both died in the same year. I had grown up knowing that I had an

uncle Trent and I know that my ma thought a lot of him but I never did get to meet him.

I was told that he bounced me on his knee as a baby but I sure don’t recall it.

I don’t remember my dad at all either as he died when I was three months old. I remember my

ma telling me about my dad and she said he was quite a figure of a man. She told me he stood a

couple inches over six feet tall and strong as a bear. She said that is where I got it. I stand

six foot, one inch and weigh a little over 200 pounds. I’ve worked hard all my life and never had

much time to let any of it turn to fat.

Hard work and the drive to raise the best horses now consumed my time and my thoughts.

I would’ve liked to have had someone to share all this hard work with but I was alone

here with no one else.

I was completely on my own. As far as I knew, Uncle Robert must still be alive.

He probably wasn’t very happy that I ended up with this ranch instead of him. I invited

him to come help run this place and he never answered the letters I sent.

Somebody needed to take care of it. I figured to hang on until I decided to do something else.

I sort of got into this business by accident. I’m not sure what I’d be doing if I wouldn’t have

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