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My 56 Lincoln
Again I was headed toward camp. I had a 56 Lincoln. My dad had a 55 Cadillac. He egged me into a race. I whipped his old
Caddy. Before I
managed to slow down, I was pulled over by the State Police. He had already started to write the ticked when he found out I was in the Coast Guard. He wrote
the ticket for 10 miles over the speed limit. (Not 40 over) It was worth the fine to beat that old
Caddy. The fact
that my grandparents, then their best friends, then others I knew all pulled over to watch me get ticketed was a little embarrassing,
A few years later I was in the Lincoln again heading for camp. A couple friends and I had gone to a hoot-n-nanny near Sylvan Beach. I
had dropped another off at her farmhouse, and while inside visiting, my remaining friends had stayed in the car. When I returned we continued toward camp. It
was late. We were all feeling good and anxious to get back to camp. The old Lincoln was cruisin’.
I saw the red bubble about the same time I realized I was doing over 80. I pulled over immediately. I was asked where I was
going. FIRST, I told the officer I was in the Coast Guard. I explained I had special assignment at Camp Drum, and had to be back to stand a 4:00 AM watch. I further
explained that I had to drop off my two friends in Sandy Creek, and then shower and get in uniform for my watch. I showed him my I.D. He let us go with a
warning to keep it under 70. He then got in his patrol car and headed north.
I figured he might stop up the line and set up again., so I started out easy. It was then,
as my two buddies were wiping the sweat from their brow, that they explained our dilemma. When I had stopped and gone in the farmhouse, they had gone in the
barn. Unknown to me, the trunk now had a hand plow, and the back seat was full of other farm implements. It didn’t take long to drop the loot at an empty rest
stop.
Oh well. I pushed the Lincoln back up to speed. Then we passed the Trooper again. As we went by I saw him shaking his head as he
watched. When I looked glanced at the dash, I was going faster than before. He didn’t come after us.
My buddies were now laughing. One said to the other, “How long do you think it will be before he realizes that there is no reason for
a “Coastie” to be assigned to Camp Drum.”
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