Hitch Hiking to Oregon.

My room mate, Doug, having information that only he and Roni possessed, made the decision to get married.

We recently had been re-assigned to Edwards Air force Base located smack dab in the middle of the great Mojave desert of southern California.

We were all of 18 years old and life-changing decisions came easy.

Getting to Oregon to perform the deed however...was a bit more difficult.

Doug wrangled a 10 day leave of absence but myself, the honored BEST Man, could only get a short 3 day pass.

No Problem, huh? We could hitch-hike to Oregon. Lets see now...24 hours to get there, 24 hours to do the deed and a whole 24 hours for me to get back.

Off we went north, through the desert, the Sacramento valley, up past Shasta and eventually into Oregon and the loving arms of loved ones at home sweet home.

I was so sleep deprived at the wedding as to have little memory of the event. If it hadn't been filmed I would remember none of it.

Just a little sleep that night and off I went, south this time with 24 hours to get back to base without being AWOL.

I made it as far as Bakersfield with time running out, managed to catch a greyhound bus on down into the Mojave desert....A bit late but never the less, finished with the ordeal.

I still can remember being alone in the mountains of northern California, cold and frightened in the dark, waiting for kindness of strangers to help get me back to my other home.

That was 50 years ago, yesterday and they are still happily married.

Only an insane person would attempt such a thing today. Perhaps being 18 IS a form of insanity.

DB