Click the below YouTube link:
Flying at Barin-Crashing at the Boat.
His S N J Sank-He’s Bloody Well Dead!
Isn’t it grand boys to be bloody well dead.
Let’s not have a sniffle,
Let’s not have a bloody bad cry.
And always remember, the longer you fly,
The sooner you’ll bloody well die!
Look at Old Glory-Draped o’er his coffin.
Look at his sweetheart-bloody fine Lady.
Isn’t it grand boys to be bloody well dead.
Let’s not have a sniffle,
Let’s not have a bloody bad cry.
And always remember, the longer you fly,
The sooner you’ll bloody well die!
1968 Departmental Photo
In July of 1967 I started my career in the City of Westland, population 88,000. Westland had been incorporated as a City the previous year. Prior to it’s incorporation, Westland was the old Nankin Township. I was hired with a group of thirteen recruits that brought the department’s compliment to 42 officers. Only a few of us had no prior law enforcement experience. We received one week of in-house training and then put on the road with a senior officer.
At that time there were no certification requirements for new officers. Several months later I was sent to the Police Academy at Oakland Community College. Continue reading
Following are pictures of many of the Vets I have owned over the years. The ’61 photos are borrowed off the Internet, but do depict the color and model of the ’61 which I owned. I thoroughly enjoy driving the Corvette, and my favorite is the units with manual transmissions. Continue reading
USS Albemarle, AV 5 Seaplane Tender
My 1st ship was the USS Albemarle, I went aboard her in 1959. The Albemarle was commissioned in 1940 and served for twenty years, seeing action all during WW2. Her main purpose was to patrol the coasts conducting anti-submarine patrols with her squadrons of sea planes. The ship was capable of bringing the large seaplanes on to her fantail for repairs. She was equipped with 2 – 5 inch gun mounts, 20 and 40 mm Anti-aircraft guns. She was decommissioned in 1960 at the Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard while I was aboard.
Roger in the U.S.Navy 1957 – 1961
I joined the Navy in 1957, fresh out of High School. I received my basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center near Chicago. I then attended Aviation Fundamental School in Norman, OK, then off to Aerographers School in Lakehurst, NJ. In ’58 I was assigned duties to the Operations Division, Weather Office at Barin Field, Foley, AL. The base was decommissioned 6 months later and off to nearby NAS Pensacola. After approximately one year there, I was off to Norfolk, VA serving aboard the USS Albemarle, AV-5, a Seaplane Tender. We decommissioned the Albemarle, then transferred to the USS Randolph, CVS-15, an Anti-Submarine Aircraft Carrier. I was honorably discharged in February, 1961 after serving 3 years and 11 months.
Cars I have owned since 1957
Sports Cars
1959 A.H. Sprite – White – 1st sports car ‘61
’59 Austin Healey Sprite
1963 TR-3 Rdstr. Brand new – took on honeymoon ‘62
’62 Triumph TR3
1959 A.H. Sprite – Brown – Custom front end – fair ‘64
1965 Griffith – Ford Powered – New Rare – Very fast ‘65
Powered by 289 HiPo V8. Fastest car ever owned. 0-60 4.6 Seconds. Wt. 1500 lbs.
1959 A.H. 100-6 Blue – fair ’65
1965 Vette – Dark green – beautiful ‘66
My 1st Vet – 1965 327 Roadster 4Spd
1959 A.H. 100-6 Silver – excellent ‘66
’59 Austin Healey 100-6
1958 Dune Buggy – Red – Traded for 61 vet ,68
1968 VW Dunesbuggy – Riding the hills at Hell, MI – Roger and Randy aboard for the ride
1961 Vette – Red – tri power – mediocre ‘68
1967 MBG GT – blue – blew second gear ’70
1967 MGBGT with Roger and Randy
1976 TR-6 – Purple – Kept just a few weeks – poor ‘84
1982 Toyota Supra – Silver ’84
1972 MGB – Orange – Sold to Roger ‘85
1976 Datsun 280ZX – Blue ,85
1980 MGB – White – Excellent ‘86
1985 Datsun 300 ZX – White – Sharp ‘87
1986 Vette – Excellent – Red 28k – $13k from Dave Davis ’94
’86 Vet – Purchased from Dave Davis
1987 Vette Convertable – Red 31k – $13500 – bought from Greg King after he resigned from PD – Sold for $16,500 3k profit ‘95
1986 Porsche 944 Turbo – 43k – excellent & fast ‘95
1991 Mazda Miata Convertable – White like new – ‘97 sold to buy Harley ’97
1987 Vette Convertible – Custom Red – Lo miles – Nice ’98
This is a customized ’87 convertible. Very nice with auto trans.
1991 Dodge Stealth – Nice Car
1995 Miata Convertible – Red Custom w/Supercharged – Nice lo miles – Made profit ’’05
1998 BMW Z3 – White and beautiful 2.8 6 cyl Hot and fast 2002
1987 Vet Coupe – Lo miles – Bright red. made profit 2003
87 Vet I purchased sometime in the early 2000’s. It was quite nice, but I didn’t keep it long.
1993 White Vet Coup -30k miles – 6 Speed – 2006 eBay
’93 Vet, 6 spd, lo miles. One of the nicest I’ve owned.
2002 BMW Z3 3.0i, 5 Speed – Red, only 27k Miles – ’09
2002 BMW Z3 – circa 2007
1993 Blk Vet Coup – lo miles – Auto – eBay – ’10
’94 Vet from eBay. Very lo miles, auto trans. Levi and I in ‘2010
2004 Mini Cooper S – 2010 eBay
1995 Vet Coupe – Lo Miles 6 spd – Great deal on eBay – ’11
My last Corvette
First Cars as a single guy
1946 Pontiac – 1st car – $115 – black – in the Navy ‘57
1947 Chev – Black – $125 – in the Navy ’57
1950 Merc. Suped up Buick engine, six 1bl carbs – Jerry Brooks — sold to Larry Dumas, – in the Navy 59
1955 Merc. Red Conv. “Tragedy” – In Navy- Met Diane – ‘60
1958 T- Bird – Blue – 1st car as a civilian ’61
Family Cars
1963 Ford Fairlane 500 4 spd – Brand new ’63
1964 Merc. Blue – Ford re-sale – Drove many years ’65
1965 VW – lite green 65
1965 Merc. Green – Ford re-sale – Sold after short time ‘66
1965 Ford LTD Blue – Ford re-sale ‘66
1965 T- Bird Beige – Loaded – Ford re-sale ’66
1962 Ford Econo Van – Camper – Red – Sold to Carol 66
1963 Ford Econo Window Van – Red – GT Bus 66
1966 Lincoln 4dr. – Ford re-sale ‘67
1966 Merc. Comet – sharp ‘67
1968 Comet GT – 289 V8 4 spd
1967 Fairlane Station Wagon ’68
1959 Rambler – Red w/flowers – Diane’s hippy car 68
1960 Falcon – Green 69
1959 Ford Wagon – Brown 70
1972 Pinto Wagon Red – kept two days ‘73
1973 Ford Van – Blue – Roger drove as a ten year old and banged the door on a stump – not his fault ‘74
1968 VW – Red – Roger drove over a large rock ‘72
1975 Maverick – Gave to Roger for School ‘77
1973 Datsun Lil Hustler P-Up – Hit a deer ‘77
1972 Honda 600 (2 cyl) Rolled it over & totaled ‘76
1973 Chev P-up -Yellow 454 CID – Crashed & repaired it ‘76
1978 Ford P-up – 4×4 – New ‘78
1968 Opel – Gave to Randy for school ‘79
1979 Dodge Van – Blue Custom ‘81
1979 Toyota Celica – New ‘79
1980 T- Bird – Black – New ‘80
1981 Toyota Celica – Sold to Roger, he sold it in ‘94 ‘83
1979 Chev Van – Beige – Gaucho Custom ‘83
1982 Chev Van – Beige – Starcraft Custom ‘85
1983 Chev Blazer – Red ‘85
1985 Astro Van – Custom – Beige ‘86
1985 Chev Van – Custom – Blue – LaFleurs ‘88
1979 Ford Granada – Burgandy – bought from City ‘88
1986 Taurus – Dk Grey – Sold to Roger ‘89
1989 Taurus SHO – Dk Red – Nice ‘90
1988 Astro Van – Blue Custom $14,000 ‘90
1985 GMC Sirrea Van – Burg ’91
1986 Porsch 944 – Champaign – Excellent – Sorry I sold it `92
1990 Astro Van – Silver ‘93
1991 Geo Tracker – white ‘93
1987 Chev Blazer S-10 – Gold 33k – excel shape ‘93
1979 Cadillac Seville – Nice shape, new paint job –
Sold in Belchers New Years auction – made $800 ‘95
1995 Astro Custom Van – Teal – new ’96
1995 Astro LS – Lo miles – Replaced the above van ‘96
1991 Lincoln Continental – Titanium, grey leather loaded ‘96
1995 Suzuki Sidekick – Nice condition ’00
1992 Cadillac Eldorado – Pearl Crème – Sharp and loaded ’00
1999 Astro Van – Bronze – Replaced ’95 ‘00
1991 Dodge Stealth – Red – Exc. 47k ‘01
1994 Ford Escort Wagon – Red ’01
1997 Astro Van – Green – Mediocre ’02
1999 Ford Taurus Wagon – White – Bought on eBay ‘02
1996 Lincoln Continental – Silver – Loaded – Bought on eBay ’02
1995 Astro Van. Dark teal. AWD. Nice inexpensive family car
1993 BMW 325i. Black/tan Florida car. Purchased eBay. looks good and runs bad. Needed a lot of work.
2004 Astro Van. eBay 2004
2002 Ford Taurus SES – Very nice low mileage – eBay 2008
2002 Lincoln LS – Nice low mileage – Internet Ohio – 2010
Motorcycles
1957 Austrian Pusch – US Navy ‘59
1962 Triumph Tiger Cub – Crashed and burned ‘62
1965 Honda Super Hawk – New – Drove to Niagra Falls ‘65
1965 BSA Lightening – New ‘65
1968 Motoguzzi – 700 – Drove to the Smokies ‘69
1970 Honda 750 – New – Rode a lot with Larry Nevers ‘70
1970 Honda 350 Enduro – New ‘70
1970 Honda 100 Enduro – New – Diane’s ,70
1971 Yamaha 360 Enduro ‘71
1972 Yamaha 360 MX – New ‘72
1969 Bultaco 250 ‘73
1972 Suzuki 250 Enduro – New ‘72
1975 Honda 750 – Blue Full Dress ‘,81
1976 Honda Goldwing – Red ‘83
1979 Honda Goldwing – Black ‘88
1985 Goldwing – Gold – Nice sold after only two months ,97
1997 Harley Heritqge Springer – White – New – Beautiful ,97
1999 Kawasaki “Drifter” 1500 c.c. – Indian look-a-like – New 99
2002 Harley Davidson Roadking Classic – White – Beautiful ’01
2002 Harley Davidson Heritage Springer – Red/Black ‘03
‘1997 Roadking. Purchased on eBay. 208 miles. Black and beautiful ’03
’08 1997 Harley Heritage Springer – My favorite model – eBay ’06
2005 Ultra – Loaded with GPS, etc. – Great Touring Bike – eBay ’07
1997 my 3rd Harley Heritage Springer – My favorite model – eBay – sold in April ’09 – Most likely my last motorcycle
Click the arrows to view a short video of Di and I riding in New Hampshire in ’05 on our H-D Roadking and my “rumbling” Harley-Davidson Heritage Springer.
Di aboard my brand new ’65 BSA Lightning
Dirt bike riding days on my ’71 Yamaha 360 Enduro
1971 Harley Police Special – I was a Westland PD Motor Officer for three years
Di and I on our dirt bikes, ’71 360 Yamaha Enduro and ’70 Honda 100 Enduro
2002 Harley Heritage Springer
My 1st ’97 Heritage Springer in the Keys 1998Di and I entering Yellowstone National Park on my ’97 Roadking in 2004My 2nd ’97 Heritage Springer – Loved this model
Di and I in New Hampshire in 2005 on my ’97 RoadkingCarl Snyder and I on the road to Yellowstone – We just left Sturgis, SD
My ’97 Roadking with Custom tan seat set-up for solo
Click the arrows and watch a video of beautiful Stuart Lake at dusk and Roger III water skiing behind our 150HP Pontoon Boat.
