Personal

Personal

Born a cowboy, destined to be a law enforcement officer, called to the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

God kept his hand on me and guided me throughout my military and law enforcement career. Too many things just fell into place for it to have been otherwise. That is not to say that I did not drift away and do things my own way from time to time. That was usually when I got into the most trouble. Even when following God’s will, there was sometimes trouble, but God took control and guided me out of many bad situations.

My favorite Scripture has always been Romans 8:28. “All things work together for good for those who Love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.” That scripture does not say every thing will be good. It will not. There is much bad that comes into our lives. It says, “Works together for good.” It is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. Often when two or more things or events come together, things work out for the best. Based upon the very wording of this scripture, it does not apply to everyone. It applies only to those who love the Lord plus one other thing, that they are called according to his purpose. First He calls them to himself, to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Second, they must accept that call. Third, He calls them for a specific application of their lives. He called me to apply my life to the military forces of the United States and to Law Enforcement.  In my case, the military career and law enforcement merged into one. 

I was born in January of 1933 in Abilene, Texas. When I was two or three years, my dad moved the family to Eastland, Texas for a short period of time, most likely not more than two years. While in Eastland, he worked  in a drug store owned by a member of the Vletas family (I think his first name was Spiro), well know in Abilene for candy making. The drug store had an old time soda fountain and a candy counter.  I often visited my dad at work and a soda fountain and candy shop was heaven for a little boy. A service station near our house rented motorcycles. One day, my dad rented a motorcycle and we rode for several hours. That is when I became hooked on motorcycles.  We lived near the court house where I often saw Police and Texas Highway Patrol motorcycles parked. I started drawing pictures of motorcycles.That is where the seeds of becoming a motor officer were planted. after we moved back to Abilene and I started watching my uncle J.T. "Bus" Wasson, C.A. Veteto and my childhood hero, J.D. Woodard riding Abilene Police motors, the dream really took off and started to grow.

We moved back to Abilene in 1938. We first moved to a house at the north edge of town on

Pine Street

, now

Treadaway Blvd.

While there, I went to North Park School. We lived there for only a short while then moved to 1421/2 Elm. That location will come into play in my story of my first night on the job as an Abilene Police officer. We lived in an Apartment above Russy Printing Company, O.W. Jolly Saddle Shop and a Radiator Shop. 

We next moved to

6871/2 E. N. 18th Street

on ACC hill just across the street, with a large vacant lot between, from the ACC (now Abilene Christian University) campus. At that time ACC had their own 1st grade through High School. I went to school at that school from the 3rd grade (possibly part of the 2nd grade included) through the 6th grade. I skipped the 5th grade, however and that is another story within it's self which I may later post on my "Looking Back" site.








 


























 





















Motorcycles of the Abilene Police Department
The Abilene Police Department, Motorcycles
Traffic Division, The Abilene Police Department
Tales of the APD
Abilene, Taylor County, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Tales of the APD
Tales of the Abilene Police Department
Police