4U Lion, Part 1

[Grant]

The US Peace Corps was established in 1961 by the Kennedy Administration. John was assasinated in 1963. The organization continued to operate under Sargent Shriver, with Robert Kennedy as its symbolic head.

I graduated from UCR with a degree in history in 1965, and went back one semester to pick up science and math credits I needed to enter dental school. I needed an additional semester when the Peace Corps recruiting team arrived on campus and I signed up.

My group of 19 Volunteers assembled at Columbia University in New York in the spring of 1966 and underwent three months training in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), Somali language, history and culture. One Volunteer was eliminated for "security" reasons, and the rest of us went home for two weeks to prepare for our assignments. We reassembled in New York, and flew from there as a group. We left in the evening as the sun was setting and arrived in Europe in view of the Matterhorn as the sun was rising. We landed in Rome and spent two days there, seeing the usual tourist sights. We than flew to Aden, and were there overnight.

We entered Somalia on the 18th of June, 1966, arriving in a vintage cargo plane. There were no seats. We squatted on the floor in the cargo hold and held on to straps. The only view we had of the outside was through bullet holes straffing the aluminum walls of the aircraft.

The airport in Hargeisa was a dirt strip. The passenger facilities consisted of a bench with a shade over it about four feet by twelve feet. My passport was stamped by a man in a police uniform who was standing at a small table in front of this. The restroom was a short-drop, not all that well shielded from public view. I didn't mind as I had picked up dysentery in Aden and was in immediate need.

My group stayed in Hargeisa that night, then traveled to Talleh for several days, before returning to Hargeisa.

I remember Hargeisa as a dry mountain valley, similar to areas I have seen in Nevada and Utah-lots of rocks with no surface water. Most of the city was simply an aqal camp. The folks in camp got their water from wells in the tug, at the base of the hill but above the camp. Most of the actual buildings seemed to be either commercial establishments or residences for westerners. There was very little available to buy. As I wrote in another post, the only rice that was available was stained with rat urine and feces.

My group had been preceeded by one other. One of the girls from this group had married a Somali, and her aqal was pointed out to us. It was said that she had red hair and that that was very attractive to Somali men, but we never saw her. I had rocks thrown at me in the Qaat market, but luckily was saved by two police officers, who were Somalis, but seemed very British.

The people in the North, almost uniformly, wore clothing that looked like it had once been white. It was a non-descript color, a light sort of brownish gray. I don't remember any color in Hargeisa except this, and the stark white of white wash on the buildings.
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I will write next about the trip to Talleh.

[Caydid]

Graduated in the sixties? You know you could be the oldest person on this boards?

[michael_ital]

Interesting. I'll be looking forward to the next installment.

[LionHeart-112]

Grant...woow..That's really amazing. Like Michael, i look forward to part 2

[PH.D.]

^are you behind prison cell or in a psychoatric treatment center?

[LionHeart-112]

Wherever i'm i aint near Ogadenia, Thank God...now, leave this thread.

[PH.D.]

^^I was wondering why would anyone be online forums while using multitudes of nicks, even sometimes creating artificial conservations.

Then I came to two conlusions at the end of my scientific inquiry.

1. You are behind a prison cell in which they let you use computers (using all your free time in the prison to use the internet, again its expains why your online 24/7)

or

2. You are in a psychoatric treatment program in some God-knows where facility. Who ever is in charge let's u use the internet.


Those two options explain why ur online 24/7

[Mowhawk]

Grant

Ignore tresspassers and continue with this interesting story. My father was taught by the corps.

[LionHeart-112]

Mowhawk...I seriously considered the corps (the peace corps, not the marines ). Financially, it's not the wisest choice. I have immigrant parents expecting some $$$ to send back home, even though they are both here working full time.

What do u know about them? should i consider it?

[Mowhawk]

LionHeart

I don't think people join the Corps for the money, but for other ideals. I think Grant is the best person to ask. They taught my father and has fond memories of the Corps. I read his earlier posts and there was one where he mentioned that he worked as a Corp in Jillib, near Kismayo. So he is giving us a tour of Somalia in the 1960's.

Waiting for the second episode.

[LionHeart-112]

^^u are useless.

[gurey25]

Lionheart

yes you should definatley do it.
The experience alone would be worth it, and you would be helping people.
There is always time for money later.

[Mowhawk]

[quote="LionHeart-112"]^^u are useless. [/quote]

u are too thick just to notice that.

Hey, let us not spoil this thread.

[LionHeart-112]

Mowhawk...I love you

gurey.....sitting in your comfy office and 6 figure, you'd say that.

[Mowhawk]

[quote="gurey25"]Lionheart

yes you should definatley do it.
The experience alone would be worth it, and you would be helping people.
There is always time for money later.[/quote]

Gurey

LionHeart won't qualify as a Corp, fullstop. Don't waste his time.