My Grandpa Albert lives in San Antonio, Texas. I interviewed him over Facetime on my Ipad as there was no time to meet with him face to face. His life is interesting and full of surprises!
He was born in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1961. He lived in a rural residential area. His neighborhood was very quiet and there was not much crime. As a child, he had many chores such as cleaning the restroom, taking the trash out, and doing the yardwork. They didn’t have a mower so he used a swinging blade called a machete. There was no technology. So he spent time relaxing or hanging out with his family. For entertainment, he would go to the beach, play basketball, baseball, and do Boy Scouts. Today, he is a Boy Scout leader in San Antonio. I wish he lived here so we could do Boys Scouts together.
As a family, their fun activities were playing dominos, talking around the table, and listening to the radio. The school he went to had no air conditioning, no indoor restroom, and no playground equipment. My school has indoor restrooms but like Grandpa’s it doesn’t have air conditioning. I can’t imagine going to school all year in the warm weather.
The people who influenced him the most were his grandfather, father, John F Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. One significant event in his life was watching the moon landing. His family did not have a television so he went to his neighbor’s house to watch it along with 19 people. They crowded around a little black and white television. I share this interest in space with him.
Other important events from his life were graduating high school, and at age 17 with his parents’ permission, joining the army. He was involved in several wars such as Panama Operation Just Cause and Desert Storm (Kuwait and Saudi Arabia). He was injured in Panama and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He attended a formal award ceremony where he met Senator Bob Dole and Ross Perot both who later ran for president.
He did not live in one place his whole life. He traveled to many places for work in the military. He went to Georgia for basic training. His first army station was in Fort Hood, Texas. He worked in Germany guarding the border between West and East Germany. He went to Alaska for weather training. He lived in the Republic of Panama as part of the 187 Airborne and later as jungle training instructor. He went to Honduras and El Salvador for training for the United Nations Forces. He traveled and lived in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and last in Fort San, Houston.
The news was shared by radio and newspapers. The only time they read the newspaper was when they found it in the trash. His family could not afford to buy a newspaper for 4 cents. His family would talk about the news after dinner. Back then, people took care of their neighbors more. It was very fun to interview my grandpa. I had no idea of all the things that he had done during his life and I hope someday to learn even more.
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This is the sixth of eight stories from the feature reporters at Kid Scoop News, a monthly newspaper tabloid designed for and by Siouxland students. The hope is that these readings might inspire others to start recording the stories of friends, family members and loved ones they don't want to forget.
