Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Thirty years ago, in 1990, life went on although most of us had our minds on the small country of Kuwait and what was happening there. Our national guard was still in the process of getting prepared to ship out. They were under the impression that as a weapons unit that they would not be too close to the shooting war. A support group was formed of family members, led by Rojene Martin, wife of Staff Sgt, David Martin, who had been told by one of the officers that the group would not be close to any action.

Other things were going on at the time here in Brewton.

William Allen Overstreet, 44, was fatally shot at his home. His wife, Virginia, tripped and fell when she was bringing his 12 guage shotgun to him. She stumbled over the dog causing the gun to go off.  Sheriff Tim Hawsey said there was a cleaning kit nearby, which agreed with her account of the event.

Jeff Stumb was named publisher of The Brewton Standard, replacing David Moore, who left to go to The Arab Tribune. Stumb came from The Selma Times Journal.

In 1990, when I watched the troops walking down the streets of Brewton, my thoughts reminded me of another time.

In the early 1960s Russia decided to build a wall separating East and West Berlin. In the fall of 1961 my husband came home and told me that his tank battalion had been activated and they were being sent to Camp Irwin, Calif. We found out that families were going along and the base was in the middle of the Mojave Desert, what they call the High Desert.

The troops were to go by train and we would come along later. At the last minute almost, the plans changed and they were to go by airplane. Jim Grimes was the last one to board his plane as he had a great fear of flying. (This would cost me a trip to the Bahamas later on.)

Looking back on these memories each week is a pleasure and brings up more memories that were never printed.

I hope you enjoy these walks down memory lane as much as I enjoy sharing them with you.