As a child of 13 in Padre on vacation with family friends I saved the life
of our friends 11-year-old son from an ocean current. I had heard John yelling
to Brian and saw my father running down the beach yelling to Brian. I looked
and Brian was out about two football fields from the shore. For some reason
still just barely over his head. John looked at me and yelled at me not to go.
I was between John and Brian. My father was down the beach. And I went.
When I got to Brian John was a football field or more away from us and I
thought… dig your feet in and wait for John to get his son. I went down
grabbed Brian and put his feet on my shoulders and held him above me.
I had taken a gasp of air. And I dug my feet in. I reasoned we wouldn’t get
pulled out further while waiting for John. I wasn’t strong enough to
swim out with Brian. It was strong. I came up about four times to get air. It
was over 5 minutes. Well over 5 minutes. On the fourth time up John was
there and we looked at each other like we both understood…
he had to take just his son. The ocean looked like my greatest fear, like it was
being emptied. John took Brian and turned and swam out the
same way he had come in. My father was screaming as he at this time was
even at the shore and the waves were fighting against him as he ran straight
into them. I was two football fields out and he was yelling and pointing
towards John to swim out at an angle to the beach. I swam with all my
strength for well over 20 minutes. I don’t know how John did it.
Six years later Brian wanted me to stop by and meet his girlfriend as he was
graduating and going on to College. I stopped by in Kingsport. John asked
me to advise Brian not to go into writing in college. I talked with Brian and told
him what his father had asked and said… they dont have WordPress yet.
Volunteer in College in areas that require writing and see what you like. Take
writing skills for your job and write on the side and for your job. Brian ended
up in Atlanta after college working with at risk kids teaching them how to
write. I don’t say in here in this version that I am a Kennedy witness. I was
seven years old. Our friend Sen Henry Jackson was being vetted as Bobby’s
VP and had meet with the Powerbrokers in California saying he would
be Bobby’s experience against McCarthy’s experience and that he could get
Bobby out of Vietnam by ’73-’75. And we attended the campaign in California.
My father was in the Colonial Room with Sen Jackson when Bobby was going
through the kitchen to the VIP Lounge, the Press Lounge, The Colonial Room
for a Press Conference when he was shot.
We had gone to Disneyland the day before with the
Kennedy family and with John Glenn who my father had a meeting with
afterwards. And on the morning of the fourth we went swimming with the
Kennedy’s when Bobby saved David from a Riptide at the ocean.
I was in the Convention Hall near the entrance to the Kitchen. They brought
me to Sen Jackson for security after the gun was secure. My father was a
multi millionaire Military Contractor. That evening they wrapped me in a
blanket and held and hugged me as people came by to check on each other
before cell phones. Peter Paul and Mary. Bill Cosby. Rosemary Clooney was
staying on our floor where my father had a day suite. My mom was at
Anaheim at Disney. The next week I had become friends with Larry O’Brian
and others and they brought me to the ocean where David had been and
asked if I wanted them to teach me how to feal secure in the ocean. They
enrolled me in a specialty school for Geniuses and touched the life of a child
to make things better for him.
