Person Sheet


Name Thomas Gerald Holmes
Birth Dec 25, 1939, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Father Elmer Andrew Holmes (1901-1983)
Mother Mary Edith Byford (1907-1999)
Spouses:
1 Cynthia Jean Burke
Birth Jul 22, 1944, Denver, Colorado
Father Harold Felix Burke (1900-1968)
Mother Dorothy Holt (1903-1994)
Marriage Jul 21, 1989, Denver, Colorado
Notes for Thomas Gerald Holmes
Served in the USMC. Stationed in:
San Diego, California (August 1958 - boot camp)
Camp Pendleton, California (Nov 1958 - 3rd Marine Div.)
Cavite Naval Base, Philipines (Dec 1958 - June 1960 Marine Guard Unit)
Yuma, Arizona (1960 - honorably discharged on Aug 2, 1962)

Born on Christmas day 1939. The nuns at St. Anthony Hospital picked a time and I was the baby born nearest that time and so became the Oklahoma Times Christmas baby for that year. I received a present of my choice each Christmas and all of the Times babies had their picture taken together each year. It was finally stopped when I was about 8 years old as so many had disappeared or were killed during the war.
Graduated from Crooked Oak High School in May of 1958 and joined the Marine Corps in August of 1958 and was discharged in 1962.
Worked many odd jobs including TV repair before going to work for IBM in May of 1965. Worked as an final test technician, electronic tech, and finally a programmer. Was caught up in the waves of downsizing becoming popular during this time in the industry. Finally retired in June of 1995. Spent a couple of years doing consulting work within IBM and the then retired for good.
I have lived in Oklahoma, Califfornia, The Philippines, Arizona, Connecticut and finally Colorado. Colorado is my present and adopted home and has so much to offer in climate and recreation. I miss the oceans of California but not the crowds that went with getting there.
I went through the 50's rock and roll era as a teenager, the 60's pop culture as a Marine and as a young parent with two children. I went through the 70's alternating between being divorced and being married.
I was around when:
. The second World War ended
. Television was finally mass produced and affordable for the public
. Americans were made a nuclear hostage to Russia
. The Berlin airlift was implemented
. Rock and Roll was born. Bill Haley and the Comets "Rock around the clock"
. Elvis was King
. The Korean conflict was fought to a draw
. The Mafia made news and became a new word in our vocabulary
. The Viet Nam war was escalated and ended in a disgrace of our Nation
. Man landed on the moon
. President Kennedy was assasinated
. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assasinated
. Disco was the rage
. Opec cut oil production and controlled us as a nation
. The Viet Nam war divided our Nation
. President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew both resigned in disgrace
. President Regan was shot but survived.
. The Berlin wall cumbled
. Major corporations began downsizing as a matter of convenience
. The internet and home computing became a way of life
. Cell phone and lap top computer mania
. Mother Teresa died
. Sept 11th Star Date (911) terrorist attack on World Trade Center buildings in
New York City, Our world is forever changed.
I viewed the Viet Nam chaos at home as a civilian with a service man's training. I could not understand the draft card and flag burnings, outright defiance of the government and abuse of the service men who were just doing their time. Since then so much information has surfaced through the Freedom of Information Act that I see the government through a different view point than was ever possible in an earlier time. Unfortunately, it has made me callous and cynical in my old age. I cannot condone government's past misdeeds and the current blatent waste of tax payer's money. It truely has become "I have mine to hell with you" attitude within our government leaders.
I can only hope that a future generation will wake up and force some much needed legislative changes before more chaos is required to remove the abusers.
Parting shot:
Remember the "GOLDEN RULE"
Those that have the gold make the rules
Last Modified Apr 20, 2004 Created Feb 27, 2008 by EasyTree for Windows

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