What Do YOU Want to Do When You Grow Up?

Tony's Senior Portrait

In the middle of Sonny’s senior year of high school, his father asked him if he’d like to go to college. This threw my dad. He’d honestly never considered college. School was something to be endured. The law said he had to be there, so there he was. I mean, he liked his math classes, and hanging out with his buddies, but thoughts of his future were left to the future.

To be fair, in the 1950s, less than 10 percent of Americans had completed a four-year college degree, as opposed to nearly one in four by 2000. A sneak peek at dad’s ten-year reunion program shows that to be an applicable statistic: no more than a handful had jobs that would have required higher education. Of the group of four guys that dad hung out with, two were headed to college, which no doubt was part of the reason Anton Jr. asked the question.

But Paul and Bob had taken the prep classes required by the state college, and dad hadn’t. They had worked hard for their grades, and Sonny enjoyed doing just enough. Nor did the family have the money for a private college, but a way would have been found if he’d expressed the desire. But the only thing he expressed was a mild confusion in the form of a shrug.

Ela High School

He had no great childhood heroes—the one police officer in town was also the sanitation officer by day. They had a volunteer fire department—and dad has never worked for free. Dreams of helping, healing, or courtroom hearings were not a part of his day. So Anton Jr. told Tony they would soon be making an apprentice out of him.

Not long after graduation, down to the union hall they marched, and Tony became a pipe fitter’s apprentice. His father knew the Investigative Child would need something solid and physical to start with. Tony would be a productive member of society during the day, even if he goofed off at night.

He spent three years learning the building trade. Then, one fateful day, a rather “pie-eyed” buddy stopped by and asked for a ride to the Naval Recruiting Office. This friend was already in the Reserves, and had decided to go active duty after a big blow-up with his girlfriend. Dad had nothing else to do that Saturday, so off they went. He helped his buddy across the threshold, and explained the errand.

His buddy was whisked off behind the front office, to start on in-processing right away. And the recruiter turned to dad. Now, Tony had a friend approach him a week or so earlier, with a stunned look and a staggering walk. He’s been drafted into the Army. The Army did not sound like the type of work he wanted. On the other hand, Tony had heard (positive) Navy stories from his brother-in-law, who spent time on battleships during his stint. So when the recruiter started in, dad’s survival reflex kicked it—he figured it was far better to choose to join, than to be assigned willy-nilly.

And so he joined. A quick AFQT, some paperwork, and he was property of the U.S. Navy. He finished up his work project, and told the union he’d be back. Two weeks later, he reported for boot camp. After boot camp was completed, he was assigned to McGuire AFB in New Jersey, as an Aviation Electrician’s Mate in the ground support crew for transport planes, squadron VR-6. And McGuire is where he met my Air Force Flight Traffic Specialist mom.

But that, of course, is another tale, for another time.