Elmo Lester Luallin, Jr.(Posthumously written)

Born in Imperial Valley, CA...served with the USN in WWII, welded for dad in a shop in Lanare, CA following the war.  Delivered propane for several years, then took on a rural mail route for the USPS until retirement.  Was said to have nine lives:  To cut the top out of a 55 gallon gas drum, they filled them with water before using a cutting torch.  However, you have to ensure the water doesn't leak out if you don't get on the job very quickly..........unfortunately, one blew sky high on me, and nearly removed  my nose.  Add to that several rolls of propane trucks, and wrecks of mail cars over the years.

Lloyd Edwin Luallin

Born, Fresno, CA.  Raised in small farming town just south of there hand sapping several head of dairy cows, disking, and herding cattle.  Did all the normal things:  All sports, cub/boy scouts, 4H, FFA, played trombone, then guitar, first car;  '57 Chevy'.  Did Smothers Brothers routine and played in a small combo for fun.  Put one semester in college, then joined the Navy to become a sonar man.  Found myself on submarines (SS-489 Spinax, SSBN's Lafayette, Andrew Jackson, and R. E. Lee).  Got out after 4 years to resume college as a newly married man with a child on the way until I found it too expensive and went back in the Navy to let them pay for college.  Two years later, I was at University of Utah, majoring in meteorology.  Put another 15 years in the navy on surface ships (Aylwin, Nicholson, and Seattle), and retired in 1989 as a LCDR.  Worked for a beltway bandit on ASW exercises for 6 years, then started my own home repair business for 10 years.  Now, all I do is play tennis, travel in a RV, and celebrate life.  I've traveled the world, but have been in Virginia Beach for the past 25 years on a lovely lakeside site where we enjoy gardening and sitting by the woodfire on the back porch.  Married since '69, two kids and 4 g-kids.