AGCS(NAWS) Terry L. Latham, U.S. Navy (1964-1992)

It was only 9pm but I was in bed as my 12 hour watch started at 0800 and that meant a 6am getup and hour commute to downtown London on the tube. A knock on my door woke me up. I shuffled in my robe downstairs to the door and opened it up to find two blokes who I had met at the local pub standing there. “We pulled a couple of dolly birds in from the pub and told them this Yank had a party going on so they followed us here…can we bring them in?”  I have to get up early….but they insisted…so…I left the door open and went back into my bedroom cautioning them …”Don’t leave a mess…don’t drink up all my booze.”  About 30 minutes later I hear yelling and doors slamming and I get up…throw my robe on and go out into the hallway. The two blokes are in the hallway knocking on the closed bathroom door…and I could hear the sound of a female crying from inside the bathroom. “What in the hell is going on?” I asked…and the one English guy grinned and said…”Me mate got a little bit fresh with one of the girls and she took exception to it.”  “Ok…that’s it.” I said….”out…out you all go.”  The guys left but the two girls in the bathroom wouldn’t come out.  “Finally I said…”Look…it’s just me…one guy…my flat…please come out and leave so I can get some sleep…I have to work tomorrow.  Slowly  the door opened and two young woman peeked out…making sure I was the only one in the hallway. They came out and went back into the living room where their coats were draped over one of the chairs. I asked them what was going on and the one girl blushed and said…”Your friends tried to get a bit handy with my best friend.”  The other girl just looked downward and didn’t say anything.  “I’m sorry, I said…they aren’t my friends…I only met them once at the pub.  The girls relaxed a little and we sat talking for about 5 minutes before they left and I figured that was it. But the next week…28 December, 1966…I went to a friends house for a party and there…both of those girls…were there as well. I danced with them and a few other single girls and then the heat got to me…cold outside but the heat from the fireplace and all the people….so…I said to the one girl, Ann, who I had just danced with…”It’s bloody hot in here…do you want to go outside and cool off and look at the stars…it’s a clear night?”  She hesitated…then stepped out with me on the patio and we stood there and looked at the sky…it was cloudless and I swear there were more stars than I had ever seen before.  We stood there not saying a thing…just looking…until the cool night air sent a shiver through her and she crossed her arms and said…”I’m getting cold now…lets go back inside.”  We did and later as her and her friend was leaving the party I, on  the spur of the moment, asked for her address…and if…if I could drop by sometimes to see her. She nodded…then told me her address…and walked out the door. I don’t think either one of us thought we would ever see each other again…but about two weeks later we met again in the local pub…and I asked her out on a date…A year later…we were married.  I stayed in the Navy for another 27 years retiring with 30 in…and that girl…Ann, Elisabeth, became my wife in August 1967 and we had three children together.  She passed away, peacefully in bed with me and our two dogs beside her  on 28 December, 2024……57 years to the day we stepped outside to look at the stars…and I…miss…her…so…much..but she left me so many good memories. On our 50th wedding anniversary I had a pillow made that said “It all started when we walked outside …to look at the stars.” 

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