I started working part time at the tannery. It didn’t make sense; you couldn’t work over 32 hours so we had to go to school four hours a week, which is stupid. What are you going to learn in four hours? So, I started cutting those four hours and my dad found out about it and said, “We gotta go to work and that’s it.” That’s my life story! (Laughs)

I had a lot of – my first job was the tannery. At first I was just common laborer. As the time went by if they needed somebody and they were short they would take somebody from the fields. I was fillin’ in on a lot of jobs there. I learned a lot at the jobs which was good, as time went by. Cause, you have some supervisors that are willing to help you out so that you learn more jobs so that when the time comes and you need somebody you put them in there and I pulled most of the jobs there.

One time (Laughs) - I got a kick out of this – which is a against the law you can’t put the guy in heavy labor, you know, like putting things at the highest 70 pounds each and things like that. One day one of the supervisors put me on one of those jobs. The superintendent of the plant comes back and he says – he didn’t ever mention your name, it was always “Loafer”, and he says, “Loafer! What are you doing here?”

I said, “I’m doing what I am told to do!” being snotty about it.

He went to the supervisor and said, “I don’t want him doing that work. We are not going to get sued.”

I said, “Sued! That’s what I need is a little money!” (Laughs) So, that’s how I got around.

I started working at the tannery in July 1945. I went into the service in 1950. I worked at the tannery for five years. Then I went into the service. I was there for a little over two years and I swore up and down that I wasn’t going to go back to the tannery. I had had enough of the tannery.

I…(Laughs), I get back, and I should have known something. I should have known something was cooking. So, I got back about 3:30 and my dad used to go to work at 4:00 because he worked at the tannery at night time. You never used my dad’s car. You know better than to even ask for it. That night when I got over there to talk to him and everything else, he says, “What are you going to do? Are you going to go see your brother and sisters?”

I says, “Yeah.”

He says, “How are you going to get there?” These two things here…? Up and down the hills over in Korea. I says, “They can get me around here too.”

He says, “I’ll tell you what. Take me to work and take my car.”

I says, “Uh oh!” Not even thinking. I wasn’t even thinking. The tannery knew I was coming home. My dad didn’t know that I was coming home yet.

So, I take my dad to work and the main superintendent of the tannery is waiting for us. I says, “Dang it!” So, the first time he says, “I am glad you are home, Loafer! Now, you are going to work Monday.” Monday was Labor Day.

I says, “No, I can’t. I gotta go and get discharged yet. I am just home for the weekend. “Alright, Tuesday! You get back here to work!” And, like an idiot I went back to work on the Tuesday!

I look back at it now and I say, “Boy you were stupid! You let everybody run your life!” That’s the way it went.

When I was down at the tannery I started off as a common laborer so different things they put you in. Then I was working in the shipping department where I was when I retired. I learned that trade pretty good. Then, they got rid of that guy and they put me in charge. Then along with that job I was going into final sort which is where you get your leather graded and things. Then they started putting us in charge of other departments; I don’t know what for. It was interesting. I learned a lot about stuff there.

My whole career was mostly at the tannery after that, but I did work part time other jobs at night. I didn’t want my wife to be working and have all kinds of babysitters. When you do that all the babysitters have different ideas how to raise your kids and I told my wife, “None of this bull crap. You want to go work and I don’t want you to work. I want you to stay home and take care of the kids.”

She says, “Well, we can’t live on what you make.” I says, “Well, let’s try it.”

So I started working two jobs part time on other jobs there to make ends go. I was bartending. I worked in night time at different bars and just part time, but enough to keep me going.