“I was around 19, taking college classes, when I got mononucleosis. So I dropped out while recovering. And I immediately received a draft notice. I flunked my physical because of the mono, and because one leg was a little shorter than the other. I also had a growth on my throat that they thought might be cancerous. To be honest, I felt relieved. I had no real ambition to go to Vietnam.

“Then, about six weeks later, I got another notice. It was the result of what they called (Defense Secretary Robert) McNamara’s 100,000. They were desperate for more troops, so I got upgraded from 4-F.

“I was stationed in Pleiku, near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, when there was a mortar and rocket attack. We lost some vehicles, so we had to drive down to Cam Ranh Bay to pick up new ones. Along the way, our convoy was ambushed. I was driving, and the guy next to me was shot in the head and killed. It was awful. Something I’ll never forget.

“When we’d go out on patrol, I always told the other guys that if I ever stepped on a land mine and got my leg blown off, make sure you shoot me. Because I didn’t want to live like that.

“I was thankful to God when I finally made it back home. But we lost a lot of good men over there.

“PTSD is real. When I first came back, my wife and I had an apartment about a block away from the fire station in this little town in Ohio. Every night at 10 o’clock, they’d sound this siren that was like a curfew for the kids. I’d roll out of that bed and get underneath. It was like my mind was reacting to a mortar or rocket attack.

“I still have nightmares at times. And if I’m stopped at a railroad track, waiting on the train to pass, I can’t stay in my car. I have to open up the door. It’s like a flashback to that guy getting shot.

“There’s a group of area Vietnam veterans who meet once a week. We get together and talk about anything and everything. It’s just good to know that there are people who went through the same thing you did. Some of them had it a lot worse than me.

Agent Orange strikes

“Physically, I was always into stuff. I played football and ran track in school. I later ran marathons and 10Ks. I also was a soccer referee for years. I was in pretty good shape. But about seven years ago, I began losing feeling in my feet and hands. I’d be driving, and I couldn’t tell if my foot was on the gas or brake. I was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy.

“When my wife was battling lymphoma [Judy passed away in 2023], other than walking around the hospital I didn’t get much exercise. Then I started noticing my right foot would catch at the ball of my foot, and I’d fall. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. It was drop foot. It’s when your nerve and leg don’t communicate to your ankle to come up, and your foot kind of drags.

“While serving in Vietnam, they sprayed a lot of Agent Orange. When the plane dropped it, it carved a path right through the jungle. We just saw it for what it was. It worked great for the purpose. Years later, as veterans started having all kinds of symptoms, that’s when it really hit home. I had diabetes, neuropathy, some vision loss. Finally, the VA agreed it fell under the criteria for Agent Orange.

“About three months ago, I finally made it to 100% disabled. It took me 14 years to work through the system to get there. I now have total access to anything from the VA. They pay for my prescriptions. They cover medical issues. I get a nice check every month. And there are various other benefits.

“When I get up in the morning, my back aches, my legs ache, and I can’t feel my feet. My fingers don’t work the way they used to. Of course, I’m 78, so that plays into it. But I keep going. I walk at Lee College and I go to Fitness Connection mainly for elliptical and bike. I want to get in better shape so I can travel and see more of the country. I love the outdoors. I’d like to enjoy what time I have left.”

— Gary Gill

Gary was a project engineer for Mobay, Miles and Bayer before retiring in 2008. Mobay in New Martinsville, West Virginia, enabled him to complete his degree in industrial engineering by working and then driving 101 miles each day to classes at Ohio University.

The post Veteran still deals with impacts of Vietnam War appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“Growing up in the ‘80s, we were not a healthy family. It was all canned and boxed food. My mom was a chronic dieter, raised by a chronic dieter. Fat-free, carb-free — we did all the fad diets.

“My mom passed away from breast cancer when I was 17. At the time, I definitely was not the epitome of health. I tried to get out of gym class as often as possible. If we were running that day, I was the kid who would say, ‘I don’t feel well. I need to go see the nurse.’ I had a lot of self-esteem and self-worth issues. It was just the narrative I had for myself. When you don’t feel like you’re worth the time and effort to lace up your shoes and go for a walk, then you don’t do it because it feels pointless. Getting into fitness and having to face my own issues, that created a whole new life for me.

“They say that anyone who’s lost a lot of weight has that one moment when everything starts to change. For me, it was when I was contacted by MD Anderson as a high-risk case because of my mom’s very aggressive breast cancer. They called after my second born and asked me to come in for all my screenings.

“I was a good 100 pounds overweight, but I blamed genetics. Everybody in my family was overweight, so I figured it was just my lot in life.

“There was this very sweet radiologist who went over all my results. Then he looked at me and said, ‘Mrs. Carlson, my main concern is your lifestyle.’ He said, ‘With breast cancer in particular, if you’re overweight, you tend to be more at risk. So if you’re not moving, eating a balanced diet, and getting some of this excess weight off, then it’s not a question of if you’ll get cancer, it’s a question of when.’ I cried, probably for about a week. Then I just decided I did not want to leave the way my mom did, and I started doing something about it.”

— Michelle Carlson

Michelle, who worked hard to lose the weight, became a trainer, nutritionist and self-described health nut. Learn more at michellecfitness.com.

Related:

• With kids at college, second honeymoon begins

The post ‘I did not want to leave the way my mom did’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“We’ve been skating together for about a year. Within that time, I broke my elbow and she broke her ankle. That’s it, besides little nicks, scrapes and stuff like that. We’re both in our 40s, so we try to protect ourselves as much as we can.”

“For three months after my surgery, I couldn’t walk on that leg. After being so active and building this community of friends skating with us, life just being indoors got pretty frustrating. Then he got me one of those knee scooters, so at least I could go out to the skate parks with him. When I finally got the doctor’s OK to get back out there, I returned to the skate park where the accident happened. I told myself, ‘Just do it,’ and I began testing my limits to see what I could do. It’s taken a lot of patience to get back to where I was before. And the memory of getting hurt is still right there. I don’t know how to make it go away. I’ve just tried to quiet those thoughts and gradually build up my confidence again.”

Are you accepted by the younger skaters?
“Yeah, I think so. Every now and then you get that, ‘Oh, look at them’ kind of thing. But after they see us make a few runs, it’s all cool.”

“Most everyone we skate around are in their late 20s and early 30s. There were two couples our age, but they kind of backed out of it and haven’t stayed as active. But we keep going. We really enjoy it. It’s great exercise, and it definitely makes us feel younger than our years.”

— Lino Hernandez and Sherry Carabes

They skate at parks all around the Houston area, and enjoyed a skate adventure to the Grand Canyon. Next up: Venice Beach in California. Check them out on Instagram @lino_mcqueenhtx and @sharebearhtx.

The post Injuries can’t keep this skating pair down appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“A lot of stuff happened back in Arizona, so I came here to get a fresh start.

“My girlfriend and I were together for two years. Then things happened, we faded, and we broke up. But we continued staying together as best friends. It was pretty weird at first. Then we got into the routine of it.

“The hardest part was probably her moving on. She began dating someone else while we were living together. But I got used to it, and now we’re all good.

“A lot of other stuff happened, too. My grandma died. Some dogs killed my cats. So with all that I was like, you know, let’s just start fresh. My sister and her boyfriend were moving here. They invited me. So I packed my bags, and here I am.

“Right now I work at a grocery store. But eventually, I want to join the police department. I’ve always wanted to do that. I’ve always had a passion for taking criminals off the street. My dad did a lot of stuff to my mom when I was real young, like verbal and physical abuse. I know there are tons of guys out there like that, so I’d like to do something to help stop it.

“I tried out in Phoenix a couple years ago, but I couldn’t pass the physical test. They had you do push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, and run a lap in a certain amount of time. The hardest part was the push-ups. I was supposed to do 21, but I got to 20 and couldn’t do the last one. It was pretty frustrating.

“I know I was a little out of shape, so I’m doing something about it. I go to the gym and come here to get my workout in. I eat right and drink lots of water. And I have a New Year’s resolution to not drink soda. I’m determined to get into the police academy. Whatever it takes.”

— Trevon Robinson

The post Fresh start includes trying to become police officer appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’m a disabled veteran, and they keep touting preventive medicine at the VA. I thought, well, I need more exercise. But my feet were so bad that I could hardly get around. So I decided I would purchase a recombinant bike that I saw online. It’s supposed to be joint friendly and back friendly. But after getting it, I realized it really wasn’t what I wanted. So I managed to get enough money together to purchase this one, and I let him ride the other one now. They’re not cheap. That one cost abut $1,000 and this one was $3,000. But I just figured, what’s my health worth, you know?

“The final straw was when I realized that I had no muscle tone in my legs and I started losing my equilibrium in this left ear. If I would fall just a little bit that way, there was nothing to catch me. And I was falling a lot. So I decided I needed to change that, to get these legs at least to where they’ll hold me up again. It’s my last gasp at trying to get off the greasy slope of no return.

“With the heat and then the rain, we haven’t had a chance to get out here before now. We’re just getting started. This is our second trip out. And I tell you what, I’m about beat to a nub just making one pass around the park. We plan on taking it slow and working our way back. Even though I’m 73, I don’t see any reason not to try. When God punches my ticket, I’ll go. But until then, I’m not going to quit.”

— K.C. Compton

(Editor’s note: K.C. passed away on Nov. 29, 2018.)

Related:

• ‘It was a blessing that God took me out so early’

The post Off the couch, onto a bike for disabled veteran appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and came here a long time ago. I worked construction for many years. All of my life, I worked. I would get up, go to work, come back to my house, to my wife, watch TV and that’s it. Go to sleep. Then get up the next morning and do the same thing. No problems.

“I’m retired now. I live one block away from the park. I come here in the morning, walk around to get my exercise, sit on the bench to rest, talk to people and go back to my house. I talk to my wife, have lunch and go to sleep. The next day, I get up and do it again. No problems. I enjoy being retired. I enjoy life.”

— Guillermo Cantu

The post Construction work to retirement — he enjoys life appeared first on The Baytown Project.

Basketball, anyone?

For longtime friends Jose Serrano and Mario Rodriguez, shooting hoops is part of a stay-healthy routine that other 50- to 60-year-olds may want to follow.

“We play basketball and sometimes soccer. And walking. Walking is very good for us,” says Mario (left), 63.

Mario and Jose, 58, met while working construction and have remained friends for more than 20 years.

Mario is a scaffold builder and insulator. Jose is a boilermaker who also does insulation. It’s physically challenging work that requires a sound body.

“Feel my muscle,” Mario says, proudly offering his right arm.

After I give his biceps a quick squeeze, Jose also holds out his arm for a similar test of strength. No flab in either case.

Mario returns the favor and then issues a polite laugh at my scrawniness.

“What we do is hard work. We have to be very strong,” Mario says. “If we don’t exercise, if we don’t stay in good shape, the work is harder.”

A proper amount of sleep and a balanced diet also are important.

“I like vegetables. I can eat them all day. Fruit, too,” Mario says. “And I drink water, Coke, but not too much beer.”

“I don’t drink beer. I quit,” Jose says.

When I ask why, he simply points to the “I (heart) Jesus” message on his hat.

For Mario, staying active also means keeping up with his grandsons and other young family members.

“They like to play basketball. Right now they run faster than me because I stayed away from this for a year. I’m trying to get back in condition again. I need to keep myself in good shape so I can keep playing with them.”

The post These guys work hard and play hard, too appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I started running when I was 45 years old. It made a big difference in my health. I used to get upper respiratory infections about twice a year, go to the doctor and maybe miss work. After I started running, that changed. I haven’t been sick hardly since.

“I got into competitions for 10Ks and 5Ks, and I would come in second and third because I was running against people younger than me. But one time I got into a senior olympics, so I was running against my own age. I got a gold medal in the 100 meters. I ran it in 18 seconds. I was 79 at the time.

“I’ve slowed down a little since then, but I still walk three times a week at the nature center and I go to the YMCA three times a week.

“It’s very important to keep moving. In her final years, my wife would hardly move a muscle. She would just sit in her chair. I told her she could still exercise while in that chair, but I couldn’t motivate her to do it. She died two years ago.”

— Bill Jones

The post At 89, exercise still part of his regular routine appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I never imagined I’d be in this kind of situation. I thought I’d work long enough to finally retire from my job as a janitor, but then they did away with it. So, here I am.

“I’m usually out here collecting cans five to six hours almost every day. A lot of people know me and will save cans for me. I’m definitely getting my exercise. I’ve lost nearly 40 pounds walking and my blood pressure is back to where it should be.

“I enjoy the walking, being out here and meeting people. I’ve made a lot of friends. There are a lot of people out here who just need someone to talk to.

“One lady stopped by and gave me a bag of groceries the other day. She said, ‘I see you out here all the time, so I thought I’d give you something.’ One time I found a bag of clothes that had shirts in it, so I gave them to my church.

“I enjoy this. I praise God as I walk. If it wasn’t for him, I couldn’t be doing this, no way. He sends me down roads I haven’t been down.”

— Larry Lawrence

Related:

• The Can Man recycles to help support his family

(Note: Larry Lawrence passed away on Jan. 24, 2021.)

The post He’s making the best of a challenging situation appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“You can’t find a hockey stick around here anywhere. I ended up buying this one online.

“I grew up in a rural area near St. Louis, and I used to play a lot of pond hockey as a kid. When I got these skates about a year ago I couldn’t figure out why I felt so clumsy, and then I realized it’s because I don’t have a hockey stick. I use the stick for balance.

“I’m doing this for exercise. I’ve been getting lazy recently. But during the summer when it was hot, I was doing 6-7 miles a day. I do 110 laps around the basketball court here and about six laps around the sidewalks. I’m trying to keep pounds off and stay strong. At my age, I start losing muscles if I don’t use them.”

— Stephen Lee

The post He adds hockey flavor to workout routine appeared first on The Baytown Project.