The summer after graduation, Ronnie signed up to join the Marines. We became 'running buddies' that summer. The time to report to Paris IsIand finally rrived midsummer. Ronnieand I were not much to drink (at that time)..but he wanted to get some whiskey. I was still 17 and looked 16. Ronnies wasabout the same. You amy remeber Ronnie had a cool black mustang convertible. He had a few beers and I became the driver. I seem to recall Ronnie wanted to m "make rounds". After all, we all knew he was going to wind up in Vietnam...as a fighting Marine. The odds of him returning were fairly good...but not great. Death was forseeable. We talked about it. I recall stops at Buddies, Shonies , the DQ, where we ran into friend and Ronnie said goobyes to all. But..enough of that...back to the whiskey. We had run out beer. We had always heard of a place called "Tomcats". Sort of a bootlegger we thought. So we got directions somehow and would up there. There was a shprt line of 2-3 cars apprently waiting to pull up to a service "window". I steered the mustang, top down, into that short line. Something felt safe about it...I knew that no matter what happened we would not be arrested..sort of an "arrest free zpne". Finally the cars in front finished their business and I pulled up at he window...very much like a McDonalds drive through..but more like a windowed booth at the county fair. A sliding window opend. I looked up at the man runnnig the window, sitting in shadows and shrouded by cigarette smoke...He looked at me and Ronnie, the mustang , top down and, after staring 4-5 seconds, said "Larry ,what are ya'll doing here?". I froze in fear like ...thinking an arrest would not be as bad as this...Then I realized that the man in the shadows was the father of a girl I occasstionally dated. He knew me pretty well. Since we were both in the same place...Tomcats..I greeted him like I knew he would be there and I was hoping to see him...I told him about Ronnie (he was not able to talk very well) and the Marines...Vietnam, and his last night in Jackson....that he just wanted a bit of whiskey..and most impotanty I was the non-drinking driver making sure he would be safe. I though about reminding him I was an Eagle scout, but considering the circumstances, that would make no sense. He then briefly dissappeared and came back a few seconds later and handed me a brown sack...and looked over at Ronnie and said "Take care Ronnie......Larry, be careful".. I thanked MR. _____ and drove off.... a few moments later realizing he gave us the whiskey. Ronnie was a good friend...t was a great night....I missed and worried for him until his return....Rest in peace my good friend..Hope to see you again. Larry.
Larry Butler
The summer after graduation, Ronnie signed up to join the Marines. We became 'running buddies' that summer. The time to report to Paris IsIand finally rrived midsummer. Ronnieand I were not much to drink (at that time)..but he wanted to get some whiskey. I was still 17 and looked 16. Ronnies wasabout the same. You amy remeber Ronnie had a cool black mustang convertible. He had a few beers and I became the driver. I seem to recall Ronnie wanted to m "make rounds". After all, we all knew he was going to wind up in Vietnam...as a fighting Marine. The odds of him returning were fairly good...but not great. Death was forseeable. We talked about it. I recall stops at Buddies, Shonies , the DQ, where we ran into friend and Ronnie said goobyes to all. But..enough of that...back to the whiskey. We had run out beer. We had always heard of a place called "Tomcats". Sort of a bootlegger we thought. So we got directions somehow and would up there. There was a shprt line of 2-3 cars apprently waiting to pull up to a service "window". I steered the mustang, top down, into that short line. Something felt safe about it...I knew that no matter what happened we would not be arrested..sort of an "arrest free zpne". Finally the cars in front finished their business and I pulled up at he window...very much like a McDonalds drive through..but more like a windowed booth at the county fair. A sliding window opend. I looked up at the man runnnig the window, sitting in shadows and shrouded by cigarette smoke...He looked at me and Ronnie, the mustang , top down and, after staring 4-5 seconds, said "Larry ,what are ya'll doing here?". I froze in fear like ...thinking an arrest would not be as bad as this...Then I realized that the man in the shadows was the father of a girl I occasstionally dated. He knew me pretty well. Since we were both in the same place...Tomcats..I greeted him like I knew he would be there and I was hoping to see him...I told him about Ronnie (he was not able to talk very well) and the Marines...Vietnam, and his last night in Jackson....that he just wanted a bit of whiskey..and most impotanty I was the non-drinking driver making sure he would be safe. I though about reminding him I was an Eagle scout, but considering the circumstances, that would make no sense. He then briefly dissappeared and came back a few seconds later and handed me a brown sack...and looked over at Ronnie and said "Take care Ronnie......Larry, be careful".. I thanked MR. _____ and drove off.... a few moments later realizing he gave us the whiskey. Ronnie was a good friend...t was a great night....I missed and worried for him until his return....Rest in peace my good friend..Hope to see you again. Larry.