Page 72 - The History of Veterans at Highland Springs

ALAN KOHN
HIGHLAND SPRINGS RESIDENT, ARMY
BY LOIS KOHN, WIFE
This first picture is when Alan got his Army commission at graduation from the University of Alabama (1959). He was in ROTC for four years and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. His mother pinned the bars on his uniform.
Alan served at Fort Lee Virginia and then was in the reserves for seven years, having been promoted during that time to First Lieutenant.
Two special memories we have...both involving trips to Norfolk Virginia.
The first is when we went to the Oceana Naval Air station (ONS) thinking we could have dinner there and see something of the area. But when we entered the gate, we were told we should drive four blocks, turn left to the COM and to reverse that procedure when finished...we weren't allowed to drive anywhere else
there. We didn't realize that the restrictions were in place because of the security involving an airplane they called the Phantom that they were trying to land on the carrier USS Independence.
On a second trip to Norfolk we went to the Naval Yards and wanted to see if we could go aboard the USS Independence. When we got there, we found that they would allow only family to come on the carrier for tours. Lucky for us, the ship's postmaster was hanging around with nothing to do, so he said we were his cousins, and he acted as our tour guide. We were so impressed seeing the size of the hanger deck, the flight deck, and all the other facilities he showed us.
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