Linn Creek, Missouri

It was a fairly short drive from Scott AFB to Linn Creek. Just drive to Lebanon, Missouri and turn right. Lebanon, Missouri! Brings back memories.

It was just a couple of months short of 50 years ago that I packed up our 1947 Mercury with the wife and month old baby and set off from San Diego, California for Charleston, South Carolina for duty aboard the USS Tattnall.

The back seat was pretty much filled with the bassinet for baby Celine, the trunk was filled with spare parts and a can of gas and one of water for the radiator, in addition to our luggage.

We had stopped in Albuquerque to visit Nina's sister and picked up a dinette set to deliver to another sister in Columbus, Ohio, strapping it to the top of the car, table, chairs and all. We must have looked like a bunch of Okies from the '30s.

Everything went well until we got to the outskirts of Lebanon, Missouri where we began to have engine problems. We had blown a head gasket. We really didn't need this. With all the spare parts I had, head gaskets had never entered my mind. Did i mention that we were dirt poor?

Well we found a garage in Lebanon but they didn't have a head gasket for our 15 year old car. They would have to order it, hopefully getting it the next day. That meant we would be spending the night there. Did I mention that we were dirt poor?

We did find an inexpensive motel - pinkish orange as I recall - one of those strip motels of the day. So we settled in for the night, not sure how long we would be staying there.

Luckily the part arrived the next day and we were able to pick up the car. I think the guys at the garage gave us a break on the bill. They probably suspected we didn't have much money. So we payed the bill, got back onto Route 66 heading towards Columbus.

Many of the states that I now drive through have a town called Lebanon and every time I see the name on a map, I can't help thinking about our brief stay in Lebanon, Missouri in 1963.