Autobiographical Sketch of Bill Valladon
I've
tried 6 times now to send a photo and short bio. Every time I'd hit the
back-delete key to correct a typo, the whole thing deleted. Beginning
to wonder if there are mysterious forces that don't want me to send it! Anyway
I tried sending just a photo. Weir stuff still happened but it appears
it might have been sent. Thought I'd try the bio thing as a simple
reply to your email....In comparison to the wonderful accomplishments of many of our classmates, I've live the simple life. After St Joe's I went to work full time at the GM plant in Fremont while carrying a full load of classes at Chabot JC in Hayward. Got fed up with government harassment and jumping through hoops to keep my student deferment and volunteered for the draft to meet military service obligations. I was (foolishly) honest in the military psych and aptitude tests, so I was trained and dubbed an official Infantryman and got sent on an all-expenses paid hunting and camping trip to beautiful Southeast Asia, more specifically, Vietnam. I got to hang with a bunch of incredible guys in a club they called "The First Cavalry Division". Cool deal. Lots of free helicopter rides to remote campgrounds! Returned home in 1968 and the following year married my sister's best friend, Mae. Three daughters (all of whom I turned into outdoorsy tomboys who can miraculously clean up into beautiful ladies) and seven years later the marriage, sadly, ended in divorce. Upon return from the military, I worked as Roundhouse Dispatcher for the Union Pacific Railroad in Oakland, then as a machinist and suervisor at a screw machine shop (not what you think, nasty boy!) in Hayward. Ultimately, in 1971, I began as a Dispatcher at Oakland PD and seven years later became the first civilian ever appointed to a supervisory position within the Department. I was a Shift Supervisor in the 9-1-1 Center. High tech (for its time), high stress, but NEVER boring. |
I retired in 2004 after 33 years service with OPD and moved from
Pleasanton to Portola, CA, a small mountain community about 40minutes
northwest of Reno, NV. In 2014 Kathy and I moved to Fallon, NV, a place called, "The Oasis of the Desert". Lots of dairy farms, cornfields and alfalfa fields. My favorite activities throughout my life have been outdoors activities, hunting, camping, hiking, fishing. But in 1985 I fell in love with two entities, Kathy, my current wife of 32 years and Labrador Retrievers. The dogs became my avocation and I have trained and run them in Field Trial competitions ever since. I'm current president of Northern California Retriever Trial Club, Past president and current member of the Northern California Field Trial Gunners Association, and one of 26 members of the National Field Trial Gunners Guild. So now my daily life consists of work around the homestead, training the dogs, projects out at my hunting property, and being just plain fortunate that God gave me the ability to shove negative experiences to the back of my memory. I most easily recall joyful, fun experiences - even from Vietnam and St Joe's. Only when hard-pressed can I remember the sad or the horrible, let alone allow them to affect me. And I pray every day for those who've not been blessed with this gift. I think often of most of you. Started to list the guys I think of often and miss the most. The list got ridiculously long and then I thought I would be upset if I found out I hurt someone by not remembering to include them! Deleted the whole damn thing! Joe, I'm sorry this is so late. Writing about ME is not my forte. Dang it. I HAVE to send a special "I miss you and wish we'd stayed closer" to you, Dave Donovan, Dave Bishop, Steve Essig and I gotta stop there or I will do the whole list all over again! Health and happiness to you. Bill billvalladon@yahoo.com |
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