She's Just Walking Down the Street

"She's Just Walking Down the Street" is a memoir of a Marine Corps veteran. At the age of 19 Jim Kenney received a draft notice from President Lyndon Baines Johnson for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States. His friend, who was also turning 19, would venture into boot camp together. Then they became one of the last troop transports by ship to Vietnam.

"She's Just Walking Down the Street" is a memoir of a Marine Corps veteran. At the age of 19 Jim Kenney received a draft notice from President Lyndon Baines Johnson for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States. His friend, who was also turning 19, would venture into boot camp together. Then they became one of the last troop transports by ship to Vietnam. The incidents chronicled in this account are the experiences of a young person beckoned into an escalating warfront, perhaps yawning at times, intense and unforgettable at others. It is not an account of heroism or machine gun glory. It contains a firsthand glimpse of the simple realities of war.

After serving in the Marine Corps Jim worked driving a truck for a meat packing plant. After a year he attended Portland State University while working part time and took advantage of the GI Bill while completing his degree. In 1973 he went to work for a private family-owned manufacturer of sawmill and paper mill equipment. The job included outside sales which took him through most of the tree growing regions of the U.S., Western Europe, Asia-China, and Australia. He stayed with the company for 38 years and now is retired and lives in SW Washington (state). He is active having run 8 marathons and now enjoys walking, hiking, cycling, reading and that perennial waste of time....golf. He and Alice totally enjoy their 10 grandchildren and are grateful to be part of their lives.