It was the early 1950s and Dad had bought a farm outside Beloit, Ohio. Man what a difference from how we had been living. A 28-foot trailer behind our Uncle Chester's house in Sebring, Ohio. Within a few years we had chickens, cows, dogs, cats and those chores that went along with having so much fun farming. If we had ever caught-up with chores, Dad seemed to always have brothers and sister lined up with things to do. His weekly take home jump to $65.00 when he switched jobs. That was $20.00 dollars more a week -- he was really doing great. Dad was a hard but fair person to all who knew him or his brothers. On Sunday, after church and before dinner, he knew we probably didn't pay as much attention in church as we should have so he would pull out his Bible and we would read, then explain what we read in a mental picture form which would last tell dinner time. Sometimes I think a lot of today's kids can't mentally see what is taking place in what they're reading, so they don't or can't enjoy or stay with a good book.
The Town of Beloit was a little over 2 miles from the farm and most things that Mom would want from the store, we would have to walk to town to get. Most of the time, three of us boys (Les, John and I) would walk in to town. Finding pop bottles was great. If we all found one or even more, it would allow us to buy a bottle of pop (that we shared), then turned in so we could buy shoestring candy for the trip home. Oh, what the nickle would buy!
Because of the boom in population and the growing school district, I went to Beloit High School to start, then Sebring High School, Maple Ridge, Goshen High School and graduated from West Branch School before entering the U. S. Air Force. In High School I was most interested in electronics (TVs, radios and shortwave) in which I scored the highest in 40 counties on the Armed Forces Entry Exam in electronics. I had an older brother that was in the Air Force and he never complained, so before all was said and done, there were FOUR BISSETT BOYS in the Air Force. Mom had four stars on the window so all who visited could see. Oh how lonely Mom got around the farm without us boys around and Kathy, my oldest sister got married soon after we left. There was a saving grace for Mom, Little Sister, Florence (Suzie). She was youngest, by 15 years to the next youngest boy. Dad blamed her coming on the drinking water, but so did three other families, friends that Dad worked with, having additions around the same time also saying it was in the drinking water.
I entered the Military in mid 1965 and by 1970 I had been stationed at Travis AFB, in California, served two tours in Viet Nam, and stationed at Rhine Main AB, Germany. Before they could send me back for my third tour to Viet Nam, I did not re-up and separated from the Active Duty military. Those first years of the Military were filled with tons of stories. Stories of militant love -- not war flower children marchers that threw feses over military members in Berkeley and San Francisco's Intl. Airport to those ungodly sounds of war that stayed around long after our return.
Dad told me after I returned home to see about a job where he worked. I did, and I started at the bottom of the labor pool, working for a heavy equipment company that built rolling mills, automotive presses, continuos casters and cannery lines for the United States and other countries. During 10-plus years with that company, I worked my why through many jobs and titles: Laborer, Chip Collector, Crane Follower, Machinist's Helper, Class A, B and C Computer Operator, Production Control Manager, Traffic Control Manager (and interviewed for Production Molding Manager). I Really enjoyed my work but the hours became growling when they grew to a 72-hour work week while still managing my law studies through the University of LaSalle.
Making good money and trying to complete my classes left me with little time for a family. My wife at that time met me over the phone. A daughter of one of the women from Mom's Home Extension Club, she was a student at Ohio State University and had an assignment to interview a Viet Nam Vet and that started a relationship that blessed this world with two of the greatest children. That first interview with her started with the question, "How is it to be called a baby killer?" Needless to say, I had to meet and fall for someone that would say such a thing to me. Our relationship lasted a little over 13 years, and to this day I still think our kids are the two best kids out there. During our marriage I was an avid coin and antique glassware collector, and half-owner in a auto body and engine shop. We had the good life with not too many wants for the kids.
After about a 10-year break, I joined the Air Force Reserves along with everything else in my life. After being recalled to Active Duty, and pulling a training tour at a NATO base in Spain my first marriage ended, but my Military Carrier took off. I enjoyed my tours at McGuire AFB, Dover AFB, Youngstown, than stationed at Dobbins AFB, Georgia as a Senior Instructor in Air Transportation and as a Air Transportation Inspector. At this time Cathy, my current wife, came into my life. And I thought things couldn't get any better, and they did. My last duty station was at Little Rock Air Force Base as the Senior Transportation Superintendent for Air Force Reserve Aerial Port Operation. The Senior point of contact to AFRC, AMC, AETC for the Reserve Manpower, Budgets, Training and Mobility Readiness.
After moving to Arkansas and having one of the best jobs in the Air Force at LRAFB, it was time for me to retire after 30 years 6 months and 3 days -- but who's counting. I just thought I had everything figured out. I have a wonderful wife, a comfortable home, two cars, two dogs, a boat and the check goes to the bank as demonstrated as retirements do, but after the first two months you found the 'HONEY DO LIST' that's been waiting patiently for OH THOSE MANY YEARS. After three years of every day is a SATURDAY and getting a handle of the list, I have looked at all those years of Service for my Country and look to serve once more. I decided to run for City Council to see if I can put back into my community. I looked around and asked my neighbors "Who is our Councilman?" Out of the ten I asked, two knew. Of those that knew him, I ask if he ever asked for their input about community needs and I received a "NO". I could only ask myself how can a person elected to represent you not talk to you. I asked the Mayor for some guidance and of the two Councilmen that represent my ward, which one should I run against? He said,"whichever one lives closest to you should probably be the one you should oppose".
That brings me to why I am running for Council, and to represent the people of the City of Ward by what is good for the overall good and growth of the City, and keep the people in my Ward up to date on where the money is being spent and how much will go for their needs.
