Annually, I am required by the Army to visit the doctor for a physical exam. As I sat in the exam room, I talked to the nurse about the history of the medical clinic here at Fort Leavenworth, KS. The clinic was once a full service hospital, like many of the Army clinics around the country. The reminder that this was the Army Hospital at Fort Leavenworth prompted me to reflect and mention to the nurse; “I probably came to this hospital when I was here when I was four years old—for a shot or something.” This exchange led me to think about the earliest memory that I have, which was also from Fort Leavenworth.
In 1974-1975, my father attended the same school that I am attending and I was four years old. We lived in a little house that has since been destroyed to make way for a beautiful new housing area. My earliest memory is of our family going to stay with a family who had a basement during a tornado outbreak. Looking at the records from The Tornado Project Online shows that while there were no tornados recording during my time there, neighboring counties may have had some activity that would have prompted our taking shelter. I remember the lights going out and a pool table is about all I remember from that time. The fact remains, however, that this is my earliest memory.
As I close out my day reflecting on a mostly forgotten event, I am amazed that a visit to the doctor’s office was a trigger to remember this event. I hope that our kids will have much better memories to keep from our visit here in Fort Leavenworth.
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Photo from NOAA.gov