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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Jim Dale, post: 8203479, member: 100459&quot;]My father was in the Navy then Army from 1942 to 1972.&nbsp; I was lucky enough to have lived in Germany from 1054 to 1957. My age was 7 -10.&nbsp; Then we returned to Europe - France in 1964 - 1965.&nbsp; On the year of my graduation from high school on June 5, 1965, we moved to Mannheim, Germany.&nbsp; I was 17 and I worked in a Stars and Stripes Bookstore for a little over a year.&nbsp; I was a comic book collector and had a copy of every Marvel comic book that was issued during my tenure.&nbsp; At night, my friends and I would galivant all over Germany, collecting the coasters from each one of the restaurant we visited.&nbsp; During that time, every restaurant would serve beer and wine to their customers, even children from 5-6 up.&nbsp; I also collected hundreds of coasters.&nbsp; I stored all of my comics and coasters in my closet.</p><p>My father received orders to return to the States to Fort Gordon, Georgia.&nbsp; I was at work the day the movers came and my mother decided that I could collect other coasters and comics when we got to the states, so she gave them to the movers.</p><p>I don&#039;t know what the value of my two collections were in 1966, but neither I nor my parents could afford to replace those items.</p><p>I never forgave my parents for tossing my collections.&nbsp; I hoped that I could keep my vinyl records of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and many other recording artists.</p><p>In 1967, I went to Uruguay to serve as a missionary for our church for two years.&nbsp; I carefully packed all of my clothes, records, and other collections, so they would be there when I returned to the States.&nbsp; When I left home, I left all of my clothes also packed in a box.&nbsp; I took 2 suites, 5 white shirts, 2 pair of shoes, and about 5 sets of underwear.&nbsp; The reason I mentioned what I left at Fort Gordon (Augusta), Georgia, I prepared 2 lists.&nbsp; One for me and another for my parents so they would know what I needed to keep.&nbsp; During my absents, my father had been transferred to Fort Bragg (Fayetteville), North Carolina.&nbsp; When I returned, my vinyl records had been sold in a yard sale, my clothes were given to the Salvation Army, and my books had been sold as well.&nbsp; When I came home, all I had was the remnants of my clothes.&nbsp; One suit had been worn out, as well as a pair of shoes, and two white shirts, socks with holes, and underwear was almost all worn out as well. </p><p>I was lucky though about my clothes.&nbsp; I got home in January 1968 and received my draft notice to report at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, so I got all new clothes thanks to the United States Army.</p><p>Sorry for my litany.&nbsp; I love my parents, but, evidently, they didn&#039;t have respect for my personal belongings.&nbsp; If I had the comic books, they were all first editions and kept in immaculate condition, stored in bags meant for storing them.&nbsp; My folks are long ago dead, my two sisters are also.&nbsp; I started my coin collection after my parents died because my brother and I &quot;shared&quot; my father&#039;s &quot;coin collection.&quot;&nbsp; Or, at least, I got what my brother let me have.&nbsp; My parents died in California and my brother lives there two, so, I never saw the full collection.</p><p>Am I bitter, yes and no.&nbsp; You figure it out and make your judgement.&nbsp; I&#039;m now 74 and my brother is 72.&nbsp; (I wonder if I will be able to hold a grudge in our afterlife.&nbsp; If so, I am going to beat the &quot;H&quot; out of my brother [and have a strong talk with my parents.]</p><p>So, you see, I&#039;ve had an extravagant comic collection, a large coaster collection, and now a &quot;nice&quot; coin collection that is in lock and key in a place my wife doesn&#039;t even notice where it is.&nbsp; (The location is in a sealed envelope that will be given to here when I croak. )</p><p>For those the read the rambling thoughts of a 74 year old man, I hope you will forgive me.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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