I worked for the Golden Point my senior year and continued until 1962 when my mother and my boss, Warren, decided I should be in college. He fired me, Mom enrolled me in Rollins and I lasted two weeks.
      I went to work for Montgomery Wards where I met "Mean Maggie" and married her. We had our first child eight years later on April 28, 1973, a son, James Robert Fleming, Jr. We had our second son on October 3, 1975, Joseph Randolf Fleming. James Jr. is married to Alicia and they have a daughter, Alana, and a son, Ian.
      Joseph married Macali and they have four children - sons, Justin and Jesse James, and daughters, Ariel and Kassidy (8-months old).
      On January 20, 1964, I enlisted in the Florida Army National Guard instead of being drafted into the U S Army. I don't object to dying in the defense of my country. I do object to dying 10,000 miles away from my country in a war I could not vote on. I enlisted in the same Florida Army National Guard Unit, The Second Battalion, that my grandfather, Lt. Col. Sam T. Salisbury (1913) and my uncle, Major George "Bob" Salisbury (1930) joined.
      I liked the FLARING and I stayed for twenty years. In Sept 1967, I joined the Orlando Fire Department where Bobby Cross and Tom Golay were already employed. After training certification, I was assigned to Fire Station Two at Central and Parramore, with Tom Golay.
      Due to the use of portable kerosene heaters and cooking stoves, we put out one to three house fires each shift during cold periods. On Feb 10, 1969, Firefighter John Lewkowicz, age 29, was killed when the fire truck we were on, responding to a house fire, was T-boned by a semi-tractor and trailer carrying front end loaders at South and Parramore. The other firefighters received minor injuries, the truck driver received serious injuries and was hospitalized. On Dec 2, 1972, a building at 65 W Central Ave collapsed killing Assistant Fire Chief G. Calvin Bookhart and injuring thirteen firefighters. I spent 67 days in Florida Hospital and 11 months in rehabilitation before returning to duty.
      Since no firefigher would ride on a truck with me anymore, they trained me and turned me into a fire inspector and plans examiner. I departed the Orlando Fire Department in Nov 1980 by way of a medical retirement and went to work for myself as a Code Consultant and Construction Manager. As the owners' representative, I saved owners from as little as $30,000 to $250,000. I never got a percentage bonus from an owner, however, on the $20,000 hotel job, the owner did give me a drunk and disorderly $100 lunch.
      In Oct 1986, I was employed by the City of St. Cloud as Code Enforcement Officer. I became totally disabled in 1994 with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease {COPD} and left the City of St. Cloud.
      On March 8, 2000, I had pulmonary failure and spent 17 days in Monroe Regional Medical Center, 13 days on a ventilator and 6 of the days in a coma. I had walked through the VALLEY OF DEATH. I spent 20 days in rehabilitation in a nursing home and continue my rehabilitation today. I spend my time now writing dumb and stupid letters to politicians when they do something dumb and stupid. I also inspect building I go into for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title II and Title III Sections, and file complaints with the proper agencies.
      When I die, I am going to be buried in Florida National Cemetery at Bushnell, FL. I would love to see the expression on the face of the individual processing the government forms for burial when he realizes the signature on those forms is the individual he is burying.
            Respectfully, James R Fleming, Sr.