Not to long ago my oldest son asked my how I and his mother had met. I was a little taken aback since I thought I had told this story to them before. Nevertheless, it was worth repeating, and therefore worth writing down as I should have done years ago.
If you have been reading my writings in proper order, you will recall I joined the Air Force in 1967. Later that year I received orders transferring me to Japan. It was while I was serving in Japan I received an urgent letter from my sister Ellen asking me to come home to see if I could be helpful in saving our mom and dad’s marriage. I had been in Japan at that time well over a year and a half.
In late October of 1969 I flew home from Japan to see what was wrong at home. I had no idea that my parent’s marriage was in danger. It retrospect it was inevitable the way they fought like cats and dogs.
Upon arriving my dad and I went out to breakfast together, and he told me his side of the story. It was painful to hear, and I must admit I sort of leaned to his side. But that quickly changed. A waitress about my dad’s age had been waiting on us. Apparently she knew my dad as he was a regular customer, I soon learned. As she left the table with our order my dad floored me with a flirting glance at her, and commented, “I wouldn’t mind hooking up with her”. My whole perspective changed, and I realized I was there only as a spectator.
You might wonder why I am bothering to mention these things. Although embarrassing they may be, there is a lesson to be learned here, and I want my children to see it and learn it. It had a lot to do with my approach and attitude for the rest of my leave of duty, and it served as a lesson to me for my own future marriage.
While I was home on leave I decided to go to church and look up some old friends. Most of my closest friends were either in the navy or the air force, but Rick Smith was one who never had to join, so I found him in our old ward. When he learned I could speak a little Japanese, he asked me to help with a young Japanese student at the next YM/YW event. She was staying with an LDS family and could hardly speak English.
The next YM/YW (then called M-Men and Gleaners) activity was a Sadie Hawkins theme dance. It was held at Watkins House on the UCR campus in Riverside. By that time I had already visited this young Japanese girl (Sachiko) at the home she was staying in, where I dined on Japanese food prepared by her. I had also taken her to Disneyland for a day. We got acquainted, but that was the extent of it.
I took Sachiko to the dance, but since she didn’t dance, we sat most of the time.
Beside me were sitting to young ladies chatting away in Spanish. Fortunately, my Spanish was much better than my Japanese, but ever-so rusty. Both of the ladies were attractive, and very friendly. They were bowled over by my ability to speak Spanish. The one girl was named Maria Molina and was from Chile. The other was Tina Briones and was from Mexico.
Maria spoke Spanish at an incredible speed, and I struggled to keep up. Tina was a lot slower and her Spanish was more suited to my style. Unbeknownst to me, Tina had a marvelous revelation at the moment we began speaking in Spanish. She later told me she had come from Mexico in hopes of meeting a decent young man to marry. Fortunately for me, she relied on prayer to guide her thoughts and desires.
She distinctly heard a voice clearly speaking to her mind say, “This is the young man you are looking for!” I thank God to this day for her righteous desires and spiritual way of seeking a mate. Now, I could end the story here, because you really know all you have to know to figure out the rest, but what fun would that be?
The rest of the evening went somewhat oddly. Later, Tina asked me to dance with her. (Lady’s choice) To her complete embarrassment I turned her down! Please do not ask me why, I only know that I did. It was a cultural shock to her, as it was considered rude in her country and culture to deny a young lady a request to dance. Even though I had turned her down, I immediately added I would be more than happy to just sit and chat. Mind you, I was unaware of her revelation, and had no romantic intentions whatsoever. She just had an engaging personality and besides that, I was having fun showing off my linguistic abilities.
Before long Tina told me she needed a ride home after the dance, and who could deny that? However, there was a problem. I also had to take Sachiko home, too. Now this is where the story gets cuter. Sachiko lived farther away from the campus than did Tina. It would have been more practical for me to have taken Tina home first then Sachiko. But it was manipulated by guess-who to work out the other way. As we got into the car, I opened the door for Sachiko to get in and Tina slid in first, which allowed her to sit next to me. I wonder how that happened?
It just seemed to make sense that the one closest to the door would be the first out, so- it was Sachiko who got dropped off first. That left Tina sitting next to me for the balance of the time, and, I might add, she didn’t move over either when Sachiko got out.
Next stop was Tina’s home. Tina was staying with her sister Herlinda and brother-in-law Gary Bowen. They lived on the east side of Riverside on Thornton street quite a ways away from Sachiko’s which was out towards the Magnolia area. Of course this gave us time to talk more and Tina took advantage of it. By the time we arrived at her home I had a pretty good feeling about her. I gave her my APO address in Japan and told her to write.
Before my leave expired I had opportunity to see Tina again. She had mentioned she was enrolled in an English academy and had to walk all the way home when class was over. Gallantly I offered to take her home, since I had nothing better to do. I met her at the academy the next day and was introduced to her teacher Mrs. Reyes. We were then invited to come to her home ((Reyes) and have dinner with her that coming Saturday. For the first time since I was a toddler, I ate genuine Mexican food! Mrs. Reyes complimented me on my Spanish diction, which of course was very flattering.
Tina had to return to Mexico because her U.S. visitors pass was about to expire. While she was in Mexico she went back to the beauty shop where she had been employed since she was seventeen years old and informed the owner, Avilia Cerecer that she intended to quit and return to the United States. Tina was her top beautician and it really upset her. But Tina didn’t care. She was twenty-four years old and at last her life had a purpose and a new focus. Man, this girl was confident!
Two weeks after we parted, I arrived back in Misawa, Japan. On my first day back at the base I went to check my mail box at the base post office. It was stuffed with post cards and letters from Tina. In one letter she had included a very beautiful 3x5 portrait of herself. I put it up on my dorm wall. A couple of days later a young airman of Mexican descent saw the picture and asked, “who is that?” I responded, “Oh, that’s the woman I am going to marry!” I surprised myself when I had said that, because I had never before entertained any such thoughts.
Well, as luck would have it, I received orders to Vietnam the very moment I stepped off of the plane back from my leave. By now it was December in 1969. I went to the base HQ to get my travel orders and so forth, and found I had been diverted to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ for something called SEA training. (SEA I found meant south-east Asia). I wondered what it could be the air force had in store for me. What on earth was SEA training all about, and why was I the only one in my group going? At any rate it was a 60-day school, and I just might get to see Tina. As a matter of fact, I made that my objective. So, in advance of the school starting date I took another leave, and left Japan for good in January, 1970.
While I was on leave, I visited Tina and she invited me over for dinner on Sunday after church. Each day I was feeling closer and closer to this attractive and vibrant young woman. It soon became obvious what was going to happen. On a beautiful Saturday morning Tina and I headed off together to spend the day at Disneyland. We had loads of fun running around hand in hand on the various rides and attractions. Afterwards we went to my home to see my parents for awhile. While things were still touchy, my mom and dad had, for the moment, made up and things seemed normal again.
After a short stay it was time to take Tina back home. It was on the way to her home she told me she loved me. Cupid’s arrow had found its mark!
Before I knew it, it was time to report for my schooling in Tucson. As I arrived at base HQ to check in for duty, I had to ask what this training was all about. It was then I was told the training was for those who had not yet worked or been trained on the F-4 Phantom II fighter jet. I just about laughed out loud! Are you kidding? I have been working on that plane for the last two years and am familiar with every weapon and munitions it carries, including nuclear weapons which I loaded many times in Korea! Even though the air force would never admit a mistake like that, or care to rectify it, I decided to keep silent about it, just in case someone would try to fast-track me on to Vietnam.
It took me a while to realize that something else was involved here. The inadvertent error had given Tina and me time to become more acquainted. In fact, it was during this time we became engaged to be married. On Friday’s school let out before lunch. I already had my car parked in the lot outside the school room door packed with whatever I would need for the week-end in Riverside. When dismissed, I jumped into the car and headed for the I-10. It was a 450-mile jaunt from Tucson to Riverside, and I could do it in less than 7 hours. Of course that meant I had to travel close to and average better than 75 mph. Actually, 80 was more like what I did!
During the week of February 14th, Sears was having a special on diamonds and rings. My mother let me charge to her Sears credit card a diamond ring I had found in the Tucson store. That weekend I officially asked Tina to be my bride. It was a humble ring, but it meant everything to her. We set a date for as soon as I came back from Vietnam, and of course, we wanted to be married in the Los Angeles Temple.
Our week-ends were jammed with fun things to do. We would go to the mountains, drag races, and church. After Sacrament meeting (then held in the evening), I would reluctantly mount up again in my car for the return trip to Tucson, arriving just in time to catch a couple of hours sleep before school. This went on for weeks. When I couldn’t afford the gasoline to California, I would pawn my camera lenses at the local pawn shop. Often, other airmen, who knew what I was doing, would ask to go along so they could catch a flight in LA and save on airfare to Washington where we shipped out for Vietnam. They bought the gasoline and I got to see Tina!
After my one-year tour in Vietnam, I returned home to my sweetheart and we were married April 8th, 1971 in the Los Angeles Temple. It was a really small and quiet occasion. Only Gary and Herlinda went with us to the temple that day. I remember the sealer had to go to the Celestial room to find us a second witness. A young man who was preparing to go on a Spanish-speaking mission had just taken out his own endowments. His name was Elder Diaz. Isn’t that funny? I’ll bet he never dreamed when he left home on that day that he would not only receive his own endowments, but witness a sealing as well!
Looking back it is easy to see the Lord’s hand in our lives. How was it I came to California all the way from Japan for that first meeting at the dance? And how was it at the same time she came all the way from Mexico just to visit her sister upon her invitation? Why did the air force screw up only my orders in Japan and send me to train on a plane I already knew? Too many things fell into place to believe it was chance, especially when my wife had that clear voice telling her the search was over.
Not enough people believe that God knows us personally and cares about us. But I testify to all and to my children He does know us and He can and will lead us to happiness if we just let Him and live our lives worthily to be so led.
