Part 18… Home to Farmington

The beauty of the Rocky Mountains and our enjoyment of the metropolitan environment couldn’t compete with going home to the comfort of our friends and family. Boyd had a permanent disability. Caterpillar had a policy to rehire returning veterans. He would have a job upon our return. As a nurse I was confident in finding a job. We were going to go back. The plan was to have another baby and reclaim our small town life.

Coming home wasn’t easy. Exciting, but not easy. We were changed. Boyd had spent the last year in a military environment with other wounded soldiers. Now he was in “the world,” (a Vietnam vet term) he recieved no acknowledgement of his service and sacrifice. Except for those close to him, his disability was ignored until he attended an honor flight in 2018, fifty years later.

Boyd could no longer do a job that required walking and standing. Caterpillar had to figure out what to do with him. The first job he was assigned did not fill the day. He sat and read a book waiting for an assignment. One day a supervisor walked by and asked him why he was sitting. He explained he had no tasks to do and with his handicap he needed to sit. A few days later the supervisor found him a desk job working in the self funded benefit area.

His first job was paying claims. He had been given an opportunity. He worked hard, including accepting lots of overtime. Eventually he advanced in this career, helping the company implement new plans and computer programs. He enjoyed the work. He liked the busy pace and found it satisfying to help employees with their benefit issues. He retired 38 years later when the benefit ar

 a book waiting for an assignment. One day a supervisor walked by and asked him why he was sitting. He explained he had no tasks to do and with his handicap he needed to sit. A few days later the supervisor found him a desk job working in the self funded benefit area.

His first job was paying claims. He had been given an opportunity. He worked hard, including accepting lots of overtime. Eventually he advanced in this career, helping the company implement new plans and computer programs. He enjoyed the work. He liked the busy pace and found it satisfying to help employees with their benefit issues. He retired 38 years later when the benefit area was outsourced.