An Odd Guy With A Hidden Gun

Some connected mini-stories leading to up to a gunman

Some Background

In the mid-1970s, I joined the Navy. My plan was an escape from the craziness of home and see the world. I lived in the San Diego area and the closest boot camp was in the same town. There was no doubt where I’d be going for basic training.

The recruiter told me they scheduled for the end of April. That timing worked well for me. I was a long-time fan of the rock group, “Deep Purple” and I waited for years to see them in concert. When I heard they were coming to San Diego the first week of April, I rushed to get tickets for a girlfriend and me. It seemed like a perfect way to start my new life by seeing my favorite band before heading out.

The funny thing about plans: They look good on paper, but life has a way of bumping them around. A few days before the concert, the recruiter told me the schedule moved up. The night of the concert would be my first night in boot camp.

Darn it. I gave the tickets to my girlfriend & prepared to go.

First Night in Boot Camp

That night a busload of nervous recruits slowly entered the Naval Training Center grounds. As we approached the dark area, we all peered out the windows, straining to see where we were going. The bus came to a sudden stop that jolted us in our seats. We sat there in the dark until the loud sound of an air cylinder broke the silence as it pushed the door open.

Again, we sat in silence for a few seconds until a large man climbed on the bus and stood by the driver. He stood there quietly surveying the group and then suddenly exploded orders.

“You’ve got 10-seconds to get off this bus and into ranks! Move! Now! Now! Now! Now!”

At that point we weren’t sure what “ranks” were, but we were going to figure it out real soon. As we rushed off the bus, there were 3 or 4 others yelling at us from different directions. They ran us in circles until we were at attention in a long line.

When the pandemonium settled down, the big guy began telling us the long list of rules. From that place in the middle of a large concrete field, I could see what appeared as the colored lights of the San Diego Sports Arena, where Deep Purple were playing at that moment.

By this time in life, I knew that life is not fair. This was just a reminder.

First Duty Station

After boot camp, I went to a series of aviation schools in Millington, TN. Then, off to my first duty station at a helicopter squadron in Imperial Beach, California, near San Diego. While it didn’t seem like I was going to see the world soon, I went to flight school, became a rescue aircrewman and life was good.

and then…

The Incident

I shared an upstairs apartment with a guy from the squadron. The apartment had a sliding glass door leading to a small balcony facing an alley. Downstairs in view were our motorcycles.

Late one night, I was getting ready to go to bed and looked outside, checking on the bikes below. In the distance, I could see sparks from a transformer on a distant pole. I told my roommate, and he came to look.

At that moment, a white 1960s Thunderbird slowly moved through the alley and stopped by our motorcycles. The driver got out and walked over to them and I went downstairs to ask what he’s doing. My roommate turned off the lights and opened the door to hear the conversation.

I went downstairs and called out, “What are you doing?” Startled, the guy said he was looking for someone that lived around there. “He drives a little Volkswagen Bug”, he said. Since there was no vehicle like that and he was standing by our motorcycles, it was apparent he was fishing for an excuse.

He opened his coat and displayed a large revolver tucked in his belt. We looked at each other eye-to-eye for a moment. I didn’t address the gun at all and said, “Look man… the person you’re looking for doesn’t live around here.”

He said, “Okay. Sorry to bother you” and he walked back to his car and drove off. When he left, I high-tailed it upstairs and made a call to the police. While on the phone, I also told them about the sparking transformer.

I thought he would go on his way and disappear.

After the report, the Imperial Beach Police checked out the area, looking for the white T-bird. After the gunman left the alley, he made a left turn heading onto the main street in front of the apartment.

The Police caught him coming up the stairs to our front door with his gun. According to the officer I spoke with, the guy had a long record and was wanted for other charges.

He apparently planned to take care of witnesses.

Sometimes, we don’t know how close we were to a dangerous situation. I’m glad that God gave us Psalm 91:11 that says,

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

⭐️ About Anthony M. Davis

Anthony M. Davis is a Leadership, Success & Stress Coach, Board Certified Therapist, and Top-100 International Travel Photographer. His free book, “Keys to Your Success” is available. Get your copy now.