Page 38 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2022 - Online Magazine
P. 38
Clemmie E. Payne, Jr.
“Devil Duck”
by Tana Payne
We met in 1991 while he was
stationed at Iwakuni Marine Air
Station in Japan. I was working
at Yokota Air Base, and he asked
me to dance … we have been
dancing through life together
ever since. He enjoys telling
Desert Storm "Doc" people that he is from Texas, and
I am from Iowa, but we met in
learned to swim, that was a good Japan.
thing. You also can’t convince
him to get on a cruise ship either. From Japan, we went to Everett,
He says he is not getting into any WA, and he was a plank owner
water that he can’t drink his way for the new Naval Station there.
out of! (You become a plank owner
when you are stationed at a
Clemmie also used his training as brand-new Naval Station.) Puget
a Hospital Corpsman to become Sound is gorgeous, but there’s
an EMT during his down time. lots of rain. It sounds strange
He used his steady nerves during to complain of rain when you
y husband, Clemmie emergency situations for good.
Payne’s, story began He was also given a citation for live in an area that is prone to
Min Houston but, like assisting in search and recovery drought … the real problem was
so many others, is filled with during the La Prieta earthquake no thunder! Lots of lightning, but
multiple stops, changes, and while he was stationed at no thunder at all! The first storm
chapters in it. He graduated from Mountain View, CA. He has we had in Lubbock, we were
Furr High School in Pleasantville, some interesting stories about thrilled to hear the thunder after
Texas and immediately began his EMT runs, but you do have all those years without it. Oddly
his college education at Prairie to ask him to share; he is a very enough, Lubbock has a higher
View A&M that next week. He modest man. yearly snowfall than the Seattle
was a Pre-Med student until area. With Mount Hood nearby,
the summer of 1982. He wanted Clemmie spent most of his time that sounds weird but true. We
to take the summer off, and between 29 Palms and Camp welcomed the easy navigation
his mother said he needed to Pendleton. He was sent to Desert and minor traffic when we
get a job. She saw an ad in the Storm with the 1st Marine moved to Lubbock. It has been
newspaper and told him to call Division for the first nine months amazing to watch the growth of
them. Next thing she knew, he of the conflict. He learned how Lubbock since 1998.
was in the Navy! She was not to barbeque He spent 11 of his
happy to see her only son going camel ribs 21 years attached
off to sail the high seas. while he was to the Marines, and
there! (Never they proudly called
He stayed in the medical field tell a Texas
as a Hospital Corpsman and man he can’t him a Devil Duck
trained to be a Fleet Marine Force barbeque in the at his retirement
Corpsman so he could spend desert. He’ll ceremony in
most of his time in the field with find something Oklahoma City in
the Marines. He only spent time to slap on the 2003. I am amazed
on a ship when his Marines were grill.) Vintage Payne at the number
using it as a taxi. Since he never family photo of people who
38 Lubbock Senior Link
