Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I learned about the art of boxing in a roundabout way. We were cruising off the coast of Aqaba late one evening, and most of the guys were hanging around the lifeboat racks, shooting the breeze and talking scuttlebutt. Joe the big electrician spoke up, and said he didn’t like this particular guy on the ship. Then I spoke up and said I liked him very much and wanted to keep him on there. No more was said for the time being.

When I got ready to go down the ladder to the deck for watch, I felt this huge hand on my shoulder. I turned around and there was the most intimidating man I had ever seen. He stood about 6’4” and weighed about 250 pounds, with a bald head. He said, “Young man, I am proud of what you did back there. It shows you’re growing up and becoming a man.” You had to grow up quick in those days because there were a lot of rough people hanging around the docks waiting to ambush you. When we were at dock, we used to ...