A Different Path

After graduating from the United States Military Academy and being commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, Neal Creighton spent his first five years in the Army in troop assignments in the United States and in Germany. When his Armored Cavalry Regiment returned to the United States in the fall of 1957, they found themselves at Fort Knox, Kentucky. It is at this point that the author begins his story of a 26-year period covered in the pages of this book. At Fort Knox, he meets Jo Ann Hicks, an employee of the U.S. Army Armored School. They become engaged three months after meeting. The marriage ceremony takes place on August 1st, 1958, at Jo Anns familys church. After a month long honeymoon Neal and Jo Ann return to Fort Knox where they live in their first government supplied family quarters, Jo Ann goes back to her job, and Neal becomes a student for a nine months long class at the Armored School. In the chapter on their time at Fort Knox, the author describes the life style of the typical young Army family living on a military post in the 1950s. Not long into the school year, they are told they will be going to Spain for a year where Neal will study Spanish in preparation for then returning to West Point where he will teach the language. Once in Spain, both Creightons initially attend a university in north Spain. In the fall, they return to Madrid where Neal continues as a student and Jo Ann takes a job with a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency office. During the year, they travel extensively throughout Spain and Portugal. At the end of their time in Spain, they make a month long trip beginning in North Africa, passing through France, Italy, Austria and both East and West Germany. From 1960 to 1963, Neal has his tour as a member of the Military Academy faculty. The Superintendent of the Academy is Major General William Westmoreland and Neal becomes one of Westmorelands tennis playing partners. Jo Ann returns to work as a government employee. However, after a year, she becomes pregnant and leaves the workforce. Unfortunately, she loses the baby while Neal is traveling in Mexico. After she recovers, the Creightons decide to adopt. Shortly before their three years at West Point are up, they succeed in adopting a six-week old daughter whom they name Linda. Several months later, they are informed that their next assignment will be to the Dominican Republic where Neal will be tasked with helping the Dominicans start a Military Academy. Not long before they depart, Jo Ann learns she is once again pregnant. Arriving in the Dominican Republic in the summer of 1963, the Creightons quickly find a house to rent and Neal begins his work. At this time, the Dominican Republic is trying to recover from decades of domination of dictator Raphael Trujillo, who had been assassinated in 1961. Neal has an early meeting with Dominican President Juan Bosch. In September, a worried Bosch consults Neal about the situation at San Isidro where the Academy is located. Shortly after that, Bosch is overthrown by Neals Dominican boss. The U.S. breaks relations with the new Dominican Government and orders all its diplomats and military out of the country. Before this evacuation takes place, Neal becomes seriously ill and is evacuated to the U.S. Army hospital in Puerto Rico. Jo Ann accompanies Neal because of the seriousness of his illness. Meanwhile, back in the Dominican Republic, the Americans are evacuated by boat, leaving little nine months old Linda in the Creighton house in Santo Domingo alone with the two maids. Jo Ann returns to reclaim her daughternow not an easy process. Finally, Linda and Jo Ann do get aboard a plane for Puerto Rico where they meet Puerto Rican baseball legend Roberto Clementewho then helps the Creightons while they remain in San Juan. The next stop for the Creightons is the Panama Canal Zone. They are soon caught up in the serious anti-US riots of January 9, 1964 and are lucky to escape without injury. At work, Ne