Oklahoma Chain(saw) Disaster

I can't remember exactly how old we were, but seems like we were around 8 and 9.  We being my older brother and I.  For those of you that don't know him. My old brother is Earl Leroy Ryan, Jr., usually known as JR.  We both loved to ride bicycles, and our Dad had taught us to maintain our bikes.  Sometimes kids like to improvise a little, so our maintenance techniques varied a little from Dad's tried and true methods. 


Dad taught us to lubricate the chain.  We found that we would flip the bicycle upside down, and get the job done in half the time.  We would turn the bike so that the seat and handle bars supported the bike.  With the wheels in the air, we could spin the pedals while dripping oil onto the chain.  Great idea, right?


Maybe a great idea, but I don't believe OSHA would approve.  With the bike inverted, more of the chain is exposed and the operator has much better access to the sprockets.  A little too much access, as JR soon discovered.  I can't remember who was cranking the pedals, and it may have been me.  I don't think that part matters.  What does matter is that JR took advantage of the easy access and ran his index finger through the sprocket.  I was amazed to find out that at well tightened and lubricated chain will cut off a kid's finger.  Needless to say, JR was a little shocked as well.  He jumped up and ran to the house with the severed finger. 


I also found that Mario Andretti would have a difficult time keeping pace with my Mom on the back-roads of Nowata County.  Mom packed the tip of JR's finger in ice, made the trip to the emergency room and made it in time for the ER doc to reattach the missing tip.  JR still bears the scar, but he can still do anything that requires an index finger.  For some crazy reason, he still won't let me crank the pedals while he oils the chain.

Gone Before Their Time

Two of my younger siblings have gone to meet their maker, ahead of schedule. 


My younger brother, Daniel Paul Ryan, passed at the age of 9 months.  He caught pneumonia, which was very often fatal in that day and time.  

I remember my Mom being frantic, loading up the kids and heading down the road.  I had no clue where we were going, only that we were in a big hurry.  I learned later that we were trying to get Danny to the hospital, since he had stopped breathing.  

Now, I can only imagine what was going through my Mom's mind.  CPR was unheard of, and may not have been the answer in any case.  Daniel was born after me, and before my younger brother Tommy Dewayne Ryan, and my sister Glenda Melvina May Ryan (McClure).  

I also remember attending Danny's funeral.  We had an old Dodge station wagon, and we have a picture of the family, at the cemetery, standing around the car.  Strange thing to remember, but little things like that just get stuck in memory and won't go away.


My younger brother, Tommy Dewayne Ryan, passed at the age of 57.  Tommy and I were best friends when we were younger, and spent a lot of time fishing, hunting, camping and riding motorcycles together.  We just enjoyed spending time and talking.  We never solved any world issues, we just talked about the things kids talk about.  

Even though we spent a lot of time together, I feel like we should have had more time.  Tommy was a good guy.  He cared about Mom and Dad and his family.  In fact, he cared more about friends and family than he cared about himself.  Not a bad trait, if you have plenty of money or time to spare.  Sadly, Tommy didn't have an overabundance of either. 

I made the slide show, and spoke at his funeral, but I still feel like I should have done a lot more.  Tommy wouldn't have cared.  He would have been happy to know that we cared enough to show up.  If he were still here, I would say "I love you man", and he would say "I love you too."

I still have two surviving siblings, so I need to make sure they know how much I care. We all need to make sure our loved ones know that they are indeed loved.  Hugs should always be free to anyone that needs one.

My mother passed in 2017 and dad made until 2023, just short of his 94th birthday. 

  

I guess I'm the sentimental one, because I always send a text to my older brother and baby sister, on their birthdays and the birthdays of the family members that left us too soon.

Take This Job

On July 1, 2013, I retired after working for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for 38 years.  I started working at the Pawnee County maintenance yard on January 15, 1975.


 I had work for Stewart Stone, at the rock quarry off and on from the time I was 14 years old.  Mostly after school and during the Summer break from school.  My father was the superintendent at Stewart Stone, so he managed to convince the owner that I was worth the risk.  I liked the job and it was a great opportunity to gain some experience in operating heavy equipment.  My Dad worked there for 47 years, and finally retired after a shoulder injury. 


I went to work for a local heating and air conditioning firm, Pawnee Heat and Air, straight out of high school.  After a short company sponsored school, I was performing maintenance, installations and anything necessary to keep people cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter.  I left Pawnee Heat and Air and went back to the rock quarry since breaking rocks paid better than twisting wires. 


While working at Stewart Stone, a coworker, Alvin Smith, talked to me about working at ODOT.  He had worked for ODOT for a very short time, until he decided it was detrimental to his Social Security.  Alvin was around 62 at the time and planning on retiring at 65.  He said ODOT's retirement system was designed for younger people who could stay for a long time. Old Al knew what he was talking about, and I'm glad I listened. 

I applied for the job and got a response within a week.  After a short interview I was told to show up on January 15.  My supervisor used my equipment operating skills as a base to train me to flag traffic, and cut brush along the right-of-way.  Since it was January in Oklahoma, I did those manual labor tasks in sub-freezing temperatures.  

I seriously considered returning to the rock breaking business, but some unseen power convinced me to stay.  ODOT, or any state agency in Oklahoma for that matter never paid what I could have made in the private sector, but having health insurance, vacation and sick pay, and a retirement plan almost made up for the low pay.  

The benefits weren't a good selling point to a 20 year old, but since I was married and had a little girl to consider, I stuck it out.  I had to work for ODOT for 7 years to finally get back to the salary that I was making in the rock quarry, so needless to say, we had to learn to live a little more frugally than we had in previous years.


In April 1975, a Division Wide crew came to Pawnee County to apply a chip seal to State Highway 18, South of Pawnee.  The Supervisor, Jim Hayes, talked to me about my skill set.  The next day, he asked if I could drive a 10 cubic yard dump truck, with a 10-speed transmission.  I said I could, and he had me drive the truck all day hauling 5/8" chips from the stockpile to the chipping machine.  The following day, Jim asked if I could operate a front-end loader.  I told him that was my favorite piece of equipment.  He had me load limestone chips from the stockpile, onto the trucks until the job was complete.  I believe I loaded nearly 1,000 tons of chips before the end of the job.

When Jim's crew was ready to move to the next job, he stopped me in the maintenance yard.  I assumed he was telling me goodbye.  Instead, he told me the crew would leave a 5 yard dump truck in the Pawnee yard for me to drive to Osage County for the next job.  Jim said, "you work for me now."  That was a major turning point in my career.  I worked for Jim until the crew was disbanded, at which time I returned to the Pawnee County crew.

I was contacted by Frank Chiles, the Maintenance Engineer, in October 1979.  He asked if I would take the Maintenance Superintendent position in Osage County.  I originally told him no, but he called back about a week later and asked if I would do it for 6 months, or until they could find someone else. 10 years later, I was still in Osage County. I must have accidently accepted and worked there until 1990.  

The new Maintenance Engineer, Ed Kellogg, asked me to transfer back to Pawnee County to accept the Maintenance Superintendent position.  That position was vacated by my old supervisor, Loy Dallas, aka "Ol' Blue Eyes".  Funny how things sometimes go full circle. 

I supervised the maintenance operations in Pawnee County for 10 years, until I applied for the Area Maintenance Manager position at the Division office, in Tulsa.  

I took the promotion and began the job in June 2000.  I managed maintenance operations in a 12 county area for 13 years and finally decided enough was enough.  Driving 70 miles to the office, and then driving 100-300 miles each day just got old.  

I had driven as many as 400 mile checking snow removal activities.  My wife, Peggy didn't like the idea of me driving 50-60,000 miles per year, sometimes all bight long.  She thought I had been lucky for all those years, but that sooner or later, she would get a call from the highway patrol or ODOT.  

She wanted me to take the retirement, while I was still healthy.  She knew that the average life expectancy of an ODOT employee after retirement is 6 months.  

I have taken on the mission to raise that number as much as possible.  Now, when it snows, or someone is needed to clean up after a natural disaster, I can put another log on the fire, and remember the "Good Ol' Days".  The Good Ol' Days really were good, but I am finding out that retirement is even better.

Those Who Don't Know History

I love history.  We are all taught history in school, but sometimes the best history is taught at home.  

My Mom is a great source of our family history.  In fact she has compiled a couple of books on our family.  I'm glad she took the time to put it on paper for the next generation.  

I'll write more on that later, but since this is Memorial Day weekend, I would like to pass on a little military history. 
I come from a long line of military, but I haven't been fortunate enough to sit down and talk to many of my uncles or aunts about their military careers.

My nephew is currently an E-6, serving in the 101st.  T.J served two tours in Iraq. and one tour in Afghanistan.  His current duty station is Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  

Another nephew, Marc, retired in 2014, after 20 years in the Navy.  Both of them make my 10 years look like a vacation, so I have to thank them for their dedication and service to our country.

Several of my uncles served in WWII, but I was not fortunate enough to hear their stories.

My father served in the U.S. Army, as an Ordinance Specialist. He was never deployed and eventually received a hardship discharge so he could help our ailing grandfather, on the family farm.

My father-in-law is a WWII veteran of the Pacific Campaign, but he doesn't like to talk about it.  As a vet, I understand, but that also helped us connect.  He and I have spent several hours talking about his experiences in WWII.  

He was in the 81st Infantry Division, aka Wildcat Division.  His first stop OCONUS (Outside Continental United States), was Australia.  He island hopped to New Guinea, New Caledonia, and then Peleliu for Operation Stalemate II.  

The 81st Division fought alongside the 1st Marine Division.  The battle lasted for two months and the National Museum of the Marine Corp called it "the bitterest battle of the war for the Marines".  

He is a member of the "Greatest Generation" and should be considered a hero. He was a resident of the local nursing home at the age of 94, when he passed  Thank you, Estelle, for your sacrifice and service.  Thank you for providing us with the freedom that most of us take for granted.