August 1969: graduation! I walked off the parade field to be congratulated by my girlfriend, her brother, her mother and grandmother. We immediately went to my new assignment on the base, and I asked the non-commissioned officer in charge for a weekend pass.

The pass was granted, so we left and drove to my home in Pontiac, Mich. I had a great weekend with the family, but never told anyone that the pass restricted me to a 25-mile radius of Fort Knox, Ky., so technically I was AWOL!