I have always been lucky, lived an “Every Day is Friday Night” kind of life. A four leaf clover guards my shoulder. For example, the FBI, under the leadership of Director J. Edgar Hoover, hired 1000 new agents beginning June, 1969, the month that I graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law. I had already been accepted into the Bureau and took my seat in New Agents Class #17, June 23, for 4 months of training in Washington and at Quantico, Virginia.
After training, my first field assignment was Denver, another stroke of good fortune. I had never been to Denver or even Colorado and was eager to get there. I drove to Denver with relish, joining experienced agents and several dozen other bushy tailed first office agents to begin my career in earnest. My wife and two sons joined me for the year I would be in Denver.
A Denver FBI tradition was to have rookie agents serve as guides for public groups touring the office. My turn came and I reported to the reception room to give a short speech to a bright eyed group of about 20 adults before the tour began. I had mostly avoided giving speeches during college or law school, and was nervous. However, I was an FBI agent feeling my oats and fearlessly plunged ahead. “The Director of the FBI is HERBERT HOOVER,” I said with gusto, thereby bringing back to life the 31st President of the United States.
Oblivious and clueless, I charged the next hill in my speech. “FBI HQ is the central SUPPOSITORY for all fingerprint records in the U.S,” I beamed. Thus ending the very first and the very last public speech of my career in the Denver FBI.
Fear of Roosters - By Jack Owens 
Hahaaa…reminds me of an interview son Mickey did over twenty years ago when employed by another tv station…”and now we’re going to chat with Frank Pinkton, famous owner of a local sporting goods store”….I groaned…oh no! Yes, and he closed the spot with…how nice it was to speak with Frank Pinkton! His director demanded while the tape ran, “Did I just hear you call Fred Sington, Frank Pinkton?” To which Mickey responded with chagrin, “Yep, and you’re gonna hear it again at the end of the interview.”….He wasn’t long employed at that station.
Sent from my iPad
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
If only the camera had not be rolling. Still, Mickey’s humor or mistakes are to be cherished.
LikeLike
Ha! Reminded me of an occasion while I was in OSI (Air Force), prior to my Bureau career. I was an officer in charge of the investigative detachment at McChord AFB near Seattle, and one of my guys came in all sheepish after doing an important interview. He thought I might hear about it, so he told me preemptively that he had introduced himself as “Special Robert,” and then whipped out his credentials so enthusiastically that he threw them across the room.
LikeLike
Great stuff. Thanks for sharing. My audience in Denver was taken aback and surely amused.
LikeLike
VERY GOOD! When I was hired as a secretary for a defense contractor in Huntsville back in 1980, I was told that the secretary before me typed viewgraphs for the company’s vice president’s presentation in Washington at a very important meeting. Instead of typing “Free Electron Laser,” she typed “Free Erection Laser.” Oops.
LikeLike
Thank you, Jacque. A misplaced “Erection” is not desirable news.
LikeLike