I took my DFX down memory lane

[Schrecky]

I live about one-half mile from the house where I was raised. Although the house is not real old I decided to go and ask permission to hunt the yard in hopes of finding something from my childhood. What an experience I had. The house looks like this today.



I lived in this house from the late 1950’s until I got married and moved out in the early 1970’s. This is a picture of me, my sisters, and my grandmother standing in front of the house around 1958.



Before going to ask permission I searched through my photos for one to take with me to show that I had lived there. I came up with this one from 1971.



When I went to the door a lady answered and after telling her why I was there, what I wanted to do, and showing her the picture she gave me permission to detect. While I was standing on the porch her husband pulled into the driveway and he and three kids got out of the car. The boy was 10 years old and the two sisters were younger. The oldest girl was a blond. I was immediately reminded of my family when we live there in the 1960’s. I was the oldest child and had two younger sisters; the oldest one was also a blond. This family reminded me so much of my family. They were very friendly and invited me in to look around. As I stepped in the door and I can’t tell you how many memories came rushing to meet me. I just stood there and took everything in, it was amazing. The house looked much the same as I remembered 20 to 30 years earlier. The boy had the same bedroom that I had. The dressers my Dad built into the walls were still there. The attic door where my parents hid our Christmas presents was still there.

Now during the time I lived here the Cuban Missile Crisis happened around 1960. For those of you who are too young to know about this event, Russia set up missiles in Cuba which created a great threat to our country. The United States set up a blockade of all ships going to Cuba which resulted in a very tense situation. My Dad was in the Civil Defense and because of the missile threat people were encouraged to build fallout shelters in there basements to protect them from a nuclear attack on our country. My Dad built one in the basement of this house. I asked if the shelter was still there and the boy immediately asked if my hand print was one of the ones in the concrete ceiling leading into the shelter. I told him it was and we went downstairs to look at them. Here are our hand prints.





My hand print is the third one from the left with “Dan” over it.

The night after my first trip to this house I got very little sleep. I just kept remembering so many things about living in this house, it was overwhelming.

I finally got around to metal detecting. I enjoy detecting with kids and made four trips to hunt with my “helpers” (and other kids from the neighborhood). Here are the three kids that lived at the house.



There was a lot of junk and lots of clad which I gave to the kids. They were so excited. They wanted everything no matter what it was. They were impressed that I could tell them most of the time what the target would be before I dug it. At one point I mentioned that this target was going to be junk and one of them said “I haven’t got any junk yet, can I have it”.

There were quite a few wheat pennies and one Rosie.



Now, remember that I said I was hoping to find something that was mine? In the front yard I dug up a piece of a kid’s Lone Ranger badge. Close to the same area I ended up finding two more pieces of the same badge. When I put the three pieces together here is what I had.



I was so excited because my mind went back to a picture I had seen of me at a young age wearing a cowboy outfit and a lot of toy guns. I called my Dad and had him search through his pictures to see if he could find the photo. He found it. I asked him over the phone if I was wearing a badge. He said that I was. Here is the picture.



Now if you look closely at my right chest area you will see a badge. I believe that it is the same badge I found in the front yard. I consider this one of my best finds.

This will certainly be one of my most “memorable” hunts.

[Shaw]

Thanks for the pictures and the journey, Possibly one of the coolest threads I have read here.

I bet that badge is one of your greatest find to date.

Jason

[kilmer]

Great story, all of us would like to go back and so few of us can.
Glad it worked out for you and the "new kids" at the house.

HH Don

[curbdiggercarl57]

Six pistols and two rifles, love it! Wish I still had my GI-Joe's, the big guys, not those wimpy little six inch figures they put out in the 1980's. Great story, posts, and finds.

[vic910]

What a wonderfully memorable journey! Who says you can't go home again?

vicki

[DD-777]

Fantastic post - a pleasure to read this evening. Glad you had a memorable time and congrats on finding your badge...

[TreasurdiggrNY]

Great post and pics, thanks for sharing that great hunt, goes to show you can find more than metal with a detector
Glenn

[burglarifyoulike]

enjoyed every bit of your story!! so glad it turned out so great, adding more good memories!

[civilman1]

Schrecky....That is Awesome!!! ....Enough said!

[fortbball9]

Awesome story!!!!!
Don't ever let them memories fade.
Always remember the good old days
Congrats on finding some of your childhood memories

fortbball9

[catchdogcross]

Dude I have tears in my eyes, how touching... If only I could go back to my old home...
Catchdog

[Shaw]

Schrecky ...

Beyond RIGHTEOUS ...

I vote BANNER ...

~ Nick ~

Indeed!

[kimsdad]

First thing I did was count the guns. Wow Shrecky! Eight guns? No bad guys were going to mess with you!!

I'm glad you found the badge! What a great post!

Thanks for taking us along on your memorable & meaningful trip!

[Ohio Jerry]

That is nostalgia at it's best. I LOVE those kind of stories,thanks for sharing
Jerry

[sniffer]

now that's a walk I'd take anyday
thanks for sharing

Sniffer

[kdismuke1]

That was a heart warming post. I know you were proud to be back in the past.

[LI Tom]

That was just a wonderful post.Exploring old sights and memories,it must have been very emotional for you.It looks like I'm maybe 2 or 3 years older than you and that western garb photo really rings a bell as I have one just like it.My 88 and 87 year old parents still live in the house I grew up in and I know it will be hard to sell it when the time comes.

[halfdime]

What a great post!

[El Cooter]

This is just a really nice post, thank you.





Cooter

[xGregx]

Now that is just cool.. Congrats on the find and having that pic...

Love the tv in the background hehe...

Greg