David Levin
Then
It is so hard for me to believe I have found you all. Time has taken me down a truly interesting yet crooked road. As my oldest friend Jeff Davis told me, it is time to share the “Readers Digest” version of my story for you all. So here it goes.
As you know, I was truly lucky to have experienced singing with the Music Men. I can still remember to this day entertaining for you at the school assembly. We loved singing and that and the Battle of the Bands competition at the Hollywood Bowl were experiences I will cherish forever. After graduation, we tried, but couldn’t get record labels to give us a chance. They told us we had a good sound but it just wasn’t commercial. The group broke up and Terry Benson and I formed a new group called Our Gang. We added female vocals and cut a demo record. It’s a tough business to break into and we tried but as luck would have it, didn’t work out for us. We heard that the New Christy Minstrels were having auditions and both Terry and I tried out for this marvelous group. They liked my voice but as I didn’t play an instrument at a professional level, I didn’t make the cut. Now Terry on the other hand did and was very successful in his music career. Kenny Rogers was also a member of the group and Terry and he left the Minstrels and formed a group called the First Edition. The rest is history.
I went to Pierce College for a while and started getting attention from the Draft Board. I really didn’t feel I would be suited for the Army and enlisted in the Air Force in February 1967. After my basic training in San Antonio, my first assignment took me to Rhein Main Air Base, Frankfurt, Germany. I spent three years there and also met my first wife Eva there. Our travels with the Air Force took us to Barksdale Air Base, Shreveport, Louisiana, where our son Rick was born. It also included assignments in Washington DC and concluded at Norton Air Force Base. My work assignment was as a Special Investigator with the Office of Special Investigations. On March 30, 1972, I was given a Humanitarian Discharge after my wife left Rick and I. I raised Rick since he was two years old.
As you know, I was truly lucky to have experienced singing with the Music Men. I can still remember to this day entertaining for you at the school assembly. We loved singing and that and the Battle of the Bands competition at the Hollywood Bowl were experiences I will cherish forever. After graduation, we tried, but couldn’t get record labels to give us a chance. They told us we had a good sound but it just wasn’t commercial. The group broke up and Terry Benson and I formed a new group called Our Gang. We added female vocals and cut a demo record. It’s a tough business to break into and we tried but as luck would have it, didn’t work out for us. We heard that the New Christy Minstrels were having auditions and both Terry and I tried out for this marvelous group. They liked my voice but as I didn’t play an instrument at a professional level, I didn’t make the cut. Now Terry on the other hand did and was very successful in his music career. Kenny Rogers was also a member of the group and Terry and he left the Minstrels and formed a group called the First Edition. The rest is history.
I went to Pierce College for a while and started getting attention from the Draft Board. I really didn’t feel I would be suited for the Army and enlisted in the Air Force in February 1967. After my basic training in San Antonio, my first assignment took me to Rhein Main Air Base, Frankfurt, Germany. I spent three years there and also met my first wife Eva there. Our travels with the Air Force took us to Barksdale Air Base, Shreveport, Louisiana, where our son Rick was born. It also included assignments in Washington DC and concluded at Norton Air Force Base. My work assignment was as a Special Investigator with the Office of Special Investigations. On March 30, 1972, I was given a Humanitarian Discharge after my wife left Rick and I. I raised Rick since he was two years old.
My mom and Dad offered to help me with Rick so we moved in with them. I was able to get a job with the VA Hospital in Sepulveda. While in the Air Force, I took many classes through the University of Maryland Extension Institute. My interests were in Public Administration. My boss at the VA adjusted my work schedule so I could attend college. Studying at CSUN, I received my Bachelor’s Degree in 1976.
I wanted to make a career in the VA and the way you had to move up in the organization on a managerial level was to apply for higher level positions at their other facilities across the nation. My career spanned the period from 1972-2006. Locations included Roseburg, Oregon, Providence, Rhode Island Washington DC and Northampton, Massachusetts. Now the VA has 173 Medical Centers, thousands of outpatient clinics and hundreds of Nursing Homes nationwide. While in Washington DC, I was fortunate enough to work as one of six Regional Directors, where I had the responsibility for overseeing Medical Center Operations for 45 Medical Centers. I traveled over 60 percent of my time, assisting Medical Center management achieve their goals of providing our nation's Veterans the care they needed. It was an awesome responsibility and very rewarding. I retired on January 3, 2006.
I unfortunately had failed relationships over the years but that crooked road I mentioned in the beginning lead me to my soul mate and wonderful wife Lauren. Lauren’s two children have been just like my own. David graduated from UMASS Amherst and went on to get his Master’s Degree from Hofstra University in New York. He now works at Odessa College in Texas getting enough experience to get a position in Student Life at a larger University. Our daughter Bethany graduated High School in 2013 and is enrolled at UMASS Amherst studying Linguistics.
My son Rick and his wife Misa live in Tallahassee, Florida and have four wonderful children. I am a proud Grandfather and yes, a great grandfather of two!
Well there you have it in a nutshell. Lauren and I live in Holyoke, Massachusetts, “Birthplace of Volleyball”. Lauren plans to retire in five years and we plan to enjoy each other and travel across this wonderful country of ours.
I wanted to make a career in the VA and the way you had to move up in the organization on a managerial level was to apply for higher level positions at their other facilities across the nation. My career spanned the period from 1972-2006. Locations included Roseburg, Oregon, Providence, Rhode Island Washington DC and Northampton, Massachusetts. Now the VA has 173 Medical Centers, thousands of outpatient clinics and hundreds of Nursing Homes nationwide. While in Washington DC, I was fortunate enough to work as one of six Regional Directors, where I had the responsibility for overseeing Medical Center Operations for 45 Medical Centers. I traveled over 60 percent of my time, assisting Medical Center management achieve their goals of providing our nation's Veterans the care they needed. It was an awesome responsibility and very rewarding. I retired on January 3, 2006.
I unfortunately had failed relationships over the years but that crooked road I mentioned in the beginning lead me to my soul mate and wonderful wife Lauren. Lauren’s two children have been just like my own. David graduated from UMASS Amherst and went on to get his Master’s Degree from Hofstra University in New York. He now works at Odessa College in Texas getting enough experience to get a position in Student Life at a larger University. Our daughter Bethany graduated High School in 2013 and is enrolled at UMASS Amherst studying Linguistics.
My son Rick and his wife Misa live in Tallahassee, Florida and have four wonderful children. I am a proud Grandfather and yes, a great grandfather of two!
Well there you have it in a nutshell. Lauren and I live in Holyoke, Massachusetts, “Birthplace of Volleyball”. Lauren plans to retire in five years and we plan to enjoy each other and travel across this wonderful country of ours.
The original group, "The Music Men" (left to right here: Dick Olson, David Levin and Terry Benson).
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Our wedding photo-Lauren and myself
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Another current photo of Lauren and myself
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My daughter Bethany's high school graduation
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Visiting my son Rick's family in Florida
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My wonderful great grandchildren
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Comments
Dave Levin! I just wanted to say how I appreciate your single Dad status! I was a single Mom for 13 years! It was a rewarding challenge wearing all of the parent hats alone! And maintaining a career. I admire you & am looking forward to seeing you again!
Gloria Dorcy O'Doul
Gloria Dorcy O'Doul
Dave, you have a great story and a great legacy. We had a good time in high school and in the college YMCA club, the Mercurians. Then like so many in our class, life takes over and everyone is going in different directions. I'm glad you will be coming to share some great moments with your classmates at the 50th event.
Dick Eyster
Dick Eyster