Expired Drivers License

I worked on the Eastern Test Range in the Bahamas Islands or in Florida from 1958 until 1967. I was at the Tech Lab at Patrick Air Force Base from 1960 until 1965. We traveled frequently from our office in the Tech Lab to Cape Canaveral and other outlying sites.

A bus ran about once an hour between the Tech Lab and Cape Canaveral, but not to the other outlying sites. We could either ride the bus to the Cape or check out military vehicles from the motor pool.

If you rode the bus, you might have to wait up to an hour to catch one back. Many times, I drove my own car. That way, I could stop in Cocoa Beach and have coffee.

Another technical writer, Don, carpooled to work; so normally did not have a car to take to the Cape. Usually, he checked out a vehicle from the motor pool. We were not required to have military driver's licenses; our Florida license was acceptable.

One afternoon, Don came back from the Cape in a government vehicle. He stopped by the office to drop off some material before he returned the vehicle to the motor pool.

He left the Tech Lab to go to the motor pool by the back route alongside the runways. A road went from the back side of the Tech Lab alongside the hangar parking areas and to the main streets within Patrick Air Force Base. There were no shoulders alongside this narrow road; it was just soft sand on either side of the narrow, two-lane pavement.

The speed limit was 15 mph. Don was driving 30 mph. An Air Police vehicle came up behind him with lights flashing. Don stopped on the pavement alongside the runway. Neither vehicle pulled off the pavement onto the soft sand.

The AP stepped up to Don's window and asked for his driver's license. Don handed it to him. The AP looked at the license for a moment and said, "You can't drive this vehicle. Your license is expired."

Don took the license back and looked at it. It had been expired for three months. There was very little traffic on this road, but now a few vehicles were stopped behind Don and the AP. The AP told Don to drive the vehicle another quarter-mile to a parking area to relieve traffic.

Don climbed out of the vehicle and said, "You told me that I can't drive this vehicle. Move it yourself."

The AP had to radio for help, because Don refused to drive the vehicle. He then took Don to the Provost Marshall's office and called our manager, Charlie. The Provost Marshall wanted to lock Don up.

I don't know what Charlie did, but he got Don off with a reprimand. Charlie was always getting us out of trouble.