Cpl Vic Burk 6569439 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I remember Christmas when I was in the eighth grade. We had just moved and there was next to no money left for Christmas that year. My brother surprised me and got me a gift from the Western Auto (Remember that chain?). It was a one transistor radio kit put out by Heathkit. I assembled it and to my surprise, it worked! <br /><br />I became intrigued by electricity and electronics and wanted to know how it worked. How could that little thing take a signal out of the air and turn it into sound into that earphone? I dove head first into studying electronics and knew that was what I wanted to do in life. (My father was kind of pissed off because he wanted me to go in construction. He saw me and my brothers as employees more than anything) I also knew I wanted to go to DeVry University (Formerly know as DeVry Institute of Technology). After my military service I did just that and got my degree in electronics engineering technology. I worked the field for a long time before getting into the education side and started teaching mathematics. <br /><br />Imagine that, a little transistor radio kit changed and guided my life! Thanks brother. 2020-12-10T19:05:20-05:00 Cpl Vic Burk 6569439

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I remember Christmas when I was in the eighth grade. We had just moved and there was next to no money left for Christmas that year. My brother surprised me and got me a gift from the Western Auto (Remember that chain?). It was a one transistor radio kit put out by Heathkit. I assembled it and to my surprise, it worked! <br /><br />I became intrigued by electricity and electronics and wanted to know how it worked. How could that little thing take a signal out of the air and turn it into sound into that earphone? I dove head first into studying electronics and knew that was what I wanted to do in life. (My father was kind of pissed off because he wanted me to go in construction. He saw me and my brothers as employees more than anything) I also knew I wanted to go to DeVry University (Formerly know as DeVry Institute of Technology). After my military service I did just that and got my degree in electronics engineering technology. I worked the field for a long time before getting into the education side and started teaching mathematics. <br /><br />Imagine that, a little transistor radio kit changed and guided my life! Thanks brother.

2020-12-10T19:05:20-05:00 2020-12-10T19:05:20-05:00 Lt Col Charlie Brown 6569452

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>A bicycle even though it was a cleaned up hand me down. It gave me a lot of freedom

2020-12-10T19:08:56-05:00 2020-12-10T19:08:56-05:00 GySgt Gary Cordeiro 6569458

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Great share, I had a meager upbringing so gifts were few. I’m glad that you were so blessed to receive a life changing gift.

2020-12-10T19:10:49-05:00 2020-12-10T19:10:49-05:00 SFC Private RallyPoint Member 6569505

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I&#39;m not really sure they were all great. My parents recorded nearly every holiday and in the video tapes my brother found, he had them transferred to DVD. So I can look back on a lot of holidays -and realize that even though my dad didn&#39;t always have a lot we usually got some of what we asked for Christmas. <br /><br />My older brothers had nearly every single Star Wars toy - I wish they had taken care of them. Worth so much now. Some might be buried in the old garden at my dad&#39;s - and a bag of weapons is somewhere in that house. <br /><br />I had a few Star Wars figures but they got most of that. I know I had a lot of My Little Ponies, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Cabbage Patch Doll, Barbies. I have been searching my dad&#39;s house every time I go home to find MLP because I know those are all there. Unfortunately my stepsister&#39;s disrespectful kids destroyed my Barbies. I know none of them were worth money but I could have given them to my daughter. They lost all the accessories, I found Barbies with heads missing. I did get my tool box &quot;Barbie case&quot; back though. My parents got me that because the regular Barbie case always got destroyed. It worked. <br /><br />I did often ask for a lot of books. Lisa Frank lol. I wanted to learn piano and I got a keyboard one year. Nothing fancy. I sort of learned a little. <br /><br />I also figured out my parents are Santa at 5...but I kept it up for the younger siblings. I further figured it out when we realized Santa had our mom&#39;s handwriting...<br /><br />We got pretty good gifts considering the financial situation among my parents.

2020-12-10T19:22:50-05:00 2020-12-10T19:22:50-05:00 CAPT Kevin B. 6569660

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>The one my parents grew to hate was a steel needle record player that I constantly played &quot;Purple People Eater&quot; on. The one that likely sparked my interest in engineering was a Heathkit shortwave receiver kit. It took me several days to solder in every piece and tune it up, but I was amazed how well it worked. Quickest present loss that really disappointed me was a Cox 049 gas driven hovercraft. Had it out in the street and my smartass brother cut the cord. Naturally it went downhill and into the storm drain. We heard it fade away for some time.

2020-12-10T20:24:43-05:00 2020-12-10T20:24:43-05:00 MSgt Don VandeBogert 6569908

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Nintendo with the 3 game cassette...Super Mario Bros, Duck Hint, and Track Meet amd also ot Contra and Zelda, the Adventure of Link (still have them). Had to use the high tech coax cable to antenna adapter so it would work on our TV. Fired it up, and spent the next few hours watching my father play Duck Hunt before I even got to play. Nothing worse for a kid that just got a game system than to open it with great joy only to be unable to use it right away. Dad had fun though.

2020-12-10T22:46:43-05:00 2020-12-10T22:46:43-05:00 SSG Laurie Mullen 6570177

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>It was a three foot polar bear. There was barely any room for me on the bed because I insisted on having the bear with me under the covers.

2020-12-11T03:35:05-05:00 2020-12-11T03:35:05-05:00 MSG Danny Mathers 6570847

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I bought a heathkit computer back in 1977 that used a cassette player as a hard drive. I learb=ned tpo program it to play computer tennis and ping pong. I wish I still had it it.

2020-12-11T09:36:02-05:00 2020-12-11T09:36:02-05:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 6571378

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Dad was disabled. Mom worked. 6 kids. Times were always lean. Moved around a lot because of doctors. Always had a little something under the tree. <br />Never got a bad gift. Mom and Dad did the best they could and stayed married 54 years and we always spent christmas as a family. <br />My parents were my gift

2020-12-11T13:10:40-05:00 2020-12-11T13:10:40-05:00 SFC Chuck Martinez 6577792

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I got a beautiful Red Hercules English Racer with very thin tires!

2020-12-13T20:40:02-05:00 2020-12-13T20:40:02-05:00 MSG Private RallyPoint Member 6577885

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>First time Santa brought me Star Wars figures. I was 8.

2020-12-13T22:01:56-05:00 2020-12-13T22:01:56-05:00 SSG Shawn Mcfadden 6578264

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>One of my Uncle&#39;s get me a radio controlled car. Still have it to this day.

2020-12-14T05:35:31-05:00 2020-12-14T05:35:31-05:00 SMSgt Lawrence McCarter 6578772

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>One of the great things I got was a complete set of an American Flyer electric train and track layout, transformer with locomotive, freight cars and caboose. My Dad had it all set up and the tracks attached on a piece of Plywood for Christmas morning. I still have that complete train set and even the original box it came in and it still works fine .

2020-12-14T10:50:30-05:00 2020-12-14T10:50:30-05:00 PO2 Christina "Jian" Phillips 6578773

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>My father coming back early from a cruise day before Christmas when we were told he was out til Jan 2nd. One of 4 Christmas&#39;s I had with my dad out of his career before he retired and the best one ever.

2020-12-14T10:51:26-05:00 2020-12-14T10:51:26-05:00 MAJ Jim Woods 6578918

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>When I was about 5 I got a red tractor for Christmas at my Grandma&#39;s house in Electra, TX. Dad was stationed at Ft. Hood.

2020-12-14T11:58:52-05:00 2020-12-14T11:58:52-05:00 Maj John Bell 6580444

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I can remember the worst. We got to open one package on Christmas Eve. I picked mine. My Dad said I should probably pick another. No way!!! I thought, If he didn&#39;t want me to open it up, it must be a good one.<br /><br />It was a pack of 4 D cell batteries.

2020-12-14T22:02:29-05:00 2020-12-14T22:02:29-05:00 MSgt Mark Bucher 6581435

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Hockey sticks

2020-12-15T08:58:17-05:00 2020-12-15T08:58:17-05:00 2020-12-10T19:05:20-05:00