The Doctor got a Shot
in His Thumb

by Trish
(Glen Burnie MD )

I was five years old when the 1964 Earthquake struck.

My father, brothers, and sister were home.

My brother was watching Fireball XL5 on TV. The countdown for the spacecraft had started. When it hit 1 on the countdown, everything started shaking violently.

Dad told my older sister to sit on us to keep us from running over the broken glass. My brother stood up and held on to the television to save it.

Mom was at the Commissary getting food for Easter. She was in the parking lot getting ready to drive home. Cars in the lot were moving back and forth. She fell, and an airman had to help get her up.

It seemed like the earthquake lasted forever.

So much happened in the days that followed.

My sister's school on Government Hill had been destroyed. The J.C. Penney building was in pieces on the ground. A family who lost their home came to stay with us.

There were several aftershocks and I remember feeling very frightened.

We lived on the Air Force base in Anchorage, and I remember my mother having to boil water. There were many aftershocks, and I remember me and the other kids feeling very frightened.

Then everyone on base had to get shots.

We stood in an assembly line as the military doctor gave each person their shot.

It was uncomfortable watching everyone step up to get their shot. Then I was next.

The military doc grabbed my arm to give me the shot. But I jumped just as he was trying to put the needle in my arm. He ended up with the needle in his thumb, while I was left with a scratch.

I loved Alaska!

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