Few decisions one makes are life changing, but joining TEA (1-C) in 1961, was just that for me. I had finished college and law school and one year teaching social studies in Newton, MA, but had no clear life goal. But, upon returning from TEA, I decided to pursue an Ed.D. degree in International Education with Drs. Butts and Scanlon. One day a call came from Syracuse University, the entity that had won a contract to train Peace Corps upper primary school teachers for Tanganyika. They wanted a former TEA’er to ease the transition in Tanganyika from USAID teachers to Peace Corps teachers. Recently married to fellow TEA’er Margaret Polga who had taught at neighboring Marian College in Morogoro, we returned to Tanganyika not knowing Margaret was pregnant. Our first child, Marin, was born at Aga Khan Hospital in Dar. (We had to pay for the services of a stand-by obstetrician). Because of wars in neighboring countries, at that time, it was risky traveling to visit PC teachers. I will always prize a letter written in 1965 by the Regional Commissioner of Mtwara region—a neighboring region to war torn Mozambique—which I always carried in case of capture. It read:
“Mr. R. Hinkle. The above named person is a Leader of the
American Peace Corps. He is visiting this Region in
Connection with peace corps duties. Grateful for any help
you can give him if in need.”
Thankfully, I never needed the help of the regional commissioner. But I still prize that letter, and now it is safely contained in a scrapbook of my life’s adventures along with the address and picture of our Dar-es-Salaam house in case Marin ever wants to see her first home.
Comments (1)
Ron Stockton said
at 10:24 am on Oct 8, 2011
For those who don't know, Marin, who plays Alan Harper's wife on Two and a Half Men, is one of ours. Thanks for the story.
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