Past Delegate, current Archivist for Northern Illinois, sober 17 years, born and raised in Buffalo, NY, his wife, Mary Lou, spoke the day before at the Al-Anon meeting.
His dad, a Mohawk Indian, divorced his mother when Hank was young.
Hank got involved in the harness racing business because his father was.
He joined the Army Airborne to get out of the harness business.
He would hitchhike from Kentucky to Chicago for an evening date with Mary Lou.
They got married before he was transferred to Japan and Mary Lou stayed home.
That was when his drinking started.
When he did start coming to AA, 5/2/1972, he would go to the bar for a couple beers first.
August 1973, AA finally got to him, in his car at a bar, he asked God for help.
(1 hr 2 min) (10.8 MB) (id#2557)