by Ski Ingram
In 1960, I believe it was, we moved from Curtis Ave to a house on Manhattan Beach Blvd in Redondo Beach, California. Across Manhattan Beach Blvd was a very large field we called the “Jap Field.” On the north/east side of the Jap Field, in the city of Lawndale, was a driving range. We would collect all the golf balls that were driven over the fence into the Jap Field. After a few years of doing this, I had a large collection of used golf balls.
Around 1964 we moved a few blocks south to 3210 Gibson Lane. The house was on the corner of Vargas Way and Gibson Lane. The house had an alley behind the back yard. One day when I was 14 or 15, we received a bunch of Firecrackers and Cherry Bombs. I don’t remember where we got them. We must have gotten from Tajuana Mexico because every time we’d go there, we’d buy lots of Firecrackers and Cherry Bombs.
One day we found a piece of steel pipe about 3 feet long. We noticed that it was wide enough for a golf ball to just fit inside. Someone, I don’t remember who, but I wish I could say it was me, decided to drop a lit Cherry Bomb in the pipe and the golf ball on top of it. When the Cherry Bomb blew the golf ball flew, and I mean flew. It also makes a loud bang. It was great fun. We’d plant one end of the pipe in the ground, point it like it was a Mortar tube, light the Cherry Bomb, drop in the golf ball and let her rip. The golf ball would go flying through the neighborhood to land where we didn’t know or care. When we ran out of golf balls, we’d head to the driving range for more. When we ran out of Cherry Bombs, we’d have to wait for someone to make a run to Tajuana.
We were never caught and as far as I know no one was hurt or damaged by our shenanigans.
As remembered by Ski Ingram June 2019
