In April 1966 I was hired by a surgical/medical supply company in Santa Barbara, California, Pacific Surgical Co., as the accounts receivable bookkeeper. After a couple of years my responsibilities included accounts payable and payroll . Santa Barbara was the main office and the largest branch was in Los Angeles. In addition to my boss, the majority owner, there were two minor partners in the company, both based out of the Los Angeles operation.
One of them was a fellow named Matt Bender.
The company belonged to a trade association and I was invited to be part of the company entourage for the annual meeting in Las Vegas in 1968. My first airplane ride was from S.B. to Las Vegas. The company had a huge hospitality suite at the conference hotel, the International, later the Hilton. After everyone got sorted out I was invited to drop my bag in the master suite, sharing a king size bed with Mr. Bender, a very nice gentleman in his sixties. Mr. Bender was the half brother of Pat Nixon, the First Lady. I was a very young 22 year old Jehovah's Witness with a wife and two little girls. I was in awe of the big time company situation I was thrust into. During the cocktail party I tried to mingle and greet all the drop in big shots, doctors, hospital administrators etc. at our cocktail party . But I was not used to alcohol and started feeling like a fish out of water.
I knew that my aunt and uncle were serving the Las Vegas area as circuit overseer at the time. I made a couple of calls and located him. He invited me to go with him to an assembly part rehearsal at a local KH. I took a cab to the outskirts of Las Vegas where they had their tiny little Airstream aluminum travel trailer parked buhind the KH. After the rehearsal they invited me to spend the night on their sofa. After we turned out the lights my Uncle said our prayer out loud from the bedroom. I felt I was truly where I belonged. He dropped me off at the International the next morning and I tip toed into the hotel room at about 8:30 am. Mr. Bender raised his head, chuckled and said "got lucky, eh, son?". If he only knew.