Rhyming Game

Our whole family were driving on Hwy 48, north of Englewood. I must have been about 20, because my sister Kym was with us and participating in our conversations, so she must have been at least six or seven. Dad was driving and we were playing a game.

Someone would see an object, say its name and the next person would have to rhyme and so on, each taking a turn until someone was stumped.

House, mouse, blouse, etc. Tree, fee, bee ... street, feet, meet ...

Then it was my turn and I saw a little pond with some birds swimming on it and said, "Duck!" One of your aunts said, "Buck!" and another quickly chimed in with "luck!"

Then Dad said, "Let's play a different game."

Skiing - 2020

I started skiing in February 1968, during my Senior year in high school, with the Vandalia-Butler HS Ski Club. I continued skiing through college, mostly with other VBHS alums - Brothers Rick ('66) & Steve Schieltz ('68), their cousin Larry Schieltz ('68), George Moore ('68) & Terry Caudill ('69).

Me - Lookout Pass 2020

Somewhat surprisingly, as of 2020 most of us are still skiing regularly. George is on the ski patrol at his local area in Michigan.




Rick is active with the patrol at Mad River Mountain near Bellefontaine, Ohio.

Larry at Boyne Mountain, Michigan circa 1980.

   

Terry is a ski instructor at Terry Peak in South Dakota.

Terry at Terry Peak, South Dakota - 2020.

George at Killington, Vermont - March 1970

Steve at Breckenridge, Colorado - December 1970

I'm the ski school Technical Director at Lookout Pass Ski Resort on the Idaho-Montana border. 

Steve's career took him to Florida, but he still skis recreationally whenever he gets the chance. 

We lost Larry in the spring of 2019, but he patrolled and taught at Mad River Mountain for many years and was for some time their Ski Patrol Director.

Rick with daughter Jenny at Mad River Mountain, Ohio - 2016

Can You Read Cursive?

"Beware the Ides of March!"

This letter is from my best friend, Larry Schieltz, sent in 1970.  He was a student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  It was mailed just a few days before we left on our very first ski trip to a real mountain - Killington in Vermont.  The "Bond flick" he mentions at the end was "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

Click the image to get an easier to read blowup.

November 22, 1963

On Friday, November 22, 1963 at about 1:30 o’clock pm (in Ohio where I was) I was in the 8^th grade in Sister Stella’s class at St. Christopher’s School when we heard the phone ring.  In addition to being our classroom teacher, Sister Stella was also the Principal.  Since there was usually no one in the Principal's Office, Dick Meyers, who sat by the door, was assigned to go answer the phone when it rang (which wasn’t often).

We were in Art Class at the time and we were creating mosaics by cutting up colored construction paper into “confetti” and then pasting them onto a background to form an image.  I was attempting to create a Thanksgiving turkey (ready to be served, not strutting around the barnyard).

Dick returned from the office a few minutes later and said, “I don’t know, it was some crazy lady.  I couldn’t understand what she was saying.”

Moments later the phone rang again.  Dick trudged off to the office again.  When he returned he looked a little pale and while he briefly glanced at us sitting in the room, he directed his comments to Sister Stella saying, “This lady says the President has been shot.  I think you better talk to her.”

My November 22, 1963 classmates

Sister Stella left the room.  She returned to tell us that President John F. Kennedy had been shot.  She notified the other classrooms and staff and then put the radio on over the PA.  Not long afterwards his death was announced.

I was a member of the “Safety Patrol” who worked as crossing guards.  When school let out at about 2:30pm I remember so many of the girls crying as they walked home.

Kennedy was sort of “our President” since he was the first (and so far only) Catholic President and of course he was also Irish, like lots of the students, so his death hit many of the children very hard.

Dear Readers – thanks for visiting.  I would really appreciate it if you would please leave your own stories (if you have them) about these events in the comments.

My Eighth Grade Class - St. Chris

This is my Eighth grade class at St. Christopher School 1963-1964.

Follow this link to Larry Youngblood's Facebook Post:

Top Row: Victoria Maddin, Tom Locker, Susie Trick, Jim Fox, Kathy Stoner, Alice Search, Kathy Moritz, Kathy Muldoon, Monk Moreo, Steve Schwab, Steve R. Smith

Second Row: Matthew Leyes, Stephen Covert, Ed Sabec, Mitchell Potterf, Jim Ewing, Mike Seskevics, Steve G. Smith

Third Row: Ron Thill,  Larry Vance, Jim White, Dick Meyer, David Leppla,  Mike Clark, Craig Puthoff, Larry Youngblood

Bottom Row: Sister Stella, Susan Partlow, Debby Hartman, Jeannie Trick, Belinda Brown, Sherry Hegg, Jackie Follick, Elaine Schieltz, Nanette Landreville, Ellen Conover, Theresa O'Donnell, Debbie Studer


Here are the Facebook comments about this photo:

Susan Partlow Landversicht - Such fun sharing these with my grandchildren here with me today due to school closing.

Michael E. Rado - The good ole days of Catholic school. I don't have any bad memories.

Jeannie Youngblood - What would parents do without grandparents on snow days!! We've put in our share too-----good memories!

Victoria Maddin Stem - I was wondering if anyone still had a class photo....this is so great

Tom Locker - 37 kids.

Marsha Plaut Powers - You are easy to spot...same pretty face!

Tom Locker - Thanks Marsha!

Dave Smith - I recognized a lot of friends!

Connie Strehle - Susie Trick top row third person.

Connie Strehle - I also found Dick Meyer and David L( sp) ? Oh there is Craig Putoff (sp) nan where are you?

Connie Strehle - Oh Nanetta I just found you bottom row 8 in. That picture is fun to look at!

Pam Longacre - Holy sh-- Larry. David looked just like you at this age. That was a Weird feeling.

Susan Tracey - I see you Jim!

Pete Britton - Hard to believe we were ever that young. Wish I could do it all over again.

Larry Youngblood - Connie...David Leppla!

Craig Puthoff - I'm 3rd row down on the right... Next to Larry Youngblood. It's PutHoff. Lolol

Craig Puthoff - Jeez...50 years ago...already. Where does time go?

Jim Fox - I tried to tag Matt Leyes but somehow Facebook translated my typing to some unknown language.

Jim Fox - Is the kid in the upper right corner Steve Smith?

Craig Puthoff - Question: Did any of us have a date/dates together after 8th grade? Me: I had a New Years Eve Party date with Kathy Moritz...about 1970. Nice girl

Craig Puthoff - We had 2 Steve Smith's....Steven R. & Stephen G. That's Steve R.

Jim Fox - Thanks Craig, I knew there were two Steve Smiths and I thought that was one of them.

Susan Partlow Landversicht - Too many of our classmates are gone. Dick Meyer has asked me about arranging a reunion this year for our 50 years. I suggested getting together at the festival. Any interest?

Craig Puthoff - Yes...I'd be interested in doing that...great idea, Dick.

Tom Locker - I think that we've named almost all the photos. Stilll missing top row, #5, the girl between Jim Fox and Alice Search, second row, the boy between Mitchell Potterf and Mike Seskevics and, also on the second row, the last boy on the right, above Larry Youngblood.

Jim Fox - Tom, could the guy above Larry be the other Steve Smith?

Larry Youngblood - I ran into Alice Search back in about '75 when I was teaching at the Hobart Welding School. She was taking Welding for Artists, I think.

Larry Youngblood - Sue...what festival? St. Chris I assume. What time of year would that be? I have not associated myself with St. Chris since the 8th grade.

Craig Puthoff - Yes...that is Steve G. smith. I saw him about a month ago. He lives near Washington, DC.

Tom Locker - Jim Fox - I tagged Steve G. Only two left!

Craig Puthoff - Did you get Victoria Madden? What about Belinda Brown?

Victoria Maddin Stem - I'm the first one on the top left.

Susan Partlow Landversicht - Yes, St Chris' festival. I believe it is held in June. I will call and find out the particulars later this month. Tom, would June be a good month for you to come back to Ohio?

Susan Partlow Landversicht - I believe it is Jim Ewing next to Mike.

Tom Locker - Yes - I can probably make it the last half of June.

Susan Partlow Landversicht - I will post the dates as soon as I find out.

Susan Partlow Landversicht - I know one of the Schwab boys passed, was it Steve?

Susan Partlow Landversicht - Last one -- I believe the missing name is Stonerock, first name may have been Kathy.

Larry Youngblood - Yes, Kathy Stonerock!! I remember, now...

My Fifth Grade Class - St. Chris

This is the Fourth & Fifth grade class at St. Christopher School 1960-1961.  I was in this class, but missed photo day. My Grandfather hurt himself which required a several day hospital stay. We were with him in Boston.  There were 48 kids in this class (47 pictured plus me).

Follow this link to Larry Youngblood's Facebook post:

Top Row: Ellen Conover, Anita Trick, Pat Walter, Mike Hawley, Mike Gaylord, Nanette Landreville, Unknown, Julie Larkin

Second Row: Becky Van Dyke, Jim White, Don Tolle, Steve Kistler, Christine Worman, Mike Clark, Kathy Schwab, Tom Hertlein, Pam Miller, Emily Moreo, Danny Fessler, Mike Geis

Third Row: Patrick Martin, Larry Youngblood, Ron Thill, Belinda Brown, Susan Partlow, Mary Ann Klenke, Josephine Elliott, Tommy Sliger

Fourth Row: Candy Tesno, Maria Korte, Virgina Himes, Kathy Kleinschmidt, Shari Heggs, Steve Covert, Mike Baltis, Joe Clement, Ann Suess, Kathy Yates, Dave Conters, Mike Patterson

Bottom Row: Mrs Boggs, Calvin Hartman, Mike Henderson, James Brown, Mike Johnston, Gus Van Acor, Susie Strukamp, Kenny Roland, Father Edwin Aufderheide

Here are the Facebook comments about this photo:

Jeannie Youngblood - The young man with a bow tie to the right of the weather vane doesn't have a beard, but he does resemble my sweetie!

Jan Williams Mahaffey - Big class!

Victoria Maddin Stem - Picked out Sue and Larry right away. I didn't join them till 7th grade.

Connie Strehle - Where are you Anita?

Anita Trick Moulds - Ok Connie, it's kind of embarrassing that I am not sure, but by process of elimination I think I am on the top row to the right of the diary?? Maybe?? I don't remember seeing this picture before. Crazy that I recognize most everyone in this picture except myself...proof that it's all beginning to slip away! Oh the joys of growing old...

Larry Youngblood - Yes, Anita, that is you to the right of the diary!!! Must admit...had a big crush on you back then!!!

Jan Williams Mahaffey - Did everyone wear a Col. Sanders tie?

Larry Youngblood - Jan, see how most of the girls have some kind of a school uniforn on? The restof the girls must have been rebels! Bowties must have been the thing to do back then. I personally would not be caught dead in one today!

Sue Moorman Vallo Starr - @Jo (Elliott) middle row, third from right?

Emily Moreo Friend - Hated those uniforms. they were hideous.

Emily Moreo Friend - I see Ann Suess, Kathy Kleithschmidt and Danny Fessler not named

Emily Moreo Friend - But this was a double class, I don't remeber if I was 4th or 5th? how strange to not remember this.

Susie Black - I must not have been a rebel because I am styling a bow on my neck. I love those beanies. Hilarious

Tom Locker - Emily, this was your 4th grade year. Larry, Nanette, Ellen, Ron, Sue and a few others were 5th graders. I was in this class but missed picture day.

Susan Partlow Landversicht - You were 4th grade, a year behind me.

Susan Partlow Landversicht - I have often wondered what happen to Julie and Patty Larkin. Anyone know?

Emily Moreo Friend - And I am still lost and behind most of the time.

Susan Partlow Landversicht - Next to Steve Covert I believe is Shari Heggs -- not certain of the spelling.

Tom Locker - I remember something about the Larkins - they had a sister born on February 29, 1960.

Can I Go Too?

One summer when I was young, probably 1967 or 1968, I and a bunch of my friends and acquaintances from Butler High School went camping.

I’m thinking that this was in 1968.  This was just after we had graduated from high school and shortly before many of us would be leaving for jobs, various colleges or military service (this was during the Vietnam era), so it was a sort of last fling.  Most of the campers on this particular trip were from my “Class of 1968” but there were a number of "69ers” – the class behind us – there too.

Our camping spot was in a little depression, a glen or hollow, north of Kershner Road, between Dogleg and Fredrick Pikes.  You took about a quarter mile or so drive up a dirt road.  When you got to the spot, you’d have thought that you were a lot further from “civilization” than you actually were as you could see no signs of any homes or buildings. I’m not sure how we happened to get this spot, I think the land belonged to someone’s family or relative.

I'd guess we were camped just about where the yellow circle is.

The group was all guys and we were a pretty tame bunch.  Someone might have brought some beer, but I’m not sure of this (and if there had been any, it would have been 3.2 – the low alcohol content type).  There were definitely no drugs.

So we were talking and joking with one another around the campfire.  I remember that we walked over to an abandoned farm house which we’d been told to avoid.

I’m trying to remember who was there.  George Moore, Steve Schieltz, Larry Schieltz, Ron Stapleton, Jack Hopkins, Dale Dalrymple, Monte Henderson, Tom Hertlein.  There were quite few others.  I guess about 10 or 12 guys altogether.

I also remember that the Father of Nancy Knuge, a girl in the Class ahead of us, ’67, visited us.  They lived on Frederick and I guess he heard us or maybe saw the campfire.  He was very pleasant, stayed and talked for a while.  I’m sure he was just checking us out.

Anyhow, getting to the point of this story, during the evening we had used up most of the firewood.  A couple of the guys dragged a log into camp.  One of them decided to cut it into smaller pieces and began chopping it with an ax.

Well it only took him four or five swings before the ax ricocheted off the log and into Larry Schieltz’s leg.  A good sized flap of skin and muscle was seen looking through the large slit in his pants’ leg.  He wasn’t in a huge amount of pain, but it was obvious that he would need medical treatment.  There was a car parked quite close, I think it was George Moore’s.  A bunch of guys quickly piled into the vehicle.  The driver started the motor and the car began to move out.

Then a voice was heard.  Somewhat meekly, as though the speaker didn’t really want to bother anyone, but still feeling the need to have his say, he said, “Can I go too?”

All eyes turned toward the speaker.  Why did this person want to go?  Didn’t he know this was an emergency?  That there was no time for fooling around?

Many of us were stunned when we saw who the speaker was.  Yes, it was Larry!  Apparently the injury to his leg had slowed him down to the point where he was unable to move fast enough to get a seat before the car left.

The driver stopped the car and the other passengers sheepishly got out.  Yes, they had filled every available seat.  Larry got in and they went off to, I think, Good Samaritan Hospital.

They were back a few hours later.  The injury wasn’t serious.  They’d taken a few stitches and Larry was fine.

Probably the most serious and lingering injury was to the axe man – he was teased much after that and even got the frequently used nickname of “Hack.”   I remember hearing him addressed by that name by people who I’m sure had no idea why he was called that.

Poplar Creek RR Tunnel - Butler Township, Ohio - 2013

Edgewood - 1955 to 1965

Sense of Direction

I’m often accused of having a good sense of direction.  I usually have a feeling for which way North is.  I can usually find my way anywhere I’ve been before and sometimes even to places I’ve never been.  Here are a few stories about this.

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Murlin Heights Elementary

When I started school in Vandalia, in 1956, the town was growing quickly.  There were so many new homes going in, and we were in the early wave of the “Baby Boomer” kids, so Vandalia didn’t have enough schools for all of us.  They were building a new school, Stonequarry Elementary, that I was scheduled to go to (at the southeast corner of Dogleg and Stonequarry Roads, it's now a church), but it wasn’t ready when the year began.

So I began school at Murlin Heights Elementary, but was only there for a few days. Then we were sent to Vandalia Elementary (VE) where our class was seated in the gym, with about three other classes.  The “classrooms” were divided by curtains hanging from ropes stretched across the gym.

Vandalia Elementary

We attended “VE” for a good while, not sure how long, but I remember that the first day we went to Stonequarry the weather was a bit cool.


I remember, very clearly, another thing about our first day at Stonequarry.  The School Bus picked us up that morning as usual and took us to VE where the students who attended that school were to get off, while those who were to go on to Stonequarry remained on the bus.  But for some reason, the driver decided that I and other boy, Rickie Heeter, who was my best friend in First Grade, were confused about where we were supposed to go.

Tommy Locker

We told him we were now at Stonequarry, but he insisted that we were VE students and had to get off the bus.  So there stood two six-year-olds, outside a school which wasn’t theirs, where none of their classmates, teachers or friends were, watching the bus drive off.  Rickie started crying.  I don’t remember feeling scared.  I knew where I was, I knew where I lived and I knew how to get there.  I told Rickie, “I’m going to get my Dad!” (At that time Dad worked the evening shift.)

 

Rickie Heeter

So off I went.  I had started walking towards my house before the bus was out of sight.  Our house on Spartan Avenue was more than a mile from VE and on the other side of US 40, at that time one of the Nation’s major east-west highways.  I think I knew the route partly because Dad worked evenings and, as we only had one car, we would sometimes walk from our house over to the library, which was then near the corner of Dixie & Kenbrook (Kenbrook was called Nelson at that time), very near VE.

It probably took me about a half-hour to get home.  My Dad’s sister, Aunt Norma, lived on Donora Drive, very near us, and I had to pass her house to get home.  She noticed me walking past and, realizing that I should have been in school, called out to me, “Tommy, where are you going?”

Our neighborhood was so new it wasn't on the map yet!

To get my Dad!” I responded.

Well, Mom and Dad were a bit surprised to see me!  I explained what had happened and Dad drove me back over to VE.  We found Rickie in the office, still crying (why we didn’t think of just going into the office initially I don’t know – we were six).  Dad took both of us to Stonequarry and explained the situation to our teacher, Miss Cole.

Stonequarry Elementary

One last memory of this event – Dad often told this story and he would say that I had “walked a mile and three tents.”  I couldn’t remember seeing any tents while I was walking home.  Sometimes when we would drive along the route I’d walked I looked for those tents.  Eventually of course, it dawned on me that he was saying a mile and three tenths.

************************

One summer when I was 19 or 20 I drove with Mom and some of my younger siblings up to Boston for vacation.  Driving home it was getting late and I was pretty tired, having driven most of the way.  By this time we were just north of Columbus, maybe an hour and a half or two hours from home, but I was just getting too sleepy to continue.

I woke Mom up and told her that I was going to pull over and sleep for a while.  She said that she felt fine and would drive the rest of the way.  I climbed into the backseat and soon fell asleep.

At this time, the Interstate Highway system was not complete and to get on the Interstate from Columbus to Vandalia required several miles of traversing city streets.

In the backseat I felt the car turn and was suddenly wide awake.  I sat up and said, “We’re going the wrong way.”

Mom explained that no, we had just gotten to US 40 and we’d be home soon.  Just at that moment the headlights illuminated a sign very like this one.

************************

In May of 1994 I visited my friend Mark in London.  Mark grew up in London and enjoyed showing off his city to me.

Late one afternoon he said to me, “There’s something  I want to show you over in the Docklands part of East London, down by the Thames.”

So we jump in his car and head from Hammersmith, west of London, towards the Docklands.  Now, we were traveling generally east, and since it was late afternoon the sun was right behind us.  We drove along, talking and laughing.  As Van Morrison says in Coney Island, “The Craic was good.”

Mark was driving, of course, but as we drove along I noticed that the sun was gradually moving from more of less directly behind us to coming in the windows on the left side of the car.  We were going north.

Now, I knew that we were north of the Thames when we started and that the Docklands were near the river, so it seemed to me that we were not getting any nearer to our destination, but it was Mark’s city and I assumed he knew where he was going.

But after driving another little while, Mark said, “I thought we’d be there by now.”

I told him that I didn’t think we were getting any closer to the Thames.  He was surprised and wanted to know why I thought that.  When I explained my reasoning he couldn’t believe it, “I’ve lived here all my life and never used the sun to help me find out where I’m going.”

"But Mark," I said, "we were north of the Thames when we started and we're going north now.  We can't possibly be getting any closer to the River."

We never did get to the Docklands and he wouldn’t tell me what he had wanted to show me.

************************

In 1993 Mom and Dad visited California.  Accompanied by Bill we spent about a week driving around the state from Truckee where Bill and I were living then, down the coast to San Diego and back up through Bishop and Mammoth returning to Truckee.

We visited several friends and relatives along the way and we had been on the road several days when Mom mentioned that we hadn’t looked at a map the entire trip.  Then it became a challenge to complete the trip without using a map.

Over the years my career as a Forest Ranger had taken me to many nooks and crannies of California over the years -- going to fires in different places -- so I was pretty familiar with the road systems and the general “lay of the land” and we were able to do it.

Butler High School Directory

During the 66-67 school year the Class of '67 made and sold a Student Directory as a fund raiser (click image for a high resolution view).

Here is a scan of the page my name was on.  When I recieved my copy I was dismayed to find that my phone number was wrong!  At that time our number was 898-2246.  So I want to take this moment to apologize to all the Butler girls who tried to call me during these days (and I know that was most of you!).  I wasn't ignoring you.  It was the fault of the Class of '67!  And really girls, you have no one to blame but yourself - my address was right so you could have come over.

I remember a day shortly after I had gotten this, my cousin (Beavercreek HS) and a good friend (West Carrolton HS) saw it in my room.  Both of them were really excited.  My cousin said, "It's better than a 'little black book'!"  My friend agreed with him, "You mean you've got the phone number of every girl at your school?  Oh my gosh, what I wouldn't give for that!"

After this, every time we were out in Vandalia and saw a good-looking female Butler student (in other words - any Butler co-ed!) as soon as we got back to my home they would rush to look her up in it .  Neither of them every had the nerve to call anyone though.

Page containing Scott McKnight's name as requested by his brother, Bruce McKnight.

Butler High Reunion Pictures

Click image for a high resolution copy suitable for printing.

Class of 1968 - 20 year Reunion



Class of 1969 - 25 Year Reunion



Class of 73 - 15 Year Reunion





Class of 1968



Class of 68 - 2003

Class of 1968 45th Reunion 2013

Vandalia, Ohio - 1954

This is the 1954 Vandalia-Butler Phone Book put together by the Chamber of Commerce.  We moved to Vandalia (751 Spartan Avenue) in May of 1955.

These are a number of photos that were in the book.  Click on the pictures to see a much larger version.

Everyone probably remembers the trapshoot.
Lots of us had our first job here.

ATA HQ - National Road at Helke Road

The Airline Shopping Center
In the early 60's my Mom worked as a beautician at the Cut 'n' Curl -
the second floor windows with awnings on the left.

Dayton Airport in Vandalia

Butler Township

Vandalia Town

Pearl Harbor, JFK Assassination & 9/11

In “modern” American History three events have happened which left vivid memories of “where were you when….”  for most people living at the time.

Those events are the attack on Pearl Harbor, the assassination of President Kennedy and 9/11 – the destruction of the World Trade Towers.

Pearl Harbor was attacked on Sunday December 7, 1941, well before I was born, but both my Mom & Dad remembered it.

Mom & Dad were both 12 at the time.  It was about 1:00 o’clock pm in the eastern US where both Mom & Dad were, when the attack occurred.

Dad was at the farm of a family friend between Gibson & Kellenburger roads in Phoneton, Ohio.  He and the son of the family who owned the farm had been riding horses that morning.  They’d put the horses away and were walking back towards the house when the boy’s Father came out and told them.  Sometime since then the farm became a nine-hole par-3 golf course (now defunct) called Willow Pond.  So the area has changed a lot, but the buildings were still there in late 2009.  Dad used to comment that, “Right there at the corner of that barn was where I heard about Pearl Harbor.”

Mom was at home at 151 Clark Avenue in Chelsea, Massachusetts.  After Mass they came home and she and Aunt Eileen were playing.  Daddy Con went down to the local Pub for an ale and talk.  He wasn’t gone long when he came back and told them about the attack.

It was on Friday November 22, 1963 at about 1:30 o’clock pm (in Ohio where I was) when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.  I was in the 8^th grade in Sister Stella’s class at St. Christopher’s School when we heard the phone ring.  In addition to being our classroom teacher, Sister Stella was also the Principal.  Since there was usually no one in the Principal's Office, Dick Meyers, who sat by the door, was assigned to go answer the phone when it rang (which wasn’t often).

We were in Art Class at the time and we were creating mosaics by cutting up colored construction paper into “confetti” and then pasting them onto a background to form an image.  I was attempting to create a Thanksgiving turkey (ready to be served, not strutting around the barnyard).

Dick returned from the office a few minutes later and said, “I don’t know, it was some crazy lady.  I couldn’t understand what she was saying.”

Moments later the phone rang again.  Dick trudged off to the office again.  When he returned he looked a little pale and while he briefly glanced at us sitting in the room, he directed his comments to Sister Stella saying, “This lady says the President has been shot.  I think you better talk to her.”

Sister Stella left the room.  After she found out what happened she notified the other classrooms and staff and then put the radio on over the PA.

I was a member of the “Safety Patrol” who worked as crossing guards.  When school let out at about 2:30pm I remember so many of the girls crying as they walked home.

Kennedy was sort of “our President” since he was the first (and so far only) Catholic President and of course he was also Irish, like lots of the students, so his death hit many of the children very hard.

The hijacking of passenger aircraft attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Towers occurred on Tuesday September 11, 2001.  In Bishop it was just before 6:00 o’clock am when the first attack occurred.

I was still a Fireman then, and that day I was the “Duty Officer” which meant that I would be responsible for managing any activities that the firefighting resources on the Inyo National Forest might be called on to perform.

At about 6:30am the phone rang.  I was already up, even though I didn’t go on duty until 8:00am.  It was your Grandma, Deborah.  She told me that there had been an accident in New York – a plane had flown into a building.

We did not have cable TV in Bishop, and there were are no broadcast stations there at that time, so I turned on the radio and also logged into the internet to find out was going on.  I wasn’t overly concerned as I knew that, sometimes, especially in bad weather, inexperienced and/or careless pilots sometimes did foolish things.

It didn’t take long listening to the radio and reading on the internet before I knew that there was much reason to be concerned.  I immediately called our Dispatch Office and they were freaked out.  The FAA had called them and wanted to know how many airliners we could park at the Bishop Airport.  The FAA was considering not letting any aircraft fly near big cities and direct them to land at smaller airfields where the were few, if any, tempting targets for the terrorists.

The Bishop Airport was built as a training base for WWII bomber crews, so the runways are long and wide, easily big enough for jet airliners.  I went to the Airport and consulted with the Airport Manager trying to determine where, how and how many aircraft the field could handle.  As you can imagine, the timeframe was very short.  Before we had made any determination the FAA canceled the request.

I then went back home for a while as we were worried about your Aunt Doris who was living in Brooklyn at the time.  She could see the towers from her apartment.  She was never in any danger.  Our cousin John Meade, a FDNY Fireman, was off-duty that day.  He did lose his Father-in-law and a Brother-in-law.

Dear Readers – thanks for visiting.  I would really appreciate it if you would please leave your own stories (if you have them) about these events in the comments.

Presidential Hand Shakes

Dayton Airport and Vandalia about 1954

I’ve mentioned the notable people my Grandfather and I met here, here, here & here.

I haven’t yet mentioned the two well-known people Mom shook hands with.  Both of these "celebrities" were politicians (and Irish!).

Both of these meetings happened at the same place.  The Dayton Airport (the same place my Grandfather met Orville Wright).  At the time of all these meetings the Airport Terminal was on Dixie Drive.  This is the area that is now used for the Dayton Air Show.

JFK

The first person Mom shook hands with was John F. Kennedy.  During his Presidential run he had a campaign stop in Dayton.  It was announced that he would spend a few minutes at the Airport for a "meet and greet."  Mom, Dad & Aunt Norma went.  For some reason he arrived quite a bit later than expected and not many waited.  Both Mom and Aunt Norma really wanted to shake his hand and they hoped, with such a relatively small crowd, that they’d be able to.

Dad was helping both of them get up to the “rope line” and Mom got close enough to touch his fingers, although she said that she wasn’t able to really shake hands.

Unfortunately just as Aunt Norma got her chance, he turned away.



Éamon de Valera



A few years later Éamon de Valera, a leader of the Irish Independence movement and eventually President of Ireland, visited Dayton.   Mom & Dad were among the crowd greeting him at the Airport.  This time the crowd was much smaller than the one greeting Kennedy and Mom was able to shake de Valera's hand.

Grandpa & Orville

I wrote about notable people I’ve met here & here, but Grandpa Locker met someone I think is a lot more famous than anyone I've met.  It happened at the Vandalia airport during World War Two.

Grandpa Locker was working at the Aero Products (later called Inland) plant on North Dixie Drive in Vandalia during the war.  The factory had been tasked with making aircraft propellers.  One day, late in the war, they reached some production milestone. 

At that time, the airport terminal was on the east side of the airport, right across Dixie Drive from the Inland plant.  Many of the plant’s workers went across the street where they had a ceremony celebrating the milestone and mounting the propeller onto an aircraft.

As they were getting everything ready, Grandpa was standing at the end of one line of workers when another man walked up and stopped next to him.  Grandpa assumed it was another worker from the plant so, without actually looking at the man he said, “Nice day, isn’t it”

As the man replied, “Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Grandpa looked up at him.  He instantly recognized him since he had often seen his picture in the paper.  Both he and Grandpa were Dayton-born and raised.  It was Orville Wright, younger of the two Wright Brothers, the first aviators.

“I’m glad,” Mr. Wright continued, “that it didn’t rain.”

He and Grandpa exchanged pleasantries for a few more moments before he went up to the speakers’ platform.  Grandpa never said, but I imagine Wright was there, not only for his fame in the aviation community but also because the plane they were attaching the propeller to was powered by a Wright Company engine.

Places I've Lived

I think this list is pretty complete.  Some of these places I was only in for a few months, and others for many years.

1826 Carlton Street  Charleston, South Carolina

Latitude 32.855524  Longitude -79.966847

88 & 90 Air Street  Dayton, Ohio
Latitude 39.773784  Longitude -84.171956

11 Rita Street  Dayton, Ohio
Latitude 39.776313  Longitude  -84.167765

331 Hickory Street  Dayton, Ohio
Latitude 39.750750  Longitude  -84.181834

751 Spartan Avenue  Vandalia, Ohio
Latitude 39.897148  Longitude  -84.184964

495 Stonequarry Road  Vandalia, Ohio  (this residence also used the addresses 3787 and RR2 Box 108)
Latitude 39.872024  Longitude  -84.206937

1262 Snow Valley Road  Zanesfield, Ohio
Latitude 40.318913  Longitude  -83.674055

1200 Redwing Place SE  Albuquerque, New Mexico
Latitude 35.062297  Longitude  -106.596430

437 Grove Street SE  Albuquerque, New Mexico
Latitude  35.069401 Longitude  -106.562511

3113 Morris Street NE  Albuquerque, New Mexico
Latitude 35.118348  Longitude  -106.524768

200 Vassar Drive SE  Albuquerque, New Mexico
Latitude  35.079005 Longitude  -106.614333

Casa Vieja Guard Station  Inyo National Forest  Tulare County, California
Latitude  36.201968 Longitude  -118.268799

210 Margarita Avenue  San Luis Obispo, California
Latitude 35.257141  Longitude -120.667785

17 Villa Court  San Luis Obispo, California
Latitude 35.243121  Longitude -120.677116

1235 Cayucos Drive  San Luis Obispo, California
Latitude  35.254247 Longitude -120.684766

59265 California Hwy 168  Lakeshore, California
Latitude 37.235638  Longitude -119.156673

41810 Toyon Lane  Shaver Lake, California
Latitude 37.107126  Longitude -119.320008

Monache Guard Station  Inyo National Forest  Tulare County, California
Latitude  36.216175 Longitude -118.193394

865 Walnut Street  San Luis Obispo, California
Latitude  35.283986 Longitude -120.665441

41950 Foxtail Lane  Shaver Lake, California
Latitude  37.108624 Longitude -119.319525

41924 Huntington Lake Road  Shaver Lake, California
Latitude  37.108905 Longitude -119.319363

41692 Chipmunk Lane  Auberry, California
Latitude  37.079148 Longitude -119.429545

35000 U.S. 395  June Lake, California
Latitude  37.753371 Longitude -118.983157

Ediza & Ritter (NE corner)  Mammoth Lakes, California
Mammoth Ranger District Mobile Home Housing

Latitude 37.647919  Longitude -118.965776

8th Avenue & Teller Street  Frisco, Colorado

Latitude 39.574433  Longitude -106.091583

10181 Indian Jack Road  Truckee, California
Latitude  39.331724 Longitude -120.190300

15562 Waterloo Circle  Truckee, California
Latitude  39.354411 Longitude -120.100710

44 Nevada Road  Rovana, California
Latitude  37.414569 Longitude -118.610636

1521 Lazy A Drive  Bishop, California
Latitude  37.381079 Longitude  -118.421597

4 Ascot Pkwy Vallejo, California
Latitude  38.112190 Longitude -122.196142

192 Xining South Road  Taipai, Taiwan
Latitude  25.040273 Longitude   121.505998

119 Terrill Loop Mullan, Idaho

Latitude 47.4701969 Longitude -115.8020916,92

Current Home

Some of the actual buildings I lived in are gone and/or the roads, etc, changed and the area looks a lot different.