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Theresa Eve (1964)

May we have peace with all countries.  

Dan Ree (Ree) (1964)

Robert..........Very great reporting on Memorial Day and it's true meaning ...soo many have ignored and look at it...... as it as a 3 Day Holiday.....Bar-B-Ques........and going out having that family fun..........in Bakersfield many turned out to celebrate those that gave up their lives....and the real  great men and women..............in schools......nothing  mention....except a piece.......NO SCHOOL MONDAY....HUH.........Next time....one has spare time ...pick up a World War 2    History book....Korea.......Viet Nam.........There were draft Noticed sent out...they went.....and now...thank GOD...we have a All Voluntary Military...with many stepping up if needed...........Yes....we want peace...Can not say for the other Countries that Hate Us....... REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR .....

John Michael Somero (1967)

Thanks for the posting about the passing of my friend Bob Sternes.  I'll be forever indebted to him for his generosity.  While I was working at Springlake Fire Department, and slowly progressing with my aviation career preparations, Bob bought his first aircraft.  I was quite mechanically inclined, and working on getting my aircraft mechanic's licenses, so Bob gave me a key to his plane and allowed me to fly it all I wanted if I only bought my own gas and oil, in exchange for doing maintenance on his plane. I was a member of the Civil Air Patrol at the time, and the Air Force paid for the gas and oil if you showed up to search in your own airplane, so I was able to get many hours of good mountain flying experience for free, thanks to Bob.  And beyond that, he later moved up to two twin engine planes, and gave me the same opportunity with them.  I was able to get my multi-engine rating very reasonably because of that, and built up multi-engine hours, again searching for planes in the Sierra Nevada mountains, using Bob's planes.  Thank you so much, Sternes family.  He's not forgotten.  Rest in peace!

Doyle Phillips (1961)

Robert, Great report on Decoration Day, or Memorial Day. The Idea of Decoration Day was picked up by Maj. Gen. John Logan, Commander In Chief of the Union Army Veterans Association when he heard of the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Mississippi in April of 1866 were decorating the Graves of Confederates who died in the battle of Shilow and when they observed that the Graves of the Union Troops had not been cared for they resolved to commemorate the fallen, Confederate and  Union Troops alike, Annually. Historians believe this joint commemoration  inspired Gen. Logan to introduce Decoration Day in May of 1868.  Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of April. Alabama on the Fourth Monday of April, Georgia on April 26, the Carolinas on May 10, Louisiana on June 3. Tennessee calls June 3 Confederate Decoration Day, Texas celebrates Confederate Heroes Day on Jan 19 and Virginia calls the last Monday in May Confederate Memorial Day.  Appreciate your postings.

Robert Cowing (1965)

John - your connection to Bob Sternes  . . . "Thanks for the posting about the passing of my friend Bob Sternes.  I'll be forever indebted to him for his generosity.  While I was working at Springlake Fire Department, and slowly progressing with my aviation career preparations, Bob bought his first aircraft."  . . . and your extensive aviation career and experience.

Totally unconnected to this but have you ever watched the TV series "Airplane Repro"? . . . I'm really interested in what you think of the program i.e. their varied aircraft and experiences connected to preprocessing the planes.

Doyle - An interesting compilation of "Memorial Day" . . . on Memorial Day and the day before and after I usually spend the days at home when not cleaning up my family's graves and placing flags on family veteran graves.  It is a wonder that any memorial time was sent aside for Union soldiers based on what I have seen on Civil War documentaries regarding aftermaths of battles and the handling of the dead.  A very gruesome and sad eye-opener.

There has been a great improvement in our Woodland Cemetery, cleaner, orderly, nicer grass and easier to find gravesites. Second year in a row that my commemorative flags have not been stolen!  A lot of credit goes to local veterans and their families who work hard every year to make the commemoration celebrations pleasant. One year, vandal(s) broke up one our family graves and someone had the federal government replace it with an official military grave maker. When the cemetery crew moved it so it appeared it was not part of our family plot, someone in the community bought a special granite stone that displayed the name and put the stone on the back of the marker facing the rest of our deceased family. An amazing gesture.

We have two WW I veterans and one WWII veteran. Don Geer, my sister's husband, is a Koran War veteran who is buried in his family plot in Woodland Cemetery.

Robert Cowing (1965)

Dan Ree Ree - This Memorial Day, as I watched the military history channel and other documentaries, I came across a video news piece CBS produced on the "Lost Platoon" of the Vietnam War.  (http://www.cbsnews.com/live/video/inside-the-lost-platoon-of-the-vietnam-war/ )

This platoon (29 men) part of the 1st Air Cavalry Division, ordered to the Ia Drang Valley on Nov. 14, 1965 was the first to be dropped into the Ia Drang Valley and was believed to be all killed wthin a very short time. 9 survived by playing dead for 25 hours and later picked up and flown to safety.  The 2017 CBS production shows 3 of the survivors and interviews them at the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C.

"The Lost Platoon" were the first to land in the Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam where a battle erupted that is depicted in the Mel Gibson 2002 movie "We Were Soldiers" and detailed in the book "We Were Soldiers Once  . . . and Young".

This battle was the first major clash between regular forces of the United States and North Vietnam, hundreds of Americans were killed and hundreds more wounded over four days of fighting in the Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam.

A survivor,  Galen Bungum, recounts his ordeal of spending 25 hours pinned to the ground, without food or water. Today, he still doesn't talk much about the death and destruction around him, the enemy soldiers he came face to face with, the men he shot, the friends he saw die. But he remembers the sounds: bombs landing, bullets flying, friends crying out for help. Bungum said the battle still haunts him.

"I felt guilt," he said. "How come I made it out, and a lot of your buddies didn't? Because you know they wanted to get out, too."

Jenny Johnson (Norman) (1966)

Robert - Interesting article "To Many Americans, Memorial Day has Lost Its Meaning."  Thanks for sharing.  I think for most of us, in our age bracket, we do not have the luxury of forgetting its meaning.  My father was US Army Air Corps WWII, along with many of our fathers & uncles, and my husband was US Navy (2 yrs) as well as US Air Force (4 yrs), Korea.  And then there is Vietnam - is there anyone in our age group that has not been touched in some way by Vietnam?   Memorial Day - A somber day indeed.  I remember this solemn day of remembrance with extreme gratitude, and pride in those who serve.  And my heart goes out to all, young & old, who remember as well. 

Robert Cowing (1965)

Jenny - I think what accurately depict in your feelings about our generation, WHS classes 1960-1969, is the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.

To properly embrace the memorial's message . . . "you have to be there."  If anyone has not visited the memorial, please take the time and go and take any grandchild who can appreciate your shared experience.

The Vietnam War Memorial is a long striking black marble gash/slash across our nation's heart, soul, and spirit affecting all citizens that has yet to be completely revealed and played out in our politic and national culture.  

Thanks for sharing your family's military contributions to America.

Dan Ree (Ree) (1964)

You are so Right Robert......they need to go    and visit....sure it was the War many did not want....but it came....soo many were drafted after High School......and went......many came back spit on....called names from those that coward down to serve.....We lost so many young lives........always remember the Viet Nam Vets...some were my friends.........It should not happen...but it did........

Tom Barger (1965)

Hi Jenny & Robert,   Yea I was moved at the Vietnam wall and I believe some wars are necessary , but as OIC of an isolated signal site in Vietnam and having my share of bad times and a few lost friends i''m tired of going to war so our politicians can look tough and stand tall in these useless foreign wars.

Jenny Johnson (Norman) (1966)

Hi Tom - I hear you.  j

Robert Cowing (1965)

Hi Tom, thanks for sharing. If anything I have written or posted  for Memorial Day reads or sounded like "War is hell", it was not my intent to broadcast bumpersticker  bromides. I am not a veteran and have no idea what war is like. What i know is from veterans like your self and what is shared in books, videios etc.

We almost had a civil war develope during the Vietnam war years here at home.  Rioting, shootings, bombings, Penn State, political assignations, machine gun nests on the White House roof during the Johnson years, Vietnsm vets disrespected when they returned home even to the point that some Veteran groups would not them be part of their local association . .  . on and on. I am concerned this may divide may happen again and worse.

So far the political Right has not responded to the destructive demonstrations and marches, and the near total prohibition against free speech on college and university campuses. The hysterical fear of Russia being voiced in the media, even on this web site, is ironically the resurrection of the spirit of Senator McCarthy and his attempt to purge communists and "lefties" from Hollywood, the arts and state department bureaus. 

Our union is in jeapordy and our constitution being weakened by inuendo, rumor, guilt by association and "unnamed sources" as people scream for the prosecution of yet to be found crimes. Our political society looks, sounds and feels what i have imagined it must be like to live under the ever suspicious, spying, accusing and secret police of the communist police states of Cuba, USSR, Red China, Iran and other closed and tyrannical nation states and societies.

I have not rested easy since the end of the Presidential election and my unease increases every day. 

Tom, thank you for your service.

Sherry Bailey (Westland) (1968)

Our President loves America and is keeping his promises to those who voted for him in spite of major opposition. God bless America & God bless President Trump! 🇺🇸❤️  Heal America first!<>>

Bev Hukill (Nunes) (1969)

Tom Stewart (1969)

Craig....who knows what that young man will be or think?  Maybe he'll be a patriot who stands for the traditional values and morals of our nation, or maybe he'll grow up to be a liberal lawyer who mocks and opposes those things.  He could do or think anything in the future.

You would likely prefer this young man and his future thoughts and contribution.....

Dan Ree (Ree) (1964)

Joseph Duzan (1968)

Dan, I sent you a private message.. Call me.

Tom Stewart (1969)

Craig....I am not tied to or affiliated with Donald Trump.  Can you justify and support the actions of the Clintons and Obama?  So much to explain!  America seems to be a nation where everyone is either a Democrat or Republican, and which ever camp you are placed in, you are supposed to defend all the actions and decisions of the leaders.  So sad.

Is it possible to support some things, and not others?  Is it possible to lean toward the direction and policies of one entity over the other, without being married to that person, philosophy, or party?  I believe those who had exposure to the 50s and early 60s, and those decades previous, have SOME idea of what the traditional values and morals of America were. 

Liberals seem to go out of their way to support Islam both abroad and in the states, and at the same time belittle and oppose Christianity.  This illustrates a limited understanding of the foundational beliefs and doctrines of these two religions.  I am quite sure you support gay rights, women's rights, children's rights, freedom of expression, freedom of religion.....etc.  Does Islam in general support these principles?  Liberals are all about free speech, as long as they agree with that speech, and freedom of religion unless that religion expresses itself contrary to their philosophy.

It seems that for a person to have rights, he or she must live outside the womb, because a woman has a right over her own body, even though one second after birth everyone recognizes that separate human being isn't actually her body.  Gianna Jessen is a survivor of a saline abortion and was supposed to be left to die, but she was mistakenly assisted to live by a nurse.  Amazing how far the nation has fallen and doesn't even see it.

Here we all are, Woodland High grads, discussing this stuff.  I rarely pop in to this forum because I normally don't discuss these issues, but there are times when you just can't stop, and use your creation as a soap box to express your views.  Probably most agree with you, and I am likely in a tiny minority, but I just feel at times someone needs to stand up to you.

Sherry Bailey (Westland) (1968)

Jenny Johnson (Norman) (1966)

Thanks, Tom. I, for two, appreciate your post as well.

Beautiful day for a ride.  What are you riding these days, Sherry?   Thanks for the blessings - same to you!  I have a 2013 HD "72" - loud & fast!    Any other bikers out there? 

Vern Larson (1960)

Did someone say bikers? Mountain biking is my passion but you'll find me on my road bike when I'm not mountain biking. When I'm not doing either of those things I'm at the playground with my grandkids playing on the swings, monkey bars, sand box...whatever they want to do.

Top photo taken at Mammoth Mountain with full body armour about 5 years ago age 69 or 70.  2nd photo taken about the same time along the coast in San Diego.

Robert Cowing (1965)

Sherry - I have given up on talking and arguing about art with the blind and music with the deaf.  But for some reason, I have not given up on talking about God with atheists!

Robert Cowing (1965)

Craig - there is an old rumor about God that has resurfaced again, "He is obscessed with attendance" ... it is highly exaggerated.

Joseph Duzan (1968)

Tom, Sherry, and Robert, I thank you for your post. I can see we are pretty much on the same page. Tom very well written response to the liberal minds. Sherry have a great and safe ride, we'll have to ride together sometime when you're in Arizona. Robert, thank for all the work you put into this forum and keeping us up with what is going on.

Sherry Bailey (Westland) (1968)

Me too Robert! Life is too short to try to teach a pig to fly. Lol

Jenny! We ride a Harley Road King....have done some fun cross country rides with friends. Joe, a 'screw it, let's ride' (Harley Motto) is in our future, for sure. When not on the motorcycle, we love to ride bikes. It's a new hobby for us. Vern, what great (fit) pix. Exercise is the 'great equalizer' to combat aging and to stay fit. When not enjoying those hobbies, we love feeling the open air while touring around in the convertible.  Anyone else have hobbies they love? Golf anyone? (My love/hate hobby.) We're taking up softball next.....pickleball is also fun....

Posting some pix....Craig you mentioned the Land of Canaan...that's my grandson's name...he's 1.5 yrs old. Showing us 'monkey ears'. ;). His Pix taken last week. Another is of our Harley friends (a motley crew) of riders taken 3-4 yrs ago. One of me is our trip over Bear Tooth Pass...it was magnificent! ;)

c