Bushy Tales

Dedicated to all who attended London Central High School in Bushy Park, London England from 1952 to 1962

November 2002

Volume #2

Gary Schroeder (55), Editor   gschroeder_uscgaux@email.msn.com

Editors Note:

 Look for a special announcement in the next issue.  I am going to need your help on this one if we are going to keep this newsletter going.  It won’t take much on your part but it will change how we do things for the February and March issues. After that we will be back to the way we are doing things now.  Are you curious yet?  Wait for it!

Roster Changes

Marilyn Harkey (55) mharkey.afbrat@gte.net

I've been busy as a one-legged gal at a you-know-what kicking contest. Long story short:  we'll be moving to our new home on October 25th, and the new address and 'phone are: 10918 South 87th East Ave Tulsa, OK  74133-7222 Phone: (918) 329-5146 Fax: (918) 329-5147 I'll find out what my new email address will be in about a week or 10 days, and will pass it on to you as soon as I have it.

Jerry Hunsicker (56)
New email address:
cjh478@comcast.net

Paul Middlebrook (57)
New email address:
centerstream@robsoncom.net

Ellis Young (58)
New e-mail address
Eyoungf64@cox.net

Jane Aitken (60)
 Dellcroft@aol.com

Stewart W. "Bill" Lambert (62)
The phone number for him on the last page of the last Newsletter is wrong. 

Pat Colacicco (60) pcolacicco@mindspring.com

Patricia Donahue Daoust (60)
Address and phone number are no longer current 

Look Who We Found

Henry Reed Muller (53) hmuller@salisbury.edu
433 Somerset Avenue
Salisbury, MD 21801

Patricia Grigg (Erichsen) Griffin (59) ferebeemeg@aol.com
8 Ferebee Way
Bluffton, SC 29909-4469
(843) 705-2212

Patricia Ann Phillips Neafie (60) georgep@epix.net
Huntington Mills, PA 

Look Who Is Looking For Who

From Valerie (Filinson) Katz (60)  texxval@satx.rr.com

Once again, thank you for all your work. I enjoy the newsletters so much.  My name was “Filinson” and I was class of '61, you have me down for Filiason, class of .60.  Just don't want to be missed in case I do get to find a buddy or two.  I am also looking for Karen Albright, class 61, her married name was White I think in California. 

Thanks again.

Good News We Want To Share

From Michael Murphy (58)  Oldsalt1223@aol.com

Hi Gary. I read in your newsletter about things that happen for a reason. Well, I met Judy Risler (60) 2 years ago on the internet, she and I have been seeing each other and we have been to each others area of the world. She in Louisiana, me in Florida. As of this writing I am planning on moving to Louisiana. Strange how lives cross after many years. I am retired from the Navy after 30 years. We have traveled together and have attended 3 reunions and look forward to attending more. I enjoy your newsletter. My years at Bushy Park were wonderful and I hated to leave.

Memories of Bushy

From Betsy (Neff) Cote (54)  betsycote@charter.net

Gary one of the things I meant to write and ask you was when did you go to England?  (Editors Note: We went over in April of 1952) The reason is that my brother and I went in Oct. 1950 on the GW Goethels also and I have a photo of Chuck, David Mangold and myself on deck of the Goethels near the rail. For some unknown reason I still have a luggage tag that said my mother and I were in cabin 308.  Luckily I am sure I was not the girl who threw up on your table. Here is the picture taken on the Goethels.  It is Chuck Neff, girl unknown, I think she was going to Germany, myself and David Mangold who also went to Bushy Park and was in the same class as Chuck. This was taken sometime toward the end of Oct. 1950.  Many, many moons ago. 

From Nancy Reed Robinson (56) Nrobininin@cs.com

The Snipe Hunt

I had forgotten about the snipe hunt that Donald Crews mentioned. Actually, the whole event began because Pat Miller had a slumber party that I was privileged to attend. It was the first slumber party of my life and I loved the experience! For entertainment Pat even had a Qujii (sp?) Board, that fascinated me. I very much wanted to entertain as well. I talked my parents into the slumber party and set the date.

Just before the party I read about Snipe Hunts, probably in the Stars and Stripes. It was a college prank where you get a paper bag and saltshaker and go off into the woods and rattle the bag and call, “Here Snipe, Here Snipe.” Some persons are it and wait for a snipe. When a snipe appears you sprinkle salt on its tail just before you bag it. When the boys took the bag the girls, ran back to my house for refreshments and sleep.

The trip to the Heath for the Snipe Hunt was not something I included on my mother’s copy of the party schedule. When we came back Mother was glad to see us and mad at me. She did not know what a Snipe Hunt was either. Because of Donald’s appearance (I now realize because of his share in the last Bushy Tales) Mother knew about the Snipe hunt. She let me enjoy the evening but later I paid. Hope the others enjoyed the entertainment.

From Coralie (Guertin) Lajoie (55)  coco1937@email.msn.com

I do enjoy reading up on news from Bushy Park attendees.  I especially got a kick reading about the USS Butner.  We sailed over to Southhampton on the same ship.  I was as sick as a dog.  The seas were very rough.  All I remember is that I ate a lot of saltine crackers and sucked on lemons.  My dad met us at Southhampton and we drove to a little community called Raunds.  Raunds, was on the outskirts of Chelveston AFB.  I did go back there about 15 years ago and the place was exactly the same as when I left.  I even went to the Ironmonger to see some friends of my parents Betty and Henry Lee.  He was a Yank who married an English girl and stayed in England after his marriage.  They remembered me, although at first she thought I was my mother. I also looked up a Mrs. Beebe who ran a bakery and spoiled every kid in the town by giving them free pastry.  She was retired but invited us (my sister and I) for tea.  It was a great time and I had so many fond memories.  I just returned from England on October 2.  We (my husband and I along with a couple of friends) went to the Ryder Cup Matches.  I wanted so much to go back and visit Raunds, but when your not on your own time schedule it's very hard to explain just what England meant to an old army brat like me.  We did stay about 3 miles outside of  Stratford-on-Avon at a bed and breakfast. It was very lovely and I do have fond memories of Stratford as I was taken on a date there by one of my Bushy Park boyfriends.  Well so much for my rattling, I must sign off for now but thanks for all your good work.  I do enjoy reading the newsletter.  I do exchange e-mails with Ray Chandonay (53) quite frequently. Always nice to stay in touch.  I do hope we can have another reunion for the 50th. 

From Fred Buhler (58)  ddinmont@oro.net

Fred Gruin dropped in for lunch with Fred and Margie Buhler, during a trip to the west coast in August.

From Marilyn Whaley Alefsen (56)  mwatx@earthlink.net

I just couldn't pass up the second opportunity to say "hello" after seeing Pete Laughlin's name again! Pete, Denny Kise, Fred Tims and I shared many good times together making music!! Wish I had a copy of the tape we made one day at the Ruislip Air Base club just having a good time. We dubbed ourselves the "Junior Jazz Combo plus One Senior (Fred!) – Anyone remember?

As for trips, we arrived in England after a tour in Germany, traveling there aboard the USS Gaffney - a really rough September Atlantic trip. But the trip home from England in March 1956 was really hair-raising. We were caught two days out of New York in what the Captain of many years said was his worst crossing ever, and the worst blizzard to ever hit New York City up until that time. The United States passed us going eastbound with a battered superstructure, greatly resembling the pictures in the last newsletter. When we docked in New York City, we had to stay on the ship for two days until a place could be found for us to stay as no one had been able to get out of the city so all of our spaces were still filled. They managed to open the top floor of an old hotel on Times Square that was so small our cocker spaniel had to walk across the beds to get around!!! I seem to remember watching Elvis make his "debut" on the Ed Sullivan show while we were there. Wouldn't trade those memories for anything!

Forgot to mention that the wonderful ship we returned stateside on in the blizzard was the gorgeous SS America which had been refitted for passenger travel after carrying troops during the war; we were some of the fortunate military that got to "go along for the ride" coming home!

Thank you for your time, interest and loyalty in helping us all stay in touch.

From Bill Burch (57)   Lwsputnik@attbi.com

I just had some flashbacks!  When I was in England, my obsessive-compulsive nature was in full swing.  My life revolved around four things: Bicycles, Airplanes, Jazz and Ballroom Dancing.  I built my first ten-speed bicycle before I'd ever ridden one.  I used to take it to the bus stop in Harrow, throw my books on the bus and be at Bushy Park in time to take my books off and trundle off to school.  At noon, I'd take my lunch money over to the BX and look for Jazz records.  If I couldn't find anything I could afford or didn't have, I'd run over to the Base Library and browse through Jane's All The World's Aircraft (I'd do that again after school when I could find an excuse to leave my books in my locker).  No wonder nobody knew me.  One of the by-products of model airplanes was dethermalizer fuse.  The stuff would burn at an inch per minute, then pop the rubber band that kept the horizontal stabilizer horizontal, the tail would pop up and the plane would come down where you could find it.  Otherwise you might find it somewhere in the English Channel!  English firecrackers had something they called "touch paper" that they used for a fuse.  If you unwrapped the touch paper and stuffed dethermalizer fuse inside it and wrapped it back up you had a time bomb!  I used to set off my time bombs inside the lockers and let them go off when I was safely out of reach in Study Hall or a class somewhere. Since Mr. Farned's not in sight and the Statute of Limitations have run out, I thought I'd clear my conscience by letting you know who the "Mad Bomber" was.

I loved to dance and we lived just around the corner from The Dominion Cinema in Harrow.  On the top floor of the cinema was a place called "The Court School of Dance."  Dancing was available there at a price competitive with the cheap seats in the movies downstairs.  That's where my nightlife took place.  We'd have social dancing for an hour and a half, lessons for a half hour and then an hour to go back to social dancing and practice what we'd learned.  I wound up getting a bronze and a silver medal from International Dancing Masters Association to take with me to Cordell, Oklahoma.  The first couple of dances we had there were the first couple of times in my life I got mobbed by girls.  Then the novelty wore off and I went back to my anonymity.

While you were at Bushy in '58, I was winning dance competitions at Scott AFB, IL and George AFB, CA.  They thought I was good!  Strictly between you and me, if the competitions had been between people with interest and access to my opportunities, I don't think I would have been noticed.  One more secret... I developed a strong lead that made my partner think I knew what I was doing and that she was making all the mistakes.  Well, now that "True Confessions" is over and I feel better.

From Ed Simkins (61)   Juedsim@aol.com

This issue (October 2002) had a couple of interesting articles for me. My family also traveled to England on the USS Butner in February 1959. Our experience was great. The weather was mild, calm seas and we actually arrived in Southhampton a day early. Several years later, I worked for a fellow who had also traveled on the Butner when he was in the Army. He said the ship broke down and they floated around for a couple days while the crew made repairs. Perhaps my family was lucky but we always remembered the trip as a great fun experience.

The second article was regarding a Reed Muller and by Lois Besancon (58). She said they were lieutenants stationed at RAF Bruntingthorpe 1960-62. That is where we were stationed and at the same time. My father was Lt. Col. Stanley Simkins and was stationed there from 1959-62. My sister also met her future husband there who was Lt. Jerry Ropa. I am making a copy of this newsletter for my brother-in-law to read when I visit them next week. I enjoy reading the newsletter and look forward to new issues.

From Fred Gruin (58)  fgruinjr@nycap.rr.com

I can’t believe I did this stuff.

The bus ride -

Juniors and seniors ruled on our bus, and the sophomores, freshmen, on down who sat in the middle to the rear of the bus were fair game.  We would remove their pants and line the boys up on the bench seat at the back of the bus.  For decency’s sake, we left their underwear on.  When we were especially bored, Juniors could easily become victims.  Just think about that boredom level on an hour bus ride, each direction, after being cooped up at Central High all day.

Our driver Bill sat in his little compartment beside the engine and his only way of communicating with us was to slide back the window behind his head.  Bill never did that.  He either didn’t know or didn’t care what we did.  But he was kind enough to always stop at an Express Dairy on the way home so we could gorge ourselves on Cadburys.

The bomb bay-

Those high backed seats were conducive to making out when one’s girl friend rode the bus. Pants always remained on during these activities.

I have these little bakelite signs downstairs on my workbench that say PLEASE KEEP YOUR FEET OFF THE SEAT and another, bracketed by downward pointing arrows that says VENTILATOR TO PREVENT DRAUGHTS DO NOT OPEN WINDOWS BEYOND ARROWS. If you don’t know what a ‘draughts” is, send me an email.

And those other signs (especially those nice posters in the tube cars mounted on the walls), and the funny little screw on signs on the back of cars that said GB, D, F, B, CH, E, NL, DK, S, and N.  Bring home any of those?

Trafalgar Square Fountains -

This was (potentially) the worst thing we ever did.  One night when there weren’t any girls to hang around with, we bought some small boxes of soapsuds, small enough to fit in the pockets of our tweed overcoats.  It was that time of the year when those coats were a necessity but we didn’t think it was too cold to make soapsuds in the Queen’s Fountain.   Took the tube to the Dill and hiked down to Trafalgar Square.  There was Dave C., Ed N., Randy C., Richard, Keith J., (maybe) and me (for sure).  I know their last names but you’ll have to guess. There was also a Bobby stand there, staffed with two Bobbies.  Richard, in his eagerness to make a name for himself, prematurely dumped a box of soapsuds in the fountain and was immediately caught by one of the Bobbies.  We wanted to just leave him there him and flee (remember, we had soap in our pockets too) but we hung around and escorted him home after the Bobby called his father.  We were so lucky the Bobbies didn’t ask what was in our pockets too.  Now for the next moment, you’re a writer for that rag, the News of the World, and you want to write a headline about this incident.  I can’t believe we did anything that stupid, which could have caused a minor diplomatic incident.  Did the Brits deport Americans in those days?  The soapsuds, incidentally, didn’t work very well. Don’t know if they had cold water Duz in those days.

Comments, confessions, denials are always welcome.  If you have any tales of your own, please send them to the editor and let us all see them.  Thanks

From Sally Goldenberg Entlich (61)  Sally.Entlich@cfsc.army.mil

I came to Bushy Park in October 1959.  We sailed out of New York harbor on the S.S. United States and traveled in First Class for the five-day voyage.  My father learned that a group of military Rhodes Scholars was also aboard ship, but in the Second Class compartments.  He invited several of them up for a drink before dinner.  One was Brad Hosmer, Jr., a member of the first graduating class from the Air Force Academy and another was Pete Dawkins, USMA.  Naturally I was speechless during the entire time and was certainly not allowed a real drink.  Afterwards, I wanted desperately to visit the Second Class decks, but didn’t have the nerve to jump the gates. The rest of the trip was quite boring for me as there were no other young people my age, only the oldsters like my parents (and to think that we are older now than they were then!).  I think it is the only time I have ever played shuffleboard.  If I could do it all over…

Jacqueline (Jackie) Pagliarulo Kerce (62) Jannkerce@aol.com

Got the newsletter.  It was fun to read.  You know I don't remember very much about Bushy Park, I do remember going to some plays and going somewhere for swimming lessons off base.  I was in 10th grade at that time, then they opened Lakenheath HS and I went there the rest of HS.  I would have graduated in 62 from LHS but quit school 2 months before graduation. I have three wonderful children. But I did finally get my diploma, many years later on.

Just want to say you guys are doing a great job, loved the Newsletter, and if anyone remembers me out there, let me know how my sophomore year was haha.  You know I remember going to the breakroom (in our dorm) and somebody trying to teach us how to do the stroll, it was one of the other girls in the dorm. That was fun.  Also, I had two roommates that where seniors, one was a German girl, but I can't remember either of their names.  Something else I remember, the halls weren't too wide and I would put my feet against each wall with my legs spread and hop down the hall.  Can you believe that, I'd kill myself for sure now trying that hahahhahaha.  I can't remember if I got in trouble for that or not??????  Oh to be young again, thanks for helping me remember some of my youth !!!!!!   Gosh time flys when your having a good time.  Keep in touch and I'll try and clear out some more of my cobwebs

Where Are They?

This is the seventh and last part of the list of who we are looking for in the Class of ’62.

Still Looking for From Class of 1962

Mini Reunions

Editors Note:  The next three years (2003 – 2005) will be the 50^th anniversaries for the 1953, 1954 and 1955 classes.  Are any of these classes planning a 50^th reunion?  Should we look at having one big one to cover all three years?  Just something for everyone to think about.  Let me know.

Do You Remember?

William English (57) Ametalartist@yahoo.com

STROLL WITH ME...and go back before...

I'm talking about sitting on the curb, sitting on the stoop...about hide-and-go-seek; Simon says and red-light-green-light. Lunch boxes with a thermos ... chocolate milk, going home for lunch, penny candy from the store, hopscotch, butterscotch, skates with keys, jacks and Cracker Jacks, hula hoops and sunflower seeds, wax lips and mustaches, Mary Jane's, saddle shoes and Coke bottles with the names of cities on the bottom. Remember when it took five minutes for the TV to warm up. When nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids arrived home from school.

When nobody owned a purebred dog. When a quarter was a decent allowance. When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.

When your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces. When all of your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done every week and wore high heels.

Remember running through the sprinkler, circle pins, bobby pins, Mickey Mouse Club, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Kookla, Fran and Ollie, Spin and Marty...Dick Clark's American Bandstand ... all in black and white and your Mom made you turn it off when a storm came. When around the corner seemed far away, and going downtown seemed like going somewhere. Climbing trees, making forts, backyard shows, lemonade stands, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, staring at clouds, jumping on the bed, pillow fights, ribbon candy, angel hair on the Christmas tree, Jackie Gleason, white gloves, walking to the movie theater, running till you were out of breath, laughing so hard that your stomach hurt...remember that?

Not stepping on a crack or you'd break your mother's back ... paper-chains at Christmas, silhouettes of Lincoln and Washington, the smells of school, of paste and Evening in Paris. What about the girl who dotted her i's with hearts? (that was before that the smiley face)!

The Stroll, popcorn balls and sock hops?

Remember when there were just two types of sneakers for girls and boys - Keds and PF Flyers, and the only time you wore them at school was for gym. And the girls had those ugly gym uniforms. When you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking -- all for free -- every time! And, you didn't pay for air either, and you got trading stamps to boot!

When laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box.

When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents. When the worst thing you could do at school was flunk a test or chew gum. And the prom was in the gym or the lunchroom and you danced to a real orchestra. When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed -- and did!

When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home. Basically, we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was so much greater than the threat.

Remember when a '57 Chevy was everyone's dream car -- used to cruise, peel out, lay rubber, or watch the submarine races? When people went steady; and girls wore a class ring with an inch of wrapped Band-Aids, or yarn that would fit their finger. When no one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the car and house doors were never locked! Remember lying on your back on the grass with your friends and saying things like "That cloud looks like a..." And playing baseball with no adults needed to enforce the rules of the game.

Remember when stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals, because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger. And, with all our progress, don't you just wish, that just once you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace...and share it with the children of today? Remember Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Laurel and Hardy, Howdy Dowdy and The Peanut Gallery, The Lone Ranger and Tonto, The Shadow Knows, Nellie Belle, Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk... As well as the sound of a real mower on Saturday morning, and Summers filled with bike rides, baseball games, bowling, visits to the pool ... and eating Kool- Aid powder with sugar from the palm of your hand.

There, didn't that feel good? Just to lean back and say: "Yeah...I remember......."

This and That

From Betsy (Neff) Cote (54)  betsycote@charter.net

Every ten years, as summertime nears,
An announcement arrives in the mail,
"A reunion is planned; it'll be really grand;
Make plans to attend without fail." 

I'll never forget the first time we met;
We tried so hard to impress.
We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars,
And wore our most elegant dress.

It was quite an affair; the whole class was there. It was held at a fancy hotel.
We wined and we dined and we acted refined, And everyone thought it was swell.
The men all conversed about who had been first to achieve great fortune and fame.
Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine houses and how beautiful their children became. The homecoming queen, who once had been lean, now weighed in at one-ninety-six. The jocks who were there had all lost their hair, And the cheerleaders could no more do kicks.

No one had heard about the class nerd
Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon;
Or poor little Jane, who'd always been plain;
She married a shipping tycoon.

The boy we'd decreed "most apt to succeed"
Was serving ten years in the pen,
While the one voted "least" now was a priest; Shows you can be wrong now and then.

They awarded a prize to one of the guys
Who seemed to have aged the least.
Another was given to the grad who had driven The farthest to attend the feast.

They took a class picture, a curious mixture
Of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties.
Tall, short or skinny, the style was the mini;
You never saw so many thighs.

At our next get-together, no one cared whether they impressed their classmates or not. The mood was informal, a whole lot more normal; By this time we'd all gone to pot.

It was held out-of-doors, at the lake shores;
We ate hamburgers, coleslaw and beans.
Then most of us lay around in the shade,
In our comfortable T-shirts and jeans.

By the fortieth year, it was abundantly clear,
We were definitely over the hill.
Those who weren't dead had to crawl out of bed, And be home in time for their pill. 

And now I can't wait; they've just set the date; Our fiftieth is coming, I'm told.
It should be a ball, they've rented a hall
At the Shady Rest Home for the old.
Repairs have been made on my hearing aid;
My pacemaker's been turned up on high.
My wheelchair is oiled, my teeth have been boiled; And I've bought a new wig and glass eye.

I'm feeling quite hearty, I'm ready to party;
I'll dance 'til the dawn's early light.
It'll be lots of fun; I just hope there's one
Other person who gets there that night

From Edward (Ted) Hopkins (55) MrTeddyboy@msn.com

A reminder on a Coast Guard vessel's bulletin board that fresh water is at a premium aboard ships on extended cruises was footnoted as follows: "The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) as a combat vessel carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last 6 months of sustained operations. She carried no evaporators."

However, let it be noted that: "On July 1789, the USS Constitution set sail from Boston. She left with 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum.  Her mission: To destroy and harass English Shipping."

"Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum. Then she headed for the Azores, arriving on 12 November.  She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.  On 18 November she set sail for England."

"In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchantmen, salvaging only the rum.  By 26 January her powder and shot was exhausted." "Unarmed, she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde. Her landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons aboard by dawn. Then she headed home."

"The USS Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February, 1799 with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine, no whiskey and ---- 48,600 gallons of stagnant water." Them were the days! Go Navy.

Kenton Pattie (56)   KentonP1@aol.com

The von Kuegelgens (Bonnie Fritz 62) are neighbors.  Our children went to the same high school and Bonnie has been recognized as the top volunteer at the Wakefield Recreation Center where she works.  I certainly never knew she went to Bushy Park and am most grateful to you for making this match.  We lived in England from 1946 to 1955 and most of the time I attended English schools, but in the final year, knowing that we would be returning to the United States, my parents sent me to Bushy Park.  Eventually, I graduated from High School at East Denver High in Colorado.  Our English neighbors asked us if Denver was one of those ghost towns.

Richard J. Tauss (57)   RJTauss@aol.com

I recently received a letter from you regarding my attendance at Central High School.  Although I attended Bushy Park from 1954 to 1956 my high school graduation occurred back in the US in 1957.  I am fascinated with your project and would be interested in hearing what progress you are able to make in contacting old friends from that period.  Incidentally, my brother Randolph Tauss began first grade at Bushy Park in the fall of 1955.

Pat Terpening Owen (58) nemoamasa@worldnet.att.net

Does anyone have any of the base rosters from their stay in England? Anything that might give a clue as to how to locate some of the missing classmates.  Base rosters are great because they usually told the father's first name and this is a great help in trying to locate someone. If anyone has any information of this kind, could they make a copy and send it to me. I'd be more than happy to pay for copying charges and shipping.  Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

From Wanda (Castor) DeVary (60)  mumszie@earthlink.net

(The following was received from Clifford D Gunderson, (Faculty))

Dear Wanda,

It's wonderful that you are keeping up the Bushy Park Roster. In trying to decide what to write as an update to the Central High Guest Book, I have gone through the following:

Your Central High Guest Book needs an update from me and I attach a picture* of my wife, Pat, and me taken before my 80^th birthday--2 years before.  There we are sitting on our garden bench under a climbing Cecil Brunner Rose. 

We live in our Palmia Community of Mission Viejo, CA and have been so busy that we wonder how we were able to manage before we retired.  Our big events in 2001: Pat had both of her knees replaced and is doing very well after all the rigorous physiotherapy and we went to Las Vegas for the 2001 Chateauroux '54-'60 Reunion.

Please use whatever you want of all this or keep the same message I had and add my e-mail address.  cliffordg9@cox.net

Respectfully yours,

Cliff

Mr. Cliff Gunderson & his wife Pat

From Jane "Lily" Aitken (60) dellcroft@aol.com

I am a first grade teacher in Detroit, MI and also have family in AZ and TX.  We still remain connected to Britain and I am flying to AZ this coming weekend to have a reunion with my mother's family flying in from Scotland so I will share this nice news.

Lily (I was called Jane in 59-61, my middle name)

Comments From You Our Readers

Judith Samms Stanford (59) Stanfordwk@earthlink.net

WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL NEWSLETTER.  THANKS

Ginny McDermott Kivel (61) GinnyKivel@yahoo.com

Thanks so much for doing this. It's terrific to read reminiscence of Bushy, even though I graduated from Lakenheath that first year.  Had it not opened, I'd have been a Bushy grad, too! Thanks.

Bill Kaval (61) Wgk27@aol.com

Once again, thanks. Really look forward to every issue.

Diane Drude Clayton (62) Di4SC@aol.com

Hi Pat, sure enjoy all the work you and Gary do for all of us on the newsletter.  Thanks a bunch.

(Editors Note: Please, if you change your e-mail address (or move) let Gary or Pat know so you can continue to get the newsletter.  Also, if you let us know, we don't get as many rejected e-mail addresses when we send out the letter.  Really appreciate everyone's help on this one.

And Now just something for you to think about.

I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up and see me.
I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners, my head is a little higher, my colors a little truer.
I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected - and I am feared.
I have fought in every battle of every war for more than 200 years.
I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox.
I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy, Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me.  
I was there.
I led my troops, I was dirty, battleworn and tired, but my soldiers cheered me And I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries I have helped set free.  It does not hurt, for I am invincible.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of my country.  And when it is by those whom I've served in battle - it hurts. But I shall overcome - for I am strong.
I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon.  I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours.  But my finest hours are yet to come. When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield, When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier, Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave of their fallen son or daughter, I am proud.

MY NAME IS OLD GLORY LONG MAY I WAVE. DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN LONG MAY I WAVE  PLEASE COPY MY MESSAGE AND SEND TO ALL WHO STILL LOVE AND RESPECT ME,

THAT I MAY FLY PROUDLY FOR ANOTHER TWO HUNDRED YEARS.