Tuesday, January 13, 2009

8:00 am - 9:00 am (Approx.)

  Golf at The Villages (Havana CC or Mallory Hill CC or Cane Gardens CC).

  Cost: $58, including cart.

1:00 pm

  Meet at Marriott TownePlace Suites, The Villages, FL (Spanish Springs).

  Address: 1141 Alonzo Ave, Phone: 352-753-8686. 

2:00 pm

  Caravan Tour of The Villages (starting from Marriott). Cost: Free

5:00 pm

  Dinner at Cattle Baron Club (Spanish Springs)

  Address: 996 Delmar Dr., Phone: 352-750-5981

  Cost: Separate checks. 

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

  Live Entertainment on The Square.

  Cost: Free.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

5:00 pm

  Meet at Paul and Helen Ford's Home, Venice, FL.

  Address: 154 Cipriani Way, Phone: 941-445-4455

  Refreshments compliments of Paul and Helen Ford. 

6:30 pm

  Dinner at The Venetian Golf and River Club.

  Menu selections must be made in advance.

  Cost: $30 (to be paid in advance with reservation) .

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

  Dancing to 50's - 60's music.  Disc Jockey - Lyn The Spinner.

  Cost: Included with dinner.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

8:00 am - 9:00 am

  Meet at Hampton Inn for Breakfast.

8:30 am - 9:00 am

  Golf at Venetian Golf Club.  Part of a club event (shotgun start).

  Cost: $54 including cart and range balls.

Morning

  Visit Area Points of Interest and Shopping.

I look forward to seeing you in Florida in January.  It will be a great time for all.

New E-Mail Addresses. 

Garner, Bill - wgarner1@verizon.net

Miller, Danny - miller214@bellsouth.net

Murphy, Frances Bailey - franmurphy@ntinet.com

New Cyberpony - Danny Miller.  I found another missing classmate - Danny Miller.  Danny now lives in Fanning Springs, Florida, which is near Gainesville.  Danny says, "I went to Gallagher, Gevena Kent, Enslow, Peyton, Buffington, Cammack, Oley. HHS and then East."  So, many of you must have gone to school with Danny at some time.  He moved to the east end in 1960 and finished school at East HS.  Please welcome Danny to the Cyberponies.  His e-mail address is miller214@bellsouth .net.  See Classmate Photos.

Classmate - Mary Martha "Marti" May.  I am sorry to inform you of the passing of our classmate Mary Martha "Marti" May this week in Huntington.  Her obituary from the Herald-Dispatch is shown below.  

MARY MARTHA "MARTI" MAY, 66, of Huntington, W.Va., went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, November 13, 2008. Funeral service will be conducted 1 p.m. Monday, November 17, 2008, at Reger Funeral Chapel, Huntington. Interment will be at White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Barboursville, W.Va. She was born February 22, 1942, in Huntington, a daughter of Mary Martha Mazur and the late Raymond White May Sr. She was a participant of American Legion #93 and was in the Navy and the Army Reserve. She is survived by two daughters, Mary Browning (Kevin) Day of Huntington and Natalie "Nancee" Browning of Ashland, Ky.; one sister, Elizabeth Ann Bailey of Columbus, Ohio; one niece, Sherry (Jim) Thompson of South Carolina; and one nephew, David (Lisa) Bailey of Huntington. Visitation is two hours before the service Monday at the funeral home.

Remembering Others Who Have Left Us.  Please join with me to remember our friends and family who passed away recently.

Cora Ella East, 95, Huntington, WV.  John East’s mother passed away October 4, 2008.

Joe Alonzo McVay Sr, 100, Garden City, SC. Joe McVay's father passed away November 20, 2008.

Betty Mae Garrett, 87, Huntington, WV.  Patricia Garrett Raines' mother passed away December 21, 2008.

Joseph Kaye Trippy, 97, Huntington, WV. Tom Trippy's father passed away January 1, 2009.

Haiden Weaver Turns One.  See Classmate Photos for a photo of Bill Weaver’s granddaughter, as she turns one year old.  Bill says that this is her serious pose.

The Land That Made Me Me.  Judy Sheers Swan sent a nice poem to remind us of our youth.

Long ago and far away, in a land that time forgot,

Before the days of Dylan, or the dawn of Camelot.

There lived a race of innocents, and they were you and me,

For Ike was in the White House in that land where we were born,

Where navels were for oranges, and Peyton Place was porn.

We learned to gut a muffler, we washed our hair at dawn,

We spread our crinolines to dry in circles on the lawn.

We longed for love and romance, and waited for our Prince,

And Eddie Fisher married Liz, and no one's seen him since.

We danced to 'Little Darlin,' and sang to 'Stagger Lee'

And cried for Buddy Holly in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Only girls wore earrings then, and 3 was one too many,

And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney.

And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to see

A boy named George with Lipstick, in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice,

And when they made a movie, they never made it twice.

We didn't have a Star Trek Five, or Psycho Two and Three,

Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp,

And Reagan was a Democrat whose co-star was a chimp.

We had a Mr. Wizard, but not a Mr. T,

And Oprah couldn't talk yet, in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We had our share of heroes, we never thought they'd go,

At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe.

For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be,

And Elvis was forever in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We'd never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead,

And Airplanes weren't named Jefferson , and Zeppelins were not Led.

And Beatles lived in gardens then, and Monkees lived in trees,

Madonna was a virgin in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We'd never heard of microwaves, or telephones in cars,

And babies might be bottle-fed, but they weren't grown in jars.

And pumping iron got wrinkles out, and 'gay' meant fancy-free,

And dorms were never coed in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We hadn't seen enough of jets to talk about the lag,

And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag.

And Hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea,

And rocket ships were fiction in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Buicks came with portholes, and side shows came with freaks,

And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks.

And Coke came just in bottles, and skirts below the knee,

And Castro came to power near the Land That Made Me, Me.

We had no Crest with Fluoride, we had no Hill Street Blues,

We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea

Or prime-time ads for condoms in the Land That Made Me, Me.

There were no golden arches, no Perrier to chill,

And fish were not called Wanda, and cats were not called Bill.

And middle-aged was 35 and old was forty-three,

And ancient were our parents in the Land That Made Me, Me.

But all things have a season, or so we've heard them say,

And now instead of Maybelline we swear by Retin-A.

They send us invitations to join AARP,

We've come a long way, baby, from the Land That Made Me, Me.

So now we face a brave new world in slightly larger jeans,

And wonder why they're using smaller print in magazines.

And we tell our children's children of the way it used to be,

Long ago and far away in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Bill is Retiring.  Bill Garner has announced his retirement as of the end of this year.  Congratulations Bill!

Our Vacation to Hong Kong and the South China Sea.  Jean and Fred Charles have returned from our vacation of a lifetime.  We flew to Hong Kong, China and took our first cruise ship circling the South China Sea clockwise from Hong Kong and back.  The Cruise line is Costa.  They are from Italy and have several ships operating all over the world.  The trip took 19 days and the cruise was 14 days.  You can see the South China Sea on the map in the following web site:  http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ South_China_ Sea.  You can also see the cities/countries that we visited during the cruise.

  1. Hong Kong, China.  I was very impressed with Hong Kong.  The modern skyscrapers were everywhere.  We toured the city by tram, ferry, and on foot.  The Asian culture was at every turn and people were busy shopping for Christmas.  Their Port was the largest one that I have ever seen.  Millions of containers were headed for Europe and USA.  We spent 2 days there before the cruise and one after we got back.  We were able to communicate with English everywhere and had no problems.  The buildings were all lit up for a beautiful light show every evening.

  2. Manila, Philippines.  Much of Manila has been rebuilt since WWII.  It was occupied by the Japanese and finally taken back by the US.  General MacArthur is everyone's hero there even after 60 years.  It is very overpopulated and jobs are hard to find.  The majority of the workers on the cruise ship are from the Philippines.  The people were very friendly.  We were very impressed with the beautiful military cemetery there honoring US soldiers who served in Asia.  Also the local vehicles called "Jeepney" were very interesting.  They were first adapted from US Jeeps after the war and became their cheap buses.  See http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Jeepney.

  3. Kota Kinabalu (Borneo), Malaysia.  East Malaysia is one of three countries in the island of Borneo and Kota Kinabalu is the largest city.  While we saw many large structures and some nice roads in the city, this country was the least developed of the countries we visited.  As an example, we were told that the native tribes stopped head hunting around 1980!  We visited Heritage Village where we were shown bamboo longhouses and saw how these natives lived in a communal style.  The modern City Mosque was a beautiful sight to see.

  4. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.  The country of Brunei is a monarchy ruled by the Sultan of Brunei, one of the richest men in the world.  Oil and natural gas provide his fortune and the primary export from the country.  We saw several off-shore oil rigs as we sailed.  Bandar Seri Begawan is a beautiful city.  We visited a local Water Village where houses are built on concrete piers and connected by wooden walkways.  People travel by boat, which are kept under their homes.  

  5. Singapore.  Singapore is an island, which is both a city and a country located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.  It is a very modern city and probably the most livable city of them all.  Everywhere we went we saw prosperity, and excitement.  We visited the National Orchid Garden where they have a collection of over 1000 species and 2000 hybrid varieties of orchids.

  6. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  This is old Saigon.  It was interesting see the Vietnamese people and their unique straw hats.  We took a Pedal Cab ride as a group in the city streets.  It was a little risky considering all of the traffic in town.  I think that they said that they were registering 1000 new motorcycles per week in the city.  The city is developing and I am sure that it is much different than when some of you were there in the 60's.  We saw two beautiful structures built by the French (Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral).

  7. Da Nang, Vietnam.  Da Nang was similar to Ho Chi Minh City.  Both cities were building impressive new bridges near their ports which will facilitate transportation across the rivers.  We drove past a very large resort complex being built outside of Da Nang.  It will have all of the luxuries that the western world will pay for - just like a California or Florida resort.  I don't think that this is the time to put money into a vacation complex, but tourism is a big business in Vietnam.

  8. Hoi An, Vietnam.  We toured this ancient little town near Da Nang.  Pottery is a historic business there and we saw many small factories and hand made pottery there.  We took a riverboat ride and saw wonderful sights along the river.  The Local Market here was very large and very interesting.  See photos.  Many old temples were seen which were unaffected by the Vietnam War.  We were impressed by the shops in town along our walk through the streets.  We had a complete demonstration of silk spinning and weaving starting from the silkworms, their cocoons, through to the finished fabric and garments.

  9. Sanya, China.  Sanya is a modern city located on an island just off of the Chinese mainland.  It is on the southern tip and has the latitude of Hawaii.  Sanya is a popular tourist stop for the nice resorts and beaches there attracting Russians, wealthy Asians, and westerners.  We toured the Pearl Culture Exhibit Center, a beautiful hilltop park, a Sea Shell Museum, and a Yalong Bay Beach.  See the Classmate Photos for a photo of Jean and me from Luhitou Park overlooking the city.

  10. Costa Cruise.  The Costa Allegra is a relatively small ship.  There were about 800 passengers and 450 crew.  Being small, we could share the facilities easily with the other passengers.  But, it may have not handled the sea as well as a bigger ship.  The open sea was difficult and many were sick.  When it stopped, it was party time.  The food was good and plenty of it.  Drinks were great too but priced for vacationers.  The Internet was very slow, so few took advantage of it.  There was entertainment all of the time and a variety of things to do.  Jean and I were probably the average age of the passengers so the late night activities were probably not too busy.  I don't know.  But, you could eat at midnight every night.  We had three "formal" dinners where the gals dressed in their finest and the guys had to put on a coat and tie.  They were fun and gave us all a lot of opportunities for nice photos.  The organization and efficiency of the operation was excellent and there was nothing that you asked that wasn't satisfied.  We traveled with a nice group of 22 friends who had connections from work in the rubber industry.  We knew many from the past and met some wonderful new people who are now great friends.  We had a great time on our first cruise.  Fred and Jean Charles.

Bill Worked at the Frosttop.  Bill Jarvis tells us, “Down memory lane -- I worked at the Frosttop the first month they were open.  Hotdogs and root beer were .25 and I was paid $2.00 a day + tips.  And they paid $.05 toward my Social Security.”  Bill Jarvis

Older Than Dirt.  Here is an interesting quiz sent by Marcia Grimm Fletcher.  Thanks Marcia.

How many do you remember?

Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about.

Ratings at the bottom.

1 Blackjack chewing gum

2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water

3. Candy cigarettes

4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles

5. Coffee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes

6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers

7. Party lines

8. Newsreels before the movie

9. P.F. Flyers

10. Butch wax

11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (OLive-6933)

12. Peashooters

13. Howdy Doody

14. 45 RPM records

15. S & H green stamps

16. Hi-fi's

17. Metal ice trays with lever

18. Mimeograph paper

19. Blue flashbulb

20. Packards

21. Roller skate keys

22. Cork popguns

23. Drive-ins

24. Studebakers

25. Wash tub wringers

If you remembered 0-5 = You're still young.

If you remembered 6-10 = You are getting older.

If you remembered 11-15 = Don't tell your age.

If you remembered 16-25 = You're older than dirt!

Jenkins Family Newsletter.  Here are highlights from David and Jane Jenkins' family Christmas letter.

  David and Jane’s three daughters gave them a 40th Anniversary party last summer.  See classmate Photos. 

  “David had major back surgery the end of September and has been in a back brace since that time.  His Christmas present this year is that he can stop wearing it on Christmas Eve.  He is recovering well, but tires easily yet.  The surgery was extremely successful and the pain is gone!” 

  “David continues his work at Southwest Counseling Associates and is now part of their Missionary Care Service (MCS).  That has been a large part of his work, meeting with missionary appointees and doing work with them when they come back to the States.  It has been both challenging and rewarding.  He traveled to Guatemala in May to conduct a Campus Crusade conference for the campus directors for all the Central American countries. We will be going to Costa Rica again in February, and are going under MCS.  We will again be ministering to the staff of Crusade, as well as conducting a marriage seminar for couples with whom they work.”

  “Jane is still at the insurance company, but only part time.  She also works a day and a half as office manager for a therapy center that works with autistic children.  That job has been a challenge, but God is showing her that she has a ministry there.  She still enjoys cooking, gardening and reading.”

  Their 3 girls, husbands, and 7 grandchildren are very busy with work, college, home school, kindergarten, and church work. David and Jane

Hudson James Paulson - New Grandson for Dick and Dixie Wilson.  Dick and Dixie Wilson announce their new grandson, Hudson James Paulson, born on Christmas Day.  He was supposed to arrive a day later but couldn't wait.  Dick advised that their new grandson is named --- “Hudson ( Dixie's maiden name ), James ( My brother's name ), Paulson ( My daughter Stephanie's married name )." Dick Wilson.  See Classmate Photos.

McGehee Family Photo.  Please see Classmate Photos for a new family photo from Pete and Donna Darbes McGehee.

Update from Steve and Martha.  Steve and Martha Kiser Brown sent me the following update on their activities and a very nice photo.  See Classmate Photos.  "We have had a good year and have done a bit of traveling. We were in Portland, Maine for a week at my Navy Reunion in Sept. and went to Las Vegas for a week in Nov. Had a great time at both places. Short trips to Huntington and IL.   Other than that we work on the house and landscaping around it.  Hope you have a great Christmas season, stay in touch and send us an up-date on things, as we had to change our computer a while back and don't really know what’s up. Thanks."  Martha and Steve

Wanda’s Paintshop Plus Web Site.  Wanda Bradley-Smith has created a wonderful web site that you will enjoy.  It has West Virginia photos and facts, photos from Huntington and Charleston, her original art, poetry, inspirational literature, music, video, and links to everything.  In one section, she has included current events and has mentioned our January Mini-Reunion in Florida.  Wanda went to school at Cammack Elementary and Junior High from the first through the 9th grades.  Then, she attended school in Berea, KY.  She has a strong connection to Huntington, and West Virginia, as you will see by visiting her web site.  Go to Wanda's web site at http://wandasart.faithweb.com/.

Pete and Betty Travel to the United Arab Emirates.  Pete and Betty Schoew traveled to the United Arab Emirates and visited their son, wife, and grandchildren. They were there for three months.  We look forward to hearing about their adventure.

Not So Good News from Huntington.  The Huntington area received some negative news from the Associated Press article on November 16, 2008.  The article is titled W. Virginia Town Shrugs at Poorest Health Ranking and it deals with the unhealthy eating habits of the citizens creating severe obesity. 

Carolyn is Recovering from her Auto Accident.  Carolyn Thomas Schenck had an auto accident in October while visiting her son in Chicago.  She had a broken sternum which is a very painful injury requiring a lengthy recovery.  Carolyn writes, "My oldest son, Michael, lives north of Chicago in a small town/ village called Lindenhurst.  It is very near Libertyville where I spent 4 days in the hospital recovering from the accident.  Michael works at the Allstate Insurance corporate office in Northbrook and commutes each day to work.  They moved up there from Greensboro NC, and they are adjusting to the climate, new schools etc.  We were so very lucky to walk away from a serious accident that totaled both cars.  My broken sternum is the only injury to any of us, and I am beginning to feel much better.  I cannot drive or do much house work, so Jane Beckett Bradley and Garland Peoples Myers are BOTH coming to spend a few days with me and be my "nurses".  I am sure we will do lots of laughing---- always the best medicine!"  Carolyn Thomas Schenck.

Please Support Huntington's Proposed Children's Hospital.  Many of you will know John Smith - a Huntington native, St Joe HS and Marshall graduate.  One of is close friends, John Aluise, sent me this description of John and his family.  "John is a lifetime resident of Huntington.  His children live in Huntington.  Their oldest grandchild has a major disability.  John has been very active in civic activities in Huntington and is truly a 'born and bred' Marshall fan.   His wife works for the school system, and one of his daughters is a nurse and is a school teacher.  His son works with him in the Nationwide Insurance business and his daughter law just completed her pediatric residency in Huntington.  She works for the medical school."  John is also an author using the name J. Preston Smith.  You can see him and his book list on his web site at www.jprestonsmith. com. 

  The following is from John Smith.  "Did you know there is a proposed Children's Hospital to be built by Cabell Huntington Hospital?  Because of my grandson, Preston, I have a passion for seeing that become a reality.  Preston's disability, and Huntington's lack of pediatric sub-specialties, has forced his parents, Catherine and Rob, to travel to other cities for specialty health care.  I am supporting the construction of our Children's Hospital by making contributions from the sale of my newest book.  Beyond Imagination is a compilation of spiritual and motivational short stories.  Please consider purchasing this book for yourself or as a Christmas gift.  My web site is www.jprestonsmith.com.  The cost is $12 plus $2 for shipping and handling.  I am attempting to raise $50,000 for this very special mission.  Finally, if you see this project as worthwhile, would you consider adding a personal note and forwarding this message to family, friends, classmates, and business associates?  Your support could help reach thousands of individuals and help provide life-saving healthcare for our area's children.  Thank you." John...and Preston

  Please consider ordering John's book and supporting the proposed Children's Hospital in Huntington.  For a signed copy:  Send $12* plus $2 shipping & handling to:John P. Smith, 30 West 6th Avenue, Suite 103, Huntington, WV 25701.  John's e-mail address is harlyman60@aol.com.  A donation will be made to the proposed Cabell Huntington Children's Hospital with the sale of each book.

Ron Cheatham's Recent Trip to Europe.  I just received a wonderful travel log from Ron Cheatham reporting on his recent trip to Europe.  He traveled to Poland and met his wife Anna there.  Much of his story is about the military transportation that he took.  He includes his extensive tour of Poland and also Vienna, Austria.  I need to caution you about the graphic and complete description that Ron includes about the death camps of Auschwitz - Birkenau.  Some of you may want to speed-read this.  It truly moved Ron as it will all of you.  Thanks very much, Ron, for your story.  Ron writes.

  It was time for a vacation. I spent the entire Phoenix summer working, sweating, cussing, and spitting in the infernal, 110 + degree heat often in my underwear. It (and I) was getting old - it was time to go.  Miss. Anna booked a $1,150 flight in January for a September trip to Europe. She wanted to see her sister in Vienna and her mother in Poland. Would I like to go? Sure! The best I could do at the moment was a $2,100 commercial flight. I guess I would have to go my way. Anna left on September 11th.. I left the next day. 

  As a retired Army officer, I have the authority (as do all retired military personnel) to fly space available (military hop) on the US Air Force's cargo planes. All I have to do is get to the right air force base and, if space is available, hop on. I booked a commercial flight from Phoenix to Philadelphia, then planned to get a bus to Dover, Delaware, Air Force Base to catch a hop to Europe. I jumped on the subway at the Philadelphia airport and headed downtown to the Greyhound bus station. I got my $26 ticket and, as the kid said "8:30 PM - gate 8". I'm standing at gate 8 15 minutes before departure. A half hour passes and no bus. Feeling like a fool, I check with the attendant who says "Sir, you missed the bus." How can I miss the bus? I may be old and feeble but how do you miss a bus? You stand in the door and the bus comes and you get on. Piece of cake! But noooo, they tell me I missed the bus! The supervisor advises me to come back the next morning for the 9:00 A.M. bus to Dover. I go back to the airport and hit the sack in a motel. $140 later I'm back at the bus terminal the next morning looking for an explanation from the boss. It turned out there WAS a bus at 10 that night! Sorry Charlie! So I get on the morning bus and arrive at the air base. There are 3 flights that day all going to Spain. The first one has hazardous cargo on it so that's out. I make it on the second flight. I'm the last to get on. We ride on a C5A, the largest in the world. This baby can carry 205,000 lbs of cargo while using 51,000 gallons of fuel. It's like your house taking off and flying when you ride in this airplane. It's really something! Because this one was fully loaded, only 19 of us could hop aboard. 7.5 hours later, I'm in Rota, Spain. Total cost? $3.85 for a nice box lunch!

  Rota is a Navy base located on the Atlantic cost near Gibraltar. You may recall the Russians invading Georgia a few months ago? The US is providing humanitarian aid to Georgia and it's being shipped through Spain. Germany doesn't want this aid on their soil since they receive their oil from Russia and they don't want to disrupt that arrangement. When we get off in Rota, we find that there are no flights to Germany for the next 3 days. Two of us take a $60 taxi ride to the local airport to check on commercial flights to Germany. Too expensive. We must book on the Internet. Next reasonable flight was in two days so we take another $60 taxi ride back to the base for a much needed nap in military quarters.

  After staying 2 days in Spain, we book a flight on a budget airline for Frankfurt, Germany, three hours away. I catch another flight to Vienna.  After a few day's stay in Austria, I head north to Poland by car. Anna's cousin is driving a 15 year old car on the poor, two lane, secondary roads. There are large  trees on each side of the road. The trip takes 10 hours. My life passed before my eyes several times that day because those drivers are maniacs!  When I visit Anna's mother in Poland, I'm a prisoner in her house.  I do not speak Polish, she does not have a computer, and I don't know my way around. Fortunately, she did have a TV with cable so I could watch CNN International and the BBC channel. I watched with fascination, glued to the set actually, as the coverage about the financial crises going on in the States and around the world unfolds. 700 Billion dollars here and 250 billion dollars there - pretty soon were going to be talking about real money! I spent a bit of my time trying to explain to some Europeans what actually was happening - the housing bubble and so forth (as if I really knew).

  Poland, I'm told, is about the size of Arizona with a much larger population. Anna's mother's house is in Poznan' which is the second largest Polish city. It is located in the western part of the country at about the 9:00 o'clock position. It has a beautiful, ancient city center surrounded by the modern town. Most of the modern buildings are nondescript built during the communist era with pockets of new developments sprouting up around town. It has beautiful, new shopping centers now, which is in sharp contrast to what they had when I was last there10 years ago. The selections and choices in these shopping centers and super markets rival the States and in some cases exceed us. The streets are filled with young people. I would estimate 85+% of those walking the streets are under 35. Most of the women are wearing pants. 98% of those were blue jeans. The town has a significant, unattractive graffiti problem. When I asked if they had a graffiti removal effort, they said of course. I saw no evidence of that - lack of $ perhaps?  Poland has made much progress since I was last there, but efficiency is not one of them. It took us three days to book a train to and hotel in two distant Polish cities. Either they would not or could not answer the telephone. They certainly could not take a credit card over the telephone for the reservations. We had to actually travel downtown to visit a travel agent to book these things! It took three trips to do so.

  We took a side trip to the ancient city of Torun'. This marvelous city dates to the 1200's, It is one of the most beautiful Polish cities located just north of the half way point between Poznan and the capital city of Warsaw. Its beauty is remarkably untouched by war. The entire ancient city has been converted into a pedestrian area. The modern city surrounds it. It reminded me a little of Williamsburg, Virginia, except that Torun' is still a thriving, vibrant city with people living there. The Poles have preserved the ancient facades of the magnificent buildings and the city looks as it did in the 14-1500's. The town became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Torun' is the birth place of Nicolaus Copernicus. In the1400's, he was the scientist who first determined / discovered that the earth and planets revolved around the sun instead of the other way around.

  We ended our stay in Poznan' by heading to world famous Krakow/Cracow by train. The train ride was 10.5 hours long but interesting. I got to see the countryside. I was impressed with the beauty of the Polish countryside - gentle rolling hills and slopes with productive, rich, black soil. The crops had just been harvested. I actually saw a horse pulling a plow. My military mind could not help but think of the rolling terrain without natural, strategic barriers. Not many mountains or rivers for protection. I could see the Cossacks invading on their horses or the German tanks invading in1939. Poor Poland is located right in the middle of things - able to be taken over by almost any country at will.

  The Royal City, the spiritual capital of Poland, the city of one hundred churches, the Polish Mecca, whatever you call it, Cracow is truly magnificent. It also is a large, ancient city untouched by war. This is the city where the late Pope John Paul - The Polish Pope - ministered before being called to Rome as the youngest Cardinal. Like Torun', Cracow is also surrounded by a modern city.  The ancient city within remains vibrant, active and productive -  more so, I think, than Torun'. This is my favorite ancient city. More so than other ancient towns I've seen in Germany, France, Spain or Italy. A large structure called the cloth hall, the world's first mall, is located in the city center. Cracow is home to the second oldest university in the world - the oldest being in Italy. The main beauty of this city is the churches and the Royal Castle. My favorite church is St. Mary's Basilica just off the town square. It is the main parish church for the citizens of Cracow and is one of the most beautiful churches in Central Europe. The outside of the church is not too remarkable but, My God, the inside! It was built during the entire 14th century. It is ten stories tall. The Gothic high altar is most majestic and beautiful. It took the artist about12 years to carve and sculpt the altar It is one of the most splendid examples of late Gothic wooden sculpture. This remarkable altar consists of a base, the main case, two wings and two shutters11 meters wide and 13 meters tall. Made of oak, it contains 200 human figures sculpted in lime wood. It's vivid colors and gold plating make the altar remarkably visible in the dim interior of the basilica. I think this church is more beautiful than anything I've seen in Rome. The Royal Castle is just as remarkable. Significant here are the interior decorations, furnishings, and the remarkable tapestries, the most precious works of art in the castle. Showing biblical themes, landscapes and animals and grotesque images, they belong to the most beautiful samples of figural weaving. Most of these tapestries were woven in Brussels. The size of some of these tapestries is remarkable - 20 feet square in some instances. Most of them contain gold and silver thread - some as much as 50 pounds of gold thread!  This castle is truly one of the most beautiful royal residences in Europe and the most beautiful I have ever seen.

  Now from man's devotion to God and beauty, to man's inhumanity to man. - Auschwitz - Birkenau, the Nazi death camps. I had always wanted to go and see this horror. Of course I had seen all the documentaries and films on TV but I felt this horror had to be experienced in person. Bus tours run daily from the hotels. It's about an hour's bus ride southwest from Cracow. It was a beautiful, fall day. There were tremendous crowds - school kids and tourists from all over the world, which is appropriate. I can't imagine that there are some in the world who deny the existence of Auschwitz and what went on there. There's no entrance fee, of course, but you are required to go with a guide. It's all there, as you can imagine. We enter under the famous "Work makes you free" sign hanging over the gate. The electric fences, the watch towers, the crematoria, the gas chambers, the little guard house where guards took shelter in inclement weather as the prisoners stood in the elements during roll call and the execution wall of block 11. You see all that and more - much more - on the tour, which takes about 3 hours. Still standing are the brick buildings, which existed as Polish Army barracks prior to the German invasion and the camp being established. In these buildings are located the most damning displays of Nazi cruelty. In these buildings were housed the women and where the "doctors" did their experimentations on identical twins, babies, sterilized women, injected prisoners with various diseases and all types of substances and tortured and killed humans by the hundreds.

  As you progress through these buildings, you learn how the prisoners were 'processed' - like cattle going to the slaughter house. We all know how they were brought to the camps - in railcars up to 60 to a car all squeezed in with no food, water, sanitary conditions, etc. Many, of course, died before they got to the camps. As soon as they were released from the cattle cars, they were stripped of their possessions, and stood before a processing 'doctor/official' . With a pointed finger or thumb, he send the young, old, and infirm ones to one side for immediate extermination in the gas chambers while the others, in better shape, went in the other direction to the work camp. Stripped of their clothes and placed in striped pajamas, their hair was cut and they were ready to do the German's bidding. The line of prisoners to be exterminated had their hair cut, shed their clothes and went directly to the 'showers'. In some cases, they were given a towel and a bar of soap. Stripped naked, men, women and children were herded together into the "showers"- gas chambers actually - up to 600 at a time!  Not only herded in but beat and forced in often making them hold their arms up over their heads so more of them would fit! The gas chambers were partially underground so the gas could not easily escape. It took less than 30 minutes to kill those inside. Only about two canisters of the gas pellets were needed. When the pellets contacted air, they converted immediately into poison gas. After the gas was evacuated, the workers (other inmates) removed the corpuses. Before they were cremated, workers looked in each mouth and extracted gold teeth and fillings, which were melted and sent back to Germany.

  I would have liked to see an interactive display of one of those cattle cars. I think it would have been most impressive to stuff 60 of us visitors inside one of these things to give us a heightened sense of how these poor people had to travel to get to this Auschwitz hell camp.  All personal possessions were processed in a meticulously, thoughtful and professional manner. Each stitch of clothing was thoroughly searched for gold, diamonds and other valuables, which were often sewn into the garments. Everything was categorized. Like items were collected and stored in huge warehouses for eventual shipment back to Germany.

  It was this next part of the tour that made the most impression on me. In the old brick barracks are displayed this material. First you come upon a display case of Zyklon B poison gas canisters. I was reminded of large coffee cans which were opened with an old fashioned can opener. Jagged edges, uneven serrations, pried open lids. But these containers never held coffee, they contained   Zyklon B. Originally developed by the IG Farbin company for fumigation purposes, Zyklon B was further enhanced by German ingenuity to efficiently kill humans. I turned a corner and came upon a display of 600 eyeglasses or was it 6,000? (You can put a lot of spectacles in a small display case.) They were displayed in a pile - all wire rimmed types. Then a display of prosthesis. All forms of crutches, wooden limbs, wooden legs with a shoes attached. Not just 5 or 6 of these things, but 500 or 600 of them! In another room - the hair. At least 30 feet long and 4 feet high and 5 feet deep, this display hits you with the enormity of what you are seeing. As I entered the room, I noticed a slight whiff of moth balls - possibly used to preserve the display. You first look at this huge mound of stuff and it looks like gray wool. As you creep closer, you notice its really black and white material mixed together. As I looked even closer still, I noticed a touch of red hair here and there - then a large, blond pony tail. As you pass around the room, you see what these monsters did with the hair. They send it back to Germany and reprocessed it into a matt like roll that resembled a blanket. They even wove some hair into socks for the German submariners! Then the suitcases with the names, addresses, dates of birth. A particularly notable one was a small suitcase for a 3 year old child. Then on to a room full of chamber pots - big pots, small pots, metal pots now rusted, pots coated with enamel, decorated pots, plain pots. Then the shoes... my God, the shoes! Big shoes, small shoes, sandals, dress shoes, work shoes, high heeled shoes, slippers, shoes with holes in them, even wooden shoes. I didn't see any new shoes which I suspect had already been shipped to Germany.

  We somberly moved on to building 11. Between this building and the next was located the reconstructed execution wall. (The Germans dismantled the original to conceal the evidence.) Many Poles plus any one who was suspected of resisting the Nazis were hauled before a Kangaroo court, convicted, and summarily shot. They were first sent to a 'cleaning' room where they were stripped of all their clothes and then were taken out, two by two, naked, to the wall and shot in the head. Also in building 11 were the basement prison cells. Here were the isolation cells, the hunger cell and the standing cells. For various infractions, prisoners were sent to the isolation cell for a time. In the standing cells, they were required to stand all night in a 4X4 foot area often with three others until the next morning when they were sent back to work. Prisoners were placed in the hunger cell to starve to death. In the next building, the Nazi's conducted medical experimentation on identical twins and sterilized women in many different ways. When they were finished, they injected various substances into their heart to kill them.

  I came away from this sacred place with a hardened perspective on all things German. I was tremendously (negatively) impressed with German efficiency. Excuse me for saying so but I was reminded back to my youth when I visited a slaughter house where they butchered hogs. They proudly stated that they utilized everything but the squeal. In a certain way, that's what the Nazis did. On display were small travel tickets the Nazis made some Greek Jews buy for their transportation to Auschwitz! They used the ashes from the crematorium for fertilizer. They recycled all the prisoners' possessions back to Germany to help in the war effort. They set up a mini camp within the main camp where some prisoners were allowed to live with their families. These prisoners ate well, they sent postcards home telling of their peaceful existence and they received care packages. All this in order to show the International Red Cross when they inspected the 'labor' camp. When the show was over, all went immediately to the gas chambers. When the Nazis murdered, the prisoners were all naked so the processors didn't have to undress the corpses. Everything was thought out in detail so as to achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency. One has to wonder how the guards could do this day in and day out then go home to their families after their shift and play with their kids. How could one man convince an entire nation to accomplish this madness? There is one slight consolation. The camp commander was charged a year or so after the war concluded and was hanged at the very camp he ran not 100 yards from the house in which he lived.

By Martin Niemoeller.

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,

         and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

    THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,

            and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

       THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,

               and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

          THEN THEY CAME for the Catholics,

                  and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

             THEN THEY CAME for me,

                      and by that time no one was left to speak up."

  It was a relief to continue on the next day to the historic salt mine in Wieliczka, just 10 miles from Cracow. Producing salt for over 900 years, Wieliczka's famous salt mine is included on UNESCO's first World Cultural and Natural Heritage list in1978. The mine was extremely valuable for the Polish people since packing meat in salt was the only way to preserve it at that time. The salt was more valuable than gold. In the excavated salt chambers the miners have fashioned chapels, a large dance hall, a post office, an eating establishment, a sanatorium chamber for treatment and rehabilitation of patients suffering from bronchial disorders. The micro-climate aids in their treatment. I was most impressed with the wooden timbers needed for supporting the excavated chambers. In fact, around Wieliczka there once was a huge forest. It is now gone - it's all underground supporting various areas of the salt mine. In the rock salt left remaining, the miners carved extensive, beautiful rock-salt sculptures and statues. In the large dance hall, huge chandeliers are constructed of salt crystals.

  We left Cracow and drove to Vienna where I enjoyed more beautiful sights and excellent Austrian cuisine. In Vienna one must eat wiener schnitzel - a pork cutlet pounded into a large, 1/4 inch thick, piece of meat which is breaded, deep fried and served with a salad. A regular sized order is so large it overhangs your plate. You know how we give our credit card to our waiter in the restaurant and he goes back to the terminal out of your sight to charge your bill? They don't do that in Europe. They will either bring a wireless device to your table where they swipe your credit car in front of you or will ask you to follow them to the terminal where they will swipe it in your presence. This way you are assured that there is no theft or additional charges added to your card.

  Anna's nephew took us to see the national treasure in Austria's main museum. I have never seen such opulent displays of fine art, precious crowns, and regalia in all my life. You know when you see a period movie of kings and queens and knights, etc.? Well, these are the real crowns, clothes, implements and armor that the movies copy. To say that the displays are breathtaking is an understatement. The displays overwhelm the senses -  gold this and that, diamonds here and there, rubies all over the place, mink and ermine garments. My oh my! No wonder they had revolts and chopped off some of the royals' heads. With how the kings and queens dressed along with the gold embellishments inside the churches of the period, it's a wonder the peasants could live at all!

  After a month overseas, it was time to go. I left first. I caught the budget air carrier, Berlin Air, to Frankfurt, then a shuttle to Ramstein Air Force Base. Ramstein is the main terminal for getting back to the states. All wounded and killed soldiers pass from the war to Lanstuhl General Hospital which is about 5 miles away from Ramstein. Since there were no flights out until early the next morning, I hit the sack in the bachelor officers' quarters (BOQ). Up early the next morning at 3:00 A.M., I found that there were 4 or 5 flights heading back to the States. They don't have a firm seat count for the first plane so I get on the second which is heading to New Jersey. When we get to the airplane, it has maintenance problems so we are turned back. The next airplane is headed to Dover, Delaware. It has maintenance problems, too. A third plane is headed to Washington, D.C. but it has too many wounded on it - they are all going to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington. Don't get me wrong, we stand-by passengers don't have many qualms about riding on these med-a-vac flights, but I just want to make a point. It was full! I don't know how many flights they have a week but this flight was full of kids with legs blown off, and other injured soldiers. This is an unwritten story. How many wounded soldiers - men and women - are being sent back to receive treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center? We know how many soldiers have been killed, but how many injured are there? If you hop on a plane with caskets on it, you must sign a waiver saying it's ok with you. So, I make the next flight. It a C17A a small, big, four engine jet that can carry 171,000 pounds of cargo. When we get to the airplane, they  forgot to put 40,000 pounds of jet fuel in this baby! Back to the terminal until they do so. Head back, again, to the airplane and thank God there's no maintenance problems. We're going to Charleston, South Carolina, with very important cargo - our luggage, the crew's luggage and one case of Grey Goose vodka, along with four cases of German beer! The aircraft could have held 59 passengers but there were only 26 on board. We flew for 7 hours with our precious cargo and landed in remote northeast Canada where it was a balmy 39 degrees. After fueling up again we flew another 4 hours and landed in South Carolina. Another unwritten story surfaces. The war and the subsequent heavy use of the air force's resources has caused its airplanes to become tired with high maintenance required. They always appear to be breaking from what I saw. Sure, they are quickly repaired, but I suspect it's an indication as to how prepared we are for future, critical situations.

  I hung around Charleston for a day to see if I could get a hop out of there but no luck. I ran over to the civilian side of the airport and rented a car and drove to Richmond to see my daughter and two grand kids. After a short stay with her family, I was back in Charleston where I got a commercial flight to Phoenix through Philadelphia. To say I kissed the ground when I arrived would be an overstatement, but it certainly was good to be home again.  People ask if I saved any money making the trip in this manner. Probably not much BUT if, as they say, getting there is half the fun,.... I had a blast!"

  Warmest regards one and all, Ron Cheatham

Linda Thanks Ron.  Linda Frankel writes, "This was hard reading, and Ron is some incredible kind of writer. Thanks to him for sharing his thoughts and experiences with all of us, and to Fred for sending it on.  I urge you to read it. The best insurance we have that this hideous inhumanity to man will never happen again is by telling, knowing and remembering what happened there."  Linda Frankel.

Pat Also Thanks Ron.  Rat Richardson Adkins writes, "I want to thank Ron for sharing his story.  It was very interesting and informative.  Thanks so much.  Pat Richardson Adkins

Carol Comments on Holocaust.  Carol Mendelson Ellegant writes to Ron Cheatham.  "Thank you for such a interesting story of your travels.  It was so full of wonderful descriptions, humor as well as deep feelings. It was very moving.   I read every word, it was well worth it.  I also suggest a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, on the Mall, for any one interested in seeing a very interesting exhibit about the Holocaust and doesn't require a trip to Poland.    The museum includes documents, artifacts, and a even real rail car used in transporting Jews to the concentration camps.   It is an amazing and informative place.  Check it out on the web to see what it is all about."  Carol Mendelson Ellegant

IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.  Anita Herbert Oller sent us a Power Point presentation titled 'It Seems Impossible'.  It contained many photos and comments from the German Concentration Camps.

Terry Says "Never Forget."  Terry Brodof relates his story about his father and the German Concentration Camps.  Terry writes, "I remember as a kid being told time and again, NEVER FORGET.  My father was in Europe during the capitulation of Germany (as a US soldier at the end of WWII) and since he spoke Yiddish he was used at times as an interpreter in the concentration camps.  Like most solders returning from war, he never talked about his experiences. I recognized at an early age that my father hated everything German.  As he grew older he softened a bit but he sure got angry at me when in 1968 I bought a Porsche.  I am for the most part not an emotional person but the Holocaust makes me cry."  Terry Brodof

Jim Visited Dachau Concentration Camp.  Jim Handloser wrote, "Twenty-nine years ago, I visited Dachau concentration camp. Holocaust books, film footage taken by liberators, documentaries. None of these things quite prepares one for the experience of standing where such unimaginable crimes were committed. I long ago gave up trying to describe the profound effect the experience had on me.  Five hours after driving away from Dachau, I sat with colleagues in a 16th Century church in the German countryside, listening to a performance of Bach's Magnificat. Sitting there in that bucolic setting, listening to that transcendent music, one could not help but ponder the question that has been asked so many times: How could a country that produced Bach and Beethoven, a country that was regarded as the most educated in the world at the time of Hitler's ascent, murder six million human beings?  One of the people with me that night at the concert was a Hungarian Jew named Tibor. He and his mother were deported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1944. His mother did not survive.  When asked how he, a Holocaust survivor, could bring himself to travel to Germany, he replied that he did not believe in collective guilt and was unwilling to condemn an entire people, many of whom were not alive during the Nazi years, for what had happened to him and his family. He insisted that only individuals, not countries, are capable of actions, that only an individual or individuals can be held responsible for any action, good or bad. Then he paused and added, 'Of course one hell of a lot of German individuals were responsible for the Holocaust.'  Jim Handloser.

In Memoriam - 60+ Years Later.  Judy Browning Clark sent a story about the Holocaust titled In Memoriam - 60+ Years Later.

Pete Comments on Holocaust.  Pete Schoew writes, "No more important time than now not to forget the truth about holocaust and it's lesson re: evil.  Pete Schoew.

Dan and Sally are Busy Traveling.  Dan Nelson updated me on his recent travels.  Dan writes, "We just returned from visiting my sister in Huntington and from seeing Sally's brother in Washington DC.  2008 has been a very busy traveling year and it's not over yet.  We are leaving for our daughter's home in Mississippi on Thursday.   In September we had a nice trip to Colorado with friends.  Attached are 3 pictures I took there.  (See Classmate Photos for one of them).  Also attached is a picture I took in Peachtree City just this past weekend.  Trees around here never hit their color peak until November."  Dan Nelson.  Dan and Sally, you two really hit the road.  Your photos are spectacular as usual.

Favorite Web Sites.  Several of you have sent special web sites for our enjoyment over the period.

Larry Clark - http://flashfabrica .com/f_learning/ brain/brain. html

Tom Frick - http://www.roadsidepeek.com/rpeekeast/eatseast/joints/huntwv/

George Hale - http://hooligan1.home.comcast.net/~hooligan1/GasSta.htm