180521 May 21, 2018

Lee Lunch Bunch News

Patsy Hughes Oldroyd 

LHS ‘65

Patsy Hughes Oldroyd ’65, Judy Beason Jennings ’65 and Doug Blaise ’67

Linda Weldon ’65, Gail Brady Ayres ’66, Dianna May Stephenson ’64, Pat Mullins Hargrove ’64, Diane Hughey McClure ’64

John Scales ’66, Bob Alverson ’65 and Mary Alverson ’67,

Dwight (and Pat) Jones ’64

 Mrs. Sue Faulkner, Kem Robertson ’65, Brooks Glover ’64, Judy Fedrowisch Kincaid ’66, Ken Martz 

From Our Mailbox 

Subject:    Typing Class

Chip Smoak

LHS '66

    Tommy, your memories of typing and typing class prove without a doubt that you do not suffer from Alzheimer's. 

    Black was the only color of typewriter that I ever had.  I was quite happy to have a portable typewriter to take to college with me.  I spent many an hour in my dorm room typing papers.  You left out half of the procedure with your "hunt and peck" comment.  The other half was "curse and erase", usually said under one's breath.  Also, changing from a manual to  an electric typewriter was quite an experience that required learning not to pound the keys which caused unwanted repetitions of letters that had to be erased (darn!)

Subject:    Typing   

Gary Hatcher

    Tommy, your article about Mrs. Parks typing class brought back a memory of how important taking that class became to me.  Along with needing to type during my Air Force and FAA careers, it provided me with an easy detail while attending my Air Force tech school.  I remember being told to never volunteer for anything in the military.  Well, while in formation one morning, the first sergeant asks if anybody knew how to type.  Without thinking I raised my hand.  Before I could put it down, he pointed at me and said to see him after formation was completed.  Well, it turned out to be the best thing I did that day.  It appeared that he need someone to type letters for him each day.  There were two clerks in the office, but the letters he requested me to type needed to be done quickly and could not wait for the clerks to do them with their other work.  The best part is that I did not have to make formation each morning prior to marching to classes.  I was given a driving pass.  I drove to class.  After the class ended, I drove to the squadron compound, and reported to the first sergeant.  He would give me letters to type, one, two, three, or more.  Sometimes there would be none.  Since this was a permanent detail, I could leave to go home after I finished.  On days that there were no letters to type, I was released and headed home.  I was happy about this since I was still basically a newlywed.  I also didn’t have to do many of the other work assignments around the squadron compound, such as cleaning latrines, raking leaves, sweeping and mopping.  So, as you can tell, taking that typing course worked out just great for me.

Subject:   Typewriters

Jeffrey Fussell

LHS '66

    Your story on typewriters was memorable for me in a somewhat different way. I used both manual and electric typewriters, but never formally studied the art until later in life.

    When I did face typing in an academic situation, our classroom was equipped with Panasonic daisy-wheel typewriters.  In addition to the horrible  “soft-touch” keys (which I avoid to this day),  I was constantly off-balance by the peculiar nature of these machines in which there is virtually  no sound at impact, but followed by a noticeable “THUNK” as the daisy-wheel returns to its home position. 

    Having associated the typewriter’s sound with the actual imprint, I found myself losing my place on the page.  I never got beyond 30 words per minute.  Not all innovations are winners.

Subject:   Movies and LLB

Dianne Hughey McClue

LHS '64

    Tommy I really enjoyed the movie article. I too loved going to the movies. I always did and I still do. I remember going to the movies on a hot summer day because they were air conditioned. I always took a sweater because it would be very cool sometimes. Such great memories thank you for sharing. 

    I also want to thank Patsy for the continued commitment to the Lee Lunch gatherings;I always enjoy them.

Subject:   

Barb Biggs Knott

LHS '66

    I really enjoy your looks back at our high school years and the one about Mrs. Parks’ typing class brought back some great memories. I remember the sound of the old typewriters and using  the typing book. Some of the guys that were in the class were a hoot. I think at the end of the year some were able to type 19 words a minutes….good times!

    BTW, the typewriter ribbon wasn’t the only mess to be made. When using the mimeograph machine I always had purple ink on me!

Subject:    Thanks for the Memories

Polly Gurley Redd

LHS '66

    Thanks for the memories. I loved going to the Lyric or the Martin theaters for the movies. It often included a trip for lunch at the Krystal on the Square or to City Drug for an ice cream or that fresh squeezed lemonade they made. I loved walking downtown and seeing things in the windows and people on the street. You made my day this morning when I read your story.

Subject:    Class of '64 Class Picnic Video

Joel Weinbaum

LHS '64

    That was good just don’t recall but i was probably there. To be young again…! And how times have changed. The Brownie is no longer in a box and film no longer has the cost of flash bulbs and development. And our cell phone camera is 10,000 times the quality as still pictures or motion. Just keep the battery charged. And I used to wonder about what life would be like as with the George Orwell’s book, “1984.” 

    In June of 1964 I flew to Norfolk Naval Base in a Lockheed Electra from Huntsville. Had turbo prop Rolls Royce engines that stuck way out from the wing and bounced as we gathered speed down the runway. Not the safest plane ever built. Often wondered if those engines fell off subsequent flights. First commercial flight for me. As we lifted I had a start when the A/C blew fog from the vents. In that flash i thought smoke. As we approached Norfolk a hurricane was in the area and we landed  at Newport News. Sat there for a good while then moved to the Norfolk side. As we approached our first landing we experienced the gut wrenching effects of a serious roller coaster ride with several people getting sick. Was heading to a two week Seamanship school where I became an E-3 before heading to Active Duty in July 1964. 

    Back to the end of our Senior Year, I’ll never forget that sense of exuberance of finally escaping in that rush of maturity, which i wasn’t. But many of our friends got married and started families. As to those now past, they’ve not gotten any older in our memory. After arriving in San Diego for my first assignment at a Navy school, I realized I  had grown up in a sheltered life. Thanks.

Subject:    D-Day Invasion

Woody Beck

LHS '65

    Bonjour de Paris, Tommy. I didn't realize that your dad was in the 29th and lost a leg when they assaulted the right flank of Omaha Beach. Damn lucky to be alive. The memorial to the 29th, as well as the German bunkers at Vierville-sur-Mer, are impressive.