Lee Lunch Bunch Gathers Again

Carolyn Burgess Featheringill 

LHS '65

The Lee Lunch Bunch convened at Logan's Roadhouse on October 22nd, a beautiful fall day under "bright blue October skies."   About forty alums and spouses were in attendance.

It's always a joy to renew acquaintance with spouses of our members and visit with everybody's favorite English teacher Miss Faulkner - - "Sue" to us now that we're "grown."   Kudos to Susan Simms who started at her home in northern Virginia, linked up with Linda Weldon in North Carolina, and the two of them arrived on time and full of energy.

Talk ranged from grandchildren to trips to reminiscences of our school days - - sometimes all in the same conversation.   Many observed that they're still trying to figure out why they're so busy in retirement!

As always, sincerest thanks go to Patsy Hughes Oldroyd and Judy Fedrowisch Kincaid for their amazing organization and to Tommy Towery for publicizing this opportunity to be together.  After Thursday's event, everyone is looking forward to the next one.

Not surprisingly, the day began with laughter, handshakes and hugs and ended the same way.  That's just how it is with the Fami-Lee!

 My Short Career As A Barber

Skip Cook

LHS '64

  Thanks Tommy, for the weekly LHS posts and I thoroughly enjoyed the "hair theme" in the past two installments of the Traveller.  As usual, reading those articles takes me back in time to the 1960's.  In particular, I thought of specific time in the summer of 1969 when I was stationed at Ft. Belvoir, VA in officer candidate school.  Our class had not progressed to the point where we had "hair privileges".  Twice a week we ran in formation  to the barbershop and were shorn of any hair that had managed to grow in the past 3-4 days.  As I recall, the cost of those haircuts was about $.90 each.  Someone in the platoon of about 50 guys,  broached the idea of buying a set of electric shears and cutting our own hair thus saving money and time. 

  Cash was appropriated from the "slush fund" and with total ignorance a pair of clippers were purchased.  I'm sure they were the cheapest clippers available-probably more suitable for cutting the dogs hair every 2 months or so.  The exterior housing was red plastic and they worked for maybe a week before giving up the ghost.  Chalk that purchase up to research & development.  Another pair of more sturdy metal bodied clippers were purchased which worked better.  I don't remember why but I became the platoon barber.  At the end of the squad bay was a 40-50 gallon, heavy metal trash can which became the "barber shop".  Barber shop procedure:  platoon members would drape a towel around their shoulders, and when it was their turn bend over the trash can.  I would then use the clippers to remove what little hair was there.  No pleasant conversations like I enjoy with my wonderful lady barber Laurie these days.

  After 15-20 of these "haircuts", the clippers would become to hot to hold.  Undaunted,  I would wet a wash  cloth, wrap it around the clippers (electricity and water not a good idea) and continue cutting.  It normally worked fairly well until that one day-an emergency haircut.  One member of the platoon (red-d headed Wayne Mallory) had been ordered to report to the TAC Officer's Office.  "I need to break in line and get a haircut right now!".  From past conversations, I know that LHS class mates John Fulda, David Bess, and probably Collins Wynn will know what  is coming.  Being one-on-one with a TAC Officer never had a good outcome - it  always resulted in physical harassment of push ups, grass drills, etc.  I attempted to cut Mallory's hair with the now malfunctioning clippers.  They just would not cut that tight red hair and it left obvious gaps.  The contrast of pale white skin and red hair made him look similar to "Tony the Tiger" and he ran off to the TAC Shack.

  The procedure when reporting was to remove your helmet liner, hold it firmly in your right hand, brace against the office door frame, and announce your presence.   I'm sure that our TAC officer was in amazement when he saw the hair cut.  "WHO CUT YOUR HAIR?"  "Sir, Candidate Cook cut my hair".  "Well, you get Candidate Cook over here with his barber supplies, NOW!"  My barber career ended suddenly that day amid commands of "drop, give me 50, to slow, on your feet, drop..."

  Who knows, with a bit oil for the clippers, and rejecting red-headed clients, I could have had another career.

I could have been more "colorful" with the military language but some might have found it offensive. I am sure you understand.

The Wayback Machine

As many of our classmates found out, the Army didn't waist much time on giving haircuts.

Sorry I missed the Lee Lunch Bunch gathering, but a long-before difficult-to-get doctor's appointment prevented me from joining the crowd. Thanks to Carolyn Burgess Featheringill for sending us some infomation about it, and to Patsy Hughes Oldroyd and Judy Fedrowisch Kincaid for setting it up. Patsy supplied the photos taken.

Maybe next time!

Rison and What AI Knows

Meri Susan Simms

LHS ‘65

We’ve been hearing a lot of chatter about AI . . . the pros/cons, etc. etc. Being a DAR member has helped me see the “pros” of this new technology and the doors it can open when researching genealogy and trying to find a “path” back to a potentially new patriot . . . not only of the Revolutionary War, but also 1812, Mayflower, Jamestown to name but a few.

As records are “transcribed” using AI , history can sometimes be reveled in a new light , at times confirming, or denying memories.

I have been trying to get this memory from 63 years ago now verified and, after asking the question about the incident and reading the information about the account . . . do believe it has been accomplished.  I was 16 at the time.

I asked Google if there was a time when in the early 1960’s the Governor of Alabama sent Alabama State Troopers to block the entrance of Rison Elementary School . This is the result:

Daddy was school principal at the time, and I remember him being quite upset this was happening and I DID NOT like seeing my Daddy upset.  I was actually at the school with him that morning (do not remember exactly why) and one of the patrol officers came into the school to use the phone.  

Daddy allowed him to use the phone at the secretary’s desk.  I could see the angst on Daddy’s face and got so mad that I went over to the patrolman and kicked him in the leg and told him to get off the school property  - he wasn’t needed nor wanted!!  Of course, Daddy intervened, apologized to the officer and and told me to sit down and calm down!! 

Just thought you might like seeing my latest AI search and how it “verified” a bit of my memory from 1963.

Additionally, several other memories of stories he told me about various individuals (like George Lindsey (Goober of the Andy Griffith Show) coached the basketball team at Hazel Green in the early 1950’s. Daddy was principal of Hazel Green from about 1930 - 1946 (when he went to Riverton, then to New Market, Lincoln Mills, then Rison. He retired from Chapman Elementary in 1965).  George Lindsey coached the HG basketball team when it played New Market in the early 1950),  and AI laid it all out for me.

Last Week's Questions, Answers, And Comments

Delores McBride Kilgore, LHS '66, "Love it!"