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The first time I arrived in Subic,
I was only 2, and it was in 1959. Our family made
6 trips to Subic for a total of 14 years. Although
many of them were great, and watching the changes
as I grew up, none were as memorable as the 70's.
Vietnam was at its peak, and there
were protesters in the States. Most of us that were
there only worried about where we were going to
spend our allowance the upcoming weekend. There
was White Rock Beach, Paulines, the Florida Club,
Dungaree Beach, and Subic City. Out of all the memories,
there are a few that will stay forever such as the
Odd Squad, the Jokers, and the Unknowns -- each
one trying to outdo the other.
I remember the first, and as far
as I know -- the only bomb threat the school ever
knew. Some of us decided school wasn't important
enough and water skiing at the beach seemed a lot
better. We were sitting at the baseball bleachers
playing blackjack with our lunch money and we decided
to cut cards to decide who would call in so we could
get out of class and go skiing. After cutting the
cards, I had to drive that person to the Navy Exchange
to the phone booth. The call was made and, lo and
behold, his sister had office aid and answered the
phone. He was able to disguise his voice and the
call worked. It worked so well in fact we forgot
to get our motorcycles away from the school. By
the time we got back, they would not allow us to
retrieve our bikes. We had to ride the bus home
and feared we were going to get caught. Must be
why we were voted least likely to succeed. Hope
the statue of limitations has expired, after all
it has been 25 years.
25 years later, I thank God that
I can cherish those memories, and in them I would
like to remember a few that cannot:
-
Duffy Benton....lost
his life on the Teen-Club bus along with Maggie
and a few others.
-
Ron Kasab.....who
lost his life on his motorcycle.
-
David Baldoff...who
lost his life in an accident by the school.....remember
it well, I was in the car...as was Lucy Aguilar,
Lolita Scott, and Dawn Ogline.
YouÕre never away from our thoughts.
Buddy Frazier GDHS Ō74
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Well, lets face it, a lot of us have memories that
other people in our real lives just don't believe.
Stories we hesitate to tell, well, because it just
doesnÕt sound proper or we certainly wouldn't want
the wife or kids to hear this!
I remember one time myself, Dan
Eskew , John Eskew , Louis Anderson and Shannon?-blond
guy (-?) drinking White Horse Rum-must have been
17- smoking dope and doing head rushes. Louis
passed out and rolled down the hill into the cement
drainage ditch. So many of my memories were like
this that now that I'm older and sober it seems
a shame to have wasted the time. I also remember
the school radio show-playing the RUSH song "I think
I'm going Bald", dedicating it to Mr Middleton
and (Robt. McMullen and I) thinking we were very
witty! Funny how everyone remembers Skinner
picking his nose in class. How about Mr. Wilson
being such a butt? I also remember fantastic SCUBA
diving, Beautiful Jungle hikes and NISRA
Few people that I'm friends with
have such a disconnection with their past-yet occasionally
I will run into or see people from Subic. Many of
us young teen males are extremely lucky that we
are alive. Don't get me wrong, the past is still
an open door. What a long, strange trip itÕs been...More
later?
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I'll always remember Mr. Dineen
the school counselor. He was always easy to talk
to. My girlfriend, Theresa Hinen and I use to go
in his office and try to unscramble the jumble puzzle
in the Stars & Stripes newspaper with him. To
this day, I still look foward to unscrambling the
daily jumble puzzle. I wonder where and how he is
doing these days. One teacher I couldn't stand was
Mr. Leonard Skinner who always undoubtedly picked
his nose while giving his lectures. Yuck. A very
expressive and dramatic teacher was Mr. Girardi
who taught world history in my sophomore year. I
liked the way he would skate across the room waving
his hands, flipping back his long gray hair and
raising his eyebrows every time he got excited.
He would describe Cleopatra's eyelashes as "Super
Sweepers". He was eccentric, but he sure made history
class interesting. Mr. & Mrs. Kaiser taught
biology and science. I think they were determined
to flunk everybody in class. Even though I was an
honor society student, I had the roughest time in
the Kaiser's classes. I don't think I scored higher
than a C in their classes. I remember getting an
A in Mr. Kaiser's IPS class. It was the second highest
grade next to the genius Jesus Marquez's grade.
He was so shocked that he even mentioned it to everyone
in the class. I literally slept with the book under
my pillow hoping to get a good grade, but I didn't
think I'd come close to Acing it. Now that I think
of them, were they really married?
More memories to come, but
gotta go now. Boss is coming!
Sonya Hasal, GDHS '78
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Life in Pauline's, 1968-73
Moving from on base housing in
Stuttgart, Germany and into a night club environment
like Pauline's on 50 Magasaysay Drive in Olongapo
City was quite an eye opening experience for a young
teenage male. I can honestly say that I saw it all
while living there. But let me back up and give
you a little history on Pauline's Night Club before
I start sharing stories about some of my class mates
who would come over for the strip shows, to get
laid, free dinners and San Miguel.
Pauline's opened as a small night
club in 1945 in Alabang which I think is a suburb
of Manila today. The propritetor's were my grandfather,
Leopoldo Paulino and grandmother, Virginia Delfino
Paulino. Mom told me that she and her siblings were
the help, i.e. waiter, waitress, busboy or girl,
cashier and so on. In 1947, my grandfather moved
Pauline's to Angeles City, home Clark Field (where
I was born) and the many service men that rotated
in and out of that place. Needless to say the place
prospered in no time and became a well know establisment
for military personnel which included the general
of the base ( dad said that his last name's White?).
Heck, not only was it a bar and dancing establishment,
it had it's own indoor crocodile pit.
In 1966, Pauline's in Olongapo
opened up and when we moved there, my mom became
manager of the place. It was the biggest night club/hotel
/restaurant that Olongapo had ever known at the
time. It took up maybe a half acre in area but was
about 6 stories in height. The first floor made
up the main club along with a portion of the second
floor. The back portion of the second floor was
where our family lived. The third, fourth and fifth
floors were all hotel rooms and at very top was
an open air club if you will that held "special"
parties or events. No...no one ever jumped off as
there were bars all the way around that area. This
Pauline's was also well know for it's crocdile pit
that was located in front on Magsaysay Drive. All
the squids and jarheads would buy baby ducklings
from the local kids that hung around and throw them
into the crocodile pen hoping to see a feeding frenzy.
The only time there was a feeding frenzy was when
a drunk sailor would actually jump in and try to
wrestle one of the beasties. Shore Patrol would
eventually show up and haul their butts back to
the base or hospital if they got bit. Because of
faulty electrical wiring, Pauline's burned down
in June of 1974. Our family watched helplessly from
across the street. Afterward, we moved to Hawaii.
To the best of my knowledge, Junior
Elsas was the only dependent that ever got laid
@ Pauline's. Mr. Elsas was a senior when I was a
sophomore. A real happy go lucky Guamanian. I understand
he may be living in the San Diego area? I'll never
forget when he showed up with young girl and needed
a room in a hurry. Naturally I set him up with a
room @ no charge.
Andy Stephenson, another good buddy
from 9th - 11th grades. He lived on base in San
Miguel and would come over and spend the night or
nights whenever he decided to run away from home
temporarily. We shared many a beer and Seagram 7
with 7-up. One time, we were in the Rocket Room,
a night club owned by one of my uncles. The place
was all black lights, florescent posters, paintings
and the band doing their best imitation of "Purple
Haze" by Jimi Hendrix or "White Rabbit" by Jefferson
Airplane. Though Andy would never admit to it, I
watched and counted as he drank 7 mixed drinks and
21 San Miguel's in one evening. It took myself and
a waiter to carry him to our family's living quarters
where I had him placed in a bath tub to sleep it
off. The guy "reeked" of alchohol but he was comfortable
once I placed a pillow under his head. The last
time I saw Andy was at the 1991 reunion in San Diego.
Last I heard, he and his family were possible living
in Orange County, CA.
There are many other stories I
could share about alumni who were at Pauline's in
the early 70's, even the fathers of a couple of
girls at school who I happened to be going steady
with at the time. One was a chief in the navy and
the other in civil service. I can say that I shared
a couple of beers with both of them.
God Bless,
Larry Galinato, GDHS '73
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My years in the PI were March 72
- Dec 73. They were the best times of my teen years.
I am amazed at every reunion the stories that I
learn, and how people viewed me and others. I remember
arriving in Clark and driving to Subic. Every hut
that we would pass, my dad would say, that's what
our house looks like, just a little bigger, and
my mom cried all the way. We lived at White Rock
beach for a few months, moved to town for a short
time, and then on to the base. We lived across the
street from the Enlisted Men's Club, under Paul
King and his family. The Smith's lived next door
( I remember when Bob Hope came to their house after
his show). I can honestly say that I met my best
friends there, and to this day we are still best
friends. Karen Robbins, Cathi Seuss, Patty Mathews,
Lynne McCabe, Dan Bash, Zane Z., Randy D., Curtis
P., I will never forget you or the impact that you
had on my life there, and to this day. Other friends
that I had there and have lost contact with were
Patty McCeaughey(sp), Donna Bock, Shirley Hoover,
Debbie Plummer, Mike Gibson, and lots more. I could
name everyone there, and they all had an impact
on my life, good and bad, but that's not what you
want to hear. I remember the first day I walked
on campus, and about had a heart attack. People
were in shorts, sandals, and everyone looked like
a beach bum (or just about everyone).... I was impressed
with how friendly, and helpful everyone was. The
classes were unique compared to what we had back
here in South Carolina. The teachers all had different
styles of teaching (some terrible boring, and others
extremely interesting). The teachers/coaches that
I remember were Mr. Skinner, Ms. Alfie, Mr. Collins,
Ducky McMahon, Pat M, Maggie, Mr. & Mrs. Keiser,
Mr. Burgoff (something like that, the Chorus teacher)
and of course Mr. Stauffer. As usual, if they liked
you, you had it made, if not, then you were always
in trouble.... I played Softball, and kept score
for the volleyball/baseball teams. Teen Club was
the center of my life, or atleast it seemed that
way. I think I spent just about every waking hour
there, except for school, the beach, and school
activities. Mr. & Mrs. Patrick, and The Horsts,
were a couple of the chaperones that I remember.
I know there were more, just can't remember their
names. Maggie, the cook, made the best burgers and
fries, that I have ever eaten. She always had a
smile, & story for us. Teen club dances were always
something to look forward to. The costumes that
we came up with (at Halloween), and the Sadie Hawkins
dance,(the daisy duke shorts, etc.) and then the
Prom. When I look back on some of the pictures,
I can't help but laugh my ___ off, on how we looked.
Sorry guys, I know that's the way everyone looked
back then, but it's still funny. The music room,
the pool tables, and the ping pong table were always
going. We would get something to eat, do homework
(in the pillows) and then spend the rest of the
day doing nothing and having fun. The Angels, Kittens,
and Sunshine Girls were the sororities at that time,
and I was "Shuffles", because I loved to dance,
and still do...... Since I have left I have met
several "sisters" like Peggy Roth & Barb Rutledge,
and more at the San Diego reunion that I can't remember
their names. (Age does that to you)......... I remember
the bomb scare that Buddy talked about (too well)!!!!!!
I also remember the people that we lost there. To
this day, I still remember Ron and how he could
make me laugh... I don't know if any of you remember
John Bangle, and Paul King but they are also gone.
I remember alot of names, that haven't appeared
anywhere on the web sight. Seems as though they
just dropped off the face of the earth. I know that
they haven't, and I hope one day they'll find this
sight, and sign on. Like the others have said, I
could write a book about my PI memories and how
much they mean to me, (but I won't). I know that
I have left out some names that I should've mentioned,
but please forgive me. Thanks for taking time to
read this, hope it helped to bring back some wonderful
memories for you. Thanks to the ones who put all
this together, you'll never know how much joy that
you have brought to our lives. To you who have taken
time to read this, there is a chance to go back
and see all the things that you remember (if they're
still there), and relive some of your wonderful
memories (Pasagnan Falls, Baguio, Manila and Clark
AFB). Fall of 2000, there is a trip being planned
to go back to the PI. Read the newsletter for updated
information. Hope to see you there........
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I moved to Subic, from Yokosuka
Japan, during the middle of my freshman year of
high school and stayed until the end of junior year.
I was pretty pale when I got there around December
and I think the term was "white monkey" that my
friend Will Moreno used to use.
The first week I was there, they
put out the call for extras for a movie that they
were filming that starred Michael Cain: "Too Late
for Heroes" I think.
Some of my favorite people from
Subic were: Will Moreno, Larry Steenson, Marc Sapitan,
Joel Bulan, Robyn Reed, Dale McGee, Kraig Weir,
Melanie Cladas, Joe Bamba, Dave and Sherry Haefeli.
I'm sure I left out a bunch but those were the first
that came to mind.
I got to play volleyball, basketball,
baseball and tennis on various school teams. It
was a blast, especially the road trip that could
be quite adventuresome. I can remember going through
towns and having the local police get on with guns
and the coaches giving them money.
One basketball trip in particular
stand out. We were in Manila for the conference
playoffs and I was staying with someone from International
School. I'm not quite sure what this kid's family
did, but they owned some mines or something like
that. Their home was a suite in a posh hotel in
Manila. We went out the night before the game in
a chauffer-driven Mercedes with a bodyguard and
went to a few gambling places. I don't think I played
so well the next day. Sorry team if you're reading
this. Another trip to Manila was for the baseball
and tennis playoffs. We played tennis in a huge
stadium with clay courts.
When we were in Subic, it was during
the height of the Vietnam war and special services
was flush with money. There was almost an unimaginable
number of things to do on base. All the theaters
and busses were free. The best place was the Teen
Club. Pool, ping pong, snack bar, dances every weekend
with live bands, and movies on Sunday; lots of spaghetti
westerns as I recall.
- Other fun times:
-
Going to Pauline's
to play in the band w/ my brother and Ed Galinato.
-
Skinny dipping
at the falls behind the horse stables
-
School dances
-
The Class Olympics
-
Snorkeling and
hunting for shells
-
The beach
-
Water skiing
-
Typhoons
-
Monkeys in the
back yard
-
Watching carriers
come in at the end of the sailing pier
I had a couple of jobs on base,
both of them involved working at the gym, passing
out towels and jock straps, cleaning the floors,
etc. I made $.45/hour and I made more than my Filipino
supervisor.
I can't remember the names of a
lot of the teachers. I do remember the English teacher
freshman year that was great, Mr Carmone. We also
had an Algebra II teacher who was stern but cool.
If you acted up he'd have you in front of the class
holding scale weights until you gave up. He also
taught us probability by setting up a Las Vegas
room and analyzing the games. I thinks his name
was Mr. Wood. Our basketball coach: Mr. McMahon
aka "the duck". Oh yeah, Mr. Stauffer, the volleyball
coach.
All and all, it was a wonderful
time and this doesn't do justice to all the great
times and people there. It has been great re-connecting
with some of my old friends through the web page.
Regards,
Al(bert) Morel, GDHS '72
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|
by
Donna Shelton (Kacmarcik) |
I have been meaning to post this
for quite a while. Like everyone else, it's just
a matter of finding the time!
I, like everyone else, have many
memories of Subic Bay. I can't say that when my
Dad first received his set of orders to go, I was
thrilled. In fact, I begged by parents to let me
stay in the states. Here I was, just 16, madly in
love (or so I thought at the time!), and getting
ready for my senior year at the same High School
that I had attended for the past 3 years. Anyway,
Dad arrived at Subic in February of 1973 - Mom and
I arrived in June after school was out. Whoa - I
was not at all ready for what was about to be my
life for the next 3 years!!!
The word quickly spread that the
"Admirals Daughter" was on base and I was already
judged as a "snot" before anyone even knew me!!!
Arriving in the summer was very difficult. It was
a time of transition for lots of families and school
was not in session, so it was very difficult to
meet new friends. I hated every waking moment for
at least 3 months. I was not a happy camper at all.....
Then I discovered the "Teen Club".
It seemed as if the entire base knew who I was before
I even walked in the door. I did make several friends
and life went on.... After it was clear to me that
I wasn't going anywhere (like back to the states)
for 3 years, I settled down and life was fun again.
We did a lot of traveling to other countries which
was another eye opener!!!! After I graduated in
1974, the only job I could really get was working
at the PX. So I did that until we left in 1976.
I will never forget the people
I met there and many of them I keep in touch with.
Some of them I have seen over the years. Lenard
and I went our separate ways. We were inseparable
as many of you will probably remember. I often go
back and look at the old year books just for kicks.
We were on the over of one of them! Seems like ages
ago.
I am so glad that the initiative
has been taken over the years to have a WEB page,
reunions, etc. People who were not exposed to the
PI have no clue to what we all experienced and the
close bond that we all have. We made the best out
of things. Good times and bad, the bond is still
there.
I think of many of you often and
wonder what became of you. Looking back, the experiences
I had in the PI make me truly appreciate things
in life that I may not have otherwise. It was a
part of my life that I will never, ever forget.......
Donna Shelton (Kacmarcik)
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My older sister Terry Soon (now
Scewczyk) gave me this site about a year ago and
since then the memories of Subic Bay would cross
my mind. Well, I finally decided to take a look
and words cannot describe! It really seems like
yesterday as I see all the familiar faces and places.
Anyway, before I go any further, I am Andy Soon
and lived in Subic 1966-1976. Started 1st grade
at Kalayaan and then on to Binictican and then attended
GDHS 73-76. My Dad worked at NSD and we lived in
several different places. From E. Kalayaan (58A
Finback) to Olongapo then back on base in Sangley
Loop. I cannot begin to name all the friends I made
while growing up in the P.I. but I must name a few
of the close ones that I will never forget. I can
remember well running with Yancey Zolina, Walter
Hong, George Cippolone, Regidor Asuelo, and Chuck
Boyd. These guys were my age but there were a few
of the older guys (jocks) I looked up to like Ken
Cippolone, Sam Duque, Alden Salcido, Leo Hermoso.
And I can't forget the "girls" - Kelly
Fleming, Wendy Eckert, Pam Brady, Ann Longbrake,
Patty Cox, Lisa Gage, Barbara Hornsby, Deidre May,
Ann Trueluck Some of the places that we hung out
were the "Teen Club" - who didn't go there
every waking hour.
I remember that board as you walked in the front
door with all the members names on it. I think it
was to see who owed dues or who was suspended, something
like that. Of course, the pool room as always jamming
and then there was the dance floor. I don't remember
being much of a dancer but I know I spent some time
on those pillows. Thank God for
black lights!!! My memories of GDHS are special
too, especially the teachers, who could forget Mr.
Stauffer!
I wouldn't be surprised if he still
is around the area, he was an institution. Ms. Kurant
(English) and Mr. Wilson (how did he get to coach
basketball anyway?)
And I could not leave out the most
cherished people of all - Lucita, our housemaid
for 10 yrs, her brother Edgar, our yardboy. These
wonderful Filipinos not only took care of our house
but taught me a few things. Anyway, I thought I
would just drop a line to the alums who surf this
site. Again, thanks for the memories, my hats off
to Larry G. and the other "webmasters".
Mabuhay,
Andy Soon - class of "78"
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my nameis leroy guilao
and i graduated in 74
which was a very good year
i got a memories like everybody
else
but it was a long time ago...
one thing i remember about teen
club was that
we used to dance to the oddest songs... looking
back in retrospect
we slow danced to "stairway
to heaven"
and when we did , as soon as the guitar solo came,
on we fast danced.
then of course at the end, the last 15 seconds or
so when robert
plant sang again, we slow danced again.
"smoke on the water"
true or false: did we dance to this song?
the answer is true. if you went to the teen club,
you knew that.
anyway, that was a long time ago.
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My name is Doug Broughton. I arrived
at Subic in Oct 72 and went stateside in Jun 74.
When my stepdad and mom brought me to GDHS, I thought,
"Here I am, right in the middle of a school
year--bummer---new school and no friends."
In fact, it was my third school in 3 years. The
first person I met was Sharen Vahey. I remember
how friendly she was and accepted me for "face
value." Too bad that everyone wasn't that way.
It was a very "click-ish" school in some
ways. It was hard at first to get to know people
and I guess once you went through your "snubbed"
period, you were OK.
My biggest influence was Coach Stauffer (I'd love
to get in contact with him). Hey Coach---I still
remember that awesome corner kick you nailed that
went right in the net during one of our many soccer
practices during my junior year (Is that putting
the biscuit in the basket or what???). I liked Coach
Stauffer so much that during my senior year I had
phys ed in periods 1, 2, and 4 and during period
3 (free period) I hung out with him and his 8th
graders. Coach instilled in me a sense of pride
and an attitude of never giving up, something that
I attribute to the very successful 24 years I spent
in the Air Force (Retired as a Senior Master Sergeant
(E-8)). I'll never forget how much Coach challenged
me about running the mile in phys ed during my senior
year. My time for the mile started at 7:07 and I
finally broke the 5:30 mark (5:29). I think Coach
was more excited about it than I was. I remember
Coach talking to me after I got cut from the Varsity
Basketball Team and how he got me to just refocus
my energy elsewhere. Admittedly, getting cut by
Coach Smith was a tough one to swallow; I had worked
very hard all summer and guys like Alden Salcedo
(Sal), Greg Kerr, Bruce and Leon Brown, and James
Henry all worked with me over the summer to help
me and to this day I always appreciated that.
My claim to fame so to speak was my tennis talent.
I really enjoyed the practices with Ruben Pandes,
Kelling Snelling, John Wissler, and the others.
Though we weren't as strong in my senior year as
we were in my junior year, we still did quite well
against the like of Clark, IS-Manila, and Faith
Academy.
The most fun I had was at Teen Club and playing
on the Teen Club Softball Team. I think a lot of
people were surprised at how well I played softball.
I remember sharing the outfield with Buddy Frazier
and we sure had it covered quite well. I enjoyed
us kicking butt against the "squids" and
the "grunts"; softball was the ultimate
for me!! I also enjoyed the Teen Club dances, especially
The Electros; they were a very talented band.
All in all, I enjoyed my time there. I remember
a bunch of people that I don't yet see on the GDHS
Registry:
Matt McClendon
Kelly Snelling
Joyce Raines
Bernie Burke
Bruce Brown
Leon Brown
Charlie Wilson
"Pinkie" Sturm |
Brian Craven
Phil Craven
Margaret Haggman
Zane Zolina
Paul Robbins
Dan Bash
Mike Gibson |
I'm sure there are others but
I can't remember all of their names.
I have heard from about 10 people since the site
was introduced to me by another alumni. It's been
great!! I even heard from an old girlfriend last
night via e-mail. The sad side is that I saw where
a few former classmates/teammates had passed away,
one most recently, Mike Heidner. It really gives
you a wake-up call and I hope and pray now that
I have established contact with these old friends/classmates
that we can keep the comm lines open.
I hope I am able to attend the 2001 Reunion in San
Francisco next year. That sounds like it will be
a lot of fun.
Well, I'm sure I've bored some of you by now, so
I'll leave it at that. I look forward to hearing
from more of you from 73-78.
Take Care / God Bless!
Doug Broughton
C/O 74
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I am sorry if I blow anyone's mind
as I tell you my story, but I don't intentionally
mean to do so. The best place to start is the moment
I was told that we were moving to the Philippines.
But first, picture the setting to be "American
Graffiti". Smack dab in the middle of Petaluma,
California! And yes, you are right, "American
Graffiti" was filmed in the heart of Petaluma.
If any story that is about to be told here, mine
is so close to the truth to this movie. When I was
told that we were moving my mind must had totally
froze into a blur and a blur I never came out of
until eleven years after. My very first small town
boyfriend just broke up with me after two years
together only to go steady, marry, and eventually
divorce his childhood sweetheart. I gradually moved
into the hippie scene and started to develop my
ideologies about the present Vietnam War. Sit-ins
at Petaluma High to demonstrate our hatred towards
that hideous war was the focus of my present life.
They just passed the age for voting to 18 years
of age and though I was not old enough to vote,
my 18-year-old counterparts were. I will never forget
their happiness and words, "We are all going
to the park to vote because with our vote the war
will end!" but as we know their vote never
made a damn difference and to this date I have never
voted. Before we left, Mare Island had informed
us that this would not be a pleasure island as I
later came to see it with the help from all of you
and I am so grateful for it and will be forever
in your debt. Had we stayed in small town, I can
only say that if I did not die physically, it would
have been mentally. The minute we touched down on
the Manila airstrip my life had just transformed.
Petaluma was lost and gone forever. Like a whole
"American Graffiti" coming to its end.
My past was sucked into a black hole that would
never be opened. From Manila's commercial airline
we were boarded onto an old plane that must have
been a DC3. Not to clear about that but after all
my travel and tourism classes the DC3 looks the
closest. I will never forget that ride to Cubi Point.
That plane sounded as if it had uncountable cracks
riddled all around its fuselage. I held on so tight
that I felt as if I let go we would all fall out
to the sky and I would never see my future. We landed
and all I seen were GI's sprawled out on the floor
and chairs. I mean a sea of bodies. They were so
hot from the heat and exhausted from their wait
to get on the next plane to God knows where. Don't
ask what I thought because I still do not know.
But you know the rest of the story from there. What
you did there was the same as what I did. We all
walked the same ground and we all know the same
people. There was much happiness among us and much
sadness. Even though we did not all speak to each
other on a one-on-one basis, our vibes seemed to
generate and connect. That year verbal communication
was never needed. We were all brought there by our
parents. They had a job that had to be done and
for we kids it became a final job, the closure to
the Vietnam War. That conveyer belt, draft, was
put to a stop. I thank you all endlessly for your
unknowing support. You became my Rock and my Salvation.
I am as of this year 2000, officially baptized into
the Catholic faith and am ever so proud to proclaim
the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. by
the Grace of God, I know now, what I am, who I am,
and where I am.
Thank you a million times and more.
Pam Aguilar
GDHS73
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I remember coming to the Philippines
in December of 1967. It was during the school break
and we lived out in Olangapo in an apartment off
the main drag opposite the Catholic girls school
there. My brother and I had to share a room for
the first time and also had the lovely experience
of being next to a abbatoir so we got to listen
to the folks butcher a hog every Sunday morning.
God they were loud. I guess I would scream to if
I was being bled out by someone on a Sunday morning.
I thought my mother was going to
go insane living out in town. She wasn't used to
it and was pretty freaked out for a couple of months.
I remember my father buying a beautiful state of
the art Datsun coupe in the U.S. thinking that since
it was Japanese parts would be a no brainer. Wrong,
but thanks to Filipino ingenuity they could always
manufacture something for it that seemed to work.
I think we sold it our 2nd year there and did the
old standard of buying the clunkers that people
left behind. I loved the Rambler with the reclining
front seats.
I was in 6th grade and had Mrs.
Byars (I think?) for a teacher. There were six kids
named Michael in the class so a lucky couple of
us had to go by our middle names (Chuck...same as
my Dad's...much to the consternation of my Mom
and Dad). My friends in 6th grade were Eddie Galinato
and Alex Nicholson. I remember highly competitive
kickball games and having to climb the fence into
the jungle to retrieve the ball on occasion.
Our landlord in Olangapo was a
Chinese guy who did metal work part time...had a
monster lathe right in front. One of the funniest/strangest
things that happened initially was the Chinese fellow
took a liking to me and my brother and would bring
us little things. He then asked my Dad if it would
be OK to take me fishing some weekend. Dad said
sure, probably remembering the trout streams of
Colarado we had recently fished. So early one Saturday
morning (like 4 or 3am) he comes and gets me. Now
he is a nice guy but his English really sucks and
my Tagalog at the time was completely non-existent.
So we communicate somehow and go to roust his other
fishing buddies. We go to a couple of bars/hotels
and pick up a few more folks, pile into a jeepney
and off we go. We must drive for 4 or 5 hours. We
went to this fantastic pristine black beach. I was
digging this as I had learned how to snorkel and
had brought my speargun, fins, mask etc with me
to fish as well. We loaded up the banca boats and
set out for a nearby reef. I tell my hosts that
I am going to spearfish. No problem, they are playing
with something in the back of the boat and stringing
a couple of lines. I swim out a few yards from the
boat make a few dives when all of sudden a hand
grabs me by the arm (scaring the hell out of me
I might add) and yanks me back into the banca boat.
The next thing I see is this fisherman lighting
a fuse and heaving dynamite into the water. All
done, fishing is over plenty of fish for all. We
go back to the beach start a fire and cook
some of em up. I am completely freaked out by now,
thinking that my parents must be dimwitted fools
for letting me go with this lunatic. They are actually
pretty good guys albeit not the sort the Sierra
Club would like and they show me how to eat raw
razor clams (must be where I get my undying love
for sushi and sashimi).
I have many many more stories I
would like to share. My friends from Subic were
Eddie Galinato (rest in peace friend), Ed Cassidy,
Bob Young, Leroy Guilao (remember getting busted
for going to Grande Island?), Gary Haworth, Wade
Simpson and Mike Morel (screaming monkeys at dawn).
Michael Denzin
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MIA is what I am being called by
others from the Class of 74 and beyond. Bernie Burke...a
name from the past resurrected with such fond memories
of joy,fun and a great high school experience. Where
else but in the P.I. could a Commander's daughter
command such attention.
I remember landing at Clark in
the most hideous outfit my mother had me wear at
age 14 and wondering if I was going to be the only
freckled face, curly haired girl around. How would
my hair stay straight with all the humidity!! They
should have told me that I would spend the next
four years going to bed with Dippity-Do and large
Orange juice cans on my head.
No wonder when I was married my
husband had to check to see if I was alive....I
never moved....habits die hard. Seriously though,
as I read the accounts of many of you I am able
to feel those experiences that only those of us
who lived there understand. Even my grown children
have looked at my yearbook and question how it could
have been so great...and it was.
I am looking forward to the Reunion2001
here in S.F. to hopefully see many of you. Hey Eddie
G. remember the girls' night at Pauline's...we snuck
in for beers..etc.? Joyce and Marina , my best friends
at gdhs , I miss you guys. Leroy you are still funny
as ever. My numerous ex-boyfriends .....Ha...come
and look me up sometime.. just joking..I'm in love
again. I really never thought that I would be in
contact with any of you again and I feel reborn
and your stories have tickled my heart.
Bernie Burke Horton
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I don't get to spend much time
looking at this website or any website for that
matter but since the reunion is sooo close, I started
looking today and can't drag myself away. Even though
I haven't heard from alot of the people that meant
so much to me over there, I couldn't pass up the
chance to send in a few memories of my own.
I was only 10 when we went to the
PI and was pretty excited about going over there.
My first real friend was Ann Longbrake, thanks to
our fathers' working together. Some of the people
who stay on my mind and in my memories are Laurie
Hong (we were inseparable), Robbin Pettit, Andy
Soon, George Cippolone, Yancy Zolina, Donna Gonzales,
Walter Hong, Cathy Tucker. We spent many hours at
the Bowling Alley playing pool and pinball because
we were not old enough for teen club. I heard about
it from my sister Sue and brother Tommy, and snuck
in a time or two, but never on Friday or Saturday
night for the dances.
Laurie and I hitchhiked just about
every where we went even tho we always had plenty
of money in our pockets. It was the adventure. We
always went to the "Roost" on Sunday nights for
dinner and dancing with our families. I met Bob
Hope, even got to kiss him on the cheek and got
an autograph.
One of the greatest moments was
going to Clark Air Base to welcome back the prisoners
of war. The ride there and back was a blast, but
being there to watch them walk from the planes to
busses with all the media around is something I
will NEVER forget. We had posters and bean bags
for them and on a dare I broke the security line
and ran over to the bus and gave a poster and bean
bag to a prisoner. I often wonder if he is still
alive and if he has them. Hello to everyone who
may remember me. Please email or maybe I'll see
you in San Fran!!
Love to all,
Lisa Gage Patrick
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