Robert P Curtis – Curtis-Bentley

Story #27 Meghann Adrienne Curtis

MIDDLETOWN, NJ
We moved in the spring (June)of 1976 after physically looking at over 80 houses in the tri-state area to 10 Dale Road Middletown, NJ ( 2 story, 4 bdrm, 2 1/2 bthrm, 2 car garage, w/ 2 frpl, fbase , 3/4 a.)for me to continue working for Pfizer Inc at World Headquarters at 235 East 42nd Street New York , New York 10007 in mid-town Manhattan.After interviewing and receiving an offer, I accepted the new position as Assistant Manager, Medical Education in the MEDCOMED Group and reported to Franz Grob, PhD.The yard was big, private and self-contained by neighbors fences and a stream, so the girls had plenty of room to play in their sand box, swing set (2 different ones), tree swing, tree horse swing (made by Grandpa Curtis), and tree house (remodeled and roofed later for Meg). Various portable baby pools were filled and broken over the early years. We would also play baseball under the tree when the girls were about 4 and 5 with real short bases and three players using the garage outside wall as our backstop (before Silk the female Golden Retriever arrived and a pen built)Holmdel Swim Club was the first pool club to join in the area. Only 15 mines. Away and a reasonable membership fee, so the girls were at home with their school and new friends during the early summers in area. Missy and Mandy both spent most all of Nutswamp Grade School, Thompson Middle School (both only spent 2 year in middle school since Middletown was switching from junior high, grades 7-8-9 to middle school, grades 6-7-8), and Middletown South High School doing extremely well in class (Missy was #9/420 +/-and Mandy was #11/380 +/-) and in town and school sports. Spanish (6 years each, Russian (2 years-Missy), Italian (2 years-Mandy) were the foreign languages taken in addition to all core English, math, science and social studies courses. They all three were editors of the Middletown South High School newspaper The Eagle their senior year after taking two years of journalism and working as reporters and department editors on the paper. The 1st year Missy played softball the girls were from 3rd grade to 8th grade which made for interesting social dynamics on and off the field for the girls and parents. The next year the girls were divided into 2 age brackets and I was the assistant coach on Missy and Mandy’s team with Mike Sweeney. Everyone had such a good time and enjoyed the play we did the whole thing over the next season, As I remember, the girls were pretty good at feilding, hitting and throwing on a line with excellent form and great hustle. Missy played 2nd base and batted high in the order because she was so fast. Mandy played some outfield early and later settled into 3rd base because she had a great arm (on a flat line to 1st). Mandy also pitched some and batted lower down in the order. Mandy had a heads up unassisted double play at 3rd in either 7th or 8th grade. As I remember, all of their teams were always above 500 in softball, soccer and basketball.

During Missy’s 6th grade spring at Nutswamp Grade School, she was the female winner of the annual foot race called ‘The Great Race’. This was a very prestigious title and included having your name engraved on the permanent plaque in the school trophy area. Missy was also a top performer on The President’s Physical Achievement Award Program year in and year out. Both Missy and Mandy were members of the neighborhood (Oak Hill) Brownie and Girl Scout troops which was co-lead by their mother for about 5 or 6 years each. While in grade school they both went to scout summer camp near High Point, NJ but across the state line in New York for a week over two summers. The highlight of this beautiful heavily wooded mountain camp was the horseback riding lessons and horse grooming training in addition to the traditional activities of swimming, hiking, singing, crafts, etc. The girls slept on spring and mattress beds and in hot platform wall 10 or 12 person tents. They really enjoyed the weeks and were always sad to leave their new friends and great staff. I don’t remember any strong complaints about the food since the camp had a trading post with some snacks available In Thompson Middle School, Missy studied very hard and made excellent grades in all her classes including Spanish I in 7th grade. As the first daughter in this outstanding public school system, Missy set a very high academic standard for her two younger sisters to follow. Missy also participated in extracurricular activities such as 7th and 8th grade field hockey, etc Many of her close friends lived within walking distance of our house and school(s), were in scouts together and played in the same Lincroft, NJ sports leagues of soccer, softball, and basketball. Since Missy and Mandy only got to spend 2 years in middle school, they both may have arrived at Middletown South High School a little naive socially. They both may have suffered some through 9th and 10th grades working thru different relationships with various girlfriends and boyfriends.We spent 2 weeks every summer at the Jersey Shore from 1978 to at least about 1985. In the early years we rented the top floor of a beach block house on 62nd Street in Avalon NJ so we could spend time with our friends from Middletown who also owned or rented in the Avalon and Stone Harbor area. The beaches, boardwalk, restaurants, bars and towns were great and every year we talked about getting/buying a place somewhere on the shore, but it never happened. The early ’80s took us to Long Beach Island and the town of Beach Haven Park and a two story Cape Cod style house on California Ave on the beach block. The house had just been remodeled and was really nice with a big deck area and picnic table off the downstairs kitchen. We had lots of sea shell painting contests, parties and grilled meals in the area and on that table. The girls and their Middletown girlfriends, who now came with us, were having a simulated alcohol party and of course the neighbor lady across the street called the police. We discussed the situation with them and everyone stayed out of jail.
Davidson College was hit very hard by hurricane Hugo in September of 1989. Missy and I were on a college trip to North Carolina to visit Duke, UNC, and Wake Forest (one hour at small Salem College in Winston-Salem while visiting very early Moravian settlement) and stopped at the Davidson exit on Interstate #77 to see the campus since we just happened up on the school. There were huge 100+ year old trees down everywhere on campus and police had yellow tape all around the buildings and trees. We unable to get out of the car, but we did drive around most of the campus. Since Missy was not interested in Davidson we moved on down the road to a planned meeting with Missy’s friend Trisha Buckholder in Charlotte, NC. at her parents main home (they also have a home close to ours at Lake Naomi in the Pocono’s), Luckily when we arrived in Charlotte our pre-booked hotel was still open for business but with limited electric power. The halls and rooms were dark and a candle and glass candy bowel was what we used for light. We stayed together the first night after not finding Trisha at home. We went for Chinese food and Missy bit down on and swallowed a HOT dried Chile pepper and missed the rest of the meal. The second day and night Missy caught up with Trisha and had a chance to meet all her high school friends

Story #26 Amanda Renee Curtis

WICHITA, KANSASBorn 6/10/74 Wesley Medical Center Wichita, Ks Terry Tracy, MD Ob/Gyn. (called on physician as Pfizer rep) No complications to note, just slid out after spinal block. I was present in the delivery room standing at the foot of the table looking over Dr Tracy’s shoulders. Mandy’s ease going entry to the world was a sign of what was to follow until 9th grade at MHSS and Preston Dodge III. Brought Mandy home to 1452 Glenhurst, Wichita, Ks 67212 (new speculative built house that we decorated and painted only, 1 story, 4 bdrm, 2 fullbth, w/ 2 carg, fshbsmt with 4th bdrm, big game room with full size pool table and family living area, about 3/4 a. fenced back yd with swing set) to her own nursery/room about 3 days later. We were moved to Wichita, Ks by Pfizer Labs and E Leslie (Les) Carlson District Manager, Oklahoma City OK (who hired me right out of GSU for Salina territory, I loved that guy) to a recently vacated Wichita/ southwestern KS territory (north to Salina territory line, south to OK state line, out to OK panhandle ,west to CO state line, east to US I 35 ) that had a teaching institution in Wichita (KU Med Sch AAFP residency program) and higher potential $$ volume.Mandy was a very placid infant and was no worry to move out of her seat, swing, bed or other devisee except for once. While reclining in her car seat on the kitchen counter-top she managed to roll out of the seat and made a soft landing on the floor. No short or long term harm came from the fall so far.Mandy was baptized in front of the congregation at The 1st Presbyterian Church of Wichita (downtown) by Dr Brubaker near her 1st birthday. I’m not sure if any family were in attendance for the event.Swimming lessons were given to both Missy and Mandy by lifeguards at Rolling Hills Country Club in west Wichita near our home (joined early spring 1974 in time for golf and pool).Mandy would love to watch her older sister run around and perform all sorts of tricks and stunts. Sometimes she would go along and enjoy the fun and excitement and trouble would occasionally pop up along the way.When Mandy was about 1 and Missy 2 we took a summer vacation from Wichita to Natchez, Mississippi , New Orleans, a and Gulf Port, Ms in the Pfizer company car, a light green ,4 door, V6 Chevervot Impala. On the first leg of the trip we met our old friends from Alliance, Ohio and Mount Union College, Debby and Guy Rowland and their children Monica (5) and Alex (2) in Natchez to go tent camping. It rained most of the day and when we all arrived the grounds were all muddy and our gear was wet and everyone hated the Natchez State Park that we had picked out sight unseen. So the next day we packed up all our stuff and drove to the nearest Natchez Holiday Inn and checked into 2 rooms and went straight to the outside pool. We all had a great time together and promised to do it again next year but forget the camping part. During the trip to Natchez, Mandy started acting sick and couldn’t hold much down and ran a little temperature. As we proceeded to New Orleans, she became worse. After checking into the French Quarter Holiday Inn, we went directly to the emergency room at the Tulane Medical School Hospital. Mandy was seen diagnosed with stomach virus and given an IM shot of Pfizer’s Visterial for nausea and vomiting. This worked like a miracle and started eating and drinking again and holding everything down. We were so worried about her condition, without our pediatrician and in a strange big city.

The first evening in the French Quarter, Missy in her backpack and I went out for a quick beer and dinner on Bourbon Street. Mandy was still being watched closely and needed to be well since we were heading east to the Gulf Port beach in 2 days. We didn’t see much of New Orleans but we did walk the quarter, Jackson Square and the levy on the Mississippi River. We took a paddle wheel boat trip to an anti-bellium plantation home down the river for a tour. Next, we headed for a group of small rental cottages on the beach near Gulf Port, Ms for 2 days. The weather was poor and the beach and sand were not very good, so we spent more time in the cottage and driving the area than we had planned. The trip back home to Wichita was a long way, but we covered a lot of ground and had a great vacation, especially when Mandy got well.
WICHITA, KANSASMissy and her baby sister Mandy played on a new swing set in our fenced-in back yard (fence was built by me, swing set finally put together by me after much consternation). Also played with older neighbor Polly sisters from across the street (Glenhurst) in Wichita, Ks. Easter dresses were worn by both girls and paraded in front yard after church. Mandy was just standing up and needed to hold on to someone or thing. The Polly girls helped out here.

Story #25 Melissa Anne Curtis

SALINA, KANSAS

Born 1/5/73 Melissa Anne Curtis Asbury Hospital,Salina,Ks Merle Hodges,MD Ob/Gyn (called on physician as Pfizer rep and also new as member of Salina CC ).I flew home early from a Pfizer regional sales meeting in time to be present for about 10 more hours of unassisted labor and the eventual delivery with forceps. I was on a stool right beside Dr Hodges and watch a crying, failing and red baby present herself to the world. This was a clear signal of what was to follow in terms of behavior and activity. Brought Missy home to her own nursery/room to our own home about 3 days later, to 712 Neal Ave, Salina, Ks 67401 (new house plans were picked by us,1 story, 3 bdrm, 2 fullbth, w/ 2 car gr, fireplace, uf bsmt, about 3/4 a. brick walled back patio) We were moved to Salina, Ks in June 1972 by Pfizer Labs after accepting the sales position (first corporate job) for northwestern Kansas territory directly after graduation from Georgia State University MBA program in Atlanta, Ga. (Lived in SW Atlanta or College Park, Ga in 2 story, 2 bdrm townhouse or Washington Square for 2 years while in grad school).First 4 months in Salina were spent in a 2 or 3 bdrm townhouse waiting for our house to be built by contractor Verner Smith who lived across the street with his wife. Verner’s quote ” Downtown Salina will be under water before it floods here on Neal Avenue” Well, the 1st major rain storm brought standing water to our front steps and it didn’t recede for 2 days.Missy was a very active baby and was always getting into the kitchen pots and pans in the bottom cabinets. She loved to ride on the back of the bikes in the seat and swing in a red wind-up machine. At around 2 months old, Missy went on her family vacation with us and a couple and their son from Oklahoma City to Big Bear Lake area in Colorado. We rented a 2 bedroom condo with a fireplace and tried to start a fire immediately. This was very difficult since we only had damp wood, no starter logs and very little experience with working the draft system. After filling the condo with smoke and finding some dry wood we were successful. We bought or rented some big truck air tubes and spent day ‘ Tubing’ down some small hills around Big Bear Lake. We had plenty of fun as 1st timers, but walking back up the hill with the tube in deep snow was hard work. This was a beautiful part of Colorado and would love to see during the summer with the lake and the mountains When Missy was about 3 months old, we spent 2 days in Kansas City, Ks and attended a Kansas City Royal baseball game. It took Missy 2 years to grow into the KC Royal t-shirt that was purchased.We took our first driving family vacation to North Padre Island, TX and rented a condo on the beach. Missy was about 6 months old, but had moved to the backpack and really enjoyed seeing the ocean waves, seagulls walking on the sand and the wind blowing in her face. The mosquitoes were huge black things that sucked blood and caused big welts and hurt, so were either on the beach or in the condo. One day we drove to South Padre Island and on down the Texas coast to the Mexican border and across to a small town called Matamoras for lunch and of course, I got sick that night. The trip home to Salina was planned to go thru Houston to catch an Astros day game, but they started the game 1 hour early because of a night event conflict in the Astrodome, so we missed the game and continued on north very unhappy.Baptized around 1 year old during full am service at The 1st Presbyterian Church of Salina Ks by Dr Bernard Hawley with grandparents Curtis (Annette and Dawson) in attendance after flying into Salina, Ks from their home in Alliance, Ohio. Big event for us all.Missy swam at Salina Country Club pool (joined club early spring 1973 just in time for golf and pool season) during summer of 1973 and was joined by her cousins Tommy and Tracy when their father Tom Curtis drove them out west from their home in Kent/Canton/Alliance, Ohio. Took water-baby class at local YMCA and she was very successful with underwater push and swim method.

During our days in Salina, we took a few over night tent camping trips to close-by water reserves areas or Lake Kannapolis. This was a carry-over from our graduate school days when tent camping was the only way to travel inexpensively. We had lots of equipment since I volunteer to be the scoutmaster for the local Salvation Army Post and had access to all of the troop’s camping gear. The only full summer we spent in Salina I took most of the troop (12 to 15) to the Kansas City area Salvation Army summer camp for a week. I was one of the water safety instructors and assisted with teaching Red Cross Lifesaving course to the senior scouts in camp. I also was awarded a certificate for passing the course myself. This week was half of my Pfizer 2 week vacation but well worth the effort and time because the boys needed the father figure. I was also inducted into the camp’s secret Indian lore society on the last night of camp. This was reminiscent of the 5 years of summers of Tuscazoor Scout Camp that I attended in Dover, Ohio while a member of Troop 106 out of The 1st United Methodist Church in Alliance, Ohio which was only 2 blocks from my house. This camp had a secret Indian ceremony on Friday night for all those who passed the weeks tests. The 1st year ceremony was so impressive and really scary that I went for 4 more years and ‘Ran the trails with the Indians’ each Friday night.
When working at Kline & Roderick Co. a man’s clothing store in Alliance, after graduating from BGSU, I joined Benevolent and Paternal Order of the Elks. This was one of my father’s favorite places to league bowl, play money cards, shoot pool and drink his Bacardi and Coke. We had my membership transferred to local lodge in Salina since they usually had a band on Friday and Saturday nights and we enjoyed a night out at the Elks. They also had a 18 hole golf in town, that I played a few times and enjoyed a special round with my father when they were in Salina for Missy’s baptisium.We also joined The Saline Country Club soon after this outng and after being sponsored by my new good friend Ken Ostrander, who was the Laboratory Director for the local pathology group and Jon Holman MD the local psychrist. The three of us plus a fourth would usually play on Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning.

Robert Paul Curtis Story #24 Post-Wedding Trip (4-7-70 to July 1970)

RPC Story #24 Post-Wedding Trip (4-7-70 to July 1970)

Icelandic Airline Cleveland OH to JFK to Rakivic, Iceland Was in Iceland in early April 1970 after wedding (4-4-70) to refuel on way to Luxembourg and Europe for 3 month honeymoon. Had time to venture out of airport to US Embassy to see Marine Corporal from my command in Vietnam.Iceland, RakivicLuxembourg, Luxembourg CityBelgium, BrusselsHolland, AmsterdamFrance, ParisSwitzerland, Zurich, MontreaueAustria, Saltsburg, Vienna, GarmishGermany, Frankfort, Bad Gutenberg, MunichItaly, Lugano, Venice, Florence, Rome, Pisa, Genoa Spain, Barcelona, Madrid, SitgisReturn from Madrid to JFK to Cleveland OH

Robert Paul Curtis Story #23 CONTINUED

RPC Story #23 CONTINUED
’67 Oct 1 NAS Kingsville/Beeville, Tx First time jet flying school F- somethings. Short 2 weeks with about 10 hops required to get jet qualified. Meaning you could take the G- forces and not pass-out and/or blow lunch in your oxygen mask. Not much of a test since I could tell at this time looking back that I was not at all comfortable in this environment and at this time did not know what to do about it. I flew back to ohio and drove to Georgia.

Jan 1968 NAS Glynco Ga 3 mos/ TBS Quantico, Va 4 mos 24 Camp Lejune NC 1 ½ mos/ Republic of South Vietnam
’67 Nov 1 NAS Glynco Brunswick, Ga Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) School (Dropped by order of wing commander) This training was to be the culmination of my training that started to be formulated the July weekend in ‘66 that I flew to Chicago Naval Air Station Glenview for Navy pilot testing. Flunked the eye exam and scored too low for the Navy so the Marine recruiter offered me a shot at the same thing but only with the Marines. So after some good ground and air hops I became disinterested and made an air down. Got sick and was off flight schedule for a week. Moved back a class to a bunch of guys that I did not know and who had no interest in helping me get motivated. Got my second air down and was out of the program or dropped. Not a good feeling but may have worked out for the best since flying was not for me. My brain just did not work that fast. After waiting for my new orders back to Quantico and The Basic School I worked for the base commander as the Officer In Charge of the detail that visited families in this area of Georgia that had lost Marines in Viet Nam and give the news and offer assistance to the family. Not good duty. Made 1^st Lieutenant here as standard procedure for all the guys in my OCS class. Drove back to Ohio for some leave and then on to Quantico for a summer of fun and some training hell.

’68 Apr 1 BASIC School Quantico, Va USMC headquarters.’68 Sept 1 MT School Camp Lejune NC

’68 Nov 1 to 15 Mexico City and Acapulco Mexico wtth Guy.

’68 Nov 5 RSVN

’69 Mar1 Camp Carroll Okinawa, now Japan

’69 Apr 1RSVN

’69 Jul 1 Katmandu,Nepal R&R

’69 Jul 15 RSVN

’69 Sep 1 Tokyo, Japan 7 day leave

’69 Sep 10 RSVN

’69 Oct 5 USS Comstock 30 daysHere is a photo of USS Comstock (LSD 45 Class). I crossed the Pacific from Qua Viet River harbor near DMZ to Camp Pendleton harbor in southern California via Okinawa for a refueling at White Beach on the original USS Comstock (LSD 19 Class). We were bringing home my 3^rd Marines Battalion flags in October 1969 with some of my short personnel and big guns, vehicles, equipment, etc. Spent 32 days on the water that included watches on the con. I was the Marine embarkation officer with school MOS and only one other Marine officer on board was a major. 6+ hrs shore liberty on Okinawa was great, but the rest of the trip sucked the big one.

’69 Nov 5 Camp Pendleton Ca

’70 Jan 5 MCAS El Toro Ca

’70 Mar 20 Off Active Duty to Alliance Oh

1971 GSU 28
Jun 1972 GSU Graduated MBA Mang/Mktg June 4, 1972 28

Jun 1972 Pfizer Labs, Pfizer Inc professional salesman 28 Salina, Ks
1973 Pfizer Labs Salina, Ks 29
Spring 1974 Pfizer Labs, teaching hospital salesman 30 Wichita, Ks
1975 Pfizer Labs Wichita, Ks 31
May 1976 Pfizer Pharm` Pfizer Inc NY, NY 32 Middletown, NJ
Jun 1996 Pocono Pines, Pa 53
Aug 2004 Haines City, Fl

Thanks Charlie

RPC Story #23
5-22-09
Thanks Charlie,
For many years (’88-’04), while in the Pocono Pines, Pa house (pop. 500?), we would watch the little town parade on the porch of my buddy’s mom’s local bar and boarding house, walk down the road ( Old Route # 940) to the cemetery for the memorial addresses. Some good and some so bad over the years.
And then walk further down the same road to my Legion Post # 413 (Dual Member, as you maybe yourself) for free draft beer for all the town drinkers and a DJ for dancing with Billie.
Of course, all of this happened after the colors were retired and the boys locked up their rifles. Promptly at 4pm the legion bar would close and we would all go home pretty wasted. Always a great day with some tears at the cemetery.
Have missed this since selling that house and moving to Florida house permanently in summer of ’04. We commuted back in forth from Newark and Orlando for 8 years after divorces to our respective sales/marketing jobs. Married Billie in ’00.
Tim said you played football while in the Corps. Yes/No? if so when and where, as Ensign Roger Staubach and 2^nd Lieutenant Jerry Ward (’65 BGSU with 2 MAC titles when he QB’d my alma mater) were QBs for Pensacola Goshawks (’67-’68 season) while I was there in flight training and roomed off base with defensive lineman, Ensign Woo Ferrell, from Presbyterian. Also, went thru OCS and land survival training with 2^nd Lieutenant George Contrabecky (sp) starting RB who backed up Floyd Little at Syracuse. What a team and season! I watched a few home games before leaving for NAS Glynco.
Hope to see you again sometime soon.
Bob

Post- Alliance High School Alliance, Ohio, Graduated June 1961

RPC Story #22
Post- Alliance High School Alliance, Ohio Graduated June 1961 17

Sept 1961-62 Freshman Bowling Green State University Ohio 18
Sept 1962-63 Sophomore BGSU 19
Sept 1963-64 Junior BGSU 20
Sept 1964-65 Senior BGSU Graduated BS June 1965 21

Bowling Green State University BS ’65 College Vacation/Break Trips (9/61 to 6/65)

“62 Spring Break to Ft Lauderdale, Fl One week trip from BG with 3 upper class (Jack O’Malley ‘64, Mel Mandat ‘64 and Worth (Chip) Howard ‘64) OX brothers as a freshman pledge in a ’57 Chevy Black Convertible.

’62 Sophomore Thanksgiving Break to Youngstown, OH to Bob ’65 and Dave ‘63 Dyer’s house who were OX brothers and hung out with them and Pete Patrone ‘65.
’63 Sophomore Semester Break to Cadillac MI and Carafate Ski Resort for 2 or 3 a few days.1^st time skiing so we were real bad and had rented strap-on skis in Hope not knowing that they were at the resort for rent. They would come off so easy. Disaster! Also stayed at OX big brother’s (Jim Jacobs ‘64) house in Wauseon OH.2 nights we met Jan Stucky ’64 in Hope MI for a night that then joined us for skiing further up north through emergency snow conditions.

’64 Junior Semester Break to Ft Lauderdale, Fl One week trip from BG with 3 classmates (Pete Patrone, Dick (Whity) Jordan and Ron Keown) who were OX brothers. We had diner at the home of the parents of Teri Sembach ’67 Delta Gamma and Dan Sembach took us out one other night to the Pompano Race track and local night club which feathered a female impersonator. What sight!
’64 Junior Spring Break to Ft Lauderdale, Fl One week trip from BG with OX classmates ????

’64 Between Junior and Senior Summer Vacation to Miami Beach, Fl One week trip from Alliance, OH with 2 OX classmates Bob Dyer and Bill Keye ’66 for Bi-Annual OX National Convention at some big hotel (Deauville Hotel) which is still there per 8/07 trip. Teri Sembach was home for the summer so spent much time with her and family and then help drive mother, Teri and Sister Marybeth BG ’69 to Johnstown, PA to their new home.

’65 Senior Spring Break to Ft Lauderdale, Fl One week trip from BG with 4 OX classmates (Chas Stevens ’67, Jim Stevens ’67, Dan O’Keefe ’67) I ran station wagon into side of hill in Tenn. and had to have 2 mountain boys pry front bumper and fended off front tire in the middle of the night. We were lucky to make to Fla. Place on the beach was full of roaches but worked for us. First time with 21 ID so could get into bars now!
Bowling Green State University BS June 5, 1965
Sept 1965-66 Post-grad Kent State University Bus Admin 22

’65 Fall quarter Kent State University Canton, Ohio Branch Night classes. Acct, Statics, Gen Bus courses. Drove mother’s new VW car in class.
’66 Winter and Spring quarters Kent State University Kent, Ohio Early morning classes. Acct, Econ, Gen Bus. Commuted with brother Tom and others until I purchased new VW car in early spring and went alone to fit my early schedule
’66 Jan to Dec Worked 3pm to 11pm shift at Transue and Williams Steel Forging Company Alliance, Ohio as laborer in the grinding shop on piece work. Member of Shipbuilders and Pipe Fitters labor union. We made great money and worked a lot of overtime hours since we had many US government contracts for Viet Nam War build-up. Some of the guys wanted me to run for union steward since I was a college grad and could maybe do a good job of bargaining with management. I never ran since dad’s friend the co pres got me the job.
’65 to ’66 I lived at home with parents until things got to close and that spring ’66 moved in with Bill Ferguson a local pharmacist who did eventually marry my cousin Sally Haines Vogel after her divorce from Roger T. Vogel (Sue, Pam and Vicky). They were only together for a short 2 to 3 years before they divorced. Sally then married Rich Reigle and soon moved to Tarpon Spring, Fl to open Sally’s Restaurant in Tarpon Spring.

Jan to Dec 1966 Transue & Williams Co Alliance, Oh 22/23 union labor/grinder of forgings 3 to 11pm shift

RSV/ Camp Hansen, Okinawa 1 mo/ RSV 12 mos/ 25

Camp Pendelton, Ca
Jan 1970 El Toro MCAS Ca 3 mos/ Europe 3 mos / Alliance, Oh 26 2 mos
Sept 1970 Georgia State University Atlanta, Ga 27

’66 Summer Took the Oath and joined the U S Marine Corps waited for an Officer Candidate School (OCS) class to begin office training at Quantico, Va headquarters of the Marine Corps.

Jan 1967 USMC OCS 3 months Graduated 2^nd Lt Quantico, Va 23
’67 Jan 3 Active duty as Office Candidate (PFC pay grade) 11 weeks program with 50 others in my 3^rd Platoon of Company B
’67 Mar 20 Graduation Day became one of only 32 2^nd Lieutenants in the U S Marine Corps of the 50 guys to start the OCS program in my platoon. Parents drove to Qantico, Va to see me graduate and pin on my bars. Had also invited Rita Ramsayer, but backed out on that and rescinded the invitation. David Combs ex-enlisted Lance Corporal was best buddy in OCS, as he and Mike Hopkins ex-Corporal helped me through the program. Can home on leave and met J Boster through Bill Ferguson and Debby Fish. Declined an invitation to be Timothy Sean Dugan’s (best high school buddy) best man and drove to Pensacola, Fl to report for training.
NAS Pensacola, Fl 6 mos / NAS Kingsville, Tx ½ mo
’67 April 1 NAS Pensacola Fl Pre-flight school. Joined a bunch of other Marine and Navy officers for pre-flight school. The obstacle course was in sand and was much tuffer than what we had at OCS. Reconnected with Marines from OCS Richard Hubbard and Richard Ralph (Arrow, who was usher at wedding) and spent many liberty hours with them. They both flew choppers in Viet Nam. We all were single and lived in the Bachelor Officer Quarters (BOQ). We all graduated and moved on to flight school and me to BANO school.

’67 May 1 BANO School NAS Pensacola Fl. Many smart guys all training to fly in the second, back seats in jets and other smart seats in big planes. Moved into an apartment with 3 Navy guys. One was Woo Ferrall from Presbyterian College who played football there and was called to play here for the Pensacola Goshawks football team who played a Division 1AA schedule and had Roger Staubach (Navy all-american Dallas Cowboys) as QB and Floyd Little’s (Syracuse all-American Denver Broncos) backup George Contrabece at running back.Roger’s back-up was Jerry Ward (Bowling Green QB ’63-’64) who I ran into at O Club in Quang Tri and talk about BG. He also got me out of VERY heated discussion with Navy ensign over a dance with a Navy nurse at the New Years Eve. My driver also helped pull me out of the club in into my jeep and back to our area. Was asked by the base commander to play with Mike Booth (some college golf team guy) the final 6 matches to help the Base Team win the area All-Navy Trophy. We won most of our matches and got the trophy for the old man. He did recognize us at the O Club at a dinner. After many hours of study and months of classes we graduated and moved on to more training. Each our different ways. I drove home for some leave and flew to Texas for 2 weeks of jet flight orientation in F-somethings.

Curtis Family History And Summer Vacations (August 6, 1943 to Present)

Curtis Family History And Summer Vacations (August 6, 1943 to Present)
Born at Alliance City Hospital about 11:55 pm (war time) on August 6, 1943. I think this was before day-light savings time was invented or the other way to have more darkness to prohibit bomb attacks. Dad’s good friend Robert G. King, M.D. from high school (AHS) and Mount Union College (MUC) was called in to assist Paul Bennett, M.D.(also a good friend) with tough breach delivery. There was very much trauma and things got pretty hairy for both of us and the doctors. Hence, I was named for both of the guys that made it all turn out alright after many hours of hard work on every ones part. Guy Rowland’s grandfather signed my birth certificate as the chief hospital physician.We came home to grandparents Edwin (Ned) Hazelton Hartzell and Ruth Anne Summers Hartzell house at 26xx Freedom Ave., Alliance, Ohio to live for about 3 years while father was off to the South Pacific on board 2 different merchant marine ship as the Naval officer in charge of the battery of guns aboard each ship.
’43 to ’45 See home movie on your DVD from CD’s sent to you all for some 8mm footage of parents and grandparents at Freedom Street house and other places in Alliance, Ohio. Dad went to Princeton University in Princeton, NJ for his 8 to 10 week US Navy Officer Candidate School (OCS) training graduating as an Ensign. I think the front of house footage is between Dad’s OCS school or gunnery officer training in Gulfport, Miss and then he goes back to Gulfport and ships out on one of two of his merchant marine ship____________ that he serves on for the South Pacific. Maybe I remember horse drawn milk wagon from Sunnyside Dairy that came by house to deliver bottled milk each day.
’45 to ’46 Remodeling and adding on to 805 South Linden Avenue (corner of Grant Street and Linden Avenue) Alliance, Ohio house while living in rental house on Milton Street 2 blocks from Alliance CC and second rental house on Freedom Avenue ½ block from my soon to be South Freedom Street Grade School. I can remember riding wooden ceiling swing horse in sun room and watching the kids come to and from school. (See same type of horse in backyard tree at 10 Dale Road built by Dad). Also recall riding 3 wheeler down about 8 to 10 outside steps to brick sidewalk, some blood I think. And maybe an old style icebox on back porch that needed real ice.
Grandpa Telford (Ford) Noble Curtiss and Grandma Martha Jane (Kerr) Curtiss took over house from great-grandpa Curtiss I think. Sally may know. Name change to one (s) was made by Dawson and Helen while he was in high school per Aunt Helen and she went along with the change. Dad also changed his middle name from Telford to Thomas at the same time I think. All of this was stupid and only showed what a spoiled brat his dominate mother made him into in the early years. Both grandparents had to move across the street and east on Grant Street one house behind a small corner grocery store owned by the Succeros to live for 1+ year.
Dad got control of the property as a gift from parents as long as they could live in front down apartment at no cost to them. And they did. He also bought out his sister Helen for a note of $5000 that he never paid back per him and much later she gifted to him with no interest per her and Sally. They/parents got a rebuilding bank loan for somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000 to do the work. Dad acted as the general contractor, hired all the sub-workers for what was to be done that he could not do himself while working at the same time at local Weybrecks Lumber and Woodworking Company. Many discounts and freebies were had by Dad on the job.
’47 to ’66 805 South Linden Avenue Alliance, Ohio
Moved into “new” house late ’46 since brother Thomas Dawson Curtis was born January 1, 1947 and he came home to small back utility room and baby bed with a fold down top. I can remember playing with chrome car (Ethan has now) and truck on hardwood floor in my bedroom closet before we actually moved into the house. Must have been visiting the place with mother to check things out. This was a big deal for them since they had been married in ’35 and never owned a house yet. I have no idea what they spent their money on since they both worked full-time and no college debt and no children and no assets.
After a couple years Dad had built some wood furniture in basement woodshop and Tom moved into my room that we shared until I left for college in fall of ’61. Utility room became laundry room with clothes carried to basement or backyard for drying before we got a combo unit. No space for both. We had bunk beds, 2 small dresser drawers and small closet and one small night stand and one small lamp. We never complained since we didn’t know anyone who had much more. In fact we had it good compared to most we went to school with.
Dad joined Alliance CC when I was 9 years old in spring of 1952 before I could swim. Dr Bob King was his sponsor among others in town. He started back playing golf again seriously and I was his caddy from 6^th grade on to when Tom took over in his 6^th grade year. Mom started playing golf and took some lesions from English Pro Bill Thompson. She was mostly a nine holer and never broke 50. Dad was unschooled good and had a hdcp as low as 10 at the top of his game.
I caddied, played golf with no formal lessions and swam on club team for 3 years while in Jr high. Caddying was major source of lncome until 11^th grade when we started painting houses. Always had one man and women specials and filled in with others during the week.
Tough as members son and taking jobs from black guys who were not as good a caddy and not asked for by members. Almost got hung by them one day at the caddy shack. Buddy Jack Brown got me out oif the deal. Rates were $2.50 + tip for 18, double was $5 + tip which was $.50 to make $3 or $6 total. A really good day was a double in the morning, a single in the afternoon and play nine before dark. I would ride my bike to the club in the morning and stay all day. Never charged one thing to dad’s bill all those years.
Played some pee-wee golf events at home and one away but never really got good since no or little practice, and no real lessons from a pro. Played and lettered 10^th grade with Senior Bruce Wagner but was only 4^th man a few times. We went to state in Columbus Ohio ( OSU’s Scarlet and Gray courses) that year, but I was 5^th man and did not play for total score. The team did ok as I remember.
Next year did not go out since prep guy Terry Tolerton came back to high school to join other seniors Jim Berteram, Kurt Wolters, junior Buddy Morgan and tenth grader Hugh Morgan had come up. I would have been 6^th man and not even traveled. That team was good and placed high at state since all starting 4 played in the low 70’s most every day and Kurt and Jimmy had been there the year before.
Senior year I was back out and played 2 and 3 man and lettered. No state for that team since the 3 top guys graduated and it was Hugh, Buddy, me and a new guy Mike Dietz. Hugh was the only really good golfer and smart and went to Hiram College on full golf scholarship.
One summer night while in junior high school, Buddy, Hughy Morgan (1^st cousins) and I slept out in wartime sleeping bags on the golf course in an old wooden three-sided open air rain shelter near No, 11 fairway. It got cold that night, down in the ravine, so we started a fire on the wood floor of the shelter. Of course the floor soon caught fire and things got pretty hairy until we got some water from the near-by creek and put it out. The thing smoked all night and there was a big black hole in the floor for many years from were the fire had burned through. We may have never said anything about the fire damage or blamed the caddies and beat the rape.
All of these guys I grew up with and play golf with at the club went on to college and some played a few years at that level. I never got that good (some low 40’s match rounds but never under 80 for 18) for above reasons and didn’t want it that badly. We had a lot of fun at the club and learned much from all the guys that I caddied for and played with. And from not even floating when we joined to some 2nds and 3rds at inter-club meets in different strokes, I came a long way in the water.
’54? Ft Lauderdale, Fl For a one week trip from Pittsburgh Airport with mother and Brother Tom. Dad took and picked us up to and frolm airport in company car. Visited Grandparents Ruth and Edwin (Ned) Hartzell Broward Blvd at Sunset Trailer Park.
’55? Buffalo NY and Town across Niagara River on Canadian side for about a week to visit dad’s Aunt and my Cousin Margaret (Margie) Martin who is a famous artist. Watercolor and Oils?Father was famous architect of bridges and buildings. They lived in a beautiful home on the river with a tennis court on Canadian side.
’56? Marietta Ohio and Ohio River surrounding area via car with family.
’54, ’55,’56, ’57, ’58 Boy Scout Camp Tuscazoor near Zoor and Dover OH on the Ohio River for a week. Got my Scout/Camper Indian Pipestone Award all 5 years and ran the trails with the Indians during the Friday night ceremonies. This was a big deal and to do it 5 years was bigger. My troop went to this camp with Guy Rowland’s troop my 2^nd year While in the United Presbyterian Church Troop 106 this all happened. Close to home and they had a gym for before and after basketball.
’59,’60,’61 Summers were spent working in Alliance OH painting houses and last summer Tim Dugan and I worked at a wholesale lumber yard in Youngstown OH for Paul Baughman unloading train boxcars full of lumber. Hot and hard work!

Robert P Curtis Story #21

Mom invites Missy and Mandy to Clearwater, FL to stay with her during spring break in her condo at The Top-of-the-World complex. They swam at the pool, shopped and went to Clearwater Beach. Mandy also spent some time with Mom while I was at a sales meeting at Inverary Golf and Tennis Resort. We went to Busch Gardens for a day of fun and a great dinner at the French restaurant in the park. Mom knits huge bed covers for Missy, Mandy and Meg later she does one for the house living room couch. I was always excited to visit mom where ever she lived, 805 South Linden Avenue, Alliance, Ohio, Top-of-the-World, Clearwater, Florida, Mill Circle Apartments, Alliance, Ohio and Union Avenue Extended Care Home/Facility, Alliance, Ohio. We would talk about the girls, Tommy, Tracy and the Cleveland Cavaliers. She usually spoke of Tom and Linda and Treva, but not in detail and for very long.

Chapter II College and Away From Home

Chapter II College and Away From Home (September 1961-65)

I applied to Bowling Green State University, Kent State University and Mount Union College (Dad’s, Aunt Helen Curtis Haines’ and Sally Ann Haines Reigle’s alma mater). Having been accepted at all 3, I chose to attend BGSU. Dad took me to the summer orientation session, sight unseen by either of us. We stayed in the freshman women’s dorm for two nights and only remember how fast everyone walked on campus and Dad’s complains to me about needing to pickup the pace or get left behind. Also, he had a tuff time finding the urinals in the rest rooms down the hall. I guess he did not get the word about the dorm being for women only.

Mom and Aunt Helen drove me to BGSU for the start of school in September 6, 1961. It was Aunt Helen’s family car and it took about 3 hours for the 3 of us to go west on the Ohio Turnpike almost across the state. I had 1 two-suitor hand-me-down really beat-up leather suitcase, 1 canvas val-pack (USN WWII issue) and my golf clubs. We had a 9 hole on-campus course.

My 2-man room was it the freshman dorm, but we had 2 bunk beds and 3 other roommates. Donald “Dee” Israel, good friend from Alliance, Robert Crowell and ??????, both from Solon, Ohio were my roommates for the first semester. Dee moved to room with a friend, ?????, flunked out and the 2 Bob’s pledged different fraternities (OX and DU) and finished the year together.

My sophomore, junior and senior years at BG were spent on campus living in the OX house (owned by BGSU) and working in the kitchen for my board. This was nice since I only had to walk down the steps to get to work. One drawback was the chore of having to please my fraternity brothers when serving food, busing tables and washing dishes. That problem was minimized my senior year, since my only job was running the dishwasher and scrubbing the big pots.

The house was nice but more like a mini-dorm than a free standing building as all of the other smaller houses on campus. It was part of a U-shaped quadrangle with 4, 3 story connected houses on each side and an upper classman dorm on the end. There was no drinking of alcohol on state property, so we never had parties in the house except during spring and fall fraternity rush which were very dry. Our hose mother, Miss Lillian Kuck, lived in a small apartment in the house and kept a close watch on all of 52 brothers (125 total) that lived in the house.
My OX little brothers are as follows to my recollection. I pledged spring’62:1) Tom Dalton fall ‘622) Doug Mower spring ‘633) Ray Trybus fall ‘635) Billy Belt spring ’64None fall ’64 or spring ’65 for me. They all went ATO or Sig. My fault!Any changes from you? Not real sure about you (Mike Hemmert). Who was your big brother?Petie?

Mom, Dad and Tom come to BGSU for “Theta Chi (OX) Parents Weekend” my fall sophomore year. I can’t remember too much about the event other Tom and I were fooling around and his tooth cap got knocked off and everyone was mad at me for causing the problem. I had a date for the weekend events and I think her name was, Dana (Eddie, Clair and ????. I met her and her 3 other roommates our freshman year and dated all of them at one time or another both years. I think we went to downtown Bowling Green to have drinks at “Meade’s Café” where the local drunks and OX’s hung out. Mama Meade loved the OX’s and hired many of the brothers to tend bar and close-up for her at night.
It was the classic downtown, main street, locals only, long straight dark wood front and back bar that served mostly shots and draft beers with 2 pool tables in the back room and wooden booths from front to back. No other fraternity guys ever came into Meade’s and we rarely went anywhere else either. A few of the basketball black guys (Nate Thurmond, Wavey Junior, Elijah Chapman) and Howard Komise USMC, would come in for rum and cokes. Getting served by my fraternity brothers and Dyber, Don and Mama Meade from 18 to 21, made things a bit easier when trying to get your under-aged date a mixed drink.

Mom and Dad come to BGSU for unexpected on time graduation on June 6, 1965. After four years of studying as a biology major and business minor I had exactly enough credits and GPA to graduate with my class. Seniors were not required to take finals for the first time in school history, so Bob Derbyshire and I went to Put-in-Bay, Ohio on South Bass Island in Lake Eire on Bob’s Harley-Davidson for a few days waiting on commencement. I really didn’t officially know if I was to walk until we ran into one of my graduate assistants on the island and he informed me that I was on the list. That is when I called my parents and told them the good news. They drove to Bowling Green and watched me walk across the stage in Anderson Arena on campus. My girlfriend and pin mate, who was a sophomore, Terri Lynn Sembach, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and later Johnstown, Pennsylvania was with my parents in the audience. She had stayed on campus for me and I took her to Johnstown from Alliance a few days after we got home.

I spent the summer painting houses again and worrying about my soon to be new 1A draft status. At the end of the summer I enrolled in Kent State University for post-graduate courses in business administration. It was too late to register for classes on the main campus in Kent, Ohio, where my brother, Tom was enrolled as freshman. He was married to Trevia Cassidy and they had a 2 year old son, named Thomas Steven Curtis. My plan was to commute with Tom and his buddys to school. But that did not work out as classes were closed out, so I had to enroll in night classes at the KSU branch in Canton, Ohio and borrow my mother’s car to commute 3 nights a week for the first quarter.
The next two quarters were spent on the main campus at KSU taking business administration courses during the day and commuting with Tom for a month or so until I save enough money from my first real job as a grinder at the Transue & Williams Steel Forgings Company. Dad helped me get this job because he knew the President from the Alliance Country Club to buy a car. I worked the 3 to 11 pm shift, at an hourly piece rate, had to join the Shipbuilders and Boilermakers National Union’s local group and carried my dinner in a brown bag until I was ahead enough financially to go across the street to the “Busy Bee” restaurant for dinner with some of the guys.
It was hard and dirty work for the high school drop-outs in town, but most of the men were much older and were supporting families on these wages and were really nice to me since I could work as hard as they did and never have to be carried. Most all grinding of flash from steel forgings jobs were done as teams of two so you had to keep up with your buddy since your piece count was divided by two and you were paid accordingly. Each job had a union set quota and that became the standard for that job. The guys knew after awhile that I had graduated from college already and was going to school during the day and try to figure out what to do about the military draft when the spring quarter ended. A few of the guys thought I should run for a union steward position and get an exemption from service since we had so many government contracts awarded to the company.
So, living at home, paying no board and only $42 per month car payment for my brand new 1967 VW two door blue car made it easy for me to have plenty of money to spend. I worked this job at night and commuted to school in the morning an hour each way in order to stay out of the military since Vietnam was really starting to build up now in 1966.

Mom connects me with area American Red Cross co-worker, who is a Reserve Naval Air Pilot, takes me to the Naval Air Station, Grosse Point, MI to take the aptitude and physical to become a Naval Aviator. I talked to the Marine recruiter, after scoring a point too low and only passing the eye exam to become a backseat jet radar operator.

Mom and Dad come to Marine Headquarters, in Quantico, VA for my OCS graduation March 15, 1967as a 2^nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

Mom has my Marine Corps 8×10 photo in dress blues placed behind the bar at their favorite restaurant in Alliance, OH. The main bartender, Joe Ferrlotti was my main special caddy job until mid-high school. So he and the owner agreed to this until I came home from Vietnam.

Came home on LSD Comstock (flag ship) and 2 other D’s with 3^rd Marines Battalion flags as acting EXO and Embarkation Officer with a few of my short time officers and troops. This was part of Nixon’s big pull out plan I think. All show as we found out later.
Sailed out of Dong Ha in Northern I Corps with short 24 hour refuel off White Beach in Okinawa. Some officers went ashore in the Captains launch to visit some old haunts from my Embark School days and almost missed the ship movement the next morning. An old Navy WO4 from the Comstock who I hooked up with for my 2^nd time around town saved my ass
We put in at a shallow port at Camp Pendleton 32 days later in the middle of the night and not a dam soul around except some Navy black shoes to show us where to put all the shit in the boats and where to go sleep. No band, beer or broads!
I had 3 month left after a short Christmas leave and my new EXO at Pendleton would not let me get out early to start my MBA program in December at ECU. So I got El Toro orders for 3 months with no car and flew home March 20? and got married 4-4-70.
Guy was in the wedding party. Should have been my best man, but my younger brother did the job much more sober, but with much less flamboyance.
Was that your O-course record time I faced the 1^st day thru probable the toughest thing I ever had to do in my life? That 1^st 7 foot bar and the rope on the 8 foot wall about killed me. I had NO upper body strength at that time and not much more now.