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.1st 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 2nd Lt Quantico, Va 23
’67 Jan 3 Active duty as Office Candidate (PFC pay grade) 11 weeks program with 50 others in my 3rd Platoon of Company B
’67 Mar 20 Graduation Day became one of only 32 2nd 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.