Marty Campbell

i'm planning to come to the reunion and've signed up for all events except Saturday nite's dinner & dance. "Collared shirt and jacket, no exceptions." i'm the exception. i haven't worn collared jackets since h.s., totally love to dance, but can't do collared jacket dances—Orrington School failed me on that. i also don't do cocktails and am unable to be comfortably around those who do, my mother prepared me for this weakness. most of all, i prefer not to be in exclusive settings among my species, our generation raised me this way. 

i know of others not attending Saturday nite for other perhaps parallel reasons.

so i propose an alternative saturday night gathering of us who are for whatever reason exceptions and prefer an inclusive of all gathering. if it's nice weather, i propose by the Lagoon near the Church Street Power Boat Ramp (GoogleMap-able), 7 short blocks straight to the lake from the Evanston Public Library. if it's rainin, the Library? maybe we can talk them into a conference room on the first floor near the restrooms. we can go from there, and leave a note on a bulletin board, either place, for later comers. please let me know if yer interested.  

Sherwin "Jay" Siegall

First I think I just learned the secret to not hitting ENTER and causing multiple posts to complete a thought. Type it in an email the way you want it and then copy and paste it into a post. Was driving me a little nuts to figure out how Preston Cooks points were so well laid out and formatted!

My military story is not very exciting! While I will always be and conduct myself as VERY PATRIOTIC and proud of the USA, the thought of being drafted and possibly sent into a jungle the other side of the world to possibly be killed in a war that seemed to make no sense and did not appear, at least to me and some others, that we were protecting our way of life to go fight in Vietnam.

Fortunate enough to have found a college to take me, I managed to keep a student deferment thru 4 schools and 5 years. So no worries initially however I would one day be out of school (June 69) and not have the deferment. About 1967 I signed up on waiting lists for a couple Army reserve units. In Nov 1969 on the Wed before thanksgiving I received a call from the reserve unit at 71^st and Jeffery in the city that they had a position for me!!. Problem was that the lottery drawing for my draft number position was being held over that Thanksgiving weekend and this was for the year I would be eligible for the draft! I politely requested to let them know on Monday following the holiday!

They very rudely (my view) told me sign up now TODAY!!!!!!! or go to the end of the line that I had been in for some 2 years. So I took the sure thing and signed up. A decision that  once the weekend was over,  I would never regret for a variety of reasons. Reason NUMBER ONE, my lottery number was #33 and I surely would have been drafted. Having just gotten married the day after my last class I was not wanting to leave my lovely bride to go fight in a jungle war I did not understand.

So off to basic training I went to Ft Jackson SC in Feb 1970 8 weeks basic followed by 2 weeks leader school, then advanced infantry training (AIT). Many have said NEVER volunteer however I learned how to STRATEGICLY volunteer for ammo detail and ride the trucks instead of marching some number of miles with full packs for our week or two training in the field sleeping in foxholes we had to dig in rocks. I’m not complaining as this was only training and I was riding in trucks and using “facilities” back at the Fort and not pooping with my at the time skinny butt hanging over a log!! I NEVER HAD TO DO IT FOR REAL like the unfortunate folks who had to make the journey to Vietnam. I commend them all for their courage and service to us all!The reserve unit I was assigned to was for combat support training and my opening was for a Drill Sgt slot! So after AIT, the eight reservist I went thru basic and AIT with were now shipped off to Ft Sill Oklahoma in August for 6 weeks of Drill SGT (DI) school with about 40 regular army guys who had just returned from Vietnam. That is one HOT PLACE IN AUGUST! And I might add that all the regular Army people did not like us reservists because we would be going home to our honeys, wives etc. and not to the jungle they had just returned from. BTW, DI School like OCS is about 80% harassment/intimidation trying to get you to quit and maybe 20% learning something meaningful. Not only were the CADRE (instructors) hard on everyone, but our regular Army classmates were mostly not nice! We also had to pass a PT (physical fitness test) including a mile run under 7 1/2 minutes. I could never run worth a darn, even in grade school. Ran 9 min 52 seconds before basic training and 10 min 02 seconds after 8 weeks of basic! With great encouragement and pushing I miraculously made the 7 min 30 seconds to complete drill sgt training. I wasn’t going to let that 6 weeks of harassment go to waste and not get my stripes and SMOKEY BEAR HAT (which I still have and will not let my wife toss it out) I earned that darn thing!!

One of the cool things about Drill Sgt School was that Fort Sill was an Artillery post so in addition to having fired M1”s, M16’s,M72LAW, M60 and 50 Caliber machine guns, grenade launchers etc., we also loaded and fired/shot 105mm and 155mm Howitzer artillery

Interestingly enough, going thru training at the time was some of the lowest moments in my life, difficult physically, emotionally and psychologically but when reviewing pictures of those days when not feeling the pain, they become memories with a smile. Probably needed a better attitude while going thru training. We city kids Really met the entire cross section of people from all walks of life in the US and Puerto Rico intellectually and sociologically. Even the diversity at ETHS didn’t prepare us though it did help. Folks from some of the deep south and other rural places were a new experience for the city kids. I believe we in Evanston were both city and suburban!Well that felt good to relate a bit of my military experience. I’m impressed and surprised if you have read this far. I’m glad if you did because I got satisfaction writing it!

I am more impressed and proud of all those that did serve in the real army (and other branches) and not just the 180 days I did on active duty plus 5 2 week summer camps. I’m too embarrassed to relate the summer camp stories. Good times when you have lots of stripes and are in a combat support training unit as a Drill Sgt!!

Love to all and see ya soon! 9 Days, 16 hours and 19 minutes per Fred’s count down meter!!

DRILL SGT E-7 SIEGALL

Fred Brostoff

You asked for it...you got it! 

Check out the "User Forums" link for the new Vietnam Era topic.

Susan Spiegel (Pastin)

These comments are GREAT!  And Fred, it's a wonderful website!

Terry Levine (Rose)

Thanks Fred for adding the Vietnam board - you are the best!  I lost one of my best friends (from the University of Illinois) in that war.  This just brought bad a lot of happy (and one big sad one) memories.

Ruth Gross

Hey, Dale,

Good to hear from you. Do come, if at all possible. How many 50th reunions will you have?

Patricia (Fatima) Lassar

People are feeling so moved and looking forward to this reunion, perhaps for the first time, because we spoke, listened, learned, and remembered as a group and want this to continue at the reunion. Future reunions should be planned to optimize what has begun here. The formula for the weekend which has served us in the past, needs to be revised.

 I cringe when someone says our class is the best or better than others. That's a bunch of Hooey! Yet this has been celebrated at past reunions.  I can't cheer, whoop and holler for something I don't believe is true.  The belief you are are better than everyone else is the major obstacle to remove before we can have a world peace. From the larger groups like my country, my religion, my ethnicity, to smaller and smaller divisions, my political party, (a hard one when mine is the best :) my school, my team, my family, my children, all these judgements must go. 

We can take pride in the accomplishments of our classmates without declaring we are the best. Enough already with the football! This may be what keeps many classmates away from reunions.   

I have a few suggestions. Perhaps others will have their own to add after the reunion.

1. Short presentations at the dinner from our accomplished individuals in their field of expertise or even lectures, demonstrations, etc throughout the weekend.  We are professors, scientists, teachers. Let's learn.  

2. Have the music and dancing in a smaller room or not at all. We could take a poll, but it seems the majority of attendees would rather talk or listen which is impossible over the music while a minority dance. 

3. The alcohol factor. I have no suggestions but observations.  Do people know how incredibly stupid they become when drinking? You either become acutely aware the room's intelligence thermostat has been turned way down, or join them. It's getting harder and harder  for us to keep our train of thought when sober. Now to locate a word  to insert in the stream of thought coming out of your mouth,  instead of going in a nano second directly to where it is stored, you put in a request which now must take a circuitess route around all the dead brain cells. Retrieving a word can take additional seconds, minutes, and even days before it pops up on your mental screen.  Once you make a request, I don't think you can cancel it. Maybe two days later while driving down the highway, the words Sultan's of Swing appear. Request fulfilled. Alcohol hastens the death of even more precious brain cells.                                                                                                                                           ,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Vernon Neece (Neece)

Fred:

A thousand thank yous for creating the Viet Nam era forum.

Barry Marshall

here hear

pat lasser speaks my mind

Janet Bos (Lefevre)

While I agree with Pat's assessment on alcohol ( I usually nurse one drink all evening at events and have no alcohol in my home), I feel that without alcohol at the event, not many people would attend, which is unfortunate.

 I am not a football fan and never understood the game, however, it was a big part of the lives of the people that participated in football in H.S.  The sport taught teamwork, leadership, and skills that benefited those players way beyond their school years and we had an excellent football team.  So for those that participated, why shouldn't they talk about it at their reunion?  It is a form of brotherhood for those that were on the team.

I love to dance and am an avid ballroom dancer, but I don't expect others to be.  The dancing that was at past reunions was a lot of fun to a lot of people and I can remember many people being out on the dance floor at past reunions.  Why should that be spoiled because some people don't care to dance?  I remember people being given a chance to talk over dinner and learn about each others' lives before the dancing started.  I also remember non-dancers enjoying watching the dancers.

As to complaints I read in Pat's post about our school not being the best, perhaps a refresher is in order.  The first Presidential scholar was from our graduating class, we have the largest school under roof in the country.  Out of the top 10 schools in the country the year we graduated, we were #1 academically even though New Trier was also on the list. We have many people that went on in their lives with outstanding accomplishments because of the excellent education they got at E.T.H.S.  Why not have pride in our school and talk about the good things rather than put it down?

I read somewhere on this site that someone talked about having only one event at a reunion rather than a whole weekend?  Seriously?  Why would anyone want to come from California, Florida, or Massachusetts for one event?  The whole weekend getting to know people again and reminiscing over school memories is what brings us all together.

The request that Pat made about changing the format of the event at this late date is something that should have been made in the planning stages over a year ago, not 8 days before the event is going to take place. I am very happy with the format and grateful for all the hard work that the planning committee has done to even make this event possible and I hope others are thankful to the planning committee as well.  I am looking forward to a wonderful weekend and seeing alot of you again.

Melvin "Rommie" Taylor

Kudos!!

Let's come together have a great weekend and be thankful for how blessed we all are to enjoy life and each other once again. I don't want to be judgemental ;however, I love "SoupCampbell" that's Martin Campbell's basketball nick name. I would hope everyone comes to the Reunion Saturday wearing the clothes you are most comfortable wearing. If there is a dress code for Saturday nite ,90% of the remaining classmates will comply. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and the committee did an outstanding job once again. Great leadership from Judy,Pat and Phil . 

Also this web site ROCKS !! Great job Fred  

 I have recently discussed with Bill Minear and Ken Wideman my appreciation for all our classmates that provided service for our country. Our classmate / teammate David Alexander will also be attending our Reunion and we should give all our Veterans a Hero's Welcome !!

Terry Levine (Rose)

I agree with Rommie.  This is a celebration of us as individuals, our class of 1964 and all of our accomplishments & ETHS as a school.  I am proud of our academic accomplishments.  I am proud of our teams.  Did you know that Murney Lazier is the winningest high school football coach in the history of Illinois?  I spent two years working for Coach Lazier in the Boys' Gym Office during my study halls.  He shared an office with Coach George, the little bear.  I have the utmost respect for those gentlemen...and the other coaches as well.

I understand what Pat is saying that we should never consider ourselves "better" than the next person  but, I also feel that we should be the "best" person that each of us can be, and for me that "best" person is compassionate, caring and respectful of others.  To say we are the "best" does not necessarily infer that we are better than someone else.  I, like Pat, foster the hope that someday there will be world peace, and people, like some in the middle east, will stop hating us because we are Americans.

I agree with Pat, that being around a bunch of sloppy drunks, particularly if you don't drink, is not a lot of fun but, I also know that I enjoy a glass of wine every evening, and I would feel like I was at a Women's Christian Temperance Union meeting if alcohol was elimiated from the reunion.

Perhaps we should have a smaller room at the reunion - one where people who did not want to dance could go and talk....plus, there is the Friday night event.  I don't believe there is any dancing there.

I am excited to be going to this reunion and to seeing people I haven't seen since our 20 year class reunion.

Susan Chausow (Southam)

I love these conversations!  It's great to  have a forum like this to get us started thinking about how we all come together 50 years later.  This will be the first reunion I've attended, and I decided to come with some hesitation and resistance (as Kathy Dalgety and Debbie Horwitz can verify) mainly because it has been so long since I've even thought about those high school years that I couldn't imagine how many of you I would remember and how one memory would trigger another.

Each of us had a "niche" at ETHS----for some it was in sports, for others dance, music, theater, art, academics, etc.  And having grown up in an Evanston that was "dry" it really would be like a return to the past to have a reunion w/o alcohol!  

Let's just all have a great time and share these different points of view with tolerance and celebration.

Mark Goldman

Have any of you pulled out your 1964 Yearbook? I was looking over the comments that were made by some of my fellow classmates, and apparently I was pretty good at Nickel Football in 8th period student lounge. How could I have ever forgotten? Oh yeah, now I remember--it's because I'm now 67 years old!

Alison Van Swearingen (Brown)

Rommie Taylor has a very good point about a "Hero's Welcome" to the classmates who served our country during the Vietnam war.   It was such an incredibly divisive time with people probably "taking sides" who had never done so before.  Their lives were interrupted in a way that only those who served can fully understand.  God Bless them all.

Janet Bos (Lefevre)

I agree with Rommie and Alison about the hero's welcome.  Any man or woman who served in the military for our country is a hero in my eyes.  I would like to see  a moment of silence observed for those who gave their lives for our country as well as for all the classmates in the Memorium page (regardless of how they passed away)..  It would be nice if this was done Saturday night either at the beginning of the program or just before we partake of the food..........Jan

Arnold Friedman

I agree with everyone's comments on this page. Even though I don't remember everyone and their nuances in detail, I think that for the most part we had a great High School and a great group of people in our class, as many of us have become aware of  as we mature and refine our perspective on life. There  are a lot of things that are difficult about getting older  but it certainly beats the alternative.

I think that it will be great to see everyone who can make it there. Its certainly worth it to me to come in from San Diego even though I was not exactly a "rah-rah" or gung-ho "Wildkit" I think that it was a great school and provided all of us with a tremendous opportunity. Whether or how we took advantage of it really doesn't matter What's most important is that we respect each others opinion whether we agree with them or not and are tolerant of each other as long as they are not hurting or inconveniencing us.  Drink or don't drink -- smoke or don't smoke -- Jock or Geek, Democrat,Libertarian, Republican --WHO CARES! I think that it's just great that we are still around ,can have this get together and that someoone(s) have gone to all of the effort to put it together.

If you are not interested in coming,then you don't have to,  or can just come to those events that you prefer.to attend, but its sounds like its going to be a great weekend even though I don't even remember a lot of my classmates. But then I don't remember a lot of things that I used to. So a big thank you to everyone on the committee who helped put the event together.I'll look forward to seeing everyone and will try not to drink too much!

Bonnie Robinson

I would like to congratulate ALL of the members of the Reunion Commitee for doing a fantastic job, even though I won't be able to attend in person, I will certainly be there in "spirit."

Our connection to ETHS as the class of '64 is not only noteworthy for the times we lived through, but for all of the incredible successes of our classmates. So many of us really ran the distance and I would like to think it was because we were given an amazing education at ETHS. I know for myself, it really prepared me for the challenges of college.

I do think it's stange for someone who says that they are not judgemental to make comments regarding dancing and drinking -- both of which are legal and acceptable forms of social behavior; especially during a celebration. For those who do not want to inbibe in alcohol, there is no one who is going to be taking notes...LOL! As for those who choose not to dance and celebrate, they have the option of picking quiet corners to exchange in conversation.

To all of my former classmates, have an absolutely spectacular reunion! Go ETHS and the class of '64!

Patricia Richey (Wanzenberg)

There are a few things I would like to comment on.

Judy, Phil and I met over 2 years ago to decide if we wanted to try and put another reunion together.  At the time we had valid addresses for only 48 classmates.  Since then, with a lot of time and effort by the Search Committee we have located and heard from 635 classmates.

Finding as many classmates as possible, keeping the event prices low so more could attend and having several different events to participate in were our goals from the beginning.  The prices have been kept down due to very generous donations which also allowed for some scholarships.  Each event took hours of discussion to plan and organize so that there would be a diverse selection.  There are over 300 people attending various events during the reunion weekend and we have tried to include something for everyone.

Judy is a member of the Glen View Club and was kind enough to sponsor us on Saturday night.  The club has rules regarding attire that we have to adhere to - thus the collared shirt and jacket for men.

This will be the last reunion (as committee members) for Judy, Phil and I.  We hope you will use this reunion weekend to get together, reconnect and remember.  We hope you all have a wonderful fun weekend!

Ruth Gross

A hearty thank you--doesn't seem like enough--to the committee who put this all together.  It's sad to hear that this will be "the last one" you put together, but I can understand how much time, effort, exhaustion, etc. went into the planning, and to think of the 60th or the 75th (probably without dancing) is tempting fate!  I look forward to seeing so many of you, those I knew and those I didn't and will at least say hi to at the reunion.  It's a life event.  So, once again, THANK YOU to the committee for taking this all on and making it possible for us in the class of '64 to remember and continue our ETHS journey.

Jack Hayes

Thank you Pat, Judy, Phil, Fred, and everybody else who has done so much to make this reunion a success.  Even though the event hasn't taken place yet I am 100% certain it will, indeed, be a success.  Just surfing through the forum and individual profiles has triggered so many memories; I can only imagine how many more will arise from actual conversations!  Not only am I re-experiencing 1960-1964, I have learned so many interesting aspects of classmates whom I knew well and also those that I didn't.

It has been fascinating to read how our lives have evolved.  I have no doubts about how special a group the ETHS Class of 1964 was (and is). I am looking forward to next weekend far more than I had originally envisioned, mostly as a result of what everyone has been sharing on this site.

Janet Bos (Lefevre)

Because of the hard work of the planning committee and also this wonderful website that Fred has put up for all of us, I am extremely grateful.  Sometimes people don't realize all the work that goes into putting this event together.  For those that can't attend, this venue has been priceless to them to reconnect with people they may have lost touch with.  I thank Judy for allowing us to have the Saturday night event at the Glen View Club.  I did not know everyone in my class but maybe I will make new friends at this reunion.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done to bring this event to fruition.  See you all in a few days. 

Janet Bengtson (Leahy)

This is going to be an amazing Celebration, what a blast we are going to have. I'am a committee member and have been blessed to have been involved in the making of this Reunion. Thank you Pat and Phil ,Judy ,Fred We could not have done this with you.  So here's to four days of fun and and laughter. Janet Bengtson Leahy

Janet Bengtson (Leahy)

Sorry I ment to say with out you. Janet Brngtson Leahy

Fred Brostoff

Sorry for some late responses today to your requests for posts on the User Forum and other emails.  I think I'm caught up now.  The reason for being tardy is that mid-afternoon Shelly and I rode our motorcycle over to Ravinia to see The Moody Blues.  When I told my much younger sister (ETHS class of '73) that we were watching The Moody Blues, she said she thought they were all dead.  Grrrrrr!

Oh well, got to keep thinking "young", even if the body yells out "old".

Pretty much off topic but maybe we need some levity now an then.

...which reminds me:  Do you know that having children is genetic?  If your parents didn't have any children, you probably won't either.

SEE Y'ALL AT THE 50TH!