We were young....

[TexasGrunt]

The other day I was thinking back about the five guys I ran around with in high school and where life has taken us.

One went to Zoomie U and was killed in a training accident at age 22.

One went into the Navy and was killed during flight ops at age 20.

I became a Marine and was injured while training, broken back. Now retired due to disabilities.

One followed me into the Marines. Injured during training accident, fell from the top of a tower, hit every log on the way down, spent a year and a half in the hospital. Also never got over his fondness of 16 year old girls. Spent 8 years in prison for that. At that point I cut off contact.

One became a long haul truck driver. On the day he received his Million mile award he was T-boned driving home from work. Now retired due to disabilities.

One became an alcoholic and died at 32.

All of us are in the 56-58 year range. Three of the six dead at young ages. Four of us went into the military, none of us came out of the military whole. I've been to way too many funerals.

[popper]

452 in my graduation class, 104 have passed. 12 served, 4 career. Half live in state, Most went to higher education. Half are on the left, half right. Went to the 50 reunion several yrs ago, most there were in good shape. Interesting to see what people do with their lives. Most of my good pals are gone too. At my age, people just sit around talking about their medical problems. Classreport.org is pretty good place to re-connect.

[Murphy]

Of the few of my closest friends from school days, I've lost two to accidents in our mid 30's. Of the four others, only one served in the armed forces and thankfully came home in one piece. He had to medically retire 5 years ago from congestive heart failure. I never know when will be the last time we talk.

Of the other 3 or 4, I'll be blunt about it. We all wound up doing drugs and not being much of anything until we reached our 30's. I've been clean & sober for 28 years now thank God. We've all turned out okay and are productive members of society now. As the saying goes "Back in the day", most folks locally wouldn't have bet 2 cents any of us would see our 60's.

TexasGrunt, I sat one night a year or so back and reflected over the years, and what is really important to me in my life. Simply put, family & friends. Homes, vehicles, guns, money all can be gone overnight. But friends who've been with you for the better part of 50 plus years, are hard to come by...treasure them.

The gentleman on the left is my friend who served in the Army. We took the top photo in 1980 at deer camp on year. We had an alumni banquet and he came in and spent the weekend with the wife and I. I figured it might be a good idea if we got a picture together because of the losses of old classmates, family and others.

197065

Murphy

[Huskerguy]

I grew up in a single parent home in a small town in Nebraska. I was not making the best decisions when my mother remarried just before I started the 8th grade in a very small town about 30 miles away. By this time I had some bad habits and coming into a different school I felt I had something to prove to my class of 13. As I went through HS, sports was my savior. I played football, basketball and went to state in track. School was secondary, girls were a priority. Too much drinking, drugs just started coming in my little town around my senior year about the time I met my current and ONLY wife. So, many of the guys I ran around with as a young kid ended up in prison or took their own lives before HS. I graduated from HS and got married nearly 44 years ago, went to a tech school and later earned two degrees. Christ came into my life at age 26 and I have never looked back. Last fall my best friend in HS who kicked a major drug addiction a couple of times and was helping others do the same passed away. That devastated me as he was doing well the last we talked.

The bottom line is we are each responsible for ourselves, drugs, alcohol, sex, you name it. The ability to control all of that is there. Life is very short as I have retired at age 63 with generally good health. I have been blessed beyond my expectations, two great kids who know how to work and be a good friend.

In our lives we are constantly faced with the paths we will trod. Sometimes we take what seems like the right path but something goes wrong like an accident. The key is nothing is in our own hands. Enjoy each hour of each day! Oh and BTW, I completely reversed things from my time in HS to where I am as an adult - finished college with a MS degree, became a respected professional helping others while most of my classmates struggled with life but seemed to have everything going for them in HS. hmmm

[bob208]

I never had many friends. I was rejected by most because of my hearing problem they all thought I was restarted. did not know I had a hearing problem until I tried to join the navy in 69 and was rejected.

[FISH4BUGS]

Of the other 3 or 4, I'll be blunt about it. We all wound up doing drugs and not being much of anything until we reached our 30's.
Murphy
Murphy: Many of us did the same. I dropped out of college in September of 1967 and enlisted. Got rejected with a 1Y at the pre induction physical. What's a poor boy to do when the service and Vietnam was out of the question?
I went on the road with a band for 2 years and did massive quantities of everything. Fortunately for me the addiction gene was not working so i just had fun with it.
But as I look back, it is hard to see friends from high school. We didn't make friends well in the Army as dependents. They have all scattered.
Being an Army brat, that means I went to 8 (maybe more) different schools before graduating from high school. All those I knew in High school were also Army brats and have scattered.
I went back to college, got my degrees and started working kind of later in life - I was 27 when I graduated form college.
So now I enjoy my local friends, casting, shooting, gardening, taking care of the farmhouse and the kids. Still working self employed at 68 with no plans to retire.
It's all good.

[Freightman]

Wait another 30 years and you will have more friends in the cemetery than in their homes. Turned 78 today Sunday they found my neighbor of 47 years and lifetime friend dead in his bed.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

The neighborhood I grew up in was working class and many of the kids I grew up around went down the wrong road. Thankfully, my mom and dad had kick butt attitudes and made my sister and me into something. We made much better friends in college. All but one of those are still with us, but I am a lot younger than many here. I told my wife that when we hit our 50's or so we will need to cultivate some younger friends, lest we out live our current ones...

[farmerjim]

Most of my high school graduating class is still alive. I don't see any of my HS classmates except at the 45, and 50 th reunion. It is a good thing that they put name tags on all of us, because it was the only way I recognized any of them. I don't know any of my classmates from LSU. I moved away from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, then to Montreal Canada, then back to Belle Chasse Louisiana, then retired to St. Francisville at 48. There are about 10,000 residents of our parish, but 5,000 of them are in Angola prison. I still correspond with my old workmates, but all my close friends are locals except 2 friends from Canada that recently relocated here from Florida.

[Echo]

Wow. At 81, I can say BT, DT. Married my HS sweetheart,- I had enlisted in the USAF after a year at UHouston in engineering - and band - and Clinic Dance Band, playing Big Band stuff. Electronics Instructor on the Matador missile, our first Cruise missile. FCC Second Class Radio/Phone Engineer. OCS 8 years later, and got into computers & Comm, generated 3 great kids. Airborne Command Post Comm for a couple of years, and the only thing I had to worry about in SEA was getting drunk and falling in a klong (big ditch/small canal), and never did those two things together. Led the group that tested the ARPANET, that grew into the Internet. Retired in '74 and got a second Masters, did Mental Health work, got interested in QC, got my ISO 9000 ticket, and got into Mgmt Consultancy, working from Prudhoe Bay to Ft Lauderdale, Boston to San Diego, and 3 western provinces of Canada. Retired from that in '02, volunteered at Pima Air & Space Museum as a tram driver/narrator for 13 years before leaving.
Oldest son joined the Feathery Choir Mar 6, 2010 - heart failure, adult onset MD. PhD in Music, published & performed composer, good man. Sweet Ol' Carole my HS sweetheart, joined him Sep 1, 2010 - complications from kidney disease. Daughter joined them June 10, 2012 - metastatic colo-rectal C. Dual Major, Finance & Accounting, and a CPA. Leaves me with one son (53 in August) and 3 GD's, aged 31, 26, and 6 (!). Son pays more income tax than I make, which is a good thing. My Jock Engineer, has 4 patents, put the ball out of the park from either side of the plate, FB in the low 90's, scratch golfer, etc...
.
I was a competitive shooter in svc, USAF pick-up team (2nd Place in NTTM), and later - DPS etc., but just poking holes in paper now, mainly w/boolits cast on the patio.
Took me a while to start dating, and have a great GF now, but she is making noise about getting married, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that - but time goes on...
.
And on - GF just threw me out because I wouldn't marry her right now. Such is life...
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We all have stories...

[samari46]

One of my classmates was found dead from drugs. Right after graduation enlisted in the navy and after getting out and riding the subway ran into one of my classmates. We talked awhile and he said he was worried about the draft and I told him I had already served. Got a job with the local public utility, got married and when I retired moved to Louisiana. My wife was born here and has a boatload of relatives. We had a summer trailer in Pennsylvania and sold it when we moved down here. With the exception of my MIL all the older generation are now gone. Other than that a rather uneventful life, which I am glad to have had. Frank

[Idaho45guy]

Wait another 30 years and you will have more friends in the cemetery than in their homes. Turned 78 today Sunday they found my neighbor of 47 years and lifetime friend dead in his bed.

Sorry to hear that...

[Idaho45guy]

Of the five guys I ran around with in high school, one opened up his own body shop and got married, then committed suicide when his wife left him. He was about 25. Another friend worked as an electrician for his dad and drank too much and is still an electrician and drinks too much. Me and my other two buddies joined the Navy. We all got out after four years and I went into law enforcement and then insurance after being an aviation mechanic. Another was a corpsman and became an X-Ray tech, then got divorced after 17 years and married a 20yr younger drop-dead gorgeous rodeo queen and is now a range technician in Oregon. The fifth guy was an ordinance man in the Navy and went to work for the Post Office. He had a thing for young girls we later discovered and haven't talked to or seen him for nearly 20 years.

Odd how all of us ended up divorced (except the pervert) and all live within 2 hours of where we grew up...

[lightman]

Well TG, I've followed your trials and tribulations since you have been a member here. I have to say, I admire the way you have faced up to your challenges. I also would like to thank you for your Service. Although it sounds kind of lame, I am sincere.

Im about your age, 59, and have lost a few friends along the way. My Wife and I have both lost our Fathers and our Mothers are in their upper 80's and 90's. My Wife has also lost a Brother and Sister along the way. I guess thats part of the deal? Most on my high school friends are still alive and most are still married to the original Wife. One good friend is in jail, but at lease it was for a non-violent crime.

I got married at 18, right out of high school. Don't know what the silly girl was thinking? Whats the odds of that working? I was just a wild crazy kid with a hot car and no more future than a spent bullet. Prolly headed for jail, but no drugs, at least. Got a job with an electrical utility company that I held for 34 years and retired from recently. Have 2 grown Sons and 5 Grandchildren now. Oh yeah, I'm still married to the original "Starter Wife", although she hates that term!

[TexasGrunt]

I lost my mom when I was 33 and my dad when I was 42. I'm now older than my mom was when she died. Both from cancer. Because my father died of prostate cancer I started getting screened at 42. 10 years later that screening caught my aggressive prostate cancer. I wouldn't be here today without that screening.

[beezapilot]

Guess we were lucky, small town and my group of friends and I only cared for fast cars & motorcycles & raising H$*$ in high school. Collectively we were the "least likely to succeed" crowd. There were 8 of us that were a pretty tight group- 5 (including me) got out of town in the military, two were too heavy for the service, and the only girl of the group went off to NYC to find her fame and fortune. I retired as a Chief Petty Officer, and fully retired for my 50th birthday, Todd retired as a USN commander- did that mustang thing, and is now a beltway consultant. Mark said he'd never set foot in that town again, headed off for the Air force- none of us ever heard from him again. Erik did 4 years AF and came home to take over his dad's plumbing business, now has a fleet of trucks. John did 4 years AF and has been in aviation ever since, now working for the FAA as an inspector. Wayne stayed home to become an electrical contractor- again, now with a nice company and a fleet of trucks. Tom bounced from job to job and bar to bar and is still bouncing. Lisa, went to NYC and went to work as a secretary at an investment firm- ended up a significant Wall Street career and retired at 40. All in all - one disappeared and one lives a life that I don't envy... but the rest of us did OK, and stay in touch to this day.

[starbits]

I was a military brat, oldest of 6 kids. We moved 9 times in 9 years during one period and I went to 5 different high schools. My oldest friend is my college room mate. Married at 33 and next month we celebrate our 33 anniversary. Aside from parents and grandparents I haven't lost anybody close to me. My daughter on the other hand had a photo taken the last day of 7th grade with 6 boys in her class, by the time she was 18 half those boys were dead. One in a vehicle accident, one by drugs and one killed by the police when the parents called 911 because he was depressed and they thought he might hurt himself.

Starbits

[bstone5]

Of the seven close friends in High School I am the only one left at the age of 71. Two were killed in Vietnam while in the army, one killed driving a jet fuel truck, the rest died from medical conditions. Danny th last one died of heart failure last year. Went into the Marines in 1965 came out with no major major health problems. Went to college after the Marines, Electrical Engineering, went to work, spent most of my working time in the offshore drilling industry.
Retired at 70, still work in my shop, been running my Automated Master Caster the last few days casting 40 caliber, 45 caliber and 38 caliber pistol bullets.
Looking back none of use got into drugs are a lot of alcohol, been a good life, with two sons who work at their jobs and make a comfortable income.

[NavyVet1959]

I don't remember being young. I have a *vague* memory of being slightly less grumpy, but not much.

Other than a couple of relatives, I never saw anyone who I went to school with again in my life. And even the relatives, I only hear from if some other relative died. My wife says that I'm an anti-social SOB. I reply, "and you say that like it is a *bad* thing".

[MaryB]

I am not as old, graduated in 1979 but my 5 year class reunion out of a class of 205 44 were dead either from drugs, car accidents from drinking and driving, or plain old raising heck... we were a wild bunch that year... Most didn't settle down until their 30's. Now they are dying from heart attacks from living high on the hog to many years. I always tried to eat balanced meals and still do. My last class reunion they all looked mid 60's and they kept telling me I looked early 40's still... main thing I have is a gray/white stripe I inherited from my mother...

[Rufus Krile]

I don't remember being young. I have a *vague* memory of being slightly less grumpy, but not much.

Other than a couple of relatives, I never saw anyone who I went to school with again in my life. And even the relatives, I only hear from if some other relative died. My wife says that I'm an anti-social SOB. I reply, "and you say that like it is a *bad* thing".


Maybe it's the Texas thing... maybe it's just the 'Get Off My Lawn!' attitude... but I find myself relating to NavyVet @ 100%. I did 3 years in the army and then 40 years in the oilfield just to get the proper attitude. Never went to any reunions... didn't like them that much back when I had a little in common with them. Army buddies and shooting friends are what I'm down to and, all things considered, that's not so bad. No offense, anybody, but don't expect to lock arms and sing drinking songs.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-cFtSPIF4Q

[fatnhappy]

Turned 78 today Sunday they found my neighbor of 47 years and lifetime friend dead in his bed.

I tender my condolences. If it's any consolation, I'd far prefer my friend to go that way than be eaten to the bone by cancer or worse, stricken with Alzheimers.
.

[Echo]

I tender my condolences. If it's any consolation, I'd far prefer my friend to go that way than be eaten to the bone by cancer or worse, stricken with Alzheimers.
.
Plus One...

[mold maker]

I was never a party to any "click" or group. Not a loner, but not involved in the foolishness that went on around me. Too many assets waisted with drink and naferous activites.
All the usual crowd attended the early reunions and most had survived their former indiscretions. Several had passed from cancer. None had been lost in military service. Many had graduated college and were professionals. That we knew of none had gone far astray
The later reunions were not well attended and there are no plans for the future.
While I would enjoy seeing and conversing with any and all of them, it's not a high priority at this stage of my life. Having made my way through the many years since our 1960 graduation, I'm not expecting a change.
It appears the old "clicks" still hang together, and I still don't desire to be involved.

[NavyVet1959]

My high school class has a web page that I stumbled across and saw a bunch of photos that they posted from the various reunions. I noticed how a very few of the girls had aged very well and were still hot, but most of them definitely looked their age. All in all, it's a disappointment. You really feel your age when you see that really hot girl from high school that is now a rather overweight old lady. And then you see the portion of the site where they list those who have died. You start feeling your age a bit more. Just no advantage to getting back in touch with them as far as I'm concerned.

[FISH4BUGS]

just no advantage to getting back in touch with them as far as i'm concerned.
Amen Brother!!!!!!!!!!

[Mohawk Daddy]

I made the mistake of going to my graduating class's 50th anniversary after having very little contact with any of them with one or two exceptions. Vietnam, drugs, alcohol, and car wrecks have taken their toll. One in Vietnam, one on the streets of LA, one dead from drugs at 37, one dude shotgunned his BIL and went away for a long time, a star athlete from high school checked out with a bad ticker in his late 30s, one classmate dropped dead after putting in a day of hard labor on road construction while about 60. The success stories: dumbest kid in school became a wealthy rancher and land owner, the poorest kid I knew became a helicopter pilot and warrant officer, later a high roller with a railroad, prettiest girl in high school still looks very nice and is happily married.

[ghh3rd]

You really feel your age when you see that really hot girl from high school that is now a rather overweight old lady.
Funny........ but true.

[NavyVet1959]

Funny........ but true.

And on the other hand, assuming you are both now single, you might actually have a chance with her now, even though she was entirely out of your class when you were in high school.

But, some things are better left undone... :)

[Thin Man]

High school reunions were a curiosity to me. When we were in school almost all the kids belonged to or were consider part of a group or "clique." There were the scholars, the sliver spoon gang, the athletes, the band gang, and a few other groups. I just laid in on the fringes with the "good ol' boys" and made it from day to day. I missed the 10 year and heard stories the groups still huddled together like in school. Missed the 20 and heard most everyone was trying to get past the "groupie" thing. Made the 30 and 40 only to find the groups were still alive and thriving. "If you did not belong to our group in school don't speak to us now" was the common behavior. Curious, but I was routinely called to help locate those MIA class mates no one else could find (my work provided certain search opportunities). This was appreciated by the organizing committee but no one else. When it came time for the 50th huddle I was called again, this time when I was well into retirement. Using only common skills and nothing more I found 11 of 16 names for the team within 4 days of receiving their list. Funny - some of these people said they did not want to be found and to tell the committee that I had not found them. I answered back "I didn't find you." From there I skipped the 50th and live on happy. A lot of this comes from my closest school friends who saw the folly of the reunions and routinely declined to attend. We stay in touch as well without going to the hug-fest. As for those who attend, best wishes to them. Let them live in the past and dream on.

[TexasGrunt]

High school reunions were a curiosity to me. When we were in school almost all the kids belonged to or were consider part of a group or "clique." There were the scholars, the sliver spoon gang, the athletes, the band gang, and a few other groups. I just laid in on the fringes with the "good ol' boys" and made it from day to day. I missed the 10 year and heard stories the groups still huddled together like in school. Missed the 20 and heard most everyone was trying to get past the "groupie" thing. Made the 30 and 40 only to find the groups were still alive and thriving. "If you did not belong to our group in school don't speak to us now" was the common behavior. Curious, but I was routinely called to help locate those MIA class mates no one else could find (my work provided certain search opportunities). This was appreciated by the organizing committee but no one else. When it came time for the 50th huddle I was called again, this time when I was well into retirement. Using only common skills and nothing more I found 11 of 16 names for the team within 4 days of receiving their list. Funny - some of these people said they did not want to be found and to tell the committee that I had not found them. I answered back "I didn't find you." From there I skipped the 50th and live on happy. A lot of this comes from my closest school friends who saw the folly of the reunions and routinely declined to attend. We stay in touch as well without going to the hug-fest. As for those who attend, best wishes to them. Let them live in the past and dream on.

I've never been to a reunion. The group of guys I ran around with fit your description. One of us still lives in the same house he did when he was in high school. Not hard to find at all. Yet he's never received an invitation to a reunion. I've got a fairly unique name and wouldn't be hard to at least locate an email address for me. Yet I've never received an invitation to a reunion either. Ya know what? It bothers me not at all. I couldn't stand most of those people when they were teenagers, and I doubt that has changed with the passage of time. My buddies and I were the only ones that went into the military.

[Blackwater]

Wow! Varied stories, but we're all a lot more alike than we are different.

My story? I was a Marine Corps brat, moved back to the family farm in Jan. '56 when I was in 1st. grade. Transferred here, and first thing I had to do was fight the biggest guy in the class. What a way to be welcomed home! But it came out OK, and we actually became friends. Probably because we didn't want to re-engage again? Anyway, we graduated a class of 63, and just had our 50th. year reunion, and only 53 of us are still living. One girl was murdered by her daughter's boyfriend at the time. The other 9 fell to accidents or disease, except one who probably fell due to drugs. He was into them back in high school, and was one who was truly a "ne'er do well." I'm not sure what finally took him, but all indications were that drugs had to have played a very significant part in his demise.

But the 40 or so who attended the 50th were all very well represented. Yeah, we had some cliques, but in the size class we were, they couldn't satisfy anyone's needs fully, so we were pretty gregarious. I feel very blessed to have come up among such a good group of folks. There's still a lot of comraderie among us even now. Lots of us show much wear and tear along the way, but all were in good spirits and had done relatively well for ourselves, at least considered from a "middle class" point of view. I've been richly blessed, and I'm very grateful for that.

It's amazing how the folks we surround ourselves with, or who surround us by default or fate, go towards making us the kind of people we eventually become. If we just pay attention, we can learn a LOT from watching others. Some of us just HAD to pee on the spark plug, though, and .... I did that a number of times along the way. I'd recommend against it, but those so inclined wouldn't listen anyway, so I'll just say I hope it doesn't do you in!

[rockrat]

Went to my 15th. Losers were still losers and jerks were still jerks. Might go to my 50th, unsure. Most friends from HS are dead, both guys and girls so not too many I want to see. We had 210 in my class and I think 85 are gone. Was never in any clique. If they don't want to talk, won't bother me. Didn't care for most of them back then.

[NavyVet1959]

You don't really notice how old you are getting since you probably see yourself every day in the mirror or at least something that reflects. When you go to a reunion and see the people that you last saw in high school and see how old they have become, it reminds you of how old *you* have also become. Some of us would probably just as well not have that reminder. :)

Besides, at our age, the more people you know, the more funerals you end up having to go to.

[Driver man]

Been to too many funerals lately. Theres only one I don't want to be at.

[Beau Cassidy]

Didn't care for most of them when I was there. Probably wouldn't care for them now. Don't plan on seeing any of the other 241 I graduated with anytime soon. There were about 4 of us who struggled out of high school and remained running buddies until we started establishing ourself. One- who I stood side by side with to take our military oath- used his SGLI insurance after getting mixed up with a drughead girl. The other 3 of us are all somewhat successful yet geographically separated. It's like I tell the youngsters I meet- as you get older your friends become less but the bonds become stronger.