The 1970 News Review
This all started way, way back in December 1941. I'd just taken a picture of Larry and the dog in a bushel basket, and it seemed appropriate to use as an Xmas card greeting, especially with a blurb added about "putting all the Eggs in one basket. " Nothing more happened until 1947 when, out of uniform at last, card sending could begin again. Except for a lapse about 1955, when I was away in Aruba, the series has continued unbroken. It gets to be more of a production problem as the years go by and the boys are scattered around the country. Last year's group picture was just good luck that everybody was home at Thanksgiving. Even getting up-to-date activity reports isn't always easy when it must be done by mail.
As 1970 drew to a close, Les had been painfully reminded that he was inferior in the interior. So the local USAF medical specialists went to work to debug his problem and right after New Year's a cholosystectomy took place. That particular slice job is best known as a gall bladder operation. It hurts just as much by either name, and it sure slows a man down for a while. After those internal repairs and alterations were complete and convalescence over, Les dug with renewed energy into the problems of hyperbaric fire protection that had been taking up much of his time since the astronauts died at Cape Kennedy early in 1967. By the end of the year most of the headaches had responded to aspirin and hard work, a final report had been written, and a major effort about completed. Paralleling this work was a study for the Office of Civil Defense, dating back to 1968. This involved outlining a feasible defense system against nuclear attacks, with a hypothetical application at San Jose, California. So most of the 1970 travel was back and forth to the West Coast, helping to keep the airlines in business. The OCD project report was released in December, so two big jobs were finished up during the 12-month period.
That first painting in June 1969 really started something. Now, about 20 pictures later, wall space is at a premium. There are six paintings on the office wall. To date, none have been hung in the bathrooms or kitchen, but who knows what the future may bring? A few are oils, the rest are acrylics, including one inspired by that 1941 eggs in the basket photograph. Two were based on color transparencies taken on the beach at Guadalcanal way back in 1944. Art classes at night have provided the necessary guidance and a convenient studio to work in. The biggest problem seems to be that he gets paint all over his good clothes and has five thumbs on each hand.
Usually Les has been the family traveler, but 1970 found him a poor third in the rat race, both in mileage and remoteness of the places visited. Polly started the year with her usual musical mixed grill of concert going, a few piano pupils, substitute organist, and celloing in the orchestra. In June things started to happen. First she headed up to Buffalo by car and bus to attend an AGO (organ) convention. On July 16th, a plane took her to New York where she changed to another jet bound for London to begin a long summer in Europe. Traveling via Bristol, she went to Wales for a very pleasant week's visit and seeing the beautiful countryside. The next extended stop was Glasgow, where she looked at lots of castles, relived history, took many side trips, and attended a MacMillan family reunion. It wasn't easy for her to leave Scotland, but after about three weeks she reluctantly moved down to London as a new base from which to explore England. With so many things she wanted to see, and places she wanted to visit, the biggest problem was making a choice of what came first. A British Railpass eased transportation costs considerably, and she sure got around. Halfway through the London stay an opportunity arose to join up with a conducted tour on the Continent. She couldn't resist. A hectic action-packed week carried her by plane and bus to Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and into Bavaria where she saw the Passion Play at Oberammagau and the Oktober-fest in Munich. By the time she'd rested up back in London, it was time to plan for the trip home. Getting in the maximum sightseeing possible en route, she crossed the Channel to Belgium, looked around Frankfurt for a few days, then early in October, against her desires, climbed aboard the big aluminum, bird destined for New York.
There was no urgent reason to return to San Antonio immediately, so the trip south was leisurely, spaced by visits in New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri, traveling in all deliberate haste. Polly was in a considerable dither when two pieces of her baggage got lost. Les got busy on tracer actions and eventually one turned up in New York, the other in Memphis. Both reached San Antonio before she did in early November. Plans for a return to England next year already occupy her thoughts. This first trip just whetted her appetite for more.
Larry finished up about seven years in the Army late in 1969, so 1970 found him getting readjusted to civil life. The year started with a bang! Les had hardly gotten out of the hospital from his operation when Larry came in one evening in sad shape. He'd been out hill jumping on a motorcycle. Bike and boy got separated. Once again it was proven that birds can fly, but when people try, the landing may be rough! A badly torn knee immobilized him awhile, but eventually he recovered and in April started to work on the 1970 Census as an enumerator. Apparently persuading people to use the right spaces on census forms is a real art, for Larry got a commendation on his work and was called back for supplementary surveys. All summer long he was acting Post Organist at Fort Sam Houston. Supplying wedding music, conventional or otherwise, was his specialty. In September the time came for a return to student life. Riding his trusty Volkswagen, he moved up to 500 E. Rollins, Columbia, Missouri 65201 to hit the books again and take his place once more with the Marching Mizzou Band. It's a good way to go to football games, even if TV often has a better view. Hopefully Larry will get that elusive and long-deferred sheepskin in the spring or summer of 1972. So far, his grades look pretty good.
Ed was the family champion in both local and long distance mileage for the year. Late in 1969 he was a 2nd Lt. SigC assigned to Ft. Monmouth, N. J. and shuttled back and forth to a defense plant near Washington as liaison officer on a research project. Around Xmas, he was alerted for oversea. duty in Southeast Asia, but the commuting continued right up to late April when he went to San Francisco via San Antonio and looked down at the Golden Gate en route to Thailand. Some 22 weary flying hours later the plane deposited him at Bangkok for a bus trip up to Korat, about a hundred miles to the north in the hill country. Ed was assigned to STRATCOM CCCCA, APO San Francisco, 96233, so we had an address for him but not until recently did we know much of what he was up to. It wasn't secret, but his letters were somewhat fragmentary. Obviously you can't run a complex military machine without good communications, and since Ma Bell stays home in her stateside kitchen, a comparable phone/radio network had to be established and operated worldwide to support the troops. Ed became a cogwheel in the Thailand portion. Something like that is a 24-hour a day operation, so he was quickly put on lots of shift work. Once he got used to the arduous and demanding schedule, he began to look around Korat, making friends among the Thais and seeing the sights, which are plentiful and interesting. At the moment, his base of operations is being moved to Bangkok. He's not happy about leaving Korat behind, but life in the big city should bring new experiences. Ed comments that his tour of foreign duty is becoming more and more both enjoyable and educational. If he doesn't get things done at first, he can always Thai, Thai again! (That gag just couldn't be resisted!)
Dan has gotten himself pretty well settled on the academic treadmill. He's in his second year of teaching at Davis Middle School here in San Antonio, with all his requirements completed for his certificate. That was done locally this spring by courses at Our Lady of the Lake College. The summer was again spent down at Texas A&I plugging away on his M. A. degree. The thesis will be about the history of the Negro community of Kingsville. Naturally, the summer wasn't entirely devoted to work. He had parts in two plays, one the ever-popular Gilbert & Sullivan musical, HMS Pinafore. Dan currently teaches Language Arts and Social Studies, and music is one of his responsibilities. Years ago, the schools offered reading, writing, and arithmetic. Rumor has it that they still do - after a fashion - but all the subjects have new titles, and you almost have to attend the class to figure out what's supposed to be covered! He's moved to a new address at 177 Bonair, closer to his school (78222), on a place large enough for his landlord to keep a hodgepodge of livestock. Occasionally Dan gets put to work as part time farm boy. That, too, is an education! He continues to enjoy politics as a precinct chairman and as a delegate to the Teachers' Council. His class studied the stock market and bought a share of stock as a practical exercise. He's even gotten mixed up with ballooning, helping to retrieve a 75-ft balloon used for local advertising purposes. So far, he hasn't flown in it, but hopes to soon, up at Austin where it's based. Les has ideas in that direction, too. It would be perfect for high-angle pictures of San Antonio.
As for the animals, Buffy, our blonde Cocker, went to obedience school all fall and spring. Now she can be made to behave if you put your mind to it. She has a mind of her own. They say that to train a dog you must be smarter than the dog. That must explain the problems we have. Last year, Kit was ruler of the roost, but now since Buffy is bigger and Ming bossier, Kit just lets them push her around. Within limits, of course. The other two roughhouse each other and have lots of fun, but Kit maintains her dignity. If there's a dowager type in the kingdom of cats, she qualifies as one. Ming is just an extrovert clown. What a character!
Well - - there it is for 1970. Wonder what next year will be like?
230 Montpelier Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78228
