195-a Yaloopse Drive
Terhenshaw, Wisconsin 33564
11 MAY 1985
Terhenshaw, Wisconsin 33564
11 MAY 1985
35 Brookwood Drive
Latham, New York 12110
Dear Gert,
I can't believe that its been thirty years! Actually, its been
a little longer for me, since I left Columbia at the beginning
of our senior year to lock in the Korean War G.I. Bill of
Rights. (I think John Clynes also did.)
I went right into the Navy, and at the time our class was
graduating in June of '55, I was on a tin can near New Zealand.
I spend 3 years at sea, and then got a medical discharge after
I was hit by some live steam when a pipe ruptured. I'd hate to
tell you where the steam hit me, but I sure got scar tissue
where its not nice to have scars! Anyway, I got discharged at
the San Diego Naval Base in 1958, and since my father took a
transfer and my folks moved away to Missouri after my sister
Bess got involved with the kinky things that went on over in
Sherwood Park, I decided to go to college out west. I started
at San Diego Jr. College and, believe it or not, I became a
math major. (Do you remember Alice Bennett telling me, in
front of the entire Algebra class, that she thought I should
switch to a manual arts class with Mr. Roden??) Actually, I
had a lot of math training in the Navy, since I was a gunnery
yeoman, and I was really ahead of the average college freshman.
I guess I was flattered by getting to the head of the class,
and it inspired me to become a real student. I transferred to
UCLA (Los Gatos Campus) and really became a serious student,
although UCLA-Los Gatos was in a different league from SDJrC.
I graduated from there in 1962 and went on to Stanford on my
G.I. Bill/Navy Disability (I ran into Dave McCollough there
once) and got a Masters Degree in Applied Culturalmathe, which
made me a real hot item with Viet Nam breaking out. The Navy
offered me a package to come back in which included intensive
plastic surgery by a Hollywood surgeon to enable me to pass a
physical, a commission as a full lieutenant, and a year at the
Swanson Academy for my D.N.S. degree, which I completed in
1965.
By then I had met my first wife, Denise. (I think she reminded
me of the Denise in our class, the pretty, dark haired girl who
lived in the Manor.) Denise was getting a Masters in Holistic
Horticulture from the Logan Agricultural Institute, and when I
shipped over to 'Nam she joined me there as a civilian
agricultural advisor. We got married and had two Amerasian
sons, George ("Bucky") and Lyndon. By the time of the
Vietnamese "phasedown", I was in charge of the Navy's Applied
Culturemathe program for the entire SOPACFLT (Fareast). I had
18 years of Navy service at that point, and just couldn't see
any wisdom in getting out two years short of a pension. Denise
and I couldn't adjust to living stateside after the war, and we
parted good friends about 8 years ago. Bucky and Lyndon stayed
with me at the Denver Submarine Naval Base for a while, but
then went with Denise after I married my present wife,
Peggy-Marge, who was a WAVE stationed there. Peggy-Marge is
quite a bit younger than I am, but not by today's standards.
We have one daughter, Kathleen-Carol, who is a real doll.
I have been C.O. of the Land 0 Lakes Naval Research Station
here in Terenshaw for almost a year, and will probably stay on
with this assignment until my 30 years are up on 14 Oct 1988,
and then retire and become a civilian consultant to the
military. My chances are pretty good of making "flag rank"
upon retirement. We haven't decided where to live, but it will
probably be either Biloxi (to be near Peggy-Marge's folks) or
Fargo to be near Bucky and his wife, Suzy.
It was really a coincidence that I heard about the reunion. I
come into Knolls about once a year to check on their
envirographics, and when I came in this week I ran into Don
Perryman, who had himself just heard about the reunion. I'm not
sure that I can make it back, but if I can arrange it,
Peggy-Marge and I will come.
I never did get a yearbook, and can't remember all of our
classmates (it will probably be mutual), but I can remember
playing ball with Elf, Ray Hogle, and Zeb LaMontaine, and
walking down by the lake with you! I remember having a crush
on a girl named Charlene or Helene, but I never got up my
courage to ask her out. I went out with a girl named Sue
Dunkin or Dankin who started Columbia just before I left, and
we wrote for awhile. Perhaps I will see her there.
Best regards,
Wilston A. Hickey
Captain, U.S.N.
