Rick Whitaker writes:

A month after graduating as a Saint (and what an odd choice of mascot that looks like now), I entered West Point and instantly understood Dorothy’s comment that “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Rick-Whitaker-Copenhagen-1000x

 

After four rigorous years of education and training I graduated in 1969 with a basketful of value: a BS in Engineering, a commission as a second lieutenant, an appreciation for the Jersey Sound and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and friendships which have lasted a lifetime.

Since that event I’ve been in combat in Vietnam and served on the Frontiers of Freedom in then-West Germany. I’ve been to Harvard Business School in the years between George Bush and Jeff Skilling. I’ve been married, and raised two wonderful sons, Max and Alexander, who are good people.

Rick Whitaker (second from right) with West Point classmates in Vietnam, 25th Infantry Division, March 1971Rick Whitaker (second from right) with West Point classmates in Vietnam, 25th Infantry Division, March 1971

I’ve learned and then forgotten how to speak Czech, Japanese, German, Bahasa Indonesia, Russian, French, Spanish, and the language of love, which I most regret. I’ve visited 6 continents, and lived and worked in New Canaan, Singapore, Boston, Heidelberg, Tokyo, Menlo Park, Kabul, Houston, Monrovia, the Bay Area, Baghdad, and Dubai. I’ve been rocketed and ambushed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and thrown out of my own club in Washington DC.

I’ve had intestinal discomfort in almost every place I’ve visited.

I’ve introduced fuel cell power plants to the world, established Bain & Co.’s consulting business in Japan, survived the demise of Enron, and resurrected the Liberia Electricity Corporation.

I’ve lost my friend and brother-in-law, Steve Cohee, to heart attack on a High Sierra fishing trip. My sister Gail and I still visit the spot.

I’ve completed marathons (including New York in a tropical rainstorm) and triathlons, and several 1-mile open water swims, although I still don’t like dark water. I’ve fished tiny little streams in the New Jersey highlands, the ocean off West Africa, rivers in Montana, and mangrove shorelines in Florida. I’ve caught every type of trout except Golden; blue marlin, smallmouth bass, tuna, snook, redfish, and tarpon; and some unidentified sea creatures that made me nauseous just to look at.

I’ve converted to Catholicism, and been inside more churches and temples and shrines and sacred caves than I can name. I’ve been to the Vatican where I was blessed by the Pope, along with 5,500 other people. But he was looking right at me.

Incredibly enough, I’ve done all this with only one medical mishap, falling off my bike in Katy, TX, and breaking my collarbone.

So what have I learned from all these doings, these comings and goings, and activities and diversions? That you don’t have to use your frontal lobes all the time; often it is better to just let intuition and instincts flow.

Words to live by? “Seemed like a good idea at the time” pretty well sums it up.

Rick Whitaker

Dan Fisher writes:

I’m not used to talking about myself but I’ll do my best.#1-I did not marry anyone from SAHS
#2- what is the distance to Japan, I don’t know but i lived there for 2 years while stationed there with the US Navy, Hospital Corp.
#3- 4 children ( 2 boys 2 girls ) ; 6 grandchildren ; sometimes good decision sometimes not a good decision.
#4- I still have hair but Grey.
#5- I spent 41 years in law enforcement and retired with the Federal Protective Service, Department of Homeland Security. I retired November 30 2013. I did work all over he U.S.
#6- I spent a lot of time at the shooting range, mostly instructing firearms. I belong to a Cowboy Action Shooting group. We dress as if we just stepped into 1870, attempting to be as realistic as possible.
#7- Asia.
#8- I have not seen or spoke with anyone in the class other than at a reunion.
#9- Love many, Trust few but always paddle your own canoe. In other words Be your person.
#10- I have no favorite SAHS memories.
#11- Movies-a western called “lonesome Dove”, ; Huntington Beach where I live.This is most I’ve talked about myself in a long time.Dan Fisher

Update on Veteran’s status:

I spent 4.5 yrs in the navy. I was stationed in California,  Texas  and Japan.  I was a hospital  Corpsman and took care of wounded Marines.
After I was discharged I worked for Continental Airlines  then as a police officer with the city of Anaheim. I spent my remaining yrs with the Federal Government  as a police officer and retired from Homeland Security in 2013.
I now work for a national guard company as a corporate trainer.
Married with four children and six grandchildren.
I live in Huntington Beach, walking distance to beach.

Dan

Tedi Christensen writes:

DALE  DECKERT IS THE FATHER OF OUR 3 GIRLS AND YES, WE WERE MARRIED.   WE ARE BEST OF FRIENDS AND ENJOY OUR 7 GRANDCHILDREN.

OUR DAUGHTER, CHRISTINA IS A DOCTOR, OUR DAUGHTER KAREN IS A LAWYER AND OUR DAUGHTER JULIE HAS ALWAYS HAD A CAREER IN  THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY.  WE RAISED OUR GIRLS TOGETHER.  DIVORCED, AND WE BOTH REMARRIED.    I AM A WIDOW AND DALE IS MARRIED.

I HAVE USED THE NAME OF “TEDI” FOR OVER 35 YEARS– MY GIVEN NAME IS THEODORA, BUT KNOWN AS ‘THEO’ DURING MY SCHOOL DAYS.

I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT UPCOMING ‘SCHOOL’  EVENTS.  i HAVE ATTENDED THE “ALL CLASS” REUNIONS AT IRVINE PARK, HOWEVER THIS YEAR i WAS TRAVELING AND NOT ABLE TO GET BACK TO SO CAL IN TIME.

AS  TIME PASSES AND WE BECOME FEWER IN NUMBER, I FIND IT MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO TRY AND CONNECT WITH THOSE OF OUR PAST.

HOPING ALL IS WELL WITH YOU AND YOURS.
HAPPY TRAILS,     TEDI

Michael Wilde writes:

We (wife Shaun and two daughters) are currently living in Los Osos, CA on Morro Bay.  My twin daughters just turned 16 and are thriving with a distance learning curriculum.Michael Wilde-Shaun-daughters
I’ve been a full-time dad for the whole stretch and enjoying every moment.
Retired from UC Berkeley/Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory as manager of research communications for the Energy & Environment Division.   Shaun is a global marketing consultant to high tech clients.

Lived in Berkeley, Eugene, Oregon, Salt Spring Island, BC Canada, and now San Luis Obispo County. In between we’ve traveled the world. Education: MA Architecture & Urban Planning, UCLA;
BS Journalisim, University of Oregon.

Marcia Lemon Sanserino writes:

 Marcia Lemon Sanserino writes:
I quit working 2 years ago, final tally – 21 jobs.  I’ve gone from camp counselor, tour guide at Disneyland, airline stewardess (not flight attendant!), babe in the snack cart at the golf course, snack bar owner, and on to some more professional work in education.

I married Gary after UCLA in 1972, and between my erratic job history and his career in baseball, we have both gotten around a lot!  He played minor league ball so we traveled around the country and got to live in such desirable places as Omaha and Charleston, West Virginia. We actually moved 12 times in 3 years to give you an idea of our vagabond life.

I guess as years go on, we have become boringly stable.  We ended up not so far from Santa Ana, we live in Laguna Beach.

At the moment we have 3 kids, 2 daughter-in-laws and 4.5 grandchildren.  These numbers might be different by the reunion!

We still have some vagabond left in us however, we enjoy traveling and have spent a lot of time in Paris.  We went to Israel and Jordon in May and will be in Norway shortly before the reunion.
I look forward to seeing everyone and catching up on your journeys!