Randy Allen: Yo-Hi Class of 1964

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The past 50 years, a short story.

Following graduation I left Japan in order to attend college. Initially I stayed at my aunt's house in Los Angeles. I bought a 1956 Hudson Hornet from my aunt's neighbor for $60.00 and planned to drive it across country to my new school. I knew that Gene (Marty) Schoonderwoerd was going to college in Chicago so we hatched a plan to drive together. I drove to Gene's house, I think it was in San Diego, had his father inspect my car and give his approval. My trip was to Connecticut where I was to study at The University of Connecticut (UConn) and Gene was to be dropped off in Chicago where he was to study at The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). We did nothing but drive - got to Chicago in 2 days and to Storrs, Connecticut in one more day. I believe we pulled off the road somewhere in Nebraska to catch a few hours of sleep.

I entered UConn as a physics major and the only thing I accomplished during my first two years was learning to love college basketball. I hated my major and didn't particularly care for the long, cold winters of New England. I really just wanted to get back to Japan. At the end of my second year I went back to Japan for a visit and decided I wanted to stay but I had a problem -- I needed a student visa. The only way to get one was to make an application and then return to the US and wait for a decision, a two month process. I did just that and killed the two month waiting period by riding a greyhound bus around the country - at the time greyhound had a $99.00 summer pass.

My visa arrived and I headed back to Japan to attend Jochi Daigaku (Sophia University), one of the schools run by the international Jesuit educational system. My new major was far eastern affairs and I loved every minute of it. A short while after arriving in Japan I moved, with a friend, into a Japanese apartment in Yokohama. We chose Yokohama because Tokyo was just too expensive and riding the train was easy enough. The apartment had no hot running water, bath or shower so we used the neighborhood public bath on a daily basis. When we absolutely had to have a shower we would sneak into the BOQ and use their facilities. These were good days and we made a lot of money teaching English. Many of my friends were the sons and daughters of the diplomatic community in Tokyo and the parties were unbelievable. We dated local coeds and models - life was good .... and yes, we did study. My plan was to enroll at International Christian University after graduation and take their one year intensive Japanese course. Upon completion of that program one was supposed to be able to read a Japanese newspaper. I graduated and enrolled in the program but a week later I received a letter from The President of The United States of America -- I had just been drafted.

My entry into the US Army was uncomplicated - a bunch of paperwork, shots, haircut, uniform etc. and I was sent to Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. for basic training - in the middle of winter. We trained in tactics, use of firearms -- all the stuff most of you men have gone through and upon completion we were assigned to our advanced training unit. I was sent to artillery training, primarily in fire direction control, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. During advanced training we were actually allowed to leave the base on weekends and I can recall how gracious the people of Dallas were. If we wore dress greens everything was half off -- hotels, restaurants and the like.

The next stop was Vietnam - Dong Ha to be more precise - a small base just south of the DMZ. The 14 months I spent there taught me much about the value of life and the value of true friendship. It's an incredible feeling to know, really know, that someone has your back. We were regularly attacked by mortar and rocket rounds, usually with very little damage - that is, until a mortar round hit the Marine ammunition dump located across a dirt road from us and lit up the sky. We had a few soldiers who were wounded by the shrapnel from the mortars and rockets but, thankfully, no deaths - at least during my tour. I'll never forget the helicopter landing on our pad, discharging the mail and picking me up to go to Saigon and be processed for going home.

Now I'm in Los Angeles and not liking it - had to drive 30 minutes just to see a movie - had to practically live in a car. It also didn't help that job prospects weren't so good. I drove to San Francisco with a friend and I've never left. Fortunately I was able to find a job quickly - management trainee for Wells Fargo Bank. The training was completed and my assignment was to be a supervisor in credit card operations. It was a good job with a fair salary but it wasn't what I wanted. I was still considering going back to Japan and finishing my plan and also had law school in back of my mind. Law school seemed the most attractive option as the GI bill would cover almost all of the expenses and I wouldn't have to leave my new home.

I was accepted and within one year of joining Wells Fargo I was at The University of California studying Law. The first year was a bear - nothing but study - getting a job was out of the question. Second and third year were not so bad and I was able to land a night job as a bartender (beer and wine) at a place called The Holy City Zoo. It was a great neighborhood place with open mike nights. Wednesday night was comedy night and the usual performer was .................was..................Robin Williams (RIP). Yup, The Robin Williams. At the end of the night I would pay myself $30 and pay Robin $30.

Law School ended and my first job was with the California Attorney General's office but my mind was set on opening my own practice. I had a few bucks saved so after a year I did just that. Unfortunately, most of the clients who walked through my door were there for a divorce. Fortunately, after a couple of years I met another lawyer who was subletting in the same suite I was in. We concluded that the days of the general practitioner were over and that we should get together and become specialists....in something. We chose immigration as both of us had traveled extensively and San Francisco was a hub for immigrants, especially from Asia. This was the birth of Werner & Allen, a firm dedicated to immigration law. It was and is interesting work, made more interesting with clients like George Lucas and Industrial Light and Magic, Sprint, Firemen's Fund, Teknekron and several others. We also did deportation defense and political asylum. During the Iranian revolution and the occupation of the US embassy we represented the Bank Melli Iran here in San Francisco and none of them wanted to go back -- lots of political asylum applications.

Werner & Allen lasted about 12 years and then dissolved by mutual agreement. Since then I've been Allen & Associates and now Law Office of Randall Allen. I'm definitely winding down. My personal life involved a woman I was with for 25 years that ended rather badly. My brother, Jason (68) and his family live less than an hour away. He is one of my best friends and has given me a gorgeous sister in law, a niece and two nephews. I adore them all. My local friends are the best and I see some of them on almost a daily basis. If I don't see them, the texts are there. My parents are deceased. My dad lived to be 90 and I think that if he hadn't fallen and broken his hip he might still be around.

My personal year from hell came in 2001 when I was diagnosed with cancer...it required a very lengthy operation, removal of my nose so that I now wear a prosthesis, and significant amounts of radiation. The best the doctors could come up with as to the cause was a combination of sun, second hand smoke and possibly agent orange. Scuba diving has been a passion over the years and I was fortunate enough to have been able to dive in places like Mexico, Thailand, Hawaii and Fiji.

To be continued in person at the reunion....or not.

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