Yo-Hi,
Class of 1964
Student Spotlight
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**(click on any image for a larger size, use back button to return here)** What has happened to me over the last 50 years since leaving YOHI in Yokohama, Japan. After leaving Japan in 1964, my Father was reassigned to a position at Little Creek Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia. I took the summer off and got into surfing for several years. I started part-time at Old Dominion college in Norfolk. Because of my age, I had to sign up for the draft. As Vietnam was heating up, I decided to join the Navy reserves. After boot camp in 1967, the only “A” school available at the time was a diesel mechanic school in Rhode Island for the Seabees (the Navy's Construction Battalions). During “A” school, the 1967 “six-day” war in the Middle East had begun. We were told that orders were being prepared to ship us out to Israel to support them in their diesel maintenance crews. By the time our orders were signed the war was over (phew). After “A” school, I was assigned to the auto shop in Port Hueneme, California for duty. As I was checking in a Lieutenant approached me and asked if I liked to travel. I said yes as I was a Navy brat. They canceled my current assignment and I joined the Navy Seabees Display Team. We traveled all over the country going to different state fairs, county fairs and military bases putting up displays depicting what Seabees did. The last stop I made was in Hawaii. We were there for about 30 days. On a free weekend I rented a motorcycle to go around the island. I got into an accident, they sent me to Virginia to recover, and reassigned me to MCB5; a battalion that was scheduled to go to Vietnam. After three weeks of combat training, our battalion landed in Dong Ha, Vietnam (located 8 miles from the DMZ). In 1969, I married a local girl here from Virginia Beach, Virginia. We immediately moved to San Diego, California and started our life there. This is where I was able to attend our 10 year high school reunion in San Juan Capistrano, California. Our son, Jason, was born in San Diego and after four years we moved back to Virginia Beach, Virginia. Working in management for a fast food company, we were transferred to Monroe, North Carolina. Our daughter, Jennifer, was born there and after a couple more years we moved back to Virginia Beach. Unfortunately, the marriage lasted only 10 years. In 1978, I became a civil servant with the federal government as a computer specialist. My career lasted 30 years and I obtained the position of Director for one of the divisions of the Naval Supply Center's Data Processing Department at the Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1986, I married Pamela Smith, a local girl from Chesapeake, Virginia. We've been together ever since and have celebrated our 28 th wedding anniversary this past July. Her daughter, Kari, has been married for the past 17 years and has provided us with two beautiful grandchildren, Samantha and Miles. Pam has a Master's degree as a Speech Language Pathologist. She has worked with handicapped and special needs children for the past 30 years. We have been living in Great Bridge, Chesapeake, Virginia during our 28 year honeymoon. We lost our parents within the last five years with the exception of Pam's dad. Since I retired in 2007, we have had her father move in with us and at the age of 92, we have been busy caring for him. Pam continues to work part-time with her private practice, a rehab center, and teaches CPR to medical professionals. In 2009, I underwent quadruple bypass surgery and they continue to say that my heart is doing better. I am currently doing radiation therapy for prostate cancer that the doctors say is curable. Pam and I were looking forward to attending my 50 th high school reunion in Texas but the radiation treatments will run past that weekend. Pam and I are looking forward to the empty nest syndrome; AGAIN . We will be planning for the next YOHI 64 class reunion.
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