03/08/07
Where do you live now? Tucson, AZ
How many years were you in the desert? too many (about 22)
Are you willing to help with pictures? maybe...I'll check
Are you willing to help with stories? Do I have stories??????
Comments:
I'm interested in finding old friends and such, especially anyone living in the Tucson area.
02/25/07
Where do you live now? Vallejo/Redding, Ca.
How many years were you in the desert? 1966-1978
Are you willing to help with pictures? If I had any.
Are you willing to help with stories? Not sure they're fit to publish
Comments:
What a childhood to be raised in area that has unlimited boundries. We were so lucky, yet blissfully unaware. So many memories of R/C... -Paying $.50 a gallon for gas in my friends Camaro. $2.00 would last all day and night. Only to be spent the next day for the same thing. -Stealing Pomegranates from a tree in someone's front yard (seems like that was the only fresh fruit you could find in the desert). -Learning how to drive out on old Hwy 395. -Learning how to ride a motorcycle on the endless dirts roads that were all around. -Hanging out on Friday and Saturday nights at the Rocks, Haystack or The Drama Rock. These are but a few of the fun memories. Some of the friendships developed through out my childhood are long forgotten, but some remain strong. It was a place of unboundless freedom and safety. Everyone knew your Dad and Mom (not always good). But, if you needed any help, it was only a door knock away. I left early in my youth to join the Navy and escape what I thought at the time was a boring life. So many years later, I long for the slow pace and small town life.
02/22/07
Where do you live now? Sammamish, Wa.
How many years were you in the desert? One
Are you willing to help with pictures? Don't think I have any, will look.
Are you willing to help with stories? None worth relating
Comments:
I moved to NOTS in 1951 from El Monte, CA. Went to live with father who was stationed there. Attended Burroughs High for my Freshman year. In 1952, ran away from home and hitchiked back to El Monte to live with Grandmother. While stationed at NOTS, father operated Red's Automotive Specialties on Ridgecrest Blvd. between Shoaf's Cafe and Fred's Cafe that was operated by Fred Weiner. I washed dishes after school at Fred's. We lived on the base at 59B Rowe St.
02/20/07
Where do you live now? Silvis, Illinois
How many years were you in the desert? 1951 - 1983
Are you willing to help with pictures? If I can find them
Are you willing to help with stories? I have a few recollections
Comments:
I remember riding my bike out past the White Star mine and hunting quail. Shooting Trap with Richard Davis. The old Dust Devils car club, and the street races at Trona Hill. We use to have street dances at the old Fosters Freeze. Go to the Trona Pool and have parties there or Pioneer Point. I still have a son there and a grandson. I am actually thinking of moving back to Ridgecrest. I think of the days when you could camp in the canyons and find old petroglyphs on the rocks. It was neat reading some of the comments from the 60's. I even recognize some of the names, I hope someday I will see some of these people again.
| Richard Wolff - Burroughs '68 | Email |
02/19/07
Where do you live now? Portland (Clackamas), OR
How many years were you in the desert? 21 years (1961-1982)
Are you willing to help with pictures? Would have to do some digging.
Are you willing to help with stories? Yes.
Comments:
I was 11 y/o when my family moved to China Lake. My step-father was in the USN and we moved a LOT. It wasn't unusual for me to attend 2 different schools in one year. When we FINALLY planted our roots, it was in the Mojave Desert!
When we first arrived, we were assigned to prefab housing on Base. The neighborhood was mostly deserted as the housing was due to be demolished as soon as the Capehart-B housing was completed. There weren't enough bedrooms for my parents, my 3 sisters and me so my dad busted a hole though the wall into a vacant adjoining unit. I, being the oldest of the kids, got to set up my bedroon in the living room of the other unit. But we moved to the new housing after a few months.
I went to Murray for part of 5th grade through 7th. I didn't like 7th grade as there were 7 "units" (7-1 through 7-7) based on "aptitude". I was in 7-1 which was supposed to be the advanced kids but in MY mind most of the kids were just snobs 'cause their dad was an officer or ranking scientist. Mine was an enlisted man. I largely refused to participate and ended up getting a couple of swats with a paddle by the asst. principal and PE teacher to set me straight. I was eventually moved "down" to 7-2 which had a bunch of regular kids and everything else worked out fine.
With the drama of the Cuban Missile Crisis, we had duck & cover drills and bomb shelter drills at Murray. During this time, President Kennedy came to China Lake for a weapons inspection. I rode my bike over to "Mike Lab" to see him. I did better, I got to shake his hand.
My Dad retired from the USN at end of the school year and we moved to "Rocket Town" which was a sparsely populated area SW of Downs & Upjohn. By sparsely populated, you had to walk a couple of blocks to your nearest neighbor. I attended Monroe in 8th grade and then Burroughs for 4 years. While I was at Monroe, President Kennedy was killed. I couldn't believe it so I ran out of the classroom and out to the front of the school to see the flag. It was already at half-mast so I knew it was true.
After HS, I worked on Base for 12 years. Great times but enough.
=Richard
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