Brian Forbes:
CLASS OF 1963
Cleveland High SchoolClass of 1963
St. louis, MO
Scruggs Elementary SchoolClass of 1958
St. louis, MO
Carondelet Elementary SchoolClass of 1956
St. louis, MO
Brian's Story
Brian is married to Rhonda Crain Forbes (CHS Grad June 66). Schools include Cleveland High School, Scruggs Elementary School, Carondelet Elementary School. He later attended St. Louis Community College-Meramec (Criminal Justice). Fresh out of CHS, I went to work for the St. Louis Police Department as a clerk in the holdover-what an eye-opening life experience meeting hookers, dopers, burglars and murderers. I knew immediately I wanted to be a cop. I studied fingerprints and became a graduate of the Institute of Applied Science (a very thorough correspondence course in criminal identification). This was in the days before online computer courses so I paid a lot of postage mailing exams and papers. During this time, I was working with many "old time" experienced police detectives and I knew this was the life for me. One of my policeman friends was also a Chief Warrant Officer in the Naval Reserve, and he talked me into joining the Navy Reserve because I just been called for my draft notice physical and was headed for the army and Viet Nam soon. I took his advise and joined the Navy in 1965. I attended tech schools and training until March 1967 when I got orders for active duty aboard the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14), an aircraft carrier. I made two cruises to the Tonkin Gulf, Viet Nam, before getting an early release in October 1968. During that time, I was fortunate enough to visit Hawaii, the Phillipines, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. Within a week, I went to work as a police officer. for the St. Louis County Police Department. I was fortunate enough to live my dream of becoming a detective and spent 25 of my 29 years in investigative positions, from Crime Scene Investigator, Auto Theft, Burglary, Robbery/Homicide, Intelligence, and also was a member of the Greater St. Louis Major Case Squad for 12 years. Was recognized as an expert in fingerprint identification and gave expert testimony in numerous criminal trials. Only regret is that I got too old to run after bad guys. After r...Expand for more
etiring from the PD, I went to work again as a Safety Supervisor and later Director of Security for Atlantic Express School Bus company until they left St. Louis. I then worked as supervisor for the St. Louis office of the T.W.I.C. program. This is a branch of Homeland Security that biometrically records fingerprints and photographs of transportation workers requiring entry into secure ports. Next stop was for another company doing biometric fingerprinting for individuals who were required by law to have positive identification for state licensing (nurses, doctors, cab drivers, teachers, etc). Got laid off and took a unwanted sabbatical until September 2012 when I went back into fingerprint work again for USIS, a contractor doing the identification process for the U.S. Immigration Service.
The job was going great until December of 2012 (to be exact, the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7th), when I woke up with this strange feeling in my chest and knew if wasn't gas. My dear son-in-law drove me to the ER at Mercy Hospital, where they determined that I had a 99% blockage in my arteries, and required a five way bi-pass. Thanks to the good Lord and Dr. Mark Blucher, my surgeon, I am doing well again, forty pounds lighter, and back to work, bowling and golf,
My interests have always been bowling (I tried professionally on the Senior Pro Bowlers Tour, however, I never made enough money to even live on White Castles, so I returned to league bowling and local tournaments. I have 19, 300 games and 6, 800 series, but that's not much compared to the full time pro bowlers. Other interests include watching the Cardinals, spending time with my children and grandchildren. . Music I like includes Oldies 50s 60s, Well Hungarians, Oldies Country (50's & 60's). Books I like include True Crime Stories, Mysteries. Movies I like include The Battle of Midway, Caddieshack, Tora! Tora! Tora!. TV shows I like include N C I S, Law & Order, NCIS: Los Angeles. Mainly, now, I am just enjoying being alive.
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