Bill Neimeyer:
CLASS OF 1966
Parma Senior High SchoolClass of 1966
Parma, OH
Franklin High SchoolClass of 1969
Livonia, MI
Parma Senior High SchoolClass of 1966
Parma, OH
Schaaf Junior High SchoolClass of 1962
Parma, OH
State Road Elementary SchoolClass of 1959
Parma, OH
Bill's Story
Life
After gradition,I figured the best thing was to join the Navy. Leaving the country was'nt an option, and I was'nt ready to get married and have kids.College was out due to grades and financial considerations, and the fact that I was not a serious student,I figured 4 years in the Navy was better than waiting to get drafted into the Army or Marines.Besides I was still naive enough to think MY COUNTRY would not lie to me about the need to fight for repressed people in Southeast Aisa.I spent 2 years in the Vietnam area.One year on the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Ranger off the coast of Vietnam, and I spent one year in country in and around Da Nang. I came home April of 1970. went to college for a year, but I had a hard time adjusting to the prevailing anti Vietnam feeling.I was especially tired of being harassed and blamed for my serving in Nam. Both students and teachers would want to argue about, why we were there, who's fault it was. WHY IS IT, THE PEOPLE WHO PROFESS TO KNOW THE MOST ABOUT VIETNAM, WERE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE NEVER THERE!! I just wanted to go to school and forget about Nam. But people just would not leave me be. So after a couple fights,and after I had a female student spit on me, I dropped out of school and worked at a couple different jobs. I finally ended up at Republic Steel(later LTV).Got lucky and found a woman(Judy Little formally of Georgia, and Brunswick, Ohio) who could put up with me!! We have been married 34 years this last December. She worked part time at a Super K mart,(bring on the blue light specials) but retired as of Oct. 2005.I went back to College and graduated with an Associate in Business Mgt.Became a Supervisor at LTV until 2001 when LTV went out of business.We have a son Josh 30, who graduated from Notre Dame of Ohio(pre-law,history) and played soccer for them. Josh is presently a Federal Border Patrol Agent and is stationed in San Deigo California. He loves the job,but is not crazy about California. He has said it is truly the "land of fruits and nuts"! But he has adapted well and is enjoying the beautiful weather and beaches.Our daughter Rebekah 28, works at PNC Bank, and is working as a Program Director. Becky had a baby boy, Lennon Kristopher William Larson, on Jan 18th, 2007. And Judy and I are thrilled to be grandparents! Due to LTV going out of business and several health problems ( from exposure to a nasty chemical called Agent Orange while in Vietnam, and breathing in acids and asbestos at LTV for 28 yrs) I am semi-retired and enjoy fishing,traveling, motorcycle riding.Studing history,(Civil war & WWII) collecting guns,target shooting, building and fixing computers, and taking my 2 English Setters to the woods and watch them chase deer, birds, and anything that moves!! Judy and I were planning to move to North Carolna this year, but now that our grandson Lennon is here......well we plan on staying here for a while longer.We both enjoy fishing and boating, and we are tired of Ohio winters. So a move to the Lake Norman area of North Carolina is still in our plans. For now we are content to babysit for Lennon and watch him grow for the next few years.
School
I've discussed with many people about their high school experiences.It's funny how many say they didn't like their years in school, and would never want to go through their High School days again. I enjoyed the #*& out of school!!The activities, sports, football games,ice skating at Forestwood, canteens,dances,plays, Christmas concerts.As I see it, the only problem with high school was, that the classes interfered with everything else!! I guess I wasn't as serious a student as I should have been,(that's an understatement) and I have had to make decisions in my life based on the time I squandered. And for that, we all have had to live with decisions we make....good or bad. But I still enjoyed my time at PSH. And if it were possible, I would love to go through those years again.What a wonderful time in history to have lived through!
College
Attended Tri C in the Fall of 1970. I enjoyed the classes, but I had a very hard time adjusting to the life style of the early 70s.Being discharged right out of Nam,comming home to family an friends who were at the least silent, at the most hostile, It seems like everyone wanted to argue or debate about Viet Nam. I have come to the conclusion that the people who claim to know the most about the reasons for the Vietnam war, are the people who were never there! I never claimed to know why we were there, I just did my job the best I could, came home,and wanted to get on with my life. But I was a much different person then the one who went to Parma High School. You can't spend 2 years in a war zone seeing death and so much useless distruction and expect to take up where you were when you left. It's tough but even some people I knew in high school made it clear they wanted nothing to due with me after Nam. I came to the realization, that they had no idea what life was like outside th...Expand for more
eir protected classrooms, and bias idealism. Like I was personally to blame for all that happened there. And after the shooting at Kent State I really became Persona non Grata!! Especially with females!! The only people I could relate or talk to were older adults or other vets.I dropped out of school to take a job with Republic steel(later it became LTV) I finally finished up at Tri C and graduated with an Assocate in Business Mgt. I was promoted to a supervisiory position after graduation.During my career at LTV, I recieved a couple more promotions and several merit raises for my efforts in several different departments. After LTV went out of business, I enrolled in a school for computer training and graduated as a computer tech. I had a small business building computers. My son Josh has helped me get started. Many of his soccer team mates in college were from different countries and need a computer when they come to the States. I built custom computers to met their needs. I must admit I regret not being a better student in high school, and in hind sight now, I'm sorry I didn't work for a Bachlor degree when I had the chance.But, life has been good, and I am content with the twist and turns my life has taken. my favorite quote pretty well sums it up. " of all sad words of tounge or pen....the saddest of these....it might have been".
Military
My very first meal at boot camp I got food poisoning! I spent the next 2 days in the hospital. I knew I was going to be in for some rough sailing for the next 4 years! After boot camp I went on temporay assignment to Bethesda Naval Hospital to take part in a Navy research Program. They gave me many different psycological test for a study on possible manned underwater missle sites.They tried messing with my mind by putting me in an 8 by 12 soundproof, totally dark room. There was no one to talk to and twice a day I had to take test, and perform certain manual tasks, The object was to see how long you could stay in the room without going bonkers.Boy did I fooled them! My stay in Bethesda lasted about 6 weeks. I was transfered to Dahlgren, Virginia where I served on patrol boats at a Naval firing range. After a year there, I went to Storekeeper School in Newport,RI. After graduation I was assigned to the Aircraft Carrier USS Ranger in the South Pacific.Got to see and visit some fantastic places like: Hawaii,HongKong,Singapore,Japan,Australia and Thiland, I also served 2 tours off the coast of Nam.And nearly froze in the Gulf of Korea when the USS Pueblo, a spy ship was fired on and seized by North Korea.I then got orders to report to Camp Pendleton Calf. for weapons an survival training before being sent to Da Nang,Vietnam.That was some eye opener!! What plants and bugs you could eat if lost in the Jungle. Did anyone know that toasted maggots taste something like rice krispies? They taught us what snakes to look out for, the 2STEP a geen tree viper or as some called it the KYA snake. The snake was so leathal if you were bitten you took about 2 steps before you died, or KYA meant you just had enough time to stick your head between your legs and kiss your...goodby! Of coure you can't forget the ever present cobra. We learned how to hide from the enemy if lost in the jungle. GREAT FUN!! I spent the next year dodging rockets, motar shells and occasional snipers, heat that could fry an egg, monsoon season when it rained so much and so hard you could'nt see your hand in front of your face, and you were never dry, roaches so big that if you threw your boot at them they picked it up and threw it back at you, the rats were as big as small dogs and very nasty,and there were the Vietnamese kids on motorbikes driving by, trying to steal the watch off your wrist, or throwing a granade at you. And that was just the normal stuff that went on in Nam. The really nasty stuff was the Agent Orange that they sprayed all over. It was a particularly nasty chemical that they sprayed over the trees and jungle. It made the leaves drop off all the trees and vegtatation. Some years later they found out it causes may serious health hazzards.... up to and including DEATH. Some guys I knew never got to see their kids grow up thanks to Agent Orange.My days were spent ordering, and delivering supplies to detachments of the 3rd Marine Division and Army units. Sometimes I flew by chopper to Marine outpost and fire bases, especially when they were having problems getting the proper supplies. Due to exposure to Agent Orange and PTSD (post tramatic stress disorder) I have experienced seveal health problems. I guess it takes time for the chemicals to due their damage because I didn't start feeling ill till about 7 years after my exposure. But I'm still alive and kicking! No thanks to Uncle Sam an LTV!! I plan to stay that way as long as I can. Like I tell my daughter, I want to live long enough to be a burden to my children! But then she tells me to be nice..... because she is going to pick the nursing home I will go to.
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