David Bailey:
CLASS OF 1978
Petoskey High SchoolClass of 1978
Petoskey, MI
David's Story
UPDATE: Sept. 10th 2013
My wife suddenly got sick Saturday 9/7 and passed away Tuesday 9/10/13.
Life
Have 2 kids (now 20 & 18) and am remarried. I am now retired from the Navy after 21 years 3 months.
I recently (March 19th & 20th, 2005)went back to Petoskey on the way to Marquette to see my Mom's side of the family. "Ol' Man Winter" greeted my return to Petoskey with 5 inches of snow. Sure was nice to see Petoskey in the winter again. I wanted my Wife to see the grand view of Litte Traverse Bay entering Petoskey from the South via 131. The snow prevented that...
I visited "old haunts" and was amazed at some of the changes...
The bowling alley on 131 is now a casino. The Middle School on State St. (a block from where I used to live) was downsized(?) and moved to the High School site? Wow... I heard that the old cement plant between Petoskey & Charlevoix was converted to a high dollar resort - Wow again... Time constraints prevented me from visiting Charlevoix.
My old house at 519 State Street looked pretty much the same.
I'd like to get back to see the area in the summer/fall - we'll have to see about that...
Anyone heard of a Class of 1978 Reunion anytime in the near future? I'd sure like to go and see everyone...
School
High School? Well, as far as making friends went - I was a pretty shy kid. That's probably because of a few things...
My Dad worked for the State of Michigan as a Probation Officer. As my brothers & I got older our family moved further and further North until we finally settled in Petoskey.
Feshman & Sophomore years were pretty much a blur to me. I played a little basketball but really didn't have a clue what I was doing. I imagine being 6' 8" and not playing B-ball really "bummed out" the Coach. Sorry Coach... I think it "bummed out" my Dad too. He played for U of Michigan and was a high scorer quite a few times.
Junior and Senior years I took the Conservation Tech classes the first few periods. That classroom being on the same block as the old middle school kept me away from the high school campus for 1/2 the day, which didn't help me to make friends with my classmates.
Summers I played "soprano" in the "Petoskey Midshipmen Drum & Bugle Corps" and played Slo-pitch softball ...Expand for more
in the city league. In my Senior year I played 1st base, my brother Dan played outfield (?) and my Dad pitched. That was a glorious year because we took the city championships.
Workplace
Before the Navy - While in Petoskey I worked at the McDonalds near Tannery Creek, Wickes Lumber and then Michigan Maple Block in the Bear River Valley, near the High School Stadium.
After the Navy, I worked for a contractor installing brand-new Dell computers in the San Diego area for the Navys new intranet.
When that job "petered out" I got a job doing Facility Maintenance. You're probably thinking - "ahh, He sweeps floors" - NOPE - the only floor I sweep in the one in my own shop. I'm solely responsible for keeping all the machinery "up & running" that fabricate granite & marble countertops, tabletops and flooring. Needless to say - my Navy experience in Preventive Maintenance really helps me there.
NEW ! ! for 2006...
Picked up another job...
Now I'm doing IT work for a Lincoln Property Company. We are property managers for pretty much all of the Navy & Marine Corps. housing areas nationwide.
Based in San Diego - I'm one of 5 Techs responsible for 44 offices from as far North as the Reno Nevada are to as far East as Albany GA & Kansas City, MO. Needless to say - I'm kept pretty busy.
March 2012 will be 6 years at this job.
Military
Military? Hmmm...
Well, I spent 21 years 3 months in the Navy as a Boiler Technician. While stationed on ships (USS Wichita AOR-1, USS Constellation CV-64 & USS Tarawa LHA-1) I worked in the Fireroom running the boilers (720 psi & 1200 psi) that supplied steam to the Ships engines, generators, catapults, and other assorted support machinery.
Shore Duty took me to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii between my 1st and 2nd ships to a repair facility and to an Engineering Technical Command & a Training Command after the Tarawa.
Would I recommend the Military to other people? Yes, with a caveat...
I'd have to recommend only the Navy. Remember - there hasn't been a ship to ship war since the 80's.
Join the Navy and you'll be pretty safe.
(Safer than the Marines or the Army...)
My oldest son has joined the Navy and is currently assigned to the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in the shipyards at Newport News VA.
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