Eugene Armes:  

Just looking to see if there is anyone still around, after all these years, who I went to school with at Lansdowne or "East Side". I have never been able to find some old friends, or classmates, and wonder whatever happened to them. I have been married/ divorced, have two children (girl and boy) and one grandchild. My parents moved around a lot and I went to about 9 schools before college. While I also went to school in California, and spent most of my adult life there; some of the best years were in East St Louis (Washington Park) at Lansdowne and East Side. However,also growing up with, and around, celebrities and their kids in the LA area(North Hollywood, Venice Beach, Santa Monioca & Malibu, was a "trip" also. Going to Venice High School that has a statue of it's famous movie star graduate, Myrna Loy, on the front lawn, and the school that Goggie Grant just graduated and had "the" hit song on the radio; was kinda "cool" for a lad from East St Louis. Playing football with some of the kids on the opposing football team from Hollywood who were actual kids of "stars" Imagine being able to play football in the Rose Bowl in High School! And your friends from "Samo" (Santa Monica High School) telling you about that days shooting (movie) on their campus with James Dean. As A kid I never dreamed that that was just the beginning of meeting or knowing people in the movie or entertainment business. And in Later life; hanging out with people who made a movie, or two, or who was in the entertainment business and getting backstage privlages. You never knew who or when a celebrity, actor,actress, singer, PB bunny, etc would be at the booth or seat next to you in the restuarant, or bar, in LA, or for that matter, in different parts of the world. Or, how friendly personable, or entertaining, and fun they might be just because you said a simple, friendly "Hello".... well too many stories for here.) Once out of HS, marriage and the military came along. Once out of the Marine Corps; and school I had a life of travel throughout the USA and other countries. It was so much more fun as a civilian than as a military person. I was able to spend months at a time in most of our major cities and in major towns in various parts of the world such as Rome, Naples, Paris, Tokyo Manila, London etc. I always had lots of time for sightseeing and "taking in" each area; plus or minus a few hundred miles surrounding it. In addition, clients often provided entertainment, particularly when in foriegn countries. A sad life of "wining" and "dining" at some of the finer estavblishment. Compi! The joy of traveling is not just the sights, and events, but the people. One always meets new people that tell you about more sights,or "happenings", where one meets even more people that take you to more sights or "happenings", where you meet more ...I've been fortunate to meet facinating people, and see wonderful things. What a interesting world we live in; and what incredably nice people exist in it. Traveling was fun, but, I was also involved in a lot of interesting and challenging projects, within Aerospace, from various rockets, missiles, and planes, to the space shuttle. (BY the way, if anyone remebers the "Million Dollar Man" TV series ... the opening scenes of the "falling body" crash and the uniformed Major who was missing an eye and arm... is actual footage taken at Edwards AFB. The series was based on a real occurance of one of the devices that led to the development of the space shuttle) In addition, I also worked with nuclear research facilities, and within military and NATO "think tanks" as well as in private industries and schools. I was also able to ocassionally teach some classes (While in the military and as a civilian.) Teaching classes at customer sites was always fun. It also allowed me to get to know the area and the people in the area a lot better. And it got me invited to a lot of fun company, and private, "bar b q's", picnics, parties, and boating trips. As the years passed I would occassionally, but not often, have an assignment somewhat close by East St Louis (Anything within 300 or 400 miles such as KC, Chicago, Memphis, Cincinatti, etc) and was able to stop by to see family who lived in the tri cities and friends.(When I could find them) So much had changed, and so many people had moved; it has always been hard to find old friends. (One trip included 3 months at McDonnel in St Louis; at which time I was able to bring my wife and newborn baby girl with me to visit the rest of my family and to enjoy the sights and things that make St louis and the area so great.) Now, in my "golden years", I travel less (Only 5 trips last year) and have more time to ponder "Whatever happened to "ole" Whats 'er name? or "Whats 'is name?" Sadly, I was too ...Expand for more