Sheldon Davis:  

I've enjoyed sharing little tidbits about my life and "back then" stuff, on the site. I've been disappointed however that I can't find similar stories and pictures about any of my classmates here also. I see names that I remember in the far recesses of my mind - but, without some kind of memory jogger, I'm at a loss as to what we might have shared together during our school days. Any Hoots, If any of you that remember me in school days ever get near Mesa AZ., look me up. we'd be glad to show you around a bit and share stories. I expect we'll live here at Las Palmas Grand (a beautiful gated Senior community with "tons" of activities and travel opportunities) until we meet our final destiny. You can contact me at ripsbpmail at aol dot com if you would like to share stories. Before moving to Kennewick in 1955, we lived at 505 H street in North Richlands' Government trailer park. This was a great place to be as a kid. Lots of pals my age to play with. Always something to do. Desert to explore to the West. Indian Beads to search for at Horn Rapids Dam. To East on the Columbia River, fishing, camping, exploring. I attended Chief Joseph Jr. High for two years. About the only classmates I can readily remember in Richland, without the help of a list, are George Smith aka Corky, and Sharon Tate (* see note below). We moved to Kennewick in 1955 when word suddenly came that the Government was shutting down North Richland, as a home site. Our house in Kennewick was at 37 S. Vancouver. Honestly, Public School was never my thing. I didn't even like recess all that much, as I recall. Tried sports and sucked at all of them, Tried Band at Chief Joseph and failed at that also. I did OK at School Patrol, Projectionist, wood and metal shop. I clearly recall frequent KHS PA system squawks calling for Davis, McCracken, and Homer to Report to the Office 😒. Didn't seem to matter who did what - we were the suspects. Thorson H Bennett, our Principal, and I had something between us - it was about one-half inch thick, four inches wide, and about two feet long. Boy that paddle smarted. 1957 and 58ish, we liked to bird hunt, cruise town in (their) cars, smoke, play poker, and drink an occasional beer - while the "popular" kids hung out at the drive in restaurants, sock hops, football games and drive in theaters. In the late 90's, I drove by KHS pool complex. I started laughing, almost uncontrollably. I remembered one summer night when Chuck, Bill, and I climbed over the chain link fence after dark. We put a nearby ladder up against the fence in case we had to make a quick get-away. Stripping to our underwear, we jumped in. A few minutes later a search light lit up the pool. Two Kennewick Police cars had been parked on the other side of the building and waited until we jumped in before surprising us. We hit that ladder and over we went. (in our underwear) We ran, bush to bush and tree to tree, all the way to Vancouver St. A few days later my step-mother saw an article in the paper about kids breaking into the pool, and if they wanted their clothes back to contact KPD. Never saw those pants, shirt, or shoes, again. I expect my parents knew . . . . I have NO doubt that several Teachers of mine had a pool going that paid off for the best guess closest to when I would be incarcerated in the closest State institution. We were never "bad" - just mischievous. i.e. If you attended a KHS Football Game and might have noticed your gas gage was about a gallon lower than when you got out of the car - we probably owe you .30 cents for "borrowing" enough gas to cruise town for an hour. Great memories. As soon as I turned 17, I joined the Navy. One of the best life decisions I've made. Hence my 1960 picture in uniform. While at Navy Boot Camp I ran into Ken Roberts from Richland. Duty on an Aircraft Carrier in NYC was far superior to school. I grew up a lot in these few short years. Imagine being used to downtown Kennewick and finding yourself walking, alone, around Manhattan when you are 17 years old. My new home was the length of three football fields, seven stories tall above the water line, and had 3,500 "brothers" to share your day with. Our "dining room" served three hundred at a time and I shared my "bedroom" with sixty others. Five minutes (maximum) to shower. Sixteen hours a day devoted to work and "stand watch" and a luxurious eight hours left to yourself (kind of). Shoes to shine, buckles to polish, "school work" if you wanted to be promoted. Lots of challenges - but lots of lifetime rewards also. I studied and passed my GED test (equivalency to High School graduation, in 1960). This qualified me for Navy Machinist School which I graduated from, with honors. I was promoted twice in one year and rose to the level of Non-Commissioned Officer. In 1961 and 62, I served as Petty Officer in Charge of the Navy Burial Detail at "Punchbowl Natio...Expand for more