Jack Evensizer:
CLASS OF 1963
James Lick High SchoolClass of 1963
San jose, CA
Jack's Story
Life
Isn't Classmates great? I have met so many people here and it is good to see all of you. Hope everyone will leave a message. I live in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and have run into several Lick graduates here. Small world.
I have one son, two grandsons, a new granddaughter, and a John Deere tractor. In case you didn't know, I still have the '66 Mustang GT convertible that I bought brand new in 1965. Tahoe turquoise with white top and black interior. I ordered it from Ford and it still turns heads. Say, does anyone remember dragging the main? I used to have a '51 Ford and would spend a lot of time downtown driving around and going to the drive inns. It was fun and would see a lot of friends there. Red lights were of particular interest, cause when it turned green the race was on. You had to watch out for cops though.
College
San Jose City College, B.A. in Music at San Jose State, and Master of Science in Adult Education and Organizational Learning at University of Idaho. Secondary teaching credentials in California and Idaho. I worked 7 years at a youth at risk residential facility in North Idaho as a classroom teacher. I was amazed at how much those kids didn't know. I spent a lot of time working on reading skills, not to mention fractions. The schools today don't seem to be teaching literacy skills. They just push the students through and they come out without job skills. My goal in adult ed is to upgrade literacy to adults to make their life better, and so they can get a better job.
Military
Retired from Army Reserve in 2006 with 20 years. I was on active duty with Uncle Sam 67-69, doing a 13 month tour in Korea as combat engineer. After my active duty time, I was out for 18 years, and in 1988 signed up with Mechanized Infantry with the California National Guard, 2/159 Infantry on Hedding Street. I was transferred to the reserves in 1991 when I moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and was assigned as an instructor for leadership classes, eventually being promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant. In 2004 I was activated for duty in Iraq with the 98th Division out of New York to serve as an advisor and trainer for the Iraqi Army. I thought I was going to do it alone, but the army sen...Expand for more
t 700 other guys to help me. Being activated for duty in Iraq was a natural progression. We were the BIG DOGS in country since we were advisors, and deployed in 10 man teams all around the country. My team was stationed with 2 Special Forces "A" teams at an Iraqi army base at Al Kasik near the Rabia border crossing with Syria. I was advisor to Company 4, First Battalion and earned a Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge. Also I had the dubious distinction to be the oldest combat soldier in Iraq at age 60, and was proud to represent James Lick High School. Five of our 98th soldiers were killed, and five battle buddies from other units also made the ultimate sacrifice. I hold my Bronze Star in high regard, and dedicate it to every day to those that died.
Please see June 2019 update below about my new book "Black Echelon" on Amazon.
I have attended Class of 63, 64, and 65 class reunions. Great fun and a pleasure to see everybody. Ed Yco (trumpet), Rich Twohy (keyboard), and I (sax) played fight song and Alma Mater at all the events. Comet spirit is still strong! Looking forward to having more reunions. Kind of amazing isn't it, to think that we are some 50 years out of James Lick High School.
Hope all of you are well. Thanks for visiting.
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June 2019
Just published my first book. "Black Echelon Operation Nazi Gold". Look for it on Amazon.
I sent some early chapters to my friend and fellow classmate Ed Yco to read and he offered to edit it for me. With his professional experience writing and editing marketing and training manuals at IBM, he proved to be an expert, not only in editing, but offering suggestions for character development. He made the story a lot better. Thank you so much Ed.
The story is loosely based on events form a journal I kept while I was deployed as infantry adviser in Iraq. The characters are based on people I served with in the military and in civilian life. It took over two years of writing and editing to publish the book. I had fun writing it, and Ed was a task master with his editing skills. We finally did it! We are PUBLISHED!
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Reunions
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