John Rodgers:  

I attended Palo Alto Military Academy (PAMA) for three years (56-58) thru and around my mother's death, then onto Abbott Jr. High (59-60) after my father remarried and settled in Hillsdale, then on to Hillsdale High School and graduated (60-64). Interesting that 50+ years have passed since graduation, but who hasn't wondered where the years have gone. I somehow do not miss high school, a strange time for me, a non-sport guy, a flagging band member (trumpet), not too interested in social life, no goals particularly. I did enjoy camping and the outdoors during that period and it sort of saved my outlook on life - being in nature and all. I took college prep and didn't feel prepared for anything that followed - not the least college. I was young and didn't really know what to do. The Vietnam War was at hand, the draft, the lottery, living at home, bleak. I just missed the lottery and the draft. So now what? HHS did give me the basics, I must say, and I did graduate after all and it did set the first stage for the rest of life. After graduation, I went to CSM (64-65) for a year took engineering/chemistry/math/music/piano and was granted a draft exemption, then to California Maritime Academy (CMA) for 3 years (65-68) and received my BS in Marine Engineering, a USCG license and a Officer's Commission in the Navy, sailed for about 5 years as a marine engineer, was in the Merchant Marine Navy Reserve (MMNR) (no...Expand for more