Donna B Bass (Scroggins)

What in the world is "drop your pants" Cochran doing! Remember that!

Donna  B

John Cochran

Donna, just trying to finally show some maturity, in spite of that event from 40 years ago- I think the maturity level has now reached that of a 14 year old, so I'm getting there.

John Cochran

BTW, I just wanted to thank Rick, JD, and all those responsible for putting together this site and the features it provides- It is a GREAT way of staying in touch, and one that I wish we'd had for a long time, I might have even been more conscientious of classmates to stay in touch with, those facing health and family issues, those that it would have been good to reconnect with and stay in touch with over the years- JD, fantastic job of posting everything from updates to "In Memory" comments.

I am the world's worst at staying in touch, especially w/ people that 40 years ago, I was very close to- Unfortunately, it is too late w/ many to reconnect and re-establish former friendships, but that is not the case w/ everyone- I want to use this forum as a means of getting back in touch with, and staying in touch with, so many of you that were a special part of my pre-adult life- I am going to use this forum for just that, and I hope many of you will join me- Life on this earth is short, and I have found going back in my mind and reminiscing has reawakened a very special part of my life......for that, I am truly thankful.

I hope to connect w/ many  of you on July 19th, but I also promise that I'm going to utilize this great  forum as a means of staying in touch from now on- Hope you all join me, may God Bless, and I'll see you 2 months from today !!!!

Thanks  again, Rick, Kay, and JD......Much appreciated.

J. D. Webster

We love you Johnny!  By the way - as part of the 40th reunion activities we plan to have you reenact your unforgettable 20 yards of bobbling touchdown pass in the State finals - so start training!

:-)

[You think I'm kidding.... nope...]

J.D.

John Cochran

As bad as my eys are now, JD, I'm convinced it would hit me on top of the helmet and I'd be flailing at it like a cat in a washing machine.

J. D. Webster

A memorial day SALUTE to my classmates who've served their country in the military!

Rick Baldwin, Charles Campbell, Steve Canerossi, Howard Carr, Steve Christopher, Charles Eadon, Jack Gantz, Jim Hammons, Mike Hethcoat, Rita Love, Frank Manning, Trey McKay, Mark McKown, Vance Moore, Tom Morse, Tom Nichols, Dan Pline, James Pointer, Ronnie Sauer, Steve Scates, Chuck Wainwright, Dan Wallace, Tere Wilkerson, Randy Yawn, Gayle Chesteen, John Fabian, Kathy Kromis, John Southern and Robert Wilson (the last five have left us already for a more interesting world. Also a nod to Pete Dobbs and Scott McMahan from Class of 73...and myself

My apologies if I missed anyone in the Class of 74.

Ten Hut! Hand Salute! Ready - To!

Carol Henriksen (Sheppard)

Thank you for remembering our classmates who so unselfishly served.  Carol Henriksen Sheppard

Steve Christopher

JD,

Well done.  Thanks for listing all the people who have served - I had forgotten there were so many out of our class who spent time in the military.  Thanks to you for the time you spent serving and flying big toys to help keep us folks on the ground or floating around in circles at sea safe.   I hope you had a good Memorial Day weekend over there and put some charcoal smoke in the air in your neighborhood.   And thanks for putting the time into the reunion effort.  I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.

Fly the flag brother,

Steve

J. D. Webster

Hey Everybody,

I've started to get queries from people about registering in advance for the 40th reunion and the cost.

1. Rick and Kay are still costing out the reunion and we are still hoping the attendee account will keep growing so the price is not yet set.

The 30th reunion came in at about 35 to 40 dollars per head.  Due to inflation and our attempts to include more quality activities this time the cost will certainly be higher - between 50 and 75 per head.  Is there a level that will break any one's bank?

One comment - We are trying to include a catored Brunch on Sunday at the same venue so we can all visit for another half day before scattering and returning from whence we came. WE think doing this will be far more fun than the improptu attempts by small clusters to get together the day after in the past.

Rick and Kay will have to comment more on this as the development of the event is still ongoing.

2. Pre-registration - Rick hopes to finalize things by mid-June and open up an address and account where prepayments can be sent. Certainly we will also be doing "pay at the door" but some things have to be paid for in advance. 

Cheers,

JD

J. D. Webster

VIDEO MESSAGE FROM J.D.

By the way - If my recent email didn't reach you guys due to your SPAM filters, I've posted an important two minute video on YOU-TUBE with a note about the reunion. Please watch it and forward it along!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toPHIbsnHHc&feature=youtu.be

Anyway Keep fishing for our Missing Mates - We had a slow week, hauling in only about one per day. Still, the reunion head count is approaching 100+ which is outstanding!

:-)

JD

George Hamilton

I am a VW fan, starting out with a white bug with a sunroof in high school. It was a hand-me-down from dad, who had moved on to the pickup truck needed for cattle farming on Redstone Arsenal. That bug went many places, carrying younger brother & me to school, & dates on, well, dates.

One of the more memorable dates was when I took Lisa to meet Sylvia. Lisa was the current flame, tall, brash & a take charge kind of girl-my roller derby queen. I'd been telling her about the cattle we raised on the Arsenal, & she wanted to see the operation first hand.

One fine warm afternoon we drove out to see the cattle in the white bug, opened the gate and motored on out to survey the herd. They had been trained with a bribe of sweet feed to come over when the two legged ones arrived in their steel cages.

Sylvia was a special cow, & her eyes looked at you with the intelligence somewhere between a poodle & a six year old. She was friendly too.

We drove out to where the herd was munching grass, and seeing Sylvia I motored closer, then stopped. I was telling Lisa about Sylvia, when the bovine ambled over & poked her whole head into the open passenger window & the girls were nose to nose. Lisa was surprised, licked and drooled upon in quick succession. After that, I don't recall any romantic moments for about a week, maybe longer.

J. D. Webster

What a great day - 5 to 6 new classmates found their way to this site today!

Also - the Reunion planned attendance broke the century mark and now stands at 101 with plenty of time to grow.

Our membership here now totals 199 former students. The tension mounts! Who will be number 200???

Anyway - the reunion organizational team is making good progress as well. It seems we've settled on a venue for Friday night's cocktail and we are close to finalizing the price per head for the weekend. The program committee is making progress on our activities for Saturday as well.  Details will be shared here in the near future!

Fun, fun, fun - til her daddy takes the T-bird away....

Everybody - keep spreading the word about this site! We plan to keep it alive after the reunion for years to come so encourage people to join!

Thanks again.

:-)

JD

J. D. Webster

200th Class Member to Sign in!!!

And the winner is Emily Earle (Graffeo)!  Hooray!

:-)

Emily Earle (Graffeo)

Glad to be lucky #200!  And I'm glad to be "found"!  You've done a great job, JD, especially with the Memory pages.  I've really enjoyed walking through this site!

J. D. Webster

Virgil Grissom High School
Class Of 1974

Registration has begun for the GHS Class of 1974 Reunion, 40 Years in the Wild!

Go to www.grissom1974.org and log on your account.  On the website you will see "40 Year Reunion Registration" at the top of the page on the black navigation bar under Virgil Grissom High School.  Click on the link and let the registration begin.  You may either use the site provides an encrypted secure check out by credit card or you may choose to snail mail your check.  Instructions are provided.

JD Webster and the program committee are putting the finishing touches on what will be a great reunion.  Don't miss it!

Rick Shrout

http://www.grissom1974.org/

Jim Erben

Ok Class of 74 !!!! Woop Woop!!!! Who had THE GREATEST GRADUATION PARTY of all times!!!  Did you attend?  if so, post a comment!!!  Here's to you Richard Dudney and you're awesome family. Hey, and to ttose of you whom we did not have the opportunity to appologize to, concerning the "available" facilities, please accept our most humble appology.   Ready to bring on the good times at the 40th re-union.

John Cochran

Hard to believe the reunion is on us, 3 weeks from this up coming weekend- This one should be the best of the 4 we've had, and I'm looking forward to seeing you folks and catching up- Hope it is a weekend of memories we'll carry from now on- See you all then, take care, and God Bless.

Mike Weesner

Dah-Weez is here V...   What's sup Dude?

J. D. Webster

Hey everybody - If you are planning on going to the reunion - Please pre-register ASAP to help us get an accurate count for the caterers. We don't want to under-order nor over-pay and end up short. If you can take the time to preregister in the next few days it will help the reunion team tremendously.

Thanks,

J.D.

PS - the WEEZ is here! Yay!

J. D. Webster

Hello Gang

Two new photo galleries have been added. These are "open" galleries that you should be able to post photos to without delay and without needing approval from site administrators.  One is for school era photos 70-75 and the other is for pre-school era stuff. Please dig out and share those photos.

J.D.

Mike Weesner

Dahweez is here V!!  What's sup dude?

Mike Weesner

JD what's happening?  Its been a long time...  holy Cow 40 years went by that fast!

J. D. Webster

Mike - I'm an airline pilot these days, looking to retire in the next five years. Right now I'm helping Rick Shrout and working my rear end off with the best team of high school mates ever putting together the reunion bits. Will be great to see you on Friday, hope you can make some of the other events on the weekend.

And a note to everyone else...

Forty years seems very special to me and not simply because we're still here. It means almost all of us are finally defined. We all have a life story to tell and every story is going to be interesting. We are who we are and we've earned our battle scars. Rather than looking forward to the next great evolution or change for ourselves, we are now mostly looking behind and leading the following generations, reaching back to pull them forward - our children, and for those that have them, grandchildren. Many of us have seen our parents pass on. We thus replace them to become the very fabric that society is built on.  I am now old and wise enough to know that I am not, and never was, any better or any less than each of my class mates. We simply took different and varied paths through life.

Regardless of your positions and titles earned in life and any wealth achieved or not achieved - I will not be measuring any of us by such standards. Quite simply, all of my classmates will get my utmost respect simply for being human, and enduring all that life has thrown at us and for still being in the "game" forty years on.

"Tiger Power" to you all. Looking forward to this special reunion, as the song intones "I can see clearly now..." We are all special!

J.D.

J. D. Webster

By the way gang - only seventeen days to the reunion. Time to double down and twist arms of those class mates of ours that you know are simply procrastinating on committing. We need an accurate count by the 9th of July to put the food order in. 

Mary Beth Given

Well said, J.D., well said.  (RE #60)