Mike Hethcoat

Plane leaves Sacramento at 5:40 AM.  Ugh.  I am so excited, I won't sleep much anyway.  

Drew James

John Cochran

Great first night of GHS 40th reunion tonight at the Huntsville Double Tree- It was really good to see so many folks that I haven't seen since 1974- If tomorrow is anything like tonight, and w/ Rick, Kay, J.D. all in charge, it should be, we are in for another great day of catching up and reminiscing- The final tour through Grissom tomorrow should be emotional- Thanks to all for the great memories shared this evening.

John Cochran

Here it is early Sunday morning, and I am still in awe of the past 2 nights, and just how much it meant to me and my wife Kaye to be able to share quality time w/ you folks at the reunion, reminiscing, laughing, and just retelling a lot of old war stories from our days at Grissom- It was a special time, and in my estimation, the best reunion we've had yet- It was so great seeing you all and walking down the proverbial "memory lane" once again- It was w/ a bit of sadness we walked through Grissom one last time yesterday morning, trying to remember which pods held which classes, knowing that in 2 years, Grissom as we know it will be no more- It has been quite a fixture for so many years.

I have mentioned this before, and I'll say it again.....our time together on this earth gets shorter and shorter, and last nights video presentation of the classmates we've lost brought that home in a striking way- Several of us talked over the past 2 nights about how there are no guarantees, and who knows when, or if, we'll all have the chance to meet again as a collective group- I hope that the next stretch of years before the next reunion does not result in any names and pictures being added to the "In Memory" section of the site, but it very well could- That's why I want to encourage as many as possibly can to stay active on this site, stay in contact w/ one another, keep updating, and keep the good feelings from this weekend going from now on- I want to be pick up in 5 years, or, worst case, 10 years right where we left off.

Finally, thanks again to Rick, Kay, J.D., Harry, and all responsible for bringing this event about- I don't think we take into consideration the planning, work, and hours it takes to make these reunions what they are- Your tireless efforts are appreciated- And thanks again to the GHS Class of 1974 for making this a weekend to remember- I wish God's Blessings on each of you, safe travel back home, and a fantastic year and beyond- You're special to me, and I am so glad we got to spend time together- Until the next time we're together (FIVE YEARS, Rick !!!!), I hope the very best for you- I'll stay in touch.......John Cochran.

J. D. Webster

My Special Thanks to the Reunion Team!

Rick & Kay Shrout  - Committee Chairman and Chairman Supervisor

Alisa Owens Davis

Sharon Dickinson Marlowe

Susan White Lester

Debbie Bradshaw Baker

Charles Campbell

Harry Crews

Cari Young Sauer

David McDaniel

Mary Beth Given

Janice Burson Samford

Jim Record - Emcee

J.D. Webster - Program Chair
 

Jimmy Record

What a great 40 Year Reunion! 

This was the best one yet. Special thanks to JD, Rick Shrout, Kay Marshall Shrout, Harry Crews, Mary Beth Given, David Catfish Campbell, Sharon Dixkinson Marlowe, David McDaniel, Debbie Bradshaw Baker, Susan Lester.Cari Young Sauer, Alisa Owens Davis, Charlie Campbell and everyone else who put so much time and hard work into making this 40 reunion special because it was special. I think most everyone will agree with me. For those who could not or we're unable or unwilling to come, you missed a Great time and we missed you being there. 

For those of us with in a 100 or so miles of Huntsville and there are a lot of us, let's get together again soon as we all have so Many stories to tell and to listen too. Thank you my fellow classmates for the friendship and one of the best get togethers I have ever experienced. 

God Bless You All and Thank You my fellow Classmates!!

Jim Record

Charles Campbell

Dear GHS Family,

What a blessing this weekend has been.  I truly appreciate the hard work and efforts of the Organization Team.  My wonderful friend, John "Hands" Cochran, hit the nail on the head in his post.  I propose a 5-year Reunion from now on.  The 'Remembrance' presentation touched my heart.  The truth of the matter is there will be more and more of us who will drop from the rolls of our next formation.  Let's not squander the precious and fleeting time we have remaining this side of Heaven!  I love you all.

J. D. Webster

A technical "fail" on Saturday Night prevented the showing of this video at the Reunion Event, but it is a great video. I have now uploaded it to youtube. Please watch it. It's about 3 minutes long.

A Reunion Message

from Steve Williams

to the Class of 1974

J. D. Webster

For those of you that missed the Reunion.

Steve Williams also wrote and sent us a beautiful benediction prayer which was read to the attendees as part of the Reunion's opening ceremony - I'm sharing it for the rest of you here.

===================================================================================

Benedictional Prayer:

GHS Class 1974 40^th Year Reunion

Steve Williams, Classmate and Missionary serving in New Zealand and the South Pacific

Our God in Heaven, we gather together at this 40^th reunion celebration.  We thank You for this opportunity to rekindle old friendships and to refresh our memories of the good times that we once shared with one another.  For some of us it will seem like yesterday, for others of us it will seem a world away.  There are those here among us who have looked forward to this special occasion with great anticipation; both in telling our own tales as well as in hearing the tales of others. We will often laugh out loud, maybe speak too boldly, and maybe even drink a little too much.  But please help us to remember, above all else, to celebrate safely.

While there are those of us that always seem upbeat, happy and confident; there may also be those here this evening who were quite anxious and even fearful in coming out to this special event.  For too many of us, there have been times of loss and disappointment. Past events may be difficult to share, not knowing what others may think. We pray, dear God, that all of us will seek to make each one of us feel welcome and at ease.  That each of us here in this place will be able to leave tonight being truly glad that they came and that each of us will never feel out of place or left out like we might have felt long ago.  We pray that each of us will not only renew old friendships, but also might find a new friend, maybe one that will be totally unexpected and truly surprise us.

Moreover, Lord, we remember those who are not among us tonight: those who were not able to make it due to other matters or because of living at great distances.  We especially remember those of us who have passed from this world.  We also ask that You comfort and give peace to those who remain behind who were closest to the departed.

And finally, as we gather tonight, we ask that it be a time of fond memories; memories of times spent in the halls of our high school, memories of classes where, hopefully, we learned something that we could take with us through life, memories on the sport fields, in the arts, in concerts, and even merely passing time with cherished friends. We pray that our next few hours together will bring forth even more timeless memories that can be built upon till we meet again.  May we smile together in seeing how far we have come and yet look forward to promising days ahead.

As we set our hearts upon this evening’s celebration, we remind ourselves of the Scottish blessing of old,

If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.

If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home.

If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.

If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.

So let it be.

So now we ask that You bless and keep us: May Your face shine upon us, and be gracious unto us:  May You lift up Your countenance upon us, and give us Your peace. 

We pray this in the Name of the Most Holy One. 

Amen.

Ruth Garcia (Osborne-Hess)

I am home again and back in the routine of my life. But my mind keeps working overtime thinking about each of you that I connected with again, those whom we  knew but were absent, and also those whom were present but missed connecting with in the  flurry of commotion. There wasn’t enough time…I wanted more time, didn’t you?

It was such good evening of many laughs and hugs, feelings that were often euphoric and surreal.  How great it was to talk one-on-one about things that matter!  How great it is to grow old with such a good group of folks who remembered you when you were young!  How great it was to connect as adults, parents, grandparents, caregivers to aging parents, survivors of loved ones…

A book can be written by each of us on our own life., more the reason to touch base with each other and stay connected. It is a special relationship when you can stand in the present and share the past at the same time. 

Hitting pause and getting together to remember…and be remembered.  Priceless. Fleeting.…Thanks for showing up!  And thank you for all who made it a wonderous event!

Ruth Garcia Osborne

ruthgohh@gmail.com

Mike Hethcoat

Back in California again, so thankful to have had that precious time with you all.  I truly felt at home back in my home state with my people.  I may live in California, but the great state of Alabama will always be where I grew up, and thus where I call home.  When anyone asks me where I am from, I always tell them "Alabama".  They say "but you don't have a southern accent".  Then they see how I do things, who my heroes are, where my allegiances lie (Roll Tide, Roll).  All they have to do is see my FB page, then they know.  I so enjoyed being with all of you.  Some of you who still live in Huntsville said something like "well, I still live in Huntsville." Like that's something not to be proud of.  Hold your heads high.  You happen to live in the greatest state in the Union, with the best people in the world.  I did not see one of you complaining about your status in life, or whining about anything.  Where I live, there are a lot of famous people and places, but there are also a lot of unhappy people.  So many of them are mixed up with a lot of ideas that don't work.  You are good people, the salt of the earth.  Let your light shine.  Hold on to each other.  That's what gets us through here.  We of like mind hang together and encourage each other.  I hope you all- no, ALL Y'ALL will do the same.  

J. D. Webster

"Johnny Football" - The star of Saturday night's reunion skits.

John Cochran

Doggone, w/ those chicken legs, I could step in a coke bottle if it wasn't for my boat like feet.

J. D. Webster

Saturday Night Reunion Entertainment - Left Over Event

The last thing we had hoped to do at the Reunion Saturday night was to get whoever remained toward the end  to sing along in the chorus of a "modified" version of American Pie. We all know that song too-too well because it was played every week of every year we were there and at every school dance. So I wrote a modified version of the song that Classmate Mike Hethcoat pre-recorded for us. Unfortunately, events conspired so that we ran out of time to do this. We were going to play his recording while projecting the song onto the screen for all to see the words. Alas!  So, to make amends to Mike - we will present the Reunion Team's Version of American Pie in the next message!

J. D. Webster

Below is the text from our Power Point Slides

AMERICAN PIE (modified)

Grissom Class of 1974 - Karaoke Challenge

       Sung by Classmate: Mike Hethcoat

---------

Mike is “NOT” a professional Singer….

Mike is sensitive…

If you laugh – He will cry…

However, he sings better than 83 percent of us.

----------

Class Challenge!

Help Mike Sing the Refrains, They are in Orange

Ready, Let’s Do it!

----------

“American High”

A long, long, time ago

I can still remember how my high school used to make me smile

And I knew if I had my chance That I could make out at the dance

And maybe I'd be happy for a while

(but) Mr. Reynold’s made me shiver

With every paddle he’d deliver

Bad news on my rear hip

I couldn’t take one more step

I can’t remember if I cried

As I ran about with wounded pride

When Daddy Dewdrop hit my hide

The day the music died

So bye-bye, My old Grissom School High

Drove my Chevy to the drive-in, met my friends there at nine

Saw the Gris-som class all drinkin’ Boones berry wine

Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die. This’ll be the day that I die

Would I lose my look of love?

Perhaps my have faith in God above? Should our teachers see them so?

Now do you believe in rock and roll? Can paddles save your mortal soul?

Or simply teach us how to dance real slow?

Well I know you love the football team

Cause I saw you cheerin’ in the gym

You all kicked off your shoes

Man, I dug pep rallies that’s true

I was a horny teenage broncin’ buck

With a hot cheer-leader in a pickup truck

But I knew that I was out of luck

Her Tank Top’s double tied

I started singin’ bye-bye, My old Grissom School High

Drove my Chevy down to Gibson’s, met my friends there at nine

Saw the Gris-som class all drinkin’ Boones berry wine

Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die. This’ll be the day that I die

Now Forty years we’ve been on our own

And we grew fat using apple phones

But that’s not how it used to be

When Grissom’s Band played the king of beers,

At Milton Frank you could hear the cheers

…In a voice that came from you and me

Oh, and while the crowd was looking down

The Tigers stole one West End crown

The ball game was adjourned

To mid-terms we returned

And while Childers read a book on plays

Our classes went on every day

And we sang dirges on the way

To Gay Ray’s sunrise hall

We were singin’, bye-bye, My old Grissom School High

Drove my Chevy to Point Mallard, met my friends there at nine

Saw the Gris-som class all drinkin’ Boones berry wine

Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die. This’ll be the day that I die

And now here we are all in one place, A generation lost in space

With no time left to start again

So come on, life is nimble, life is quick

Let us light off a candlestick

The fire honors all our long lost friends

And in this hall our classmates scream

Old lovers cry and poets dream

So many words unspoken

Long lost friendships all awoken

And all my friends I admire most

From all around, the entire host

Let’s raise our glasses in a toast

It is re-union night

We are singin’, bye-bye, My old Grissom School High

Drove my Chevy down Memorial, know my friends are all fine

yes, the Gris-som class all drinkin’ Boones berry wine

Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die. This’ll be the day that I die

We are singin’, bye-bye, My old Grissom School High

Drove my Chevy down Memorial, know my friends are all fine

yes, the Gris-som class all drinkin’ Boones berry wine

Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die. This’ll be the day that I die

THE END!

We Did It!

(Clap your hands)

Pat Shout (McKay)

Wow...that was a special weekend! I had a great time reconnecting (or, in many cases, connecting for the first time) with my classmates. A big thank you to everyone involved in pulling off this wonderful reunion.

Due to a last minute conflict and the fear of returning for the first time in forty long years, I almost didn't make the trip. I'm so glad I was able to change my schedule and face down my fears. My thanks to those of you who encouraged, cajoled and prodded those of us who were hesitant to attend the reunion to go ahead and make the effort. I will be forever grateful!

Here in the afterglow of the reunion, a quote I heard once by the author Diana Rowland comes to mind that pretty much sums up how it felt for me to see my classmates after forty years. It goes, "I have missed you. And I did not know anything was missing." I plan to stay in better touch over the next forty years. :)   I wish each of you good health and many blessings!  ~ Pat Shout McKay

J. D. Webster

The inevitable come-down from such a great weekend has hit.  As I sit here thinking about going back to work tomorrow, a couple of things come to mind. First - it was great to see everybody. Second - I wish I had had a lot more time to mingle. Third - thanks to everyone thanking me for all my efforts, however, it was a TEAM effort and everyone else on the team pulled as hard as I did or harder, so thank them as well when you can.

Finally - two last key comments... One - We cannot wait ten years for the next one. We have to strive for a Forty-Five year event. So - That is now my new battle cry  "Strive for Forty-Five". 

Second - We must not abandon this web site or let it die out. Let's keep this is our home and let's keep trying to find those missing mates of ours. While the site is free to all of you, it is not technically a free site. We must fund it every year. This year is was funded by money left over from the last reunion. After Rick figures out what we have left from this one, we will know how long we can fund it into the future. After that, we will be seeking donations.

If we all pitch in when the time requires it, the cost will be minimal, less than a dollar a year per person currently registered on the site. I'm pretty sure we can manage that.

Cheers Friends!

J.D.

J. D. Webster

Coach Childress

To everyone who remembers coach Childress, I just want to let you know that he did not make it to any of the reunion events because he suffered a mini-stroke and was hospitalized a day or two before the weekend.

As of Sunday he is out of the hospital and back home...but still weak and not feeling well. Those of you in Huntsville who can manage it, please give him a call and / or drop by and encourage his recovery. It will mean a lot to him.

Thanks,

J.D.

J. D. Webster

To James Pointer:

Fantastic set of reunion pictures dude!  Thank you for officially documenting all of our events!

J.D.

John Cochran

J.D., great news on Coach, Debbie Bradshaw Baker and Janice Burson Sanford gave me updates Saturday night, glad to hear he's back home and resting.....As for the website, absolutely, let's keep it going strong- Whatever needs to be done to keep it operational, I know myself, and probably everyone would be more than happy to contribute whatever might be needed- Just let us know when and how much- And finally, the 5 year reunion cycle now has got to be a given.....I myself am still on a high from the excitement this past weekend provided, I don't want to wait 10 years, and 5 years from now on, especially as we progress in age, is a must- Thanks again for everything you, Rick, Kay, and the crew did- Amazing job, amazing weekend.....I don't want to wait 10 years to do it all again.

Jim Hess

Good words, Pat Shout McKay.  The Rowland quote resonates.

Charles Campbell

Here here...Strive for Forty-Five!

Susan White (Lester)

I am all in for a fiver too!!  Keep in touch sorority friends!!!  Haha:)

Mary Beth Given

Yes!  Strive for Forty-Five!

Bob Zitsch