On Nov 9, 1967 I received a note from our teacher and counselor Lu Becker. It started "Dear John (J'Kins). . .I feel so badly tonight. Bill Griffith. . . .people say. . . .I was so fond of him that I really. . . "
Bill Griffith was such a lovely young man. He probably had more friends than any of us, but for a year or two he was my best friend, and friends always. We worked together one summer setting traps and skeet for Kessler at the gun range, and spent our savings together on our first car. A '32 Plymouth oval window coupe that needed an engine. His dad was an engineer on the base and my dad had the Chevron in Ridgecrest, so we had advice and the place to build an engine, at 14 years old.
It had only rear brakes, so not street legal. We drove that car across many a desert mile, visiting abandoned mines. We did have to drive it through town to get home, but the police had more important things to do, like keeping kids from crashing while drag racing ( a bit guilty). At the 45th Dave Anders told me he ended up with that car.
Being young, feeling love, losing at love, we understand. Doesn't make it any easier to accept.
I can't remember one bad word by Bill. We had a lot of fun together in Ridgecrest. Many of my James Monroe friends seem to be gone now. Let's raise a glass to them and to each other at the 50th.
John Plain
I'm curious, who beside myself remembers Bill? What a loss. What a great human being he was. He died in November 1967.- john plainKenneth (Kenny) Newton
I sure do remember him, John. I liked him too.
John Guth
On Nov 9, 1967 I received a note from our teacher and counselor Lu Becker. It started "Dear John (J'Kins). . .I feel so badly tonight. Bill Griffith. . . .people say. . . .I was so fond of him that I really. . . "
Bill Griffith was such a lovely young man. He probably had more friends than any of us, but for a year or two he was my best friend, and friends always. We worked together one summer setting traps and skeet for Kessler at the gun range, and spent our savings together on our first car. A '32 Plymouth oval window coupe that needed an engine. His dad was an engineer on the base and my dad had the Chevron in Ridgecrest, so we had advice and the place to build an engine, at 14 years old.
It had only rear brakes, so not street legal. We drove that car across many a desert mile, visiting abandoned mines. We did have to drive it through town to get home, but the police had more important things to do, like keeping kids from crashing while drag racing ( a bit guilty). At the 45th Dave Anders told me he ended up with that car.
Being young, feeling love, losing at love, we understand. Doesn't make it any easier to accept.
I can't remember one bad word by Bill. We had a lot of fun together in Ridgecrest. Many of my James Monroe friends seem to be gone now. Let's raise a glass to them and to each other at the 50th.