George Bracey Gillow

It is amazing that a hero of the 101st Airborne lived to be 101! I wonder if he was the only one?

An article on Tom Rice's death was on the front page of the San Diego Union Tribune. I have a pdf copy. If anyone would like the pdf send me a private message on this website with your email address. (Articles were in lots of newspapers including the LA Times.)

Some of you have my email address. You can send me an email to request the pdf.

Gail mentioned having a Mr. Rice Blue Book. I also kept a number of the notes and handouts from his class. Here are samples of these:

I think I got a C+ on this because I copied most of it directly from an encyclopedia. Probably should have been a D.

Here is part of one of the many handouts he gave to the class:

Terry Lee Maple

Fine man, Mr. Rice. My brother knew him at CVHS in 1958. I had his Civics class also. Odd that my uncle Graydeon who lived to be 99 and jumped in Europe with the 82nd Airborne, didn't know Tom. Tom went to Coronado High School; Grady went to Sweetwater. My uncle was a paratrooper/medic and jumped into Normandy, Battle of the Buldge, Italy and North Africa. We were surrounded by heroes and role models, truly the best generation. 

Patrick Borunda

First, let me say to Kay Ochi that  I finished DJ Brown's book Facing the Mountain in one weekend.  I'd send that as a prviate message, but I think everyone should know that your understanding of the experience of Japanese-Americans (Issei, Nissi and even Sansei) of living history is not complete without reading this book.

As I noted in earlier posts to this thread, I knew a lot about the 442 RCT. But I don't think I fully understood the battle on the home front for Japanese-Americans.

A major thoroughfare in what has essentially been my hometown for decades, Portland Oregon, is named "Naito Parkway."  The Naito family, as entrepreneurs and public investors, has made a major impact on the city's growth.  Sam Naito, who I knew and admired, used to keep a copy of Executive Order 9066 on the wall behind his desk.  I didn't fully appreciate why. I believe the family was imprisoned at Minidoka and Manzanar.

As an illustration of the continuity of history, Sam's nephew was a mentee of mine when I was a consulting manager at Arthur Andersen in the 1980's.

OK.  This was longer than I'd planned so I'll post it as a standalone. 

Patrick Borunda

In response to Gail Dillion's post about Tom Rice's careful reading of our Civic's essays, he was gifted as a teacher. I believe he saw each of us as individuals to be guided according to our strengths and weaknesses.

I was never a teacher by profession, but from the early 1970's to 2000 I led classrooms at least once every year.  I taught students from middle school and high school to community college and graduate school, usually about government, economics and management. Comprehending and adjusting to the gradients of age and experience, much less learning capacity, is damn hard work!  I am in awe of people who can do it for individual students year after year.

We were blessed to have been in the California education system when we were. While it had its flaws, for the most part it did what it needed to do to enable us to think.

Bruce Wilson

Patrick:

"I believe he saw each of us as individuals to be guided according to our strengths and weaknesses."

I liked Tom Rice for two reasons. He had a sense of humor and he did seem to take an interest in his students.

I was surprised at getting a lower grade than I expedted and took it up with him. He said OK, I will raise the grade, but I know you can do much better."

Jerry: Your memory of the Disneyland trip is better than mine. The security tracked just about every move the CV group made. It was easy because Bif was an easy guy to follow due to his size. 

I actually purchased a deck of "marked" cards at the Magic Castle magic shoppe and disputed their assertion that I had stolen them. I won. 

I have no recollection of any police involvement.

Bruce Wilson

RIP Jim and George.. The other "magnificent" Seven are still with us in varying degrees of visibiltiy.

Terry can fill us in on George.

Jim was my buddy in Junior High School, less so in High School, but it was a sad day-after-my- birthday back on December 19, 1964. 

There were a lot of trips made down what could be a very scary road, especially after spending time in TJ drinking. Surprisingly few accidents that I remember though.

As I recall they were about 1/2 way down to Ensenada when the car went off the cliff.

Kenneth James Probert, 18

Cathy L. Emerson, 19

Sharon Ann Newman, 19

William R. Martin, 19

Terry Lee Maple

George Kelly was my best friend through high school when he left with Phil Iuli to become sea marines. We kept in touch for many years. He became a west coast fisherman for swordfish operating his own boat and died too young. In the photo, Hank Sieradzki (now Stevens) is slower left. He too was a very good friend of mine and the smartest of our class of young men. He went to Brown to study classics eventually receiving a Ph.D. and seteling into a teaching career at a toney private school in Rhode Island. I saw him from time to time when I travelled to New York on my way to Sweden. Hank left Hilltop when his father took a job in Riverside in 1962. He ran track with Bobby Bonds (Barry's dad) an all around athlete with extraordinary speed we could only image in Chula Vista. But Hank did well in track and in academics. He managed a successful career and family and we visited when he and Bobbi came to see us in Florida a few years ago. I thought I was pretty smart; I buildt a nice electromagnet as a science project in junior high school. Hank built a simplified computer! Hiw brilliant sister excelled at physics and chemistry and earned a Ph.D. Hank's father had a Ph.D. from MIT. Oddly, Hank liked to fight. He had famous tussles with Tom Powell among other similar sized boys. He never backed down. Probert was a good athlete who ran 11.8 in the 100 yard dash when he was thirteen. Cryptically, I believe he drove a modifed hearse when the car crashed in Mexico. Dick Holmes and I tied for the 100 yard dash title for our class that year as we both beat the time of the favored Jim Probert. Interesting people; interesting times and they are all missed. Kay will remember Hank. He was a terrific salesman for the Lance. 

Bruce Wilson

Tom Rice trivia:

Mr. Rice enlisted at Fort Rosecrans on Novermber 17, 1942 and passed away in Coronado on November 17, 2022.

Bruce Wilson

BreakingThrough News:

Fusion Energy Research

Steve Macevicz first discussed fusion with me in 1965 and he later worked at Livermore.

Scientists studying fusion energy at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California announced on Tuesday that they had crossed a major milestone in reproducing the power of the sun in a laboratory.

Scientists for decades [at least five] have said that fusion, the nuclear reaction that makes stars shine, could provide a future source of bountiful energy.

The result announced on Tuesday is the first fusion reaction in a laboratory setting that actually produced more energy than it took to start the reaction.

“The fact that we were able to get more energy out than we put in provides an existence proof that this is possible,” said Mark Herrmann, program director for weapons physics and design at the Livermore lab. “It can be built on and improved upon and made better and could potentially be a source of energy in the future.”

Jim Hawes

Bruce,

The date for Sgt. Rice's enlistment can't be correct as the D-Day invasion took place on June 6th 1944. The Ft. Rosecrans date is either wrong, or more likely is a entry in his record jacket noting a redeployement order, home leave, payroll while home on leave or some other event. My dad's Navy record jacket from the same time period has many such entries. As soldiers, it could also be a re-enlistment, as records record every time a tour of duty ended and another began as a re-enlistment.

Cheers,

Jim

Bruce Wilson

Jim: Whoops the date should read 1942.

Bruce Wilson

Born in Hollywood in 1946, passed through Hilltop High School and ended up returning to Hollywood.

Interviewer: How did you get your first break in the business?

Interviewee: One fateful day while I was still in college, I was checking the surf on a beach in Santa Barbara. I observed a small film crew shooting tests for an upcoming TV movie. Somehow I gathered enough courage to approach the director and convince him of my desire to work in the movies. Two weeks later, he hired me as a gofer on the Disney show Three Without Fear. The next day, I left school and moved to Hollywood.

Jim Hawes

Bruce,

???? Rusty Alsobrook???

Hawes

Bruce Wilson

The one and only don't call me Rusty, I am Russ. Funny story, I was offered that surfboard when it lived in Pasadena. Probably around 1984.

Jim Hawes

Bruce,

That's pretty funny, I never knew that! I think it was in Jr. High? His parents and little brother all called him Rusty! Did we call him Russ at HHS? I don't remember ever calling him Russ. 

Hawes

Bruce Wilson

Jim:

I only ever knew him as Rusty. Did not know he had a new preference.

Bruce Wilson

So someone aksed me if I had seeen these two guys. I of course responded "Why are they missing?"

I have seen Gary B much more recently than Gary K.

Jerry Olivas, EdD

Hola Bruce and All,

That’s my two best buddies in that picture; Gary Baldwin and Gary Kennedy. I know Baldwin is alive and kickin’ because I see him now and then. Kennedy lives in Northern Cal and I am pretty sure he is still upright.

Man, I can tell you I had a huge amount of fun with both of these guys, mostly wild and crazy sh*t.

Most memorable time with Gary B. was the shootout at the El Patio in TJ. Gary wounded, Robert L. ruffed up, with Roger W. and myself unscathed just standing outside the bar wondering what’s taking those guys so long; “hurry-up, we gotta get to the dance back in CV”. We all took a couple of days off from TJ after that.

Most memorable time with Gary K. was the day he went to court in San Diego for a 90 mph speeding ticket (I think we were going closer to 100 mph) in Gary’s parents Rambler on the way to TJ. Gary’s name was called, he got up from his seat next to me (wiped the smile off his face, me too), and approached the bench. The Judge said, were you driving 90 mph?, Gary said yes, and the Judge said “Mr. Kennedy you are sentenced to three days in jail, Bailiff take Mr. Kennedy away”. The Bailiff took Gary by the arm and led him towards the side door, but first stopped and had Gary remove his belt, which he handed to Gary’s mom. Gary continued to drive fast as hell after that, especially when he got his 1958 289 Vette.

Gary B., Gary K. and Roger W. did Vietnam, Robert L. did the Army state side, and myself, Cook, Ramirez, and McClure mostly surfed and tried to go to college. Cook is no longer with us but the rest continue to be on the ‘watch out for list’.

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo a Todos,

Jerry

Bruce Wilson

Tom reveals why he and I got along so well..

Bruce Wilson

Jerry:

I tracked down Mr. Lahaye a long time ago, but never stopped in to visit. 

I did stop in to visit Noelle (nee Sandy), but she has vanished now.  She seems a little troubled here but she was all smiles when I arrived.  She even offered me an old rusty surfboard to go with some teas.
.

Bruce Wilson

"Cool Bruce" as two of myt basketball bros at Irvine (Nitty and Pickett) used call me. Pickett was from New Orleans and taught me all about gumbo. Nitty, from Riverside, claimed his mother.was "affiliated" with Frank Nitty in Chicago.

Foto is about the same vintage as The Two Garys. Mustaches were the code of the road.

i

Terry Lee Maple

I remember kennedy, Lahaye and Baldwin as exceptional team mates in high school. During our senior season of basketball, Kennedy steadily improved as a scorer. He had a devestating jump shot that would have generated a lot of three pointers had we had the rule in those days. He was also a deft ball handler and defender. Sadly, we lost Lahaye when he was caught smoking by Mr. Geyer. It was a firing offense in those intolerant days. He was a superb jumper and would have made a real difference if he had played the entire season. Baldwin was our best defender in football, a fierce tackler and hitter. I had great respect for him as he never let up in practice or in games. Bruce W., Baldwin and I all went to Hilltop Drive School, so I have many memories of them as little boys. 

Bruce Wilson

Terry:

There were two Bruce guys in the neighborfhood, so the Baldwin version became "Brucie". Later Virginia M. gave me the same name. Eshbach, whose nicknames had a way of persisting, gave me another one.

Anyway at different points in time both BW and BB disappeared prompting searches of the neighborhood and even calls to the police. It turned out that I was asleep in the upper bunk of ourt bunk beds . BB turned up in Barrio Logan (nee Logan Heights to be graphically correct). Brucie had managed to board a city bus at First and J and was the last.person on the bus when the driver discovered somethring was amiss. As Gary observed previously that was where grandma lived.

Smoking? Gary B and I had a first cigarettes in the tunnel under First Avenue by Dean Butterfield's house. Later, Frank and I smoked a few of what Mike Hollister referred to as "cancer sticks" between innings in Little League at Eucalyptus Park.

From what I hear Frank persisted, but I was able to rid my self completely of the foul, off

and on, habit in response to the Surgeon General's report in 1964.

Bruce Wilson

Ry Cooder and Billy

The other Billy can be seen here on his 75th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dybFbOPSLGE

Bruce Wilson

Hilltop Drive Elementary: Bruce, Danny Cassel, Frank and ?????

Can anybody recognize him?????