Shayne Maree Schuller (Morgan Sledge)

How old is Mr. Rice?

My Dad was in the Air Force and had to bail out of his airplane over China and walk over 100  miles back to his platoon.. "The Greatest Generation".
 

Karen Etsuko Tachiki (Savel)

According to a posting from the class of 1966 he is 95. It is a good feeling to know that he has lived such a long and good life. He was not my civics teacher, but surely was an outstanding teacher and little did we know such a good role model for those he taught.

LaBerta King (Forys)

As the person living the farthest  away in Australia, I am sad to learn the 70th birthday event is set for the day before I arrive back in California for a visit. It would be great to catch up with classmates after such a long time.  Maybe for our 75th! Cheers!

Terry Lee Maple

I recall that Shayne and I were in Mr. Rice's civics class. I don't recall any personal references to his Normandy experience, but then I was pretty sleepy in that class. His patriotism certainly showed in the ideas about government he shared. It is characteristic of the greatest generation that they often didn't talk about the horrors of war. Mr. Rice was able to unload his feelings in his book which I discovered just a few years ago. I called my Uncle Graydeon on D-Day as I always do and we had a nice conversation. He jumped over Normandy at night in the diversionary strategy prior to the invasion. He was a medic assigned to the 82nd Airborne. He had other memorable jumps into combat including the Battle of the Bulge. As a paratrooper-medic he saw terrible things but he rarely talked about it. He had a bar in San Ysidro for years (Grady's Keg). He never married but he was a wonderful uncle. Grady graduated from Sweetwater High School, played fiddle in a country and western band (The Texas Rythym Boys) and served his country. Next spring he will turn 100 and we plan to be there to welcome him into the next century of his life. His secret to long life was vigorous daily walks. He has friends at the American Legion hall and he joins them once a week for his weekly dose of one beer. I consider Grady to be the most interesting man in the world. Our grandson is named after him. Little Grady and his twin Piper turn one year old on July 6th.

Bruce Wilson

Well, to top Mr. Rice's recent feat, first one of us has to get there (did someone say 95?) then get down to the airport, get onboard (shout out to Gladys Knight) and then jump.

Then, as if that isn't enough, remember not to jerk those cords around so vigorously that you get to spinning and get dizzy (speaking from experience here). 

My landing was smooth, but the dizziness prevented me from remembering how I cut my hand.

Anyway, congrats Tom. I'm proud that they named Fossil Canyon after you. Inside joke. Growing up we called it Fossil Canyon, but the technical name is Rice and he claimed it was named after him due to his cross country prowess (it's in my class notes out in the garage).

You never know, what with the media/internet world being what it is, but there is a rumour that this provided Terry's inspiration for abandoning California.

Isn't Gladys pretty? BTW, that routine of The Pips is pretty much borrowed from our performance at Camp Cuyamaca. I told you I could still remember it, didn't I.

Bruce Wilson

Speaking of nicknames, does anyone remember a kid who got tagged with "Dirty"?

I won't mention his name, just does anyone remember who it was?

George Bracey Gillow

Back on page 1 of this site, Post #3, I put in a YouTube video done by John Axson (HHS '62) about the marching bands and also showing the Fiesta de la Luna parade.

John did another video on his experience with cars at Hilltop. For some reason he took it off YouTube. But I had downloaded it before it was removed.  I recently put it back on as unlisted.

The last part of the video he talks about former classmates. He has shots of San Francisco and Vallejo California. The ship shown is the TS Golden Bear, the training ship for the California Maritime Academy.

Bruce Wilson

Thanks George. I'd spoken with John and he said he'd probably put it back, but he never did.

I'd lost my copy.

I'm thinking that the Safeway @4:53 has to be the one on Third Ave. between H and G. I don't know when it was torn town, but it's still a vacant lot to this day.

I don't recall any other Safeway in CV, but somehow the gas station looks too close.

I'd kind of forgotten about Ronnie and Reggie Hawkins. I wonder ...

Too bad we didn't have the camera/video technology of today back then.

I recall four CV  wood wagons. Hargrove, Chalmers, O'Day & a guy I only remember as "Toad". Toad's was the best (I think he moved to Esconddido at some point) and I rode in all three except Mike's.

Did Rosie put up a photo of Mike's. I can't recall.

Jim Hawes

Terry,

I don't recall Mr. Rice talking much about his WWII exploits. Most soldiers I know (including my dad) only shared their stories with fellow shipmates who had been there. Even when I returned from the Army, my dad shared little about WWII and his time in the Pacific.

I do recall Mr. Rice talking one time about the the dawn of "D" Day, he asked if anyone in the class knew what "The cheese is rotten in Denmark" meant (hope I remember it correctly). It was the "GO" code for his unit to deploy for combat.

Bless him and thank him for his service,

Jim

Terry Lee Maple

Exactly. My uncle was very quiet about the war throughout his life. I have enormous respect for his role in saving the world, and that's why I call him every year on D-Day. He especially appreciates hearing from my daughter who has bonded with him. We live in Florida so we don't see him much. He has lived in a trailer in Chula Vista most of his adult life, but when I'm in town I spend time with him. He mostly talks about the Padres and the Chargers, but he also roots for the big red, Nebraska, where he spent his childhood before grandpa Maple drove them to California. I am very interested in his early life in Nebraska, so I try to get him to talk about how they lived in those days. My grandfather was a sharecropping hog farmer who also raised horses. The odds are good that Grady will reach 100, and who knows how much longer he will live. He is one of the oldest surviving vets of WWII. We feel blessed that we have had him in our life for so long. I don't know if he knew Mr. Rice. Maybe these two wily vets should get together for a talk.

Bruce Wilson

Hmmmm!  Could make for a very interesting video if the two of them were interested.

I don't think Mr. Rice is in Coronado anymore. I think I'll track him down. I didn't get an opportunity to speak with at the 50 year shindig. 

Maybe we could bring The Bull (Michele's dad along). He loves to talk and doesn't mind discussing his service if some one asks him.

Bruce Wilson

A little article on Byron Shewman (ex Otay Ranch and Imperial Beach denizen) and some of his good works.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jun/15/starlings-volleyball-byron-shewman-anniversary/

George Bracey Gillow

LAST TRAIN ON 3RD AVE

The last train traveled down 3rd Avenue on December 15, 1960.

Below is a picture of the train as it approached Kearney Street, just after leaving the site of the Sunkist packing plant at 3rd and K. The plant had been demolished in 1959.

The train had two cabooses that carried passengers including city officials, reporters, and railroad historians. It had flat cars that carried portions of tracks already removed and some debris left over from the packing plant demolition.

The story of the final trip is in the December 18th, 1960 Chula Vista Star News article, also, below. The picture in the story (poor due to microfilm original) shows the back of the train after it passed Kearney.  I suspect the same photographer took both pictures.

George Bracey Gillow

LAST OF SUNKIST LEMON PACKING PLANT

• The lemon packing plant that was located at 3rd and K streets was demolished in December 1959. Here, again, is another picture of the plant and a CV Star News Article of December 31st, 1959.

Bruce Wilson

Thanks George. Finally a photo of the Jack-in-the-Box and the vacant lot next door where Lyle and I once had an encounter with La Policia.

I thought the clown faced the other way.

George Bracey Gillow

Bruce,

The Jack-in-the-Box head spun around.

It can be briefly seen in this 1972 commercial at about 14 seconds:

LaBerta King (Forys)

I have just looked at the In Memory list and am amused and dismayed to see my sister Kelly King's name listed there with 2012 as her year of passing.  She is very much alive and living in San Diego.  Anyway, someone using her name and picture keeps popping up on my Facebook here in Australia asking me to vote for Bernie Sanders!  No really, she is quite alive and politically active in SD.

Terry Lee Maple

I've been corresponding with Patricia Prickett who is a psychotherapist about a new book I co-authored. You can can find the book on Amazon if you search under my name. The book is "Comparative Psychology for Clinical Psychologists and Therapists" by Dan Marston and Terry L. Maple. It provides a reivew of animal research to support research and practice for various human behavior disorders. I also wanted my classmates to know that I cannot attend the 70th birthday party because I am flying to San Diego a month later to rollout another book of mine (Professor in the Zoo). The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is meeting in San Diego in September. I will host a 70th birthday party of my own to rollout my book for colleagues and friends in the zoo business on Saturday, September 10th (my birthday). I will be in the area for a few days before I fly north for some lectures in Santa Barbara, Stockton, and Sacramento. I'm trying to figure out if I can find a place to hold a small reception and book signing for any of you who might want to obtain this book. I dearly wish I could attend the official 70th with book in hand, but it won't be published until mid to late August. Please let me know if you have an idea about how we could get together in September somewhere in Chula Vista.

Patricia Ann Prickett

How about LA? Happy Hour downtown?  That might work.....  Just sayin'

Terry Lee Maple

To all classmates who attended Hilltop Drive School. I believe the school opened in 1948. Can the historians among you confirm that date?

George Bracey Gillow

Hilltop Elementary School began in 1943 per these March and April 1943 CV Star News articles:

George Bracey Gillow

According to the following Chula Vista Star News article (dated January 4th, 1951), the Hilltop Drive School opened in 1951.

So the Hilltop School that opened in the same location in 1943, that I mentioned in my last post, was initially for students living in the Federal Government's Hilltop Village. It was incorporated into the Hilltop Drive School.

Does anyone remember this transition in 1951?

Terry Lee Maple

Nice work, George. In recent years the school was sponsored by the San Diego Zoo. Due to that connection, and knowing that I had attended the school, they administration asked me to speak at their 50th birthday party. My mother was there so I thought the ceremony was 1998. She died in 1999. Something's amiss here. I'll have to do more noodling. I do remember that when we arrived on Carla Avenue in 1951 that first graders attended school at the annex which was east of the school. I am certain that there were older kids going to the HIlltop Drive School in 1951. I attended kindergarten at the Hilltop and J campus in 1951. I would have been just five when school started for us in September, 1951, so there were buildings there at that time. I turned left at Carla and J Street to go the annex. I'll never forget that day because it was real school and I was real scared.   

Bruce Wilson

I can't recall details right now  but Hilltop Drive Elementary School was interlinked in development with the Hilltop Circle school. Did it evolve from from the "Hilltop Annex Grammar School" (George's two room school) which my brother and sister may have attended briefly.

The housing project was originally named Hilltop Village, but became known as Hilltop Circle. The formal name of the elementary school was most likely the Hilltop Annex Grammar School. (BW 5-29-2014)

We moved out of Hilltop Cirle at the end of 1948 and I must have started at Hilltop Drive Kindergarten in 1951 (turning 5 in December). I know this because my mommy told me I started when I was four. I could probably just count back, but I'll trust my mom on this one.

Here's an anonymous comment from a homeboy/girl:

I lived in Hilltop Circle, but I don't remember when we moved there. We left when I was in 3rd grade, so maybe 1955 or 56. I remember that we weren't allowed to go to the school that was right across the street. We were bussed to Hazel Goes Cook School. I remember exploring just east of there and finding Indian drawings on the walls of some type of cave or shelter in the rocks where they must have camped.

This corresponds with statments that the "Village" existed from 1943 to 1956. I guess they cleared it out timely so that Frank and I could chuck rocks through the [abandoned] bulding's windows.

1943/01/01 - Hilltop: The first 24 units of the 300-unit government housing project at Hilltop and J will be ready this week, acc to Mr. Bishop in charge of govt construction in CV. The value of construction is unknown because the govt does not take out any building permits. Federal govt will pay for extension of city sewer system. ( Chula Vista Star, Jan. 1, 1943 ) 

1943/06/11 - Vista Square: Federal govt has awarded contract to Allied Contractors of LA to build 300 more one-story, 4-family units for defense workers at Vista Square, will be furnished. Also plans made for 304 two-story apartment units, furnished, to be ready July 1. The two trailer space parks will also be opened within the next 30 days, one at the foot of Bay Blvd and D Street and will be known as Sweetwater Park and the other on Bay Blvd to be known as South Bay park. These sites will be for privately owned trailers only. A three-room school building will be erected at the Hilltop Village and a 6-room school near the Vista Square defense housing projects. The nursery school at Hilltop Circle has opened with Mrs. Gertrude Andrews and Mrs, Harriet Crowley in charge, for children 2-5, will receive a balanced diet 4 times a day, have regular rest periods and supervised play hours. ( Chula Vista Star, June 11, 1943. ) 

I always appreciated those regular rest periods, though we called 'em "nap time"; supervised play hours, not so much. On the other hand I do not recall ever getting in trouble in kindergarten.

Bruce Wilson

On an unrelated note, again according to my mom, I almost became Bruce Lee Wilson. Now wouldn't that have been something.

Enough to make your head spin?

Speaking of the J-I-T-B, here are Mr. Pena (who I did not know), Jan Creaser (Brian Reeves' girl friend), some clown, and Raymond Hitchcock (Lyle & Jimmy's brother). I hope nobody tripped over that wire (lower stage left) and what is that building across the street?

The infamous Hitchcock-Wilson incident involved a beverage too. Hitchcock (consuming & possessing), Wilson (the misdemeanor offense of talking to a consumer/possessor). My father, the former judge, went down to the PD and "dismissed" that one.