As I am ending my year of no regrets, I was determined to attend my 50th High School Class Reunion. That's right. I have been out of high school for 50 years.
And what a year to graduate - 1965.
The war in Vietnam was worsening and sadly we were losing more men. By year's end, it was clear that the U.S. had irrevocably committed itself to Vietnam. Also at the same time the Anti-War movement was growing. In November of 1965, 35,000 marched on Washington in protest of the war. This was the first year that health warnings appeared on cigarette packets. Skate Boards became a craze. Also the miniskirt became popular. Women's skirts got shorter and men's hair grew longer.
Lyndon Johnson was the president at the time and he signed the Medicare bill making national health care available to the elderly in 1965.
You could buy a new house on an average of $14,000.00, average income per year was $6500.00. You could buy a new car for 2600.00 and fill it up at 31 cents a gallon.
I am so glad I was able to attend my reunion. I think I only recognized a couple of people. Fifty years has a way of changing a person. It was a small graduating class, I believe maybe around 136. Fourteen have passed away. Some of our class had served in Vietnam.
Ralph Henshaw, who I grew up with and graduated with, had served three tours of duty.
It was a special weekend, seeing classmates, touring our old high school, seeing some of our teachers who had influenced us doing our high school years.
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Castle High School
Paradise, Indiana |
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| Our old lockers and a hallway that I walked every day I was there. |
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| Some of my graduating class touring the school |
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Mr. Wittenbraker (band director) and
Mr.Dwight Beard (Phys Ed and Health) |
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| My classmates from 1965 |
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| Ralph Henshaw and his wife, Sharon |
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Mr. Eldon Hopkins (Chemistry & Physics)
and our principal, Mr. John Sakel and his wife. |
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| Mrs. Kathy Ewing (choral director) and her husband. |
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| Classmates who had served our country - THANK YOU. |
