I graduated in 1964 from a small high school in Millersport, Ohio. We had only 25 in our high school class. But for such a small school we had an excellent group of classes: physics, trigonometry, advanced algebra, and even a course on Latin! My best class was English taught by Tom Buckingham. We also met after school when he taught me writing skills. I also entered a speech contest sponsored by the VFW called “Voices of Democracy”. I won first place in the county and won a trip to Washington D.C.
When my dad died shortly after high school, Tom Buckingham invited me to live with him for a summer to attend Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. He hoped that I would be accepted at his Alma Mater. I was not admitted because admissions told him that I did not have enough money.
In high school I played baseball for only one day until a ground ball hit me on the nose. With a bloody nose I left the field and the game. I played basketball by sitting on the bench during every game. Sports were not my strong points. Neither was dating. I was shy and self-conscious. I did not start dating until I met a girl from Lancaster, Ohio. That was my first long distance relationship!
My best experiences at this time were Boy Scouts. We had an excellent troop and went camping every week during summer and fall. I also went to summer camp each summer. I earned my Eagle Scout badge during my senior year of high school.
I was the co-editor of our yearbook with Jackie Gibson who lived a block from me at Fairfield Beach. One day I saw her home burning and ran to the flames. With my arms around her sobbing face we watched the house burn completely to the ground.
In my Senior year I received a nomination to the Air Force Academy. I spent that spring and May and June getting physically fit for a ne adventure.
