Hawthorne Feedback

Name: Jill Jaynes ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Nov 23, 2010, 12:18 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: McFarlane
Class: 1977
City & State: Mission Viejo, CA

Message: I haven't read feedback in a while, I've been up to my eyeballs with stuff, and all I can say is Wow! One thing I do look forward to is when people discuss where they were at the time when President Kennedy was shot, and the impact it had on the people around them. I was only three, and I don't have any memory of it. But, I will read or watch anything having to do with that day, as it was vital to our history. People of my grandparents age remember where they were on December 7th. My parents remember where they were on November 22, and most generations remember where they were on September 11th. All days that have changed the course of history for sure. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and give thanks to everything good in your life. I will be in Hawthorne myself with my Mom and looking forward to it.

Name: Jim Frederick ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Nov 23, 2010, 10:08 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: West Hills Ca,

Message: I've been away from feedback for awhile and I'm trying to catch up with all the news ... My memories of Nov,22 are vivid and as sad as for the rest of you ... I was in 8 th, grade at Hawthorne Itermidiate ... But Nov,22 has put another hole in my spirit ... My brother Louis Frederick ( C/O 62) died of brain cancer in 1980 .. For those who remember him he was our familys "Camelot" (more like a best friend) ...taught me how to surf , hunt and be the crative person I am today.. So 11/22 ..... is a hard day for me ... and it carries thru Thanksgiving ..... As well for my sister Jo Anne .(C/O 59)... We miss him ever so much! If you knew him please give a spirtiual thought for my BIG BROTHER LOUIS! As for this graduation gown issue (sorry JB ) A lot of good things have been said and not so good .(the beauty of freedom).. You can clearly see the generational differences ... in "ones" attitude ... But this Web site is a HHS school forum and not a Simi Valley HS issue .... The color of a gown is a fashion issue ....Not a fashion statement .... We will always remember the day we graduated and will barely remember the color of our gowns ... JB is right ... Basic black ... Isn't basic black the "Hip" color in the fashion and art world ? I hope you all have a warm and meaningful Thanksgiving Day ... And say a prayer for our service men and women who can't be home with family ... especialy in South Korea! "Any inteligent fool can make things bigger , more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genious and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction" Albert Einstein ... . .

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Nov 23, 2010, 9:21 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Palm Desert, Ca

Message: Hey, Thomas; I think the streaking thing was more of a 70's thing & statement. As I recall, us 60's folks were not afraid to get naked, however, it was usually while playing doctor with our H/S girlfriends/sweethearts and without an audience. Jorge

Name: Thomas Leeman ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Nov 23, 2010, 7:22 am - HHS Time

Class: 1973
City & State: San Diego, CA

Message: I'm with Sloey. Streaking is a topic that at least has some amusement value even though the graduation fashion bit is comical in its own way. (The notion of grad gown fashionista activism is particularly laughable) So anyone want to share their streaking story. I seem to recall 1974 was a particularly good year for streaking. Streaking the 7/11 on Campanile for a 6-pack of Bud was one of those moments I remember fondly. The dumbfounded clerk readily accepted our explanation for lack of ID.

Name: Kathy Downer ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Nov 23, 2010, 7:21 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Peterson
Class: 1970
City & State: Marietta, Ohio

Message: I was in 6th grade at St. Joe's when the principal came in and told us President Kennedy had been shot. Everyone was in shock. We were sent home. The whole town shut down for three days. I remember people in Hawthorne standing on the sidewalk watching T.V.'s inside a store (which store?) to get news and maybe comfort. Years later when we were getting ready for school my next door neighbor came over in tears, she had just watched Bobby Kennedy get shot at a hotel downtown LA. Neither incident seemed real at the time. John- keep up the good work with Cougartown.

Name: Susan King ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 7:33 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Bierman
Class: 1974
City & State: Thousand Oaks, CA

Message: Stop the thread if you want John, but I for one was glad to see young people honoring and even desiring to carry on tradition. It mattered to you, to me and now to them. We SHOULD support that. As regards JFK, a sad, sad day. All I recall is my mom in front of the TV and many, many tears. Her distress affected me with an anxiety and fear I'd never felt before - I'd always felt so safe and secure. I didn't really understand. Let's hope we NEVER face that type of tragedy again....

Name: Greg Jones ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 5:01 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1973
City & State: Hawthorne, CA

Message: RE: Kennedy Asassination. I was in the 3rd grade at Clover Elementary School in West L.A. The whole school was called into the auditorium and they told us what happened. Being as young as I was I really didn't care, all I knew was that we got to home early and we also got the whole next week off and not just because of Thanksgiving. I also was watching TV the day Oswald was shot by Ruby and saw the whole thing live. Had I been older it would have made a big impact on me.

Name: Jerry Miles ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 4:45 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1966
City & State: Fair Oaks, CA
No E-mail
Message: Forty seven years ago today I was walking to my next class on the grass just north of Senior Square and Dave Chauncey yelled across the way that Kennedy had been shot. It was not long after that we learned he had died. Of course all the students and faculty were very sad at the loss of our president. Many were visibly upset. It may have been disrespectfulness of a fifteen year old but the following Monday when all the schools and most businesses were closed for the funeral, I surfed in his honor.

Name: Karen Lemaistre ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 4:31 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Masters
Class: 1972
City & State: Hollyglen, CA

Message: I was in the 4th grade at Peter Burnett. I remember...it was recess...and a small group of teachers were crying and sobbing. It was then that we learned that President Kennedy had been shot. Later that day I went home and told my mom that some of the teachers at school must have been really good friends with President Kennedy because they were crying so hard. Of course, my mom sat me down and tried to explain...but...since I had never really experienced death of any kind at that age...I don't think I got the message. Aaahhhh the innocence of childhood.

Name: Robert Fitzgerald ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 2:50 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1960
City & State: Santa Ana, Ca.

Message: When Kennedy was shot I was aboard the USS Ponchatula AO 148 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii standing watch on the signal deck when from Cin-pac fleet headquarters came this flashing signal to all ships in port that he had been shot, the entire fleet was signaling to each other in shock.

Name: Armand Vaquer ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 2:29 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1972
City & State: Tarzana, Karloffornia

Message: 47 years ago on this date remains a vivid memory. I just finished lunch and took my dishes and tray to the dishwasher's window at the school cafeteria when the kid at the window told me JFK was killed. I write at length of this at my blog: http://armandsrancho.blogspot.com/2010/11/47-years-later-still-vivid-memory.html

Name: Dawn Moffett ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 1:25 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Koch
Class: 1978
City & State: Simi Valley, CA

Message: Thanks Sharon!

Name: Dawn Moffett ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 1:14 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Koch
Class: 1978
City & State: Simi Valley, CA

Message: Wow! Thread stopped but I do want to say that I was only trying to get some information and this was the only place I could think to ask.

Name: Sharon Stowe ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 12:03 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Ritch
Class: 1972
City & State: Lawndale, CA

Message: I want to comment about the grad robes! I think it is great that the students care about their graduation and are willing to make their voices heard about an issue that matters to them. What a great time to talk about how to get ones point across in a way that those in charge can hear it. What a wonderful teachable moment. I say help her by coaching her in how to communicate in a way that can be recieved by the person who makes the decision! The result may not be what you want but you can be proud that you didn't let yourself down by doing nothing.

Name: Sharon Macdonald ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 11:03 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Badger
Class: 1963
City & State: Bruceville, TX

Message: I was ironing and listening to records on the stereo. It was homecoming weekend at El Camino and was getting ready for it. My father called me from work with news of the assassination. It all seemed unreal. I have met someone here in Texas that was attending Inglewood High School on that fateful day. Some classmates told her that "you killed our president" because she was from Dallas, Texas.

Name: Barney Mcardle ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 11:02 am - HHS Time

Class: 1958
City & State: San Antonio, Texas

Message: Yep, good subject and I do remember what I was doing. I was working at North American Aviation sitting at my desk when the announcement was made over the loudspeaker. I can't say that all the woman started crying, because the men were also crying and confused. It was a time that no one knew what to do but just sit there.

Name: Howard "paco" Duran ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 9:58 am - HHS Time

Class: 1961
City & State: LF

Message: Larry, I was in my first year at the phone co., while testing lines, I overheard a call that was coming from D.C on an Air Force line.."The President has been shot.. " I ran into the breakroom, we were instructed not to talk about conversations that we heard while monitoring lines so, I was scared to say anything. I did, as some of you know I am a bit of a clown, everyone looked at me , like, shut-up. We turned on the radio, nothing..a few minutes later, there it was!! I still get a little sick just thinking about that morning.. Later that afternoon I went across the street to "Hamburger Hand-Out", while in line some jerk said, "Well I guess Vaughn Meader is out of work", I almost punched him!

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 9:50 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Palm Desert, Ca

Message: Larry; I was working in a machine shop in Gardena, and like you, I heard about the assassination right after lunch break. Jorge

Name: Tom Nadal ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 9:31 am - HHS Time

Class: 1977
City & State: The OC

Message: My first memory of watching TV was the funeral procession of President Kennedy when I was four years old. My second TV memory was watching the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show and laughing because of their "long" hair. I have no recollection of anything between these two events and so I guess you could say I virtually blacked out for three months, which probably is an experience shared by many children of the 60's. I'll be heading up to Hawthorne to celebrate with my parents and family and wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Name: Jack Dicus ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 9:17 am - HHS Time

Class: 1968
City & State: Miramar Beach, FL

Message: Strange how 11-22 has affected my life. I remember President Kennedy died. I also remember good things on that date. My son was born on 11-22-75, and today, my first grandchild, Casandra Dicus, was born on her dad's birthday. What a treat!!

Name: Tom Shelley ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 9:07 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: beaumont, CA

Message: Thank's Larry for the reminder! It's amazing that we can't remember where we were last Tuesday but memory of an event like this will bring the exact spot in which you were standing when it happened nearly 50 years ago. I was sitting in my '53 Buick, in the parking lot behind Aerospace Corp. waiting for my soon-to-be wife to come out so we could go to lunch. Wow, the events of that day and the rest of that week seem like they happened 6 months ago.

Name: Karen Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Nov 22, 2010, 8:51 am - HHS Time
City & State: Hawthorne, Ca
No E-mail
Message: I would just like to piggyback on the feedback from my husband, Bob. This past weekend was so fantastic. Friday night, Chris Montez, brought down the house at El Camino. It was moving to see him receive life honors from both El Camino College and the Centinela Valley Union High School District being that he is an alumni of both HHS (class of '60) and El Camino College. His life story documentary that we were privileged to preview portrayed his early years growing up in Hawthorne and put the city and school in such a positive light. It would have been great if the city had been there too, to honor him. Having Al Jardine come in at the end to play back up bass was a treat we will never forget. Then, there was the HHS Classes of 60-61 50 year Reunion. As the song says, "Oh What a Night." It was incredible. I loved talking with and meeting new Cougar friends. It was so good to see Steve and Linda Kristof after many years, and many others. I want to thank all the Cougars for always making me feel like an honorary alumni. You are the best and I love you!

Name: Larry Bach ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Nov 21, 2010, 11:13 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1972
City & State: Torrance, CA

Message: Forty seven years ago on November 22nd 1963, President Kennedy was assasinated. At Eucalyptus School, my 4th grade class had just sat down after lunch recess. Mrs. Covington, visibly unsettled about something but in control of her emotions, solemnly announced that "the President has passed away". It was an earth shaking event. Anyone else remember what they were doing when they heard JFK had been killed?