What was your first impression of Clark and Wagner?
My first thought, since we had just left Minot A.F.B. in North Dakota, was that I was never going to get used to the heat. I slept for a whole week and a half. My mother threatened to take me to the hospital. My late brother, Stanley Jr., took to the humid atmosphere immediately. But then I noticed a gecko staring at me while I was sleeping and I stopped sleeping for 3 days! I had no summer clothes, so my first big task was nonstop shopping downtown and in Clarksville.
We moved to Clark in the middle of my 10th grade year but everyone greeted me at Wagner like they had known me for years. I couldn't remember anyone's name. In my first gym class I met a girl, Beverly Jones, who I’d met at a previous duty station and we became instant best friends. I also became friends with Gina and Bryan. And walked the halls with Joelette Celaya, who could hula like nobody!
I didn't understand what pesos equated to, so I probably overpaid everybody for my new summer clothes. I could count in Spanish... but I couldn't calculate in English.
What surprised you the most about the Philippines? What did you like best about living there? The thing that surprised me the most were the red a
nts (I am allergic to those and to bees). I saw a cobra once on the wall next to our house! I couldn't believe how hot it was when it poured down rain...it was like taking a shower outside. I practically drowned trying to shoot baskets in it one day.
I almost ran into a carabao in high grass one afternoon in Clarksville...backed away slowly! I never
ran down that path again. I loved the food....especially Pancit. Fortunately, the heat and all the walking kept me as skinny as a rail, because I really did eat continuously. I learned to make fried rice with Spam and I snacked on Screaming Yellow Zonkers caramel popcorn, tuna fish and wheat thins from the Commissary.
Donald would testify that I would take 3 buses and walk across the base for some caramel corn. I was always on the Red bus! I saw most of y'all on the Red bus. I became obsessed with tropical fish, because we lived down the street from the tropical fish store. I bought and accidently killed fish every week. It was scandalous. I got into a taxi in Clarksville once and the guy had on racing gloves. And before I could yell “WAIT, let me out”, I found out why he was wearing those gloves! Donald Alexander, Antoine Holmes and I went to the Third Eye Disco once. That was exciting because I had never been in a Disco before and obviously they were off limits to minors. I was always amazed at how much time we spent at the airport....saying goodbye...checking out new arrivals...eating...goofing off...etc.
Did you really miss anything from the States and if so, what?
I can honestly say I didn't miss the States for a couple of years! I loved Clark. Twenty five cent Kung Fu movies!!!! (Did anyone else see Lady Kung Fu?) That says it all. I realized after a year into it, there was an island girl inside of me. But everybody kept talking about what we were missing from back home...so I got caught up in the hype about going back to “the world".
I was able to get a job when I went back...so maybe gainful employment. I did miss curling my hair...my hair was continuously doing a Chaka Khan thing. I missed concerts and stuff like that. I really wanted to see the Jackson 5...but never got to. Did see Earth, Wind & Fire when I got back though. I missed going to the malls too, because we hadn't seen one since we were stationed in Offutt (double decker malls in Omaha) two years before we went to Clark.
I really missed Clark after I left. It was a strange withdrawal. And of course, I had to readjust to the temperature change again when we hit Indianapolis. But to the good, I made friends with a Press reporter and I got in free to several concerts and received backstage passes. On the other side, I got held up at the first McDonalds I worked at on 38th street in Indianapolis. Consequently, I worked in the Mall between I.U. classes after that.
Who were your good buddies?
I had so many good friends, I couldn't name them. My last best buddies were Denise Young, Yolanda Fisherman and Dennis Splain. Dennis and I hung out most of the time (He saved me from bouncing off a Jeepney one night, I owed him my life :0) Everyone that was in a sport...everyone that was in a band...everyone that walked the halls! I just liked everybody.
The volleyball team was my crew by senior year. But there were a lot of interesting acquaintances. I had one friend named Mark Burch that I met in history class. He wrote stories that were like the Lord of the Rings! If anyone remembers his last name...let me know. Whenever there was the occasional riot at school, I couldn't pick a side. Because I was friends with everybody the situation usually caused me major heartache.
So I decided to become an ambassador of peace. That lasted for two weeks. Our school counselor made me a "Junior Counselor" for a semester. I didn't realize it was that obvious that I was concerned. I kept getting called out of class. It was like I was a secret agent because I wasn't supposed to divulge why I had to keep going to the office. Most of the time, the incident was just a miscommunication or a misunderstanding between injured parties.
Where did you hang out?
The bowling alley...best burgers in town! Y'all feel me on that, I know. Couldn't bowl worth a darn, but it was the hangout for my crew. And you know we had a huge bowling alley! Someone was always making prank calls to the Alley, so they would announce the funniest pages over the intercom. I also played a lot of racquetball and basketball at the base gym. My brother loved horses and had a pinto, which reared whenever I came close to it. So even though I went to the stables; I never once rode a horse. And even though I live in Louisville, KY, I still have not ridden a horse.
I loved to go on picnics at the park, because I'm a foodie! And you have to admit the parks on base were excellent. But twice I got caught in a torrential downpour. Each time I swore never to go back...but someone had food...so I did. Went swimming the next Christmas ‘cause I got a bomb suit from Santa! Had nothing to fill it out with at that time, but I had no trepidations about wearing it. So, the pool became my new hangout.
My favorite memories were bus trips to sporting events. We sang, tried to dance on a moving bus and went to Italian Village every chance we got. I also loved the big productions we had every year at Wagner. I met so many people during practice!
Who was your favorite teacher/class?
I idolized Miss Munn and Mrs. Saddlemire. Miss Munn was such an inspiration for me in high school. I am forever grateful to her for teaching me how to speak and lecture in front of crowds. And I am constantly in front of them now. Plus, she was the one who inspired me to perform for the school Productions. Thank you, Dear, for giving me the confidence to leave my comfort zone. I asked her about DOD teachers before we graduated and I almost went into teaching. She really seemed to love it. Unfortunately my first student teaching experience was with 7th graders in Indianapolis! So I turned to Psychology and Programming.
Mrs. Saddlemire had more confidence in me than I did. And when someone is always rooting for you, it finally catches your attention. So, I finally started trying to grow up. She is one heck of a lady. I also admired Mrs. Schramm...and the way she could speak French so eloquently! Plus even while very pregnant, she was always smiling. Mrs. Commons taught me how to cook, bake and grocery shop! I was her assistant during senior year and she was a lot of fun. My least favorite class was Chemistry. Ask me later (maybe I will be over it by then), the little known secret of what happened to me in chemistry that made me hate it so much.
Did you have a part time job - what was it?
No, I didn't have a job anywhere...except for singing gigs every now and again. Our Rock/Soul band played the Golf Course, Coconut Grove, etc. Didn't get any money for it but decided it was good experience. Thank you Mr. Cole, it came in handy later in life. Y'all don't probably know this but Mr. Cole was a hep cat. :0) I really grew to like him a lot and respect his music knowledge. I even took a couple of music theory classes in college because of him.
Did you have a crush on anyone?
Donald Alexander was my first crush, during track season, and who I later married in the states. We have two grown daughters together. And we lived the Air Force life all over again for a period of years. Believe it or not, we are still close friends. I was also crazy about Donovan White (older stud muffin), but he was clueless about my adoration (I think). He just smiled and said hello to me in the hall. Later, I saw him at the San Francisco Reunion in 87! OMG...still had the flutter....
I called Yolanda Fisherman like I was in high school again to tell her he talked to me for about a half an hour in the lobby and gave me his address. But even she knew I was way too chicken to write to him even as a friend. Now that is what you call a high school crush! I flirted with Mark Eby on a daily basis because our lockers were right next to each other and he reminded me of Steve McQueen. I also idolized Antoine Holmes who was going with my best friend, had a crush on my mother, and was best friends with Donald. Antoine was deep even in high school. I also flirted with at least 100 other guys. I became friends with many of them later and their wives as well.
Have you become closer to a Wagnerite that you didn't know well in high school because of a reunion?
Yes, I have met many Wagnerites that I didn't know in High School. And now I wish I had met them in high school. But I feel blessed that I have finally met them now. And many of them are on Facebook.
How did your experience living overseas change you?
It made me become the vacationer that I am today. And it made me more open to trying new foods and cultures. I wish I had taken more pictures of the flowers and the fire trees. I took a picture of one in Puerto Rico, but it wasn't the same. I wish I had learned how to make more of the food. And I wish I had gone to Makati one more time before we left. Over the years, I have met several people from Manila. So, I wish I had known more about the city before I went there. I would have been better prepared to explain what I did there.
Thank you to everyone that has connected to me in Facebook. It has been a real pleasure getting to know all of you a little bit better. Thank you also for embracing my current husband, Jorge Soto-Perez. He met so many of you at the 2006 Reunion in San Diego and he had such a good time. And I was so proud of how you invited him into your past. It made me love you guys even more. He grew up in Brooklyn and didn't have the relationships in high school that we share. He was mystified by our fondness of each other. And he met so many of you, it was like a quiz later on the plane, trying to figure out who he was talking about.
Recently, someone here in town asked me what high school I went to in Louisville. I said, "Actually, I went to a Department of Defense high school in Clark AB in the Philippine Islands." She said, "Oh, how awful for you, not to have any high school friends in the local area or any roots." I just chuckled and said, "I don't think there is a person in this city that had a better high school experience than I did! I wouldn't have traded it for any other place. It was so beyond the normal high school experience, I would have to write a book to tell you all of the wonderful stories!"
