Wagner Memories: Ed Welch '77

What was your first impression of Clark and Wagner? It was not very good.  I guess I was a little predisposed to not like it based of the briefings we received prior to going. Stories about people getting their hands cut off for jewelry and people being sold into slavery did not make life in the PI seem too enticing. 

We lived off base in Villa Angela at first.  The concept of living in a house with a metal roof surrounded by a cement wall with broken glass on top of it was not very welcoming.   Initially, I did not think it was much like paradise. It was hot; there were giant bugs, not to mention the goats and roosters strolling around the neighborhood. The school bus had slide up wooden windows with metal screens. 

We had to go the water station to pump drinking water and, unlike subdivisions like Carmenville, we were not very close to the base (from what I remember) and there were not a lot of American families out there.  The first couple of months there, I didn’t even see much of Clark.  We flew into Manila and we lived off base.  We’d go on base for water, gas, the commissary and to the O’Club pool.  While at the pool, it seemed like they had Clapton’s “I shot the Sheriff” on a continuous loop, over and over again!! I wanted Clapton to shoot me!

Wagner, the school that I came to love, did not have a high initial approval rating either.  After the prison bus ride there, we unloaded to this place that was all outside, with lockers barely big enough to hold a lunch bag and a couple of books and all this crazy painting on the walls.   It was like nothing I had ever seen!   The fricken cafeteria wasn’t even connected to the school; this place was a far cry from the campus of “Room 222”!! 

What surprised you the most about the Philippines? What did you like best about living there? That I ended up loving it there.  It’s hard to say what I liked best about living there.  In no particular order, the friends I made, the location (having Baguio, Long Beach or Subic Bay and Grande Island so close), the community, the weather, the food, the night life, the school, the sports, everything…

Did you really miss anything from the States and if so, what? Tube socks, it was hard to get good tube socks there.  We went back to the States on vacation after our first 2 years there and I had a ton of orders for tube socks to fill. Not mention, McDonalds.  It was the concept of the States more than anything, everyone talked about getting off “The Rock”.  If I only knew then what I know now…

Who were your good buddies? Due to PCS’ing, there were 2 time frames.  The first year or two it was Jeff Jacobs, Pat Early and Danny DeCroes. That blended into the last couple of years where my buds were Dave Wellman, Frank Fontenot, Joe Avalos, Mark Anderson, Grey Brooks and BT Uptmor.

Where did you hang out? After school it was the Olympic Pool, base gym or sports of some kind.  After hours activity is a time frame question as well.  The 1^st year or two, I’d get dropped off at the Teen Club. We’d hang out there for a while then end up off base at Italian Village, a bar that had a Led Zeppelin cover band (I forget the name maybe it was the Halfadi) or The 3^rd Eye.  

The next year the bowling alley was the drop off point or initial destination.  Then it was off to any or all of the following: Vertigo, Kahuna’s Hut, Philippine Disco, Mars Hill, the Bamboo Bowl for a Midnight movie, and the occasional party out at the stables or a house party.  Who could forget HOG?  That was always a blast!

Who was your favorite teacher/class? My favorites were Ms. Munn (Speech I and II), Ms. Sleight (Art) and Mr. Carmone (College English).  I did not have any classes with the Tuckers, but had a blast with them in the Musical Reviews!

Did you have a part time job - what was it? Sort of, but the income was not reportable.  Besides that, one summer to keep Dave Wellman and me busy (in between our junior and senior year, Lori and Emily Wilson just went back to the states), my dad hired us to work at the VOA site.  All we did was drive around the facility in a golf cart and shoot M16s.

Have you become closer to a Wagnerite that you didn't know well in high school because of a reunion? Myrna and Nina, I probably teased them more than talked to them at Wagner.  Because of their involvement in the reunions I’ve come to know, like and respect both of them immensely.  Mike O’Brien I sort of knew at Wagner.  

Unfortunately, I knew his dad better than him thanks to some of my activities. Mike and his wife Kathy live a few miles from me. I never knew it until the Denver Reunion. We hang out now.  In part because of the reunions, I have become much closer to Mark and Liz Anderson.  I was friends with them then, but we are much closer now.  They are good people!

How did your experience living overseas affect you?  It made me more acceptable and adaptable to change.  It kept us isolated from a lot of crap as well.  I think of it as our own version “The Wonder Years”.

Additional Comments: I couldn’t imagine going to high school, having more fun or meeting better people in any other place.

Photos: #1) Dave Wellman, Ed Welch and Grey Brooks. #2) Dave Wellman, Emily Wilson, Dede Grant, David Gaude, Lori Neese Welch & Ed Welch. #3) Wagner baseball team 1977 #4) Dave Wellman and Ed  #5) Base Basketball league

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