Alumni Sandstorm ~ 11/01/16
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5 Bombers sent stuff: 
Mike CLOWES ('54), Joe FORD ('63)
David RIVERS ('65), Duncan SINCLAIR ('65)
John ALLEN ('66)
*************************************************************
*************************************************************
  122 days till Iditarod begins March 4, 2017
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Jim MEFFORD ('54)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Judy WILLOX ('61)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Micki LUND ('63)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Dianne TERRY ('66)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Pat THRAPP ('71)

BOMBER CALENDAR: Richland Bombers Calendar
    Click the event you want to know more about.
*************************************************************
*************************************************************
>>From: Bob Carlson, aka Mike CLOWES ('54)

The sad events of the weekend have marred my usual jocularity.
It is a sad thing when a Bomber is lost; especially if he 
is one of the good guys. And he had to be a good guy cuz he
married Skippy. Skippy is now in a place where she can't do too
much about events. Fortunately their children have taken up the
slack; and life will proceed as it has. My condolences to the
FULCHER family on the loss of their father/grandfather/husband.

It is an even sadder event when a fellow classmate reaches a
certain age. I'm not certain what that age is, fortunately, 
but I think he is gittin' up thar in years. And so he's lost 
a few hairs from the top of his head, mainly because he keeps
scratching it in wonder. 

A tip of the ol' propeller beanie and a "Happy Birthday!" 
are in store for Jim "Tank" MEFFORD ('54) on this occasion.
Jeanette Duncan Mefford ('54) promised to bake him a marble
cake using real marbles.  Think they'll probably wind up at 
the Beef and Brew joint he frequents on third Fridays.

-Bob Carlson, aka Mike CLOWES ('54) ~ Mount Angel, OR  where 
       the leaves continue to fall.
*************************************************************
*************************************************************
>>From: Joe FORD ('63)

Re: M-1 Carbine (another war story belonging to someone else)

Folks;

We were away for a while and I'm just now catching up on
Sandstorm entries from Labor Day on. The stories around the 
M-1 carbine caught my eye, and took me back to Vietnam and 
the area south of Danang, in 1969.

Army medics were not generally issued a useful defensive
weapon. Instead, the Army loaned me (and just about all the
other medics) a WWI era Model 1911 Army Colt Pistol, .45
caliber style (they were all made in .45 caliber). I was 
inside the wire much of the time, and had to wear the .45 
when we went out the gates. The .45 was notorious for its 
weight (heavy) and its barrel mount (loose). Beyond 50 feet, 
its accuracy was poor.

My buddy and fellow medic Jimmy H was assigned to a unit that
was in a more rural setting, all by itself. Which is to say
that he wanted more protection than a .45 would give him, if 
it were needed in the event of armed intruders attempting 
access to the isolated compound, also known as a firefight.

Somehow, he became the proud owner of one of those old M-1
carbines, the short barreled, short stock version. It fired a
.30 caliber round, scarcely longer than a pistol bullet, and
could cough 10 rounds out about as fast as an M-16. His only
had a 10-round magazine. He never used it, but would come into
the aid station at battalion HQ with the rifle slung over a
shoulder. No comments made.

Where this story is going is to Caddo Mills, in east Texas.
Jimmy was from that area, and had a cousin living there, and
when he DEROSed (went home, or "back to the world"), his gear
sent to Caddo Mills arrived about a month before he did. In
packing, he broke that fully automatic little rifle down and
stowed it in the back of his stereo speakers. The cousin who
received his gear and reassembled the rifle reported to Jimmy
that it was fun for hunting rabbits.

Somewhere in east Texas, I'm guessing that M-1 is still there.
Rabbits, beware.

-Joe FORD ('63) ~ Tumwater, WA
*************************************************************
*************************************************************
>>From: David RIVERS ('65)

Re: Attention K-Mart shoppers

I don't need no stinking list to go shopping... I hadda
photographic memory back inna '60s and '70s... even in Law
School (caused me to get the worst grade I ever got because I
pulled the covers off a Prof I was dating when I caught her
being lazy and closed my eyes... turned to the footnote from
which she pulled her question in my mind and simply wrote down
what the court in the case held... bad idea... she was going
thru a divorce so I kinda unnerstan why she was not up to
writing a real question... but boy did she punish me)... ok
back to this century... I realized after grabbing everything 
I needed while shopping today (yesterday) that I forgot one
item... that's ok... there's a K-Mart onna way so I'll just
pull in there... now I can count on one hand the number of
times I've been in K-Mart in the last 10 years... I remember
why... I popped in... got my item and stood in the line at the
one register open... when I got up there, the computer went
down... "You'll hafta go over to lane 7"... OK got in line
again... got up to the check stand and... "Computer is down,
you'll hafta go over to lane 10" (my original lane)... by now
other shoppers had watched what I was going thru... I thought
they were gonna cheer when I finally bought my item... why
didn't I leave? I had already invested about 45 minutes and 
was not gonna drive another 20 minutes to some other store...
ahhhhhhh life inna fast lane... well I wish a much better day
for today's Bomber-babes... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Judy WILLOX ('61) 
and Micki LUND ('63) on your special day, November 1, 2016!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-David RIVERS ('65)
*************************************************************
*************************************************************
>>From: Duncan SINCLAIR ('65)

To: Rex DAVIS ('49)

Happy birthday Rex (on 10/31) and congratulations for your
induction to WSU Sports Hall of Fame. After the 3 years of
instructors and HS you tried to make a gymnast out of me, I 
had to ask your help at WSU to enter the Intramural Gymnastics
competition in 1966. You let me practice my trampoline routine
and make sure I didn't break my neck. Luckily few participated
and I got 2nd for Stevenson Dorm. My grandkids jump on tramps,
but I'm reluctant to try a back double flip these days. I can
still spot like I did for Johnny COLE ('66). The HYATTs ('63-RIP)
were the best apparatus instructors and spotters. Enjoy your 
retirement.

-Duncan SINCLAIR ('65)
*************************************************************
*************************************************************
>>From: John ALLEN ('66)

Re: BOMBER BIRTHDAY

In the many years that the Mattson family was our backyard
neighbor, I never knew that Bob's birthday was Halloween.
Thanks to David RIVERS' ('65) birthday greeting to the "Tuna",
I now understand a great deal more than I did way back when.
Happy Birthday, Bob.

-John ALLEN ('66)
*************************************************************
*************************************************************
That's it for today. Please send more.
*************************************************************