Getting Out-voted
(From Sheila Baker from Oak Ridge, Tn)
I was in K-town the same time Mike Ritter was. A grad of Kaiserslautern American High School Class of 1973, But was not in the Cool group that Ritter ran in... I was on the side lines... When I got told that my dad was going to be stationed in Germany I told my mother she could just leave me in Calhoun City, Mississippi at my Grandmother Pearl Cole. Did not want to go to Germany at all. But only being 15 at the time I got out voted... So getting on the plane I was one of the only teenager's in the few familes going over. The plane was filled with many single service men going over to serve there time in Germany. And as luck would have it my Dad set in the middle of the plane and I in the middle of all the single GI's were I found my life ambitiion to try to date the whole U.S. Military while over there the next three years... Yes I did date a couple high school boys. Also was with a Singing Group called Hear and Know lead by a wonderful Airman Dan Elkins, not only was he our
Choir Director but also a Youth Minister at the church we went to. I would love to know what happen to him and his family, he was always there for any of us to talk to if we needed someone.
But my main focus was on dating GI's. How much fun I would had in going over to the Snack Bar after school or going to the movies to go eenie meenie miney moe who can I smile at and say Hello... My mom said it was like have a revolving doors in our house I brought so many home.. Such wonderful memories of Newman T. Jackson, Jr., Bill Sandager, Richie Fredeone and so many more from all over the United States, tall, short, blonde, brunette... Oh what fun I had and every found my love of my life I thought at that time so smart I was at 18 and Married E-4 Douglas B. Pendleton April 19, 1973 durning Spring Break my Senior Year, because we knew he was to be shipped to a new station in June right after gradution. We did leave a couple weeks after for our first assignment and we went to Panama Canal Zone where I had my two children, we were down there 3 yrs and 9 months before we got back to the states, And I had to go with...
But going back to memories of the time we were there. I love my memories of the travels and place I got to see and things I did, going to Paris France, Bern Switzerland, Amsterdam, and Austria. So many places I got to see that others will never be able to say they got to go there...
Between my father Henry J. Alcorn and my husband Douglas B. Pendleton I spend from Jan. 1961 to Sept. 1980 being a military brat both Air Force and Army and can't say enough about the wonderful times in my life because of these two men. In talking to people now and they ask me where I'm came from I say I have lived from Florida to Alaska, to Germany and the Panama Canal Zone and how I finally ended in East Tennesse I can't say that was where I would every thought I would have ended up in my life after traveling with family in the Military.
My my life a a Raider at Kaiserslautern American High School can't be topped... There are a few friends I would like to know what happen to them, Robert Simons a friend up to my Jr. year and his family went back to the states, Mark Anzalone, Margie Chaiken and a few others. But due to reading the wonderful book Mike wrote I had a classmate get in contact with me and we had great fun living old memories.
It is sometime hard to believe it has been 37 years this June since the Class of 73
