Bill Tighe's Internal Leakage (Post Mid Summer Luncheon 2008)
Hello Fellow and Former HSDers,
As is now in order for this time of year in Wlox, on Tuesday July 1st,2008, a group of 160 Intrepids, all former H. Milton Standard persons, joined together in outstanding camaraderie at the Skyline for a noon repast. Firm handshakes all around for the male types, hugs, hugs, and more hugs, for the ladies.
Next Skyline HS Retirees *Do* is set for Tuesday December 2, 2008. Same time, same station, program is now some 16+ years old and offically called the Sid Levine Memorial Lunch. Casual was the dress code, not a tie in sight, some men actually were wearing shorts. Food, as usual, was good and plenty of it.
EmCee was Ron *FAFOP* Baer, ably assisted by his Luncheon team and Donut Kettle Krew members; Al *Tonto* Reed, Errol Matzke and Al Ryan.
Fortunately there was no guest speaker, no boring tales of the Bradley Musuem or other nonsense, and included a well run Raffle by FAFOP of a plethora of wine bottles - all full.
HSD Field Service personnel in attendance were the usual Stalwarts Helen *Polka Lady* Kessler, Arlene and Frank Croce, Barbara and Charlie Dittman, Bernie Brennan, John Brock, Barry Newton & Bill Tighe. Joining the Service table was Werner Glatz from Spars Parts and Walt Barry from Engineering ( who was once based in Torino,Italy at MT ). At an adjacent table could be found some marketing types; Joannie Trapanese, Eileen Longhi, Ted Flanders & Len Cotnoir ( Len was up from Florida ).
Some other familiar faces, among the 160, were; Earl Adams, Jay Bedrick, Harry Berryman, John Burridge, Stan Cohen, Al Croxall, Dick Gamble, Bernie Gatzen, Russ Hubley, Lloyd Oakes, Paul Stein, Dale Smith, John Smith, Bill Percival, Leon Bailey, Leon Stoltze, Paul Hoar, John Vesce, Ben Wennberg and Frank Zuliani. There were many more but these were the only ones I could recognize.
Lots of white and gray hair, some balding pates and a few extended bellies could be observed. As is their wont, for the past several years, Mesdames Ellen Reed, Carol Matzke and Lise Tighe joined at table for their own lunch and ladies chat session. Chet *Chickweed* Heth, planned to attend but had to cancel at the last minute due to Customer meetings and work committments.
Yes indeed folks, after some 70+++ years in the world of Aviation, Olde Chester is still working, flogging Propeller parts all over the Pacific Rim and other parts of the globe!!! Who would have thunk it?
Recently the HS Retirees Donut Kettle Website was shut down. The Donut Kettle in Wlox is where EVERY Wednesday morning for the past 15 plus years a group of former HSers meet for breakfast, idle chatter and frequent tales of derringdo, 52 weeks per year regardless of the weather. Under the guidance and leadership of former Field Servicers Jimmy *Fenster* Fentress and Paul *Cuddles* Thibert, ably assisted by FAFOP, Al Ryan and Billy *Beau* Tighe, the web site is soon to be reopened. Stay tuned for further development.
Missing this year were Elaine King ( formerly Brunk ), Len *Lovable* Agnew, Dom *Rosco* Bosco, Vince *Clipper* Costello, John Kelliher, Sam Kosty, John *Saipan Kid * McCartan, Jack *S* Reno, Ed * Turbo * Trares and Herbie van Winkelen, who sometimes attend, we do hope they are all keeping well. Lest we forget, Howard *Slushpump* Goldberg still residing in an assisted living facility in West Hartford.
If I miss anyone, it is probably inadvertent.
As Woody Woodpecker said, lo those many years ago; " ... Th - Th - Th - That's all Folks! ... "
Corn: No, there is no corn for this issue, this epistle, this yellow rag, this Internal Leakage, this excuse for a Newsletter. Isn't Retirement a *Hoot*? Sailing on the S.S. Leisure, on the Sea of Retirement, out of the grasp of the Aviation World and fully enjoying every damn minute of it, we remain, yours truly, from the Prop Shop & Electronics/ECS/JFC Toy Factory,
Ye Ed
Billy *Beau* T.
