Best Friends in 8th Grade

[Left: Art C. at ENMS. Right: Art C. and me at ENMS 2002 Reunion.]
Art C. and I were best friends in the 8th grade. He was a smart guy with a great sense of humor and I really admired him. Still do! He was the younger brother of cadet Alan C. -- both of Las Vegas -- once again the Vegas connection between ENMS cadets forging strong bonds. Art and I just hung around all the time whenever there was free time to do so. During the 7th grade, Art lived in the small dorm and I in the large. During the 8th grade, Art continued in the dorm and I moved over to the Junior wing with fellow band member Wayne K. Art was in the 4th platoon. We both made corporal during 8th grade and Art received a sergeant promotion at the end of the 8th grade -- a nod that he would be expected to shoulder greater leadership if he returned during the 9th grade (which I don't believe he did because his brother Alan C. graduated from ENMS during our 8th grade). I didn't hang out with Art in Las Vegas like I did with Don and Fred. I learned during the 2002 ENMS Reunion that Art was now heading his father's successful Las Vegas business. Art, now a "captain" of industry, had a wonderful family of his own -- a lovely wife and two children. An interesting tid bit that I learned during the 2002 Reunion was that the reason I went to ENMS was way different than many other cadets. Some kids actually wanted to be at ENMS. Art wanted to be next to his older brother Alan -- a senior and platoon leader. Wayne K. wanted to be with his older brother Mark -- a senior and the cadet company commander during our 7th grade experience. Had I had this perspective while a cadet at ENMS, I might have had a less stressful time thinking we all didn't want to be at ENMS. Not true! There were kids that really digged being at ENMS. Maybe that is why Art and Wayne were a bit more laid back than me. After all, they had their brothers around them while Don and I had ours locked away from us over in the Junior school -- an interesting twist don't you think. [Here's what Art wrote in my 1964-65 Academy yearbook. "Orman, you have been my best friend this year. I have had a lot of fun here with you. I hope to see you in Las Vegas this summer and I hope our friendship will last for a very long time.Your Friend, Arthur C."] I saw Art only a couple of times after leaving ENMS when we lived in Las Vegas and then when I was enrolling for courses at UNLV, I ran into him with Fred J. registering for classes too. Since then I have been out of touch with Art and when we got to the 2002 ENMS Reunion we didn't get much caught up as so much was going on. But, if anyone made ENMS fun for me it was Art. Thanks for being my best friend at ENMS, Art!

In Memory of Don P. Lohn

Don and I were very close friends during my 8th grade and final year at ENMS. He was from Las Vegas and also had a little brother Jon in the Junior school. We both lived in the Junior wing. He shared a room with Otto L. at the far end of the hallway and I shared a room with Wayne K. in the middle of the hallway. He was in the Color Guard and I was in the Band. The Band and Color Guard always attended guard mount at the end of the day when the colors were retired and the daily guard roster changed. Although I was a couple years younger than Don, because we had so much in common, we hung out a lot. Several times we took our brothers out of the Junior school together for weekend pass. I also remember once his wonderful Mother took us all out on pass and we went to the San Diego Zoo. Don and I were very protective of our brothers and made sure they were doing well. [In April of 1973, while attending UNLV, I took my girlfriend (and wife of 35 years, Debra) to a Yes (still my favorite band) rock concert at the Las Vegas Ice Palace. Mid concert, Deb and I ran into Don and ended up after the concert at a nearby restaurant getting caught up over pie and coffee. I learned that Don had been in the Army and stationed overseas and that it was not a pleasant experience for him. I sensed there was great turmoil in his life. After that meeting, I didn't see Don again until the 2002 ENMS Reunion and we didn't speak much either but we did recognize one another. We never really got caught up together as we had done in the restaurant thirty years prior. And, again, I sensed without having any details that he had lived a challenging life.] Then, the news came from Jim M. notifying us of Don's passing Friday, April 4, 2008, after a hard fought battle with cancer. His funeral was held at the LDS Church in Vancouver, WA and he was buried at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, OR on April 10, 2008. [The following video is my tribute to our ENMS brother Don during a most engaging time of our lives -- around the summer of 1965 just before he and Jon returned to ENMS for summer school I believe. My Dad, Harry, took us all out to the Colorado River and we zoomed down the extraordinary canyon to majestic Lake Mojave for a day of merriment and mayhem water skiing (me and Don double skiing), fishing, swimming, etc. Four brothers having a blast at the conclusion of the 1964-1965 school year -- Don and his brother Jon and me and my brother Steve. Dad filmed it all for posterity. Don must be about 15 or 16 years old and Jon about 9 or 10. I am 13 years old and Steve is 11. Whatever you remember about Don P. Lohn, please know that once upon a time he spent a fantastic day in the sunshine with his brother and friends having an extraordinary amount of fun!] Don had a good heart! He was a good man! See ya later, pal.

Clark and Michaud

[Left: Mr. George H. Clark, B.A., Brown University, Rhode Island -- 7th and 8th Grade Math and Science. Right: Mr. Daryl L. Michaud, Wesleyan University, Nebraska -- 7th and 8th Grade English, History, Reading, Spelling.] The above gentlemen were my wonderful teachers during my tenure at ENMS in the 7th and 8th grades. They were all business and well respected by everyone. [Take a good look at the classroom facilities behind the photos of Mr. Clark and Mr. Michaud. You can see these weren't state of the art facilities. From what I understand, originally these were garages for patrons of the "country club" for storing their automobiles and that LTC Conklin later converted to classrooms when he purchased the facility. I believe there was a fire that destroyed all or part of these classroom facilities after brother Steve and I left ENMS. Check out the ENMS campus as of 2002 and there is nothing but dirt at the far left where the classrooms (garages) once stood.] Mr.Michaud (we pronounced his name like "me-shew" -- French?) was unique in that he was shorter than even most of his students -- a little person? He was physically powerful and dynamic. (Note that a 1953 high school champion wrestler by the name of Darly Michaud is listed for Lincoln High.) Also, I think that he and his wife had a child during my time under his tutelage. During my second year at ENMS, all the instructors were awarded rank and wore military uniforms. Mr. Michaud became First Lieutenant Michaud and Mr. Clark became Captain Clark. Thanks for everything LT Michaud and CPT Clark. You both were great! [A major memory I have of Mr. Michaud was when I alerted him that I had just found out about President Kennedy being assassinated. In fact if you look directly behind him you'll see the drinking fountain where I learned this fact from a student walking by during a break with a transistor radio up to his ear. Mr. Mischaud put class on hold to walk down to the Principal's office to check it out and wasn't gone but for a second when he reappeared and said President Kennedy was dead because our flag on the parade ground was at half mast.] Mr. Clark's classroom was directly behind Mr. Mischaud. While the 7th graders were in Mr. Michaud's classroom, the 8th graders were in Mr. Clark's classroom and vice verse. Mr. Clark commanded a different kind of respect. Where Mr. Michaud was more youthful and around our own size or even smaller, he felt like your older brother or maybe your uncle was in charge. Mr. Clark on the other hand, had a gruffer voice, smoked, was older, heavy set, taller than his students and acted very managerial. However, once you got to know him, his kindness surfaced. [Mr. Clark caught me and another student cheating one day. During a test we were looking off each other's test paper and he called us both up to the front of the class and gave us a thorough tongue lashing and then asked us to hold out our hands and with his ruler he smacked them several times very hard and then told us to never do that again and go back to our seats. I thought for sure we were goners as all I could see was us being turned in for cheating and that would have resulted in 25 or 50 demerits which meant being campused for several weeks and doing tours, etc. But, he didn't turn us in and that was the last time I ever looked over at someone else's exam. I was so embarrassed that I swore to myself that if ever I flunked an exam or course I would preserve my dignity by taking full credit for having accomplished the awesome feat on my own.] Mr. Clark is standing just a few feet from the entrance to his classroom (at his immediate left facing us -- not the building behind him). At the back corner of his classroom was a tree where I threw up. The entire corps of cadets had come down with some kind of gastrointestinal bug and we weren't blaming the cooks. I remember how ill we all became and it was significant enough to place us all in our beds for a few days -- a campuswide quarantine, if you will. [Over all, I was a pretty good kid and kept my nose clean. I avoided fights and conflicts. However, inevitably there was one of two other kids at ENMS that you just didn't get along with. One particular kid in class had a smart ass personality that begged to be remedied after his come-back antagonistic remarks. When he called my mother a terrible name in Mr. Clark's classroom while everyone else was on break, including Mr. Clark outside having a smoke (about where he's standing in above photo), well, I tore into this kid and took him out. The ruckus was so loud that Mr. Clark ran into the room to pull me off this kid and when I came to my senses I immediately took off for Mr. Sewell's office, the Principal, ready to receive the consequences. Mr. Sewell checked back with Mr. Clark and I was released to go back to class and nothing ever came of this incident. I thought for sure I was doomed to 25 or 50 demerits and being campused and tours but evidently after checking things out, Mr. Clark and Mr. Sewell decided to not pursue the matter further.] One other tid-bit about Mr. Clark. He had been a good friend of Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy fame. One day, he pulled from his wallet a couple of photos of him with Mr. Laurel on the Santa Monica Pier. Sorta made me think that there was a side to Mr. Clark's life outside of ENMS that was pretty wide and deep. We didn't know that Stan Laurel died February 23, 1965. However, maybe that's why Mr. Clark shared the memory of his dear friend with us. Check it out: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL3mHPmNKRE]

The Price of Admission

So, how much did it cost my "blue collar" parents to send me and little brother to ENMS for two years between September 1963 and June 1965 so they could have the breathing room to help big sister deal with her esteem and other issues? About eight grand if you go by the tuition rates in the above "Supplemental Data" pamphlet. But, I'm thinking it was probably more like nine or ten grand (might have been more) when you factor in ancillary expenses like plane tickets, clothing allowances, expenses (travel - lodging - meals) incurred for 50hr passes in Southern California after traveling by car to ENMS from Las Vegas and then back, etc. Gadzooks! The inflation calculation above shows that $10,000 in 1965 is equivalent to $68,676.19 in 2009. That was a very expensive proposition. [My parents weren't able to keep up with the monthly payments and worked out a delayed payment arrangement with LTC Conklin. For several years after we left ENMS Mom and Dad bemoaned the fact that they had this huge debt to settle with ENMS. Around when I graduated from public high school in 1969 is when they made their final payments. Steve and I felt so relieved because their debt we felt was ours as well. Often we would lament how we didn't want to go to ENMS in the first place so why should we be blamed for Mom and Dad's ENMS debt. Sorta like apologizing for being born, if you know what I mean. But we were all together in this Yellow Submarine and Mom and Dad's pain was ours (and vice versa). Just goes to show how parents can get way behind the learning curve and drag their kids through their spiraling negative performance cycle.] I am very grateful for having gone to ENMS and appreciate the sacrifice Mom and Dad made. However, although I learned a lot about life at ENMS, I probably learned a lot more about life observing my parents navigating our little dysfunctional family through the turbulent 1960s. We gave it our best shot although it seemed like a very ridiculous and unnecessary exercise at the time. God bless us one and all for trying!

Postcards from the ENMS

We were required to write home every week and every Monday morning we turned in our letters at formation before marching over to the classrooms on the other side of campus. Can you imagine how different our ENMS experience would have been with all the modern communication technology that is available today -- email, texting, cell phones, etc? Then, the only communication with my family was letters to one another and maybe a phone call once a week on pass. On weekends when I'd take brother Steve out on a Sunday pass with me, we'd go find a pay phone booth across the street and I'd use a dime from my allowance money to place a collect call home to our parents. Since both parents worked, we took a chance on connecting up with them. However, often at least one parent was home. Mom saved most of the letters we wrote home and here are two of mine, warts and all, from a couple of months after we went to ENMS. I typed them out below. Note that some of the dysfunctional family dynamics are displayed by me in the second letter.

1st letter -- (about a month after arriving at ENMS)

Dear Mom and Dad

Well what have you been doing? Ive ben doing fine so far Im going to have close to a C or a B avrege at least I hope so tell me if Jody [playmate from down the street at home in Las Vegas] is goin to come down. steve is anxious to have somebody to play with My Teachers are nice I like them I am avreageing a B grade in geography sofar how is Miss Clark [best teacher I ever had 4th and 6th grade in Las Vegas.] Butch [cadet Wayne S whom I attended 5th and 6th grades with at JT McWilliams Elementary School in Las Vegas.] is doing fine all these kids got a Lot oF "intellgience" one of these boy are typing like a pro. this week Iam going to fire my rifel tell Janet Hi!

Love you Both
Gary

"PS
Hate to Tell You This But, someone swiped my ink pen.
I'm sorry !


2nd letter --(about two weeks later)

Dear Mom & Dad

[page 1]

Well how are you both? Guess what dad Butch is all excited about his dad getting a dear he's really proud. I sure hope you get one this time I sure wish I could go with you guys. Don't let Gary [big sister Janet's boyfriend whom she eventually married and had a child with and then divorced a year later -- one of four marriages so far she has experienced] scare the deer "ha ha"! Now you will find out how much trouble he is. is Janet going two, she is, "ha ha oboy" ! I sure wish you would have come up with grandma & Momey. Steve was disapionted that you would not come up! "so was I" steve got a little upset. Mother steve learned the ten commandments and passed two! he was so much better after that.Me and steve are going out on the all day pass With Kelly [cadet Kelly H is the son of Dad's deer hunting buddy and Kelly eventually went AWOL and never returned to ENMS the next year.] He is not campused. Guess what on the demerit list I got 15 demerits and 6 merits and got a B. That is pretty good. hu.

[page 2]

I sure hope Janet is not getting married June. If she is ILL BUST HER BRITCHES and I mean it do you want me to tell you our dially plan for the week. ok. well first we get up in the morning and get our cloes on and then we comb our hair and get ready to eat after we eat we go up to where we live "thats in the large dorm" and clean up the place. then we go two school and my first subject is Math and then we have science and then we have Geography. after those three peeriods are up, we go in to mr. Mischaud class and have English Reading

[page 3]

After we are done with thos subjects we go eat lunch and after we get through with lunch we have 15 minutes to goofe off on, " go to slepp" then the Bugle blows and we go to school again and have spelling after we get done with spelling we go back to formation. and then we have free time we get to swim sometimes and do anything we want to do then the bugle blows and we take our showers. After we are done with are showers we put on our Kackies and get ready for dinner after we are done with dinner we have about 20 minuts to play. and the bugle blows again we get ready for study hall and after that we go to bed! And thats are daily plain. Well got to go because the "bugle blew"

Ha Ha Love you Gary

1963 - 64 School Calendar and Special Regulations

When you look at the above 1963 - 64 School Calendar and Special Regulations you realize a lot of planning took place to operate the Elsinore Naval and Military School. No doubt this planning became more and more refined year after year during the existence of ENMS. No doubt those alumni who have waxed nostalgic to resurrect a new and improved version of ENMS at the same location have subconsciously balked knowing full well the level of difficulty required to make their dream a reality. The above school calendar was sent to my parents and this would guide their understanding of significant events transpiring throughout the year and the regulations regarding them. Then, they could plan accordingly. Note in the last paragraph that states, "KINDLY DO NOT ASK FOR EXTENSION OF LEAVE, NOR FOR PERMISSION TO LEAVE IN ADVANCE OF SCHEDULED DATES GIVEN ABOVE." Can you imagine the operational headaches had this policy not been in effect! See if you can spot this kindly reminder to parents from above, "PLEASE DO NOT GIVE OR SEND ADDITIONAL MONEY TO YOUR SON." Want to start and operate a profitable private prepatory military school? Not so fast! Takes guts! Lotsa guts!