So, My latest efforts that give me pause and drive my thoughts....
I
am one of the founding members of the CHS (Claremont High School)
Alumni Society and chairman of the Veterans Committee. The Society was
formed this year in honor of the 100th year anniversary of the High
School, yep that's The Centennial of CHS. I have undertaken the efforts
to gain recognition for all CHS alumni who have answered this nation's
call in time of war and time of peace. I have searched at length and can
tell you that there is no record of CHS classmates who either joined
the Military right out of high school or later after college or after
time has passed. However, the transition to serve the country, the
records just don't show.
So I have started
communicating with as many classmates and others on the alumni society
to gain, through their personal interactions and their social networking
of choice, access to as many CHS alumni veterans as possible. What a
project, I've written to local newspaper columnists, spoken with school
officials, joined the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), joined the
local American Legion and broadcasted my search wherever I could.
To
date, I have garnered information on over 220 alumni veterans; names,
CHS class, Branch of service and in many cases theater of participation
in times of war. Looking at the demographics and breadth of class
participation in these results I believe that I have probably around
half of the actual number and I have participation from the classes of
the 50' and 60's much more than the other classes. Followed by the 70's
and then 80's.
I am seriously lacking any
intelligence on veterans from the classes before 1950 and after 1995;
observation- the more recent classes are still young enough to be
constantly looking forward and can't be bothered with things like
'records' and 'annals'. The classes before the 50's are probably very
lean in number of survivors to 'tell the story'.
If
you can help...please do. I hope to present this record to the school
and to the local American Legion on 11/11/11, Veterans Day 2011 at a
ceremony in Memorial Park-for effect. I am in conjunction with this
effort working with CHS to gain a memorial spot on campus to place a
permanent marker to thank those CHS alumni who have answered the call.
