St Paul Catholic School
SPHS Class of 1959
Classmates
Norman VanEeckoutte
Comments
On November 22nd, 1959 I joined the Navy with 12 weeks basic training at Camp Dewey Great Lakes Illinois then 6 weeks steam engineering school. I then transferred to Long Beach, Ca Navy base aboard the USS Collett, A Destroyer Escort ship. In heavy fog we went to sea trials moving at 22 knots with no radar on our ship. We broadsided the USS Ammen, 11 men were killed on that ship, and it almost sank. Both ships had no ammo aboard so we didn't blow up. The story was in the Argus Press but they got it wrong. The casualties were not on our ship! (Wow, 49 years ago!).

After repairs, my first cruise was to Hawaii, Japan, Hong Kong and China to patrol the straights of Formosa. After 6 months I returned to Long Beach, CA where he met my wife JoAnne.

On November 18, 1961 I got married at St. Anthony's Catholic Church. On November 22, 1963 the same day President Kennedy was shot I left the Navy with good conduct discharge. In 1964 I went to work for the Los Angeles Dept of Water & Power as Power Plant Operator.

On May 26, 1964 my first son James Brian was born. On September 18, 1965 my second son Christopher Scott was born. On January 26, 1967 my third son Shawn Michael was born and finally on June 8th, 1968 my fourth and last son Michael David was born.

On October 1st, 1997 I retired from the DWP as an Operations Supervisor with 32 years of service.

My hobbies are arguing politics with liberals, socialist & commies. I enjoy woodworking, restoring old cars, auto repairs, golf, gardening, cooking, shopping at swap meets and watching the Sheppard's Chapel on TV.

I hope you all have a great time at the reunion. God bless you all.

PS: Besides Rosemary Sivak and me, how many of our classmates went to Kindergarten at Old Bryant School? Where are they keeping George Crackel? It's too bad the Nuns had us beat the hell out of him on the playground so we wouldn't have to stay after school for his misbehavior! Cruel!!