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David Mitchell

I guess I shoud apologize (again). I know I could have shortened that whole post. But I was "unloading" a story that has been bottled up inside me for years. And the frustrating part is that it seemed to be such a simple and obvious fact to go so utterly ignored in the 48 year long conversation.

Michael McLeod

I wouldn't worry about the length, Dave. This is a good stuff and though I have read up a bit about the war much of it, most of it, is new to me.

Fred Clem

Speaking of Isaly's ice cream, do you remember their unique dipper that brought us the "Skyscraper Cone"!  It was created in Youngstown by plant supervisor Sam Jennings which eschewed round ice cream scoops, instead using a patented design that resulted in a long, inverse cone shaped dip.

Joseph D. McCarthy

Ice Cream.  As I remember there were three great Ice Cream "Parlors" in the Columbus area while we were growing up.  Isally's (last spot I remember was on third or fourth in German Village), next was I believe Bowman's Dairy on West Broad St (Franklinton area), and finally there was a location on Go Down Rd to the North West (at least I think it was Go Down).

Dave, please, whatever you do DO NOT stop talikng about your experiences.

Finally, someone who will remain anonymous (lest he be tarred and feathered in Westerville), reminded me that "moi" (that's european for I) stopped short on my earlier discussion about age 70 1/2, 401K's, and RMD's.  First RMD's do not refer to a new type of Weapons of Mass Destruction, but the Required Minimum Distributions you are required by a law passed by CONGRESS to take from your 401K, or similar plan.

To paraphrase, "it was only recently that I became aware of the "fun part of the RMD", the part that says the FEDS have the final say on how much you MUST take each year."  ........."The RMD is determined by the amount in your IRA, (401K, Etc.) at the end of the previous year AND that person's RMD is also influenced by that person's anticipated longevity table, or how long the actuary table says you might live.  ALSO, the amount required to be moved (taken) each year increases as the persons life expectancy decreases."  I couldn't have said it better.  However one forgotten fact, the IRS isn't responsible for how much you HAVE to take; that was mandated in the law passed by Congress.

On a happier note I will return this channel to the rest of the class.   At least for now.

Jeanine Eilers (Decker)

Dave--Thanks for your post about Cambodia.  Lance and I have been to Vietnam--Saigon and Nha Tran.  I was unsure about how I would feel about the country but once we were there, I had a few surprises.  The amount of high-end retail stores was amazing and when I asked about how that combined with communism, our tour guide smiled at me and said, "Whatever works."  There were statues and memorials to Ho Chi Min on every corner...and millions (literally) of people on motorbikes, motorscooters and motorcycles.  We counted seven people riding on one motorcycle.  There were still a lot of piles of debris around that had never been cleaned up.  The people were friendly and quite young.  Not old enough to harbor ill feelings about the US.  Don't know where the seniors were.  We're going to Laos and Cambodia in January.  Will be interested to see what it is like there.

David Mitchell

Jeanine,

I think God created motor bikes for the Vietnmamese - shortly after the invention of the wheel. I only went into teh "city" of Vinh Long a few times but it was dirty and crowded with motor bikes. And those funny little 3-wheeled Honda "bike-trucks" - also piled so high with poeple and goods you wouldn't know how they could keep the thing balanced. 

And of course, motorized "rickshaws" -  (can't get my photo to load) (now I can't make it small enough - it will quickly disappear)

I have seen photos of some of the contruction boom in Vietnam. The two enormouse susper-highway bridges over the Mekong - one at Vihn Long and the other down at Can Tho leave me dumbstruck! There was one dirt highway in the entire Delta coming down from Saigon back in the day. 

David Mitchell

Jeanine, 

A comment comes to mind from your remark about their attitudes towards Americans. I have heard this exact same comment from four different Americans who have gone back and visited. They told me the Vietnamese have almost no ill will towards us. But they still openly despise the French!

And curiuosly, I know two Vietnmee American refugee families, both of whom had made several trips back to visit. The present younger generation feel completely comfortable with, and are treated normally by the Vietnamese. Their parents (in their early sixties) are cautious and have been "monitored" by the Vietnamese police while there. But the grand parents can not go back - both were ARVN officers (Army of the Republic of Viet Nam - our allies) and they are certain they would be detained and possibly jailed by the Vietnmese police.

Fred Clem

Joe,

Gable's Dairy was on Godown Road, just north of Bethel Road (only 1 mile from my childhood home).  It was a full service dairy with an ice cream parlor in the front.  They supplied milk to the lunch room @ St. Andrew school.  Gabel's also operated a small ice cream shop on High Street, just south of Worthington.

David Mitchell

Fred and Joe,

You beat me to it. I was going to mention Gables. Our neighbor, Charlie Justus, had a pickup, and he and my dad used to pile all of us kids in the back (remeber when that was legal?) and drive waaaaay out there - like out in the sticks on Bethel Road to Gables for ice cream and milk shakes. It was such a fun thing - about three times per summer - usually on a hot evening. I do seem to recall it was more like a farm setting with barns in the back of the rather crude ice cream "shop".

Mark Schweickart

There was indeed a Gables Ice Cream shop, as Fred said, south of Worthington on High Street, but to be more precise, it was in a small cluster of shops right across the street from St. Michael's, so more than a few of us on this forum knew it well. Also in that shop cluster (we did not call it "mini-mall" since there were no "malls" in those days) of course we did not call it "shop cluster" either, so I do not know what to call it just now. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, also in that "group of shops" was "Nicklaus Drugs" another favorite hang-out, whose family name is now more famous for its association with niblicks, mashies, cleeks, and baffing spoons than with drugs. This last sentence is a shout out to our (What The Frank) resident golfing expert who will probably remind us that although we are old, we (and young Jack for that matter) are not THAT old to have used clubs so-named. So why did I bring this up? I don't know. I think I just like the sound of "mashie" and "baffing spoon."

David Mitchell

I think I may have mentioned this before but my mother met young "Jackie" (as she called him) at her mother's step sister's funeral - Jacks's great aunt Annie Niklaus.

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this just in - seriously - An Air Force  C-130 has just crashed on a road just out of the back way from Savannah airport!  It is a road I travel all the time on my backup job. I just led my two daughters past this intersection last week to giude them across the "back way" to Hilton Head.

Fred Clem

My little brush with the "Golden Bear" happened in the fall of 1961.  My father was a patient in University Hospital.  Mom and I were visiting with him.  I was sent to the basement vending area to get some soft drinks.  On the way back up the elevator stopped at the 1st floor and Jack got in.  Earlier that year he finished 4th at the Masters as an amateur and only 21 years old.  Back in my dad's room I told my parents about the encounter. Neither one knew who he was.  I read in the newspaper the next day Jack Nicklaus II had just arrived.

Timothy Lavelle

It was "A beautiful day in the neighborhood" here in the PNW. After 10 months I was able to go for a short ride on the big Honda cruiser. Felt great...felt more like 69 than 70! 

Jeanine...I am soooo jealous. Cambodia and Laos, Wow.

Fred Clem

David,

Gabel's was different than other larger area dairies.  Borden, Diamond, Harmony Farms and Bowman had their milk trucked in from all over the region.  Gabel's was actually a farm with the herd of milk cows on the same property.

Young's Dairy, just south of Springfield, started out just like Gabel's but has grown to a much larger business

It's only about 1 hour west of Columbus on US Rt. 68, 5 miles south of I-70.  I've taken my godchildren and friends there for years.  It's a fun experience:  https://youngsdairy.com/

John Maxwell

Michael McLeod

I'll say it again, Jack. So sorry.

Linda Weiner (Bennett)

Prayers for repose of the soul of Julie and for those who love her. So sorry, Jack.

James Hamilton, M. D.

Jeanine Eilers (Decker)

Jack,

I am so sorry for your loss.  Losing a sibling is particularly difficult.  I hope you pass through the coming days as peacefully as possible.

Donna Kelley (Velazquez)

Jack, I am really sorry for your loss. Find comfort in your lifetime of memories together.  Big hug.

John Maxwell

Fred Clem

Jack, 

My condolences on the passing of your sister.

David Mitchell

Jack,

How sad to lose someone so dear, but perhaps even more so to see it overcome her in such a difficult way. I hope she is resting in Glory!  

Mark Schweickart

My sympathies as well, Jack. I am afraid this will be an all too common refrain for our generation as our loved ones (and ourselves) begin to drop away. I suppose we can take some solace in the fact that we made it this far.

That being said, someone now needs to address the elephant in the room and be brave enough to politely change the topic back to the really important things we care about  like: ice cream, and Flippo, and our Appalachian roots, and Trump (oh, wait, we agreed to not to go there), and lawn-mowing adventures, and... and... well, come on, guys, someone needs to jump in with something. I am breaking the ice here, now someone needs to dive in. Here's an idea. We are one month away from the 50th anniversary of the RFK assassination. Anyone remember how that affected you that day? Any conspiracy buffs like myself who want to weigh in on... well, maybe few want to go down that convoluted road. Anyway, it was just a suggestion. Anyone remember 4-in-1 Skybars or Zagnuts. Okay I'm floundering here. Someone else jump in.

Kathleen Wintering (Nagy)

For Jack, 5-4-18. I would like to add my condolences on the death of your eldest sister. It is is really hard to lose a sibling. We`ve shared so much of our lives with them. Hope you have a lot of good memories of your years together, Kathy Wintering