Tuesday, September 14, 2021
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Charles and I were friends at San Diego Union Academy. When he was 15 and I was 16, in the SDA's Medical Cadet Corps. He accompanied me on a trip to Camp Desmond T. Doss in Grand Rapids, MI. for a two week training session in preparation to one day become Medics if drafted into the military. I drove my five year-old MG-TD, sleeping under the stars in our sleeping bags. (Things were different back then!) Then we continued East and toured Washington D.C. then dropped down to West Virginia to visit some of Charlie's relatives there. After enjoying their warm welcome, we headed west. It was early July, and I remember buying some Roman Candles in Kentucky, and firing them off as we drove down the road at night! Then I realized the L.A. Times Grand Prix was happening the next Sunday at Riverside Raceway, so we drove straight through from Amarillo, TX to Riverside, and got there in time to spend the entire day with paddock passes I was able to wrangle from Max Balchowsky. Charlie was a fine young man, and I did get a chance to meet him here in Seattle many years ago. He was a fine Christian gentleman and we enjoyed breaking bread together before he had to return home...
Just count me as an old childhood pal who REALLY appreciated Charles when we were young teenagers! He was a very neat guy!
