THE FOOTNOTES

At the time of my retirement in 1985, the Rockville Area Chamber of Commerce honored me by establishing scholarships in my name
in each of the three high schools in the Chamber's area------Ellington High where I coordinated the Cooperative Work Experience Program, in Tolland and Rockville High Schools which also had CWE programs. In establishing CWE at Ellington High, I worked closely with the Chamber and its members to develop training stations for our non-college bound students. I rose through the chairs of the organization to where I would have become President but I declined the Presidency saying that the President should be a business person. That's how involved I was.
The Noonan Scholarship was for $500 dollars in each of the three local high schools.
The scholarships were awarded for nine years, , and ceased when the Rockville Area Chamber, the sponsoring organization went out of existence merging with a County wide Chamber.
The present Chamber continues to make mention of what happened in 1985, and
here is part of the page showing it. (see 1985)

One of my anniversaries: October 20, 1944, On that day our ship, the YMS-176 took part in the invasion of Leyte Gulf, in the Phillipines------General Douglas MacArthur, who had been run out of the Phillipines by the Japanese a couple of years earlier, fulfilled his promise to the Phippine people, "I shall return!" he did, and so did a lot of other Americans including me.

Hard to believe it was 66 years ago. How come I didn't get old?

Our ship arrived two days before the invasion force arrived. We were protected by larger ships and aircraft who were pounding targets ashore. Our job was to clear the anchorage area of mines so that our ships laden with all kinds of stuff and thousands of so9ldiers could enter safely. We did that, and were then used as a control ship, with god knows how many others to guide our soldiers ashore. Wow! What a spectacle.!

Here's a picture of the shio on which I served, YMS=176

Chris and Pat were here yesterday. Chris was on his way back to college.