Many people fail to realize the effort and dedication that must be expended by the staff to ensure that a project such as our Class Web Page succeeds. Here is a photo of our Photographic and Alumni Information Officer as he looks forward to the task of sending out the recent mailings. Then please see the picture of him after the tasks were finished. A typical before & after scenario.
Open Letter To: Betty & Ken:
Thanks again from the bottom of my heart for your help. This project was only possible because of help from you two.
Lou
Lets all give thanks to Betty and Ken for the dedication and effort they have expended to ensure that this project is a success.
The Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Alumni and friends that have taken an interest in SHS47. If you have comments or suggestions please feel free to contact the above members of the committee and state your views. This Web Page is for you, about you, and dedicated to our class for which most of us entered Southside High 60 years ago. September 1943, at the height of the War to End all Wars. WW II. A period in history that helped to shape most of our lives. Many of our Classmates either enlisted or were drafted into the Armed Services during the Korean Conflict and a few were still servicing during the Vietnam War.
During that period we believed that one of our basic tenets was patriotism; an undying love of country. Our families were sometimes torn apart as loved ones were sent to battle an enemy across the seas. Few families escaped the star in the window as brothers, uncles, cousins and loved ones entered the service. I remember that you could not walk a street of Elmira where you did not see the stars displayed. Some of the families were among the unfortunate that lost the loved ones that the stars represented. We saw a variety of uniforms on the streets. I remember that we all dreaded the delivery of a telegram during that period as it was a precursor of dire news. If you traveled by train, you found them packed with servicemen either on the way to or returning from overseas
We as a class was fortunate that the war ended when it did as many of us would have been among the volunteers or draftees ordered to serve. We could have been asked to storm the beaches of Japan instead of conduct business with them. A few months would have made a great difference in our lives. Anyone who thinks that the prevailing patriotic fever would have waned and we would have been spared is a real dreamer.
Lou
