MEMORIES OF LEE HARDY, FUHS '51

Don Raupe, FUHS '51, asked me for Jay Hobson's email address. Since I can't give out Pow Wow information without permission, I forwarded the message to Jay. He sent his reply to Don and to me also. It was such a nice letter that I asked Jay if I could post it for everyone to read.

Don - is your last name Raupe? If so, greetings from the Woods/Adams neighborhood. We were in Fullerton last weekend where the jacaranda trees completely cover Woods are just finishing their purple blooming - all over the street sidewalks and yards.
From Connie Van Horn - request re: Lee H. - assuming Hardy
Going to the Methodist Church in Fullerton I was acquainted with the family
and had been to Y camp at Osceola several times with Lee.
It wasn't until 1952 that I joined the AF and was stationed in San Antonio while Lee was there, too. Bob Blurton, who was a Lieutenant, invited Lee and me for dinner with his wife, Bethel Erdman. They both were from Fullerton also. We thought we were pretty hotshots being invited to an officer's home - special memory being a long way from home and being together with hometown people.
Lee became a radio operator and was on flying status in the Philipines during the Korean War.
I became a loadmaster and flight attendant on transports and was flying out of Springfiield, Mass. and later out of WDC. Shortly after being assigned to Boling AFB in WDC in 1954, I got word that Lee had been flying back in the states and was assigned to a squadron in North Carolina. He was flying C-119s?? with paratroops and cargo. On landing, a wing caught a tower, crashed and he was one of the survivors - badly broken up and burned.
For treatment and therapy, he was sent to Walter Reed Hospital in WDC where we hooked up again.
His determination was inspiring during the months there. Finally, he was able to walk and we would explore some of the sights of DC which have many steps. One foot up at a time while dragging the other foot, he was determined to be back to normal again.
One day when I walked into his room, I found him in an iron lung with polio. His head was out of the lung and he was able to talk while the pressurized iron lung breathed for him. It was shortly after that, he died and I was privileged to escort him by train back home to Fullerton for his memorial and burial. While the short stop at the trainstation in Kansas City, Jackie, my long distance girlfriend, left work at the hospital where she was a nurse and met me for a few minutes. Jackie is now my wife with 54 years together. It was only a short time after his death that Salk came out with the polio vaccine.
Lee's father and sister flew to WDC to pick up Lee's car and some belongings and drove together cross country back to Fullerton. While in DC, we had the opportunity to spend time together seeing the sights.
In Feb. '56, I got out of the AF when Jackie and I got married and we stayed in touch with Lee's family for a long time even though we'd moved to Northern Calif..
Good to be in touch again. As Ever, Jay Hobson (FUHS '48)

DOUG MCHENRY, FUHS '56

Florence Satchell, class co-rep for the class of '56, received this message from Doug McHenry's wife:

Dear friends and family,
It is with a sad heart that I send you this message. Doug passed away Tuesday, June 22. His last days were in comfort while listening to classical music. He enjoyed several good months this year with a 50% remission after chemo for lung cancer. A Celebration of Life will be planned at a later date.
With love to all of you, Marie