My brother Lee sent me the email below today. It reminds me of how our small school in the valley Virginia is connected across the globe, or in this case Texas. This post is dedicated to the Class of 1941 and the roommates of Room 244; Henry J. “Drac” Foresman; Joseph “Joe Parrish; George ” Jeep” Welch; and George “Pete” Richmond. A great Class and roommates who stayed true to each other until they each died. ”Jeep” Welch died in 1971 soon after retiring from the Army. ”Drac” Foresman and “Pete” Richmond died within days of each other in 2000; and Joe Parrish died in 2010.
“So now Keydets with one voice cry God Bless our Team and VMI.”
Here is Lee’s email:
“This requires the set up so bear with me. Giselle and I are in Tx for her sister Michelle’s graduation and to visit friends. Sunday we came up to Austin and had dinner with two of Giselle’s Pan Am friends, Jo Ann and Eddy. I never had met either one Giselle met both at a Pan Am reunion last fall. So we are at dinner and I am talking with Jo Ann and said something about going to VMI.
She got this surprised look on her face and said her Dad went to VMI and graduated in 1941 with Dad (which qualifies for small world category by itself). Where it really gets into the height off small world coincidences was when it turned out her dad was Joe Parrish – Dad’s roommate. Joe passed away about two years ago but her mother Grace (Joe’s 2nd wife) is still alive. Jo Ann called her mother and we were able to chat for a few minutes and reminisce about some of the times she and Joe came to the house for Class of ’41 get togethers.
To continue the theme yesterday we went to Fredericksburg TX, where ADM Nimitz was born and the National Museum of the Pacific War is located. We spent a solid four hours in the museum and could have stayed longer if we had time. They have a huge exhibit of the New Guinea campaign where Dad fought. If you ever have the chance it would be worth a special trip just to see the museum. Add in that Austin and San Antonio are within 90 minutes of Fredericksburg, it becomes a perfect vacation.”
Rah Virginia Mil, Rah, Rah, Rah, 41, 41, 41.
AMEN on that. Great story.
Cool!