Reunions trigger memories

Bill “Dutch” Van Horn, one-time Orange Coast College baseballer and

Harbor High gridder, has confronted two noteworthy reunions this summer

but got past one in early June at Minden, Nevada.

Van Horn, Class of 1945 at Harbor High, celebrated the Nevada

get-together with former members of the Newport Beach Fire Department. He

was a longtime member of the fire agency.

One of the highlights was provided by the former fire official as he

produced six colorful albums of old photos and notes for the visitors to

view from the old days.

Many one-time Harbor High star athletes served in the area fire

brigades in the early years, including ’45 guard Jim Brooks, ’47 guard

Bill Clark, ’47 tackle Jim Brooks, ’47 guard Bill Clark, ’47 tackle Bill

Weatherwax, mid-’40s sprinter Hal Young and ’52 end Ted McMasters.

The second event is the 55th reunion of the Class of ‘45, 11 a.m. to 4

p.m. in the Governors Room at the Balboa Bay Club on Sept. 21. Jim

Douglas, a tackle on the ’44 grid team, has labored hard to pull an

estimated 70 mates together. One mate, Rick Horny, recently passed away,

according to Douglas.

The Class of ’50 will stage its 50th reunion July 15th at the Balboa

Pavilion but one of its outstanding mates, former Navy Rear Admiral Jim

Seely, a jet fighter pilot who won numerous medals and honors, has to bow

away. He has to attend a vital wedding the same day in Florida.

Seely said, “It really is a small world and the older we get the

smaller it gets.”

He added, “As Gail and I were driving through Lumberton, S.C. last

month and stopped for the night, we ate dinner at the Texas Steakhouse.

And you won’t believe this: posted on the wall as we entered was a signed

picture of George Yardley in full basketball garb, a nice letter of

thanks from him to the owner, and a resume of his Hall of Fame career and

what he has been doing since. Seems he was passing through there in 1996

and had a nice conversation with the owner.”

Seely recalls a few volleyball days against Yardley and a partner in

Corona del Mar.

Seely and his wife, Gail, also had a share of reunions this past

spring. Both featured get-togethers with former members of air combat

teams and service on several outstanding carriers.

A minor shock for many members of Class of ’45 at Harbor High is that

former Tar quarterback Don Miller from the grid team of ’44 has put his

Temecula home up for sale. He and his wife are planning a move to a

retirement community in Travis Lake, Texas. Miller is the young brother

of Ed, who played tailback on the championship Newport team in 1942.

It is interesting to note that both Jack Bell, Class of ’50 at Harbor

High, and movie star Clint Eastwood, Class of ’48 at Oakland High, once

served as instructors at the Fort Ord swimming pool. However, Bell was,

in time, ordered off to the Korean War and earned numerous honors.

Eastwood remained at the swimming pool his entire term of service with

the Army.

“I got along fine with Clint,” Bell said, “but he could be a

prankster. I got back at him once by hiding his bottle of hair cream at

the pool.”

Bell added, “The Army has a habit of not getting some things done in

good time. Repairs were needed badly once on the diving board. I finally

complained to Clint. Much to my surprise, Clint was up there the next day

fixing the problem.”

A one-time CIF diving star at Harbor High, Bell didn’t connect

Eastwood much with sports, but recalled his interest in golf and

weightlifting.

We once noted that Mrs. Peggy (Mikelwait) Van Horn has had many

opportunities to go watch her son, Bob Ogle Jr., play tennis, especially

in recent years around the Balboa Bay Club.

But there was one day, April 5, 1991, when she would not have been

allowed to be near him. In fact, that would have applied to most anyone

save for the Secret Service.

They brought then-President George Bush around since he wanted to play

a little tennis and Ogle was a club instructor. It worked out fine and

Bush eventually sent a gift of silver cuff links to Ogle.