The Wildman's Life Stories

Some wheres on this forum the Wildman has told that he was a world traveler, an what I tell here are my memories.

Sue City had approx. 165 families an all worked on the T-2 project. The houses were all prefabbed (but not mobile homes). The Tumut river was not far away an some houses sat on the river bank. Kaiser was the employer an the Snowy Mountain authority was the purchaser. The Wildman was a young pup at the time 11, 12, 13 and into 14. Because the school at Sue City only went through the 6th year, the Wildman attended the 7th an 8th at Canberra Grammar, during that time I was addressed as an responded to "yank". Sadly over time an because we moved so often contact has been lost with the people who lived there an the ones I went to school with. Again the Wildman would love to hear from anyone knowing about these things, an of course even better anyone who happened to live there or go to the same school at the same time.

Thanks
Wildman

 

Re: Aussie snowballs

Interesting stuff WM! I'm way too far north of there, but...
Canberra Grammar School
& Old Boys Union

 

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Thanks BigBuck, I emailed the headmaster. The 300 quid for the old boys union is not for me. Do you still call it quid? Hey when I was there it was the Pound, shilling an pence thing.

Thanks
Wildman

 

Re: Aussie snowballs

I read the article, an was in total agreement about the women who lived at these camps. It was not uncommon for the power to go out during bad weather. My dad had ridged up the fire place with a grill, a box that worked like an oven an a hook to hang pots on. I can remember quiet a few meals my mother prepared using this set up. My job was to make sure the wood box was never empty. My dad did help me split the wood into manageable size. As any Aussie can most likely tell you eucalyptus wood is a pain to split.
Even though we had oil heating, one could not always count on the supply truck to make it down the mountain. The fire place was fairly big, as I remember an it could put out a good bit of heat. Sue City sat in sort of a valley. We had a small commissary an there were times when it got pretty low on stock. I remember that once a month we went into Cooma, a fair ways away, about a two hour drive, an stocked up on everything. We had a freezer, an dad had also made a box that could be stuffed with ice an even snow if necessary. The house had a big covered porch an all the stuff necessary if the power went out was kept there. Also my dad had to strip down on the porch before mom would allow him into the house. Construction work can be a dirty job. The women of these camps were indeed a hearty lot, but for the life of me I can not remember my mom ever complaining about it. As a kid, we could not get away with anything either, for we had quiet a few more than just one mother, they all were keeping an eye on us, an their grape fine was a wonder to behold. Well again just some of my memories.

Thanks
Wildman

 

Re: Aussie snowballs

Hey Wildman,

I read w/interest your tales of yore. I googled for more info and the stories are quite fascinating. Got any more?

Play on, big ed

 

Re: Aussie snowballs

Thanks. The Wildman likes to tell the stories, but was not sure anyone wanted to hear them.

Just a little info. I left the U.S.A. when I was eight years of age an did not return until I was 14 years of age. We lived in India (Jamshedpur) an then lived in Australia. I joined the military at age 19 (three years in the U.S. Army) (seventeen years in the U.S. Air Force) I retired in 1988.

Give me a hint as to what you would like to hear about, an I will try an accommodate. The last thing I want to do is bore anyone with my tales.

Thanks
Wildman

 

Re: Aussie snowballs

All of it my friend ,,you are a good storyteller..thanks so much.

 

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Mrs. Wildman says "Oh my gawed you have opened Pandora's box", but I guess after forty years of hearing my stories that would be her comment.

O.k. From the beginning. My father started in the construction stuff during WW II at Swan Island Ship yard, my mother was your "Rosie the riveter" type lady, it was here that they met. Swan Island was where the "liberty ships" were being made. I was born in Portland Ore., just after the end of WW II. My dad worked on various hydro electric power projects and an expansion to the atomic energy plant at Hanford Wash. It was some time around late 1954 or early 1955 that dad decided to start going overseas. The first venture was to Jamshedpur India an the expansion of the Tata Iron an steel plant.

An entire housing area was constructed for the families, approx 160 to 180. The houses, as I remember were quiet big an resembled that which one would see in the movies of India at the time (more on the European style bungalow). All of us children attend Loyola school, which was run by Jesuit priests (we were the first Americans that any of them had seen in quiet some time also). I also remember that there was an English style country club that most families belonged to, an it had a swimming pool an a very different an interesting golf course (one had to always check the cup for snakes before even thinking about taking out the ball). Well this I guess this is the start, an as I think of more to write, I guess I shall do so. Perhaps it would be a good idea to start a separate thread also. Let me know what y'all think.

Thanks
Wildman

 

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.... ....

I'm not bored at all, my friend!!

This is very cool reading!!

Got any pictures??​

 

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great...start a new one if you want..but this one is your's also now we figure..so cut and paste out of it what your need for the new one..we are your avid readers.

 

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I'll second that! Lets hear more!

 

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O.k. I'll keep posting here. I did not want to infringe upon someone else's thread however. Snowbound: If you object to my posting these in your thread, let me know an I'll stop immediately. These may not alway be in the order of events either. With what is going on right now this story may be a timely one.

After having been away from the U.S.A. for such a long time, when we did return from Australia, I was ready to enter High School. My father sated that he would continue to except overseas projects, but mom an I would now remain in the U.S.A., where I would attend school. This left summer vacations available to travel however. It was in my second year of high school, that dad had taken on a project in Israel at the dead sea (making dikes for dredging capabilities). Mom an I now resided in Lafayette Ca. (The San Francisco Bay area. I attended an graduated from Acalanes High school).
It was during the summer vacation that I found myself spending it in Beersheva Israel. Dad had rented an apartment, an he traveled from there to the job site, actually he would stay at the Dead sea during the week, an come back to Beersheva during the weekends. I had the opportunity to meet an interact with many different people while I was there. One of the ladies who lived in our apartment complex had a mother who was a holocaust surviver, an was liberated by the Americans, needless to say she took to us from the start, an her story is one that the Wildman will never ever forget. The Wildman also spent a few days with one of dad's foremen who lived in Nazareth (he was an Israel Arab). The house he resided in was over three hundred years old, an the property could be traced back to the time before Christ in his family. He put it real simple for me, when he asked who's house do you think this is, mine or the Israelis? I kind of got the picture from that simple question. He also knew the area inside out, an I got to see parts of Nazareth that only a native could show an tell about. Over the years, an because they were not mine from the start pictures have been lost, misplaced or just not able to be found. This situation has always made the Wildman some what sad, but the pictures in my mind are still sharp an clear.

Thanks
Wildman

 

Re: Aussie snowballs

I may have told this before, I can't remember, if I have disregard this one.

As some of you know the Wildman like the rhyming game thread an has been known to have made a few of his own post in that area. Well apparently from a early age I have had the ability to rhyme. As you now know we lived a good deal of the time in construction type surroundings, an these quiet often were a good distance from any major town or city. It was the routine to go into the bigger town or city once a month an stock up on everything. As a little tyke, mom would bye the "little Golden Books" an read them to me, however they always ran out before she could bye more, apparently I would take the stories an make new ones, an apparently they would most often be in the form of rhyme.

Thanks
Wildman

 

Re: Aussie snowballs

These are such neat stories!! Keep them coming!

That rhym story is soooo cute. What a clever idea! Might have to have my kiddos try that.

 

I hope it's awight with everybody....but I really do enjoy these tidbits and chose to create this thread for the Wildman and his stories.

Carry on Please.

 

Good move, Bubba!! http://bestsmileys.com/signs16/19.gif

I really thought, WM and all these cool stories deserved their own thread too!!


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Looks like you're demonstrating for some good cause, BB, LOL !!

And with good reasons too !!

Wildman,... Wildman.....!!! http://members.shaw.ca/wenpigs/excited/clapping.gif

 

Good move!

 

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I am now totally blown away. I never in a million years would have thought my stories would reach this level. I thank you all very much.

The early part of my life was spent in the states of Oregon and Washington. I started the 1st and 2nd grades at John Ball elementary North Richland Wash. The school was constructed of quonset huts an was painted what was known as "Kaiser green". The state of Washington at that time had an experiment going "let kids spell any way they want an lets not teach them phonics" the idea was that we would develop a bigger vocabulary quicker. This little experiment was the reason my mom joined the P.T.A., an became some what of a big wig in that organization. The experiment was ended but not before is messed up quiet a few kids, the Wildman being one of them. To this day I can not spell worth a dang, but I do have a rather extensive vocabulary. John Ball elementary has long ago seen the scrap heap, an the Wildman is lost without a spell checker.

Thanks
Wildman

 

This is great stuff Wildman. I am so engrossed in these tales. I am having flashes of Pa Ingalls telling the little children stories by the fireplace.

 

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O.k. Another story about John Ball days. The school was not that far from our house, an in those days it was safe to walk, so walk we did. Now people may not associate this neck of the woods as being cold, but believe me it could get right down there. The police also patrolled the area very frequently an the beat cop was still in existence. The police always told us kids that if we ever got cold walking to school not to stop, an if we saw one of them to flag them down an they would drive us home. O.k. this one day the Wildman an one Miss Misha Hayward (lived behind us, mom made me walk with her) were coming back from school an Misha kept complaining that she was cold. The Wildman being all of in the 1st grade got tired of hearing her an when he saw the police car he yelled out "Yo cop". The policeman placed us in the back of the patrol car an drove us home. The first stop was Misha's house, the second stop was the Wildman's. I'll never forget the words out of my mom's mouth when she saw me in the back of the patrol car "Oh lord what has he done now"? I some times can still hear the policeman laughing. Misha now lives in Sparks Nevada an I have kept in touch with her on an off over the years.

Thanks
Wildman

 

Wow! You and I have something in common. I went to school at John Ball elementary in North
Richland Wash. too, but I'm sure before you did. I was there the first year of it's existence, .... I'm not sure of the year. My dad worked out at Hanford too, but he was a millwright, not in construction. I just looked it up, it was 1948.

 

Man oh man, this is great news. My years were approx. 1953 & 1954. Hey I didn't ever say I was a young roster any more. My dad worked at the expansion of the atomic site. Didn't know for years exactly what he did, in fact I still don't, as you know it was very top secret. Hey was I right about it getting cold? I truthfully can say it is perhaps one of the coldest places that I have ever lived in. On a more serious note, did they ever contact you about the iodine stuff? I have been checked out, an apparently have no problems related to this situation. I know that quiet a few kids who attended John Ball were apparently exposed to that stuff.

Thanks
Wildman

 

I think I was at John Ball in 1949 and I was in the 7th grade. I'd have to dig out an old report card to know for sure. No, I never have been contacted about the iodine stuff, but so far no problems I can attribute to that. I lived out at West Richland with my folks and graduated from Columbia High in 1954.
Yes, it can get cold in eastern Washington in the winter. I do remember some cold, snowy, winters in the early 1950s. I got married and left there in 1955.

 

OMG!!
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You both attended the SAME school!! How cool is that!!
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