"Where &  What" you are doing these days?

Rex Booth

Danny,

I beleive you should be awarded "10 points" for your histrionics as the "elevator operator" during high school and summers at JP White building!!  Not many are aware of the hazards that can occur while an elevator is in operation. 

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Pat. I just remember KSWS and their Giant
TV tower,I believe, at the time it was the tallest
of its kind in the world. It does seem like there
was a rock structure/tower but I'm not sure. 

I have a question,
What year was it that Roswell High won every
Football Game usually the score was 50 Roswell
other team 0. Jeanie Sacra's brother Galze played
that year, I have for gotten what position he played,
I believe it was Quarterback. I went to some of the
games with Jeanie it was a exciting time!! 

Patrick Riley

Sherry, unfortunately the KSWS TV tower is not the correct answer.

Their tower was located in Caprock, ~38 miles further east on U.S. Highway 380 than Comanche Hill.

Hint for all ... the facility on top of Comanche Hill that I'm looking for was constructed when we were all in high school. Here's the remaining "ruins" photo again.

Rex Booth

Sherry,

Do you recall what year you and Jeanie Sacra went to that 50-0 game?  

Rex Booth

Sherry was most likely thinking about the "original" KSWS TV Station  Tower located on top of Commache Hill just north of Hwy 380.  It was built 1953 until the Caprock TV Tower was completed in 1957.

Remeber those dinky VFH  "rabbit ears" antenna on top of the TV set for reception?  When reception was lost, the TV techs would place a white sign on a camera tripod, point the TV camera at a sign which read: "Please Standby"... My graddad being funny with us kids would get up, turn around, and stand by the TV...

We used to go out to the old Caprock TV station to park and spark with our girlfriends during high school.

KSWS TV Station & Tower 1953-1957

See this article   

https://www.rdrnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/vision/historical-anecdotes/article_99c2047c-0ead-11ed-b153-8f9855b15b31.html

Patrick Riley

Rex, good to know.

I didn't know of any KSWS towers except the one at Caprock.

My "ruins" photo, though, is not a TV tower.

An interesting fact some may not know ... when the Caprock tower was first constructed, it was the "world's tallest man-made structure" at 1,610 feet tall. It subsequently collapsed in an ice storm resulting in a settlement lawsuit between KSWS and their insurance company. The suit was eventually settled for a little over $500,000. This seems cheap for replacing the world's tallest man-made structure???

KSWS TV was unique in its early days being affiliated with ABC, CBS, NBC, and a 4th minor network. Sometime after our graduation, it became an NBC affiliate exclusively.

Rex Booth

Pat,

I'm pretty sure I can identify the "ruins" and its location.  But, I decided to hold off and let other classmates take a crack at it first.

Fred Miller

Rex, your post 8862...

Staubach's backup quarterback was Seth Orell.  I have 2 sources. First is my good friend Google.  (see pic below, I couldn't get the link to work) 

Second source is the fact that we were at all the games, witnessed it first hand.

Interesting fact about Seth Orell.  He retired from the Army after 20 years.  He then came back to NMMI and served as Commandant.

Curious how you came up with Bill Carpenter. The only Bill Carpenter I can find was 5 years older than Staubach.  He graduated West Point in 1960.

Fred Miller

In the process of looking up info on Staubach, I ran across the info below that gave me pause, and put a lump in my throat.  Look under Mentorship.  Roger credits my Dad for his help.

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Pat I figured that was the case.
Rex I was right I thinking of the original KSWS site.
Rex, I keep thinking it was 1958-59, but I have 
searched ad can't find it an where. The closest I got
was 1958 listing the home games where the appossing
teams score was 0. I can't even find out anything thing
about Glase Sacra, Jr. 
Oh well, just a old memories it's all good. 
Thanks Guys for working with me!! 

Rex Booth

Sherry,

In 1958 we would have been in the 8th grade. So those games would have been the North Jr. High football team games.  Remember the "Puppies"?  A few years later we grew older becoming the Roswell high school Coyotes!

Rex Booth

Fred,

That is interesting info you found on Seth Orell and Roger Staubach.  Would you mind sending me the weblink(s) for this article you posted about them?  You can post the weblinks here or email it to me. 

Thanks a bunch!

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Yes Rex that is right but Glaze was some what
older than Jeanie and it might have been 1959! 
Jeanie was a very special friend!
I do remember those Blue and Gold Puppies!!
Fun times!!

Fred Miller

Rex, everytime I google "orell and staubach at nmmi", I get a different answer.  Anyway, the link below has the same info.  If it decides not to work, just Google what I have in quotation marks above...

https://share.google/aimode/6DSGsYcQovIaz93ay

John Landess

Sherry,

Although, I never got to know Jeanie well, her husband's family had a long time history connection with my mother's side. I remember Freddie being at some of the Limbaugh family re-unions in Missouri when I was young and later pre-teen. Later, they moved out to Roswell, and visited with my Mom and Aunt down at Carlsbad several times. His Dad was employed by some oil company and I remember they were "upper" class!! 

And to all those who had cushy jobs working at First National Bank, I was out packing golf bags, etc. at the Country Club. However, my Mom worked there in book-keeping for many years there, coming head book-keeper. Her boss was Frank Young , a survior of the Bataan Death March (sadly, his brother was not). What impressed me most at the time, he had a perfect 31?? Chevy coupe that he drove once in a while..

Later in High School in Alaska, I worked at First National Bank of Anchorage. One of my duties was sitting in the vault at the coin counting machine, filling tubes of coins.....Talk about severe hang-nails!!!! other than that I was the office boy, doing whatever no one else wanted to do!

Rex Booth

Fred,

Thanks for the link on Orell and Staubach.  

I see what you mean about getting a different answer each time doing a "search".

Which brings up the subject of "how reliable is the information" we get from AI (artificial information)?

1. You asked where I obtained the info on Bill Carpenter as backup quaterback for Staubach.  (It really is a mute point who the backup QB was, because Staubach played all of the games that  9-1 year).

None the less, I obtained this info from the AI "Gemini" while you chose A! info from  Google Search. 

Gemini AI:speaking:

"Since we are "taking a monitor" of the actual 1960 NMMI roster, I’ve done some deep diving to verify as many of Roger Staubach's teammates as possible without making you pay for a yearbook.

The 1960 NMMI Broncos Roster (Verified Personnel) While the junior college ranks are notoriously hard to track 60 years later, these men were the core of that 9–1 team:

Position Name Source/Legacy

The "Company G" Breakdown At NMMI in 1960, the football players were largely concentrated in Company G. If you look at the official military records, Staubach was a private in the 1st Platoon, 2nd Squad. The Roswell Connection".

Fred, after we spoke again, you indicated your AI search was Seth Orell. I then put the question to "Gemini" again. asking if Seth Orell was in fact the backup quarterback. 

Gemini answer #2:

The "Corrected" 1960 NMMI Roster" Detail 
While the national records often group players of that era broadly, local classmates and team historians point to a different name for the relief quarterback:

The Correction: Roger Staubach's backup quarterback was actually Seth Orell.
The Detail: Orell was a standout cadet who went on to a distinguished military career. After retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years in the Army, he returned to Roswell to serve as the Commandant of Cadets at NMMI. 

The Source of Confusion: The name "Bill Carpenter" likely entered the conversation because there was a famous All-American named Bill Carpenter (the "Lonesome End") at West Point during the same years Staubach was rising to fame at Navy.

Revised 1960 NMMI "Broncos" Key Personnel 
Quarterback Roger Staubach set the school passing record (1,294 yards).Backup 
Quarterback Seth Orell later became the NMMI Commandant

Halfback Joe Hernandez an NJCAA All-American on the same squad
Tackle Bob Wittenberg followed Staubach to the Naval Academy
Fullback Jim Ledger  core part of the 9–1 rushing attack

Head Coach Bob Culpepper  Architect of the 1960 season

Fred your search revealed Seth Orell was backup quarterback for Staubach. I am inclined to agree with your assessment. Lesson learned: "What is most important in dealing with AI is the absolute "mis-information" AI can provide.  Cheers! 

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Thanks John,
I did not know Fred very well. It is always fun to hear
where class mates worked when in school and how 
the saw the world around them.
Is that "Limbaugh" as in Rush Limbaugh?

Fred Miller

Rex, I seem to remember Staubach was fighting the flu during one game and was replaced by Seth until the last play of the game.  But I cannot find anything about it.....so I won't bring it it up.

I assumed the head coach was Bob Shaw.  Staubach credits him as a mentor in that 2nd google article I posted.  I just double checked, Shaw was the ends coach, Culpepper the head coach as you posted.

John L, did you do any caddying at RCC?  I did at the NMMI course for about 6 or 8 months.  And then my Dad came back from a summer course he took at Clemson.  He brought a golf bag full of a complete set of clubs he had bought at a pawn shop while there.  He and I learned the game of golf together playing out of the same bag.  We played a lot of golf together, 2 or 3 times a week.  We even won a father/son tournament one time.  Of course we didn't have to pay green fees, faculty played free.

I really hated when his MS got so bad he had to finally give the game up.

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Fred and Rex it is fun to hear about all of the 
Trivia. I do have a story Mary Glen McQuirk
Reeves told of a time she and her boyfriend
double dating with her girlfriend and Rodger
Staubach. Sorry that's all I know about that!! 
I'm not a very good story teller. Sorry, I just
leave you hanging! (That's a Girl for You). 
 

Rex Booth

Fred,

I read in your post that your Dad was Major Miller? Did he teach both Calculus and English or other courses at NMMI?  Yes, MS is tough on the person affected including their family and friends. I saw two of my cousins affected by the degenerative disease. It was difficult to watch a once vibrant and physical person forced to deal with those debilitating changes. Now I have a lump in my throat.

Sherry,

Good story you posted about Mary and her girlfriend who dated Staubach.  Do you have a juicy story you'd like to tell?  

It would be nice to hear what other ladies experienced on their first date that might have been funny or embarrassing. 
 

Fred Miller

Rex, my Dad taught all kinds of Math, eventually becoming head of the Math Dept.  He didn't teach English.

NMMI was very good to my Dad.  As his MS got worse , he had to go to a wheelchair to get around.  NMMI built ramps up the steps of the buildings he had to go into.  There was always a cadet jumping in to push him when necessary.  He started teaching there in 1945 and finally took medical retirement in the late 60's or early 70's.  He passed in 1984.  

NMMI used to award a one year scholarship in his name.  And they would have an annual golf tournament, The Generals Cup, in his honor.  

Rex Booth

For the Lasses and Lads...

Have a Good "Saint Patrick's" Day !!!

Patrick Riley

Roger Staubach

The message forum's posts on Roger Staubach's time an NMMI remind me that we should take a minute and acknowledge what a class act he was. Two illustrations:

• Most service academy players with NFL-level skills forsaking their military commitment to play pro football. Roger didn't do this serving four years in the Navy (including one year in Vietnam) before commencing his pro career with the Dallas Cowboys. The four years he gave up cost him measurably in both earnings and statistics.

• If you're flying first-class, you board the plane first. Roger was already seated in the front cabin when a soldier in uniform passed him. Staubach immediately dispatched the stewardess to move the soldier to his first-class seat while he took the soldier's coach seat. Reports indicate this was not an isolated event. He was known for consistently giving up his first-class seat to any service member in uniform he encountered while flying.

Fred Miller

After the stories about my Dad, anybody wonder why when asked if I could choose anyone alive or gone to spend one hour with...my answer is always my Dad.

Found this this morning about the General's Cup tournament...

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FUcqZdt2fD9yczfL9

Rex Booth

Patrick,

Looks like no one answered the quiz in your (post 8860) about the "Mystery Spot".  I'll take a wild guess and say it looks like a UFO landing where teens on a date and parking, were abducted...

However, I believe it is the "Nike" Missile Site W-10 which began in 1960. The site was closed a few months later after construction started on the (12) Atlas missile silos spread around Roswell which we were more familiar wtih. 

Nike Atlas & Hercules Missiles

Aerial View of Nike Missile Site W-10  (on Commanche Hill)

Location:  12 miles East on Highway 380 to top of Commanche Hill.  Turn right at the historical sign and go north on Alamo Road for about 2 miles. When you reach Hatchita Road on the right, the old Nike missile site will on the left side of  Alamo Road. 

A Good Sluething Adventure!  It was a lot of fun!