I've heard several stories about Sugar Land boys finding each other on the other side of the world during WWII. I know Herbert Shelton ran into T. C. Rozelle somewhere in the New Guinea theater of the Pacific war. Wayburn Hall (SLHS '43) has a similar story. He was in a large training camp in New Caledonia (or somewhere in that area) and had a day pass. He and a buddy in his unit were walking through the camp to enjoy some R&R, when they ran into T.C. Rozelle! They had no idea they were anywhere near each other. T.C. (SLHS '34) asked Wayburn what he was going to do, and Wayburn said "Nothing much." T.C. said, "Well, it's Sunday. We're going to church." I know T. C. was put there for a reason because two Marines on liberty were bound to get into trouble.
I went to the 1999 Gator reunion and talked with Stanley Gideon (SLHS '40). He was very funny and told me a story I'd never heard before. Stanley said he was a USN pilot, who flew cargo planes. One day he landed at the big airbase on Okinawa. As he taxied to the hanger, he saw a guy walking on the taxi way. He saw him from the back, but he said to himself, "I know that guy!" He hopped out of the plane and found the fellow, and it was my dad! Stanley said, "Charles Kelly!! What brings you here?!" My dad told him that he was in the postal administration. Stanley said, "Hell man, you've got an important job! We all want our letters from home to get to us! Keep up the good work!"
I found the following clipping among my grandmother's things. I vaguely recall my father talking about this, but I'd forgotten it. It's a small world after all.
(Update) Many thanks to Jeff Krehmeier for asking his father, Bill Krehmeier about this reunion. (Bill is the man standing in the middle of the back row.) He said the reunion was planned. They had to coordinate with Tom McDade (standing on the right in the back row).
I remember a few things my father told me about Tom. He was a couple of years older than my dad and graduated from SLHS in 1940. He studied physics at Baylor, but enlisted in the Navy before graduating. Baylor (& other universities) had a program where service men could complete their degrees by correspondence courses while they served in the armed forces. Tom was on an LST or LSI in the Pacific and completed his degree while he sailed the seas. My father said that was a real accomplishment and something to admire. I agree - actually, it's incredible.
