1965-1975

Portland had me back in 1966 through about 1970 as we reminisced about Peace Corps training and our time in Thailand together, plus what we've all been doing since.

So, it's appropriate, as we get back to Anchorage, I go back, tonight, to 1965-19 75 in Anchorage at Cyrano's for "From earthquake devastation to Boom Town in a madcap ten years!"  The email I got implies Steve Heimel and Johanna Eurich are involved in this week's production.

I bet it doesn't include my first visit to Anchorage in August 1967 as our Peace Corps group's last American stop was in Anchorage.  A bunch of us had found out that if you had a ticket from Chicago to Bangkok, you could stop on the West Coast free and we didn't plan to spend our last three days in DeKalb, Illinois (nothing against DeKalb, but we seen enough corn growing during our training and those on the West Coast wanted a stop home.)

Photo from Alaska Airlines

I don't remember the flight between LA and Seattle, but the Alaska Airlines plane I boarded in Seattle was all decked out as a Gay '90s saloon - flocked red wall paper, stewardesses (they were all women back then) in floor length red velvet skirts, and there was a piano on board with live music.  [Warning:  this weekend comparing memories reminded me that mine is selective, but this picture from a story about the promotion does give some validation to my brain cells.)

I got to Anchorage at 6 am and was picked up by Bob D., a high school friend, who was stationed at Elmendorf.   He dropped me back at the airport to catch the Northwest flight to Tokyo where we overnighted and bought cameras.  There was another stop in Hong Kong - just the airport this time - and then to Bangkok.  And yesterday I posted the group picture of us just after we arrived.

I remember how totally green Anchorage was and the beautiful mountains, and I recall being told "Here's the university" and seeing nothing but trees.  So when there was an opening at UAA when I was finishing my degree, I was delighted to get the offer and we drove up in 1977 - just outside tonight's decade.


So, 7pm at Cyrano's.  Tonight is the last night of this decade.

More information on all this is here.