Celtics Coach Red Auerbach....I Met Him, What did I Get?

Why would I take this photo and write something about seeing the iconic statue of Boston legend, Red Auebach? My answer will make sense. In my first and only time attending a Celtics game, I sat behind this man (he was front row, we were second), and although I knew nothing about the Celtics, my husband did. I came across this statue one spring day while walking through Quincy Market in Boston. Two things to know; this was my first date with my husband, and I was brave enough to ask for autographs. I asked Red Auerbach, another player, and also the ultra legend, Bill Russell. I got the first two, as shown below, but Bill Russell said no.

I have no idea why I had a newspaper with me or even a scrap of paper, but I'm very glad I did, because it shows the date of March 9, 1969. I don't remember Sam Jones at all, but I'll always remember how tall Bill Russell was (husband, me and he) ran into each other in an empty corridor!

The Well Known Veterans I met through Work

"The Vietnam War" shown on the Public Broadcast Station (PBS) is a ten-part, 18-hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. It was shown on tv in September, and because it was shown over 10 days, I missed a few episodes, but watched them a few days later on another PBS station. The Vietnam War was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on September 19, 2017 and I believe most large libraries will carry the DVDs.

The early history was very interesting, and from what I heard from friends, we all learned quite a bit. However, the era from about 1962-1975 interested me the most. It was during those years that I watched the battles play out almost every night on the news, marched in protest 1969, and heard on the radio, while I was in the service in Virginia, that Saigon fell.

Later years, I worked in two medical facilities; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the DeWitt Army Hospital at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Later, I worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington, DC for about 6 years, I came in contact with many veterans, some as patients and others just working there, like me.

Among the veterans I worked under, one was the Administrator and the other a Deputy Administrator of the Department of Veterans Affairs, both of whom were on the "Vietnam War" show. I was fortunate to meet both of them, and got autographs, as shown below.

Everett Alvarez Jr.

The Wikipedia link (above) states, "Everett Alvarez Jr. (born December 23, 1937) is a former U.S. Navy Commander who endured one of the longest periods as a prisoner of war (POW) in American military history. Alvarez was the second U.S. pilot to be downed and detained during the Vietnam War and spent over eight years in captivity; making him the second longest-held American POW." He was the Deputy Administrator at the Department of Veterans Affairs for six years, from 1982-1988. (I worked there 2 of those years.)

Max Cleland (above and below)

Max was a captain in the Vietnam War, and a month before the end of his tour, he was badly injured, which later resulted in having his legs amputated above the knee and his right forearm. He was 25 years old.

Years later President Carter selected him to be the Administrator of the Department of Veterans Affairs from 1977-1981 (I worked there 3 of those years). He always had a smile, was quite personable, remembered everybody's name, and drove his own car to work!

I believe we were celebrating the day when the 15-cent Veterans Administration commemorative stamp was first placed on sale at Washington, DC, on July 21, 1980.

The third veteran, in The Vietnam War series, I saw in person was John Kerry. He and John McCain were shown in the series, but not interviewed. John Kerry often came to Lowell, his old hometown where he tried to get into politics. It was years later, he ran for both state senator, and then president, and I saw him when he campaigned in Lowell.

In addition to the three above veterans, I was very fortunate to see Omar Nelson Bradley, a former General of the Army and Administrator of the VA. He paid a visit to the VA headquarters, in a wheelchair when he was between age 85 to 88 years old.

Not a veteran, but I did see Mamie Eisenhower in the gift shop at the Walter Reed Hospital. I was luck to get a heads up, when I saw her chauffeured car with 5 stars on the license plate, parked in front of the side entrance. (Between 1977-79, she died in Dec. 1979.)

Another individual in The Vietnam War series was President Lyndon B.  Johnson. He was not a veteran, but I thought I'd show a few photos of his ranch, his tombstone, and me with a statue of him at the ranch (1975). A FindAGrave.com photo of his tombstone is HERE.

The above veterans mention are just a few of the many who served or who are still serving. It is because of them that we honor them on Veterans Day.

Two past posts:
A Prince and a Princess on Veterans Day ( Diana and Charles)

President Carter and Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day

Photos and Autographs, Country Singers

A blogger friend wrote something yesterday on Facebook, and it reminded me that I had the autograph and photo of the person referenced to. I told Lori Hellmund about the items, and I would scan and share today, but it wasn't until I realized all the other singers I had that I decided to make it a post for Wordless Wednesday. Below is her autograph. Any guesses? The answer will be at the bottom. These photos and autographs are from the 70s. You should know most of them.

Crystal Gayle. (Photo below.)

 Billy "Crash" Craddock (Same concert as Crystal Gayle and Sonny James.)

 Tom T. Hall in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. (Autograph below.)

 Mac Davis (Same concert as Dolly Parton. (North Shore Music Theater, Beverly, MA)

 Sonny James (Autograph below. Same concert as Crystal Gayle and Billy "Crash" Craddock.)

 Johnny Cash at an outdoor venue in New Jersey, summer abt. 1977.

 Dolly Parton (North Shore Music Theater, Beverly, MA.)

Crystal Gayle

(Photo taken the same evening I saw Sonny James and Billy "Crash" Craddock, Sept. 19, 1976, in Virginia. She wasn't a "star" then, but I knew of her because I followed all country singers. I got her autograph after I returned from my car during a short break. As I walked along the school hallway, she came out to get a drink of water from the fountain. We were all alone, and I asked for her autograph!)

 Sonny James (Photo above, same concert as Crystal and Billy.)

 

 Tom T. Hall (Photo above.)

 Conway Twitty

(A friend went to him and got 4 autographs. I was chicken.) He sang at Hillbilly Haven, a club owned by former actress Donna Dixon's father in Lorton, VA.

Ricky Nelson aka Rick Nelson

I was at Paul's Mall in Boston one evening on Nov. 17, 1970, with my date. A small room, with lots of tables and chairs, and a small stage. I was there for the second show, maybe at 11. There were so few people there, but I was determined to get his autograph. At that time, he wasn't as popular as previously, so there weren't any groupies, only me. When he took a break, I knew he had to walk past me, so when he did, I asked if I could have his autograph. He said, "Yes, follow me." Off I went to his little room. I blabbered something about liking Boston, and probably something else. I don't think he asked me anything. Anyway, I got the autograph! He wore a skin-tight neck-to-toe white leather outfit with leather fringe from the shoulder to the wrist. I remember the important things. And yes, he sang, "Garden  Party."

Two Lowell Actresses Won An Academy Award, and I Met One!

The 87th annual Academy Awards will be given out this Sunday, February 22, 2015. I'm sharing some information on two women who were born in Lowell, Massachusetts and each was a winner. One of them, I actually met, in London of all places.

Photo by Barbara Poole

Bette Davis was born in Lowell on April 5, 1908, and only lived there a few years. Her former house isn't too far from where I live.

22 Chester Street (off of Westford St.)
Lowell, MA

Photos by Barbara Poole

Winter is a great time for me to watch DVDs from Netflix, so I've been getting my fix of her wonderful movies. So far, I've seen about 12*, and don't have a favorite yet. She was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won twice for Best Actress for her role in Dangerous and Jezebel.

Bette has always been a favorite of mine, and I was quite fortunate to see one of her gowns worn in a movie in the exhibit called, Dressed for the Part at the American Textile History Museum in Lowell. I volunteered at this exhibit every Thursday evening, and it was a joy to see the public appreciate the costumes.

See my post about that exhibit along with my piece on seeing Princess Diana HERE.

The second Academy Award winner born in Lowell was Olympia Dukakis. It seems that I've always known that, or maybe since she won her Best Supporting Actress award in 1987 for Moonstruck. Since I was living in Virginia, I must have seen or heard something about where she was from. This memory tidbit came in handy one afternoon in the early 1990s when I was alone in London. While waiting to talk to the concierge at the Russell Hotel, I listened to the lady in front of me (she was relaying information to her husband who was standing a few feet away). Dressed in casual clothes, she didn't stand out...but her voice did. When she turned to leave, I asked if she was Olympia Dukakis. (Note: little if any make-up on.) She said, "Yes" and I told her that I had lived in Lowell. She was quite excited and probably pleased that somebody from Virginia would know that fact. I must have asked for an autograph (since I was collecting them at that time), but I didn't have any paper. She did, and wrote, "To A Fellow Lowellian" Regards, Olympia Dukakis.

Property of Barbara Poole

From Olympia's book, Ask Me Again Tomorrow, her autobiography published in 2003, I chose a few lines to quote. "My mother's family emigrated from the Mani region of southern Greece to Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1907, when she was six years old." "Those who chose to emigrate to America came because it offered them a place where their hard work would be rewarded, where they would be able to improve their circumstances in life. And Lowell offered them a place where they could, at the same time, maintain their Greek values." By the time my brother and I and all of our cousins were born, Lowell had become known as 'the Acropolis of America.'"  They lived at 57 Clare Street. In June 20, 1931, Olympia was born and in 1939, the family moved to Somerville, MA.

* Bette Davis movies I've seen:
Now, Voyager
Dark Victory
Old Acquaintance
Jezebel
All About Eve
All This, And Heaven Too
The Nanny
Mr. Skeffington
Death on the Nile
Deception
The Old Maid
The Letter
The Great Lie
The Petrified Forest
In This Our Life
Marked Woman
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
The Man Who Came to Dinner
Three on a Match
The Bride Came C. O. D.
Of Human Bondage
The Anniversary
The Watcher in the Woods
Satan Met a Lady
Dead Ringer
Phone Call From a Stranger

The Star  --  1952

The Great Lie  --1941

Payment on Demand  --  1951

Storm Center  1956 (I loved this movie)

Happy Birthday, Ansel Adams

Reprinted from my 1979 negative, March 7, 2014

Today is the birthday of Ansel Adams, born February 20, 1902. I'm sharing a photo I took of him, while he was on a book tour in Washington, DC on September 9, 1979. I knew he was giving a free lecture about his book on that Sunday, so I brought along my camera and the current edition of Time magazine, with his picture on the cover, with the hope that he would sign his autograph. After the lecture and with my newly purchased $15 book and magazine just autographed, I walked around The National Museum of History Museum on Constitution Ave. and saw his chauffeur waiting for him. Nobody was around, just the driver. We conversed for maybe 10 minutes before Mr. Adams came outside.  I asked him if I could take his photo, he was delighted, and I was too.

Two things, I told him where to stand and I only took one photo (35mm camera that I had to focus. 

The book I had with me was bought at a Yosemite Falls gift shop in May 1978, and I just now looked at it again. Ansel wrote the date 9-9-79 with his name. Perfect documentation. The Sunday was a little cloudy at a little after 4. I don't think I'll ever forget a thing about that afternoon. He passed away five years later.

The first printed picture shown below could be used as a postcard! Guess that is what they did in 1979.