Dad was an all American multi letterman recruited by Norte Dame and USC and Alabama and Miss State and Georgia Tech and Tulane and VPI ....Ole Miss too
All big schools in 1951....offered cars and payoffs and women even...it was wide open then..there was only one woman in each other’s life for all their 50 years from dating till his death....virgins together forever....that’s something special today isn’t it
Dad chose VMI for rigor and academics....they only offered a full ride....no perks....he didn’t need the ride ....my country born self taught grandpa had gotten rich off the war effort building bases all over the country and caribbean
The big old hangers at Elgin being one effort
After college dad was USAF tac fighter jock from 55-62....84s, 86s, 100s, 104s
Mom worked secretary pool and modeled in Dallas and New York ...chaperoned by her mom of course
Dad would after rat year pile into a car after noon class with a pals from Meridian Miss and New Orleans and they’d drive down old US HWY 11 from Lexington to Roanoke to Bristol to Knoxville to Birmingham to Meridan where mom and my grandpa would drive over from Jackson on US 80to fetch him and then have him back at Meridian about 36 hours later to get back by Sunday curfew at 10:30
And park the car off the garrison
They were anyone’s definition of a golden couple ...same accolades in high school
Homecoming queen and king and so forth
I had a leave it to beaver upbringing
What a cool pair to be brought up by. Very special.
While my mom didn’t win any beauty contests, all my male teachers were in love with her. And dad was an immigrant from England when he worked his way through college here lettering in 4 sports... he did his stint in the US army and then became a self made success. They both did so well professionally and were good people if hands off parents.
And I remember watching Miss America when I was 7 and I thought it was so cool. Staying up late to see all the pretty girls.
I don’t mind the swimsuits but I mind the hella too high heels. I have a thing against 3”+ heels because they are more meant to hobble women than to look pretty. 2” is plenty. Really high, they all walk like cows down a rocky slope. And women are in shackles when they wear them. Men wouldn’t do it. If some gay male shoe designer told men to wear 4” heels, they’d show him the middle finger. Why are women so dumb? I love beauty and sometimes it hurts to get pretty, but super high heels are too far, IMO, so that is what I hate about the swimsuit or evening gown competition. Marilyn Monroe didn’t wear those highest heels. You don’t need Chinese foot binding to be pretty.
My dad would likely have known those Meridian families... his hometown, but he was a decade or more older than your father’s generation.
His older first cousin became wealthy in a fashion similar to your grandfather, in his case milling and selling lumber during the massive WWII construction boom.