Hi, this is me from 1965 --- remember when someone got the great idea to change the way we draped our drapes around our shoulders. I think we are the only graduates who ever did that. My hair was so short - I cut my own hair!!! surprise... I was very insecure during high school but I don't think this pictures shows that. Maybe it was all in my mind. I remember having friends but I desperately 
wanted to be in the "in crowd". I've later found out that there was no in crowd.... it was the figment of my imagination. Everyone there was insecure and unsure of themselves and trying to find their place in the school. We all moved around so much that we were all "new" to every school. Some of us had lived on the base for a long time - since elementary school so knew the ropes so to speak. I lived off base during my 7th, 8th and 9th grade and attended Schertz High School. I remember going to the Youth Center on base. One night we waited for the End of the World - it never came. I also lived in New Braunfels during my 5th and 6th grades and attended Lamar Elementary School. For some reason, my dad kept getting transferred to Randolph and I think all told he was stationed at Randolph 4 times. Twice before I was born. My sophomore year was spent in Springfield, Virginia. I hated it there - it was so foreign. The girls wore stockings to school!!!! I learned to dress in Bass Wegens and madras. I learned the Greek Alphabet because there were high school sororities. Who knew??? I didn't do very well there - the school was huge and I never could make it to my locker and to a class in time so I ended up dragging all my books to classes --- I was only about 98 lbs so that was an accomplishment!!! As soon as my dad bought a house in Bren Mawr Park we found out that we were being transferred back to Randolph -- Dad was in the Personnel Center. I was soooo happy but we were going to live on base and that would incur meeting new people. But since I had left my best friend Ann Dorman and her family had moved on base so at least I had a contact. I was so afraid to speak up but I did make friends. Eventually, I was friends with Nancy Olsen and Teresa DeArza too. Their parents also square danced with my parents. Ann Dorman and I have been friends since we were 12 and she will always be one of my dear friends. I also got back in contact with my Schertz buddies. I was "home"..... My grades were better and I was dating which brought new adventures. My dad bought me a car - a VW bug and brought it home the last day of my junior year. That was a very exciting day for me. One thing that brought me down tho was the day my dad got "rifted" and had to re-enlist as his highest enlisted rank which was a Master Sgt. He quickly was promoted to Chief. We had to move to the "other side of the base" in enlisted quarters. I couldn't go to the Officer's Pool anymore or to the Officer's Club. But I quickly got an officers patch to pin on my swim suit and surreptitiously went to the Officer's Pool. During the summer of my junior year we sat at the pool every day getting suntanned with our baby oil and playing hearts or spades. Some of the college kids played bridge. We were so cool. ha ha. I was so envious of the girls with boobs. Mine were fake. Oh, wait a minute --- you didn't know that??? Oh well. My secret is out. I hated my glasses, my snaggle front tooth - my skinniness. During my senior year I started dating Chuck Pechuls - a '64 graduate who had caught my eye. He was going to St. Mary's University and eventually went to SWTSTC in San Marcos. We had out ups and downs - break-ups and get back togethers. I was the Sweetheart of his ROTC Battery at St. Mary's and we went to a Military Ball where his father and mother (General and Mrs. John Allison Pechuls) were guests of honor. My mom made me this beautiful white satin gown with matching long coat and I wore long white gloves. I felt like a princess. My mom made all my clothes and she really made the most beautiful dresses for Prom and Homecoming. We would have a great time finding a pattern like I designed and then the right material at Scrivenor's. I don't think I really appreciated what she did back then and I know she stayed up the night before the dance a lot of times. I didn't make Queen of the Ball but I was a princess that night in my mind. My Senior Prom was wonderful as well. Of course, Mom made my dress. I felt special bringing my date, Chuck, to the Prom. He was very popular so I thought I would be popular too. That summer after graduation brought real conflict. Chuck and I broke up and I dated several guys who were wonderful to me who I could have loved but I didn't give myself a chance because I was determined to win Chuck back. I eventually did and we were engaged on September 15th 1966. (Interestingly enough I married my second husband on September 15th, 1978). We were married December 28th, 1966 at Chapel One on RAFB. It was a beautiful wedding. The chapel was totally full on both sides. It WAS Christmas break after all. I think the photographer was more nervous than I was. For some reason I was very calm. During the mass I noted that one of the alter boys was wearing tennis shoes and the other one dress shoes. That started me laughing and then I looked up at my brother who was a groomsman and he started smiling at me .... so I was laughing and crying at the same time. Chuck and I were finally married after that hour long mass. The reception was a blur - I remember that we ran out of punch. The party room wasn't big enough .... but I don't think anyone minded. Chuck and I settled into our little house on Irvington in San Antonio and he started working ... we were one of those suburban newly weds. I had no clue what to do. I didn't work and I couldn't have a baby yet so I busied myself with my neighbors playing Bunko, writing letters to my many friends all over the states. We had parties and went to parties. We played cards with friends. I cooked (yes, I did cook - I do know how to cook - I just don't like to cook)... We had a dog - a German Shepard named Hercules. He was bigger than I was. I was not well so I was always tired and slept a lot. I eventually had my thyroid removed and I got better. On March 18, 1969 we had our first child - a daughter, Allison Elaine Pechuls. She is named for her Grandpa Pechuls and my friends Nancy Elaine Olsen and Marsha Elaine McGregor. She was everything I ever wanted. I spent the days after her birth taking pictures of her in all her little outfits. Shopping and visiting with friends and family. Four months after Allison was born I got pregnant again. This pregnancy was really different. I started showing right away but I thought that was normal because I had just had a baby even tho I had lost my baby weight and got back down to 105 lbs. Because I was and still am organized .... I knew that my weight and measurements were kinda over the limit from my first pregnancy. I started feeling movement in weird places. I told my doctor and he just told me that I was having a big baby. Well, eventually, an X-ray was taken at 28 weeks. TWINS --- OH MY GOD!!! We just wanted one baby!!! So my life then revolved around Allison and trying to stay off my feet (not possible with an 11 month old) and making lists of names (fraternal girls, fraternal boys, boy/girl, identical boys, identical girls) and going to the library to research twins and trying to figure out why I was having them. My friends decided to throw me a shower - but on that day - a Sunday - I went into premature labor. I was only 31 weeks along. We drove to the Methodist Hospital and I immediately was put in a room and hooked up to all kinds of medicine. I don't remember anybody telling me what it was but I'm sure they did. I spent 24 hours in that room with the doctors trying to stop my labor. But it didn't work and I ended up delivering two little boys - identical twins - April 6, 1970 (eight weeks early). Kyle Andrew first weighing 4'1oz and Mark Alan weighing 4'7oz. God they were big and little all at the same time. They were both 17 inches long. Since they were early they were in the premature nursery and hooked up to monitors and given medicines and we were told to pray for their survival. Mark and Kyle beat all odds and they came home a month later. Allison did a second take look in the crib at two babies!!! I think she only wanted one too!!! I spent the next 3 years totally taking care of my kids. They consumed me. I joined the Mothers of Twins Club here in San Antonio and the women there were life savers AND it was the one night I got to go somewhere without any baby with me. I didn't watch the news, I didn't read the paper. I had no clue what was happening in the world. Viet Nam was a distant thought. We eventually moved to Florida, Chuck became a State Trooper. We got out of Viet Nam. Chuck and I struggled - we moved from Tallahassee to Ft. Lauderdale, to Miami and back to Ft. Lauderdale. He left me December, 1976 - 10 years after our marriage. I was devastated.... that's a whole other story. I eventually got a job, moved up to Boca Raton, I left my kids with Chuck and saw them on the weekends. I met Danny Gallagher one July morning and I think it was one of those meetings you see in the movies - our eyes met, yada yada yada. I was not going to marry again or even get serious with any man again. We saw each other again a month later and we were married September 15th, 1978. He was 23 and I was 31. OH MY GOD!!! He was a child!!! We eventually had a son on July 21, 1982 - Kelly James Lloyd Gallagher. Danny and I have been married 31 years. Has it been perfect? Have I had a perfect life? Well, not exactly - but I'm alive now and grateful.
wanted to be in the "in crowd". I've later found out that there was no in crowd.... it was the figment of my imagination. Everyone there was insecure and unsure of themselves and trying to find their place in the school. We all moved around so much that we were all "new" to every school. Some of us had lived on the base for a long time - since elementary school so knew the ropes so to speak. I lived off base during my 7th, 8th and 9th grade and attended Schertz High School. I remember going to the Youth Center on base. One night we waited for the End of the World - it never came. I also lived in New Braunfels during my 5th and 6th grades and attended Lamar Elementary School. For some reason, my dad kept getting transferred to Randolph and I think all told he was stationed at Randolph 4 times. Twice before I was born. My sophomore year was spent in Springfield, Virginia. I hated it there - it was so foreign. The girls wore stockings to school!!!! I learned to dress in Bass Wegens and madras. I learned the Greek Alphabet because there were high school sororities. Who knew??? I didn't do very well there - the school was huge and I never could make it to my locker and to a class in time so I ended up dragging all my books to classes --- I was only about 98 lbs so that was an accomplishment!!! As soon as my dad bought a house in Bren Mawr Park we found out that we were being transferred back to Randolph -- Dad was in the Personnel Center. I was soooo happy but we were going to live on base and that would incur meeting new people. But since I had left my best friend Ann Dorman and her family had moved on base so at least I had a contact. I was so afraid to speak up but I did make friends. Eventually, I was friends with Nancy Olsen and Teresa DeArza too. Their parents also square danced with my parents. Ann Dorman and I have been friends since we were 12 and she will always be one of my dear friends. I also got back in contact with my Schertz buddies. I was "home"..... My grades were better and I was dating which brought new adventures. My dad bought me a car - a VW bug and brought it home the last day of my junior year. That was a very exciting day for me. One thing that brought me down tho was the day my dad got "rifted" and had to re-enlist as his highest enlisted rank which was a Master Sgt. He quickly was promoted to Chief. We had to move to the "other side of the base" in enlisted quarters. I couldn't go to the Officer's Pool anymore or to the Officer's Club. But I quickly got an officers patch to pin on my swim suit and surreptitiously went to the Officer's Pool. During the summer of my junior year we sat at the pool every day getting suntanned with our baby oil and playing hearts or spades. Some of the college kids played bridge. We were so cool. ha ha. I was so envious of the girls with boobs. Mine were fake. Oh, wait a minute --- you didn't know that??? Oh well. My secret is out. I hated my glasses, my snaggle front tooth - my skinniness. During my senior year I started dating Chuck Pechuls - a '64 graduate who had caught my eye. He was going to St. Mary's University and eventually went to SWTSTC in San Marcos. We had out ups and downs - break-ups and get back togethers. I was the Sweetheart of his ROTC Battery at St. Mary's and we went to a Military Ball where his father and mother (General and Mrs. John Allison Pechuls) were guests of honor. My mom made me this beautiful white satin gown with matching long coat and I wore long white gloves. I felt like a princess. My mom made all my clothes and she really made the most beautiful dresses for Prom and Homecoming. We would have a great time finding a pattern like I designed and then the right material at Scrivenor's. I don't think I really appreciated what she did back then and I know she stayed up the night before the dance a lot of times. I didn't make Queen of the Ball but I was a princess that night in my mind. My Senior Prom was wonderful as well. Of course, Mom made my dress. I felt special bringing my date, Chuck, to the Prom. He was very popular so I thought I would be popular too. That summer after graduation brought real conflict. Chuck and I broke up and I dated several guys who were wonderful to me who I could have loved but I didn't give myself a chance because I was determined to win Chuck back. I eventually did and we were engaged on September 15th 1966. (Interestingly enough I married my second husband on September 15th, 1978). We were married December 28th, 1966 at Chapel One on RAFB. It was a beautiful wedding. The chapel was totally full on both sides. It WAS Christmas break after all. I think the photographer was more nervous than I was. For some reason I was very calm. During the mass I noted that one of the alter boys was wearing tennis shoes and the other one dress shoes. That started me laughing and then I looked up at my brother who was a groomsman and he started smiling at me .... so I was laughing and crying at the same time. Chuck and I were finally married after that hour long mass. The reception was a blur - I remember that we ran out of punch. The party room wasn't big enough .... but I don't think anyone minded. Chuck and I settled into our little house on Irvington in San Antonio and he started working ... we were one of those suburban newly weds. I had no clue what to do. I didn't work and I couldn't have a baby yet so I busied myself with my neighbors playing Bunko, writing letters to my many friends all over the states. We had parties and went to parties. We played cards with friends. I cooked (yes, I did cook - I do know how to cook - I just don't like to cook)... We had a dog - a German Shepard named Hercules. He was bigger than I was. I was not well so I was always tired and slept a lot. I eventually had my thyroid removed and I got better. On March 18, 1969 we had our first child - a daughter, Allison Elaine Pechuls. She is named for her Grandpa Pechuls and my friends Nancy Elaine Olsen and Marsha Elaine McGregor. She was everything I ever wanted. I spent the days after her birth taking pictures of her in all her little outfits. Shopping and visiting with friends and family. Four months after Allison was born I got pregnant again. This pregnancy was really different. I started showing right away but I thought that was normal because I had just had a baby even tho I had lost my baby weight and got back down to 105 lbs. Because I was and still am organized .... I knew that my weight and measurements were kinda over the limit from my first pregnancy. I started feeling movement in weird places. I told my doctor and he just told me that I was having a big baby. Well, eventually, an X-ray was taken at 28 weeks. TWINS --- OH MY GOD!!! We just wanted one baby!!! So my life then revolved around Allison and trying to stay off my feet (not possible with an 11 month old) and making lists of names (fraternal girls, fraternal boys, boy/girl, identical boys, identical girls) and going to the library to research twins and trying to figure out why I was having them. My friends decided to throw me a shower - but on that day - a Sunday - I went into premature labor. I was only 31 weeks along. We drove to the Methodist Hospital and I immediately was put in a room and hooked up to all kinds of medicine. I don't remember anybody telling me what it was but I'm sure they did. I spent 24 hours in that room with the doctors trying to stop my labor. But it didn't work and I ended up delivering two little boys - identical twins - April 6, 1970 (eight weeks early). Kyle Andrew first weighing 4'1oz and Mark Alan weighing 4'7oz. God they were big and little all at the same time. They were both 17 inches long. Since they were early they were in the premature nursery and hooked up to monitors and given medicines and we were told to pray for their survival. Mark and Kyle beat all odds and they came home a month later. Allison did a second take look in the crib at two babies!!! I think she only wanted one too!!! I spent the next 3 years totally taking care of my kids. They consumed me. I joined the Mothers of Twins Club here in San Antonio and the women there were life savers AND it was the one night I got to go somewhere without any baby with me. I didn't watch the news, I didn't read the paper. I had no clue what was happening in the world. Viet Nam was a distant thought. We eventually moved to Florida, Chuck became a State Trooper. We got out of Viet Nam. Chuck and I struggled - we moved from Tallahassee to Ft. Lauderdale, to Miami and back to Ft. Lauderdale. He left me December, 1976 - 10 years after our marriage. I was devastated.... that's a whole other story. I eventually got a job, moved up to Boca Raton, I left my kids with Chuck and saw them on the weekends. I met Danny Gallagher one July morning and I think it was one of those meetings you see in the movies - our eyes met, yada yada yada. I was not going to marry again or even get serious with any man again. We saw each other again a month later and we were married September 15th, 1978. He was 23 and I was 31. OH MY GOD!!! He was a child!!! We eventually had a son on July 21, 1982 - Kelly James Lloyd Gallagher. Danny and I have been married 31 years. Has it been perfect? Have I had a perfect life? Well, not exactly - but I'm alive now and grateful. After 30 years of working as a legal secretary, I retired... We moved to Texas to take care of my parents - my mom especially. I had 4 1/2 years not working and being able to take care of my mom.... I got to know her as a person, not as a mom. I got to thank her for everything she did for me and she got to know me. Now that she is gone I'm having the pleasure of being with my dad. I'm here for a reason and I appreciate my life. When my dad goes - my life will then focus on my kids and my grandkids. But my eyes are always focused on my husband, Danny who saved my life from self destruction. I will always appreciate and love him.
I will also be very appreciative of my friends and the forever friendship I have with them. Please know that this blog is my gift to you and I hope it is accepted as such.
Love and Peace, Gloria Campbell Pechuls Gallagher - Randolph Class of '65
3 comments:
Wow, that is quite a story and I think you for sharing it with us. So much is so true for so many Military Brats, we are a breed apart and proud of it.
As Bill said, a great story of trials and success. Thank you for sharing. It also seems we were in south Florida alot of the same time before we moved back to our home.
I was one of the ones in weegens and madras in Virginia!! Love Janet Francis
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