A 500 mile drive down memory lane

I am thinking this morning of Dick Whipp, Sonny Kemp, Jack Austin, Dick Laemmel, Mary Bimm, Sarah Booth (I think she attended one) and many others, who came to our Indy 500 Weekend on Lookout Drive in Dayton, Ohio, Oakwood. We made a three day event out of it.

The Indy 500 was an all day event in those days, and we generally slept out in the "Picnic House" the night before. We had some really great times. Not sure how many of the old crowd are left.

The picnic house was great, I still suffer, in my back, from carrying those cement bags out there. Joe Rizzo did the brick work. My Uncle Denny could never remember his name, called him Josia Jallapy. I think Denny help with some of the framing, I know he did on the GIANT garage on Brown Street.

Dad found a big piece of one inch thick steel and that was what we cooked on, over a big log fire, a great place for a picnic.

I have been a fan of the 500 all my life, I think because of my Indiana heritage. I remember one year, we had been visiting at Uncle Paul's in Marion, and on our way back we got caught up in the traffic from the race. I remember we were a number of cars back, in a bumper to bumper line of traffic. Up ahead, a car was on the railroad tracks and could not get off. All I remember was seeing a big broad brimmed white ladies hat go flying in the wind as the train took the car down the tracks.

Howdie Bell was one of the announcers at the track, I forget the other names. There were announcers at each curve and on the straightaways. It was a great, all day, event. In the early years I listened to it on the radio. The Indiana University Band, Back Home Again in Indiana, the balloons, in the old days, Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.

Bring back the good old days .....

Every year, Memorial Day, memories come flooding back, good memories of the 40's.

Dayton, Ohio, Oakwood High School, Lookout Drive, the picnic house and the Indy 500. Our annual two day picnic. Dick Whipp, Sonny Kemp, Jack Austin, Dick Bigelow, Taki, Mary Bimm, Bob Morris, Dick Laemmel and a host of others dropping in. Good memories.

The race started early and ended late in those days, an all day event, and, a lot of food.

Almost seventy years ago, but still a lot of vivid memories. On my "memory" table here by my chair,  among many other things, a belt buckle, on it OAKWOOD Lumberjacks. A picture of Caleb Dooley, who was in the Civil War, memorabilia from many years, and, two bottles of my Dr. Franks - Joint and Muscle Pain Relief, squirt that under my tongue every day.

I hope some old friends see this, would be nice to hear from them.

My heart is pounding, getting close to race time, the drivers were introduced. Soon, a recording of Jim Nabors singing Back Home Again in Indiana, I'll probably cry, well, I almost am now. Memories are great.

MY EMAIL

Echos ....................

Watching the Indy 500 and softball, switching back and forth. Indy brings back a lot of memories.

I don't remember the first one I listened to, Howdy Bell and all the announcers, then it was an all day event. One year we were in Indiana, near the track. A vivid memory, a long of line of slow traffic, bumper to bumper, leaving the track in Indianapolis. I assume we were visiting our family in Marion, and on the way back from that.

We were perhaps 50 yards back, in traffic, when we noticed a train coming, the car on the track apparently could not move, I remember when the train hit it, a woman's straw hat came flying our of a window, long white ribbon on the hat. Never learned of injuries, but never forgot that hat.

I was glued, every year, to the radio, had books, a BIG fan of the race.

In 1943 we moved, and a year or so later, we built a picnic house in our back yard, and some of us started a tradition of having a sleep over weekend, and listening to the race, and cooking out. Jack Austin, now I think in Nevada, Taki Anagnostin, a Doctor in California, Dick Whipp, in Montana. He came back with his wife, Peaches, had a nice visit. Lost track of him since. Barrett "Sonny" Kemp, an attorney in Lima, Ohio. I remember Mary Bimm visiting our group for dinner, Dick Bigelow, Bob Morris, and I am sure there were others, those come to mind. Been over sixty years ago.

In those days the race ran all day, so we took the day to party. Good Memories.

I missed the opening today, was helping my wife get set up at Walmart, maybe the first one I have missed. Not sure if Jim Nabors sang or not, missed hearing "Back Home Again in Indiana," and, used to be "Drivers Start Your Engines." Today probably "Drivers."

One Hundred Years Old, nice that some things don't change ..... I love tradition ............