DREUX HIGH SCHOOL
September 1961 - August 1964
K. Gregory Apkarian  

“Memories are yesterday’s gifts to the heart” (Robin St. John)  

Having arrived on the cloudy side of 70 years old, I find myself more frequently thinking of where I have been rather than thinking of where I might be going.  As with all things, we tend to reflect upon those memories of our journey through life that were most meaningful and pleasant.  And, it is for this reason that I put my thoughts to pen to share with the reader those memories of mine from my Dreux days.  

Of all the assignments I have had serving with the Department of Defense Overseas School System, my experiences as a teacher at Dreux High School from September 1961 through August 1964 continues to remain as one of my most cherished time periods.  Why, you might ask?  I have asked myself that question many times, and have concluded that it had to do with the dynamic high school environment that I found myself in, side by side with other like minded teachers, students and administrators trying to get a new school off and running into its second year of existence.   

To start this journey of reflections, I would have to put my thoughts in context as to how I came to be assigned to Dreux High School and of my tenure as a teacher there.  Well here goes, and I trust you will enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed putting my thoughts to paper.  

In July 1961, I was finishing up my first year as a graduate student at the University of Stockholm , Sweden , where I was enrolled in a Master's Degree program majoring in Social Economics.  For my 2nd year of study, I was planning to move to Russia to begin a comparative study of the economic development of the Soviet Republics of Georgia and Armenia .  The completion of such a study would serve as my Master's Dissertation as required by the University of Stockholm ’s Economics Faculty.  

As fate would have it, in August 1961, and coincidentally, as I was swiftly running out of my financial resources I received a telegram from the Overseas School System inquiring if I would be interested in traveling to Paris to be interviewed for a teaching position.  After discussing my predicament with my academic counselor, we both agreed that it would be in my best interest to pursue this newly developed opportunity, as the political climate in the USSR in 1961 left much to be desired.  

The Paris interview went well and I was offered a Social Studies teaching position at Dreux High School .  Leaving Stockholm on 5 September 1961 , I flew into Paris 's Le Bourget airport very early in the AM on the 6th. It was around 2:00 AM , and I did not have the foggiest notion of where Dreux Air Base was, nor did I have a clue of how I would be getting there. Particularly at 2:00 in the morning!  Well, once again, chance intervened!  Getting off the airplane and passing through customs I struck up a conversation with a young man who turned out to be a dorm student who was also going to Dreux.  And, he had a staff car that had come down from Dreux to pick him up!!!  Needless to say, I immediately accepted his invitation to ride with him and his military driver to Dreux.  Arriving at Dreux I was let off at the main gate with the MP’s, while my Good Samaritan student was driven off to the student dorms.  

At 4:00 o'clock in the morning the MP's arranged for me to stay in the Military Police Station in an unlocked cell until I could report to the high school in the morning.  You might say “from jail-house to school-house!”  

At 8:00 o'clock in the morning, with suitcase in hand I found myself in Principal Gustafson's office where we introduced ourselves to each other and with him handing me a key to a classroom (I believe # 7).  He indicated that the students were already in place and waiting for their teacher.  I discovered that I was not only late arriving for school that day, but I had missed the opening day of school, which began on Tuesday, September 5th.  First impressions are certainly lasting I thought to myself as I hurried down the hall to my first class of students at Dreux. Thus beginning the start of a journey that would keep me at Dreux for the next three years.  

School year 1961-62 proved itself to be a learning experience for me.  In the first instance, Principal Gustafson wished to install an Economics course into the curriculum and by the second semester we had the course, along with Samuelson's college level textbook, and about 10 hardy students who signed up for it.  It turned out to be a fun course to teach. As a class project, we bought some Studebaker stock and tracked it for the school year before selling it and dividing our gains among the students who had made the initial contributions to purchase the stock.  I recall taking the class to Paris on a field trip to visit the offices of the brokerage firm of Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, & Smith to gain an insight into the workings of a brokerage house and the stock market.  

As part of our teaching responsibilities, teachers were encouraged to sponsor student activities.  In this regard, Principal Gustafson saw in me the ideal candidate to sponsor the Archery Club. Why?  I don't know!  But, in no time at all, I found myself poring over library books on the subject of sponsoring such a club.  I guess I learned as much about archery as did the students who signed up for their once-a-week experience.  We did set up the archery range just outside my classroom window, which faced a rather large open area.  Since safety of students was my primary concern you can imagine my nervousness when the time came to shoot our arrows into our straw-filled targets.  Thankfully, we emerged at the conclusion of the school year with NO ACCIDENTS!  

School Year 1961-62 proved to be memorable school year.  I met some great teachers and have been saddened by the passing of some of them.  Paul Francis jumps to my mind as being a 'stellar' teacher.  He taught next door to me and during the course of his teaching I was able to hear how well his students responded to him.  He was truly a great teacher.  I also remember well Marina Valenzuela, who taught French & Spanish and was very popular with the students. I am sure that her passing was felt by many of her students.  

Other teachers that I met that '61-62 school year included Pete Georgi, who, I believe was a reading specialist.  I can recall his classroom being a kaleidoscope of posters, pictures, and all sorts of interesting displays.  All of which were somehow related to encouraging students to become better readers.  Then there was Teacher Bill Horak, a very close friend, who decided to become a Dormitory Counselor while at Dreux.  Other teachers that I came to know were Bill Elstran, Leo Wax, Lee Mawby, Jim Close, Cedric Hannon, Gary Weiss, and then there was Bill Lee who went on to a distinguished teaching career at the University of Southern California, also Alan Dale Olson, who, upon leaving Dreux went on to serve as the USDESEA Director’s Spokesperson in all matters relating to the DoDDS European schools.   

The school year ended all too quickly, and upon returning for School Year 1962-63 we all discovered that Principal Gustafson had been transferred to Lakenheath , England and Mr. Al Matthews took over as Principal.  My memories of this school year are very hazy, but one incident does stand out that had to do with Principal Matthews.  It was our opening orientation meeting in the teacher's lounge and Principal Matthews had just finished introducing himself to the faculty and was expounding upon the goals of the school for the school year, when, as he was leaning back and balancing his chair on its two rear legs, he leaned a bit too far and went tumbling over.  A marked silence followed his fall by all the teachers and as he brought himself back to his feet still talking, we all noticed the same thing - that he had not missed a beat in what he had been expounding upon. That was Principal Matthews as we were all to come to know and to appreciate.  

I do recall that the winter of '62 had to have been the coldest on record in all of Europe .  Since I was living off base, in Nonancourt, with only a fireplace as the main source of heat, those winter months became deeply imbedded in my memory and were something to remember.  For me, it was a joy to arrive at school during those cold, frigid winter months to just relax surrounded by the school’s central heat.  The winter months slowly receded with the onset of spring, and as the weather changed we all came to appreciate a bit more the changing of the seasons.   

Other events of this school year included the Jr/Sr Prom, which was held on the Seine River aboard one of the Bateaux Mouche boats.  I do recall that being a fun evening, with no one falling overboard!!!!  

My fondest recollection of my experiences while assigned to Dreux had to be associated with the 1963-64 School Year.  With the transfer of Mr. Close, Math Teacher and Football Coach, to Lakenheath High School , Principal Matthews assigned me to be the new Head Football Coach at Dreux.  Bill Elstran and Staff Sergeant Alton Snead were my Assistant Coaches.  Both played a major part in our many successes that year.  

I still recall vividly our first team meeting in the base gym.  We must have had at least 60 students in attendance.  While reviewing the ‘rules of behavior’ that would be expected of all team members, we experienced an immediate attrition of participants that took us down to 50 students still in attendance, and we were still reviewing our expectations of Dreux student-athletes!!   

After our first week of practice we experienced a further attrition of participants leaving us with approximately 39 students who were committed to represent Dreux as football players.  And that was what we started with, and that was the number of student-athletes that remained with throughout the season.  And what a season it turned out to be!!  They enjoyed an undefeated season, and were crowned the following championships:  

            a. The Com Z Conference Champions
            b. The Spain Conference Champions
            c. Tied for the U.K. Conference Champions  

We played 9 games, which included the 6 Com Z teams, and we played 3 post-season games, which included Madrid High School, Lakenheath High School and London Central High School.  We were the only DoDDS high school in Europe to play a nine-game season that year.  

I am confident that the students who were part of this team are still carrying with them the many memories of their participation in a football season that resulted in their being part of a football team that had no equal that season.  

Some statistics:
            a.  Rushing yards gained:      Dreux-3240    Opponents-913
            b.  First Downs:                    Dreux-124      Opponents-65
            c.  Points Scored                 Dreux-298      Opponents-40  

            Dreux              31        Orleans           0

            Dreux              27        Paris               7

            Dreux              29        Chateauroux    7

            Dreux              34        Poiters            7

            Dreux              46        Verdun            6

            Dreux              28        Orleans            0

            Dreux              39        Lakenheath     0

            Dreux              51        Madrid             0

            Dreux              13        London Central 13  

The European Stars & Stripes wanted to sponsor a European Championship game between Dreux and Frankfurt High School (also undefeated) with the proceeds of the game to go into a scholarship fund for student-athletes.  For whatever reason, those plans never got beyond the initial discussions with headquarters personnel, much to the disappoint of the players.   

What made all this possible?  First, of course, had to be the commitment and dedication of the student-athletes who prevailed during the course of a 9-game season.  Throughout the season, the team never faltered.  Our practice sessions were most grueling and demanding. Starting immediately after school, and, in some instances, stopping when we could no longer see the ball because of darkness.  Their team spirit never faltered.  I must confess that this group of young men set the standard for others to aspire to.  They became such a cohesive whole, that they dominated the teams they faced as evidenced by their team statistics for that year.  

Just who were the student-athletes that made up this team?  At the expense of slighting the memory of any athlete that I fail to mention, here goes:  

Pat McTaggart - the 1963 European Scoring Champion - 130 points in 9 games.

Sonny Edwards – tough as nails, second to McTaggart in scoring, yet his most satisfying game had to be at Lakenheath that only he knows why.

Jay Martin - an accomplished quarterback and passer.

Sam Goodrich - one of our main receivers.

Ray Posey - blocking punts and recovering them became his trademark.

Randy Crist - an outstanding tackle.

Walt Peterson - running back and receiver.

 Larry Lahusen - tough as they come on the front line.

 Ed Langston – excellent running back and equally good at recovering fumbles.

 Steve Howard – both a quarterback and running back.           

I apologize for being remiss in not mentioning a number of other student-athletes that made up the team, but I must confess that reaching the cloudy side of 70, does play havoc with one’s memory.  

 At the conclusion of the 1963-64 school year, I was transferred to Wiesbaden , Germany and assigned to the Wiesbaden Junior High School as an Assistant Principal, thus becoming a school administrator and remaining a school administrator until my retirement in 2003.  Although my journey with the Overseas School System would take me from France to Germany, to Africa, to Italy, back to Africa, to England, back to Germany, and finally to Japan, my recollections would always return me to Dreux, France and my days and experiences as a teacher at Dreux High School as having been some of my most memorable ones.  

To all the students who were part of that time at Dreux High School , with the words of Bob Hope in mind, I say to you, “Thanks for the memories.”  

K. Gregory Apkarian
P.O. Box 1234
Englewood , Florida 34295
k.apkarian@yahoo.com