The classes of 1941 and 1942 combined a couple of years ago as more members couldn't attend the reunions. In 1992 a scholarship fund was started by 1942 graduate John C. Thomas and the class continued to add to it. Evelyn Lange, also class of 1942, was instrumental in setting up the fund at Greensburg High School. When the two classes combined they also combined the fund. These two classes met Saturday evening for their reunion. Dodie Stutz announced that Nick Beckett was given the scholarship this year. Nick is attending Vincennes University and will study construction engineering.

My husband, Jim, was in the Greensburg High School class of 1941 and president of the class. So when the two classes met they graciously extended an invitation for me to attend. I was very much honored to be among them. I am impressed with these modest individuals after all that they have accomplished in their lifetime.

The class of 1941 had 74 graduates and of those, 23 are still living. The location of two graduates, Richard Owens and Ernest Mickey, is unknown. Maybe someone reading this will know one or both and will let a member of the class know. There were 77 in the class of 1942 and of those, there are 28 still living. The graduates of the classes that have died since the last reunion were read. In the class of 1941 those were Betty Christian Atwood, Mary Fiegenbaum, and Marian Holtzlider Prather . From the class of 1942 Mary Ruth Davis Green, Leonard Welage and John McKim had died since the last reunion. A minute of silence was held in their memory.

Wayne Weber acted as master of ceremonies and gave a short talk recounting their journey from the Great Depression through the space age.

Ernie Clemons read the letters and notes from members of the class of 1941 that couldn't attend and Bill Ford read the list from the class of 1942. Bill brought several books he has compiled concerning these two classes and World War II, including a book about the World War II memorial in Washington D.C. He told how his and Willa's nephew, Rob McClintic, sent him newspapers from the time the talk first started of the memorial until it was dedicated. Rob also took pictures and sent them to Bill. Bill told the group that of these two classes at Greensburg High School, James Edgar Land's was the only death in World War II. Several were injured however. The reunion program had a picture of the twisted bronze ropes that was included on the WW II Memorial to signify the unity of the nation during the war. Bill said the ropes on the program signified the union of these two classes.

World War II had not started when members of the class of 1941 graduated but many of them joined the service after graduation knowing that war was inevitable. The yearbook for the class of 1941 shows that it was on their minds when the first two pages states, “America's First Line of Defense - The Youth of America are marching forth from the high schools...armed with knowledge and an awareness of their turbulent world. They are America's First Line of Defense.”

The class of 1942 yearbook is very different. One week after Pearl Harbor was attacked the class voted unanimously in favor of dispensing with a large yearbook and purchasing War Bonds instead. They purchased three $100 War Bonds. The yearbook staff wrote, “Annuals are dispensable but freedom, the right to worship, and live an honorable life are not dispensable – for these rights we shall fight and sacrifice – for these rights we shall win.”

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew what he was talking about when he spoke of the youth, their parents and grandparents of that time, “This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.” The men and women that signed up for the military, the women who went to work doing jobs that men had been doing, the parents who stayed united and strong as they saw their children go to places they had never heard of before, they did have a rendezvous with destiny and showed the world what they could do. They won a better future for all of us.

Years later Tom Brokaw said, “This generation was united not only by a common purpose, but also by common values - duty, honor, economy, courage, service, love of family and country, and, above all, responsibility for oneself.”

Leland Hood was the official photographer for the evening.

Note: Donations to the scholarship fund can be sent to the Decatur County Community Foundation earmarked for the 1941-1942 fund.