As we talked we spent only a little time on his high school day’s.
He was a wrestler himself and he was very humble about his skill as a wrestler and admitted he did not think he was a great athlete.
We did however talk quite a bit about his service in the army and his time served in Vietnam.
What shapes a man?
Hometown, Family, Hard work, Service and Faith, as I’ve said.
But before we talked about that he let me know he met his wife at college, at UW Stout.
He married Linda the day before ‘The Ice Bowl’ 12/30/1967 of the Green Bay Packer glory days.
They will be married 50 years this winter!
Who can forget Bart Starr burning through a key hole.
I wasn’t even alive and I know about that day.
Quick side note: Did I ever tell you I kinda work for Bart Starr?Â
No, well that’s another story altogether.
Wikipedia describes the college as such:
“The University of Wisconsin–Stout (UW–Stout or Stout) is a four-year college located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, United States. A member of theUniversity of Wisconsin System, it enrolls more than 9,600 students. (sounds like coach – stout)
The school was founded in 1891 and named in honor of its founder, lumber magnate James Huff Stout.
On March 9, 2007, Stout was designated “Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University” by the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.[3]
It is one of two special mission universities in the University of Wisconsin System: it provides focused programs “related to professional careers in industry, technology, home economics, applied art, and the helping professions.”[4]
UW–Stout offers 50 undergraduate majors, 26 graduate majors, including 2 advanced graduate majors and a doctorate.[5][6]“
The reason I’m telling you about the college is in hopes you see what I see.
How the research that I have been doing since interviewing Coach has been painting a picture of the man also.
Looking back you can see, ‘What shapes a man’, pretty clearly in the descriptions given about his hometown, his school days and farm life, his high school days, briefly, and now his college days and his time in the service.
So through my writing if someday you have the opportunity to meet coach you can say, “No, I don’t know him…
But I’ll know him when I see him.”
And maybe, just maybe, we can look at him and glean some good examples from a life so lived and learn some lessons that we can practice on our own walk through life.
He’ll think I’m overdoing it a bit, but we should look up to our teachers…
and not roll smoke bomb’s into their computer lab class!
Coach said the draft board called after he graduated college but him and his sweetheart were headed to Colorado!
In an old Nash Rambler!
Wiki info- According to automotive historian Bill Vance, the Nash Ramblers “are not much remembered,
but they did provide reliable, economical and sturdy service.“(sounds like coach)
[5] “Nash’s reputation for building eminently sensible(sounds like coach) vehicles means that their products are often overlooked by the modern-day enthusiast.”[45]
The Army would have to wait.
And Ramblers were the first compact cars good on gas.
Perfect for a young couple headed out on a road trip.
He said the lady handling the paper work at the draft board wasn’t too thrilled about that but they were heading out and wouldn’t be in Wisconsin to do the physical and paperwork.
Funny thing is, when he got to Colorado they told him it would be even a bit longer, they weren’t conducting their physicals and such until October.
I was born in November 1969,
and Coach was headed to Fort Bragg, in November 1969…
I wonder if he reported on a Tuesday?
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