Thomas' Latest Interactions
Thomas Callen class of 67:
Dean and I were teamates on the 1966-67 Basketball and Baseball teams at Mastbaum. I knew Dean went to Temple on scholarship in 1967.
While serving off the coast of Viet Nam in 1970 on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. America CVA66, I had a surprise one day when walking through the mess deck area. I happen to see one of my classmates from the 1967 class, Jonas Johnson who was also on the basketball team with Dean and I. Jonas had come aboard as part of the Air-Wing deployed to Nam with our ship. As we saw each other we came together in a brief hug and hanshake. Then Jonas said to me, I'm afraid I've got bad news, "Dean's been killed over here"! I said What? but he went to Temple. Jonas said right, and then told me of the story of Dean leaving school because of an injury and being drafted into the army. Years after my Navy time, I later saw a philly paper on the phila. kids killed in Nam with the picture of Dean. He was a good friend and team mate, but most of all a good person. Thank you for your service and sacrifice Dean
Tommy
Yo Anna: Tommy Callen here I'd be interested in a 50th
I was from the class of 67. Mr"S" got all the 10th graders for their first year and he gave us the same comment that Vince Johnson recalls in 1964. If something falls, Don't try to catch it, let it drop. What I most remember of Mr. "S" from the first day we as 10th graders came into his shop. was his emphasis on "Safety", hence the Don't try to catch something rule. He welcomed us to Mastbaum and his shop (Rm. 202). Then he stated "As I call your name, I would like you to come over here and "Pick up this anvil" In front of him, was an anvil on a concrete base. As we were called and each tried to lift the anvil, Most of us could barely get one edge off the floor. A couple of the Bigger boys actually got it up off the floor. After the roll call was completed. Mr. "Soko" said that he wanted to give us a demonstartion. He pushed up the sleeves of his shopcoat, revealing the hairiest set of arms I'd ever seen. He bent his knees and hooked both arms under the ends of the anvil & base at his elbows. He stood UP with the anvil and WALKED ALL THE WAY AROUND THE SHOP smiling at us as he passed each one. When he got back to the starting point, he opened his arms allowing the anvil to drop to the floor with a resounding THUD! He then looked around the shop, SMILING!, and asked, "Gentlmen, are there any questions as to Who is in Charge"