On May 16, 2020 we surpassed 3,500 hours in developing, editing and refining the Day Room Years over the last 23 plus years.
Because of the love and enthusiastic support of our Lancer family, we look forward to many more years in our web based time machine known as The Day Room Years.
Lakenheath American High School
Presents
The Day Room Years
This place is dedicated to the Students, Faculty and Staff who created the vast number of Memories all of us have taken with us from those years.........................
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Lakenheath High School opened her doors on a Tuesday morning in September of 1960 for the arrival of her first students. Everything was neatly in place, lockers were up and ready for tenants, the desks were all in orderly rows in each classroom and the library shelves were up with most of the books in place. Now the REAL story
As with any construction project, not everything arrives on site at the requested time. The classroom furniture arrived just in time for the Labor Day Weekend. There were six giant lorries filled with desks, shelves, boxes of parts, books, hooks and blackboards. There was only faculty and school staff to unload and assemble all the pieces parts and by Saturday, a grave realization fell upon the exhausted staff, "there's not enough time!!" Now enters Betty Phillips, a teacher with a plan! Betty approached the principle and told him, if he would give her twenty five dollars cash, she would fetch some elves and see to the completion of the project. Now, remember that was a lot of money on an Air Force base in those days. Reluctantly, but with a look of grim desperation, the money was handed over. Betty set part two of her plan into motion. Off she sped to the Enlisted Men's Club with cash in hand. Knowing Saturday was a busy day at the club, she entered the door like a cowboy in a western. There she strode up to a crowd of G.I.s and got their attention. She offered the following barter for review."If all of you will help us unload the trucks and set up the furniture at the high school, I will give a $25.00 credit at the bar for future libations. " Now remember, that was a lot of money on an Air Force base in those days. Beer at the EM Club was only 10 cents a glass. After a few minutes of mental calculations, the stampede began. To the delight of all the staff still struggling at the "battle zone", the reinforcements arrived with gusto. The trucks were unloaded, furniture assembled and carried off to destinations within the school, blackboards hung, and all the leftover debris was cleaned up. By Monday afternoon, the job was done. Betty Phillips relayed this story to me 41 years later at the 2001 Reunion.
Once again, we wish to thank Betty and all the Lakenheath Teachers and Staff for all they did to contribute to our education. We are better citizens today for the values they instilled in us many yesterday's ago.P.S. The beer credit kept those G.I.s happy for a long time afterwards.
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