To the Class of '67

My high school class has never had a reunion, and I have been out of high school for a long time. I went to a public high school in Chicago, probably the largest high school in the United States. At its peak we had more than 9,000 students. When I studied there we had “only” 6,000 students. All boys.

Today it would probably be called a magnet school. Back then it was just known as Lane Tech. The school focused on science, math, engineering, and architecture. When I was a student we had to pass an entrance exam to get in. With 6,000 boys we won a lot of athletic championships, a lot of academic competitions, ROTC competitions, and many other accolades. We had another type of distinction too, one that we would all rather have avoided. So why no reunion? Ever? It’s because I went to high school at the height of the Vietnam War. You see, about 1 out of every 7 of my classmates died in Vietnam after graduating from high school. Probably more than any high school class in the nation. Many others suffered debilitating injuries that have had lifelong effects. It has just been too painful for those of us who survived to ever have the desire to get back together again. And so, to all my fallen classmates, and to all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to our country, before and after I was in high school, we remember you and we salute you on this Memorial Day weekend. Go Lane go. Sincerely, Alan Leafman, President   Check out Health Insurance Express on Yelp