I was born in 1925 on East Third Street in Dayton, OH. My grade school was St. Joseph Catholic, near downtown Dayton. I grew up in East Dayton surrounded by many old athletes from Stivers, Stivers students and some of the school’s teachers and administrators. While I was at Stivers, there were many occasions when past students and athletes spent their own time to come to the school assemblies to let us know how they achieved success and to assist us to do the same. Some names that come to mind are Joe Cox, Bill Hosket, Harry Fenner, Kick Ramby, and Marvin Farrier. (All members of the Stivers Hall of Fame). I played some football in my years at school and earned one football letter in my senior year, a prized possession of mine.
In March 1943, I enlisted in the Navy along with 13 other Stivers students. In April we were sent to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. After we got there, we were split up and never saw one another until we were sent home on leave. I was assigned to Fire Control School and eventually ended up on a destroyer that went to the South Pacic. We were involved in many offensive and defensive actions until the war ended, including the battle in Tokyo Bay, the last surface battle of World War II and two weeks before the atomic bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bringing about the war’s end.
Back in peacetime Dayton, a group of old Stivers friends decided that we enjoyed each other’s company, and started the Stivers Alumni Association. We had many dances, parties, picnics and used the funds generated to assist our school’s needs. I’m happy to
say this attitude from our members still exists.
I enjoyed a varied career, ending with a 25-year term with the Dayton Fire Department, finishing as a captain. I married Lois Ann Neal in 1947 and we produced four fine sons that we are so proud of, Mike, Pat, Bruce and Nick.
– Amen