In Remembrance of Those Who Have Died in the Line of Duty

All too often we hear on the news that there has been another shooting in San Diego. Ordinary people enjoying a normal day get caught in the middle of gunfire and are seriously injured or die from their wounds. It has happened to elderly as well as the very young. I do not spend my days in fear as I walk to the bus or through different neighborhoods. We can't spend our life being fearful. But I can understand why someone would be fearful if they have been anywhere near someone who has been shot.

Again our city is mourning the loss of one of our finest. There have been too many police officers shot and killed in the line of duty. The list is long and another name will be added to a memorial this year. This weekend we lost San Diego police Officer Jeremy Henwood. Just last October we lost San Diego police Officer Christopher Wilson in another ambush. The Border Patrol has also suffered loss not too long ago. In 2009 Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas Jr. was killed while on patrol. And the list goes on and on. Oceanside lost two of their finest in recent years.

I especially remember October 12, 1954 when Coronado police Lt. Frank S. Greene lost his life during a traffic stop. Such things never happened in Coronado! We never heard of policemen being killed in San Diego. The last one that had happened in San Diego county had been in 1933 when a San Diego police officer had been killed. Coronado's Frank Greene was a neighbor of Paul's family on Pomona Avenue. He lived right next door to Paul and his family. He had a wife and teen age son. His son Craig was in my sister's class at Coronado High School. Alice Craig Greene, Frank's wife, was a well known mystery writer. Frank Greene had been a Coronado High School graduate and was a football star while in high school. He even played professional football.

Paul has stories to tell about his good neighbor. Frank taught Paul how to throw a curve ball. Frank also witnessed some of Paul's teen age adventures. One time in the middle of the night at, 2:00 A.M., Paul and a friend were fencing, or at least taking the stance of fencing, in the middle of the street outside of the Greene's home on the corner of 5th and Pomona. This friend happened to be a girl, the older sister of the girl that Paul really liked. Anyway they were having fun and not causing any trouble even though it was a strange hour to be goofing around. They were under the street light for any night owl to see. Paul saw that his good neighbor Mr. Greene was silently watching the show.

It was a shock to have a shooting in Coronado in 1954. It was a bigger shock for it to be someone that so many in Coronado knew. There was a big man hunt for the bad guys and many people have stories to tell of their experiences of that day. Some of my classmates shared their adventures of that day even fifty years later at our class reunion. I think some of them wanted to help catch the bad guys. We were seniors that year. Frank's son Craig was a junior when he lost his father. Our 1955 CHS yearbook was dedicated to Lt. Frank Greene. The dedication page reads--

In the praise of Lt. Frank Greene there just isn't enough that can be said of his loyalty, courage, devotion to duty and his service to his "home town." Through the thousands of peaceful nights while we slept, Lt. Greene cautiously and diligently made his rounds in his prowl car in search of marauders. To this departed former student of C.H.S. and a true friend to all we say thanks for a job well done. To the memory of Frank Greene we respectfully dedicate this 1955 Beachcomber.

To this day there is a picture of Frank Greene at the Coronado Police Department. Some time after the new police station was built in Coronado Paul and I decided to go inside and take a look. We especially wanted to see where Frank's portrait was hanging. We asked a policeman where it was and he graciously showed us. We had a very nice conversation with him and it turned out that his family had been our neighbors when we lived on Margarita Avenue and our girls were babies. They lived across the street from us. I had known his parents in those days of the late fifties. Coronado is a small town even if there are more people there now.

There is a Police Memorial at the Chula Vista police station. Paul and I took pictures  of it several years ago. I had especially wanted to see Lt. Frank Greene's name on the memorial. It was there along with all of those in San Diego county that had been killed in the line of duty. Sorry to say there will be more names added when we see it again.

As for catching the bad guys that ambushed Frank Greene, Paul remembers that it was someone that we had known who found the bad guys. His name was also Frank, another home town hero.

Riding The Bus

It has been mostly a blessing riding the bus as our main form of transportation. We have made special friends and met a lot of interesting people along the way. One of my best friends is one that I met on the bus. When I was going to Coronado every Sunday morning to Sunday school and church I met Ellen as she was heading to Westview Bible Church in Imperial Beach. We were on the bus a short time together each week and got to know each other over a period of time. She invited us to her church and since we had another friend there we eventually visited Westview.

We continued to go to Coronado, but occasionally visited Westview. Laura started going to Westview much more often than Paul and I did. Then for a period of time Paul was going to Midway Baptist Church which is now known as Oceanview Church. He liked the idea that it is close to home so it is a short bus ride. Laura was going to Westview then and I was still going to Coronado. The bus driver was interested in our unusual arrangement at the time. She would have been in Church if she had not been driving the bus.

When the bus schedule changed and was not running often enough on the Strand to Coronado we started going Westview most weeks. This has been a blessing for our family. I am thankful that we met Ellen on the bus. Ellen and her husband Dave are dear people. We have enjoyed getting to know them and the other dear brothers and sisters in Christ at Westview Bible Church. We still have a sweet connection to Coronado and our many friends there, but we are being blessed each week at Westview.

There are a lot of interesting people on the bus and I have enjoyed talking to some of them. Bella is an older lady that I used to see quite often on the bus. She was beginning to forget things a lot and I was really concerned about her. She had a lot of history in our area and I heard some of her stories more than once. She lived with her sons near the trolley station and they must have begun to be concerned about her too. We had not seen her in quite a while when Laura and I came upon her as we were walking near her home in the valley. She said her sons did not want her to leave the yard anymore. At least I know she is safe.

We see many handicapped people on the bus. They don't let their disabilities keep them from being out and about many times during the week. There are a lot of senior citizens on their errands as well as young people going to school or their jobs each day. The bus and trolley are very much needed by many people. I appreciate being in an area where public transportation is available. I appreciate the nice bus drivers too. I have met some very nice drivers. There are a few that are not as nice, but they are the minority. Drivers have an important job and also need to care about people. You can tell which ones are not people oriented, it is just a job for them.

Then there are the people that get on the bus and are having a bad day. They want to make sure that everyone else has a bad day too. The other day one guy was loudly cussing at his lady friend. I could tell that he was a bully and did not have anything nice to say to her. I would have loved to say something but would have probably made the situation worse. I don't like to see someone being treated so badly. I would hope that she has someone to intervene for her or that she is able to distance herself from this bully.

Riding the bus is not boring. But you have to give yourself enough time to get to your destination. We like to leave home early and arrive at appointments early. Proper planning is important.

Photo credits: Seattle Municipal Archives;  DearEdward; paulkimo90

Remembrances of Louis Guapo

Yesterday was a day of gathering together to remember a brother, a father, a husband, an uncle, a nephew, a cousin, a neighbor and a friend. Fred's brother, Louis Guapo, was loved by many. Most came to San Diego from the Los Angeles area to celebrate the life of their loved one. One daughter came all the way from Hong Kong to pay her respects to her father. I met more Guapos than I could have ever imagined.

My sister married Fred Guapo the summer of 1979 and he has been an important part of our family ever since. We have seen his son Freddy grow from being six or seven years old to the fine man he is today. We knew Fred's mother Bea and enjoyed visits with her over the years. The last time we were in Los Angeles we visited her grave at Forrest Lawn.

I remember Louie and his dear wife Virginia, along with their four daughters, from before they moved to Chula Vista. Donna and Fred came from L.A. to visit them as often as possible after they moved south. When Donna and Fred were in town they would sometimes take me to see Louie and Virginia. I remember the four girls from when they were quite young. They have grown to be lovely young ladies. They were each well spoken when they shared about their loving relationship with their father yesterday. I also got to meet Louie's son and his family yesterday. I enjoyed talking to Louie's daughter-in-law and granddaughter, as well as other family members.

Louis Guapo had been ill with cancer for ten years. He did have times of remission though. Fred gave his brother bone marrow which gave him much more time with his family. Louie had the most up to date medical care over the years. But when God is ready to call us home to be with Him we will draw our last breath here on earth. We need to be ready to hear Him say "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Reflections on Friendship

We all have such unique and various personalities. Some of us are ready to make friends with people we have never met before, and others are much too shy to be the first to speak. I guess most of us fall someplace in between these two extremes. I have been shy at times but that is not my usual stance. My mother never knew a stranger as she was ready to speak to anyone who would listen. I'm somewhat like that as I am interested in many of the people I encounter in my daily activities. I have made new friends over the years. I also stay in touch with those I have known for years.

There are people I know who are somewhat shy but they can be friendly if given the chance. Some just don't know what to say to keep a conversation going, but they want to be part of the action. Some are just waiting for us to draw them into our conversation.

Do you ever look at a class picture and wonder about the quiet student that was in each picture over the years, but you did not know him or her? Maybe that classmate had been there since kindergarten but you had never spoken to her. She may have had a few friends but you had no idea one way or the other. You were busy with your own friends and activities. The shy student was not your concern.

I have more than one example of this. When I meet someone who graduated a certain year, and I mention someone I know from that year, and they have no idea who I'm talking about, I am disheartened. I try to say something to help the discomfort, but nothing really makes a difference. 

Was I one of the unaware participants in neglecting a fellow student? One of my classmates wrote in the 50th reunion memory book that she didn't have any good memories from high school. What a sad commentary. I feel bad for her. Could I have made a difference if I had not been wrapped up in my own circle of friends. And I had problems of my own to deal with. But I always had friends and do have good memories.

I know more than one person not interested in going to high school reunions as their experience in school was not so great. I was sometimes hesitant to go to reunions and missed some, but I wish I had gone to more reunions. I was not one of the in crowd but I never lacked for friends so don't know why I was apprehensive about going. I could understand if I had been without friends and was hesitant to go. I have enjoyed each reunion I have attended.

My sister Donna enjoys reunions, but she likes all parties. Classmates do remember her. Who could forget Donna McDonaugh? I met one of her classmates recently and of course he knew who she was. I met a classmate of my other sister and he had no idea who I was talking about. Betty had been in Coronado since kindergarten. I know she had some friends. She may have been shy though. She did not get to go to any reunions because she lived too far away and never got any information about them. Betty had hoped to go to her 50th reunion though, but died the year before.

My daughter Kathy may have been shy but she had a kind way about her. I like to brag about something she did that is very special in my book. She was a good friend to one of the most picked on girls in the whole school. I don't know what started it, but Sherry was the victim  of a lot of mean actions. Now days the schools make a big deal about bullies, but maybe they did not know what was happening to Kathy's friend. I don't know what made me powerless to say something. Some things were so subtle though.

So that quiet or shy student may be someone that you would want in your corner when you are without hope.

"Be kind to one another"