Navy Boys Come Home 1966

These images were just provided by Cousin Ron Gutowski from his personal archive, and they bring back some real memories. this was a vary rare instance that caught the cousins together in full uniform. You can see the pride on Grandma and Grandpa Gutowski even though we were perhaps to young to really comprehend that pride. Today with our own children and grand children I think we get it. In the first I believe it was 1966, the peak of the Vietnam War.

Dave Juarin was home from Annapolis not quite ready to graduate. Vince Gutowski, Frank Gutowski and George Heidekat were about to spread to the corners of the globe. It would be quite a few years before this gathering could be repeated. Most recently and sadly it’s repeated only for funerals. However even in those though times the joy of family and the comradeship we knew as cousins growing up together is remembered with laughter and fondness.

In the second I think we have an even more rare gathering of all the cousins at the time. How to fit all of those people in the house at 48 Fritz street would be a major undertaking today. Then it was just another day of the hard work Grandma Gutowski put in. Again, we had no concept of the effort or the joy she felt. Today we do albeit on a much smaller scale.

Note the finger prints in the upper right corner.  Traces of our ancestors DNA.  You can’t do that with an iPhone.

If anyone has more to add to this story please do…

   

About... Frank Gutowski

Frank Chester Gutowski, born Oct 19, 1947, son of Chester Gutowski and Frances (Panzini) Gutowski, father of Christopher Gutowski and Robert Gutowski, grandfather to Christian, Alex, Xavier, Gavin, Merida Gutowski. Brother to Vincent Gutowski, Robert Gutowski and Bernice Gutowski.

• More Posts (28)