The AIHS Comments Page

1999-October 2003

1995-97 | 1998-98 | Present

Name: Jeffrey Joseph Courouleau
Class: Class of '95
What I've been up to: Please pass this letter on to anyone who knows me, or (for Ruth) post it on the AFCENT alum website, if you would:
Comments:Everyone:

This might be a very strange reason to get a letter from me, but it seems I need to clear something up for the listening audience. As Mark Twain would put it, "rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated".

Contrary to the belief of some, I am still twitching here in the Great State of Oklahoma. I'm teaching English Composition at the University of Oklahoma, as part of my M.A. work in Literary and Cultural Studies.

As you may or may not know anyway, I never have the happiest or most fulfilling life this side of the Mississippi. I know many of you have heard hide nor hair from me for a LONG time. I'm quite sorry about that. There are a variety of reasons for it, most of which have to do with personal factors.

For example, I am not exactly in the best health. I have developed a number of long-term conditions, that my doctors are looking into in order to try to ease. They seem to have lots of small answers, but can't exactly say "all these things add up to you having disease X". I won't go into elaborate details in this letter, but if you really want to know, you can e-mail me at this address.

Also, teaching is both a demanding and rewarding job. It takes lots of preparing, and leaves me with a schedule that is "interesting", to say the least.

So, please be aware that I am surviving. Alive, but alone. I haven't found the castle in the clouds, the beautiful maiden, or a treasure chest of ambrosia. But, scars and all, I am still here.

To those of you who have expressed concern for me recently, I wish to give you heartfelt thanks. It's been years since I've seen any of you, but I'm glad that we can still be there for each other after all these years.

If you'd like something a bit more substantive than this letter provides you, (or you know me well enough to read between the lines), please feel free to get in contact with me:

e-mail- jeffyjo@flash.net, or web page- http://jeffyjo.cjb.net

Peace be with you, and may Krsna bless and guide each of your paths.

Name: Tiffany Rounds Dahlgren
Class: '87
What I've been up to: Updating my comments from #2
Comments: As of April 1998 my husband and I live in Houston, Texas, and on April 21, 1999 I had my SECOND child...a baby boy named "Christian Emil"!

Name: Murray Wright
Class: '86
What I've been up to: Went to Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario for Commerce. After that I began working at Freightliner of Canada, Ltd where I am a Purchasing Agent. Lots of fun. I am still single.
Comments: Looking forward to the next reunion. Are we having a ten year for the class of '86? The last one was great.

Name: Donna M. (Guinane) Manna
Class: Class of '86
What I've been up to:
Comments: A little about myself since leaving school I have attended University of Nebraska in Omaha. I did not graduate however I married and have two boys Joey who is 10 years old and Michael who is 7 years old. I am also step-mother to Tony-20 years of age and Marcie-18 years of age. I work full-time outside the home for Woodmen of the World Insurance Company. I am a technical customer service. Basically I solve insurance problems before they go to litigation. My husband is Assistant Vice-president for Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Company. We are doing wonderful. I hope life is treating you well. Life is great for me. God has certainly blessed me in every aspect of my life. We live in Omaha, Nebraska.

Name: Charles Snellgrove
Class:
What I've been up to:
Comments: Delina Dimitroff was a student of AIHS in 1970/71. I have emailed this out to all the folks on my mass email list, but I am sure there's lots of others from the 69/70/71 era who don't appear on my list who would like to help Delina out... I don't know where, but do you suppose theres another place I could post this somewhere so that others may see it??? Thanks, Charlie...

Many of you may not remember the quirky smile of Delina Dimitroff... But alot of you do... Well, Delina's having a really rough time right now, and I'd like to ask for your prayers and support to help her out... Delina's husband was killed this summer and left her with a Lawn Service and two sons, and they are struggling... Her home is for sale, and facing freclosure... She is strong in faith and believes things will all work out... But I thought this being Christmas and all, some of you may want to send her something to bring her a little cheer... so if you do....her address is:

315 Oxford Drive So.
Englewood, Fl 34223
941-473-1984

Name: Formerly Kristen Alvarez, now Kristen Guzman
Class: Class of '85
What I've been up to: Henry and I jot married on May 22,99 in Boulder, CO. Julie Chappelle was able to attend. It was such a fun wedding. We honeymooned in S. Africa and Zimbabwe which was so incredible. My sister Susie Alvarez recently moved here to Boulder from Philly to be closer to a wonderful guy she met at my wedding. Its great to have her close by. My horse is pregnant and is due in June. We're very excited!
Comments:

Name: Amy Tjaden (Bauer)
Class: 1992
What I've been up to: After graduation I moved to my hometown of Scottsbluff, Nebraska where I attended college. My major was undecided but leaning towards journalism. I met my husband, Steve, in 94. In 95 we moved to Wyoming to attend the University. I landed a job as a reporter for the city newspaper. After one year we were tired of Wyoming. We went back to Scottsbluff long enough to get married and then moved to Kearney, Nebraska to attend the University there. At that time I changed my major to Elem. Education and got a job teaching pre-school. In 1997 my husband joined the Air Force. While he was in basic and tech school I worked as a manager for an infant program in a child development center. We spent some time in Georgia and are now living in Japan. I was working in an after school program with pre-teens but left this past year. On April 25th 2000 I gave birth to our first child, Joseph Daniel. We are also parents of two ferrets, Fidget and Maisy who live with their Grandma in Nebraska and we have a very spoiled cat, Mushi (Japanese word for bug). I'm currently taking correspondence courses in an effort to finish my degree. Our time in Japan is up in 2001. Steve doubts he'll remain in the military after that. We have no idea where life will take us after this. Right now we're just concentrating on our new role as parents.
Comments: I'm looking for Joseph Pacheco. He is also a 1992 graduate. I'm also curious as to whether or not we're having our 10 year reunion? Its coming up soon.

Name: John Avery
Class: Class of '86!
What I've been up to: I am now married with almost two children. My wife, Carol, and I have been married for ten years and have a wonderful 4 year old son (who's into everything) and we have one more on the way (Due in December, a girl, the doc thinks).
Comments: Great to find the site!

Name: Cynthia Cunniff (this is an update to an earlier posting)
Class: 1979-1982
What I've been up to: After my family was assigned to the Pentagon I mucked out my final years in hick hell at a highshool in Virginia where I was mostly involved in the performing arts and sports. I received an English scholarship(see Mr. Tickfer, all that badgering did help!) and studied both English and Journalism with a minor in music (voice) at California State University, Long Beach. At Long Beach State I ran into Mary Pope also an AIHS alumn '86, who was engaged at the time and also attending the university. She has a sister Vicky, '83 alumn, who went to AIHS as well. My college experience was an outstanding learning, growing, heck-of-a good time! I backpacked through Europe the summer before my senior year and had a chance to return to AFCENT to wax nostalgic. It was the summer they were completing the new additions and I could see how the old school was morphing into something I would barely recognize, though I understand some of the traditions hold fast, ie: skipping school in the Heide, not inhaling, etc. I am currently living in the L.A. area working in the IT industry, but have had the great fortune of living and working in Europe for a large part of my adult life.
Comments: My years at AFCENT had such a strong influence on who I am today. I can only hope when I have children they will be afforded the opportuntiy to be part of a community/school that acts as a partnership in caring for one another. I have quite a few phone numbers and addresses for those of you trying to contact anyone between 1979 - 1985. Some people I hung out with: Eric and Heidi Arneson, Diana McKinney, Jane Jones, Robin Wright, Phillipa Garrett, Tim Schwab, Robin Kollenborn, Phil Serrin, Sheryl, Susan and Laura Swilley, Annette Grigsy, Lloni Jarvis, Anne Morin, Donny Wilkins, John Doble, Gardner, Russel Bailey, Michael and Heather Bavaria, Nanette and Tracy Piccolo, Kevin and Susan Keipp, Jenny and Bob Sparks, Eric Faison, The Infamous Cannooks - THE CURLEIGHS (James, John, George and Sarah), Tony Anderman, Robbie Jones, Bobby Price, Rusty Thomas, Chris DiBella, Nicky and Tina Stead, James Pettis, Paula Vlammings, Bill and Missy Criss etc. etc. WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE! Hi to Mr. Tickfer, Mr. Slayton, Mr. Calvert, Ms. Messer, Ms. Ford, Mr. Florey, Buehler, Buehler, Buehler...

Name: Ruth Kneale (this is an update!)
Class: 1986
What I've been up to: Maintaining this site and truly enjoying all the satisfaction it has brought me! Plus moving to Hawaii for two years, and then moving back to Arizona. (Yes, I'm nuts, I like it better in the desert than on a tropical island. I never claimed to be sane by most people's standards.) My baby brother Sean (who also attended AIHS) is married and expecting his first child in the spring of 2002 - I'm going to be an aunt! Update: My nephew Samuel Benjamin Kneale was born January 8, 2002!!! He's gorgeous. | Another update: I'm getting married! Yay us *grin*
Comments: Keep telling folks about the site - I love hearing from folks who want to be listed, and love even more hearing from people who have found old friends through this site. Keep 'em coming, alumni!

Name: John Rodaway
Class/Years: 1976 to 1979
What I've been up to: I attended Afcent School from 1976 to 1979 and was part of the British contingent. From memory I believe both British and American children shared the same classes up to the age of 11. The British children then separated to undertake the 11 plus (the required standard exam for entrance into Grammar School). However, during my three and a half years at Afcent I made many American friends. I also joined in all the sports made available and was proud to make the All Star team in both Baseball and American Football. I still have my Afcent All Stars baseball cap and numerous pictures of the team. I left Afcent at the age of 12 years and moved to a Royal Air Force base in West London where my family have now settled. Afcent was without doubt a major influence on my life and provides me with some of my fondest memories.
Comments: Should you wish to add my details to your site I would be more than happy to hear from anyone that remembers me. [Webmaster's note: John is looking for a few people.]

Name: Bill Pimental
Class: 1977 - 1979
What I've been up to: Currently married (15 years) to Sharon, with 4 kids: Read/14 Lauren/12 Jake/10 Katie/4. Living in Lexington, SC; emails bpimental@yahoo.com or bpimental@juno.com.
Comments:

Name: Kevin Bryant
Class: 1969-1972
What I've been up to: After 30 years probably too much!! Left Afcent 1972, broken hearted, as we probably all did, never went back to school as Afcent and the mixed education/nationalities had put the seal on that, now I own a successful business (in my eyes) in the south of England. Married to Clare and love to travel.
Comments: I cannot believe after all this time that I now have the chance to possibly contact some people from the past.

Name: Bill Hamilton (formerly Bill Sheldon)
Class: 1968-72
What I've been up to: We got transferred back to the States at the end of my junior year and I didn't graduate with my Class - the Class of '73. I graduated from North Miami Beach Senior High School in Miami, Florida with a Senior Class of 1,400 plus students. It was worlds away from what I had left. However, I must tell you this - it was a great school also. I made some life long friends in that one short year. Occasionally, I will come into contact with an Afcent alumna or alumnus and I am reminded how absolutely fortunate we were. I met my wife in college here in Florida and have made a management career working for the Chrysler Corporation (now known as DaimlerChrysler since the merger with DaimlerBenz in 1998). My assignments have been in Florida with the exception of two years in Customer Relations for Chrysler Financial Corporation in Detroit. We are presently living in Jacksonville, FL and I am working as the Agency Manager for DaimlerChrysler Services North America.
Comments: I was raised by my step-father, Col. Jack Sheldon, and was privileged to go by his last name while I was growing up. Later, I took up my birth name and changed my last name to Hamilton. My friends at Afcent would know me as Bill Sheldon. My brother recently told me about the Afcent.Org Web Site and I just looked it up. After seeing so many familiar names I had to pull out my year books and walk down memory lane! What wonderful memories I have of my years in Brunssum...

Name: Jessica Albert-Antone (Künz)
Class: Class of '94
What I've been up to: 1994 I left to go to Heidelberg, beeing an AuPair with an American family, I started law school, and met my husband. In 1997 I graduated and gave birth to my daughter Rebecca, worked for a lawyer in nearby Mannheim and gave birth to my son Gordon in 1998. In 2000, we then left to move to Munich where my husband decided to divorce, and I went back to Mannheim in 2001 with the kids, after a short stop in Frankfurt, working for an M&A Company, which made it impossible to work for a single mom. After going back to school to reach an Web-Projekt-Manager degree, I am now working as Director of Business Development and Projektmanager in a small company doing market research in Mannheim.
Comments: I would love to get in contact with other members of th 1994 class, to see how live has treated them!

Name: Fred Paradie
Class: '77-'81
What I've been up to:
Comments: I am an Canadian Air Force officer assigned to the 425th Tactical Fighter Squadron at 3 Wing in Bagotville, Quebec, CANADA. Would love to chat with anyone who was in AFCENT when I was which was between 1977 - 1981. My e-mail address is: fparadie@videotron.ca!

Name: Michael A. Coleman
Class: 1968
What I've been up to: I was a student at Brunssum International High School, Home of theVikings, (we only won one game-the homecoming in that year-1968?), later AFCENT IHS, home of the Lions. I was a charter member of the High School Dorm, located downtown, below the coal slag heap, we were located next door to DreamCastle (something or other). I think I was in Heerlieheide, my geography wasn't as good back then. We had a principal, Mr. Mika, who had a bad right arm, it might have been a prosthesis, or just immobile, I don't recall that much, he was a good man, but not too outgoing with us younger students. I would have graduated with the class of 1971. My father was then TSGT Auston Brooks Coleman, head of the Security Police Investigations section, at Camp New Amsterdam, Soesterberg, The Netherlands. We rode a bus every Sunday afternoon, for about 4 hours, from CNA to Brunssum Dorm. We caught in theQuad, at the Wolfpack Den, NCO Club, after church services, which Col Buckalew preached, his son Waid was on the bus with us. We rode for about two hours, to I believe Eindhoven where he got about a twenty minute break, picked up three students from a radar site, their father was the commander, I don't remember their names, then we finished the bus ride on into the dorm. The first thing you did was unpack, then hit the commons area for a smoke, with your forged parent's permission slip you were allowed to smoke in the commons areas. Mr. Rollins was the boy's counselor, Mr. Solberg and his wife were the dorm supervisors, she had their first child, the first year of the dorm, I believe it was also the birth year of the present Queen of the Netherlands, Juliana(?). We ate a quick meal, then the biggest social event of the week was to catch a loaner base bus and go to the AAFES movie theater every Sunday night. You could do a few things kids at those ages did, There was only one sponsor and oh so many of us. Unlike rumors of the sixties, we did not have a lot of drugs, I didn't say we didn't have any, they just were prevalent. You could drink legally on the economy, you could smoke legally, and a few other things, that in the states you would not do for several more years. School took up the week, supervised study hours, classes at school, extracurricular activities, clubs, then Friday, you took you luggage to school and headed back to the base for the weekend. If you were a "dormie" who participated in athletics you stayed with a permanent party sponsor at AFCENT over the weekends. Culture shock came to a lot of us enlisted folks children, because about 90% of the permanent party at AFCENT were officers. I had a major for my sponsor, he was a fine man, had a son my age, and two other sons, but their lifestyle was certainly different. I knew that even at 14 and even more so now. I'm gonna quit for now, I don't know what got me to this web site this morning, but it has to be the greatest thing this month, next to my SSGT daughter in Kuwait calling her daughter, prior to church this am. Every day I hear from her is one less worry. We went to places like Wheelus AFB Tripoli Libya in my dads Air Force career, in my 20 USAF years, we went to other places, now in my daughter's, our third generation, Air Force Brat, we're going to places I have to look up. A classmate of her's down the road just got back with USAF Security Forces in someplace in Siberia, Old USSR. With Koreans and Norwegians on the base. I thought the Germans, British and Canadian classmates I knew at Brunssum were great, this is an ever changing world. Anyone interested in a "Dormie Reunion?"
Comments: I'll definitely be attending the New Orleans 2003 reunion and I hope to see a bunch of other dormies there!

Name: Dave Thompson
Class: 1970 - 1972
What I've been up to: I was in the Canadian section. I remember a couple of our teachers, Mr Church and Mr and Mrs Fortin (I think).
Comments: I am hoping to cross paths with any former Canuck and US students from school or who lived in the apartments in Geleen on Josklijnenlaan St. Some last names that I remember are Wyman (US), Hansen (US), Nash (US), Kuntz (CDN), Pronk (CDN), Harris (CDN), Lepage (CDN), Pendergast (CDN), Pink (GB), Sluyter (Robert). There are many more but this is a start. I now live in Niagara Falls, ON, Canada and would like to hear from anyone who might know of any of these people and or their whereabouts.

Name: Michael A. Coleman
Class: 68-72
What I've been up to: I found the website late last year (2002) and immediately contacted a few old friends, some new ones, and the whole AFCENT thing. You included my email about some past memories on the website and I appreciated that. Since first discovering the AFCENT website and alumni association I have become more involved with it and good things keep happenning. So a thank-you is on order for those of you who dedicate you time, finances, and energy into a project of this nature.
Comments: I hope as email progresses and people come into contact with each other more, other poeple like I can contact old friends and experience what I have from remembering such an all important part of our lives as AFCENT, in this new world of ours especially. I am off the the "old folks" reunion as ya'll have sometimes referred to it, classes of 68-72, where I am anxiously awaiting to meet many old friends. We were the originals, you can't get better than that, you may improve, which I believe AFCENT has, but there's always a spark there about being one of those at the beginning. Hope you keep the website running, and many more folks experience the good things from it that I have and maybe we can all meet at a reunion sometime and get to share all the AFCENT stories over the whole time. Maybe Las Vegas. And as for all you nineties graduates, don't be sitting the rocking chairs out for us graduates/attendees from the 60's and 79's just yet, we might have to show you how to really put on a show sometime. In loving camaradrie for all fellow AFCENTER's; May God Bless America, Our troops, Our nation, and all alumni.

Name: Annikka Jensen
Class/Year: Class of 2002 (attended AFCENT 93-95)
What I've been up to: After moving two more times after AFCENT, I have finally settled in Vermont. I am ending my freshman year at Lyndon State College, and have been looking for anybody that I knew from AFCENT. Out of all the places that I have been, AFCENT was the best. If Ms. Gregory (former, I think she has gotten married since) is reading this, I would like to say because of all the things that you have tought me and because of the teacher that you are/were I have started studying to become a teacher. Thank you! If you were in Mr. Slaytons class 93-94, Ms. Gregory's class 94-95, or Ms. Lamonts class 95-96 drop me a line. Thanks!
Comments: Thank you for this place to go to find old friends!

Name: Dale Rice
Class: 1976
What I've been up to: After graduation in 76 I entered the US Air Force and since retired after just over 20 years of service. I am married, 24 years this coming July to a wonderful lady I met in Ft. Worth in 1979, her name is Virginia, we have one daughter Melissa 16 years old, and by the way she started her education at AFCENT in 1992.
Comments: We now live in Clovis New Mexico (I retired from Cannon AFB near here) and now work for the City of Clovis Police Department as a police officer.

This page is, of course, always under construction.

Ruth Kneale / AFCENTalumni@gmail.com / AIHS Class of '86 /