The "Prop Age" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Leafing through my Reminisce magazine, looking at the photos and trying to figure which one of the stories I should read first.  I turned another page and there was a painting of an airplane with propellers with "Fly Eastern Airlines" across the fuselage in big red letters. Plane was called the Golden Falcon and may have been the type of plane that my friend and high school classmate piloted while flying for Eastern Airlines.  Naturally had to grab my high school yearbook and check out his photo, since it's been years since I had seen him.  Our class celebrated our 50th reunion three years ago and Dave was listed on the program as being deceased.  No date was listed, but I can sort of remember seeing his obituary in the newspaper in the late 80's or early 90's.  Dave was listed in the yearbook as in the "Academic" curriculum which is where many, who had hopes of going to college, were placed.  He played football for one year, was in the choir for two years, but is best known for something that happened during a class assembly in the high school auditorium.  

1962 graduate Dave Hall

We were assembled for some type of assembly, being told to be still and quiet, when all of a sudden you heard this really loud … psssssssfart.  Well, that took care of the quiet part.  I can sort of remember the entire scene, but my friend Jerry told me that he can still remember it vividly.  Everyone knew it was Dave who did it and really crated a stir.  Don't know what happened after that, but Dave became infamous in one short burst of sour air.  I also remember Dave since his parents owned a restaurant known as Hall's Cafe which was a few blocks from my childhood home on North Queen Street.  Friday evenings were usually spent having one of their famous crab cakes with my mom, dad and brother Steve.  Many times I remember seeing Dave in the restaurant and talking with him.  He was also a great dancer and I can remember many Saturday evening dances at Wohr's Barn near my home.  Dave Wohr was also a member of our high school class and it was his family's barn where the dances were held on the second floor.  Dave graduated and went off to college like many of us did.  I saw him a few times after that and found out he was a pilot for Eastern.  He always loved to fly and he finally got to do it on a big scale.  One of the main reasons I subscribed to Reminisce is to bring back memories of the past, and this story and photo really did it once again.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.