Memories

Don Hastings, Class of 1976
	Our brother, Don Hastings, passed away on July 1, 2001 after a year-long fight with pancreatic cancer. Don was a test engineer for the Boeing Aerospace Corporation in Huntsville, Alabama. Among his notable projects were serving as a member of the investigation team for the cause of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident; developing the operating code for the Space Shuttle boom arm; developing a process for performing emergency surgery in outer-space. During the last 10 years, Don was an integral member of the team building Space Station Freedom. His last project required him to secure the funding for the deployment of the Airlock, which allows astronauts to move freely between the interior and the exterior of the Space Station. This airlock was successfully deployed on July 14th, 2 weeks after his passing. Don loved the time he spent at Incirlik, and laughed about different memories many times over the years. Don was not married when he passed and left no surviving children. We'd love to hear from Don's friends. You can email Mom and she'll pass it on to us.
~Denise Hastings (Class of '77, IHS '73-'75) & Dan Hastings (Class of '80, IHS '73-'75)
	...excerpt from an email to Don's Mom I remember how puzzling Don was to me when I first met him. He had this really long flowing beautiful blonde hair. I guess I was looking to somehow make Don fit under some sort of classification for those other guys I knew with long hair; Rebel, Rebel follower, or Someone tuning out. Don was an enigma to me because he didn't fit under any of these. He was his own person, self confident, not a follower, no chip on his shoulder. He was soft spoken, a gentle person. I remember the baseball trip and the tournament pretty well. There were three teams that year: Karamusel, Ankara, and Incirlik. Incirlik had played in the Turkey tourney the year before (held in Ankara), but it only consisted of Ankara and Incirlik. That year was special for me. We won the first game by a score of 2-0. I pitched the second game. We won 42-0, I pitched a no-hitter, and Ankara walked off the field in the 4th inning. Coach Sanders had warned us about getting cocky this year. He warned us that the Karamusel team was not to be taken lightly. He also suggested to me that there might be some new faces as heroes this year vs. those that excelled the year before. I remember how prophetic he was. Don had not played on the Incirlik team the year before. The championship game was between Karamusel and Incirlik. I can remember our watching Karamusel warm up and play. We were intimidated. They had uniforms that looked like they were professional stock. Ours paled in comparison. They had a catcher who, we all agreed, could make any all-star team in the United States. We were definitely intimidated. I was named as starting pitcher based on last year's results. I remember being cocky, but Karamusel soon took care of that. I believe I lasted 2 or 3 innings. They had scouted me, and were waiting on the curve ball. I helped them out with a lot of walks as well. I believe the score when I was taken out was somewhere around 9-0. Mr. Sanders put Mitch Samms in. Mitch was new, a year younger than most of us, and didn't particularly have a great year. He really stepped up. He didn't give them anything big to hit, and he pitched masterfully. Mitch got us through that inning, but our confidence was severely tested. We had come back to the dugout dejected. I believe Don led off that inning. He punched a single through the infield, and got on first. I remember him stealing second base. He was rattling the pitcher. He was an odd sight, this skinny tall guy with this long flowing blonde hair running to second. They had underestimated him. We began to believe winning was possible. We rallied, and must have scored 5-6 runs. Don batted twice in that inning, and I believe he scored both times. As I recall, we narrowed it to within 2 runs at the end. We were the home team, and scored enough to win with our final at bat. I remember the sheer exhilaration of coming from behind by so many runs and winning in a championship game! There were two clear heroes; Mitch Samms for containing the Karamusel team with his pitching, Don for inspiring us with his base running and his bat. Don must have gotten 4-5 hits that game. That's how I recall it. I'm sure there are some inaccuracies, but it’s the best memory I have of Don. None of us had realized how good Don was until that game. I always thought of Don after that as one that should never be under-estimated or taken lightly.
See four of the 1974 All Stars
~Steve Whitwell, (Class of 76, IHS 73-75)

Paul Johnson, Class of 1980 & Joe Johnson, Class of 1982
	Two of the first people I saw when my family and I arrived at Incirlik were Paul and Joe Johnson. Paul and I quickly became friends; my younger brother Jeff and Joe doing likewise. When Paul wasn't at the Gym shooting hoops, he was at the youth club challenging anyone to a game of Ping-Pong. Paul and Joe were really into their music, often spinning records or playing at the youth club dances. The Johnson brothers helped the Lewis brothers quickly find the rhythm of life at Incirlik. We valued that friendship, that brotherhood, that shared mischief. Paul and Joe are still truly missed.
~Robert L. Lewis (Class of '79, IHS '78-'79)
		View a special edition of The Looking Glass Get Adobe Acrobat Reader.	See a picture of Joe's Band, Ballsé
	I was standing in line at the base theater waiting to see "The Muppet Movie" when I heard the news about Joe and Paul. I don't think there was a single person at IHS who wasn't affected by the loss. Joe and Paul were very well liked by the entire school, students and faculty alike. They were always nice to others, always offering a warm friendly smile and a passing hello. They have not and never will be forgotten.
	~Cheryl Flint (Class of '85, IHS '78-'81)
	More information about the accident can be found at Glenn Knight's Website.
	The following was written for a Death and Dying class at Incirlik High School. Short Remembrance I came to this place for a very short time. This place will not be forgotten And especially the friends I've made AND THOSE I LOST. I'm leaving soon Although I'm Happy I'm also sad. But I'll never forget the experiences experiences of Joy experiences of Sorrow This place will not be forgotten.
	by Nick Woodard, Class of 1981, Incirlik High School, Spring 1980

A J Richards, Class of 1980
	AJ, you took me to my very first Prom in 1976. We double dated with Mine' Johnson and I believe it was Norman Runk, or one of the Shannon brothers. Can't really remember who took Mine'. I definitely was not the bell of the ball! My dress was the single most hideous thing I have ever seen (I hope my Mom does not read this because she made that dress)! None of that matters though because we had a blast. I will always remember you. Thanks for asking me to my first prom. Thanks for the memories.
~Peggy Hyatt-Buchanan (Class of '81, IHS '75-'77)

Allen Seigler, Class of 1994
	Click here to visit a memorial website established by Allen's friends and family.