War cut short school for LVHS Class of ‘44

Thursday, June 10, 1999 | 9:25 a.m.

When two dozen members of the Las Vegas High School Class of '44 gather at the Sun City MacDonald Ranch recreation center tonight they are sure to share memories of being teens in a time of great world strife.

While the pictures of 73 seniors appear in that class's yearbook, only 49 of them were able to attend graduation ceremonies after 24 boys left early to fight in World War II. The other 15 boys in the class joined the armed services after graduating.

"It was a disruptive time in our lives, with the war and all," said Gerry Snider, a lifelong Southern Nevadan and coordinator of tonight's 55th reunion.

"The action in the war was hot and heavy and a lot of the boys left school to serve. I was only 16 at the time, so I had to wait until I graduated to join the Navy."

Snider, 70, said he does not know how many members of his class were killed during the war. He said, however, 48 members are known to be alive today.

Five years ago, at the LVHS graduation ceremonies, members of the Class of '44 wore gold caps and gowns. Diplomas were ceremoniously presented to those who left school early to serve in World War II.

Today's festivities begin with cocktails at 6 p.m. Dinner starts at 7:30 p.m. Poet and storyteller Vivian Hughes Hurlburt, a member of the LVHS Class of '44, will do a 40-minute presentation starting at 9 p.m. She will be accompanied by her husband, Fred Hurlburt, who was not a member of the class.

The Class of '44 produced some notable Las Vegans and others who would go on to regional and national acclaim.

James Cashman Jr. of the Cashman auto dealer family was a class member. However, he is in Montana and unable to attend tonight's event, Snider said.

Among the Class of '44 notables expected to attend are Brigham Young University lecturer Chauncey Riddle, of the family that long operated the Riddle Taxicab Co. in Las Vegas; Sebastian Mikulich of the family that long operated Las Vegas-Reno-Tonopah Stage Lines; Richard Ousley, owner of the old Ousley Electric in Las Vegas; and Natalie Stevenson Rittenhouse, widow of longtime local attorney and judge Pete Rittenhouse.

NASA scientist Phil Payne, another member of the class, had planned to attend the ceremony but had to cancel for job-related reasons, Snider said.