EXTUTES Main Page- former Coast Guard Institute Coasties USCG Oklahoma City

U.S. Coast Guard Institute- EXTUTES - 1970 to 1975

Former Coasties and civilian employees (including their spouses) who served at the U.S. Coast Guard Institute in Oklahoma City sometime during the period 1970 - 1975.

A special group of friends from Justo (Composition), Course Administration, etc. who enjoyed card playing, ping pong, camping out (Platt National Park in Sulfur), fishing (Lake Tenkiller, etc.), visiting Red Rock Canyon, carpooling, swimming in Lake Thunderbird, canoeing (rafting, tubing), peeking out of storm cellars during tornados and who shared homes, meals, and many other similar interests in Oklahoma City.

EXTUTE ORIGIN OF EXTUTES AND BRIEF HISTORY

Rick Lackey (a civilian employee at the Tute from June 1971 - August 1973) started the Extutes after he left the Tute in 1973. He started the group because he wished to to continue the relationships he had formed while serving so gallantly. Rick kept in contact with his friends over the years and organized the first reunion of his Extute friends in April 1997. After attending the reunion, Old Man Riggs recorded the event on his personal website. We all enjoyed the reunion so much we agreed to not wait to long before doing it again, but next time we wished to get more of our friends to attend (especially those that we missed or who couldn't make it to our first reunion).

Rick was smart (slick) enough to pass off the work of organizing the next reunion to Denny Davis and Dennis Riggs. The Old Man remembers when we were first just a small group of "white hats, civilian friends, and their spouses" who served at (or were employed by) the Coast Guard Institute (Oklahoma City) while Rick was at the Tute. Denny Davis and The Old Man figured bigger was better, so we expanded our small group to include ALL officers, chiefs, white hats, civilians (and their spouses or significant others) whose tour at the CGI fell anytime during 1970 to 1975.

The Old Man created a Yahoo Group for greater communication, memory sharing, data organization, and to help Denny Davis plan the 2003 Extute reunion. Our number grew from a handful sharing a few memories to almost 300 potential members sharing loads of memories.

The Old Man would like to see the group remain "close-knit", hopes that we do not get too carried away, become to formal, to large, and believes the 6-year period beyond 1970 - 1975 is plenty big enough!

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND HOW TO JOIN OUR GROUP

If you or your spouse served (Coastie) or was employed (Civilian) at the U.S. Coast Guard Institute in Oklahoma City sometime during the period of 1970 to 1975 and would like to join our group, then click on the Yahoo Groups link below:

Click to subscribe to extutes

If you are not already a member of Yahoo, then you will need to first sign-up with Yahoo (choose a user name/I.D. and password) before joining our group. Once you have signed up for Yahoo membership, you can make application to join our Extutes group.

To join Extutes (after you have signed up for Yahoo membership and have your Yahoo ID and have picked your password) use the link above, click on "join this group". After filling out the registration info, you will then be a "pending" member. Please provide enough information in your Yahoo profile, that we can determine who you are and if you are eligible.

Old Man Riggs will check the "pending" member list daily. If you did not supply enough information in your Yahoo Profile, then you may have to supply The Old Man with information (your name, last rank, dates you were at Institute, etc.) before he can approve your request for membership. Once The Old Man has determined your eligibility, he will approve your membership. After your membership is approved, you will be able to view all the hidden "member only" menu choices: database (roster) and other menu items, add photos, messages, etc.

The Coast Guard Links are the only portion of the site visible to the public. Messages, Photos, Roster, etc. are not available to non-members visiting the Yahoo Group site.

NOW THAT YOU ARE A MEMBER - Please Share

Welcome Aboard! We would like very much that you participate in our group (i.e., share photos, stories, messages, favorite links, recipes, and help us find missing and prospective members).

Armed with your Yahoo ID (user name) and Yahoo Password. Go to our Yahoo Group "EXTUTES" site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/extutes and "Sign-In".

Once you have signed in the left-hand menu system on our site will be activated and you will be able to access other items besides just "Links". Previously these additional menu choices were hidden (and still are hidden to the public), but are available only to our members. You will now be able to view our "database" of potential members and prospects. You will be able to view our message postings and post new messages of your own. You will be able to view our photos and share photos of your own. We even have the ability to upload and share files.

Please help us by uploading some "THEN" and "NOW" photos and share a little about what you have been doing since you left the Institute.

Denny Davis and others spent much time planning our Reunion 2003. It went off without a hitch on May 15th and ended on May 18th. For photos and more about our recent REUNION <--click here

EXTUTE HOSTEL CONCEPT EXPLAINED

Here's the concept submitted by Denny Davis: A hostel is generally a kind-of boarding house with common facilities in which travelers go for a short-term, inexpensive stay. There are hostel organizations that publish world-wide availability, etc.

At the Extute 2003 Reunion, you were reacquainted with other Extutes who live all over the U.S.. Since each of us are a lot older now and, typically, unencumbered by children, many of us travel a lot more. During your travels, wouldn't it be nice to visit briefly with an Extute who lives near where you are traveling? If you are willing to register as a member of the Extute Hostel, you would agree to provide a free meal to a visiting Extute and, if a spare bedroom is available, perhaps even a free night's lodging and breakfast. Obviously, this would be on a space available and schedule available basis based on the maximum notice possible from the traveler. No member-traveler should ever over-stay their welcome by staying more than one night.

The Old Man's wife Virginia (Maw) has expressed interest in this concept and possibly making their home an Extute Hostel (not hostile) environment since they have a spare bedroom.

TO THE WHITE HATS
by Rick Lackey

TWAS EARLY IN THE SUMMER
THE YEAR WAS SEVENTY-ONE
THE AIR WAS HOT AND STICKY
IN THIS OKLAHOMA SUN

I LEFT MY FIRST LOVE, COACHING
I BROKE MY SOLEMN VOW
A LIFE WITH THE U.S. COAST GUARD
WAS ALL THAT I HAD NOW

IT WASN'T VERY EASY
I COULDN'T SETTLE DOWN
BUT THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED
THAT TURNED IT ALL AROUND

I GOT TO KNOW THE WHITE HATS
DENNY, JOHN, AND TIM
THEY ASK ME OUT FOR COFFEE
WITH RIGGS AND NORM AND JIM

I NOTICED THEY WERE DIFFERENT
FROM THE OTHER MEN I'VE KNOWN
THEY CERTAINLY WERE NOT OFFICERS
THERE MIND WAS ALL THEIR OWN

TIME PASSED SO QUICKLY
AS TIME WILL SURELY DO
BUT MEMORIES, THEY ARE MANY
REGRETS, THEY ARE FEW

ON LIFE'S BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS
THE JOY WE SELDOM FIND
CONTENTMENT FILLS MY SOUL
FOR THESE HAVE ALL BEEN MINE

JOHN WITH THE PING-PONG PADDLE
LEROY STRIKING OUT
OR SHEPARD SWEATING FIRST CLASS
WHEN THERE NEVER WAS A DOUBT

DAN WAS CALLED OUR HIPPY
WITH HS RED BEARD SO LONG
BUT HIS VALUES OF MAN AND LIFE
WERE TRUE, AND REAL, AND STRONG

FORTUNES MAY NEVER FIND US
OR GREATNESS SURROUND OUR NAME
BUT THIS CAN BE CERTAIN
OUR FRIENDSHIP SHALL REMAIN

FOOLS HAVE EYES TO SEE WITH
BUT FOOLS CAN SELDOM SEE
LIFE WAS MADE FOR LIVING
BUT LIVING MUST BE FREE

TIM HE HAD HIS MURPHY
A NEVER-ENDING STRIFE
SHEPARD HAS HIS PAPER
RIGGS HAD HIS WIFE

SUTTO HAS HIS DISCHARGE
CUTSINGER HIS NEW CAR
EDWARDS HAS HIS TEXAS
WHILE I HAD MY CIGAR

SLATE HAD ALASKA
AT LEAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE
A SUDDEN CHANGE OF ORDERS
BROUGHT BACK A FADED SMILE

THE WINTER FOUND US BUSY
AS BASKETBALL WAS OUR GAME
WHEN WE FINALLY WERE THE VICTORS
THOSE GUYS WERE HARD TO TAME

AT SOFTBALL WE WERE WICKED
WE COULDN'T COUNT ON LUCK
BUT SOMETIMES WE WERE BLESSED
WITH THE LIKES OF "SUPER CHUCK"

THE POKER GAMES, THE PARTIES
THE NCO CLUB AND BEER
THE TIMES WE SPENT TOGETHER
WILL ALWAYS KEEP US NEAR

FOR IN THE HEARTS OF MAN THERE LAY
A SPECIAL PLACE YOU SEE
TO KEEP THE THOUGHTS OF FRIENDS LIKE YOU
TO STRENGTHEN MEN LIKE ME

THERE WAS DUNN WITH HIS CYCLE
THE NEW KID WITH HIS HAT
SMITTY WITH HIS SCOOTER
OR DENNY UP TO BAT

WE ALWAYS HAD OUR SUMMIT
AT 9 AND 2 EACH DAY
WE DID A LOT OF TALKING
WITH NOTHING MUCH TO SAY

NORM WAS ALWAYS BITCHING
STEVE SAID NOT A WORD
WHEN TIM WOULD TELL A STORY
NOTHING ELSE WAS HEARD

I GUESS WITH JOHN AND DENNY
I DISCOVERED FIRST OF ALL
IT TAKES MORE THAN COACHING
TO HIT A SMALL WHITE BALL

THE O.U. GAME, THE PICNIC
THE FIXING OF MY CAR
THE GOLF WE PLAYED SO HARD AT
BUT NEVER SHOOTING PAR

IN EVERY SINGLE MOMENT
OF EVERY SINGLE DAY
THEY MADE MY LIFE BETTER
IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY

ONE LIFE TO LIVE HAVE EACH OF YOU
AND SHORT THOUGH IT MAY BE
I LEARNED FROM ALL THE WHITE HATS
I HOPE THEY LEARNED FROM ME

MAN CAN'T WIN HIS BATTLES
WITH JUST DESIRE AND TALK
HE RUNS 'TIL HE CAN RUN NO MORE
THEN HE HAS TO WALK

HE WALKS WITH VIM AND VIGOR
HE STANDS PROUD AND TALL
THEN WHEN HE CANNOT WALK
HE GETS ON HIS KNEES TO CRAWL

A CHAMPION HAS THAT SOMETHING
THAT TELLS HIM THERE'S NO END
FOR WHEN HE FINDS HE CANNOT CRAWL
HE STARTS TO RUN AGAIN

NOW THAT WE AR PARTING
OUR ERA BEGINS TO CLOSE
SO YOU WILL NOT FORGET ME
I LEAVE TO YOU THIS PROSE

IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOW
IF EVER YOU ARE SAD
THINK OF ALL THE JOY WE KNEW
AND ALL THE FUN WE HAD

IF EVER FEAR SHOULD FIND YOU
OR SORROW FILL YOUR HEART
MAY THESE THOUGHTS INSPIRE YOU
THOUGH WE ARE APART

MAY YOU ALWAYS BE THE KINGS OF MEN
MAY YOUR CROWN SHINE BRIGHT AND TRUE
MAY YOU FIND YOUR DAYS UNTARNISHED
MAY GOD WATCH OVER YOU

RICK