I skipped school one June morning in 1965, my senior year at Fitch, to go to Electric Boat to take a pre-employment physical. Although I had been accepted at college and had no plans for a career building submarines, I needed money and EB paid better than most. I was going to earn $2.11 an hour! Pfizer also paid well for summer help. I passed the physical and learned that I was young and healthy. Uncle Sam told me the same thing four years later and “offered” me a job.

When I left the shipyard, I headed to Fitch to check in and explain my absence. As I drove up the driveway in my ‘59 Rambler, I saw a stream of cars heading out. When the line briefly halted, one of the seniors asked what I was doing. I explained that I was late. He laughed and reminded me that it was a half-session day and the morning had been taken up with an awards assembly.

He went on to tell me that I had won an award and nobody knew where I was. The principal, George Tyler, had said that I would have to go to his office to get my award.

To this day I can’t remember what the award was, but I don’t think it involved money or was a “certificate suitable for framing.” Mr. Tyler did excuse my absence, telling me it was for a good reason.

Graduation that year was on Tuesday, June 22, at 6:15 p.m. As I recall, it was a nice evening. There were 386 graduates and a faculty of 77, including the vice principal Louis Caouette, about whom the boys glee club introduced a song that began, “How’ja do. Have you met our Uncle Lou?”

I remember singing that song as we strolled down from the band room to the cafeteria, with a couple of guys pushing the piano, which was being played by one of our members. Thankfully, Mr. Caouette had a good sense of humor, a necessity for his job.

The graduation ceremony took a while. The Rev. Robert Bermudes of the First Church in Groton offered the invocation. Ted Thomas, the class president, gave a welcoming address, and the featured speaker was Capt. Paul F. Foye, a Coast Guard Academy department head and coach.

William Farris, the superintendent of schools, presented the candidates and Phillip Nahas, who was chairman of the Board of Education, awarded diplomas.

There were scholarships, of course. The three largest were for $500 donated by Pfizer, the Groton Association of Insurance Agents, and the Groton Scholarship Fund. The others were smaller, but still helpful.

It must be remembered that in 1965 most college textbooks didn’t cost $100 or more. If anyone wants a reality check, take a look at a modern college bookstore. A new intermediate algebra textbook at Avery Point is over $200!

There were no parent-sponsored all night events after graduation in those days. I met with a few of my friends for a while, and then went home because the next day I had to go to work.

Wednesday found me in the EB Yard, assigned to Department 397, the Shipyard Test Organization. My green badge was about 2 inches square. I was issued several tool chits, brass discs that hung from a belt loop, a canvas tool bag, a hard hat (that I should have been wearing one day when I managed to put a gash in my scalp) and even a wheel book (which wasn’t much different than the assignment pad I’d used in high school). I went to safety stores and purchased steel-toed work boots. I learned that I would need certain basic tools such as a chain wrench, a monkey wrench, an adjustable wrench and channel lock pliers.

I still have all those tools, though I must admit it has been some time since I used the monkey wrench and the chain wrench, for which I am thankful.

I worked on the second shift, which was great as far as I was concerned. That way I could still go to the beach in the morning, and evenings on the waterfront were often very pleasant.

I was assigned as a helper to an experienced mechanic on the 643-boat, the USS George Bancroft. The conning tower of that submarine is now on display at the submarine base at King’s Bay, Georgia. For all I know, I’m shaving with some of the rest of it!

It was going to be a great summer job and I was going to make a lot of money. I worked for seven days, but on July 1 the Metal Trades Council went on strike and we were out for the next 24 days.

Robert F. Welt of Mystic is a retired Groton Public Schools teacher.