Lawecki - Schockling - Livingston Blog

2009-12-29T19:25:00.048-05:00

In Memory of Donald Schockling 02/11/32 - 4/25/89

and Harry Portz 12/20/33 - 9/30/09
6913 RSM

The photo's here were taken by my Dad, Donald Schockling, while he was in the Air Force in 1953, 6913 RSM, Baker Trick. The descriptions for the pictures I will write are the notes my Dad made about the pictures.

Click on the pictures to see a larger version.

Camp Kilmer, New Jersey May 1953

Portz & Spike, Camp Kilmer, N.J.

Portz, me and Strop. Showing off the crew cuts.

Ha ha. Whose looks worse? Camp Kilmer, N.J.

Portz, me and Strop. Camp Kilmer N.J.

On Ship, U.S.S. Patch May 1953

Leaving New York, May 16, 1953 for Germany.

Ransome a bit Sea sick. Probably from the chow.

Check the crew cuts.

"The Crew" Portz, Spike, Strop, me and Casper.

On ship May 1953.

The Rough House Gang. Me, Ransome, Portz, Strop.

and Casper. What a gang. Casper went to Landsburg

and is no longer with us. May 1953 on U.S.S. Patch.

Me, Strop, Ransome and Portz.

The Destroyer at Bremerhaven when we were

pulling into dock. May 1953.

Band under rigging playing for us when we

docked at Bremerhaven. Port of ? Emarkation (B.P.E.)

May 1953.

Bremerhaven, Germany

21 Gun Salute on July 4, 1953, out back of barracks. Note Canal at low tide in background. Houses in background are the type of apartments and buildings here. All the roofs are made like this.

Big ship going up canal in back of barracks. August 1953.

Room in the Barracks.

This is our little apartment room in Germany. Haha. Buck is still in bed, Harry is sitting on his bed and "old Dad" is at the desk writing , Guess who? This picture was too dark, but you can see our cozy little corner. The desk we bought, the lamp and my radio. Get a better one next time. How do you like it? August 1953.

You see everything from horses to bicycles to

cars and Model T Fords on the streets of Germany.

This is a vegetable truck. Note very slanted roofs on houses.

Bremerhaven Square.

One of the many wheeled trucks that the Germans

use. Note all the bicycles.

One of the many banks bombed out during war.

A few ruins remain yet. This is all that was left

of this bank.

Gerry Shields, Harry Portz and Bucky Ransome

on Hafen Straffen.

Amsterdam, Holland August 1953.

Here you see the Courthouse in Amsterdam, Built in 1620.

The top of an old church in the Gothic

style. Amsterdam, August 1953.

Spike on a drawbridge at ? Manikadamn, Holland.

An old church we visited in the background.

One of the government buildings

of Holland in Amsterdam.

Spike and Harry in the courtyard

of the Palace at Amsterdam.

This is the town clock on top of the City Hall.

Built in 1620 as you see on the tower. Notice

the road signs and red light on the right.

Harry & I in front of the Queens

palace in Amsterdam. We are

standing in the courtyard. Spike

took the picture.

Marken Island, Amsterdam, August 1953.

Children going to school at noon on

Marken Island, Holland. Notice all

the dresses are the same.

Spike, the camera fan. He was taking

a picture Harry and I while I took his

picture un-noticed.

Harry Portz on a street on Marken Island.

Notice the old lady in the background.

This is the front yard and flower garden

of one of the nicer houses on Marken Island.

The harbor of Amsterdam from aboard

the Steamboat coming back from Marken Island.

Harry and I at Manikadamn, Holland

on our way to Marken Island.

Pretty sharp, huh, ha ha.

Spike & Harry on "Tourist Row" where all the

souvenir shops are found.

Praying Mantis Egg Sack Hatching

2009-08-20T10:41:00.005-04:00

Here is the Praying Mantis Egg Sack Hatching. It was very interesting watching it hatch. The little Praying Mantis come wiggling out and they are shaped like a worm. Then when they wiggle out of the sack, their eyes start to bulge out on the sides of their heads and they pull their legs away from their body. It was so neat to watch them hatch.

A Day at the Zoo

2009-08-19T15:29:00.022-04:00

A Day at the Pittsburgh Zoo!

This is my favorite picture of the day. We were in the Water's Edge, where they have the underwater tunnels and I took a picture of the shark as it was swimming above me. So the shark looks like it is swimming in the sky.

Christmas 2008

2009-03-09T08:33:00.004-04:00

Christmas Time

Stairway To Heaven

2008-08-12T08:08:00.003-04:00

I asked Cam to play something on his guitar so I could put on this blog. He played Stairway to Heaven. I thought he did really good, but he said he messed up. I put it on anyway.

Cam's New Guitar

2008-08-10T21:18:00.001-04:00

Cameron has been looking for a new guitar and he found a 1996 Gibson SG for a good price. He really likes playing this guitar.

Cam's band had the opportunity to open for another band at a birthday party Friday night. Tyler, the bass player, has a brother in a band that was hired to play at a friends 16th birthday party and they asked if "Hit N Run" wanted to open for them and play 3 songs. Cam said it went pretty well.

Here is a picture of the "Hit N Run" practicing.

Katrina Playing her Flute

2008-06-29T16:37:00.004-04:00

I wanted to record Katrina playing some of her favorite songs on flute. Now that I have this new camera, I have done just that.

First Katrina played "The Hymm of the Sea" by James Horner, Titanic.

Next Katrina is playing one 0f my favorites "Concerning Hobbits" by Howard Shore.

This piece is "Suite in A Minor"

Cameron's Band "Hit & Run"

2008-05-30T11:12:00.002-04:00

Performing for the very first time "Hit n' Run"

Cam put together a band and they performed at the middle school last night.

They played "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. They did an awesome job for their first gig. Cam is lead guitar, Tyler played bass guitar, Jake is the vocalist and Matt on drums.

Pictures of Don Schockling & Gang from Baker Trick

2008-02-20T09:01:00.002-05:00

I am posting pictures of my Dad (Don Schockling) from 1953 when he was in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Harry Portz, Don Schockling, and Strop showing off their crew cuts.

Harry Portz, Don Schockling, and Strop at Kilmer, New Jersey.

Harry Portz and Spike on our trip back from Marken Island, Holland. August 1953.

"The Rough House Gang" Don Schockling, Ransome, Portz, Strop and Casper. May 1953 on the USS Patch.

Harry Portz & Don Schockling at a Baker Trick Football game Sept. 1953.

Harry Portz & Donald Schockling in front of the Queens Palace in Amsterdam. We are standing in the courtyard. Spike took the picture. August 1953.

Gerald Shields, Harry Portz and Bucky Ransom on Hafen Straffen.

Gerald Shield and Don Schockling. This was one of the brighter days in Bremerhaven.

Spike and Harry Portz in the courtyard of the Palace at Amsterdam

left to right: Chuck, Rodger, Dick, Don, Terry, Finley, Frazier Christmas 1953