BE HONEST! WERE YOU AWARE OF THIS?

     Something a bit different this edition, at least as a lead story. I was thinking about famed coach Lou Holtz and some things he had to say about the coronavirus. That led, instead, to a story that those familiar with the early 1940's may, but probably don't, remember. Obviously, that early era eliminates a vast majority of Korner viewers. Heavens, it was 80 years ago. We're talking about a time when this old Kornerman was five, six, seven years old.
     Raise your hand if you realize that a 1943 football team in Iowa City had a 9-1 record and finished second in the season-ending nationwide poll. Their only loss was to number one, Notre Dame, 14-13, before 45,000 fans at South Bend. Due to a scheduling conflict with the "regular" University of Iowa team, Iowa Pre-Flight was able to play just two or three games "at home" in Kinnick Stadium. Crowds for those home games ranged from 3,500 to 10,000 fans.
     Those were World War II years and the U.S. Navy established a program on the State University of Iowa campus and the Iowa PreFlight football Seahawks were born. The object was three months of rigorous training and basic aerial navigation and communication as preparation for regular flight training later.
     The three-year program included a 7-3 football record in 1942 and a 10-1 record in 1944 as well as that 1943 success.
      John Glenn, who went on to fame as an astronaut and U.S. Senator, played for the Seahawks and even Forest Evashevski, who later became the "regular" Hawkeye's head coach, was a member of the Seahawks squad.
     Remember now, you have to be "older" to remember any of this but the coaches of the Seahawks later became regular college Hall of Famers......Bernie Bierman at Minnesota, Don Faurot at Missouri, Jim Tatum at Maryland and Bud Wilkinson at Oklahoma. That's quite a lineup.
     This is really quite a story and most younger Iowans, perhaps, including you, didn't have a clue.
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     Back to Lou Holtz.
     The extremely successful former head coach at several high profile colleges, including Minnesota and Notre Dame, is the type of person anybody would love to have their kids connect with. These days, he's a gifted and highly sought after speaker. If you've never heard his commencement speeches, they are available on You Tube and well worth watching. Humorous and very thought provoking always.
     Regarding the coronavirus he said, "its a very negative time, by some respects, but in my lifetime experience, I've come to learn that nothing negative ever happened to me that didn't turn out to be a positive if I reacted favorably to it."
     He added, "as Mark Twain once said, the two most important days of your life.....one's the day you were born, the other is the day you discover why you were born. We discovered we're basically put on this earth to help other people and to praise our Lord. There are many different things we can do. Be proud of who you are but, by the same token, remember, no matter who you are, there's somebody much worse off than you are. Let's focus on the positive; let's look to the future."
     P.S. Did you know that Hall of Fame football coach Lou Holtz was an assistant coach at the State University of Iowa in 1960, the early part of his wonderful career?
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     Tony Crandell, BHS-59, reminds us of some of those old TV days like Korner folk have been talking about.
     Tony wrote, "It was in 1949, I was in third grade and a new TV store started up in West Boone. The store was on the south side of Highway 30 about where the County DHS offices are now located. The owner put a TV in the window and a speaker outside. It was not unusual to see 20 people or so standing on the sidewalk watching TV during that summer's warm nights. My dad was a plumber and the owner of the new store traded him a brand new black and white Dumont table top TV for a small bathroom in the new store. The first TV he sold was to a family named Crouse who lived on West Second street and ours was the second TV located in West Boone. Some of the programs I remember: Howdy Doody with Buffalo Bob; Don Winslow and the Navy; Captain Video; Industry on Parade; Kate Smith; Ted Mack and the original Amateur Hour; the Hit Parade with Snooky Lanson and Dorothy Collins; the Show of Shows with Sid Cesar and Imogene Coca; the Don McNeil Breakfast Club; Ed Sullivan and Topo Gigio, the mouse; and, of course, Arthur Godfrey. The biggest draw was boxing on Friday nights and wrestling on Saturday nights. On a Friday or Saturday night, we never lacked for company. I loved that TV because it had a continuous tuner and you could tune in police calls between certain channels. Do your remember the white "dot" in the center of the screen that would stay there for a long time after you turned it off.....and...Oh Yes! I remember the "test patterns: that preceded the day's programming and the National Anthem at the end of every day's telecast."
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     LATE BREAKING NEWS: Rusty Hicks is coming "home" to be the head basketball coach at Boone High School. Rusty grew up in Boone, BHS-97, and his parents still live in the Boone area. He earned degrees from DMACC, Boone campus and ISU. Played basketball at DMACC. He has 15 years experience as a junior varsity/varsity assistant basketball coach. He has served the Ballard schools for the past 11 years.
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Orvil Nelson, 99, Boone. Born in Boone. Grew up on a farm northeast of Boone. BHS-40. Army vet. In 1954, married Lois Van Meter of Ogden. He owned and operated Nelson Battery and Auto Electric. Was involved in numerous organizations. For years, he was head groundskeeper at Memorial Park. Was also instrumental in obtaining a grant for the start of Boone County Transportation. Was a longtime volunteer at the VA Hospital in Des Moines. Survivors include a son, Doug, and a daughter, Diane Mahoski, as well as a niece, Dorothy Tellinghuisen, and a special family friend, Katie Eatock, The latter two are Boone residents.........Verla Campbell Morgan, 82, Boone. Born in Pilot Mound. Pilot HS. Married Leo Morgan in 1955. Was a CNA and Ward Clerk at the Boone County Hospital for 37 years. Retired in 2003. Survivors include her husband, three daughters, including Jacqueline Gatley of Boone and Deborah Westrum of Stratford, a brother, and two sisters, including Shirley Erickson of Boone.........Dianne Johnson, 67,  Randall. Northeast Hamilton HS and earned a degree from DMACC, Boone campus. Worked for the Boone public schools, Oshkosh Tanning of Boone and an accountant near Randall. A son and two brothers survive..........Maurice "Mo" Ericson, 69, Boone. Born in Boone. BHS-70. Worked as a mechanic at the former Heinrich Envelope of Boone. Married Marilyn Wright in 1969. Survivors include his wife, two daughters, including Monica Crook of Boone and three sisters.........Joselyn Michael, 42, Boone. Married Jamie Michael in Madrid in 2002. Was a homemaker. Her mother, Linda Sokoll preceded her in death. Survivors include her husband, her dad, Dan Henman, a daughter, Madi Michael, a son, Dakota Sokoll, a brother, Jonathan Sokoll, sister, Jessica Sokoll, an aunt and an uncle.........Barbara Moore,  85, Boone. Jefferson High School-52. Earned a teaching certificate at Boone Junior College, taught at Belmond and Jefferson and served two decades as a teachers aide for the Boone schools. Married Kenneth O'Neal in 1953 and that marriage ended in divorce. Married Joe Moore in 1960. Survivors include two daughters, including Patricia Moore of Boone. Three sons, including Theron and Greg Moore of Boone survive as well as a brother and two sisters in law..........Jerry Gipple, 76, Des Moines. Was a member of the North American Railcar Operators Association and Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad Train Society where he rode the rails on his self-built Iowa Interstate rail car.........Deva Adams, 88, Boone (Obituary still pending).
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments......
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.