George writes........."I spent all day yesterday (25 July 2002) talking and running around with one of the most unusual persons that I probably ever met in my life. It doesn't take long after meeting Pete Wakefield to thoroughly engrossed in his many experiences of his life. He spent 20 years in the Army----ofcourse----he
always was very smart you know!!!! I rolled into Rochester Minnesota around
8 in the morning. Got checked into a motel and then tried to get hold of
Pete. Well,----I must have called about 10 times but all I got was the
famous busy signal. Was just about ready to give up and go to his house when
I finally got through. Told him where I was and within minutes he was at the
motel.
Folks----other than now sporting a gray Santa Clause type beard and a few age
lines----Pete has not changed at all. I was taking something down to my car
when I spotted him bouncing to a stop in front of the motel. We met and then
went to the room and he started downloading 48 years of life to me.
He covered everything from his experiences at Munich and Augsburg where he
lived to the present. Many of you might remember that Pete's father passed
away while he was assigned in Augsburg and thus they returned early to the
good old USA. That is the reason he is not in our annual. Pete and I
bounced into each other though----once in Fort Devens Mass in 1956 and then
again in Okinawa around 1959. On both occasions he was still sporting his
standard flat top crew cut hair. That has wilted down now like most of us
guys. It has made a strategic withdrawal but still covers most of his head <<
grinning>> if combed right. Still ----- believe it or not---blond for the
most part. I did not get up there to examine real close to see what was gray
and blond. He is still a slim physically fit looking individual that could
if asked pop down and give me 20 pushups and probably look up smiling and
say----is that enough???? He does take a few meds for the normal problems
though so don't get the idea that he is in perfect health. When we went in
his house ------- there were the physical fitness devices occupying the
prominent places of his living room. The house had the definite touch of a
bachelor but when we went to the kitchen----one of Pete's other loves cropped
out-----he is also a real cook----or should I say Chef??? He had a pot of
French Onion Soup sitting on the store that he had me sample. It was
delicious. Oh----did I tell you ---- Pete was also a chef for two governors
in another state? See what I am talking about----he is full of his life's
experiences that make me look nothing short of boring. Did I actually live
at all?????
Pete's stories of his experiences while in the Army are nothing short of
unbelievable. If I remember right he held abound 13 different MOS's from
field journalist to sniper-----both of those in Viet Nam by the way. Pete
was married twice and had no children in these unions. He now is a bachelor
however he is still shopping and yesterday I met his current friend who is
what we men would call nothing short of a real keeper. Like myself she is a
REALTOR who is a Texas transplant. If Pete can reel this one in I think he
will be a real happy man for the rest of his life"
Washington
San Antonio
San Francisco
Principal Rex Gleason and George
George visits Pete Wakefield in Rochester Minnesota
