Savannah, 1965-66 ish

“They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago.”
― Laura Ingalls Wilder, “Little House in the Big Woods” (It works better if you can hear that in a young Melissa Gilbert’s voice.)

And yet it was such a long time ago, chronologically, emotionally, psychologically, philosophically.

Hunter Teen Town was, as implied, a teen club for military dependents at Hunter Air Force Base, before it was an Army base. Visitations by “civilians” like my sister Kitty and me were normally limited, but they never said anything about us being regulars almost every weekend. Because of my involvement in Civil Air Patrol I was friends with many of the dependents, and several of the older guys wanted to date Kitty.

I even achieved the status of being allowed in the DJ booth to keep the music going on the dance floor on normal weekends, but for holiday dances, there was a live band, although it seems like it was always “The Fabulous Sphinx.”

As I remember it there were two other rooms–a TV room, and a game (pool table) room.

Mrs. “Mama” Hoover, the military spouse who took on the responsibility for managing this hormone-laden multitude was beloved, in spite of always knowing instantly when someone turned off the lights in the TV room.

What does a teenager know about time? We never thought it would end, but the Air Force base closed and the dependents scattered to new cities, college, military service, jobs, careers.

“Those were the days, my friend
We thought they’d never end
We’d sing and dance forever and a day
We’d live the life we choose
We’d fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way…” Mary Hopkin “Those Were The Days”

To see more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index