Merlyn Bruce Hartman

I attended two years of Victoria College while driving a school bus route, rough necked until April 1963, and avoided the draft by enlisting in the Army for three years (04/1963-04/1966) - serving in the Army Security Agency; cleared for a Top Secret Cryptographic Clearance while being trained as a Signal Analyst (no civilian counterpart job). I served a year in Korea and eleven months in Turkey.

After the Army, I tried several different jobs and returned to Victoria College, achieving a Certificate of Completion (two years). Married Mona Thompson 02/1968 and was employed by Union Carbide in 02/1969, for 32 years, retiring at the end of September 2001. Worked as a Process Safety Mechanic for 25 years and transferred to the Chemical and Gas Laboratory in May 1992 - the best and most satisfying full time job I have had. In addition to my regular duties, I served as an Emergency Squad member for 32 years, an EMT from 1977 until 2003, and a Rescue Squad member for about 22 years.

Alyce and I married in 04/1992. She led me to the enjoyment of downhill snow skiing. We go for a week once a year, usually in Colorado, north of Winter Park. I don't do well in powder and enjoy groomed blue and some of the milder black slopes.

I started riding a motorcycle in 1970, using it as a second vehicle. Became a Motorcycle Rider Coarse Instructor about 1980 and taught at The Victoria College. I allowed the Instructor Certification to expire in 1990 and re-Certified in 04/2007. Alyce and I have traveled extensively on our motorcycle - to New York and Washington States and Canada. I have several first place wins in riding skills competitions at various Gold Wing Road Riders International Rallies (Wing Ding) and accumulated approximately 750k miles on motorcycles.

Since retirement, Alyce and I have been RV'ing, once being gone for more than four months.

Alyce and I are active in our church choirs and other activities.

This is my most vivid memory (not funny):

About April or May of 1959, I was in a P.E. class playing baseball near the intersection of Airline and Sam Houston. Several of us were standing behind the batter (to the left of the home plate when facing the pitcher - at about a 45 degree angle), when he swung very flatly at the ball. He missed the ball and the bat slipped from his hands and came windmilling towards us, the butt of the large end striking Mike Hummel in the stomach, causing him to fold almost ninety degrees at the waist and landing on his behind. He went flat, limp, and his eyes rolled back in his head as all rushed to him. The coach quickly dispatched a student to the Principals Office as we watched Mike, wondering if he would survive. Very shortly we heard a '58 Pontiac Bonneville roaring towards us, it was our Principal - Mr. Lipscomb. Mike was quickly loaded into the back seat and driven away, who seemed to be reviving. The roar of the Pontiac was significant because I believe it was equiped with three two-barrel carburators, something relatively new on a production automobile at the time. Obviously and thankfully Mike did not sustain any permanent damage from the episode.

High School Achievements in Annual
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