by Curtis | Volume II
We were all a little nuts in junior high. Many events occurred in school that were not about class. One student supposedly hypnotized a popular girl from our class. He was a grade or two ahead of us and when classes changed, all he had to do was snap his fingers in...
by Curtis | Volume II
We had Brownies, Cubs, Girl, and Boy scouts in Dhahran. These were organizations from which a number of activities were launched. There was always someone in the community interested enough to be a scoutmaster or a volunteer. Frequently, these people had professional...
by Curtis | Volume II
My first recollection of A. W. ‘Bobby’ Head was at the pool one summer in the early 1950s. Bobby was a handsome Texan with a big, squinty-eyed grin. He was the dependent stepson of ARAMCO driller M.H. Burt. They lived on Fifth Street. I recall Bobby...
by Curtis | Volume II
I know that life in Dhahran was more tolerable because of the gulf. As an expatriate dependent in the late 1940s, one had to seize upon any opportunity for diversion. ARAMCO’s recreation department did a good job in camp but the gulf was a big draw too. We went...
by Curtis | Volume II
In late March and April, the weather turned warm almost overnight. We exited the rainy season with Dhahran being washed and green from the average annual rainfall of three to ten inches, closer to three, of which most fell in March. Some year’s it was more...
by Curtis | Volume II
South Administration Building started with just one wing but this was quickly modified into a ‘U’ shaped structure by 1950. The Admin Building, referred to as the Ad building became the hub of ARAMCO’s oil business as well as its passenger...
by Curtis | Volume II
Malcolm MacKenzie lived in the house (1148) catty corner from Steve Furman (1151-B) on Eleventh street. It was first home to Rule Cochran and his family and sometime after the MacKenzies left it was turned into an executive guest house by ARAMCO. Malcolm and I were...
by Curtis | Volume II
Lou Killian’s jeep became a primary focus to junior high students and returning summer students. The Killians lived on seventh street and we used to visit because their daughter, Linda Lee, who was popular; we all liked her parents. I think Lou was in charge of...
by Curtis | Volume II
In my memory, the Arabian seasons were punctuated by bouts of moisture. It seems odd that I think of that desert region in terms of water but the rainy season and the August humidity were two annual milestones. The humidity was intense. Many westerners suffered. The...
by Curtis | Volume II
There is plenty of leisure time in Dhahran. We do not have the same lifestyle as in the states but ARAMCO arranges many activities to help fill the void. So do parents and their children. Someone is always having a party. Proms and the Tri-District dances were high...
by Curtis | Volume II
The first summer I was allowed to work out of the house, I was a stock boy at the Dhahran Air Base PX. Through this job I learned about the exotic purchases of the military; the buyers went to Europe and brought back all manner of wonderful things. The Scandinavian...
by Curtis | Volume II
ARAMCO had great schools but they stopped after ninth grade and the expatriate’s young population had to seek new digs from which to matriculate. As I understand it, the Kingdom did not wish expatriate male youth with worldly attitudes to languish in the oil...
by Curtis | Volume II
Ronnie inherited a nice control line model airplane and he had a new engine but just the one wood propeller. He didn’t want others seeing him make his first flight mistakes so the Dhahran ball field was out; I suggested we go out to the old Reclamation Yard. This was...
by Curtis | Volume II
There was student-life after Dhahran in 1953; I went to the American Community School (ACS) in Beirut for my sophomore year. Once I got over the not-being-home sniffles, I began to enjoy and explore- it was a wonderful year for me. I was a boarding student, and like...
by Curtis | Volume II
Dhahran had several mysterious teenage clubs, including the Galloping Cruds (GCs), The 666s, The Gobos, and The Rough Boogs. The girls had clubs but I was never able to convince any girl to fork over the secrets of their organizations. Kenny Groat, a New Yorker, was a...
by Curtis | Volume II
High school and college students returning to the field traveled unaccompanied sometimes. At other times, they met in New York city and were scheduled on the Camel, the Gazelle, or the Oryx. At the time, ARAMCO operated the eleventh largest private airline in the...
