Robert Earl Hackenberg is the second son of Robert Edgar and Mildred Cleary Hackenberg. I was born on Thursday at 2: 30 P. M., 5 August 1943. Later in life I would tell my mother, that at 2:30 P. M.1 I quit giving her a hard time inside and started giving her a hard time outside.2
Nine months after I was born, my father was inducted into the United States Army / Air Force. My mother had a three year old son, myself and she was pregnant with my sister. With the encouragement of her sister, we moved in with Uncle Marvin and Aunty at 1467 Ettle Drive. We stayed there, until dad came home from the war. Then, we moved back to 1303 Shannon Avenue.3
It was there, that my sister, Pat Dyrdek relates a story. She went down the basement of our house to find me going through a convulsion. She did not know what was happening, so Patty went upstairs to get our parents. Needless to say, she was very scared. My problem was to be later diagnosed as Epilepsy.
While we lived at Shannon Avenue, I had high fevers from ear infections. I will never forget the one. I was lying on the couch and mom stood over me helpless. She did so as I cried Mom my ears hurt. I can only imagine how much her heart broke.4 As a youth, I was a sickly child. I probably inherited that tendency from my father, Robert Edgar. He was sickly as a youth.5 I started in the Barberton Public Schools. This was done at Rose Street. The school is present day Santrock Elementary School located on 19th Street. Santrock is named after a wonderful school teacher named, Nora Santrock.6
Then at the age of seven, my doctor, John Pappas, M. D. from Wadsworth Medical Center diagnosed me with epilepsy. He was treating me with Phenobarbital and Dilantin, but he really didn’t want to use both medicines because of the interaction. A new medicine called Depakote came out and it was being used by Dr. Abraham David Rothner, M. D. of Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Pappas called Dr. Rothner to find out if I would be a candidate for the medicine. The outcome of the conversation was positive. Dr. Rothner felt, that I was an ideal candidate for the Depakote. Drs. Pappas and Rothner were Pediatricians. At the time Pediatricians were the only
ones that knew the most about Epilepsy.7a
As I mentioned earlier, my doctor diagnosed me with Epilepsy. This caused me to miss a lot of school while at Highland Junior High School. Had it not been for my loving parents, I would never have graduated from High School. They paid tutors to teach me, so that I could keep up with my class.7b The picture at the far left is of me in February of 1953.
Then, the picture in the center is taken
of me holding one of dad’s rabbits in 1954. At the time, I was ten years old.
The picture at the far right is my
graduation picture from Highland.
While, I was being tutored at Highland, my cousin, Marvin H. Miller, Jr. (Punky) joined The Order of DeMolay. It would not be long before he was to be its Master Councilor. That is the head of the organization. Then my brother joined the order. He also was destined to become the Master Councilor. The next to join was I. Unfortunately; you had to be fourteen to join the order. That meant that I was going to have to wait a couple of years. That time went by very slow.8
The time came when I was old enough to join. It was my pleasure to serve in various offices. However, I could never get elected Junior Councilor. Once you are elected to this office, you are pretty much assured of succeeding to Senior and Master Councilors.9
During this time, an event occurred that would forever affect my life. My mother had been after my father and I to allow her to watch the Billy Graham Crusades. We always found something else to watch, when the crusades were on television. One warm day in August, dad and I found nothing else on television, so we watched the crusades. This resulted in my going to church with my mom. I gradually became the youth leader. The Youth Group went to Massillon for a crusade that Bill Glass was conducting. Brother Glass was a former Cleveland Brown Football Player turned preacher. He was preaching the Romans Road of Salvation. There must have been several thousand people in attendance, when he gave the invitation. It seemed like I was the only one in the stadium. The Lord used Brother Glass to tell me, that I was a sinner in need of a savior. After my response, he saw to it, that I was put into a good Fundamental Bible Believing Church, Faith BaptistChurch. I left that, and joined Clark Mill Road Baptist Church.10
We were still living at 1303 Shannon Avenue,
when I graduated from Barberton High
School. Dad and Mom had a party for me. Really,
they should have been the ones who were the subject of the party. It was their
love that made this possible. They scrimped and saved for this day. The 
picture
at the right is my, Bob Hackenberg’s, graduation picture.11 It was
taken in June of 1961.
My graduating class was a rather large one. There were 330 of us. The Commencement was the 101st. It took place in the Industrial Arts Auditorium of the Public Schools. The time was Thursday evening 8 June
1961.12
Finally, in 1961, I was elected Junior Councilor. Two years later, at the age of seventeen, I would be installed as Master Councilor of Barberton Chapter Order of DeMolay. The date and time was Saturday, March 2, 1963 at 8:00 P.M.. My Installing Master Councilor was Marvin H. Miller, Jr. (Punky). My brother Leroy served as the Installing Senior Councilor.13 Dad and Mom had to be more thrilled than I was. Their son, with all of the health problems, was to be the Master Councilor of Barberton DeMolay!!!
At the age of twenty-five, I went to Europe with the International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay. The following is the story that I wrote concerning this trip.
“Eight Countries In Europe”
The story of this trip began, when I was initiated into the Barberton Chapter Order of DeMolay. This is an organization for young men, between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one. The Order takes it’s name from Jacques DeMolay, who was the last Grandmaster of the Order of Knight Templars.
The office of Master Councilor is the title for the head of the local DeMolay chapters. In March of 1963, I was installed as the Master Councilor of Barberton DeMolay. I served in this office for one year. A year is the normal amount of time that a Master Councilor serves. During this time, plans were being made to observe the fiftieth anniversary of the Order of DeMolay by taking a two week trip to Europe. I wanted to be part of this trip, so I began to save my money in hopes, that I could save enough. If I could, I realized that this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.
After my term as Master Councilor, the time was rapidly approaching when the International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay planned to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary.
I was then working at the Ohio Brass Company, so I scheduled my vacation for the time of the trip. I wanted to make sure, that I could get the time off of work in case I found it possible to go. My boss, Richard Crafton, assured me, that I could have the two weeks off for the trip.
I had saved the necessary amount of money and now that I knew that I could have the time off of work, I decided to go. After I made the decision to go, the International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay sent me a pamphlet with three choices of departure points that I could choose from. They were Kansas City, Boston and New York. I chose Boston for three reasons. The first, reason was Boston was the closest. The second being, that it was the cheapest and the third being, that I had relatives living in Reading, Massachusetts. It was with these relatives, Uncle Bill and Aunt Edith, that I had made arrangements to stay with for the period of time, that I was to be in Boston. I was to nickname them affectionately The Massachusetts Two.
When I made the decision to go to Europe to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Order of DeMolay, I then had to make the appropriate preparations for this trip. This involved getting my passport from the U. S. State Department. The passport put me under the protection of the United States as I traveled. I also needed to get the necessary shots from my doctor, so that I could travel safely abroad. Then I needed to finalize my plans to stay with Uncle Bill and Aunt Edith in their home in Reading, Massachusetts for the period of time, that I was to be in Boston, before I went to Europe.
Right after I made the decision to go, I found out that I would not the only one going from Barberton Chapter Order of DeMolay. Tim Crawford was also going. Tim also is a Past Master Councilor of Barberton DeMolay.
The day before, I was to fly to Boston from Cleveland there was a party held for me at my brother’s home. It was a bon voyage party. Most of my relatives were in attendance. I practically spent all day playing badminton, volleyball and chasing my little, spry, spoiled and untiring niece around. Perhaps this is the reason why my first airplane flight didn’t bother me.
The next day July 4, 1969, our country’s birthday, I left for Cleveland to fly to Boston. This was to be my first airplane flight, and the first leg of my trip to Europe. When I arrived at the airport in Cleveland, I had my luggage weighed in, and I paid for my tickets. They then were stamped and all that was necessary was for the airplane to arrive. It was scheduled to leave at 11:20 A. M.. It didn’t leave until 11:50 A. M. While I was waiting for the airplane my Father, Mother, Aunt and Myself went out to the tourist part of the airfield, where we watched airplanes land and takeoff. You can’t do that today. There was a big loudspeaker announcing all departures, flight numbers and time of flight departures, so I wasn’t worried about missing my flight.
It was thirty minutes past the time of departure that was listed on my ticket. When the airplane did arrive, I left my parents and aunt. As I was boarding the airplane, I was hoping to get a good seat. I was fortunate to get the seat of my choice, so I chose to sit next to the window. My parents, aunt and I were hoping that we would get a final glimpse of each other, when the airplane took off. I seriously doubt that they did. However I caught a glimpse of them and then it was off to Boston. The flight took one hour and thirty minutes.
Before United Airlines flight # 406 ascended into the air, a stewardess instructed us to fasten our seat belts and quit smoking. After we were airborne the stewardess then informed us of the emergency equipment available and instructed us in its use. Then they told us, that we could unfasten our seat belts and smoke if we so desired. (Praise the Lord, I didn’t smoke).
While the stewardesses were instructing us in the use of the emergency equipment, meals were being prepared in the Flight Kitchen for us. When they were done instructing us in the use of this equipment, another stewardess handed out menus. Boy Was She Pretty! My menu had a number of choices listed on it, that I could choose from and at the bottom of it were listed different drinks, that you could get. When we received our food and drinks, I could only visualize it sliding back and forth on the tray. It didn’t.
Before the flight, I had breakfast, so I wasn’t all that eager to eat again, however, this was my first flight and I wasn’t going to pass anything up that was part of it. The dinner, which I had consisted of Sirloin Steak, French Fries, Black Coffee and some fruit. Those who requested it were given a small complimentary bottle of Vodka. After dinner we were left to rest in peace, but that was not for long, because United Airlines # 406 was preparing to land at Logan International Airport in Boston. The stewardesses prepared us for landing. We again were told to fasten our seat belts, and those who were smoking were told to quit. The pilot lowered the landing gear and landed the airplane. When we were allowed to get off of the airplane, I looked at my watch to see what time it was. It was 1:15 P. M.. The flight had taken approximately one hour and twenty-five minutes to fly from Cleveland to Boston.
Some of my friends were trying to tell me, that I would experience a flip flop of my stomach during the takeoff and the landing of the airplane, but I didn’t. I thought that the landing and the take off was very smooth. If I was to be asked today which of my flights was the rockiest, I would reply none of them. The takeoff and landing were smooth.
After I left the airplane and recalled the above comments, I picked up my luggage and had it weighed in with the appropriate Trans World Airlines officials for my flight abroad. At the same time, I purchased the tickets for this trip.
Then the little bit of hand luggage, that I was carrying with me, I put into an airport locker. I then decided to get something to eat. What I ate wasn’t all that extravagant. It consisted of bread, grilled cheese, black coffee and French fries. After I ate, I decided to walk around Logan International Airport. This magnificent airport accommodates all commercial airlines. As I was doing so, I noticed that this airport had all nationalities waiting for another flight or doing as I was doing lying over for a couple days. I took my luggage out of the airport locker that I had put it in earlier. I then called Uncle Bill and Aunt Edith. I was to stay with them, while I was in Boston. Uncle Bill answered the phone and wanted to know where I was at in the airport? I told him, that I was in the Trans World Airlines part of the airport. He said, that he would be right over. When he and Aunt Edith arrived, we couldn’t find each other. The reason was that we were on different floors in the airport. When we found each other, we left for their home in Reading, Massachusetts.
For the time, that I was to be with them, I had to adjust myself to New England’s ways. Previously, I had been out of Ohio only once, and that was to Indiana, so I felt like a stranger in a foreign land.
The drive from the airport to Uncle Bill and Aunt Edith’s home in Reading took between twenty to thirty minutes.. When we arrived at their home, I relaxed. Why? I was tired from the flight. That evening Uncle Bill, Aunt Edith and I ate outside. Uncle Bill cooked for us on the grill that he had. I didn’t think that he was that great of a cook, but I was hungry. You wouldn’t have thought so after my having breakfast in Ohio. Then eating more on the flight from Cleveland to Boston, and finally eating in the restaurant in Logan International Airport. After the cookout, Uncle Bill took Aunt Edith and I to several historical sites. The first was Concord Bridge.
On our way to the bridge, I was feeling like a prince, because of the wonderful way Uncle Bill and Aunt Edith had received and treated me. Very shortly, I would find out, that these relatives were a king and queen in there own right. When we arrived at Concord Bridge, which is outside of the city, I was very impressed with its historical value. You see, when I was in school, history was one of my favorite subjects. I crossed the bridge to read a plaque, that read something like this, The First Battle of the Revolutionary War Was Fought Here. The bridge’s claim to fame is this fact. I wanted to preserve this moment, so I asked Uncle Bill to take a picture of me standing on this bridge. He did. Then we left. Next, Uncle Bill took Aunt Edith and I to the City of Concord. As we went along Aunt Edith pointed out to me several houses that at one time were occupied by famous poets or writers. I am sorry to say, that at the time I didn’t appreciate what she was showing me. Today, if I was to see the same thing, I would appreciate it. While we were traveling, I remember commenting about the beauty of greens, the running water, the trees and the bridges around us. I said to Aunt Edith, that only God could create such beauty. Aunt Edith is an amateur artist. I was impressed with the Early American Style of the town of Concord. When we left Concord Uncle Bill drove Aunt Edith and I to Lexington. This is where the Minutemen first gathered. After visiting several historical sites, I was ready to leave, but Uncle Bill wanted to get a picture of me on Lexington Bridge, which he did. We then drove home. When we arrived that evening, I went to bed early. The next day, I was scheduled to visit Boston. I didn’t want to be tired.
Today July 5, 1969, I was to begin the second leg of a journey that I would never forget. It began with Uncle Bill taking me on a tour of Boston. While we were going downtown, he decided, that I would see more, if I took a Grey Lines Tour. He was right. Before I joined the tour, Uncle Bill took me to Boston Commons and proceeded to tell me about it. I thought that the Commons was beautiful, and that it was celebrated by all both rich and poor, as an island of beauty within a city. It is a picture of tranquility.
I thought, that I was familiar with the number of historical sites, that Boston holds claim to. I was to find out, that it had more historical sites than I thought. School books only tell you so much. When I finally joined the tour, I was to see some of the following sites: Trinity Church, Copley Square, The Old John Hancock Building, Construction of The New Public Gardens, The Home of the Boston Bruins and The World Champion Boston Celtics. I saw and toured The Old North Church, Paul Revere’s Home (built in 1670), The Old and New Statehouses, The Boston Commons, The Cradle of Liberty, The Italian Section of Boston, Charlestown and The Freedom Trail. I saw the Charles River and Cambridge the home of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Grey Line Tour that I was on in Boston is still quite vivid to me. Its first stop was outside of the City of Boston. There I saw what used to be the American Navy. I then saw the
U. S. S. Constitution. This is the battleship, that John Paul Jones commanded so bravely when he said I Have Just Begun To Fight. Before we left, each of us had the opportunity to board and tour the ship, while I was aboard it, I was beginning to get claustrophobia (the fear of being closed in), so I walked off of the ship. As I was doing this, I couldn’t help but wonder how the men of that time could fight so valiantly. The quarters of the ship were so cramped. I reasoned that the people of that day must have been very small. The tour then went to Paul Reveres Home. Paul Revere is famous in his own right for warning the settlers The Redcoats Are Coming! I thought, that his home was styled magnificently for the era, in which was built. There were other places, that I saw, but my heart wasn’t in touring Boston. It was in crossing the Atlantic Ocean. I would do so shortly. When the tour was over, Uncle Bill took me to see his office in the new Pittsburgh Plate Glass Building. After this, we headed back to his home in Reading.
The Next Day, July 6, 1969, continued the beginning of events that I would never forget. That day, I was scheduled to go to Gloucester, Massachusetts. As Uncle Bill drove Aunt Edith and Myself along the East Coast of Massachusetts, going to Gloucester, I again commented on the beauty of the scenery, that we observed. When we arrived in Gloucester, I mentioned that something smelled good. It was fish. Gloucester is famous for their fish. Uncle Bill stopped at a seafood restaurant. He thought that I wanted something to eat, and Aunt Edith agreed with him. I wasn’t hungry, but I didn’t argue with them. I didn’t know what to order, so Aunt Edith suggested, that I order Swordfish. I did. It sure was good. After we ate, Uncle Bill took Aunt Edith and me farther down the East Coast of Massachusetts. The scenery that we observed, as we traveled down the East Coast was beautiful. We traveled through such notable places as: Beverly, Peabody, Cape Ann and Salem. Salem is noted for its witch trials. From Salem, we went to their home in Reading. It was approximately 3:30 P. M., when we arrived.
I then began to prepare for my trip abroad. This was to be one of the most memorable events of my life. It was with mixed emotions that I prepared to leave Reading to go abroad. Uncle Bill and Aunt Edith had treated me like a Prince. As I said before, they are a king and queen in their own right.
I was more excited than ever, because of the nearness of the departure time of my flight. Why not? This would be the first time, that I crossed the Atlantic Ocean in any manner, and the second flight that I had taken. The first being from Cleveland to Boston. It was 6:30 P. M., when I arrived at Logan International Airport with Uncle Bill and Aunt Edith. I checked my baggage in and picked up my tickets. All the information that I needed to know was on them.
At 8:30 P. M., those of us who were going on the DeMolay trip to Europe, from Boston, went out next to the airplane and had a group picture taken.
It was Sunday July 6, 1969 at 8:50 P. M., when the Trans World Airlines 747 Jet Streamer took off for London, England.
Just before the airplane took off, we were instructed to fasten our seat belts and to quit smoking by a stewardess. When we were airborne, she told us, that we could unfasten our seat belts and those of us who smoked could resume smoking. Then another stewardess demonstrated all of the emergency equipment, while another stewardess instructed us in the use of this equipment. As we crossed the Atlantic Ocean, we were served supper. My supper consisted of meat, potatoes and vegetables. I must confess, I could only visualize the food sliding from one side to the other. It didn’t. After supper, we saw the movie The Love Bug. The movie is a Walt Disney is a Senior DeMolay. This is a DeMolay member, who has attained the
age of twenty-one. Recently, he has passed away.
It was after this movie, that I saw the most beautiful site that I have ever seen. It was the Sun setting as the airplane crossed the time zone. This was a sight that only God could have created. As a matter of fact the Bible says in The Book of Genesis that God did create the Sun.
Fortunately, I was able to get a picture of the Sun setting with my camera. It was one of few up to that point that I had taken. It turned out great!
Today July 8, 1969, we had breakfast while aboard the airplane. I t took the 747 Jet, that we were on approximately eleven hours to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. The airplane planned on landing at Gatwick Airport in London, and landed at Heatherton Airport at 7:30 A. M. European time. After getting off of the airplane, we went through English Customs and Immigration. This proved to be no problem. We then boarded an air-conditioned bus for a long journey to the hotel that we were to stay in while in London. The name of the hotel was The Hotel Mount Royal. During the bus trip, we saw several Bobbies (English Police).
When we arrived at our hotel, I could have exchanged my American money for English Money, but I was more interested in getting settled in the hotel and refreshed, than I was in exchanging my money. I reasoned that just a little bit of knowledge of the English Monetary Unit would make immediate exchange unnecessary. After getting settled in the hotel and refreshed, I went to a bank in England and exchanged my American Money for English Money. The exchange of the English Money was more complicated, than I thought. I then visited a pub. It disappointed me. They are not all, that they are cracked up to be. At best, I would describe it as a public social place. Because the pub didn’t impress me and it didn’t have anything to offer me, I left. At 2:00 P. M., the DeMolay group, that I was with ate dinner in the hotel. Before I ate, I thought, that it would be a great idea to get my hair cut, so I went to the hotel barber. This proved to be a momentous occasion. I was only going to be in England this one time, as far as I knew, so I told the barber to give me the works. He did. The works included a haircut, a shave and a massage. This was cheaper than a regular haircut in the States. The barber was and probably still is a great salesman. He tried to sell me all that he could at minimum prices. Part of his sales pitch to me was that I didn’t have to worry about carrying the items that I purchased from him throughout Europe. He said that he would ship it to my home at his expense. All that I had to do was pay for the initial cost. I told him no.
An hour or two later, I found myself locked in one of the hotel elevators. In the states there is normally a button to push for such situations. I looked around and found an emergency button. I then pressed it. Can you guess what happened? That is right nothing. I was in the elevator for an hour. The English can’t even hear their own alarms go off. When I was rescued from this ugly situation, I informed the management of the failure of their elevator and alarm.
To my relief around 3:00 P. M., the group, that I was with went on a historic tour of London.
On this tour, we saw such sites as: St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Crown Jewels and The London Tower. It was easy to see why people of the past had a great dislike for this tower. We saw other sites on the tour, but this is the site, that left the deepest impression.
After the tour, I had from 6:00 P. M. to 6:00 A. M. to myself. During most of that time, a group of us walked the streets of London doing more sightseeing. London was supposed to be a swinging town, but we didn’t find this so. As a matter of fact, we thought, that it was a rather dead town.
As we walked the streets of London, we ended up in Piccadilly Square. There we met an Englishman and related to him what we had heard about London. We told him what we heard about London, we found not to be true. He advised us to go to the Nightclub 800. We took his advice and found that everything we had heard about London was true. It was in the wee hours of the morning that we returned to the hotel. If you know the right places, the right people, and the right connections London is a swinging town. I found this to be true all throughout Europe!
Because of the lateness of the hour, when I returned to the hotel, I went to bed without turning on the alarm clock. It was pre-set to go off so I would get up have breakfast with the DeMolay group and be ready to go sightseeing with them. They were scheduled to visit several historical sites and Windsor Castle that day. Because I failed to turn my alarm clock on, my roommate Tim Crawford and I didn’t go. The tour saw some of the following places: Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Lord Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square London, Piccadilly Circus, The Thames River, Big Ben, An Acre of Land Given to the American People to Memorialize President John F. Kennedy and a guided tour of Windsor Castle. We were told later by some of those who went, that we really didn’t miss anything.
When Tim and I finally woke up, we took a taxi-cab to Windsor, England. The reason being, that we knew that we would meet our tour there. The ride from London to Windsor was expensive, ($12-14). It cost Tim and I ($6-7) individually, but the trip was worth it. As we traveled through the countryside, we saw some of its beauty.
In one aspect, it was fortunate that we didn’t wake up in time to go with the tour. They toured Windsor Castle for only thirty minutes. Tim and I had the opportunity to tour the castle for three-four hours, and that still was not enough time. The time, that we die have to tour Windsor Castle made it possible for us to see much more than the tour.
One of the sites that we saw at Windsor Castle was the changing of the guard. This is a most impressive site. We tried to get the guard to move, but he would not. They must be trained not to move no matter what! Some of the sites that Tim and I saw, while we toured Windsor Castle were: King Henry III’s Tower and Round Tower, King Henry VIII’s Gate, St. George’s Chapel, The Horseshoe Cloister, Edward III’s Tower, The Queen’s Private Road at Windsor Castle and several English girls near the Norman Gate of Windsor Castle. When the tour arrived later that day, we joined them. When we did Tim and I Todd and Dave Kuchenthal and Bill and Sandy Work went to King Henry VIII’s Gate. There Dave took Todd’s picture with an English guard next to the gate. Todd and Dave are brothers. Todd is the Master Councilor of his chapter, while Dave is his Senior Councilor. They are from El Sobrante, California. Bill and Sandy Work are brother and sister. They are from Brockton, Massachusetts.
I thought that the prices of souvenirs were high as we toured there, so I didn’t buy anything. The merchants can spot a tourist right away, and that is no joke. Some of the tourist’s attributes are the following: They are dressed up, looking around, asking questions and taking pictures. When we returned from the tour that morning, we had lunch at the Hotel Mount Royal. Then that evening, we had dinner in the hotel. Later on that evening, we had some free time. Tim and I took advantage of it as we visited the Abbey of Westminster. Later a group of us went to the Nightclub 800. We again were out until the wee hours of the morning. When we returned to the hotel, I did not take the chance that I would forget to turn my alarm on. I asked the hotel manager to call our room and to ring until we answered. I did not want to miss the flight across the English Channel that morning.
Today July 9, 1969, I had breakfast in the hotel that I stayed in while I was in London, The Hotel Mount Royal. After breakfast, I went to London’s Gatwick Airport and boarded an airplane that was to fly me across the English Channel. It landed at LeBourget Airport in Paris, France. We were scheduled to dedicate a plaque to our namesake Jacque DeMolay at 3:30P. M. that day.
The airlines that I took from London’s Gatwick Airport to Paris was the British United Airlines. At least it called itself an airlines! The flight was a jolly good time. It was a big joke. Just about anything you wanted to buy was for sale.
We were scheduled to arrive at LeBourget Airport in Paris, France that morning. From the airport, we were to go to our hotel, The Grand Hotel Terminus Saint-Lazare and have lunch. Then at 3:30 P. M., we were to go to the Pont Du Neuf Bridge to dedicate a plaque to our namesake Jacques DeMolay. However our plans were changed, because our airplane didn’t arrive until 4:00 P. M... Because of the late arrival, our busses took us straight to Pont Du Neuf Bridge to dedicate the plaque. It was misting, when we arrived. It then started to rain hard. We then boarded our busses and adjourned to Paris City Hall. There the plaque was dedicated.Those who were present, when the plaque to our namesake Jacques DeMolay was dedicated were M. Etienne De Vericourt, Dad ChesterHodges and those of us who were celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of DeMolay.
M. Etienne De Vericourt is the President of Paris. This office is much the same as the Mayor of an American city. Dad Chester Hodges is the Past Grand Master of Masons in Ohio, a 33 Degree Mason, Executive Officer of DeMolay in Ohio and the Grand Junior Councilor of the International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay. During the ceremonies Dad Hodges represented the International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay and M. Etienne De Vericourt represented Paris. After the ceremonies, there was a reception, which we were invited to attend and to have champagne with the President of Paris. The plaque that was dedicated to our namesake Jacque DeMolay was put in the Pont Du Neuf Bridge Pillar. I was unable to get a picture of it, but the writing is in French, so I was unable to get a verbatim translation of it says. Basically, it says that Jacques DeMolay died here and was the last Grand Master of Knight Templars.
After the ceremonies at Paris City Hall which were presided over by M. Etienne De Vericourt the President of Paris, we went on a tour of Gai Paree. While on this tour, we saw Pig’s Alley and other dressed up sites of Paris. You really don’t miss anything if you never see this. The rest of the evening was free.
When we returned to the hotel Sandy Work was with us. One of the hotel’s doormen proved what I had always heard about Frenchmen. The doorman didn’t know Sandy, but he tries to get a date with her. He appeared to be very courteous and mannerly. It was after this event, that I found out that Sandy was from Brockton, Massachusetts. I told her, that I have a cousin from Brockton.
With the free time, that we had some of us did some sightseeing on our own. When we came back to the hotel that night, we prepared for a more extensive tour of Paris the next day. After we did so, one of the many parties that had their birth in London was in full session. We had these parties all through Europe.
Just before the party started, our luggage arrived. Sandy Work discovered that her luggage was missing. It was not in the hotel and the airlines could not find it. All the clothes that Sandyhad for our two weeks in Europe was the clothes she had on her back. She did buy some as we traveled through Europe.
The Next Morning July 10, 1969, we had breakfast in the hotel and at 9:30 A. M., we went on a sightseeing tour of Modern Paris. During the tour some of the sites we saw included: The Grand Boulevard, The Madeline Church, Montmarte, Napoleon’s Tomb, The Arch of Triumph, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and The Eiffel Tower. I have heard it said that a street runs through the Arch of Triumph, but this is not so. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the only thing that is in the Arch’s center.
When we arrived at the Eiffel Tower, our tour leader just wanted us to go to the second floor of the tower. We wanted to go higher. After all seeing and going to the top of the Eiffel Tower was one of the reasons that many of us were in Paris. Our tour leader warned us, that if we insisted on going beyond the second floor, we would probably miss our bus. We really didn’t care, if we missed the bus, we wanted to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and we did. When we came down, if the bus wasn’t there we would take a cab to our hotel. Our tour leader finally consented to let us to go to the top. Yes, the tower is high! It is 1,000 feet up. You can see the City of Paris from up there. When we came down, we walked through the bottom of the tower. It sure looks like a lot of Erector Sets were used in building it.
At 2:30 P. M. that day, we went on a sightseeing tour of Historical Paris. Some of the sites we saw on this tour were: The Statue of Joan of Arc, The Louvre Museum, The Sorbonne, TheCathedral of Notre Dame and The Bastille.
After the tour, the balance of the evening was free. A group of us went to the Folies Bergere in Paris. We were not supposed to go there. Some places were off limits to us, and this was one of them. We went anyhow. The Folies Bergere is much the same as our Burlesque show. When we came back to the hotel, we prepared to leave for Luxembourg. We traveled via motor coach. It took us through the Champagne Region of France to Luxembourg, where we had lunch. We stayed just long enough to eat and left at 4:25 P. M. The bus went through German Customs without any problems. It then traveled through Trier Wittlich Cochem and then along the Mosel River to Coblence, Germany. Upon arrival in Coblence, we were to stay in the Hotel Union. It was not possible to put us all in one hotel. We were put in separate hotels. This was a weird situation.
After getting settled, I had supper and then bought twenty dollars worth of Marks, $80. That night I went out alone. This proved to be a mistake. I easily lost myself. Even hunting for my hotel proved to be a chore. Maybe I’m prejudiced, but I think, that the German Streets are hard to understand. That night there wasn’t a party in my hotel, but I’m quite sure that there was one in the other hotel.
Today July 12, 1969, we had breakfast in our hotel. Then we went to the Rhine River Pier. There a chartered steamer was waiting to take us on a scenic cruise of the Rhine River. The name of the steamer was The Vater Rhine.
As the steamer traveled up and down the Rhine River, I couldn’t help but marvel at the magnificent beauty that I was observing. There were many beautiful vineyards and fairy tail castles. That afternoon we were to have lunch aboard the steamer, then at 3:30 P. M., we were to arrive in Rudesheim. When the steamer docked, we disembarked and I took a picture of Todd Kuchenthal and Sandy Work on the pier. We then boarded a private motor coach that was to take us to our hotel in Frankfurt, The Hotel Excelsior. During the trip to Frankfurt, I tried to get a picture of our tour director, Bernd. I was not successful. Tim was trying to get a picture of Bernd at the same time. As a result the picture that I have is mainly of Tim’s head.
That evening, we had supper in the hotel. This was the first hotel, since London that had decent facilities. After getting settled into the hotel, I went to a German Post Office to see if I could mail the Beer Steins and Hummel Figures that I had bought that day. I couldn’t. Maybe, it was for the best.
When we left the hotel in Frankfurt, we were not allowed to go just anywhere. We were curbed here. There was a section of Frankfurt that they didn’t want us to go into. If we did it would have been to easy for us to get into trouble.
When we were in England and France, I had trouble understanding their monetary unit. But not so with the German Money. I thought that it was easy to understand. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to do any shopping. I was only in Frankfurt overnight.
While we were in Germany, our tour guide Bernd, seemed to be more comfortable. Probably because he is from Germany.
I had a great time in Germany and prepared to leave for Switzerland in the morning. After doing so, we had our party. Most of us didn’t party to long that evening. Those of us who didn’t went to bed early.
Today July 13, 1969, we had a Continental Breakfast in our hotel. A Continental Breakfast is basically a drink and a doughnut. After breakfast, we prepared for a full days ride to Switzerland. During the ride, we traveled through Heidleberg. Then at 1:30 P. M., we were to stop at Freudenstadt for lunch. When we finished eating, we left. We then traveled through the Black Forest Via Schaffhausen to Zurich, Switzerland for dinner at our hotel.
During the trip to Lucerne, Switzerland, we stopped and saw Heidleburg Castle and its ruins. (We went to Lucerne after going through Zurich). Just before, we saw the castle and its ruins, we stopped and ate lunch. It was 12:30 P. M., when we stopped. We stayed there only long enough to eat and then we continued on. While traveling, we saw scenery with gushing waterfalls and beautiful cool blue lakes. After ten and one half hours of traveling, we arrived in Lucerne. There we stayed in the Hotel Flora. The hotel’s accommodations were beautiful. That night, I was locked out of my hotel, so I went walking with a group of the guys. We were walking across a bridge and talking about Germans. At the same time some Dutch Boys were walking by us, they understood English. It was almost my undoing, because I opened my mouth and asked German-Dutch what is the difference? The Dutch Boys took offense to this. If it hadn’t been for the fact, that there were four of us to two of them, I would have been thrown into the lake.
When we came back to the hotel, we had to wake up the hotel manager to get back in. There were a few gendarmes (police) in the hotel lobby, but they didn’t do anything. I suppose that they were there in case anybody became rowdy. It was very early in the morning.
Today July 14, 1969, we were to have an early breakfast. At 7:30 A. M., we left for a drive
Via Kriens to Talstation. From there we took a Cog railroad up a 45 degree incline to the top of Mt.Pilatus. At the top, we had free time to take pictures of the awesome and the beautiful Swiss Alps. What we saw only God could have created!
It was between 11:30 A. M. And 12:00 P. M., when we had lunch. We ate at the Pilatus-Kulm-Restaurant at the top of Mt.Pilatus. This is 7,000 feet up. That is 1.33 miles. After lunch, we traveled down the other side of Mt.Pilatus via Cogwheel Railway (an aerial cable car). We then went to Alpnachstad, where we boarded a steamer for a mid-afternoon cruise across Lake Lucerne. After we cruised Lake Lucerne, and docked on the other side, our coach was waiting for us at the pier. It would take us to the Hotel Flora.
At 4:00 P. M., we went on a sightseeing tour of Lucerne. After the tour, I returned to the hotel and from there I went shopping. I bought a Bell & Howell Super Eight movie camera that cost me seventy dollars. I also bought a Bucherer watch for fifty-two dollars. They were both steals! After I was done shopping, I went back to the hotel. At 6:30 P. M., we gathered in the hotel lobby to go to a Fondue Dinner and a Floor Show at the Stadtkeller Restaurant. When the dinner and floor show was over, I witnessed a show of our own. It was the wildest party, that I have ever seen. Reformed slept in my room and Killer didn’t know what was going on. Yes, the group that I was with gave each other nicknames.
Switzerland was the fifth country that I went through. It sure was beautiful.
Today July 15, 1969, I prepared to leave for Austria. Our destination was Innsbruck. This was the site of the 1964 Summer Olympics. We had breakfast in our hotel and then left via motorcoach for a drive to Vaduz. This is the capitol of the Principality of Liechestania. If you are like me, you will half to look Liechestania up. I had never heard of it before. It is like a Southern Ohio town. You are in and out of it before you know it. It is small!
The government of Liechestania, basically follows the laws of Switzerland. Liechestania is governed by a Prince from the capitol seat of Vaduz. I thought that his castle and the waterfalls on his estate were the only beautiful things that we saw in Liechestania.
While we were in Vaduz, Liechestania, we had lunch. After lunch, we left for Austria. It took about nine to ten hours of continuous driving, before we arrived in Innsbruck. As we traveled, we saw Switzerland’s Alpine scenery and the mountainous countryside of Austria. Only God could have created such beauty!
When we arrived in Innsbruck, we stayed at The Hotel Grauer Bar. After getting settled and eating in our hotel, we went to an Austrian Folk Dance. It was colorful. We spent most of the time today traveling. Tomorrow, I’m scheduled to leave for Venice, Italy. Naturally, there was a party that night.
Today July 16, 1969, we had breakfast in our hotel. After breakfast, we boarded a private motor coach. This was to take us from Innsbruck to Cortina d’ Ampezzo, Italy. There we ate lunch and drove on. During this drive, we crossed the Italian Border into the Dolomites. We saw majestic mountains and beautiful forests, as we traveled from Austria to Venice, Italy. When we arrived in Venice, we were transferred by water along the canals to our hotel. In Venice our hotel was The Hotel Saturnia and International. We had dinner at the hotel. Then at
9:00 P. M., we gathered for a Gondola Ride and a Serenade on the Grand Canal. At least, it was supposed to have been a serenade. I should have stayed at my hotel.
I had always pictured the canals to be beautiful and romantic. That mental picture came from everything, I heard and read about the canals. In reality the canals are dirty and ugly. They are rat holes. The canals are the garbage and the city sewage system. They are also the inter-city transportation system and the housing along the canals are old, dirty and dilapidated.
After the so called serenade (if you could call it that), I returned to my hotel. That night there was a party in my room and the one adjoining it.
Today July 17, 1969, we had breakfast in the hotel. At 9:00 A. M., we were transferred by from our hotel by Gondolas through the sewers. I mean the canals! Then we went on a sightseeing tour of Venice. As we were walking, we found many small canals, but fortunately for us they had bridges. When we crossed one of the bridges, we saw St Mark’s Square. It was dirty.
During the tour Reformed and I met an Italian drunk. A drunk is a drunk no matter what country you are in, but we wanted to help him if we could. However, our bus was in a hurry and we didn’t want to miss it. So we left. Before the bus left, the drunk intended to write a copy of his name for each of us. He didn’t have enough time. It must have taken him five minutes to write what he did. What he did write, he wrote in Italian and we couldn’t understand it.
Venice was the only place that Sandy Work had bad room accommodations. She still hasn’t received the luggage that was lost when she flew from London to Paris.
That afternoon we transferred to the Pizalle Roma, where we met a private motor coach that was to take our luggage and ourselves to Florence, Italy Via Bologna. Florence is the Art City of the Medici’s.
We traveled from Venice which is in the Northeastern part of Italy to Florence. Florence is in the Southwestern part of Italy. It took the bus six to seven hours to travel between these two points. I might add that the bus was really moving.
Upon arrival in Florence, the hotel that I was to stay at politely demanded that I turn my passport over to them. They would not assign me a room until I did this. This of course I wouldn’t do for five reasons. They are the following:
(1) No hotel asked for it.
(2) They had no business with it.
(3) I didn’t want to lose my passport. It could have fallen into the hands of the Black Market to
easy. Besides it is against the law to surrender your passport to anyone but an authorized
official of the United States State Department.
(4) The hotel wasn’t a representative of the State Department.
(5) My passport is not my property, but it is the property of the U. S. Government.
The hotel continued to refuse me my room, so I asked to see the American Consul
Immediately! If they told me to turn my passport over to the hotel, I would have done so. However, I seriously doubt, that they would have told me to do so. Right after I insisted on seeing the American Consul, Tim and I were assigned a room.
After we ate in the hotel, the party was held in our room. When it was over, I spent a very mediocre night in the hotel. I didn’t think their accommodations were all that great.
Today July 18, 1969, we had breakfast in our hotel. It was a Continental Breakfast again. This consists of a drink and a doughnut. At 9:00 A. M., we gathered in the lobby for a sightseeing tour of Florence. During the tour, we saw the a Avenue of Michelangelo, The Cathedral Santa Maria Del Fiora. It was startted in 1296 and finished in 1461. The Baptistry Andrea Sansovine done in 1502 (Baptism of Christ). The angels on this were done by Innocenzo Spinazzi and view of Florence from Pizalle Michelangelo. This is something like a square here. After the tour, we went back to the hotel for lunch. Then when we finished eating, we took a drive south along the Autostrada to Rome. This is the Eternal City of Caesars and Popes. The drive to Rome took between four to five hours.
When I arrived in Rome, I checked into the Hotel Bologna. This was the wrong hotel. I was supposed to be in The Hotel Continental. That evening we had supper in our hotel. Then most of us went on an Illuminated Tour of Rome. Those who didn’t go were tired from the long trip from Venice. When we came back to the hotel we went to bed early. For the first time on the trip, the gang that I was with didn’t have anything to drink. That I knew of!
Today July 19, 1969, We had time to sleep in. It was the first time during this trip that we had such an opportunity. However, we were so used to getting up early, that we did so today.
After we ate breakfast, we had four and one half hours to shop ten to two-thirty, so we made the best of it. During this shopping spree some of the guys jewed an Italian storekeeper down from forty dollars to thirty-three dollars.
At 3:30 P. M., we went on a sightseeing tour of Rome. If you like history like I do, the tour was magnificent. During the tour, we saw the Roman Coliseum. This is where the Christians did combat with the lions. We also saw the Vatican.
While in the Vatican Square, we went into St. Peter’s Basilica. This Basilica is large enough to hold forty different denominations. Inside there is a statue of St. Peter. Over the centuries people have bowed to it and kissed its big toe. As a result the statue’s toe has almost broken. They would have you believe (if you are gullible enough to do so), that underneath this statue is the very body of Peter himself. What a joke! Michelangelo painted the ceiling of this Basilica and is it beautiful!
Next, we went to the Sistine Chapel. That also was inside the Basilica. We were not permitted to go inside of it. We could only look in. The reason was that the Pope was on vacation, and it was a Saturday. The Sistine Chapel is only open on weekdays and Sundays, when the Pope is not on vacation. The Sistine Chapel is where the Pope holds court with the Cardinals. This is where the Catholic Church performs all of its governmental functions. Michelangelo also painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and is it beautiful.
When we went back to the hotel, I made a note, that I thought, that the Italian people were funny, but nice of course. I hope that is how they would find me if they were tourists in this country.
After dinner, at the hotel that evening, presentations were made to our tour conductor and bus driver for their help by The International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay.
The Rear End Group of the bus wanted to do something special and separate for Bernd, our tour conductor. We all chipped in a little bit of money, with hopes that it would help him in college. After the International Supreme Council’s presentation, we presented it to him.
Because this was to be our last night in Europe, The Rear End Group of the Bus was planning a party. They fooled each other. The type of party that they were planning didn’t come off.
Today July 20, 1969, we were to leave for the airport. Before we did, we went on a tour of outside Rome. I saw the actual Catacombs that the Christians hid in. I partially, went through them. Fortunately for me, it was with a guide. The Roman’s knew that the Catacombs existed, but unless you knew them like the back of your hand, you could easily get lost.
I also saw where Apollo, The Mythical God Lived. The fountain known as Three Coins in the Fountain. Of course, I made three wishes! I don’t remember what the three wishes were. However, I’m sure that one of them was I want to go home. Many of us had become homesick for the good old U. S. A.. After making these wishes, Reformed and I cooled our feet in the fountain. Bernd took a picture of us doing this. The fountain is in a square, so Reformed and I was doing what we should not have done in public. We were just a couple of crazy Americans having a good time.
Right after lunch, we were taking to Ciampino Airport in Rome to board our Trans World Airlines Star Streamer Jet for Boston. Before we could do so, we had to pay the Italian Government, when we were checking in at the airport, 1,000 Lire for an airport tax. In American money that is $1.60. Our flight then departed then at 3:35 P. M.
As the jet prepared to takeoff a stewardess informed us that those of us who were smoking would half to quit. She also told us to fasten our seat belts. We did so and the jet was off to Boston via Paris. Right after the flight was airborne another stewardess told us that we could unfasten our seat belts and smoke if we wanted to. After doing so, we were shown all of the emergency equipment and instructed in its use by the stewardess.
While in flight, we had supper. We were served Filet Mignon. Finally, I had a good meal. I just wasn’t use to the European Food.
When the jet landed at LeBourget Airport in Paris it refueled, stocked up and fixed its number three engine. Then, it took off and headed across the Atlantic Ocean. Our destination wasLogan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, U. S. A. While crossing the Atlantic, I saw the movie Romeo and Juliet. Just before we landed in Boston, we were served breakfast.
It was 1:30 P. M., European time when we landed at Logan International Airport, it was 9:30 our time. Altogether, the flight across the Atlantic took about twelve hours.
I then went through customs and immigration. These officers were very humorous. It seemed to me, that they like to go through your luggage and joke about it. I had some French postcards and other items, so they considered me a connoisseur of fine art or so they say. I thought, that it was funny, but Aunt Edith didn’t. I really can’t say that I blame her.
I stayed overnight at Uncle Bill’s and Aunt Edith’s home in Reading and in the morning I boarded a United Airlines flight from Boston to Cleveland. There my Father, Mother, Brother and Niece met me. We then left for Barberton. I must say, that it was good to be home.
Thus, I end my fourteen day jaunt in Europe with the solemn note that tomorrow I must go back to work.
I HAD A GREAT TIME AND I’M WILLING TO GO AGAIN !!! 14
I had started in March of 1968 to work for the Ohio Brass Company. It was my privilege to work for them, until I was laid off in 1984. The Company was great to work for, until Harvey Hubbell bought it. The reason, when the Black Family owned the Ohio Brass, you were a person. This was not so with Harvey Hubbell. You were just a number.
My job was a good one. I was the mailman. This job allowed me to go just about anywhere in the plant and office. Yes, I needed to use wisdom, when I went into the General Manager’s, Superintendent’s, Supervisors and other Bosses offices. The job also kept me in good shape, as I walked all of the time. My office was located in the Purchasing Department. The ladies that worked in purchasing did a great job of helping me. Ladies in other Departments helped with many things.
I remember Delphia Stanich helped me considerably. The Lord was using me as a Sunday School Teacher. My class was studying Ephesians 6: 10-18. This is all about the Christian’s armor. I told Delphia what we were doing. I wanted to make this armor, but I didn’t have anything to make it with. She gave me some cardboard from her blueprint shop to make the armor. I did this on my lunch break.15
Then in 1983-84, I was laid off. I did odd jobs in Barberton. Then in 1986, the Lord moved me to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At first my father didn’t want me to go to Philadelphia, so my Pastor said that he would take me over. Dad changed his mind and took me. In Philadelphia, I went to work for Evangelical Ministries, Inc.
While there I made some very good friends. Two of them are Roy and Donna Schweitzer. They are two of the sweetest people that you would ever want to know. Above all Roy and Donna were Christians. It was a pleasure to go to church and fellowship with them.
When there were problems, I knew Roy would hear them. That is why; it was a privilege to live in the same apartment complex with him for awhile.
Then, it was my pleasure to meet Gretchen Montanez. She was a very good friend. We did everything together including going to church. There I lived for twelve years plus.
While in Philadelphia, I was a member of Faith Independent Baptist Church. There, I served as a Sunday School Teacher and the Church Treasurer. After I resigned as the treasurer, the church split. Then, I became a charter member of Victory Baptist Fellowship Church. It is now defunct.
Before my father died in 1998, I was praying about moving back to Ohio. My job prevented me from doing so. After he died, the desire became more serious. I didn’t want mom to be by herself.
Then my boss called me into his office; with what he thought would be bad news. I was to be laid off as a result of restructuring. This was the Lord answering my prayer and making it possible for me to move back to Ohio.
When I moved back to Ohio, I became interested in genealogy. There was so much about my ancestors that I could have found out in Philadelphia. That is if only I had been interested in genealogy during those 12 years. You see my ancestors came from that area. So I bought a computer. It was my thinking, that a computer would do all of the genealogy work for me. How wrong could I be? You must do the leg work.
On my return to Barberton, I immediately joined Clark Mill Road Baptist Church. That was four years ago. If you want Great Bible Preaching and Teaching that is the place to go. I couldn't be happier.
In November of 2002, Clark Mill consolidated with Union Missionary Baptist Church. We are very Missionary Minded.They also have great Bible Teaching and Preaching.
My interest in genealogy brought out the truth, that my great, great, great, great, great grandfather was an Ensign in the Revolutionary War. This allowed me to apply for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. It was on 17 March 2003, that I was approved as a member. My National Number is 159916. My State Number is 8557. At the present time, I’m the Secretary of my local chapter, Lafayette.16
It is know September 2004. The Lord has done so much for us at church and home.17
Mom is 84 and in December, she will be 85. Her doctor has diagnosed her with Dementia and possibly Alzeheimer’s.18
Links for each story are below. Then references for the Robert Earl Hackenberg story are below that.
References
1. Bob Hackenberg’s birth certificate
2. Bob Hackenberg
3. Marvin & Marguaritte Miller, Mom, Dad’s Induction Papers and Bob Hackenberg
4. Bob Hackenberg
5. His sister-Betty Jane Hackenberg Wood
6. Bob Hackenberg
7a. Bob Hackenberg-above paragraph
7b. Bob Hackenberg
8. Bob Hackenberg
9. Bob Hackenberg
10. Bob Hackenberg & his Mother Mildred-above paragraph
11. Bob Hackenberg-above paragraph
12. Barberton High School’s 101st Commencement Program
13. Barberton DeMolay Public Installation of Officers Program
14. Eight Countries in Europe by Bob Hackenberg
15. Bob Hackenberg-above three paragraphs
16. Lafayette Chapter Letterhead; National Society Sons of the American Revolution
17. Bob Hackenberg-11 chapters above
18. Dr. Sobolewski