Dear RW, I have carried your letter in my brief case since I got it in the mail. It is there right now... June, 2002. I have read it many times. It is funny how students think you might not remember them. I remember when you told me honestly that you where not interested in doing any work. You did what you had to (for fear of your dad). You dropped my class at the end of the year because I demanded too much. I was very sad. Not for myself, but because I knew you had a lot of potential. You were very bright. I remember how happy I was when you were at my door on the first teachers day back to work the following year. After all these years I still remember vividly the day I found you waiting at my class room door when I arrived to get ready for opening day. You had no way of knowing how important that day was in my life. You gave me a great gift that day. The hell I had been through the year before with a worthless administration and students who didn't want to learn had borne some fruit!. You had found that you could use what I had taught you to fix coffee makers for your dad's vending business. You wanted me to get guidance to put you back into basic electronics. I was right. You are very bright and you were a great student after that. Oh! About those films! You know by now that all the little things those old physics dudes discovered still work on such things as satellite communications!

January 8, 1990   Pvt. R___ W___ 15th Sig Bdc;      Ft. Gordon, Ga. 30905

Dear Mr. Harrell,     I am a former student of yours, R W . I am currently in the service and stationed at Ft Gordon, Ga. I am writing to let you know I appreciate all the help you gave me in high school. I believe you are an excellent teacher and I am happy I was fortunate enough to have you as my teacher in electronics. I think I was too young in high school to realize how important a good education is. However I do now, realize how important it is and wanted to thank you. I did do a lot of growing up in such a short time. I suppose in the service you have no other choice but to. When we were given exodus leave it was not possible for me to see you. I wish I could have. Sometimes I wish I would have done better in school and went to college. I was always stubborn though and instead I took a harder route, however I will get college in the service. My goal that I set for myself is electronics engineer. So far my grades have been excellent. I have received a 96% and above on every test except two in which I got 88%. I am now finished with basic electronics and going into principles of satellite communications. This is the point that you said would get harder. I feel I should do well though. Do you remember the films we would watch about science, maybe something that would not be directly tied to electronics? Well I'm glad we watched them. I remember some facts from those films, and I have found them to be useful. Now I have come to realize how important general knowledge is. I have come to a point where I try to soak up everything I can learn. I only wish I would have realized this in high school. I suppose I would know more than I do now if I had. Take care Mr Harrell and keep up the good work.           Your Friend,           R W < BACK