Memories

School Name WHS vs. Gen HH Arnold HS
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On Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 4:53 PM, Howard Hall <howdhall@hotmail.com> wrote:
Jim, just visited the Wiesbaden High School web site after a Google search. The name was changed back to Wiesbaden High School in the last couple of years. Why? Got me,
Howie
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From: JIm Maloney <jim@maloney.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Howie,

I hadn't noticed or heard..... I just checked the web site and saw it.....
http://www.wies-hs.eu.dodea.edu/

I emailed the principal and asked on the history of the change... I'll let you know what I hear if he answers.

Jim
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From: Jim Maloney [mailto:jimmaloneys@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 12:23 AM
To: Goldman, Eric
Subject: Gen HH Arnold
Mr. Goldman,
I'm a graduate of Gen. HH Arnold HS Class of 1964. I just noticed on the WHS web page that the name is Wiesbaden High School "formerly known as Gen HH Arnold HS".
Can you give me any background on the reason for the name change?
Thank You,
Jim Maloney
jim@maloney.com web-guy for www.wiesbaden64.com
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On Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 1:25 PM, Goldman, Eric <Eric.Goldman@eu.dodea.edu> wrote:

Because the higher ups felt there was confusion with two names, the "official" name was changed to Wiesbaden High...and technically it always was the way we referred to it in official correspondence. We all still call it H H Arnold...the Generals' picture is still in the lobby, H H Arnold is predominent all over the walls and in the sign out front of the school.

Eric Goldman

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From: JIm Maloney <jim@maloney.com>
Date: Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: Gen HH Arnold
To: "Goldman, Eric" <Eric.Goldman@eu.dodea.edu>

Thanks for the response...

I was hoping it wasn't a re-write of history because someone found out that Arnold did something politically 'incorrect' in his past...

it's happened before...

Cheers.... Go WHS !

JimM
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from: Goldman, Eric <Eric.Goldman@eu.dodea.edu>
to:       JIm Maloney <jim@maloney.com>
date:    Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 1:39 PM
subject: RE: Gen HH Arnold

Go H H Arnold! :)
I graduated Central High in Philadelphia in 1966. I have been principal here for 5 years..it is a fantastic school!

Eric
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from:   John Andrews <andrewsinfo@earthlink.net>
to:    Jim Maloney <jim@maloney.com>
date:   Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 10:48 PM
subject:   RE: School Name: WHS vs. Gen HH Arnold HS
Hey Jim,
Thanks for following up on that and for the email.

I believe we should make an effort to get the name change annulled; not just for sentimental reasons, but it seems to me an incredible slight to General Arnold. I don’t think “higher ups” confusion is a real good reason.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/hharnold.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_H._Arnold

Does any one know how the naming came about in the first place (other than the obvious scope of his biography)?

If anyone agrees and has any ideas, I will help in the pursuit. Cheers, John
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from:    Tom Muldoon <muldoon@nettally.com>
to:         Jim Maloney <jim@maloney.com>
date:     Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 9:03 AM
subject: H.H. Arnold
Jim,
Just a note on the e-mail that you forwarded which asked the question "why was the high school named H.H> Arnold?"

I, and a few others, were in Wiesbaden at that time--I was 10-year-old and my father was on his first tour which started in 1953.
at the time Hainerburg Elementary school was just built, and one wing of it had the Jr. high on one floor--don't exactly remember which floor but I think it was bottom--and the high school was on second floor, if the junior high was on bottom\. Or it may be vice-versa.
    At the time there were only two housing areas--Hainerburg and Crestview, and Crestview was divided between enlisted and officers. Aukam wasn't built but before we left in 1957 it was partially completed--not fully as it was in 60 when we returned.
    ...anyway, as I remember it, General Curtis Lemay was the commanding officer of USAAF in Europe and also commanding officer of Wiesbaden Air Base. In those days, my father used to speak to General Lemay quite often--at officers' club, which at that time was up on the hill above the Golden Dome church in that old German hunt club with pool outside.....as well as Lemay often coming into the commissary, which was across from the Bahnhof, across the street from the start of the Park--you can see the old commissary in the Elvis film GI Blues when there is a scene shot on the park green--the new commissary, which my father actually had built, didn't open up until 1962 on what was the old Little League complex below the High School athletic field.
...........anyway, back to why HS was named HH Arnold--as I remember, my father told us that Lemay was a protege of H.H. Arnold and that was why he named the HS after Arnold.
tom
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On Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 8:40 AM, Lyn Fort <fortsl@shands.ufl.edu> wrote:

Hello All,

I've been round and round with the principals and even higher ups. The didn't just "change" HH Arnold's name - they changed ALL of the overseas school's names to site names. Wiesbaden for ours.

You can imagine that we are not the only Alumni group who is not amused.

Check with Sydney Gill Henry, Class of 1954 - I am copying her on this note. She can tell you the history of how and why our school was named after the General. She was there.

Take care and Happy New Year! Go Warriors!

Lyn Baskett Fort

Class of 1976

President: Gen. HH Arnold HS/Wiesbaden HS Alumni Assn.
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On Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 8:58 AM, Baldi, Sharon K <sharon.k.baldi@lmco.com> wrote:
I read about this change some time ago. It was to affect all overseas schools and was for "security" reasons. It was determined the new names would sound less "American." And the schools are located where? On bases proudly flying the American Flag. Go figure....
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Howard Hall wrote on Tues. Jan 20th....
I sent the following to Eric Goldman, priciple at my old school, Gen H H Arnold:
         Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:43:11 -0500
         Eric, Just a question.....Who are those "higher ups," that you referred to in a email to Jim Maloney about the name change to Wiesbaden High School?
         Maybe we need to have a nice chat with, "higher ups."          Bureaucrats be damned!
                   Howard Hall ... Gen H H Arnold Class of 64
And got the following response
     Don't know who, but it was above my level. It was just to simplify the confusion ... for years many people thought they were dealing with two different schools. I had to spend time to clarify this misconception on a regular basis.
      It's just for ordering and logistical purposes...in essence H H Arnold rules!
      .....Eric   (WHS Principal...ed.)

I truthfully think this is very typical of upper managers (read anal bureaucrats) trying to manage. These individual have no idea of the history or background of our school. They are just middle level managers with good intent but very short sighted.

In doing a little research, H H Arnold High is in the Heidelberg school group for the DOD Dependent Schools Europe. Then there is a nice chain back to the DOD Dependent Schools. I think the change was made either at the Europe level of back in Washington.

What's the best course of action? I like going right to the top. A email campaign directly to our new President and every member of Congress asking that they direct to DOD Dependent School to recognize Gen H H Arnold and correct this middle level management error.

If we get it all together and pick a week, when congress is in session, and every one of us who attended Gen H H Arnold send an email to our Senators and Congressmen asking for there assistance. Asking them to contact the DOD or even better attach a very short amendment to a bill directing the name back to Gen H. H. "Hap" Arnold.
...........Howie Hall .... Class of 64
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from:   James Armstrong <jga@thorndal.com>
date: Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 2:54 PM
subject: School Name: WHS vs. Gen HH Arnold HS
       I don't know about the timing but one possible cause for this issue could be presidential politics. I am neither endorsing or criticizing anyone here but it is a fact that President Obama has repeatedly stated that he wants to bring the US back into the world community. One way to indirectly do that would be to eliminate US military references to landmarks in other countries. I could be totally off base here (no pun intended) but it is certainly something to consider especially if there is a pattern of this in several locals.
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from:   jlundie23@aol.com
date: Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 7:22 PM
I don't know about the motive. Seems the name was changed long before Obama came into the picture; but for whatever reason I agree we should attempt to restore the General's name to our Alma Mater. Is there a lawyer in the house? Oh, that's right, there is. Let's go after 'em. I haven't had a good fight since RR fired me from my cushy government job.
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From: Lyn Fort <fortsl@shands.ufl.edu>
Date: Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 8:43 AM

           Again, I believe the name was changed - from talking to the principal's etc - because

it was thought that the schools might be less of a target for anti-American activities.

Wiesbaden High School vs. Gen. H.H. Arnold H.S.. One of our Alumni said that was a little silly considering the schools all sport the American flag.... I think anti-American political junkies might not even look up the name of the school before they started and "activities." Just a thought.......... I remember the bombs on Lindsay Air Station etc during the mid-70s. Whoever threw them (placed them) didn't care much if there was an elementary school on that base.
Lyn 76 President: Alumni Assn.
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