Now and Then: Aboard the USS Hornet
History is not just what we study and read about. It is what we live. The history that is most significant is that which impacts us. It can be openly public, or it can be quietly personal. Sometimes public and personal history come together for a visit. This is what recently happened for about fifteen individuals with roots and history here in Castro Valley.
The gathering took place on the historic aircraft carrier – the USS Hornet. As a living museum, it is permanently docked in Alameda. It is the eighth naval ship to carry the name of Hornet. The first one was commissioned in 1775. In the series of eight ships, there is a concentration of naval history, as well as a concatenation that runs throughout U.S. history itself. When the fifteen of us gathered upon the Hornet, we sensed the scope of those histories. Among the individuals that gathered, there was a similar linkage of local and personal history from here in Castro Valley. The lead person that we were there to appreciate was a teacher-coach from Castro Valley High. He was there when the high school first opened in 1956. He may be the last educator from the original staff that remains with us. His name is Dale Berven. He was a naval pilot who flew to and from the Hornet long ago. Two other notable coach-teachers from CV High joined Dale to be with us – Norm Guest and Oscar Sakamoto.
The other dozen that gathered were former students and graduates of CV High. Their years of graduation spread from 1963 to 1975. The senior of the aging students was yours truly. We dined over box lunches. We talked and toured the ship. As we did, we sensed our wealth of being. We were once all young. As students we called them Mr. Berven, Mr. Guest, and Mr. Sakamoto. Now they are Dale, Norm, and Oscar. Once we were different. Now, we are the same. We recognized how fortunate we all are. We grew up in a place like Castro Valley long ago. We had teachers and mentors like Dale, Norm, and Oscar.
As we stood on the deck of the carrier, we reflected upon those who risked and lost their lives to protect and maintain the pursuits that we as Americans have sought throughout our history. Words like duty, honor, and country sounded silent in our minds. Freedom, justice, and equality integrated within those sounds. Although the sounds were silent, the significance of what we felt within were heartfelt. The histories of Dale, Norm, and Oscar are synonymous with dedication to duty and the determination to serve others. They did, and they also concert with nobility of purpose. We as students know now what age has taught us. They include feelings of appreciation and gratitude.
As we disembarked from the USS Hornet, we knew we had experienced an exceptional day with exceptional individuals. Those were the feelings that spoke within those of us who gathered that day. Now, they are deserving of emancipation. Hence, the freedom to now release them and share them with you. Thank you - Dale, Norm, and Oscar. Thank you to the others among their ranks that gave and contributed to us as individuals and to the town that they served with dedication and nobility. As teachers and students with age upon us, we can also feel the grace that can amaze us with the passage of time.