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I loved my years at Will on the Hill, but there kept being rumors that every time something went wrong, it was my fault. O.K. some of it was true, but I just became the scape goat. When someone tore a car down and couldn't put it together, and the teacher asked who worked on it, someone always said Otis did it. Well, maybe that was true, but I really did get blamed for things.

No one I suppose will ever forget when I was on the Rogers Ropers football team, and made the winning touchdown in the game with Central in 1952. I know, I ran the ball to the wrong goal, giving Central the winning touchdown, but no one remembers that I did run 80 yards for the touchdown and only my own team members were trying to tackle me. At least I made the history book, which is more than some of you losers did.

Well I didn't come here to talk about unpleasant times, but to talk about the fun we had. You may remember that I led the Pledge of Allegiance at Assemblies on Friday mornings. O.K. I know I faced the Oklahoma flag instead of the American flag, but my fellow Rogerites said the Pledge without missing a beat. It is the end that counts, not the means to the end (at least in this instance). I know I got the job of fixing the track and I'm sorry that I got pea gravel instead of cinders. How was I to know that was like trying to run on ball bearings. School is a place to learn isn't it. Well I did, see, so Rogers was a great place for education.

In English 12AB I selected Islam as the great religion to study. It was interesting and I predicted that in time Muslims would teach us all to be more peace-loving and get along with each other better. I was going to start a Christian-Muslim-Jew religion group as a school club, but I never found any Muslims at Rogers. Oh well, it only took time for our country to open up to this friendly group of people and today there would not be a problem with a multi-religious group meeting at school, right. See how time improves things.

You may or may not have heard of my success in life since Dr. Knight presented my diploma 'in absentia' at the end of the presentation of diplomas at graduation. The reason I was 'in absentia' can now be told. I had already been recruited for government service in a number of areas. I was a volunteer male nurse in the WACs and expected to see action in Korea. Instead I had a lot of action here and never made it to Korea, before I was (how should I put this) requested to leave the WACs. Yes, you heard right that I was the chief architect of the 'Bay of Pigs' 'police action'. O.K. so it didn't go as planned. If those Cubans had just cooperated and thrown down their weapons and welcomed our group with open arms, we wouldn't have had the ending which I was blamed for.

Also you may have heard of my great success at Ford Motor Company, as the Chief Engineer who designed the Edsel. All I care to say about is 'What a car'. Ford never produced a vehicle that received so much publicity. O.K. I know there were a few critics who made snide remarks but we did sell some anyhow. At one time I was working with the U.S. Air Force, I also got to meet Gary Powers when I worked on the Spy Plane matter. Later he made friends in Russia after my planning--O.K. so my directions weren't just so-so. Anyhow, he got a free trip to Russia and a lot of attention. O.K., how many of YOU ever got that kind of attention.

One of my most important government jobs was with the FSLIC (Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation). I served proudly there as Chief Reviewer, for several years when S&Ls were all sound, right up until the last Savings & Loan in the U.S. closed. I have to admit that my blind grandmother hated me, after she lost her life savings, but c'mon, she was just one of many, so why should she pick on me. At least I have the distinction of a new word being in the Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. The word is 'WHOOPSI', a phase used when one makes a huge mistakes and wants to make light of it. I use this word often, since I created it. Also I find it fun to see people's faces when I use this term, and they see what I did to cause me to say 'Whoopsi'.

My latest job has been with the CIA during the Clinton Administration and the Bush Administration. My sole job was to find Osama bin Laden and let the U.S. Government know. I have worked hard and been successful in getting the Pakistani Warlords along the Afghanistan border to keep me advised on where Osama is. I have had great success. I notified President Clinton several times, and gave the President a chance to scare the pants (pantaloons?) off Osama. I must say that President Clinton was sure a fox, and certainly knew how to keep Osama on the run. O.K. so I haven't had as much luck lately. Probably because President Bush went and spoiled things by killing off so many of Osama's friends, whom I could talk with. I would look forward to seeing you again at the 2007 reunion, if the government doesn't send me do Darfur to see if I can get the Christians and Muslims to hold hands and sing 'Kumbaya, my Lord' together. Kids and guns, they just won't quit messing around with each other. It is just gonna take good old Otis Wonie to teach them how to be successful. Well, Whoopsi, till we meet again.