He was a Korean War vet who had some rather bitter feelings about the military and the irresponsible use of it. He HATED the Gulf War and had a rather fascinating amount of insight to share regarding the many American & British concessions.
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My chess teacher was a D Day dodger, chewed his way up italy in a Sherman. He had a lot to say, and I miss him. Quote that hit hardest " we had an RSM, all Blanco and bullshit. Shot through his crossbelts the morning before the battle. Nobody checked, but we assumed 303."
aug 31, 2025, 12:34 am • 5 0 • view
This from the nicest man you could imagine, laughing at one of his own side being shot by his own men for being a dick. I miss him.
aug 31, 2025, 12:36 am • 4 0 • view
He did an interview with CBC, sadly lost now, where he talked about chess sharking the Americans for better gear, or outright stealing it, in and around Salerno.
aug 31, 2025, 12:38 am • 5 0 • view
Also, kind of impressive as a teacher in that he wouldn't give up on any student. Kid I usually sat next to had a really unpleasant home life, already heading toward a football build, w/ a certain metalhead/punk loathing of authority. Pretty sure Mr. Templeton was the only adult who was kind to him.
aug 31, 2025, 1:19 am • 41 1 • view
Kid ultimately dropped out in high school and it was to the enduring frustration of the counselors that Mr. Templeton's class stood out as the lone A in his grades among all the D's and F's. Clearly he could do the work & wasn't dumb, he just wouldn't. The secret: Mr. Templeton kept him fed.
aug 31, 2025, 1:25 am • 56 1 • view
Can't learn on an empty stomach and definitely not when you're rapidly growing into a football lineman's body. It also amused Mr. Templeton to no end that the two of us got along well.
aug 31, 2025, 1:28 am • 49 1 • view
Sounds like the venerable Mr Templeton understood trauma response and how to relate to it when other faculty didn’t. Schools will never run out of a need of people who can do that. And they will all have my undying respect.
aug 31, 2025, 1:41 am • 20 0 • view
I remember the day Mr. Templeton sent him to the nurse to get checked out, except no one was there that day thanks to Prop 13. When I asked if he was okay, Mr. Templeton hit me with the full 1000 yard stare and said "May you never have reason to know what a badly healed bullet wound looks like."
aug 31, 2025, 1:48 am • 37 3 • view
Eeee yiiiikes!
aug 31, 2025, 1:59 am • 3 0 • view
I remember all of the teachers who were kind to me with great fondness, and the ones who were deliberately cruel with a level of hatred I can barely describe.
aug 31, 2025, 2:03 am • 3 0 • view
I was lucky enough to know a few teachers like this when I was a kid. They are the best of us.
aug 31, 2025, 1:26 am • 4 0 • view
Oddly, the teacher who got me to really enjoy history for its own sake was the moderately eccentric former president of the university, who was teaching because he liked it.
aug 31, 2025, 12:53 am • 5 0 • view
We stand on the shoulders of giants.
aug 31, 2025, 12:36 am • 3 0 • view