Thanks: 
Likes: Ever wonder what a $75,000 melter looks like??? Well wonder no more, as Hill Marine's Investment Foundry Melter is up and running...
Hill Marine's New Investment Foundry....Melter!!!
Ever wonder what a $75,000 melter looks like??? Well wonder no more, as Hill Marine's Investment Foundry Melter is up and running...
1954 Bellflower, California
Laurie asked me what I wanted for Christmas........and I said, "I wanted to turn our family's old 8 mm films into DVD's". Here are some pictures pictures from a reel of 1954 Home Movies...
Red Thomas and my dad drove this 54 Ford station wagon to DePere, Wisconsin for the 1954 APBA Stock Outboard Nationals.
The second picture is my mom and me with my cat "Sam Hill"...in front of our house on Beverly Street in Bellflower. The 91 Freeway is there now, as we sold our house to the state and the state bull dozed it...That was in 1962...
My dad was asked to be the inspector for the 1954 Stock Nationals in DePere, Wisconsin. Red Thomas was a Major in the Marine Air Corps and lived in Santa Ana, California, about 17 blocks from where I live today.
Red had been shot down off the coast of Japan in WW II, and had a pretty bad leg, as he baled out, before there were ejection seats, as he hit the water, he broke his leg.
Red raced D Runabout and D Hydro and usually ran seconds and thirds. Somewhere along the line Red met Jack Powell a Santa Ana business owner, and they bought a new DeSilva A-B Runabout and Mark 20-H together.
Red bought an old KG-4 and had my dad go through it. Red was "HOT" in BU and was a top three at every race. But he always ran last in A Runabout. My dad kept telling Red he was leaning it down too much, and Red would say he never touched the needle valve.
Needless to say, the motor was "FRIED" after every race. About July, my dad decided MAYBE Red wasn't leaning that motor down, and he pulled the bushing tail cone off, and the water pump didn't have any blades. My dad rebuilt the motor again. The Western Divisionals were the next weekend. Red won A Runabout going away. First time he'd beat anyone in A Runabout, let alone beating everyone.
I forgot what Red did wrong in BU, but he didn't qualify for the Nationals.
The DePere people had sent my dad money for an airplane ticket, but my dad and Red decided they should go together to DePere. They took five gallons of gas with them, as my dad felt California gas might be different than Wisconsin. Red started to pour oil in the gas, but they decided if they happened to run out of gas, no use using their oil, so they didn't put the oil in the gas...
They stopped in Vegas to see my aunt Georgie, she worked at the Las Frontier in those days. Red and my dad decided to gamble 20 bucks or twenty minutes...At the end of 20 minutes they were up 50 bucks. They left Vegas feeling lucky.
They got to DePere and got ready to test. Red was standing around shaking the gas for about five minutes. Then they put the gas in the motor and Red made a lap and a half and stuck it "Tight as a drum".
My dad looked at the sprk plugs and ask red if he'd put oil in the gas......??? Red's face turned white. He said, "No." and walked off.
My dad wasn't sure if Red was mad at him or what. But it started to rain, like only Wisconsin can, and my dad and Bobby Parrish went inside a brick school building and rebuilt the motor.
Red didn't come back to the hotel til past mid night, my dad was worried about him. The next morning Red told my dad he considered killing himself over burning up that motor. He knew how much love and attention my dad had given that motor and he took the FULL BLAME for ruining it.
My dad told Red, he thought the motor would be OK.
Red won his B Runabout qualifer. And after testing the A, the A Runabout was up 42 MPH when it had been running 42 and half.
That night at midnight, the night before th finals, Red got a call from he squadron commander telling him to get home as fast as possible, that it looked like war was starting in Korea...Red packed up in the middle of the night, caught a cab and headed back to California.
Bobby Parrish won B Hydro, and for 3rd in BU. We never knew how Red would have done. When my dad got home, Red was shipped to Japan, he sold all his boats and motors, but gave me his "A" motor before he shipped out..
Red ia wearing the straw hat in the picture.
Last edited by Ron Hill; 11-14-2023 at 01:03 PM.
Jake Russell Hill 4/6/11
Chad and Corey have been a wanting a baby for quite awhile now. Seems they got one...9 days late. Got the Hill nose.....little guy!
Here a few pictures...
1. Corey and Jake. Corey is looking good and feeling good..7 hours of labor yesterday!!!
2. Jake....and no connection to Sea Way Marine Jake.......other than he'll probably be a boat racing nut like Sea Way Marine Jake....and the HILLS!!!
3. Cousin Ann is holding him.....
4. Proud dad Chad.
Laurie and I are proud of Chad and Corey, but mostly we are very happy that everything went well and Jake is a healthy little one!!!
Marlee Hill: Re Parker April 2011
Subject: Marlee
Subject One: A huge lesson to many of the drivers.
I wish I could have recorded it. I guess in the heat of battle MARLEE HILL (you
know her) lol.
Comes onto the beach after her race and screaming with excitement from a
obviously fun race exclaims.... to this older guy a fellow competitor I'm sorry!
I ...... I was like almost..... then you and the other guy and I was like
...... ..
So all I can say is that if the core guys don't work on their sportsmanship a
little, I am going to be looking for one of those 15 hp hydro's to race.
Funny... I learn the best lessons from my two little boys and now some total
stranger on the beach. Good times. Good times. I guess you have one more reason
to be proud.
We are all proud of Marlee...
Here is a shot of her boat and her dad, Bunker! We're proud of Bunker, too!
It matters not if you win or not, but how you played the game!
Last edited by Ron Hill; 2 Days Ago at 03:59 PM.
Friant Dam, Fresno, California 1953
My brother won C Hydro this weekend, 1953 with a HOME MADE lower unit....It leaked a little but was plenty fast...
Last edited by Ron Hill; 05-11-2011 at 08:48 PM.
Mr. Hill's Former Student Writes....
Hello Mr. Hill
I came upon a picture of a powerboat racer this evening and it was you (my 5th & 6th grade teacher from Simmons Elementary 1967, 68, 69). I couldn't believe it. I hope you don't mind this rather long note (and I promise not to bother you with another) but I had to take this opportunity to let you know that you had a huge positive impact on my life. Of all my teachers you are the one I recall most fondly. This is Chuck Nelson. I was a red headed, freckle faced, probably nerdy kid. I was pretty good at art, history, and geography and pretty average at everything else. You made a bet with me once that if I could recite all the U.S. presidents in order you would buy me an ice cream after school. I won and you paid up. Thanks. I remember you read The Hobbit to the class. It's still one of my favorite books and I seem to reread it every few years or so. Whenever I do I think about your class. I recall you telling us about your boat racing (but I had no idea how influential you were in that sport). Wow! The boys were always impressed that you could hit a baseball out of the school yard and across the street and the girls always thought you should be matched up with Miss Westmoreland (5th grade teacher?).
More importantly you were kind, shared some of your personal life with us (boat racing & I remember you wanted Parnelli Jones to win the Indianapolis one year when his car broke down), fun to be around, patient with us kids, and you talked to us not at us. One thing I didn't do well was play sports. I didn't have any confidence. I don't recall if it was something you said or just how I was treated by you. But because of you I began to feel confident about my athletic abilities.
In brief my life since 6th grade has been great fun (not that it wasn't in 5th and 6th grade). OK in middle and high school I goofed off and I didn't take school too seriously. I discovered that I loved hiking, mountain climbing, scuba diving, and traveling. I always loved learning about explorers so I guess I was just living out my own adventures. In high school I bought a 1953 MG TD and completely rebuilt it on my own. That pretty much kept me out of trouble - no time and no money and no drugs. In middle school I became a pretty good baseball player - lots of homeruns - but other kids clearly had a huge headstart on me (I had never played organized baseball) so I found my own sport - ice hockey. I am a very good skater and played as a tough defensman for decades only giving it up after my sons were born so I could spend my time with them.
I went to community college to get my grades up and then went to Cal State Fullerton. Recieved a bachelors degree in geography/city planning (what was I thinking?) but landed a job as a draftsman making exploded isometric drawings for the semiconductor industry (all my silly sketching paid off). Went from draftsman to designer to engineer with no real formal training just worked hard and learned on the job. Did that for over 20 years (good money in the late 80s and 90s). Married a beautiful girl in 1984 and we are happily approaching our 26th wedding anniversay. I have three sons - 24 years old twins (one a geologist & one a nuclear engineer in the Navy) and a 19 year old son attending college. Spent a great deal of time with my sons as Little League coach, hockey coach, boy scout leader, etc. This showed me I love working with kids so 8 years ago I gave up engineering and the big $$, got my teaching credential and I am now an elementary science teacher in the Irvine Unified School District. Financially poorer but loving every second with my students. (You are somewhat responsible for that.) Nothing but hands-on science in my classroom and every spring break I take 6th graders to the Florida Keys to do field science and oceanography. I have the same relationship with my students that I remember having with you at Simmons (fun and personable). This works well because the kids love my science lab and I have been recognized as Irvine science teacher of the year. (You are somewhat responsible for that as well.)
This note has gone on long enough. I just wanted to let you know that I have been having a full and happy life and that you are a big part of what I am as a person and a teacher.
My sincerist appreciation for the impact you made on my life.
Chuck Nelson
ADD: I enjoyed my 38 years of teaching in Garden Grove......Ron....
That's so beautiful, it makes me cry. I can't stop.
Ron Hill thanked for this post
I guess I am with you on this one, Ron has touched a lot of lives.
Last edited by Ron Hill; 10-27-2017 at 03:52 PM.
David Bryan
Well...
If anyone ever asks why one becomes a teacher, you know now!
Ron - I just found this. It put a lump in my throat and tear in my eye - Steve SiroisOriginally Posted by Ron Hill
There are currently 88 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 88 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks