The Tenacious Tom Walgenbach

Tom standing, in 1970, on the front lawn of Charlen and John's house on Camelia Street in North Hollywood, Ca.  That's John's Volkwagen and Bridget's tricycle.   Dad's description on the reverse reads "Tom 1970."  See below.

On Monday, November 28, 2011, Tom Walgenbach wrote:

"It was 5th grade championship game, we were the Kansas City Chiefs. The K.C. Chiefs professional team had just won the Super Bowl (Championship Game). It was 1969. Len Dawson won the game for the Kansas City Chiefs. I had already scored the only touchdown in the game from a handoff from our quarterback Bob Pena where I rolled out to the left and dived into the end zone on a one-yard run, after I told Bob in the huddle that the real Chiefs just won the championship game [1970] and I know I can make this touchdown so he said alright go ahead and I made it. Then came the star player on the other team, his name was David Heintz and he was the biggest guy on the field and he wanted blood revenge. He was the quarterback and he did a quarterback run and broke through all the front line and was coming straight up the middle, I was right cornerback and he broke through the middle line and the left cornerback ran ahead of me and tried to take the big kid out first, he tried to rush it and got faked out, then the big kid focused his eyes on me and he saw victory in his own eyes, and I could tell that he was so confident that he was just going to run me over and wasn't going to try any fakeout moves. So just before he was about to knock me down I crouched down to brace myself for the impact because I was perilized [paralyzed] with fear and just before impact I stepped in one of the many gofer holes on the field and fell down right in front of him and he barrelled right into me and tumbled into the air and came down hard. He never got back to his feet and he had to be helped off the field. He was out of the game for good, I got to my feet right away and looked over at Dad and he was going nuts. I had a sneer on my face because the Big Kid tried to take me out of the game, and Dad kept raising his fists and yelling Tom Tom!!! Tom Tom!!! I can't remember the other team's name but without their star player they were no threat. The game was in the bag. Dad didn't stop talking about it in the car on the drive home, and when we got home he kept telling Sally that I was the bravest player on the field. I didn't believe a word he said and kept trying to explain that I just tripped and fell, but he wouldn't hear me and liked his version that I was the MVP. I would like to take credit for the game-ending play, but it was pure luck that I stepped in that gofer hole." 

Tom standing, in 1970, on the front lawn of Charlen and John's house on Camelia Street in North Hollywood, Ca.  That's John's Volkwagen and Bridget's tricycle.  

Dad's description on the reverse reads "Tom 1970."  See below.

Tom and Dad at Presidio Park in San Diego.

Tom sitting directly in front of Nell's homemade cookies at Uncle Ralph's farm in Brighton, Colorado, 1968.

Tom playing catch and wearing his LA Dodgers cap in May 1970.  Tom was a great baseball player.  He played in the local Pop Warner League.  He pitched, played the infield, and played catcher.  You can tell how much Dad loved Tom by his description on the back of this photo.  Dad penned, "Cowboy Papa--1970."  

Tom riding high atop Gypsy, Uncle Ralph's great horse out in Brighton, Colorado. 

Tom Walgenbach and Mike Larkin in the backyard of the 2944 East Elda house in Duarte.  Tom is teaching Mike how to shoot, not unlike the way that Shane taught Joey in Shane how to shoot.  

Note the clear fence marking the property boundary between the Walgenbach property and the Flannigan property.  It has since been covered, first with opaque slats and then with ivy.  There was one year when Brenda's newly arrived kitten was playing in the backyard a little too close to the fence, and our dog, an Airedale mix named Tommy, got a hold of the kitten right in front of Brenda and she screamed helplessly at the mauling.  It was sad.  That dog did cause the family a bit of grief.  The Walgenbachs after a session of rough-housing, 1971.  Sitting on the sofa are Mom, Tom, Sally, and Dad.  Sitting on the floor in front are Mike to the left and Joe.  

The Walgenbachs after a session of rough-housing, 1971.  Sitting on the sofa are Mom, Tom, Sally, and Dad.  Sitting on the floor in front are Mike to the left and Joe.