Army buddies get together at Central High School reunion

Jon Steinhoff and four of his U.S. Army friends posed for a photo at the Cape Girardeau Central High School's 1950s class reunion to echo the photo they posed while in basic training decades ago.

"It was the highlight of the whole reunion," said Steinhoff, of Cape Girardeau.

The others in the photo were Paul "Tiny" Masterson, C. Don Priest, Bob Williams and Bill Mabrey.

Steinhoff has attended four or five past reunions and sees most of the others "all the time," he said. "But I haven't seen Tiny in five years. He lives in Lafayette, Louisiana. I e-mailed him about the reunion."

Steinhoff, 73, brought the old Army picture with him to the reunion, held recently at the Arena Building. He showed it to Dr. Frank Nickell, director of regional history at Southeast Missouri State University.

Nickell said, "To my surprise, all five of them were at the Saturday night reunion. I thought that was too good to pass up and thus rounded them up and lined them up in the same position they were in 54 years before."

Although the group of five attended basic training together at Camp Chaffee, Ark., in 1954, they did not all go to Korea. Williams served in Germany, Steinhoff said.

David Vandiver ~ submitted photo The same Central graduates, pictured 54 years later at the 1950s reunion recently held at Arena Park were lined up in the same order as their Army photo. Top, from left, were Paul "Tiny" Masterson, C. Don Priest and Jon Steinhoff; front, Bob Williams and Bill Mabrey.

"Bill and I and Tiny and Don Priest served in Korea — not in same unit, but pretty close," Steinhoff said.

Steinhoff was the one who got everybody going. "It was either get drafted or sign up. Jobs were scarce, and in those days everyone wanted to serve," he said.

"It was one of the best things I've ever done," Steinhoff said. "We got the GI Bill and other benefits. I know at least three of us used the GI Bill. Between the five of us we hold eight degrees," he said.