NORM WEST CHECKS IN - HE'LL JOIN US AT THE BIG 50TH REUNION

Our classmate
Norm West
Photo during OSC training
US Marine Corps 1966













On his graduation from Notre Dame High School, Norm West joined ten of his classmates to enter the Brothers of Holy Cross. He was sent first to Watertown, Wisconsin for six weeks indoctrination and then to Rolling Prairie, Indiana near the University of Notre Dame for a year of novitiate.

In August 1958, he and others went to St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas for academic studies and training. Sever of the group stayed at the University to earn degrees. In January of 1961, Norm was sent to Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California. There he taught classes for a year and a half before deciding that he did not have a vocation for the Brotherhood. He returned to civilian life in August,1962. For a short time he attended Loyola Law School, and finished his degree at Loyola (now, Loyola-Marymount) University in Westchester, California in 1966.

In October 1966, Norm enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was sent to Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia. He finished the school in May 1967.

In June 1867, Norm married Janice Rugg, a graduate of Corvallis High School, Class of 1965). In 1967 he was sent to Vietnam where he served as a supply office in DaNang for a year. "Nobody shot at me and I didn't shoot at anybody either." He then returned to duty at Camp Pendleton in California. In April of 1969 he began work as a recruiter for the U.S. Marine Corps in Los Angeles. He continued his in-service studies and was then sent to the island of Okinawa for a year. He was sent to 29 Palms California and purchased a home in nearby Yucca Valley, where he lives today. After another tour of duty in Okinawa from 1981 to 1982, he retires from military service in 1986.

In his "retirement" Norm West has sold real estate, taught school, and did drug and alcohol abuse counseling.
He re-retired to make use of his G.I. Bill privileges and earned a Master of Business Administration degree and teaching credentials from National University.

Norm and Janice share nine children. Two of their offspring live in Las Vegas, three in Los Angeles, one daughter is an attorney in Yucca Valley, and another lives in Kentucky. They have two grandchildren.
"I have been playing a lot of senior softball in Palm Springs and Palm Desert for a few years. I still have a couple of years on teaching credentials and may substitute teach one or two days a week.