Swine Flu-1976

George Naddra

• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781637100196
• eBook ISBN: 9781637100202
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

In 1976, in order to prevent a worldwide pandemic, President Ford launched a massive campaign to vaccinate every American against a mysterious strain of virus. However, no other country joined the United States in this effort, and although millions of Americans were vaccinated, the government abruptly cancelled the program after three months.

Eleven years after the cancellation of the program, Dr. Dan Clayborne decided to investigate the accidental hunting death of his father, a key employee at Daviston Pharmaceutical. In doing so, he threatened to uncover the Russian blackmailing plot that led President Ford to launch the vaccination effort.

Many people wondered why the United States was the only country that vaccinated their people. Dr. Dan Clayborne was on the verge of finally uncovering the answer.

Chapter 5

The Class Reunion

June 7, 1987
Eleven Years Later

The sign over the doorway read, “Welcome Gentry High School Class of 77.” The ten-year class reunions are usually the first class reunion and always the best attended. Best attended because as time marches on, more and more fellow classmates continue to move to secure the jobs. Although small Pennsylvania towns, like Gentry, offer a decent living and a good life for most, many must move to a larger metropolitan area to make a living.

This year’s class reunion was held where all the classes have held their reunions for the past fifteen years, the city’s downtown civic center. Twenty years ago, before the new highway and the malls appeared, the civic center was a thriving little downtown movie theater. The civic center was now hardly ever used, and because of funding issues, for the third year in a row, the air conditioners were not working.

Because of a summer thunderstorm, Dr. Daniel Clayborne was a late arrival. Dan flew his recently purchased secondhand Cessna from Minneapolis to the local Gentry airport. Flying was Dan’s hobby. Not being married and living in a modest apartment close to the hospital, he could afford his one luxury.

Everyone was hoping that he would attend the reunion; few felt that he would.

Medical school, two years of internship at the Cleveland Clinic, and now working as the cardiac specialist at St. Jude’s Hospital in Minnesota all added up to one very busy schedule. Dan was not only one of the smartest kids in his class and the star quarterback, he was also genuinely liked by all.

Dan stood just over six feet and looked too wiry to be the ex-high school star football player and too young to be a doctor. He was a very attractive man. He had piercing hazel eyes and maintained the same Princeton hair cut for fifteen years. His rugged facial features were balanced with a shy smile that matched his friendly, yet surprisingly reserved, personality. Smart, intelligent, witty, and an excellent listener. When you spoke with Dan, you had his honest, one hundred percent attention.

When you come from a small town, every person has a better chance to shine. It is always easier being a big fish in a little pond. Although a star athlete in his high school, Dan had only slightly above average athletic skills. If he lived in Erie and Centerville, he probably would have not even made the team. He was a very hardworking, quiet leader and an excellent decision-maker under pressure. These football traits made him a good doctor.

Dan knew who he was. He had an uncanny way of capitalizing on his strengths and making his weaknesses irrelevant. In sports, school, and career, he was not driven to win or to be the center of attention. He was driven by a burning desire to just not disappoint.

“I knew you’d be here tonight,” Lynn Denington said as she greeted Dan at the door with a big kiss.

“You look great. Are you still putting up with that useless husband of yours?” asked Dan.

Lynn laughingly replied, “Useless? You were the one that taught him all those bad habits, and now he is totally untrainable.”

Lynn was relieved to see Dan. Her childhood sweetheart and the football center who protected him from all those rushing linemen could do nothing for the past month but talk about Dan coming to the reunion. Dan had always kept in touch, and he always found time to visit with them whenever in town.

“Hot damn!” Dale shouted as he swept in and gave Dan a big bear hug.

For the rest of the evening, Dan slowly made the rounds visiting with each table and catching up on the current events while reliving the past. Two things accompanied Dan throughout the evening, hearty laughter, and of course, Dale.

As tradition had it, the class president would make a few presentations, honor any deceased classmates, and make a short speech. Well, at least everyone hoped it would be a short speech. Robert Drake was a bit nervous when he went to the podium, and the numerous side conversations made him initially hard to hear.

“You know, when I was asked to speak tonight I had a hard time trying to think of a good topic. Since we graduated, we have all gone on separate paths. Many of you out there are well on your way to obtaining your goals. Some of you out there are, like me, and still trying to jump-start your engines.”

The laughter caught the attention of the group and all eyes were now focused on Robert.

“So, I asked myself, ‘What does everyone here tonight have in common?’ And the answer is obvious. We all graduated from Gentry High on May the twenty-seventh, 1977. I again asked myself, ‘I wonder what was going on that day in the world and in Gentry ten years ago.’ The answer was found at the Gentry public library. So I brought with me tonight a copy of the Gentry Free Press dated May 27, 1977. I’m not going to read to you the whole paper, but I highlighted a few interesting stories. Kind of like a flashback to ten years ago.”

Robert now realized that he had the attention of the group and he confidently continued, “The Gentry Free Press sold for fifteen cents a copy. In this paper, there were three major stories on the front page. The first one dealt with President Jimmy Carter and his handling of the gas prices and inflation. This reminds me of one of the funniest jokes Johnny Carson ever delivered. During a gas shortage, Johnny mentioned that President Carter, a peanut farmer, was encouraging the use of converting peanuts to gasoline. Johnny said the new peanut gas formula was being tried in California where a tragic circus train wreck occurred yesterday. He said some of the animals escaped and they found three large male elephants “gang siphoning” a Volkswagen.”

When the laughter died down, Robert continued, “The next two headlines were not that funny. One dealt with the plant returning to one shift and the second layoff of over 200 people. Also, on page one is a short article thanking the late Dr. Carl Madsen who established a $10,000 scholarship fund for deserving Gentry High students. Dr. Madsen, who died in a car accident in November 1976, had worked at the Daviston Pharmaceutical Company.”

As Robert continued to go through the paper discussing everything from advertisements to the Pittsburg Pirates baseball box scores, Dan’s thoughts drifted to his father, who died in a hunting accident that prior year. The perpetrator was never found, and he knew that no one would ever come forward to confess to this awful accident. Dan was very close to his father and the loss left both a deep emotional scar and a commitment to honor his father by going into his father’s profession. Dan did not know Dr. Madsen, but he did vaguely remember his death. However, for the first time, the death of both Dr. Madsen and his father, also a doctor who worked for Daviston Pharmaceutical, struck him as a bizarre coincidence.

Dan mixed with the crowd for the next hour, speaking to almost everyone. He was approached by Mike DeAngelo, who was known as “the Boy Scout Meritorious of the Class.” Mike was labeled a “Boy Scout” not in a mocking way, but in a real and complimentary way. Mike was an Eagle Scout with all the official badge trimmings—and he also lived up to the pledge.

“Hey, Doc. It is good seeing you again,” Mike said with a big smile.

“Me too,” answered Dan. “And you are looking really fit. Are you working out?”

“Actually, yes,” answered Mike. “I got a little medical training myself, and I am now working as a paramedic for the hospital ambulance company. In between calls, we often have a little spare time, and I pump iron during the breaks.”

Dan stated, “Mike, I really respect you. We, doctors, see the patient when we have all the hospital equipment and support personnel at our fingertips. I know you have to help them right in the middle of a horrible wreck or home tragedy. How did you pick this pressure-packed career?”

“Well,” said Mike, “just after Thanksgiving in my senior year, I was working at Gentry’s Diner, and this newspaperman from Philadelphia, who was in town to do a story on Davi...

Table of contents

• The Mysterious Strain of Influenza
• Human Laboratory
• President’s Dilemma
• Uncovering the Secret
• The Class Reunion
• Research
• The Stall
• Meeting the Family
• Protecting the Secret
• Search is Over
• Go-No-Go
• Oval Office