Class of 1968

Sonja Smith Holybee - Sonoma County, California

Sonja then...

When I left school I came to Northern California and have left only once to live elsewhere, and that, of all places, was in Carbon Cliff, Illinois for 8 months. I now live in wine country, in Sonoma County, in the lower Russian River Valley. This is the most beautiful area and has great weather. I seem to have this thing for rivers and water because we are only about 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean and if I sneeze I'd fall in the river. The largest town is approximately 147,500 in population. I live in one of the smaller towns , in the County, the population is around 5000.

I am have been married twice, but this one's a keeper, we just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We, Ken and I, have 3 children; daughter, Stephanie is 29, lives and works in the town of Sonora, in the foothills of the Sierras. She works two jobs and attends college in her spare time, her BA is in Liberal Arts, but is now taking administration classes. Second daughter, Melisa, 27, lives here in Sonoma County and works and attends Sonoma State University, majoring in Physiology. Third child is a 24-year-old son, Dan, who once he got out of school said, "no more!" He works in the heating, air conditioning and sheet metal business. None of our children are married.

Ken works for the same company as Dan and does fabrication of the sheet metal needed for different jobs. I, when not on disability as I am now, work as a retail store manager. This store is unique as it handles salvage from other stores that are in excellent condition and in most cases, brand new.

Ken is a Vietnam Veteran serving 26 months in I Corps. He is a State Board member for the California State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America, VVA, and also sits on the National Constitution committee for VVA. He has also served as the President and just about everything else here at the local level.

And now!

I, being the dutiful wife, became a member of the organization, VVA, to support him and got as involved as he is. I have been the State Associate Liaison for Vietnam Veterans of America and then the Regional Associate Liaison. I now sit as the Region Director for the 5 year old 501c4 Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America, AVVA. This organization is based in Silver Spring, Maryland and has Board members from 13 different states. I have a large Region, but unfortunately don't get to visit the whole Region as it encompasses the lower Western United States, Hawaii, Guam and the Philippines.

The only real bump we've had was a horrific auto accident I had almost 19 years ago. When they put me on the helicopter they expected I would be dead by the time it landed. Boy did I fool them. I guess since both my parents were gone God decided that I needed to stick around to take care of my three and not leave that burden to Ken.

I hope to see a large group of you in 2008. Just don't plan if for the first weekend in Aug. because that's when VVA and AVVA have National Conventions and Leadership Conferences!!

- October 9, 2003