Before beginning this story, I must confess to adding an “i” to the word ordnance the first several times I came upon it at my first job. Maybe no one else at the tiny rural radio statio noticed it. The news gal liked to correct typos, after all.

For the record, according to Grammarly.com: An ordinance is an authoritative order or decree, often a rule established by a governmental authority or church. It typically involves legislation or regulation and has a civic or religious context. On the other hand, ordnance refers to military weapons, ammunition, and equipment used in war. This term is most commonly associated with the armed forces and defense industries.

The reason ordnance is on my mind?

This treasure from Dad‘s work archives:

This October 5, 1965 newsletter is from Dad’s time with General Electric in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Over the previous weekend, the department hosted a GE Family Day, so kids could see where dad (and in rare cases back then, mom) spent their weekdays.

I have no recollection of this open house, but as I look at the photo in the bottom right corner, a few wispy memories stir.

That’s Dad and Harry on the left. Then Dave in his matching sweater (being the only daughter, I never got matching sweaters) with my pasty face peeking through over his shoulder. Harry was 10 at the time, Dave was eight and I was seven. Bill was a toddler, no doubt at home running Mom ragged.

So what was Harry doing? The future science teacher appears to be conducting an experiment. Given the timing, I’m guessing they handed my oldest brother a piece of “unbreakable plastic” GE had developed and challenged him to break it with a small hammer. Notice the nurse in the background. It must have been a tense moment – all of our little mouths were hanging open. Even the adults seem enthralled.

Indeed, here’s the response Harry just sent me:

Some presenter gave me a piece of an amazing new plastic called Lexan & told me to try & break it with a hammer. I was of course unsuccessful. A few years later I learned my friend Dan Fox’s father, a GE chemist, was the inventor of Lexan. I recall Dad telling me Jack Welch was in charge of the Pittsfield plant at the time, & Lexan was one of the feathers in his cap that led to his becoming CEO of the company.

Here are some closing thoughts expressed by the GE newsletter’s editor, Pat Copeland:

Our camera couldn’t capture everything, unfortunately. There’s no record, for instance, of the computers amazingly producing bag-pipe music or playing tic-tac-toe – or the colorful displays – or the moving parts and flashing lights of some exhibits.

Nor do we have any record of how many times a boy’s or a girl’s future may have been changed by a glimpse of tomorrow’s science and technology.

---

Would you like to receive an email notice when there’s a new Too Much Brudders story available? Sign up here: