Anyone Attend Chesapeake, VA Straight?

[cochese13]

Not that I will remember your name, I have forgotten them all, no offense. I was one of the first

group who actually road on the bus from the Springfield Straight in July of 1989 to the newly opened building off of Greenbrier Pkwy. The only name I remember is Thorpe Gregory, a staff member and "psychiatry" student at William & Mary college. I was just reading about the practices of Nazi Germany and, more specifically, the Hitler Youth. Well guess what popped into my head? Anyway, a few clicks later and I found a wealth of info on our old friends Staight Inc. (the greatest place I ever found, I believe the song went). I was put in the Springfield camp in June of 89 and escaped from the Chesapeake camp in Dec of the same year. Twelve years later and when I think of that place I am filled with so much anger. A few days after my escape I ran into a few of the staff members who gave me thier phone number and said if I ever needed a place to stay they could hook me up. These were some of the worst staff in the whole damn place! What a bunch of assholes. I was lucky, I only did six months, but let me tell you, I still have nightmares.

[KimberlyNJ]

Glad to meet you...
 I was not in Straight.  I was in KIDS of NJ...Newton Ran that one after he left straight.  I don't know if you knew newton though.  I am glad to meet you.  Glad you found us.  You say you still have nightmares.  I also have them, although they have SEVERELY minimized since I have found all these message boards & things.  I hope all is well.  I just wanted to welcome you.

[Chris]

I was in Straight in Springfield,Virginia from February 1985 to July of 1986.It was the worst 17 months of my entire Life.I wish I had escaped.I deeply respect and admire anyone who had to guts and courage to escape and take The Midnight Express out of that Hell.I still have nightmares too.Sincerely, "A Clockwork Orange Chris"

[a mc]

long is the way, and hard, that out of darkness leads to light.

what's up survivors. ran accross this site today. haven't thought of this place for some time. straight, inc.... well, well, well... i was me, that is adam, and my three droogs.... i was in Va in those times. i would like to hunt down some Va people, and Ga, too. (yes, i got the privaledge of "attending" two) at least hear of them, if nothing else.

i'm still alive.
a.

[jenn]

My brother and I were in Straight Springfield March 1987 until September 1988. I was on staff in Chesapeake. Thorpe is now a doctor.

[a mc]

i remember thorpe. he was good to me. smart, too. funny thing... i remember his shoes, too. too much time me not right sided up.;|

[jenn]

I remember being on first phase and riding the straight bus to the building and passing thorpe gregory and brian houser pulled over by the cops. They were both on 5th phase and they were shooting a water guns at cars, water guns that looked like guns. Remember Billy Seal?

[a mc]

i don't remember billy seal. I went to Va in early 90'. so i don't think he was there anymore.

[Mung]

Billy Seal! Ya I forgot all about him- that guy was funny as shit! He was like a young Rodney Dangerfield. I mighta had him as a newcomer a few times. Remember Andrew Peri?
He was a trip too. I remember Thorpe cause him and Dave Edens were my first oldcomers.
Thorpe had an Audi which he later got setback for speeding in it. I remembered after the fact that he like to fly when he drove us to the warehouse.

[Anonymous]

I remember billy seal & jennifer.Thorpe G.,Dave E was my (druggie friend)ha-ha.I was in Springfield from May 87-Aug 89.And on staff in 1990.M name is Chris B

[infanalyst]

Wow,
I remember all of those names mentioned, but I was in the good ole 5515 Backlick Road in Springfield, from May 17, 1986 - December 2, 1987. Thorpe Gregory was absolutely fucking crazy. I'm pretty sure I did his intake or was with the people who did his intake. I remember that 1982-85 Audi GT Coupe well! I believe it was Silver but it may have been Charcoal. I'm pretty sure I remember a few executive staff members, (I think it was Leslie Murden and Tony Kelleher) reaming him out for speeding and I think he got set back for speeding with "clients" (prisoners) in the car. I remember him living for quite some time with Mike Kilday in Fairfax. I vaguely remember Dave Edens, but I can't place his face at all. Billy Seal I think was a newcomer for a short time at my house! I know we had Andrew Peri there at one point as well, but he was only there for a short time. Of course I don't think I was ever his oldcomer. I was only an oldcomer at my own house for 3-4 months out of the 14-15 months there were people living at my house!
I think after 6 months on 1st phase the First time around, they only moved me to 2nd phase because either I was going to be terminated or more likely, they knew my parents had a good size house and lived within 10 minutes of HELL on Backlick Rd. and decided this would be a good fucking convenience for them to utilize my parents place as a another in the long lines of host homes. I really think when the end of the day came for them, the only thing those staff members cared about was whether or not there was going to be enough homes for everyone to sleep in. (TOP ONES, please don't be offended if you happened to be one of many good people who got sucked into furthering the mind torture of young and unsuspecting adolescents as a "Staff Member" after being a phaser, like a certain Glen Steepleton. RIP my friend. I'm sure most of you from Springfield from 1985-1989, and Va Beach as well remember him. After 13-14 years of his completion of Straight and being a "staff member" he mysteriously took his life on Sept. 18, 2000, after close to 10 years of being uninvolved with Straight, according to an excerpt from either http://www.thestraights.com or another Straight info site.)
Only 2 weeks after reaching 2nd phase, the first time, I was started over for being "Full of Shit". Meanwhile, since I had finally been an oldcomer, THEY were now able to continue to USE my parents house continuously. Until I eventually departed mid 4th phase for over 45 days, to ensure my termination. Even then I still didn't want to go back to my house, but I wound up having no choice. At least I was FINALLY out of HELL, and could at least go the AA route to appease them until I was old enough to move the hell out on my own.

Jenn, I know I had a host brother living at my house, who had a sister in the program as well. He lived at my house in Annandale while the VA Beach people were still in the Springfield campus. I think his name was Chris, but I can't remember. He was about 6'0", medium build, came from Va Beach, was heavy into Skateboarding and played electric bass very well! His hair was a cross between Red and Black, when he came in, but I can't for the life of me right now remember his name. I know he went down to the Va Beach program when it opened up finally, I believe as a staff member or 5th phaser. And if I'm not mistaken him and Thorpe were rather close.
Jenn, if you see this and this sounds like it could be your brother could you e-mail me so I can at least get a last name. Sometimes when you hear the last name it immediately triggers the person in your memory.
Speaking of Va Beach, There was a very good friend of mine who graduated from Springfield around May or June of 1988. Her name was Ann Libby. She actually wound up marrying Jason Levine, who had graduated from Springfield as well around the same time frame. I knew both of these people well, but after they moved down to Va Beach in early 1989 or 1990, I lost touch with them. If anyone knows any contact info for either please feel free to e-mail me. And PLEASE if anyone remebers me and would like to contact/touch base,please e-mail me at [email protected]

Aloha,
Brent Lewis

[underabodhitree]

On 2002-01-29 19:22:00, jenn wrote:
I remember being on first phase and riding the straight bus to the building and passing thorpe gregory and brian houser pulled over by the cops. They were both on 5th phase and they were shooting a water guns at cars, water guns that looked like guns. Remember Billy Seal?
 I just found this board. I was in Springfield from January of 1988 until February 1989(my 18th birthday). It is interesting to read these posts and see all these familiar names. Thorpe Gregory was at my intake because he knew my "druggie friends". I would like to hear from anyone who was there at the the same time as I was. I lived in an apartment that came to be called the beach house. My parents rented it along with the parents of Anthony Riccio and Chris Carpenter. My name is Jeffrey and you can email me at [email protected]

[Anonymous]

i entered straight in DC in the late eighties i copped out 3x and ended up in for 21 months. i was on staff at the beach.
i remember almost all of the names mentioned. I have stayed in contact with a surprising number of DC and Beach phasers. but i of course remember others that i have no idea where they lay.
who remebers the higbies? or what about hans watts (that guy was in for like 30 months). Hey jen - you ever see tish anymore? more later.

[Anonymous]

watts graduated in 1989? from springfield program.

[CopOut]

adam mcC
whats up man.. dont know if you remember me, chris c. from raleigh too.. we even went to jr high together (west millbrook), before you disapeared one day, then, low and behold, i walked into group after intake my first day and there you were.  i found out later it was actually your parents who got my parents involved (tell them thanks alot!)... and i copped out (the 2nd time) when old jeff d. (also from raleigh) was my oldcomer.  what the fuck have you been up to man?  i saw your old girlfriend kim walker some time later and she said you were out and doing well.  well, hope everything is going well for  you man.  if you want to, gimme an email at [email protected]  also, let me know if youve know whats going on with any of our fellow hampton roads vets.
later,
-chris c.