President Thomas S. Monson has to go only a few blocks from his office in the Church Administration Building to stroll down the memory lane of his high school years. He can expect company along the way.

Photo by Gerry Avant

President Monson shares a few memories with long-time friend and fellow West High School classmate Earl Holding. The two have kept in touch throughout the years since they graduated from high school.

Photo by Gerry Avant

President Thomas S. Monson joins classmates in singing "As Time Goes By," which was altered to reflect days at West High School.

He and friends from Salt Lake City's West High School — the campus of which is just a few blocks west of his office — get together once a year. Amid the laughter and joy of seeing each other again and reminiscing about "good old school days," there is a bit of solemnity as they remember those present no longer.

President Monson's graduating class of 1944 joins with the classes of 1942 and 1943 for their reunions, the latest of which was held Sept. 6 in one of the smaller of Little America's banquet halls. President Monson and his fellow West High students saw many of their friends "graduate into World War II" and some of them were, in fact, among that number. President Monson graduated, enrolled at the University of Utah and then, at age 17, joined the U.S. Navy Reserves. Most who went into the military from West High returned home but some, sadly, did not.

"We have a good time at these reunions," President Monson told the Church News as he was leaving this year's gathering. "We enjoy getting together. We have some nostalgia about those who went into combat and didn't make it back to come to a reunion, and others who have passed on. We remember each other, come together and renew friendships. It's a date I keep on my calendar each year."

Fran Peek, who was in a grade a couple of years ahead of President Monson, said, "It's amazing that he comes every year. We are so honored that he would take time out of his schedule to be with us."

The high school reunion is probably one of the few public places where the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is called "Tommy."

It's an interesting, and somewhat unusual, thing to see name tags laid out on a reception hall table and notice that "Tom Monson" is among them. One would think that this, certainly, is a man who does not need to wear a badge identifying himself.

"He wants to be treated like everybody else," said G. Ray Hale, president of the West High School Alumni Association.

Upon seeing Jane Beppu Sakashita, President Monson spoke of the math class they attended together. She definitely remembers Tommy Monson.

"He is the kindest, most compassionate person," Mrs. Sakashita said. "I'm Buddhist. When my brother passed away, he saw the obituary in the newspaper. He sent me a letter of condolence. How grateful I was to hear from him; I mean, a person of his stature to remember me and take time to send a letter of condolence. I sent a letter back, and congratulated him upon his call as president of the Church. He replied to my letter, and then I wrote to him again. I said, 'I know you only by "Tommy." Is it appropriate for me to call you "Tommy?"' He wrote back, and signed the letter 'Tommy."'

Mrs. Sakashita remembers him as "very smart, but he was quiet. I never dreamed he would be president of the LDS Church. He was always friendly, and helped others. There wasn't a person he would leave out. He was always close to people. You could see the friendship in his eyes."

Ruby Shuput Kladis remembers Tommy Monson as "being quite the basketball player. He was always a good student; he did well academically. And he was always very friendly and kind. We appreciate him always coming to our reunions because our memories of him are good."

Reo Williamson was a boyhood friend who went to the Monsons' home in the mornings; Tommy's father would drive them to school. And, when they got older, Tommy sometimes got to use the family car.

Asked if Tommy was a good guy to have as a friend, Reo replied with an enthusiastic, "You bet he was. He had the car!"

Called upon to address his fellow West High School alumni, President Monson said that the people at his table had been talking about some of their youthful deeds, even misdeeds. He said that when he was in junior high school, he and a friend were walking down Second West in Salt Lake City and saw the dog catcher's truck parked outside a sausage shop. "All boys hate dog catchers," he said, as he described what transpired.

The dog catcher had gone inside the shop but had left the lock just hanging in the hasp on the truck. "I thought of those poor dogs en route to the death chamber," President Monson recalled as he described how he took the lock off the hasp. The result? "Seven dogs came out of that truck, chasing me."

Looking over the gathering of some 125 people, which included alumni, some family members and friends, President Monson said that he was reminded of the words of a poet: "Backward, turn backward, O time, in thy flight, Make me a child again just for to-night."

He concluded his remarks, in the spirit of the words of Tiny Tim, as written by Charles Dickens, "'God bless us, everyone.' I say that to my fellow classmates."

Leaving the reunion, President Monson said that he liked the quotation, "New friends are silver, but old friends are gold."

"Today," he said, "I met with some golden friends."

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