Hillcrest Receiving Home

I was at Hillcrest well before any of you... I think it was 1958, I was a third grader, living with my grandparents. My grandfather had been spooked by the police, after they brought me back from one of my "adventures". I was somewhat of a vagabond, not coming home like I was supposed to and staying out until very late. When he was asked if he had any guardianship papers for me and he replied no, they assured him that they would make sure that he would not be legally responsible for me should I get in trouble or hurt. The following day, my newly appointed social worker came to my school and took me to Hillcrest. I spent the next three months there waiting for placement with a foster family. I can remember that there was a simple playground that overlooked the valley that now contains CalCom stadium. The staff was kind, as I recall, and the kids were fun to be around. I do remember playing "doctor" once with a girl who was a year older than I. I guess typical kid stuff. We even got a visit from Monty Montana, who did some rope tricks, all decked out in his cowboy regalia. Looking back at my three months there, I don't really have any negative thoughts about the place, although it was my first taste of institutional living, something I didn't experience again until my first summer camp and then again in Air Force boot camp.