September 1967

Memphis, Tennessee

It was nearly two weeks before the Homecoming dance at Memphis High, and it seemed as if hormones had been running rampant. To that point, young men with testosterone were being demonstrably led at the hip to girls for homecoming dates.

For this exact reason, Bryan Griggsby had been fending off guys attempting to get their chance with his girlfriend, Charlene Ruoco.

The combination of men flirting with Charlene, Bryan’s insecurity, and his will to now protect what was his had driven them to this moment. The students buzzed around the school courtyard as the two teenagers circled each other.

“Be smart!” yelled Glen in support for his best friend Bryan who was being challenged by a fellow student named Aaron Ulrich.

Aaron had a little bit of a height advantage, but the big difference was his strength, which he outclassed Bryan easily.

Aaron was the first to swing, and he connected easily with Bryan’s head prompting a loud response from the crowd of students. This was Bryan’s first fight, and it began to go badly right from the beginning; the larger Aaron had Bryan kneeling and was landing blow after blow into the back of his head.

Glen was glad that Charlene wasn’t around to see this.

After nearly of minute of Aaron throwing Bryan around, Glen stepped in and helped his best friend out. Glen grabbed Aaron Ulrich by the neck and lifted him off his feet. Aaron, 5’11, had to now deal with a 6’7 17-year-old.

Glen simply thumped two punches into Aaron’s face before letting him slump to the ground and clutch his head with both hands.

The once rowdy crowd of boys who wanted Bryan to be beaten senseless had been silenced. Glen looked around at the rest of them and spoke sternly as to make no mistake.

“Charlene Ruoco is off limits to all of you cowards! You hear?”

The group of guys surrounding a beaten Bryan, a crouching Aaron, and a pissed off Glen Miller all nodded.

Glen was the big man on campus, and he was getting used to it.