NATCHEZ &045; It’s not uncommon these days to hear patriotic songs and see the flag flown high.

But for some, those sights and sounds recall a time when another war drew them close together in their youth.

On Saturday members of the Natchez High Class of 1943 gathered at the school, now the Margaret Martin Performing Arts Center, for their 60th class reunion.

And as part of that celebration, they took time to sing a couple of patriotic songs from their high school days, when World War II loomed large. They also paused to dedicate a flag that flew over the Imo Jima Memorial.

After the ceremony, class member Billy Simmons remembered the days when students would sing such songs in school assemblies, following along with lyrics projected on the auditorium’s brick wall.

And as they sang, many knew they would soon be in the thick of war.

Simmons, for instance, was one of five graduates who joined the U.S. Navy Air Corps, while Mary Rogers Davis Jones, then a cheerleader, did her part by serving as a WAVE. One graduate, Page Ogden, never returned, but instead was killed in Italy.

&uot;I think that was one of the reasons we were so close, that we were the class that came up during the war years,&uot; said Jones, an organizer of the reunion. &uot;Everybody went into (military) service after they graduated.&uot;

However, war memories aren’t the only thoughts that come back when members of the Class of 1943 enter the school’s halls once again.

Instead, graduates from both 1943 and 1953 &045; both classes had separate reunion activities Saturday at the school &045; said they remember getting a solid education from teachers that cared.

&uot;They really interacted with us,&uot; said Gaily Healy, Class of 1953. &uot;But they also knew our families &045; so if we got in trouble at school, we got in trouble at home, too.&uot;

They remembered the little quirks of everyday school life &045; and the big blow-ups.

&uot;I remember Ms. Howlett, who used to try to keep Sonny Jenkins from rolling marbles down the hallway,&uot; said Billy Simmons, a member of the Class of 1943.

Outside, members of the Class of 1953 remembered when a classmate said something that so angered their French teacher so badly she raked all the books off her desk.

&uot;Do you remember what he said?&uot; Healy said.

&uot;Oh, yes Š yes I do,&uot; Floyd Eppinette, also Class of 1953, said with a wry smile &045; although no one would repeat the words.

The Class of 1943 had held reunions every five years, although Jones said this will probably be the group’s last organized reunion.

But if the past is an indication, the 35 surviving members of that class will probably still keep in close contact for quite a while.

&uot;That’s we do &045; keep in touch,&uot; Jones said. &uot;That’s just the kind of family we are.&uot;