TLSN celebrates Longhorn brand builders who have passed away. In the last 12 days, the Longhorn Nation has lost :
football icon Rene Ramirez,
tennis star Ted Gorski,and
Football player Dickie Johnston.
On Sunday Morning, June 25th,there will be a “special TLSN edition” celebrating the life of Renee Ramirez- the Galloping Gaucho. A story that most of the national media missed about his playing years with the Longhorns. A story of overcoming adversity as a last-teamer to make the All-SWC team.
The celebration of the life of tennis player Ted Gorski is pending and will be written by his special friend Jim Bayless. Ted’s celebration of life will also post as a special TLSN edition.
Below is the story of Dickie Johnston and a link to his celebration site, which will change daily as more information and testimonials are added.
Horns ???? Up
Ted Gorski
Rene Ramirez
Keith Richards from the Rolling Stone’s mentions Dickie Johnston.
Keith Richards and Dickie Johnston
Dickie Johnston has passed away.
Dickie Johnston – HB: 6-0: 190
Dickie is shown in the 1969 national championship team photo. Dickie,#21, is in the fourth row with #74 Randy Stout on one side and #14 Eddie Phillips on the other.
Many/most of you will probably not remember him, so his story is told from my perspective as his teammate.
In many ways, Dickie had some of the qualities of his best friend, James Street. An easy smile, endless energy, charisma, and a free spirit persona. Like Street, people from all walks of life gravitated to Dickie’s personality and zest for life.
However, unlike James Street, Dickie spent many years living on the fringe. The saying “Rolling Stone gathers no moss.” defines Dickie. Dickie lived life to the fullest as a Rollingstone grounded in life by his many friends.
Dan Adams is one of his many friends. He said,
“Very true words, Billy. No question that he was a unique person. I saw him a few times over the years in Hawaii, Austin, and New Mexico. No matter the place or situation, his smile, and inner glow were always contagious,”
If you want to add a celebration comment or photo to Dickie’s celebration of life, please email Billydale1@gmail.com, and it will be posted.
Horns ???? up for Longhorn Dickie Johnston.
Mick Jagger and Dickie Johnston
Save the Date to meet Longhorn Olympian swimmers and the new Frank Erwin Award inductees.
TRIVIA
The collective record for the Longhorn baseball, football, and basketball teams in the 1922-1923 season was 60-1-1.
In the same time frame, the Santa Rita started pumping oil. Two events that will never be duplicated.
1990- Women’s Cross Country team makes Longhorn sports history.
Horns are plagued with injuries. Shola Lynch has a stress fracture, and Tina Hall, an All-American, was forced to redshirt. The team did not have the required five runners, so they were ineligible to compete for the SWC championship or qualify for the NCAA meet.
TLSN has a website section dedicated to Longhorns lost during WWI and WWII, but none from the Vietnam War. Ray Dulak will be added to our warriors who died in the line of duty.
Longhorn baseball player Ray Dulak was killed in Vietnam at 26.
Rey Moreno, a past manager of Track and Field for the Longhorns, sent TLSN a story about Whataburger sponsoring young athletes dreaming of future greatness in the late 1950s.
In those years, the Whataburger promotion stated:
“It’s Not Whether You Win or Lose, It’s Where You Eat After the Game That’s Important.”
Future Longhorn baseball player #11 was on the Whataburger team.
As Longhorn Texas Coach, Bibb Falk moved Ray from pitcher to first base and sometimes to the outfield so that Falk could exploit Ray’s hitting skills at the plate.
But Dulak’s passions included more than just baseball. He loved his country and chose to put his professional baseball career hopes on hold to fight in the Vietnam War.
In the photo above, Ray is on the top row third, and third counting from right to left.
Captain Ray Dulak was deployed to Vietnam in March 1969 as a helicopter pilot. It was in Vietnam at age 26 that Ray lost his life. Horns ????
Jim Raup shares his memories of Ray Dulak
Jim wrote an award-winning recollection of his last game as a pitcher for the Longhorns, and the link to his article is at https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/jim-raup-by-horns-sports Jim says, “I played with Ray for two years if he graduated in 1966. He was a solid player and a good guy. He definitely could hit college pitching.” “I heard about his death when it happened, and I recently found Ray and Terry Hale, our student trainer, on the Viet Nam Wall at this site https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/
Jim continues, “The Viet Nam part of that account is, sadly, true.” “The story being told back then was Ray’s job as a helicopter pilot was to fly Generals and other big brass around after battles to survey battlefields after the fighting was over. He was thought to have a relatively safe job.”
“That is what he was doing on the day he died; small arms fire crashed his helicopter and killed him and his passengers. At the time of his death, someone told me that the flight was his last mission before leaving Viet Nam for home. I do not know if that part of his story is true.”
Jim remembers, “he was a very good LH hitter, and mymemory says Dulak won an aTm game with a late-inning home run.” The photo is Ray.
Did you know that all 182 past TLSN newsletters are archived and accessible to read? Go to the navigation page at the top and click on “newsletters.”
Here is an example of a TLSN newsletter posted in December 2020 titled “Looking back, Tyres Dickson, Akers’s death, Eddie Gilbert, Steve Ross , the 1969 national championship reunion, and comments” The link is:
Did you know that all 182 past TLSN newsletters are archived and accessible to read? Go to the navigation page at the top and click on “newsletters.”
Here is an example of a TLSN newsletter posted in December 2020 titled “Looking back, Tyres Dickson, Akers’s death, Eddie Gilbert, Steve Ross , the 1969 national championship reunion, and comments” The link is:
TLSN is a 501 (c)(3) Longhorn Sports history educational website with a compassionate component.
Fortunately, most former Longhorn student-athletes, coaches, and support staff personnel have successfully transitioned to the job market with health insurance and loss of income safety nets.
Still, help is needed for some, and TLSN donors have opened hearts and wallets to extend a helping hand. TLSN’s donors have assisted those who qualify with grants varying from $2000 to $25,000.
Please be one of those open hearts and donate to TLSN.
All of us associated with the TLSN Board and the advisor committee do so without compensation. It is our gift back to the Longhorn brand builders of our great university.
Join us by giving back. Every dollar will assist a qualifying former UT athlete, coach, support staff member, or their immediate family.
The TLSN website and newsletter are free to access, delivering educational, historical, and insightful Longhorn sports history as told through the eyes of those who created it.
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TLSN is not associated with the UT Athletics Department or any organization closely aligned with UT.
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