Written by John McElligott

Bill Buskirk and I met on the swimming team our junior and senior year at MHS. Bill was tall and lanky and was the only one besides Doug Russell who looked and swam like the real deal. The rest of us were short and muscled up and built for short distant sprints. Bill and Doug were tall and could go the distance. 
“Buzzard” as I called him, was liked by me from day one along with Todd Southern. My opinion of Bill has never changed. I kept up with him from a distance after high school and swam with him at the YMCA when I returned to Midland in 1968. He was among the faces, along with Todd Southern and Nugent Brasher, I never forgot.  I read Buzzard’s books, which the Blog will highlight.