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In January 1980, I was a resident at the Springfield College Dormitories at 927 East Keys. I was sharing a room with another Japanese student 'George Masuda'. There was another American student, 'Joe Hinch' from Chicago, who was living across from us. The 1980 Winter Olympics were going on & US speed-skater 'Eric Heiden' was winning all the gold-medals for the United States. One evening, Joe Hinch told me that his girl-friend was coming to visit him at the dormitory. Joe was very excited & said that she was gorgeous & her Dad was Professor of Surgey at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. He also told me, she was a senior and a cheerleader at Glenwood High School. Joe was excited & wanted me to meet his girlfriend Miss Jane Birtch.
A week after this meeting, Joe Hinch told me casually that Jane's brother Grant was coming to Springfield, Illinois on semester-break from Beloit College in Wisconsin. Joe mentioned that he met Grant Birtch, while he had attended Beloit temporarily. He was excited & wanted me to meet his best friend. I said sure, I would love to.
Grant Birtch, mentioned that the reason, he choose Beloit College, was due to the fact that, Wisconsin had a lower age-limit (18) for alcohol consumption. I said "Wow ! That must be great. You can drink beer at an earlier age". Grant Birtch mentioned that Beloit College was a party-school, just like SIU, Carbondale. He also mentioned that I spoke English, very well, with a sophisticated accent. I told Grant that English is spoken at all modern school & colleges in India. I also told him that I grew up listening to British rock'N'roll music in India. Grant was fascinated that I had good knowledge of English music, being an Indian foreign student. He also mentioned that he had travelled to to Ireland & England, with his family on vacation. Grant said that being Irish, he prefered the Irish way of life, rather than the British. He told me that he hated the British occupation of Ireland & despised the British presence. He wanted Ireland to be & said that he would never 'bow' to the British Crown or Monarchy. "Long live the Irish Republican Army", he said.
I politely interrupted & stated that according to the history of United Kingdom, Ireland was once part of Great Britain. After Ireland got its independence from the United Kingdom to become Ireland; Northern Ireland separated from the Free Irish State and became part of the United Kingdom. The British troops were fighting 'terrorism' and were doing their duty for the country. This was quite similar, to what happened in KASHMIR, during India's independence from Great Britain. The state of Kashmir wanted to join the new union of 'former royal states' in India; but Pakistan quickly sent its army-troops into the Himalayan Kingdom & annexed Kashmir. I told Grant Birtch, that my Grandfather hated the British, as he was a freedom-fighter & spent most of his early youth in jail due to civil-protest & peaceful demonstrations against British rule in India. But his younger brother, my Grand-Uncle served in the British-India Army in North Africa, in the 2nd Big War. He loved England & the British way of life & so did my Father.
Joe Hinch finally interrupted and said that he was going to Building A & introduce Grant Birtch to some of his other friends. I told Grant that it was a pleasure meeting and talking with him. We then shook hands and parted. A month later, Grant Birtch came by our apartment, looking for Joe Hinch. I told him, Joe was not at the apartment, but was at work at the 'Ice Chateau Skating Rink'. I introduced Grant to my Japanese friend George Masuda & then Grant Birtch left looking for Joe Hinch. That was the last personal-meeting that I have had with Grant Birtch, (face-to-face) in Springfield-Illinois. I think, I saw him (not face-to-face) in Springfield, Illinois, couple of times over the years, at various hot-spots.