137th Column. 9 Aug
03. Talk about a time warp – this is
being written before 45th for Nov/Dec Assembly. And, I just proofed the 136th
which will appear in Sep/Oct about the time of 45th. Confused?
Your Scribe is also.
Wedding bells. Great card from Marianne Pointer with photo taken at their marriage in Saratoga, NY
on Bob’s birthday, 24 May 02. Classmates attending their wedding included Will & Andrea Collett, George Huff & Katie Beauregard, Jim & Peggy Morgan and Garry & Jill Roosma. The Santa Fe Mini crowd will remember the
announcement of Marianne & Bob’s engagement during the Sat night
dinner. A belated welcome to Marianne!
Another ’58 bride. “Let the class record reflect that Bonnie Lourie and I were married on
June 22 in a lovely, small family ceremony in St Michaels, MD.” Message from Tony Smith. Welcome,
Bonnie!
Classmates the
longest. A snail-mail note from Dan Charlton: “A while back, one of my
sisters sent me a clipping from the Ft Leavenworth News showing the school
football team in fall of 1948. The ’58
members are Doug Detlie, Bill Henning and Walker Goodrich (found in Plebe English in Jun 55 and graduated
from USNA in ’60!).” There was a note
from Walker to Dan, but it is AWOL from Scribe’s folder. The clipping got Dan thinking about who have
been classmates the longest. He & Skip Hettinger were in school together
from Feb 49 through June 58. Dan thinks
other Army brats may have been together longer. Any takers on this challenge?
Nine years and four months is the marker to beat.
There were at least two other ’58 files at Leavenworth
High: Tony Nadal and Gene Wentworth. An email from Gene says “JoAnne and I thank you for this loving
and caring note about Billie Nadal.
We are especially attached to Billie by the fact that she was a Leavenworth
High School mate and a friend back in our home town in the early fifties.
She was then known as Billie Tutin and was a sophomore in LHS when her Dad
attended CGSC. Billie was probably the only "Fort" girl in the
sophomore class that I did not date, which shows her good sense at an early
age. We will all miss Billie and pray for her to go from strength to
strength in a life of perfect service.”
Scribe can only add “amen” and continue the report on Tony & Billie.
“USMA Class of 1958 Memorial Golf Outing
in Memory of Billie Nadal” reads a
plaque created by Phil Pryor and
presented to Tony at the dinner
following a day of golf in Williamsburg in early July. Here is a longer report from an anonymous
source, “There
were certainly a lot of people you don’t see at a Washington gathering. In addition to the usual Tidewater crowd
there were the Stantons, Kirks, Turners (which Turners?), Smiths
(Tony & TK), and Sedgwicks. When I heard that you should bring your
driver for the event after dinner, I naturally included (anonymous). I didn't realize they were talking about a
club!
“The event looked like a big turn-out for new
brides: Edie Sedgwick, Vicki Trainor, Bonnie Smith, and (seems I am missing one). (Anonymous) says she now feels like an old
bride! The best golfers -- Bill Parks and either Mary Ruth Peck or Mary Jane Parks for the ladies (don't remember which) were given
trophies in Billie's name.” Scribe’s
anonymous source is a non-golfer who joined the group for dinner and
fellowship. Scribe can report from many
sources that all are welcome, golfers and non-golfers, with or without drivers,
next year.
Last from snail-mail bag. Jim & Betty Wildey
met Jim & Jynelle Miller ’59 for lunch on Founder’s Day. These two Jims were active in West Point
Society of West Michigan. It seems the
younger grads who replaced them have not kept it going very well. Jim ‘58 lives in Grand Rapids and Jim ’59 in
Manistee. They split the difference and
met at JJ Ranch in Rothburg. Net effect
is an unusual Founder’s Day photo of Jim & Betty. Please note the spring sunshine as well as spring snow in the
background.
Very sad news for those not wired to
class net from Mike Daley on 11
July: “Just got a call from a devastated Bill Graf. His son Bill, age 33, died
as a result of an accident, falling from a window at his home in Lancaster, PA,
within the last 24 hours. He and Alicelee
have plenty of folks at their home for support. There will be a service somewhere in the Lancaster and Carlisle
vicinities within the next week.”
The memorial service for son Bill was
at the Carlisle Chapel on 19 July. Our
Bill sent the following note to the class: “Classmates,
Your kind thoughts, prayers, e-mails and visits were received this week when we
lost our only son, Bill. We are humbled
and grateful for your love and support.
Thank you, Bill & Alicelee Graf”
In harm’s way. An email note to Scribe: “Our son, LTC George Robert Clark is
stationed in Kuwait with 3 PERSCOM. Many thanks, Bob & Sylvia Clark.”
Another is LTC Peter Jones, son of Linc
& Ann, who commands 1-6th Inf Bn (Mech) in 1st
Armored Div in downtown Baghdad.
Obviously, some of those on the earlier list are home, but not all.
In harm’s way a long time ago. Jerry Hoblit was awarded the
Air Force Cross for his actions back in 1967.
CONGRATULATIONS, JERRY! The info
was provided by his brother, Fred Hoblit '68.
Seems both '58 and '68 will have 45th and 35th the same weekend. For the whole story on his AF Cross, visit
the 357th Fighter Squadron website.
Short version: turns out that the original submittal was lost in
1967. Jerry's F-105 "Bear"
backseater took it upon himself to "get the record" straight - to
include getting the CSAF involved.”
First
Responders. Two replies to my request in 135th for
info. Ken Phillips wrote, “just got the latest issue of the
Assembly. Per your request, my son Kenny, is a fireman, EMT and LT in the
Grapevine, TX (next to DFW) fire department. He has been there several
years and so far, not too many harrowing actions to report.”
The next one is more unusual at our age: “in your
latest column (just got the Assembly today 11 July) you asked about class
progeny First Responders. Don't know if you knew it but I am a First
Responder up here in Maine. Full time (on call 24/7) (for my 6
months a year up here) volunteer fire department and full-time licensed
medical First Responder. Yes, we are heavily engaged in emergency
planning and execution. We are a small department with less than 20
active, mostly above age 55; I am the second oldest at 68 with the oldest being
70, a retired Army Corps of Engineers colonel.” And who might this be?
Your clues are Maine for six months per year and age 68. Answer below.
2004 Class
Calendar. For your travel planning, here goes: (1) 29 Feb – 4 Mar Ski Park City 29, OIC Bob Moore. (2) 14-22 Apr ’58
re-fights Normandy landings and Operation Cobra, OICs Tom Morgan and Dick
Schonberger with follow-on Ardennes to Rhine 22-26 Apr. (3) 16
May 15th Annual Memorial Service at the VN Memorial with special
remembrances of Lon Spurlock (KIA 29
Mar 69), OIC George Sibert and
brunch at ANCC OIC Andy Andreson. (4) Summer
date TBD Billie Nadal Memorial Golf Outing in Williamsburg summer, OIC Tony Nadal. (5) Aug date TBD Plebe
March-Back with ’08 (50th Anniversary of our Plebe Hike), OIC Ed Weckel. (6) Aug date TBD FCC
Turn-over to firsties ’05, OIC Bob
Pointer. (7) The main event, 21-24 Oct San Antonio Mini, OIC Jack Bujalski. (8) Company reunions – check with YOUR
company CCQ. K-1 had a ball in New
Orleans 20-24 Mar 03, OICs Tom &
Barbara Sands. Mystery first
responder is John Nun. Merry Christmas!