George W Sibert

142nd Column

Late start. Where to begin? With sad news, unfortunately. We lost another of our June Ladies. Everyone on email read Dan Brockwell’s message: “It is with deep sadness that I notify you of the death of Charlie Miller's wife, Katie. She died this morning, 26 May, after a long and very courageous fight with cancer. As some of you will remember, Katie was a nurse at West Point during our cadet years. Then she was Capt. Koenig, a veteran of the Korean War, with battle ribbons.”

Scribe received a letter from Charlie on behalf of the class and G-1: “I should like to thank the Class and G-1 for the beautiful flowers sent to Katie’s funeral. She was buried May 29 in our family lot in North Adams, MA. She served 18 months in a field hospital in Korea (50-52) and received a military funeral with a small honor guard from the 10^th Mtn Div at Ft Drum. My nephew played a moving rendition of TAPS and the flag from her casket was presented to me – it was a strange, but warm felling – a real role reversal.

“Katie suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since 1978 and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a few years ago. Despite these illnesses she was able to function reasonably well and we managed to travel extensively during this period. Unfortunately, on May 29 one year ago on a routine check it was discovered she had renal cell carcinoma which spread to her lungs. Basically untreatable, the doctors said to and enjoy the rest of your life. We attempted to do so and took a couple of cruises (Alaska and Panama Canal) and made the annual snowbird move to FL. We managed to stay in FL until May 14 (with a couple of hospitalizations), but the tumors in the lungs turned ugly. She was admitted to the hospital the day after our return. I was fortunate to be with her when the end came and was helped by one of my nieces who was there as well.”

The familiar verse of Army Blue, “To the ladies who come up in June, We’ll bid a fond adieu, Here’s hoping they be married soon, And join the Army too” has a different twist for this June Lady – she already was a Soldier and CPT Katie seriously outranked her 2LT husband Charlie! We can all join in the refrain for Katie, “Well done; be thou at peace.”

Roommates the longest. This was an interesting topic on class forum, launched, I believe by Pete Kusek. We have five pairs who roomed together for all four years: Bob Rhodes and Terry Connell F-1 (they met during our Plebe Hike and will commemorate that meeting in Aug during the March Back with ’08 Plebes); Jack Bradshaw and Bill McCaffrey M-2; Jae Stanton and Pat Mellin L-2 (Jae claimed they roomed together in Beast, complete with date-time-group for beginning and end – clever, however, Buck Griffin revealed that he was Jae’s Beast roommate); Ray Coffey and Dick Smith F-2 (Ray made another claim to being Dick’s Beast roommate, but your Scribe can attest that Ray was my “first wife,” some may remember my reporting a DC Founder’s Day dinner in 1986 when I proudly introduced red-haired Valerie Coffey ’85 as “my first wife’s daughter”). The fourth pair was the winner for longest because Pete Kusek and Roger Gietzen E-2 did room together in Beast Barracks followed by four years in their company (Pete said they did not room together for Reorganization Week – probably the only classmate who remembers his roommate from that hectic week)!

And a threesome with almost four years together was reported thusly, “Jim Jones, Bob Grete and I were room mates for four years, less one week Firstie year. Jim Jones was promoted to Bn Staff, but was late returning from his first weekend and was busted. Bob and I welcomed him back. Jim may have lost his stripes, but he won the hand of the girl he was visiting. Gerry and Jim were married June week and have lived happily ever after. Pete Brintnall.” Another roommate revelation by Buck Griffin was that he stakes the claim for having had the most roommates -- 11, including Stanton in Beast and 10 more over four years in B-1. An interesting claim to rooming together the longest in his company was made by Bob Case whose email read: “I roomed with Tony Smith the longest in I-1 without being officially assigned as such. Actually, he was always in my room about 5 minutes before class to get the home work solutions from Gerry O'Barr, then ace the board work in class while poor Gerry would mess up.” Any other cadet roommate claims lurking out there?

Prince Igor’s check. To continue the story first reported in 141^st Jul-Aug. As you remember, Ed Weckel, exercising his fiduciary responsibility decided to make a silk purse of this sow’s ear: he auctioned Mark Sigurski’s bogus check on the class forum with the proceeds going to the PEF. The bidding was interesting, involved and clever. Was up to $300 in the last Assembly. First Will Merrill C-1 was online to buy the check to return it to the Prince and save C-1 from further embarrassment. George Lawton entered the fray with a G-2 gang to up the ante. Pretty soon the competing groups morphed into 1^st Regt (led by Will) versus 2d Regt (led by Stan Bacon). Literally seconds before the deadline, Stan cleverly submitted the winning bid (lost the amount) for 2d Regt. Alan Salisbury earlier made an offer to match the winning bid. The 1^st Regt bidders then magnanimously pledged their bid to the PEF in spite of losing. Bottom line is that Ed did turn Mark’s pig’s ear into a silk purse with over $8,000 for the fund. What happens to the check? Read on…

Here is a jpg file of the check itself. At the San Antonio Mini in Oct a limited number of copies along with an Area Bird photo of Mark (suitable for framing) will be sold for $19.58 and Prince Igor will autograph them in the bar of the Menger Hotel, according to Stan this bar is “the very one where Teddy Roosevelt recruited a number of Rough Riders.” Who knows, Prince Igor might even buy you a drink while autographing this collector’s item! No guarantees on the drink are implied by Scribe’s offhand remark.

True confession time. Here is Ed Weckel’s story about the beginning of this saga: “I am embarrassed to admit I sent the bogus check to Fidelity. Here is my side of story - - I goofed: ‘No Excuse, Sir.’ The check has a large $58 and then a much smaller thousand written after it. I was busy processing several other deposits that day, knew that MS wasn't good for $58k, and saw what I ‘expected’ to see -- namely a $58 donation. As for the date, it was filled in and I didn't even check it out.

“After the deposits were received by Fidelity, I realized there was a $58 shortage after checking our account on the internet. I called them up, and was politely informed that Mr S's $58,000 check was dated 2058. In a nanosecond I realized that I'd been had - - Big FREEKING TIME!!!!! They were going to return the check to MS, but I requested that they return it to me. The rest is history.

“As an aside - - you probably know that I send a WP First Day Cover to all guys who've donated $1,000 to the fund, while supply lasts, paid for by me. Because I was so "impressed" by MS's supposedly $58 donation, I sent him one of these FDCs from my dwindling supply. In other words, he got me twice. But I don't get mad, I get even. Because of his check, we've added $8,000 to our Endowment. Plus Stan Bacon and crowd will get a lot of mileage from the check, which Glenn B is framing. My confession is complete. As I said - - no excuse, Sir!

Classmate kinder promotions to colonel – reminders of our aging. Another promotion and reminder of aging to report. From George Robertson: “Vald Heiberg ‘53 sent me a reminder (about aging) when Russell (Robertson '82) came out on the 06 list last year. I replied that what really made us feel old was the retirement of his wife Susan '84 (daughter of Don Reinert '59) after 20 years of service. Their daughters, Shelby 12 and Dana 9, were delighted to finally have a stay at home Mom.” Out of time and space. March Back report next time. Note the pic for the “badge” created by Ed for ’58 Marchers. See you in San Antonio.

Photos for 142d Column for Sep-Oct 2004 Assembly

M-2 Macro in Chicago
G-1 at Andy’s in Apr 04
Bill Serchak in Korea
Prince Igor’s check
First Day Cover
’58 March Back Badge
1^st Div Dinner Apr 04