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157th Column

          Pictures at end of column

            157th Column.  28 Dec, due today to be read in Mar-Apr.  Scribe was beginning on 26 Dec, St Stephen’s Day, when Steve Glick ’57 called with unexpected and very sad news: Clyde Brown died early that morning in Lawton, OK.  I also had an email about Clyde’s death from Hank Larsen ’59, an H2 company-mate of ours.  Clyde (H2 XO) and Jim Hall (H2 Co Cdr) were my first class roommates: I filled the vacancy when their third roommate Jack Downing went to brigade staff.  It has taken a couple of days to get back to this submission for Assembly.  Needless to say, the news was a real downer for the feast of Stephen and 2d Day of Christmas.  I called Jack and Jim to spread the word.  Those on email know about Clyde via Jack’s email and AOG death notification.  For those not wired, information is repeated here.

            Jack’s email to the class: “With deep sadness I must report that my roommate, Clyde Brown, H-2, died this morning, Dec 26, of colon cancer which spread to his liver.  He will be cremated and there will be a small service at Lawton, OK.  Sometime in the spring, he will be buried with his beloved wife Ethel and with military honors, at West Point.  I just spoke with his son Warren who said that Clyde had been having pain in his abdomen for some time but only got the diagnosis of cancer on the 20th of this month.  Warren also asked for the names of the people who attended his mother's funeral at West Point.  I know of myself, Jim Hall, and Garry Roosma.  Would others who were there please let me know. I will pass more information as it is received (Scribe’s addition: also attending Ethel Merle’s funeral was Jack Peters, an SC file with Clyde and Warren’s godfather).  For the AOG: Clyde's Cullum number is 22063, class of 1958.”

            After the class memorial service during Savannah Mini, Clyde asked Scribe to have Ethel’s name read as Ethel Merle in future services.  That is how she was known during their West point engagement days and much of her life.  Some of us had trouble converting from Ethel Merle to simply Ethel.  Back the way it was in our youth.

            Sad news continues.  Those connected by email know that Les Gibbings died on 11 Dec.  His son & daughter-in-law LTC Tom & Julie Gibbings at stationed at Ft Bragg.  A few years ago they moved Les from Massachusetts to a life-time care retirement home in Fayetteville.  Chuck & Patty Toftoy E2 visited Les often while there to see Patty’s mother.  Four A2 files visited Les, Tom, Julie and grandson John en route to Savannah Mini (photos on pp 78 & 79 of Nov/Dec Assembly).  A2 visitors last May were Chuck Densford, John Holecek, Don McCullough and Stan Toney.  Chuck made it to West Point for the funeral and burial on 21 Dec, joined by Bill Cooper A2 and Branch Worsham H1, perhaps more.

            Class Flag.  Branch made arrangements for using the class flag at West Point – his report follows: “I gave the flag to the Sergeant in charge of the Honor Guard at the Catholic Chapel.  He stood at order arms with the flag, at the right of the entrance, plainly visible to all who entered.  Les Gibbings' family knew it was our flag.  It was impressive to see.  After the service the Sergeant marched with the flag to join the pall bearers for the trip to the cemetery.  At the cemetery standing nearby (the grave site) were four Honor Guard soldiers, two with rifles and two with flags of the United States and the US Army.   About ten yards to the right of them stood the Sergeant with the Class Flag and the Lieutenant OIC.  Tom Gibbings was sincerely honored and pleased that the Class did this for his dad.”  AMEN and thanks to Branch for making the arrangements on our behalf.  The keeper of flag is Palmer McGrew I2.  Our EC Chairman had the idea to use our class flag at classmate funerals.

            More sad news.  Timothy Evans, 38-year old son of John & Rosalyn E1, died on 8 Nov.  The following info is extracted from Baltimore Sun obituary provided by Pete Brintnall M2.  Tim was a scholar and linguist, fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, German and Portuguese.  He worked in China, taught at DC area colleges, and at his death was writing a book on the influence of Jesuit missionaries on the Aztec culture in northern Mexico.  In 1997 he was diagnosed with islet cell cancer, a rare pancreatic cancer, with a two-year life expectancy.  With courage and good humor, he defeated that expectation.  Our sympathies are extended to Tim’s parents and his widow, Melissa Deichmann Evans, and his two older brothers and three younger sisters.

            Dick Bauchspies F1 lost his brother Robert on 22 Dec.  Robert was a retired colonel, with 30 years in the Engineers.  He was one of three Bauchspies brothers who retired from the Army, including Dick and Jim ’56.  Another brother is a retired Navy Capt.   All were sons of COL Rollin Bauchspies.  Of course, their sister married an Army officer.  Someone calculated the Bauchspies had 175 years collective military service to our nation!  Bob will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in the spring.

            First letters.  One from Bud Davenport E2 provided the Great Barrier Reef photo (in Jan/Feb) and sad news that his father died at 101.  COL Davenport was in CGSC class with my father and we all lived in same Artillery Barracks apartment bldg.  He commanded a fantastic MP outfit in Berlin after Leavenworth, circa 1948 that had a mounted, that is horse-mounted, platoon!  He lived in a retirement community in Portland with Terry Connell F1 on the board.  The Connells saw Bud fairly frequently when he went north from San Antonio to visit his dad.  COL Davenport was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full honors on 29 Sep.

            The other first letter was from another Bud as in Moentmann C1.  He provided the three-generation photo of Bud ’58, Jim ’81 and grandson Tommy ’10 (in Nov/Dec).  Good lead into email from Bob Grete M2 reminding me we have FOUR grandsons in the Corps (I knew about his grandson, but failed to remember last Aug for Nov/Dec deadline): “I just wanted to remind you that there is a 4th grandson cadet: Robert D. Grete, now a Yearling.  I was blessed being able to see him last weekend.  Trinky and I went to the Army/Air Force game. I saw Bill Parks (H2) at the First Class Club. It really does need a bit of maintenance.”  By class our cadet grandsons are one Firstie, one Yearling and two Plebes.  Bob, thanks for your email memory jogger.

            Class Memorial Fund at AOG.  And, Bob’s email is an excellent lead into First Class Club and current fund raising for our Class Memorial Fund at AOG to upgrade the FCC.  You have heard from President Jack Bradshaw M2, FCC POC Tony Smith I1, and perhaps your company plebe chaser about FCC needs and our funding effort.  Straight-up FCC maintenance is USMA responsibility, but upgrades in time for 50th Reunion are up to us!  Time is short: grab your checkbooks!

            PEF.  Not to be confused with Class Memorial Fund at AOG (devoted to FCC renovation at our 35th and current upgrade efforts to be completed for our 50th), the class Perpetual Endowment Fund is the brain child of Ed Weckel D1.  Reporting on the fund’s net worth is like painting a moving train.  Ballpark figure from Oct $530K and counting.  There is a PEF Board with class sons and daughters thereon along with an officer serving at USMA.  John Evans is the current chairman of PEF board, replacing Pete Brintnall.  Bob Rhodes F1 replaced Pete as a member of the board.  We have 494 classmate donors, including deceased classmates in whose name donations have been made.  This fund is NOT earmarked for FCC.  First donation to AOG will be in 2058, by which time FCC will have long since been transferred to younger classes to monitor and maintain.  PEF questions?  Contact John or Ed.  Donations via checks payable to “Fidelity Investments CGF” always willingly accepted by Ed at 120 Regent Drive, Bel Air, MD 21014.

            Class Operating Funds.  The EC has an operational fund for various class uses such as: donations in a classmate’s name and/or flowers at death, mailing the class flag to and from reunions and funerals, covering potential losses on a mini reunion (there have been none thus far), temporary loans to classmates for class projects (eg, Scribe borrowed money to publish 30th Reunion Book and repaid when funds were collected from book sales), etc.  Questions should be directed to our current expert on this one, Tony Bauer I1, our treasurer.

            Halls of Fame.  On a final note, I must mention that Andy Andreson G1 has been elected to AAAA Hall of Fame and Tim McLean F1 has been inducted into QM Hall of Fame.  Congratulations to Andy and Tim!

            Out of time and space.  Will add photos for Mar/Apr Assembly and continue the attack in late Feb for May/Jun.  First Letters, photos, emails are always welcome!

 

LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS-CAPTIONS:

  1.          D2 ’58 & ’04 at 45th

  2.     Drawing Joe McElroy’s name for comp suite at Savannah
  3.     3d ID Vets at Savannah
  4.     Herb Puscheck, Ron & Karin Hudson – Engineer Dinner
  5.     Terry & Harriett Connell, Bonnie & Tony Smith – Engineer Dinner
  6.     ’58 Ski 2006 – Bill Clary, Dick Schonberger, Tom Morgan & Frank Harlem
  7.     ’58 Ski  – 2006 OIC Gene & Ellie Wilson and 2007 OIC Mike Dugan