George W Sibert

165th Column

165th Column. 30 April: 24 and a butt days to 50^th Reunion, but it will be history by the time you read this in Jul-Aug Assembly. Any good news here will be overtaken by events at our reunion. Therefore, this one will be dedicated to those who have died and will attend the reunion in spirit, memories, war stories, etc. First, sad news of deaths since the 164^th was submitted, bringing our Roll Call of classmates and wives to 199.

Willis A Smith Jr, 3 Feb (A-2). Info from A-2 CCQ Chuck Densford: “Christine told me that Bill had had several medical problems over the last few years, a TIA a couple of years ago, followed by an angioplasty of the left carotid artery, and last year a stroke. He was in the hospital and recovering, and expected to be going home soon, but on 3 Feb, in the Desert Canyon Rehabilitation Center, he had another stoke, and died in about 5 minutes. Bill was cremated, and his ashes were inurned in the Boulder City Cemetery with military honors. Bill roomed with Montgomery and Phillips our Firstie year. He did not like to be called ‘Willie’ and preferred to be called ‘Bill,’ so I will retrain myself.” Thanks, Chuck. Well done, Bill, be thou at peace.

Paul D Dean, 2 Mar (B-2). Paul had tickets to come to the 50^th, but that was not to be. He died of liver cancer. Info from John Manos: “Bill Buchly and I met in Asheville, NC, and rode together from there. The service was lovely and meaningful. Earldean was delighted that we came. Bill was Paul's roommate during Yearling year. The minister mentioned his last wish to her about a week before dying - for a large print Bible so he could continue to read Scripture as his eyesight was failing. She compared this wish to the Apostle Paul who also asked for a copy of the Scriptures when imprisoned by the Romans. We encouraged Earldean and daughter Katrina to attend the Reunion in May. They already have the tickets.” Scribe has another report from Hugh Morgan who attended the service; and from B-2 CCQ Karl Oelke: “I reminded Katrina that her Dad had been a champion rope climber at West Point, and that I knew him as a champion human being in many fields. She said that he was a champion Dad too.” Thanks to John, Hugh and Karl for info. Well done, Paul, be thou at peace.

Erlene (Peggy) Coleman, 14 Apr (E-2). Report from Tom Maliska: “She had cancer and underwent treatments for several years. Peggy’s health was failing. She was in a nursing home, suffered a broken hip from a fall, was operated on for that several weeks ago then developed pneumonia and passed away at 7 AM Mon, the 14th of April. A service (was) held at the First Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC at 2pm on Wed 16 April 2008. RT’s daughter, Ellen, informed me that her mother will be cremated and there will be a burial at his grave site sometime later this summer or fall when the whole family will go to West Point.” Thanks for the report, Tom. Peggy & RT became our 18^th couple to have died. Well done, rest in peace.

Roll Call stats. Our first man at graduation, George Walker (H-2), joined his company-mate Bob Stinson in Jan 59 – our first grad and first non-grad on point for ’58 in the Ghostly Assemblage. Our Roll Call stands at 199 four weeks before our 50^th Reunion. Of the 573 who graduated in June 1958, 125 have crossed the bar. They are joined by 17 of our former cadets we know about to be in the Ghostly Assemblage. There are probably more in this group not known. Seven of our 29 contributions to ’59 have died. Our sole Honorary Classmate, George Bean, has died. Our total for classmates is 150.

Another way to account for classmates follows: 27 died on active duty (13 have their names engraved on the Vietnam Memorial and for whom we have an annual memorial service at the Wall). One was active in the USAF Reserves at the time of his death (Ken Clark). One was serving in Congress (Sam Benjamin). Our one Honorary Classmate has been mentioned. Retirees from the Army or USAF number 79. There are 41 who were in civil life. These last two categories are the only numbers which will increase with time: retirees and civil life. In the early days aircraft and vehicle accidents that took their toll. Then combat losses in SEA. Now it seems the major causes are cardio-vascular and cancer.

Our wives on the Roll Call number 49, of whom 17 were June Ladies. Our wives also are falling victims of cancer and cardio-vascular problems. I had intended to list all the names from our Roll Call as info for those who did not join us at the 50^th and for the historical record in this column, but there is not sufficient space in the Class Notes.

I did list everyone before the 30^th Reunion in Assembly, but our total then was 45 classmates and the reunion service bulletin plus Bruce Trott who died one week before the Memorial Service on 30 Sep 1988 and was included during the Roll Call. I did not include wives until the 35^th when there were 12 who had died. Combined with 8 additional classmates over the five year span from 30^th to 35^th, our Roll Call grew to 66 classmates and wives. This clearly highlights the costs of the last 15 years: we have lost 96 more classmates to the Ghostly Assemblage and 37 additional wives. The slope of this curve is not good. As Stan Bacon reminds us daily: “Let's be really careful out there.” His other watchword is “we are what we eat.” I will add some photos to lighten this column just a bit.

An interesting event: “Company K-2, aka Kappa Dos, gathered for an unprecedented reunion of all former members of the company at Hilton Head Island on 13 and 14 Mar 2008. The dates and location were chosen so that a former K-2 Tactical Officer, COL (ret) Thomas G. McCunniff ‘45, could be honored on his 86^th birthday near his home in Hilton Head. The majority of attendees had been cadets during his tenure from 1956 to 1960. Also in attendance was a K-2 veteran who was there when the company was created in 1946 and another who was the company’s last commander just before the guidon was furled in 1965. COL McCunniff described his time as the Tac of K-2 as the most satisfying assignment in his military career.”

This column is blessed with a rare Civil War photo of Gen Lee ’29 (as in 1829) and his staff following the battle of Gettysburg. Another photo compares our Bob Hattler to a portrait of Gen Lee. Many of us are traveling these days: here we have Jim & Dottie Castle somewhere in Africa last year. Phil & Lynn Pryor were caught by paparazzi while house hunting in St Petersburg (Russia, not FL) in Aug 07 (photo in 164^th). They were going to finance this one with a subprime mortgage. Tony Smith, Palmer McGrew and Chuck Hansult were caught on candid camera at FCC Turnover to ‘08 in Aug 07. Here is a pic of Jack & Marie Tierney at NOLA Mini last Oct. Last is photo of Margie & Jack Downing reliving our Ring Hop fifty plus years ago.

K-2 files Art Meyer, Ken Lohr, COL McCunniff, Joe Guenther and John Shetler

Gen Lee and his staff

Bob Hattler and portrait of Gen Lee

Jim & Dottie Castle on Safari

Smith, McGrew and Hansult at FCC Turnover

Jack & Marie Tierney at NOLA Mini

Margie & Jack Downing inside the ’08 Ring