Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Following the passing of our dear friend Major General (Ret) Dick Tragemann a little over three weeks ago, Guenter Hennig stepped up to be our POC (Point of Contact) acting as our representative to the family and their representative to us. Guenter has been doing a terrific job as our POC but things have been a little slow in developing as the NOK (Next of Kin), his son Rick, and the family have had a difficult time adjusting and deciding just how they wanted to deal with their loss.

A decision has been made and the following announcement will give you the details of what the family would like to do to honor Dick. The celebration will probably be preceded by a military honor guard performing the traditional folding of the symbolic American flag and the playing of taps. Following this celebration, the family has chosen to have their own private ceremony when they will spread his ashes at the same place he chose to spread the ashes of his dear wife Kathy who predeceased him after 47 years of marriage.

The following invitation is open to all Classmates who would like to remember Dick and support his grieving family:

The family has also decided to split the $200 that we as a Class provide when one of our own passes. Guenter will arrange for flowers for the ceremony for about $100 and the remainder of the $200 will go to the American Cancer Society in Dick's name. If any of you would like to support the family in this way, a check should be sent to:

The American Cancer Society
1430 Prudential Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32207
904-249-0022

Be sure to include the name "Dick Tragemann" and the family address, "Tragemann Family, 9257 July Lane, St. Augustine, FL 32080", so they will get the information regarding your gift.

I hope we see a large turnout for this special opportunity to say good bye to our friend.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Yesterday I received this very nice albeit brief report from Jerry Merges down in Florida. He writes:

Lee and Suzanne Atchley swung by The Villages for a visit and lunch with Jerry and Peg Merges. Lee and Suzanne were headed to Orlando for a CBMC conference. The pics show Peg, Lee, and Suzanne in the first one and Jerry, Peg, and Lee in the second one.

Great being back together after 45+ years and a lot of laughs were shared as we look forward to the reunion.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry for a very nice report.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

In honoring the life of our dear friend, Ed Knauf, on the one year anniversary of his passing, his wife, Sue invited some special friends to the gravesite at the West Point Cemetery. Mark and Linda Sheridan and Johnny and Rose Ann Wells joined for the little ceremony and Mark sent these comments and picture:

A few asides -- Linda and I left our home in Garden City, NY at 8:42 for an ETA of 9:45 for the 10:30 Mass.  Everything was going great until we hit .10 mile onto the Tappan Zee Bridge and saw the 2 mile delay sign - 2 lanes closed. We sat and crawled until about almost 10 AM when Linda said, "I will call Sue and tell her we are in traffic" - the words were barely out of Linda's mouth when the SUV on the right was beeping the horn like a MADMAN - Linda turned to see Sue's son Michael and Sue and grandkids - all waving . Linda did not need to call Sue. Meanwhile the Wells have NO clue where we are.  Johnny is trying to call and/or text - no contact. After Mass (we missed the first forty minutes) Sue opted to ride with me to the cemetery.

BIG MISTAKE - The parking lot at the Catholic Church SUCKS.  I thought that it was a miracle that I was able to snag one of the two handicapped spots in the lot. Turns out I was blocked in for half an hour by the three vehicles that were illegally parked behind me and partaking the donuts and coffee offered after Mass.

We finally met at Ed's grave site and with respect for a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Ed was a funny and brilliant Classmate. I will love him always.

Mark

This shared picture was taken at Ed's gravesite. On the left, surrounded by her family (one son was taking the picture) we see Sue Knauf in orange. On the right side of the picture we see Linda and Mark Sheridan and Johnny and Rose Ann Wells.

All three of these gentlemen were my K-1 company mates (Mark was our CO) so this ceremony is especially meaningful for me. I know Ed would have wanted me to share our most appropriate Company Motto "Not Obnoxiously Eager!"

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

My good friend and former company mate Don Erbes sent me a very nice message and a great picture of a mini gathering when the Applers came to town. Some good looking folks with smiles to show how well things went during this brief visit. Don's comments:

Joy and I just had a wonderful two day visit with Don and Carol Appler as our house guests in our home in Asheville, NC. We wanted to do the Army game in Winston Salem, but the Applers had another engagement at nearby Lake Junaluska this weekend so could not make it. As said by most Classmates, many memories were shared, caught up with current family histories and had a lot of laughs. 

Western North Carolina has become a wonderful vacation destination area so any Classmates ever coming to this area please give Joy and I a call so we can get together.

Here is a picture of all four of us on the veranda of the Grove Park Inn after our lunch there. Left to right - Carol Appler, Don Appler, Joy Erbes and Don Erbes.  

Way back in 2012 I did a story on Don when he was named the "Dentist of the year" by the Florida Dental Association. When I shared that story I got some feedback from one Classmate who admonished me for failing to pick up on an obvious line that I missed. The suggestion was something to the effect that with his military and dental background, he would be a good candidate to become a truly gifted "drill" instructor. Now that I think of it, maybe I was better off letting that one go.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Mike and Joy Stanko are enjoying a wonderful trip following some of the steps taken by George Patton in the early part of the war. Mike was kind enough to share some great pictures they have taken along the way. He also comments:

Just sharing the first leg of Joy's and my current trip (Sicily, Germany and Northern Italy - mid Sep to mid Oct). We are traveling with our Marine friend Tony and his wife Kate (previous extended trips to Spain and Ireland together).

Photo of Mt Etna in Catania, Sicily.

Photo of Joy and me half way up Mt Etna.

Photo Left: Joy and me at beach about an hour south of Catania.

Photo Right: me stepping down into the underground entrance of an old bunker just off a Sicily beach.     

Heading to Germany tomorrow (will make an effort to do October fest proud). Assuming we're capable, will capture an October fest photo.

Cheers to all - local Sicilian wine goes down well.

Mike

Thanks Mike, what a terrific trip. Please don't let us down – be sure to send pictures of October fest and the remainder of your trip.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Terry Ryan just sent me this nice message and great link to a You Tube "get well video" for Louis Csoka. While it is obviously directed to Louis, I thought it would be of interest to all of us as it brings back many memories of one of our favorite songs, "Benny Havens." In order to make this a more complete report, I called Christa Csoka (Louis' daughter) who tells me that Louis is on a long recovery schedule but that, for the most part, each day he shows a little improvement. He is undergoing OT/PT (occupational and physical therapy) with a focus on speech therapy, five days a week.

Since he is still having difficulty communicating with his family and friends, Christa is putting together a book of all the get well messages he is receiving so she can share it with him when he has improved. If you would like to be included in that book, the best way is to e-mail Christa and she will print your message for inclusion. She can be e-mailed at: ccsoka@apexperform.com

Here is Terry's message which includes the link:

Last night at rehearsal for the West Point Alumni Glee Club, Tom Berens '75, spearheaded a "get well video" for Lou Csoka.  Here is the YouTube link for those interested.

Not only was Lou a member of the Cadet Glee Club back in the day, he was the bass player in the Headliners.  The Class of 1975 remembers him well as their Glee Club OIC.  Jess Gatlin '68 served with Lou.    Please also note our newest West Point Alumni Glee Club member from '65, Terry Tutchings.

We would like to encourage other Glee Clubbers from ‘65 to help Lou with memories of the fun we had singing together all those years ago.

Regards,

Terrance C. Ryan, PhD, PE
Executive Director
Engineers and Surveyors Institute
(703) 263-2232

I recommend that you enjoy the linked You Tube video now because I'm told that there is some difficulty achieving it on the AOG website. However, I'm sure Chuck Nichols (who is also in the video) will do what is necessary to include it on our Class website.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Art Mark just sent me two amazing pictures taken at the wedding of their daughter in South Carolina. Looks to me like he and Terri are trying to single handedly create a population explosion in that state. Here are Art's comments:

This past July my youngest daughter Dr. Teresa Rose Mark, MD was wed to Dr. David Mu, MD and we were able to capture the latest photo of Terri and me with all ten of our children in this family photo after the wedding. The Mark family is doing its part to keep the Strength and Drive of our Beast squad reputation intact. 

That's Terri Mark to the left of the bride and Art to the right of the groom. For obvious reasons I didn't even try to name all the kids and it's even more obvious why I didn't try to name everyone in the second picture which includes most of the grandkids. 

What a great looking family!

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

While I have received some very unusual requests in this job, the following has to be pretty close to the top of the list. Don Parrish took this picture and wanted to share (I suspect that there was some wine involved and that my leg was being pulled). Major looks a little bored with the whole thing, however I have had the pleasure of meeting him and he is one great dog. Other than that, I guess we can check out the trou which clearly shows that the ladies' are better looking and more interesting but isn't that always the case? Here are Don's comments:

Friday night before the Wake Forest game, we had a little Bennie Havens gathering at the Greensboro Marriott. The Supe spoke and the Rabble Rousers roused as part of the festivities.

As a side note, Parker and Parrish are still alphabetically locked together. We were beast squad mates in the middle of the last century.

Photo: From left to right: Gordy Larson, Major Larson, Margaret Parker, Gene Parker and Sharon Parrish. I was behind the lens.

Don Parrish

Thanks Don, I think. The uniqueness of your offering may set a record.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

My boss just sent me this great story and picture so I thought I'd get it right out (I can't risk getting fired). It warms my heart to be given just a brief glance into a very proud and grateful moment for this very dedicated and service oriented family. Clair writes:

Last night, Sherry and I got to participate in a joyous welcome home ceremony at Fort Campbell for our soldier-son, returning from his deployment to Afghanistan where he led an aviation Task Force. Needless to say, we were extremely proud of him and his unit who all returned intact after successfully accomplishing their mission in support of the combat effort over the past nine months.

The welcoming ceremony is worthy of note as the excited families gathered next to a hangar while the charter 777 landed in the dark and taxied across the tarmac.  All welcomers then returned to the hangar while the soldiers dropped their gear and formed up for a momentous march-in to their cheers and the music from the 101st Airborne Division band.  Following very brief welcoming remarks from the Commanding General, the soldiers were released to join with their families and loved ones.  There were many "Kodak moments!"

Following our Scribe's recent directives, pictured in the photo below are (L to R) my bride - Sherry, son - LTC (P) Clair A. (USMA '94), grandson - Joshua (7), DIL and leader of the Family Resource Group - Fran, and yours truly (Clair F.)

What a contrast this was from our returns from Vietnam, where we slinked through commercial airports making our individual ways home.

Clair

What a great looking family! Thank you Clair F., for sharing this and thank you Clair A. for your service. With regard to how we were received on our return from Vietnam, I still seek out those who are identifiable as Vietnam Vets (usually by a baseball cap) and share with them a long overdue "Welcome Home". How wonderful it is to see how things have changed over the years and to see those who serve in harm's way are finally appreciated.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Russ Campbell sent me this great set of pictures and brief comments about a gathering in Rhode Island. It's hard to believe it took them some three years to put it together but I know how easy it is to have unexpected events pop up to spoil a planned event. My wife and I have been trying for well over a year to put together a visit to Ron (Chops) and Janice Walter's cabin in Durango, Colorado and it still hasn't happened. Anyway, from the smiles in these pictures, it's clear that these folks had a wonderful time visiting and rejuvenating old friendships.

Russ writes:

Here are some photos of another Class mini gathering this past August.  This one took place in Rhode Island and took about three years to get a mutual date for getting together.  Well, we finally did and had a wonderful time at our home in Rhode Island.  We called it a "Day at the Beach", and five of us and our wives had fun reminiscing and telling tall stories of our cadet years and those that followed.  As you can see, the weather was beautiful.

1st Picture Left: is all of us except Jeanne Harmon, who took the picture.  L to R, Jim Harmon, Mary Kay Salomone, John Salomone, Mike Applin, Cathy Applin, Dagmar Kuzman, Rick Kuzman, Russ Campbell, and Maryann Campbell.

2nd Picture includes Jeanne Harmon while Maryann Campbell took the picture. 

3rd Picture is a group shot of our lunch L to R, Harmon, Mary Kay, Applin, Dagmar, and Salomone.

4th Picture is Kuzman with Maryann Campbell and Mary Kay Salomone in the background.

5th Picture Right: is "The Boys of '65", Salomone, Applin, Harmon, Kuzman, and Campbell.

What a good looking bunch of guys and gals! In this last picture I notice that there is not quite enough hair to go around – Jim seems to have cornered the market here.

Thank you Russ for a great report and terrific pictures. A note here for anyone else kind enough to send me pictures like this. Russ did a great job of identifying everyone in each of the pictures. I often get pictures and no names to go with them. While I would love to have a memory capable of remembering all of my Classmates by sight, the truth is I can barely remember what I had for breakfast. It really helps when you take the extra step to make it a little easier for me.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Hank Kelley sent me this very unusual story. It seems to me that I recall wanting and trying to avoid parades while we were doing our thing at the Rock. Actually, I rather enjoyed standing out on the plain listening to the music, it was the getting dress up, getting out there, and getting back that seemed like such a pain in the neck. Anyway, here we see that some future jet jockey and lawyer went out of his way to participate in this ritual. It doesn't say much for the mind set of those flyboys and members of the bar. On the other hand it does look like a pretty cool stunt to pull off and a really great photo from back in the day.

Here are Hank's comments:

Rick,

In order to give you a break from all those pictures of "Abs of Years Gone By", I'm sending this photo which recently came to light from my shoebox archive.

The slovenly looking fellow on the right is my younger brother George who got to be cadet for a day and march in our graduation parade. That's me on the left.

The night before graduation, George, my wife to be Peg, Mike Lapolla, and I were dining at the historic Union Hotel in Peekskill, when we were struck by the revelation: What a fine thing it would be if George could march in the graduation parade!  (Alcohol may have been involved.)  And so we set about to make it so.

George at the time was a member of AFROTC, a quasi-military organization at Holy Cross where he was in attendance, and so he was somewhat familiar with the concept of right and left as applied to feet.  But to make sure, we placed him between two underclassmen in case he should feel the need to go wandering off into the wild blue yonder (squad drill could be tricky – {I'm not sure we were using squad drill for that parade}).  Finding a uniform was no problem; getting him into it took some doing. And so George was there on the inside looking out so to speak to see the Class of '65 march off into history.  It was a memorable event for him, and he never tired of reminding me that in marching in the graduation parade, he got to do in one morning what it took me four years to accomplish.  Mother always thought he was the smart one.

After his own graduation from Holy Cross (class of '66) things went downhill; George fell in with bad company -- and became a lawyer.  He even took up golf! Sad to say, George is no longer with us.  In 2009 he toddled off to whatever afterlife awaits members of the bar.  But he was always happy to show this picture and recall to anyone who would listen how he completed "the short course" at West Point.

Cheers,

Hank

Thanks Hank, that was a very interesting and well written account of a rather gutsy adventure for you and your brother and what a great picture. My condolences on the loss of your brother so early.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Wow, even my little bitty buddy on the other side of Phoenix is getting into the act. This picture was taken about a year after he and I spent a month driving to and camping on the beach in Acapulco. I don't remember him looking that buff on the trip, but then I must admit I wasn't spending a bunch of time looking at him. Ron (Chops) writes:

Chops,

I'm not sure what kind of contest this is either, and I didn't want to embarrass either of us with more skinny pictures from Mexico, but I found this shot of some little guy out by the pool at the Embajador Hotel in Santo Domingo circa 1966. 

Today, that little guy is just a shadow of his former self.  Amazing what a little chemo can do to a body.

Ron
It's beginning to look as if we were all in great shape and ready to take on the world – as we did.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I didn't intend for this to become a ____ing contest, but if that's what it is, so be it. Did we all have a six pack back then? Here is a response from Tom Abraham. I'm not sure I understand all that I know about the argument Tom is making here but I'm always happy to share another picture, especially one from back in the day.

While his picture is a little fuzzy it clearly makes his point. Here are Tom's comments:

I've had about enough of Tommy Thompson's skinny abs. This photo should put an end to that.  This picture was taken by my roomie Jim (Swick) Tomaswick just before graduation.

Where did everybody get color film?  And maybe it's time for T squared to stop those rumors about how he took me down on the wrestling mat.  I remember he, Fred Grates, and one or two others attacking me but they failed.  And in case anyone is so inclined, someone once saw the picture and said "what happened?"  His last words.

Tom

Thanks to all involved for sharing these great photos from the past.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Joe Barkley sent me this message and great photo. Two points that I want to make – I don't agree that "we still have some Strength and Drive left", I think we are overflowing with the stuff of Strength and Drive, and being at 10,000 feet the air must be pretty thin which might account for the guy shouting "BEAT NAVY!" but I'm with him all the way, let's do it this year!!! Here are Joe's comments:

This is in the area of "we still have some strength and drive left," I guess.  This is Diane and me, shortly after our 49th Wedding Anniversary, sitting on a wall at the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, elevation, about 10,000 feet.  As my son snapped the picture some guy walked by, seeing the hat and shirt, shouted "BEAT NAVY!" but he kept going before I could get up and see who he was.

Well, let's hope so - this year!

Regards and looking forward to the 50th - Joe Barkley - Strength and Drive

What a great picture, thanks Joe. And what a happy looking couple – congratulations on 49 years.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

My good friend Tom Kovach has frequently been a good source of news about the gatherings within our Class. He and his lovely wife Marilyn like so many of us, enjoy going out of their way to seek out and share time with Classmates. Here he reports on an obviously good time (it's hard to miss all the smiles) enjoyed by several of our Classmates in the Chicago area:

Last week, Marilyn and I traveled to New Hampshire to visit family.  I returned to Nevada this week while Marilyn remained in NH for a couple extra days with her sister.  On my journey home, I had an overnight stop in Chicago which created an opportunity to have dinner with some of our Chicago-area classmates and their wives.  Pictured below are Norm & Bridget Eckstein, Ken & Izumi Yoshitani, Tom Kovach, George & Jill Seaworth, and Tom & Anna Croak.

We gathered at Gino's East and feasted on Chicago-style pizzas - the best kind of pizzas.

Cheers!
Tom Kovach

Thanks Tom, it's always good to hear from you.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

John Bell sent me this great follow up to the "Blast from the Past" sent in by Tommy Thompson. It clearly captures the look and attitude of most of us back then but sadly the two gentlemen on the right are no longer with us. It is somewhat sobering to realize how many of our dear friends we have lost along the way. John writes:

This email was triggered by Tommy Thompson's "flat bellies" photo. Long ago memories surfaced and resulted in a lucky search for this pic.

I thought I should follow-up with the "abs" (3 guys on right) photo.
Me, Jim Wood, Bob Zonne and Guy Riley at Summers Point, New Jersey on Labor Day weekend 1964. Just for comparison purposes, I thought I would include here the picture shared earlier that came from Tommy Thompson.

We lived out of a car parked near the beach for 3 days/nights. The nights were mostly spent at "Tony Marts" (All Night Lounge and Dancing) and a good part of the day was spent in the car attempting to sleep. I say "attempting" because Guy had a girlfriend and tended to monopolize the "premises".
John

Thanks John, it's always fun to look back at the way we were.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Well here we have three partiers looking for a party. It looks to me like they are doing just fine on their own (what is that, Bill, water???). Dave La Rochelle sent this to show us how hard they tried:

The AFC was going to hold a tailgate party at Stanford, but only these three from 1965 showed up. Apparently the event did not successfully turn out and the Silicone Valley tailgate did succeed at the Ford Plaza. We gave up and took a bus ride with one of the Army program promoters in the class of 1989 and had a nice visit with a 1979 grad who hosted a tailgate in his home. We love to visit the alumni for pregame discussions. Below are L-R La Rochelle, Seymour, and Sherrell.

We had a great time in Napa at my home for the weekend. 
David La Rochelle, MD

Thank you Dave, it looks like the three of you continued to have a good time.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Steve Darrah sent me this great story and picture of the celebration of his mother's 100th birthday. Here are his comments:

Thought the enclosed might be of interest. On August 30 this year, we celebrated my mother's 100 year Birthday. The picture captures the first time we have had all 4 generations of the Darrah Family in one place at the same time, and was taken at the lunch we organized to celebrate this important day.
In the photo, front L-R, my son Clark, my mother, and my son Greg. 2nd Row, L-R, Brody and Conan [Clark's 2 sons], Olivia and Bridget [Greg's 2 daughters] and Blair [Clark's daughter]. You'll probably recognize the guy in the blue shirt in the back. Are you kidding me! This guy wears a tie that could stop a bus with its colors alone and he asks us to find him because of his blue shirt!

A fun time for all.
Best,
Steve

Thank you Steve for sharing this very special family moment.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Tommy Thompson sent me these comments and terrific photo from way back in the day. It reminds me of some of the pics I shared some time ago of Ron Walter (Chops) and me when we drove to Acapulco right after graduation. Hard to remember ever being that thin, tan, and well quaffed. Tommy (who apparently goes by several names as you can see below: T⊃; -- AKA Tommy T) sends these comments:  

Chuck Shaw sent me this shot of how we looked with hair, flat bellies and suntans in 1967. Note Budweiser in right hand is the precursor to my demise...
Me, Greg Steele, Chuck Shaw at my Playa del Rey apartment deck across from The Pacific Ocean and beach. Also directly in front of LAX, so a tad noisy. Lot of fun when 747's scraped their landing gear on the roof.

T⊃; --AKA Tommy T 

Great stuff, thanks Tommy – I'm sure the ladies will love this shot.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

This message comes to you from a quiet and relatively cool (90) little spot about ten miles south of Sedona, Arizona. Too quiet if you ask me, No TV reception at all so I missed both the Army and Cardinal games but I got in a lot of reading. Oh well, back to the Valley of the Sun tomorrow.

Photo Left: Dave LaRochelle, Ralph Adams, Bill Sherrell, John Seymour, and John Swensson.

John Swensson did a great job of reporting on this small gathering of Strength and Drive in California for the game with Stanford and he included some super pictures. While there are some gloomy faces, the camaraderie generated enough smiles to make it all worthwhile. John writes:

As Gordy Larson (who is the best analyst I know) says, we have nothing to be ashamed of.  With less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half it was Stanford 7, Army 0 and the Class of 65 was represented by Ralph Adams, Duncan MacVicar, and Dave Kuhn, Dave LaRochelle, Johnny Seymour, and Bill Sherrell.

Dave and Rosemarie were there with daughter Rose and her husband Peter Helm. Rose donated her kidney to her father on 9 July, and Dave is doing great. What a gift.

At the end of the game Adams, LaRochelle, Seymour, Sherrell and the Swensson all adjourned for dinner in Woodside, joined by one of Dave's six daughters, Natalie, and her beau Josh. So the game was a bit of a bummer but seeing all of our classmates and families made it worth the trip. Tie Navy!!!

John

Photo Right: Susan and John Swensson, Dave and Rosemarie Kuhn, and Rose and Peter Helm with Army behind them.

Dave and Rose do look very good as do all in the picture. We don't see Duncan MacVicar so I'm assuming he is either camera shy or on camera duty.

Here we have Dave and Natalie LaRochelle. And in the last shot we have John Seymour and Bill Sherrell (I'm not sure who joined them – is that Josh?).

Regardless of the outcome, it's always great to see Classmates getting together for a shared experience. Thanks John for a great report, however, I'm not yet ready to join you when you say "Tie Navy", so for those of us diehards, I'll say BEAT NAVY!!!

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Almost a week ago I received a brief note from Bob Selkis that included a picture and a promise to follow up with "the rest of the story". Today, ironically, while I'm out in some different boonies doing my motor home thing, I received this brief report and some more pictures. The Committee is alive and well and I'm sure they got a lot of work done:

Every couple of years "the committee" (normally I would catch this in editing and capitalize the two words in quotes, however, for obvious reasons I chose to leave them as I received them) gets together for an off-site meeting to discuss the upcoming Class golf outings. This year Barrie Zais, Bob Radcliffe, Bob Selkis and Fred Bank (Radcliffe's buddy from Ocean Ridge) got together for a week of committee business and some fishing, when time permitted.  We were in the boonies in Clarendon, Ontario on September 7. The cabin we had is located on, get this, Crotch Lake. We do not need comments, etc… about the name. (Are you kidding me? – I shouldn't point out the appropriateness of the name?) Anyway, a great time was had by all, many fish caught, and stories were told that we have heard a hundred times before.

 And then the pictures,

Photo Right: a good group shot with Barrie, Bob S. and Bob R.

Photo Left: a good shot of Barrie with - is that a putter or a pole?

And then Bob R. but where is the cameraman standing? Finally, the whole gang with Bob's friend included and again who's takin the shot?  

The important thing is that a good time was had by all and I'm sure many of the world's problems were solved.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Pat Kenny has shared the following message/invitation regarding the upcoming Branch Night for our Affiliation Class of 2015. More details will follow to those who show an interest but he wanted to get this out soon to permit planning time for those who may be able to attend. It is interesting to see how the process has changed in the past 50 years. If there is any way you can join our Classmates who will be attending, I strongly recommend that you do so. This will be the last opportunity for a sizeable contingent of our Class to attend an Affiliation Event, let's take advantage of the opportunity and make a large showing. Here is Pat's report:

Branch Night, Class of 2015

Our affiliation class, the Class of 2015, is rapidly approaching graduation and commissioning as Army officers. They recently received their rings and the next step is the determination of their branch. The branch selection process culminates on the evening of November 20th. The Class of 1965 is invited to attend this milestone event. This event will occur in Eisenhower Hall and LTG (Ret) Joe DeFrancisco will deliver appropriate remarks prior to the Commandant of Cadets instructing the cadets to open envelopes that contain their branch assignment. The envelope will also contain their "first brass" branch insignia provided by our Class. At the conclusion of the events in the auditorium each branch will have reception areas set up throughout Eisenhower Hall for the purpose of welcoming the cadets to their branch. As our last Affiliation Program event open to numerous participants a sizeable contingent from the Class of 1965 would be welcomed. If you desire to attend please notify Pat Kenny at pdjkenny41@gmail.com.

A little more about the branch selection process. The branch selection process has changed considerably in the last 50 years. Until recently branch selection was based upon a cadet's Order of Merit (OML) and branch minimum and maximum requirements. While those factors remain element's the current selection process includes an effort to match a cadet's talents with talent requirements of the branches. As examples, Infantry lists physical fitness, problem solving, and innovation as its top 3 talent priorities; whereas Finance lists domain-specific education, process discipline, and problem solver as its top 3 talent priorities. Department of Army G1 provides each cadet a suggested branch that seems to match a cadet's talents with branch needs. Cadets may also select an Additional Duty Service Obligation to increase their chances of getting their branch of choice.

Thank you Pat for this and all you have done for us.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I recently heard from Bob White who shared some great pictures and the story of his grandson participating in the World Championship of the 70.3 mile Iron Man competition in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. Here are Bob's comments:

My wife (Ceil) and I attended the World Championship of the 70.3 mile Iron Man competition with our grandson (Carl Eichert) held at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada, on September 7, 2014. He is a recent graduate of Clemson and their Air Force ROTC program. He is attending graduate school at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio where he is a Lieutenant in the Air force and a member of the military triathlon team. He finished 22nd in his age group out of 73 with an overall ranking of 309th at the Championship.

We are very proud of his accomplishments to date.

I just got off the phone with Bob at which time he pointed out that he had the honor of swearing his grandson in as a brand new Second Lieutenant. He also pointed out that the focus of Carl's graduate schooling is Nuclear Engineering (I recall my brief exposure to Nuc at Hudson High so I am even more impressed now). Here are a few of the pictures Bob sent:

First we have he and his wife, Ceil, with Carl dressed for the competition, then a street scene in Mont-Tremblant, a quaint ski town in Quebec. This picture was chosen because it clearly shows the banner for the Championship. Finally a nice picture of Bob and Ceil in front of the "M" in an Iron Man sign (I have no idea what the circle on top of the "M" is for).

Finally, Bob threw in a great picture of what he identified as "quail" in his front yard in New Hampshire.

Now I may not be the brightest bulb on the string but I know these aren't quail. Clearly they are doves – just kidding – turkeys are pretty easy to spot just about anywhere. After all, they came very close to being our national bird. Thank goodness we didn't let old Ben franklin have his way with that one.

 Thanks Bob, you and Ceil and the rest of your family have very good cause to be proud. I wish Carl the very best with his career. He sure seems to be off to a great start.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Doug Gibson, who is filling in for Paul Schultz while he is dealing with a very serious medical issue, is doing a terrific job for us with the PMEE Program. Here are his comments, a couple of photos and his very comprehensive After Action Report:

Below is a copy of my AAR for the PMEE session that was held last Thurs. As a personal note, it is such an honor and a thrill to be able to go back to our "Rock Bound Highland Home" and participate in such an activity as this. As always, I came away with a feeling of respect and awe for what I experienced and saw.

I am also including a couple of pictures that I was able to take at the very end of the day even though a couple of folks had snuck out. The first photo has Dan Donaghy, George Gehringer, Jack Jannarone, John Koletty, and Lee Hewitt. The second photo has Russ Campbell, Buddy Bucha, and Bill Lehman.

Doug Gibson
gibsondg5@aol.com

And here is his After Action Report:

USMA 1965 Class Report for Support
Of the Professional Military Ethic Education (PMEE) Program
September 4, 2014 Class: "Raising a Flag"

For the first class in the PME2 Program of AY2014-2015, the Class of 1965 support sustained the level that we saw last year. We had 15 classmate participants this session:

Thanks to all for their enthusiastic participation!!

This session dealt with a subject that very few of us had any experience dealing with while on active duty – Sexual Harassment and Rape. To the credit of the folks from the Simon Center who are responsible for this program, a good deal of time was spent in the prep session in the morning bringing us up to date on the issues the Army is facing and how they are trying to deal with it. They had the USCC SHARP (Sexual Harassment and Rape Program) officer present who was extremely helpful in helping us understand the issues. As usual, we then broke up and went to meet our Cadet hosts for lunch in either the Cadet Mess, the West Point Club or Grant Hall. From there we proceeded to class with our hosts and participated in the platoon size classes of Yearlings, Cows and Firsties who were the leaders. Upon completion of this class, we returned to the West Point Club for the AAR.

Several things had changed from this year to last. First of all CPT Graham Davidson, who had made this whole effort seem seamless, had POS'd to Leavenworth for C&GS and had been replaced by a young CPT Robin Graves. During the coordination period, because of his lack of experience there had definitely been some hiccups. (Company assignments had arbitrarily been changed; we were told we would now have to pay for lunch, {which we had never done before} and that was changed from $4 to $4.65 to $8 on the day of the event; only one van was available for transport when we were told there would be 3 {3 were needed for the number of 50 YAC Grads present}; and we were told to meet our Cadet Hosts on the stairs of Washington Hall as the Corps entered for lunch.) I am sure that a large portion of these hiccups would have been avoided if CPT Graves had not been on paternity leave from the Friday before.

Overall, it was a thrill to watch the members of the Class of 2015, whom many of us had met on their R-Day back in July of 2012, show such leadership and maturity, and are obviously well on their way to taking a place in the Long Gray Line!

The next PME2 Session is scheduled for 2 October. From the little we were told it will deal with a PL who is dealing with the treatment of a capture and wounded Taliban fighter who had been responsible for planting IED's that killed a member of his unit.

Additional classmates who want to participate in this program should contact Doug Gibson at 802-353-1313, or gibsondg5@aol.com to get additional information.

Thank you Doug for a job well done and to all who participated for being there for all of us.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

It is once again my sad duty to inform you of the passing of one of our dear Classmates. MG (Ret) Dick Tragmann passed away on September 4th from pancreatic cancer. Guenter Hennig, who lives nearby, has stepped up to take on the position of Point of Contact (POC) from our Class to the family and from the family to our Class. He will be informing us soon of the details of arrangements made by the family for services and burial.

Below is the Obituary as it appeared in the St. Augustine Record:

Major General Richard Tragemann (ret.) USA
Obituary

Major General Richard Tragemann USA (ret.), known as "Dick" to his friends, passed away at home on Sept. 4, 2014, at 6:45 a.m., due to pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by family when he passed.
Dick was born to Richard and Mildred Tragemann on April 18, 1942. One of four brothers, he was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa. He graduated from LaSalle H.S. 1960 and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in 1965, where he excelled on the baseball team. He served in the Army for over 31 years. He loved serving his country and leading soldiers. He served two tours in Vietnam and was the 18th Airborne Corps Field Artillery commanding general during Operation Desert Shield. Additionally, in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, he represented the United States as the U.S. Army Task Force commanding general in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. He retired from the Army as commanding general U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, in 1996.
Dick loved sports. You could always find him on the tennis courts or golf course during his retirement years. He loved traveling with his wife Kathy and spending time with family and friends.
Dick was predeceased by his wife of 47 years, Kathy. He is survived by his three children, Rick (Emily) Tragemann of St. Augustine, Fla., LTC Bart (Erin) Tragemann USA (ret.), Brooke (Jeff) Saunders of Loganville, Ga.; brothers, Steve Tragemann of St. Augustine, Fla.; Tom (Roe) Tragemann of Ambler, Pa.; Fred (Sandi) Tragemann of Wheaton, Ill.; sisters-in-law, Nancy Wills and Sally (Grant) Achatz of St. Clair, Mich.; grandchildren, Taylor, Nick, Morgan, Tara, Grace and Ann.
A celebration of his life will be announced at a later date.
Craig Funeral Home, Crematory, and Memorial Park www.craigfuneralhome.com is in charge of arrangements.
Funeral Home
Craig Funeral Home Memorial Park
1475 Old Dixie Highway St. Augustine, FL 32086
(904) 824-1672

Grip hands my friends as we say goodbye to another dear Classmate.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

This just in from Jerry Eichelberger:

Jay Stewart and I finally caught up with George Ruggles at the 11th Cavalry Reunion.  Here is a photo of George with Jay and Carol and Marilyn and me.
Jerry

It sure looks like reunions are fun, so, if you're on the fence about our big 50th coming up in May just look at those smiles before you make your final decision.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Don and Sharon Parrish spent a little time in Huntsville, Alabama (one of my old hang outs) and visited Tim and Sandy Thames while there. Don wrote:

We stopped in Red Bay, AL to have some RV repair work done just before Labor Day. As we were held over the weekend, we had the opportunity to visit Tim and Sandy Thames in Huntsville!!

Great visit!! Much conversation. Excellent craft beers. Resolve to do it again!!

Don Parrish

Photo Left: Sharon, Tim, and Sandy

Photo Right: Tim and Don.

Don also shared a great line from W.C.Fields, "Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water."

Thanks Don, it looks like a very nice visit.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Bob Wolff is finally going to retire from his long held position as the Executive Director of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). He writes:

I am retiring from my position as the Executive Director of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME).  SAME is hosting a farewell dinner for me on October 30, 2014 at the Army and Navy Country Club in Arlington, VA.  If any classmates would like to attend, I will have SAME send them an invitation.  The attached article is being published in this month's SAME magazine.  Thanks.   Bob

Even if you are unable to attend, I recommend the attachment for a great write up and some very nice pictures.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Tom and Marilyn Kovach continue to do a terrific job for us in planning and putting together our 50th Reunion next May. Here is another update with a request that we help them by making clear our lodging needs as soon as possible. Please give them the courtesy of an immediate response if you fall into either of the categories with which they need help. Their message:

Classmates,

Sir!  As of September 7th, there are 251 days until we gather for our 50th Reunion!

The preliminary headcount of attendees continues to grow - 887 and still counting.  We are certain that the plans for some (perhaps ten percent - just had a couple the other day) will change prior to May 2015, but that number does not include the undecideds, and we still have some non-responders - both classmates and family members of deceased classmates.

Here's a breakdown of the headcount:

731 grad classmates and guests
142 family members of deceased classmates
14 non-grad classmates and guests

And a breakdown of our 494 living grad classmates:

357 - planning to attend (72% - recent average for 50th reunions is 67% per WPAOG)
32 - undecided
59 - not planning to attend (had one change to "planning to attend" after reading Bob Doughty's Class History)
46 - no response (we're still working this group)

This will be a great turnout which brings us to the main reason for this email: hotel room bookings.

This past week, we received a room booking list from the Westchester Marriott Hotel.  Only 50% of the classmates who are planning to attend have booked a room.  We are approaching our decision checkpoint in regards to lodging.  Initially we thought our decision would focus on the release of rooms from our block, but now with our preliminary headcount we might have to ADD rooms - either at the Westchester Marriott or at a secondary lodging facility.

So, please, please help us.

If you are planning to attend and have not yet booked a room, do so ASAP at the following link:

https://www.westpointaog.org/1965reunion

If you are planning to attend but will not need a room at the Westchester Marriott, please email us with that information:

tjkovach@aol.com

Many thanks!

Strength and Drive!

Thank you Tom and Marilyn, we all owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude for taking on this monumental task and handling it so well.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Chuck Moseley sent me this proof that he has a family full of Manly Men:

Six Manly Moseley Men (Chuck, son Chip, and his four sons) taking the challenge with help from three Moseley women (granddaughter was camera person)

We picked the coolest day since last spring to "celebrate" – not the brightest idea!
Chuck

These pictures were labeled simply – Before, During, and After.

Well done Moseley family even to the extent of pouring in unison, most impressive.

OK folks this is clearly a challenge to be even more creative with some family shenanigans.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Bob Bradley alerted me to this story with the admonition that I not share it without first getting the OK from Dave Kuhn. Well, I not only got Dave's go ahead, but he provided me with the two photos you will see below. What we have here is an amazing story of love and strong family ties that just leave one being thankful for knowing and being connected to the folks involved.

Early this summer Dave Kuhn's daughter Rose (also known by him as Rosebud) Helm stepped up and donated one of her kidneys to save her father's life. In the attached speech to the girls of The Hamlin School where she is the head of the middle school, Rose explained why she did what she did. It is a beautiful testimonial to the love and devotion that she has for her father. I would like to take one quote from the speech which spoke to me more than anything else she said. In response to her father's natural reluctance to allow his daughter to make such a sacrifice she said, "Dad, I'm not just doing this for you. I am doing this for me, too. If I can do something to postpone the inevitable grief of losing you, and if I can ensure you that you have more days with me, with Millie (her daughter), I'm going to do it."

I, for one, am tremendously moved by this very special story.

Here are the pictures that Dave sent me which show first his wife (Rosemarie) toasting with coffee that the surgery is over. The second is with Rosebud visiting just as she is about to leave the hospital. 

What a terrific family. Thank you for sharing this very special moment.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I just received this nice report from Gordy Larson where they had a small gathering to get the Army Football season off to a good start. Gordy writes:

Dan and Susan Christman, Sandy Hallenbeck, and George and Carol Bell joined Gordy Larson to watch the kickoff of the Monken era in Army football. Army found a way to turn what appeared to be a blowout into a close game in the final quarter, but came away with an important win to start the new coach off right.

Left to right: Gordy Larson (host), Dan Christman, George Bell, and Sandy Hallenbeck. In the next picture we replace Gordy with Carol. Also, I forgot to mention Gordy's great dog Major (that's his name if memory serves me and it rarely does):

Thanks Gordy, good stuff.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

 I just received a very nice message from my friends in Las Vegas who joined some out of towners for lunch at a place with a great name. Check it out:

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment is holding a reunion this weekend here in Las Vegas.  Some of our classmates traveled here to attend; and they, along with the Las Vegas area locals, gathered for a lunch at the Hash House A Go Go restaurant located in the Rio Hotel and Casino.  Of course, that created a photo-op.  Pictured below are Tom & Marilyn Kovach, Jerry & Marilyn Eichelberger, Skip & Marilyn O'Donnell, and Jay & Carol Stewart.

The lady on the right is Marilyn Carpenter - affectionately referred to as the "fourth Marilyn."  I did a bit of research since I thought this photo might represent an historic moment for the Class - the possibility of all spouses with first name of Marilyn in the same photo.  But not to be - we have at least three other Marilyns in the Class.

The fourth Marilyn's husband, Bernie, was also attending the reunion, but he went on a day-long excursion to Fort Irwin, CA, the current home of the 11th ACR and a 2.5-hour drive across the Mohave Desert from Las Vegas.  The Carpenters' son is a USMA '94 grad.

George Ruggles also was attending the reunion (Jay had a photo of him on his iPhone as proof), but he too traveled to Fort Irwin and thus missed the lunch.

And one photo of just the guys - Eichelberger, O'Donnell, Stewart and Kovach

That's it from Las Vegas for the moment.
Tom Kovach

Great report and great pictures. Thanks Tom.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

For me that game was like watching a fear sandwich. Early on and again toward the end I felt considerable fear of previous seasons. However the middle of this sandwich was great fun to watch.

Here are two great photos I received during the game. First, Bob Bradley sent me this first shot pointing out that his Army Mule head cover was happy at half time. Next, from Dennis Lewis (Denny's son), we have a nice group (L to R - Rollie Stichweh, Madeline Lewis, Marie Lewis, and Tom Bumpass) at the entrance to the Superintendent's Loge.

BEAT NAVY!!!

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Faye Hayes (Radcliffe) sent the following message to several of her friends with a few very nice pictures which I had not seen before. I always enjoy sharing pictures because it helps us all get a better feel for what it was like to be there. Here is her brief message

Friends,

Several of you who attended the Ring Weekend for the Class of 2015 asked for a copy of the pictures we took during the festivities.  Others of you who were not in attendance may enjoy seeing a photo review of the Friday ceremony and the Saturday banquet.  It was a beautiful experience and Bob and I were honored to be there. 
All the Best,
Faye

And here are the pictures she shared. First we have a great group shot with Joe Sanchez, Emery Chase, Russ Campbell, Bob Radcliffe, Joann Plotkin, Gene Manghi, and Tom Barron. Next, the same group sans Sanchez and Plotkin. 

And here is a nice shot of Emery, his wife Eleanora, and their grandson with his date. Previously we saw a shot of the hands of '65 with those of '15 and here are just the hands of '65.

Finally a better angle of Tom Barron making his presentation to the assemblage.

Thank you Faye, this is a very nice supplemental report.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Ray Pollard has taken the challenge and, as most of us who have taken the challenge, has shared his pictures and sent in a check for $100. Here we see the before shot, the coup de grâce by his son Pat ('87) who joined him in the challenge a few minutes later, and finally the very cold aftermath:    

Thanks Ray, extremely well done my friend.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Wow, I just got a terrific report from Cal Kahara regarding a reunion visit with his old roomie and their wives. This happened back in June, but at least he didn't completely forget us. Here are Cal's comments:

In June, Patti and I had a great visit with my Company B-1 roomie Ralph Asplund and his wife Cheryl. Beginning with a day at their lovely home in Marlborough, Massachusetts, Ralph took us on a tour of the historical sites along Boston's Freedom Trail. (Note the photo of Ralph as he tinkers in his superbly equipped "man cave"!). Normally I crop a lot of the photos I receive to enhance the people being shown but I couldn't do that here for fear of cutting out some of the vast array of manly stuff in this cool cave.

We then visited where history was made in and around Plymouth en route to their beautiful "home away from home" in Chatham on Cape Cod. Ralph showed us the Cape from one end to the other in two days, and then all four of us spent a day at Martha's Vineyard and ended our visit with a day at the beach. I can't say enough about our wonderful host and hostess and all the good food and drink. Given that Ralph and I are from the same hometown in northern Michigan and had never gotten together since graduation (except briefly at our 45th Reunion), we had a lot of catching up to do! Here is a picture of the four of us from left to right: me (in the sexy swim suit), Patti, Ralph and Cheryl. Here again I had to be careful lest I crop away any part of those magnificent swim shorts.

Thanks Cal, it's good to see you two roomies back together again after all these years and with such lovely ladies at your side.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

My good friend, Skip O'Donnell, took the time to share this very special moment for his family:

Marilyn and I were back in Virginia last week where we interred my Mom alongside my Dad at Arlington National Cemetery on August 25th.  It was a beautiful day.  Here is a picture of Marilyn, me, and our son, Chip (USMA 1992).

Chip is an LTC in the US Army Reserves and primarily works as a Military Academy Liaison Officer in the Austin, TX area and also teaches MALO classes at West Point.

Skip O'D

In a second message he pointed out that:

Arlington National Cemetery allows nicknames on tombstones.  Hence Bud below the medals was my Dad's nickname.

Thank you Skip for allowing us to join you in this very special moment.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

A while back Andy Zaleski sent me some nice comments and a video clip to prove his, and his families, participation in the Ice Bucket Challenge. Unfortunately, I was unable to open the video and asked him to send it in a different format. When he was finally able to do so, I asked Chuck Nichols to extract a few still shots from it for me which makes it much easier to share as some folks have difficulty opening any kind of video. So, having addressed all the reasons for the delay, here is Andy's great comments and pictures:

August 21, 2014 marked 7 years since my wife of 34 years died of ALS (Lou Gehrig's) disease. Some of the class attended her funeral at Fort Meyer/Arlington National Cemetery by which I was truly touched. Kathy was a flight attendant for TWA, PAN AM and DELTA.

These pictures show some of my family (Son - Drew; Daughter - Adrienne; Grandson - Gavin; and Granddaughter - Kathryn and me) taking the challenge a couple of weeks ago.

Knowing some of you have already contributed to Mannie and Karl, please do not forget Kathy.....

Thank you from San Diego -- Andy

Thank you Andy, what a great looking family and what a nice family activity to remember Kathy and raise money for a good cause.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I just received a very nice report from Andy Zaleski who wrote:

A few weeks ago, I had a surprise visit from Tony Livic and Gerry (Boo) Buckosky. What was unique about the visit, is that Boo (who now lives in Carlsbad, Ca.) was my last roommate at West Point,
and Tony (who now lives in Oregon) became my next or first roommate right after Graduation at Vandenberg AFB, Ca in the summer of 1965. I hadn't seen Tony since that assignment.

We three all went into the Air Force and initially were LT's in the AF's Strategic Air Command (SAC) in Management Engineering, a discipline/job for which we all had training together at Lowry AFB, Co. (Denver)
in 1965.

What a great visit we had as we got to reminisce about old times and catch up on the journeys we have had in the nearly 50 years since graduation.

CHEERS--ANDY

And he included this great picture with (L to R) Boo, Andy, and Tony:

 Thanks Andy. By the way, Andy is right on the brink of sharing a few shots from the video taken of his taking the Ice Bucket Challenge (the video didn't come through so he is trying to extract a few shots from it for us).

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I asked Christa Csoka for an update on her father and she was very quick to provide the following. I also asked for a picture and she has told me that maybe she can do that tomorrow. Her update:

This is a strange update in that it was bad but is now good and possibly better going forward. The bad/strange thing is that Louis had seemingly been going backwards...was sleeping so much and wasn't responding that well...and being away from him, that was not easy to hear second hand as before I left he had made so much progress. The strange of it is that he had issues breathing and it turns out it was because he had a tooth in his lungs. A tooth from his dentures. Yes, it was a problem and they think it was why he was so tired as you can imagine how that must affect everything. They think he must have swallowed it because his closing the throat function isn't working that well. So the good news is that they removed it a couple of hours ago and that he is already a little more responsive. Although now he is VERY tired and will probably be sleeping all night. So, I will update on his progress tomorrow. Obviously my sister and I made it here in one piece and we got here to hear the good news of his recovery from this. But we're exhausted. More tomorrow....

Christa Csoka
704-756-9592

Thank you Christa, it's good to hear that things are moving in the right direction.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

When I shared the story of Lou Csoka's hospitalization, Arpad (Arp) Kovacsy responded by sending this message to Christ Csoka (Lou's daughter). Ever since he sent it I have been trying to reach him to get his permission to share it with you all. I have been unable to reach him and have decided to make the assumption that his choice to copy me on the message can be interpreted as permission to share it. Honestly, I doubt if it will be considered a big deal. Arpad's Message and photo:

Dear Christa,
This is Arpad Kovacsy, a West Point Classmate of Lou's. I'm so sorry about his stroke but very glad to hear that he is now on the mend. Although Lou and I haven't been in contact recently, your note to Rick Bunn reminded me of a picture
we had taken together at a very enjoyable event on January 26, 1963 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Being of Hungarian extraction, Lou and I, along with Huba Wass de Czege of the Class of 1964, were invited to be the escorts for the queen and her court at the annual formal Hungarian Ball in New York City. While I ended up marrying the girl I escorted in the picture, Lou decided playing the field was too much fun to commit just yet :-).

I hope this picture will rekindle some warm memories for Lou and bring a big smile to his face. If he smiles too broadly, don't prompt him too much to explain. We were young, single and carefree, and been cooped up at the Point.
Please tell him he's in my prayers and I wish him a very speedy recovery.

Arpad
P.S.
I'm on the left, Huba is in the middle and Lou is on the right.

A charming reminder of different time in our lives.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I received this note from Jim Hennen but as you can imagine I couldn't let it go this easily so I told him that photographic evidence was necessary (not because anyone would disbelieve him but in the spirit of having something to share it would be great to have a few pictures. His first note:

I have already taken the challenge so I will stop short of taking it again. It was chilling the first time. My son was a classmate of Pete Frates, who contracted ALS and the originator of the Ice Bucket Challenge. He was Captain of the 2007 Boston College baseball team and his is not going well but he challenged a bunch of classmates to raise ALS awarenessand originally it circulated around BC alumni. But then somebody challenged Matt Ryan, who was also a classmate and from there it went viral. The rest is history, it has spread to the top footballers in Europe, Ronaldo, Gerrard, etc.as well asour top professionals. I will donate in Manny's name, I really liked him. I don't know how far this can go but what it has raised in terms of $has exponentially (by a factor of 1000) already raised more than ever. It is a worthy cause and a worthy thing we are keeping alive. I challenge John Seymour and Rollie Stichweh.

All the best,
Jim Hennen

After I responded to the above message I received this message with a video of Jim clearly doing his thing with the bucket. While videos are fun they become very difficult to share and virtually impossible for the AOG to archive so I asked Chuck Nichols (because I don't know how to do it) to extract a few photos from the video showing before, during, and after, so I could share them easily with all of you. For any of you willing to step up and take the challenge, please consider using just photos. Here is Jim's second message which is directed mostly to John Seymour:

I took the ice bucket challenge again tonight. I had taken it before but Rick said, and I don't disagree, you can't challenge prominent classmates without proof. Stich had already done it. I challenged Ray Hawkins and Bobby Bedell but the crowning glory was you. I got through everything alright but when it came to you I got brain freeze. I had intended to say, very cleverly, 'My last challenge is to John Seymour, whose athletic prowess was adjudged as mediocre to serviceable. Then I was going to wait a few seconds and say 'Gotcha C MO'. It came out like 'athletic prowess was judged to be mediocre (brain freeze) and servient or something like that. I never got the chance to say Gotcha C Mo or anything. My son thought I was having a brain fart (which I was) and thought that was the end but I wanted you to know there was a PS, I was messing with you.

I will send it to you tomorrow but I wanted you to know this in case it looks stupid. You know what I think of you and it would have been fine if I hadn't tried to be clever (always dangerous). Boy I wanted that 'Gotcha' but I wasn't going to dump another bucket of ice over my head since there was every possibility that I would mess up again.

Jim

And here is another photo:

Well done Jim you're clearly a man with a mission. Now let's hope you are able to inspire others. I need pictures!!!

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Clair Gill was copied on this message to Karl Plotkin's widow from Marie Lewis '04 at the AOG and shared it with me. I called Mrs. (Joann) Plotkin and got her permission to share this great picture. Joann had donated Karl's ring to the big Ring Melt earlier this year (she told me that she had the stone removed to make another piece of jewelry to remember Karl with) and was proud to be a part of these meaningful ceremonies. Marie's message:

Dear Mrs. Plotkin,

Please see the attached image of you with the First Captain, CDT CPT Austin Welch from the Ring Donor Reception. What a way to capture the meaning of the Ring Memorial Program and the appreciation from the Class when they receive their rings at Trophy Point.

I hope your travels home were much more relaxing than the busy day you had Friday to make it to the Ceremony and Reception.

Thank you for taking the time to attend. It was a pleasure to partake in the weekend's events with the Ring Donors and the Class of 1965!

Sincerely,
Marie

Marie C. Lewis '04
Associate Director, Class and Membership Services
West Point Association of Graduates

698 Mills Road West Point, NY 10996
Direct Phone Line: 845.446.1563
Class Support: 845.446.1614
WestPointAOG.org

Thank you Clair and Joann for a very nice addition to the story.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

When I sent out the message, subject as above, I failed to identify the cadets in Photo Left:

However, George Ruggles was kind enough to fill in one of the names for me with this comment:
The lady standing between Emery and Joe is Hope Landsem from Portland, OR.  It was my pleasure to interview her in 2010 as part of the Admissions process.  She appeared to have all the attributes to be a great cadet, and her excellent career at USMA has borne out that belief.  This is the lady that interned at the WSJ a summer ago, and was published twice in their paper.  Photo Right: is of us during Army-Northwestern game in 2011, which the Big Rabble won (albeit by sitting on the ball for the last ten minutes; hey, a W is a W).  Looking forward to seeing her in May '15.
Geo 

Thank you George, nice update.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Naturally, I wanted to get the word out about our friend Lou Csoka's plight as soon as possible. However, after sending it out, I took the time to do some follow-up and learned that Lou's daughter Christa (who is actually his business partner) has agreed to take on the role of his point of contact (phone number and e-mail address below). I had a good conversation with her a few minutes ago when she shared that he is improving nicely but is still unable to talk and communication is still very limited.

As you will see, Christa is asking for feedback with things that might be helpful to him as he recognizes comments from old friends. Please help her with this effort and send them directly to her (I would appreciate a cc but that is not necessary). Here are Christa's comments:

I am Christa Csoka, Lou's daughter and business partner and have his phone and computer, etc. I am actually trying to compile a book of anecdotes, stories, jokes or encouraging words. If you have anything to say, please email me directly at ccsoka@apexperform.com. We plan to read these to him. Every little bit helps! So please, please do send these to me. Update: He is stable and doing better and better each day. I can also update through this forum every once and a while if you would like.

Thank you,
Christa Csoka
704-756-9592
Let's do what we can to assist in his rapid recovery.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

From several sources I have just heard that our good friend Lou Csoka, while on a business trip to San Antonio, has suffered a severe stroke and is hospitalized there in Texas. Members of his family have immediately gone to Texas to be with him. Here is a report from Lou's daughter Nancy who has promised to keep us posted with his progress:

I am sorry to write to you under these circumstances but I think all the prayers and positive thoughts will help.

Dad had a severe stroke last week while in San Antonio on business. He had bleeding on the brain and had to have surgery right away. He has been in ICU since then.

He is doing a little better each day but he is not quite out of the woods yet. We all came down here to be with him immediately. I am still here in Texas.

All the prayers we can get are good.

Thanks so much,
Nance

Grip hands my friends. Please keep Lou and his family in your thoughts and prayers as he and they go through this difficult time.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Emery Chase forwarded this message which actually came to him from Marie Lewis '04, a member of the Association of Graduates, which gives us numerous photographs and a few comments on Facebook (I'm not a big fan of Facebook, but it looked interesting in this case so I left it in the forwarded message) to make clearer what the Ring Ceremony was like for our Affiliation Class of 2015. Here are Marie's comments and links:

Dear Ring Donors and Class of 1965,

I wanted to take this time to share with you some photos and posts from the Class of 2015's Ring Weekend!

On behalf of the Class, I want to say thank you for taking the time to travel and celebrate their Ring Weekend with them. It was truly a pleasure to work with all of you.

Below is the link to the Flickr album, where the images can be downloaded.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/63553620@N06/sets/72157646792922146/

And here is the link to the Facebook post:
https://www.facebook.com/WestPointAOG/posts/10152618732399871

All my best,
Marie

Marie C. Lewis '04
Associate Director, Class and Membership Services
West Point Association of Graduates

698 Mills Road West Point, NY 10996
Direct Phone Line: 845.446.1563
Class Support: 845.446.1614
WestPointAOG.org

Thank you Marie for this and all you and the AOG do for us.

An interesting point is brought up in the Facebook comments, "Rings on right hand? When did that happen?" Help me out here, didn't we do something like that until Graduation when we switched from the right had to the left hand? I have some vague memory of something like that, but my memory is the last thing we want to count on.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

My good friend Harley Moore has responded with some great comments regarding the effort to raise a little money on behalf of some of our fallen Classmates. He, like Ron Walter and Kent Brown, decided to support the ALS Association with a direct donation rather than taking a chance on a heart stopping splash. They have all decided to support in the names of Mannie Maimone and Karl Plotkin (and now that we have heard from Andy Zaleski regarding his first wife succumbing to ALS, I'm sure they would want me to add Kathy Zaleski) with a check directly to the ALS Association or through the organization set up by Carol Maimone in memory of Mannie:

Carol Maimone
1110 Randolph Rd.
McLean, VA 22101

She can also be reached at:
703-821-0756 or carolmaimone@verizon.net

Here are Harley's comments:

Glad to see that there are Classmates who also believe discretion is the better part of valor and eschew the ice treatment that could give us older men a heart attack, or at least brain freeze. I shall join them in their astute approach to honor and remember Mannie and Karl.

Yesterday, outside my office window, there were about a dozen participants in this odd "game" that seems to have gained a lot of traction recently. Unlike Phoenix and Tucson, the hot weather here in Miami is also quite humid, so the cold water does not evaporate, rather it stays on the clothing and only slowly warms up. Another reason not to torture myself.

On a non-tongue-in-cheek note, I do like these messages to pay our respects to fallen Classmates. Each person can decide to delete, ignore, or respond as he wants; one hopes without being grumpy about being hit up for a worthy cause. I am sure we all get these pleas for support from many worthy (and some not so worthy) organizations via e-mail or snail mail (or if you are lucky, both), and one can get a bit testy and just want to be left alone. These that have a more direct meaning because of past friendships and camaraderie are not like that, at least to me (this is not permission for all y'all to send me your pet charity information). The semi-recent one I really liked was a note from Clair Gill via Rick (I think) remembering fallen classmates by sending in a small ($65) donation to the class fund. Going through the attached list brought back many good memories, and did in fact work as I sent in some money for those with whom I had a real affinity.

Thanks, Rick for adding humor (and pain -- hey, it's a Classmate thing) to this chain, and for keeping us all generally informed. Now if only I had had the presence years ago to have ten kids and then they followed suit…..

Harley L. Moore
Direct 305 929 8108
C 415.725.3584

Thank you Harley, It's always good to hear from you.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Kent Brown decided to go the way of my good buddy Ron (Chops) Walter. Kent writes:

I decided to follow Ron's excellent example, even though my disability rating is less than 100%, and just sent a contribution in Mannie's memory.

My most vivid memory of Mannie is his colorful description of RANGER school (We were in the same RANGER company) and the world in general when we found out, after 4 days of humping it through the mountains of north Georgia, that rather than riding in trucks back to camp that we would have to hike another 5 miles because the roads were too muddy for the trucks. His description, though accurate, and descriptive of how we all felt would probably have to be censored off of this site.

He and Karl were great guys and I join the rest of the class in praying that they develop a cure for this terrible decease.

S&D,
Kent Brown

Thank you Kent, everything donated is greatly appreciated.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

On the 22nd of August several of our Classmates gathered to support another Affiliation Activity, the Ring Presentation Ceremony for the Class of 2015. Emery Chase submitted this nice report with some great pictures:

This photo was taken at the amphitheater at Trophy Point on Friday, 22 August. It was the Ring Presentation Ceremony for the Class of 2015. Attending for our Affiliation Class were (L to R) Gene Manghi, Bob Radcliff, Russ Campbell, Emery Chase, Joe Sanchez and Tom Barron, I do not know the names of the cadets who were member of the Brigade Staff. The Ceremony had just completed. This next picture was also taken right after the Ring Presentation ceremony. The cadet is Gavin Chase, my grandson, with Beth Ann Kaminsky, his girlfriend and My wife Eleanora.

At the Ceremony, the Commandant said some very nice words about our Class. He gave us credit for initiating Ring Weekend, I do not think I had heard that before. After the Ring Presentation ceremony, our class provided a reception for ring donors, Affiliation Class attendees, cadet leadership, Academy leadership, and other invited guests. It was held in Ike Hall. Tom Barron provided comments from our class. At the dinner in the mess hall, Gavin Chase took on the role of Water Corporal Emery.

Fay Hayes (Radcliffe) provided this great picture of six of our Classmates joining hands with some of the Brigade Staff to compare the old with the new. I leave deciding which hand goes with which person, up to you.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Stepping up to give us a brief look at his great family and a little about the way his life has gone is Fred Smith. Second Regiment so I didn't get a chance to know him back at Hogwarts on the Hudson, but he looks like a great guy with a great family. Fred's comment:

I turned 70 last December 29. Was able to get the entire family together for a couple of days of skiing in the Poconos. We had a nice family dinner to celebrate. Our group included our three children, their spouses, and all 11 grandchildren from 2 to 20. A wonderful gathering and a chance to reflect on our life a bit.

Mary Ellen and I left the ARMY in 1970 with two daughters (Suzanne and Kristine) and a job in manufacturing at a steel mill in Eastern Pennsylvania. A son (Andrew) arrived in 1974 . In the ensuing 44 years life happened. (PRETTY QUICKLY TOO!!). Nice career of 30 years in the steel business. We have been in the same home for 40 years now and I still get to consult a bit. And much can be attributed to West Point and its close proximity to Ladycliff. How else could we have found each other??

Our family has been blessed and that certainly includes our long association with USMA 1965.

Fred Smith

Thank you Fred, great report.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

One more Classmate steps up for the Challenge. My friend Jim Coughlin from just down the road in Tucson has accepted the Challenge and provided these great pictures. His comments:

Here are some photos documenting my participation in the challenge. It was a 98 degree Arizona day so the episode provided more relief than shock. My daughter in law, Kasey, and 3 year old grandson, Colin, joined the party. I sent my check directly to Carol Maimone. I encourage our classmates to support this worthy cause.

Photo Right: 1st grandson Colin gets in on the fun.

Photo Left: Then grandpa shows him how it's done.

Photo 3, Feels pretty good in the Arizona heat.

I have many fond memories of Manny and his family. We shared an attic "special projects" office at Arlington Hall Station for a time back in the 70's. We didn't get too much work done but we had a lot of fun. He was definitely the brains behind that operation. I remember one St. Patrick's Day going downtown for an early lunch, finding a very lively Irish Pub, and getting very little work done the rest of the day. Manny was a good friend and a great guy.

Thank you Jim -- extremely well done. Now where is everyone else? Come on, this is a great cause and whole lot of fun. Please let me hear from you.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

My good buddy, Ron (Chops) Walter responded to the request to participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge by sharing this note:

Given your caution on heart conditions, and given that I just received notification from the VA that I am a 100% disabled vet, I elected to just write a check and send it to the ALS Association as suggested in your email. I will always remember Mannie as the classmate who caused me to get a tetanus shot at Ft. Sill after "biting" me during a "battle" in the pool at the Officers' Club. Both Mannie and Karl went through a lot, and I hope we are able to find a cure to this disease soon.

Naturally I could leave it there so I pushed him for "The Rest of the Story" and here is what he shared:

OK. On the First Class Trip, Mannie and I were engaged in one of those "battles" in the pool where you sit on the shoulders of a classmate and try to "dethrone" the other guy on the other shoulders. I think I hit Mannie in the mouth and suffered a fairly substantial cut to my hand as a result. When I reported to the hospital to get it stitched up, the doctor asked me what happened, and I dutifully reported that "my classmate bit me." I am happy to share the fact that I contributed as long as no one expects to see a picture of me under an ice bucket.

Ron Walter
12925 N. 145th Way
Scottsdale, AZ 85259
(480) 767-7758 (Home)

Thank you my friend. I'm sure that whatever you sent is much appreciated.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

In my naiveté, I thought I could sit on the sidelines and just share the pictures of many of you taking the Ice Bucket Challenge. Wrong! It took less than 24 hours to receive two personal challenges, one from John Madia (who promises to have his pictures to me by the end of the day), and one from Sue (Erbes) Mottshaw (Don Erbes ex who has stayed connected and promises pictures soon). Our acceptance of the challenge are dedicated to the memory of Mannie Maimone and Karl Plotkin, both of whom were taken from us by ALS.

It is surprisingly easy to do and nowhere near as traumatic as I thought it would be. And, yes, my check for $100 will also be going to Carol Maimone to include with her "WALK TEAM-MAIMONE"S MAJORS" money raising effort.

Here, then, is my proof of participation:

Ready...Go...

Recover.

Now the burden is on all of you (don"t make me name names). How many of you are willing to step up for a good cause and get a little wet? Please join me in support of this great organization. Here again is the information you will need to make this happen.

Please accept Janet Dyer"s, John Madia"s, Sue Mottshaw"s, and my challenge and send a check (with "WALK TEAM- MAIMONE"S MAJORS" on the memo line) to:

ALS Association
1275 K. St. NW
Washington, DC 20005

Or online at: www.ALSA.org

Or send directly to:

Carol Maimone
1110 Randolph Rd.
McLean, VA 22101

She can also be reached at:
703-821-0756 or carolmaimone@verizon.net

In the spirit of good fun and support of a great organization, please help us demonstrate what Strength and Drive can do.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I have attempted to avoid using this network for charitable solicitation and with very few exceptions, I believe I have been successful. However, when I was approached with an opportunity to support a cause in the name of one of our Classmates and at the same time possibly get pictures of many of you doing silly things, I couldn't resist.

Janet Dyer, wife of our Jim Dyer, asked me to send out a challenge to the Class in honor and memory or our Mannie Maimone who died of ALS on April 3, 1998. Janet is a friend of Mannie's widow Carol Maimone who has become quite involved with the ALS Association. Carol also has a Maimone's Majors Walk Team which participates each year in the ALS walk.

 As I'm sure you have seen on the news, the effort to support the ALS Association has taken a huge shot in the arm recently because of "Ice Bucket Challenge". Janet asked me to send out the challenge, and I responded with the obvious question, "Have you taken the challenge?" Her response was that she would do so to kick off the effort within the Class. Here are two great pictures demonstrating her level of commitment to this cause:

I'm told that the bucket broke in the process as you can see in the first picture. However, she was very proud of the fact that her glass of wine came through unaffected. Hang in there Janet and keep those priorities straight.

Here's how the challenge works. The request is for a $100 donation to ALS or just $10 along with a picture (or pictures) I can share of you taking the ice water. Send the money to the address below but send the photos to me to share with the Class as evidence that you actually did get dowsed. Janet points out that she would actually prefer that folks skip the ice water and send the larger check as it will help more. Of course, there is no reason you couldn't do both. Let me add some fair warning here -- if you have any health issues (primarily heart related) please don't do this. Years ago I jumped into a 34 degree lake and thought my heart would stop. Fortunately, I was young enough and startled enough that I think I was out of the water before I went completely in, I may have broken some sort of record as I propelled myself out of the water. Anyway, please be careful.

If you can, please accept Janet's challenge and send a check (with "WALK TEAM-MAIMONE'S MAJORS" on the memo line) to:

ALS Association
1275 K. St. NW
Washington, DC 20005

Or online at: www.ALSA.org

Or send directly to:

Carol Maimone
1110 Randolph Rd.
McLean, VA 22101

She can also be reached at:
703-821-0756 or carolmaimone@verizon.net

Let's have fun with this and do some good for a great cause.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Our Classmate, Oleh Koropey, recently, (1-8 August) took a trip to his family's homeland and provided this extraordinary report and amazing photos from that trip. Here is his story:

My parents were born in Ukraine. I was born in Austria. We came to America as Displaced Persons in 1949. (Thanks, America, for taking us in.) 

One of the things I had planned on my "bucket list" was to visit the places where my parents were born. There was much media coverage last winter of the popular overthrow of Ukraine's Russian-leaning government in order to align with the European Union. This prompted me to make the trip this summer. 

Since my folks were from Western Ukraine, it was easy to follow friendly advice to avoid going to the battle areas in the East. I visited Kiev, the Ukrainian capital; Lviv the largest city in Western Ukraine, and Khiriv (the little town about 60 miles west of Lviv, a.k.a. Lvov, where my father was born). Relatives took me to the well-kept graves of my paternal grandparents whom I had never met. I crossed the border into Poland for a quick visit to the town of Peremysl, a.k.a. Przemysil, near the hamlet where my mother was born.

I talked to a number of people in the above-mentioned places regarding the conflict with Putin's Russia.  These included close relatives, newly discovered distant relatives, cab drivers and others. And I observed local and international media and the events around me.

The general feeling was that the populace had been fed up with the being a Russian puppet state, operating in the post-Soviet economic system. They wanted to be part of the West. They were aware of the rapid economic progress of Poland as part of the European Union, and the contrast with the poor and corrupt Ukrainian economy had been very evident. 

The people I talked to said flatly that if Putin invaded, they would fight. It was well understood that Russia was providing major military aid to the Russian separatists. The threat of a main force invasion by Russian forces was constantly in the air. Meanwhile Ukrainian forces were making gains, retaking some of the places that Russian separatists had seized.

I met a distant relative, a physician, and her medical student daughter. Both had provided medical care to the pro-Western injured during the winter clashes in the Maidan (square) in Kiev. They were confident that the pro-Western side would prevail. Others said that it would not be easy. It would be hard, but the pro-Western side would prevail.

During my trip one person brought up the agreements made when Ukraine gave up its considerable nuclear arsenal back when the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine became independent. Russia, the US and other countries guaranteed the security of Ukraine. One person opined that if Ukraine had kept its nukes, the conflict in the East would not be happening.

As I said, I did not go to the East or talk to people there. The Russian influence is stronger there. It is possible they have different opinions.

Negotiations to stop the fighting continue with little success. The threat of a full scale Russian invasion continues. 

As Americans, we have to consider what the conflict in Ukraine means to the security of the USA. Where does this fit into the overall list of national priorities?

Thanks and best regards,

Oleh

And here are the photos he provided:

1. Photo Right:"Maidan", the square in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, where protests took place last winter that overthrew the corrupt, pro-Putin government. Some of the barricades were still up. The Hotel Ukraine on the right is where the snipers were positioned, shooting into the demonstrators. The barricades and tents were finally cleared out on about 8 August, to return the Maidan area to normal use.
2. Another photo of the Maidan. The red banner at left says, "Hitler, Stalin, Putin".
3. Church in Kiev. Ukraine has many churches, all very well maintained, or being renovated. People strongly resented the days of the USSR when religion was oppressed.
4. Street scene in downtown Lvov (A.K.A. Lviv) largest city in western Ukraine, about 60 miles from Polish border.
5. Farm house where my father grew up. This is in Khiriv, a village in western Ukraine. It is at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, about 60 miles west of Lvov.
6. Rural road near Khiriv.  Roads in rural areas in the west are in bad shape requiring much "slaloming" around potholes. I asked a relative why the churches were in excellent shape, but the roads were bad. He replied the people take care of the churches. The government is supposed to take care of the roads. On the other hand, there was a new, modern airport terminal in Kiev. Also, the express train from Kiev to Lviv was modern, comfortable and ran at times over 100 mph. 

7. Statue of the founders of Kiev. Legend has it that they came down the Dnieper River over 1400 years ago. Vikings were reportedly involved in starting up Ukraine. This statue is in the Maidan.

Oleh added a bit of a footnote which is also of interest:

Today I saw an article about a USMA grad, Class of 1981. Born in Manhattan, his name is Mark Paslawsky.  After graduating, he served in the US Army Rangers, got out, and became an investment banker. He went to Ukraine, and some months ago, volunteered to be an enlisted man in one of the units fighting the pro-Russian separatists near Donetsk. He was killed in action on 19 August 2014. He was 55 years old. He is the only known American fighting the Russian Separatists in eastern Ukraine. I had never heard of him until today. 

What a terrific report. Thank you Oley and let me wish you the very best as you deal with what is happening in your family's homeland.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

One of our Classmates, who has chosen to remain anonymous (not sure if he is hiding from the IRS, shy, or just prefers to fly under the radar) has done some research regarding the Center for Oral History (COH) and found quite a few very interesting videos from way back which are attached. He was actually hoping to get the COH to post links on it's website.  I just watched one, "GEN Van Fleet on What's My Line" and found it a real hoot to look back at the way TV used to be. West Point YouTube Links

Thank you my anonymous friend.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I received this terrific report from Dave Hurley who attended the recent Leaders Conference at West Point. Bob Frank also attended (he has been doing such a good job representing our Class that we see him in numerous pictures and activities recently). Here is Dave's report:

I have included a few pictures I took at the closing dinner of the Conference held at West Point on 13-15 August. The Conference is officially known as the Class of 1967 West Point Alumni Leaders Conference. I was there representing my West Point Society and Bob Frank was there representing the Class.

The closing dinner was held on 15 august and the Guest Speaker was GEN David Perkins '80 CG of TRADOC. He gave a very inspiring and humorous talk.

Bob had arranged for us to have dinner with the class officers of 2015. The pictures are of Bob and me after the dinner with the class officers of 2015. As you face the picture from left to right are Dave Hurley, Hope Landsem, Class Secretary and First Regt Adjutant; Kyle Warren, VP; Will Goodwin, President and First Regt Commander; and Bob Frank.

In the next picture from left to right are Kyle Warren '15, LTG (Ret) Joe DeFrancisco, Will Goodwin '15, Hope Landsem '15, Lew Green '65 (peeking out behind Landsem), Dave Hurley; Austin Welch '15, Cadet First Captain; GEN David Perkins; Bob Frank; and a cadet whose name I can't recall (or read) who was involved in the Dean's presentation on the enrichment program and who obviously has significant prior service.

The final 2, pictures are of the reviewing party at the Acceptance Day Parade which included Bob Frank, so you get a nice picture of the back of his head as the Brigade staff passes and then again as they all relax after the parade. A-Day 1 | A-Day 2

Bob arranged for us to have a picture with the staff after the parade and shared some comments of his own.

Dave Hurley
Strength and Drive

Bob writes:

From the Core about the Corps. Our Affiliation Class is now in charge of the Corps of Cadets. The First Captain is Austin Welch. Some of us met him in Annapolis when Joe DeFrancisco administered the Oath of Affirmation in September 2013. Austin is immediately to the left of Dave Hurley. Dave was present to witness his grandson in the Class of 2018 be accepted into the Corps. Terry Ryan was also there, with Nancy and his brother-in-law and wife. Next to Terry is Dr. Lew Green, our Florida Classmate and president of a West Point Society in the Palm Beach area. Not pictured, but also present, was Jack Jannerone, sporting his Class of 2015 March Back uniform. Joe DeFrancisco had been present with the 2015 Class officers the night before, but had to attend to his mother in Albany. And, most unfortunately, Paul Schultz was not able to be our Class representative. Also not present was the Deputy Brigade Commander, Winston Boldt. Some of you may remember his name because of his outstanding performances as the soccer goalie. Well, he had a tough decision - parade or practice. Turned out it was a 'no-brainer'!

Bob Frank

Thank you gentlemen for this great report.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Ray Pollard shared a little more information regarding Bruce Clarke's comments about Doug Davis. It's an interesting account of activities in Viet Nam during the early days of our careers:

In late 65 and early 66 the 3rd Brigade Task Force, 25th Div deployed to the central highlands, RVN. In the 2/35th Infantry there were five classmates: Davis, Glynn, Selkis, Zais and me. Zais and Davis were in C Company commanded by Bob Ord '62. Beginning in April our Bn CO was Phil (You have nothing to fear but Feir himself) Feir. And, by the way, he was an extremely able commander and leader. We lost Mike in May to a sniper. He and I had discussed losing another classmate just prior to boarding the choppers for the assault. I never spoke with him again. In August we lost Lenny (It was how we knew him in VN). By then I was the heavy mortar platoon leader and again had spoken with Lenny within an hour of his loss. Every platoon but his had seen considerable action and he joked with me that if that didn't change it would be said he fought a "bad war". Unfortunately that changed within the hour. I was in radio contact with him when it happened.
Selkis (medevac WIA), 'Hook' Zais, Lenny and I played poker every night we could in base camp. With Selkis plying us with Polish jokes and kielbasa from home, we had a great time together despite the circumstances. Lenny was a wonderful classmate and officer with an outrageous sense of humor. I didn't know him at WP but 8 months was enough to know him and I miss him to this day. With Lenny and Mike gone and Bob evacuated out and with Hook moving up to be an ADC, I finished my tour as mortar platoon leader, Asst S3 for Col Feir and unofficial advisor to our chaplain (another story altogether in protecting him from Feir).

Ray Pollard

Thank you Ray.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

In an effort to support my "A Little Help From My Friends" campaign, my friend Bruce Clarke sent me this very nice remembrance of his friend Doug Davis. More a eulogy than a message to the Class, I felt his intent and memories were well worth sharing and being given a number in the overwhelming response I have received in "trying to make a little lemonade". The campaign has been a huge success (I even heard back from the original complainer who is truly enjoying all the non-"core group" feedback). Thank you all for your kind words and efforts.

Here is Bruce's input:

I have been reading all of these recent inputs from our wonderful scribe and wanted to share three remembrances of Doug Davis--my Ranger buddy. There is no message here except that Doug could and would get along with anyone to include me--his non-jock, smoking Ranger buddy.

The first note is that Doug and I became noted as point men on every Ranger patrol--we could navigate and always got the patrol to its destination on time and location,

But first--during the last days of the Benning phase of Ranger school there was a run for which the Ranger buddies were graded--Doug was not going to be beaten by Hal Jenkins (My former room-mate and Captain of the track team that Doug was on)--we set off at a torrid pace--faster than the smoker was comfortable with--we beat Hal's time because Doug grabbed my harness and would not let me slow down--hands on leadership.

Second: between Ranger school phases we went into Columbus to one of the "exclusive" steak houses and ordered T-bones for two--we each got one. We ate the steak for two, the two spuds, two salads and two deserts and washed it down with several Buds. Probably the only time during Ranger school that we felt we had a full tummy.

Finally our last patrol in Ranger School-- As usual we were on point and came to a slew (small stream) and the patrol leader told us to ford it. Holding Doug's harness we crossed and the water was up to his chin. The patrol subsequently found a dry crossing 50 meters up the slew. We got the patrol to the rendezvous point with multiple hours to spare and while everyone else had a great sleep--we shivered. We then put our ponchos together curled up inside them and hugged each other to share body heat.

These experiences are why I miss Doug.

Thank you Bruce, and again thank you all.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Mike O'Grady sent me this follow-up regarding these two pictures which may shed a little light on what was going on and who was who.

Mike wrote:

Both pictures are of the "Hawaii Festival" celebration on a weekend at Buckner late in the yearling year summer of 1962. The seated King is Mark Walsh, the newly elected class president. The seated lady/queen was his date for the festivities

The four guards are escorts and just that---nothing more. I was on the far left of this picture, and that is Joe Barkley on the far right. Next to me is either Grant Fredericks or (less likely) Paul Schultz. The fourth guard/escort to the Queen's left side is, as I remember, Chuck Pfeifer, but it sure looks like Bill Zadel in that picture. There were 6 escorts (I remember that because I planned the ceremony and drafted all of them--all reluctant to appear half-naked including me but sure not including Pfeifer.) Tony Livic was the fifth guy, standing on my right side, but cropped from that photo above.

The missing sixth guy was not Roger Frydrychowski. Surprisingly & regretfully, I don't ever remember meeting Roger as a cadet, or at any other time since then.

That missing 6th man on Joe Barkley's left might have been Tom Mushovic, or the missing Zadel/Pfeifer. or maybe Joe Petchkovski. I was pretty close to all of them from plebe football, A-2, and/or 6th Buckner Company

MJOG

Thanks Mike for filling in some of the gaps.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Chuck Moseley has shared a similar picture before but given that 6 of the kids in group are adopted (I have a special place in my heart as my daughter, a foster mom, is attempting to adopt her current two little girls) I couldn't resist his offer to be one of my supporting friends. He said:

We have 14 grand kids with only TWO children -- daughter has 9 and son 5. (Admittedly 6/9 of daughters are adopted), our son and daughter live on adjoining 5-6 acre lots just 12 miles from us where they trade clothes, toys, furniture and diseases. We are blessed

Chuck & Cathy

Thank you Chuck, great pictures, and thanks to your daughter for her big heart.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Johnny Wells, not to be out done by Steve Harman, has submitted another terrific family picture. It sure seems that there was something in the water. These three guys are responsible for a large portion of our population explosion. Johnny writes:

Not to be outdone, here's another family gathering. This one includes eight of our nine children plus their (6) spouses and (10)* kids/grand kids. Steve Harman and I were Beast roommates and it has been rumored that "they put something in the water" where our squad was housed (North Area, in the corner across from the lost 50's). The clincher for that theory is another member of our squad, Art Mark: he and his wife, Theresa, have 10 children.
Johnny

Great stuff, thanks Johnny. The location looks familiar but I can't quite place it.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I'm not sure I understand all that I know about this one but I chose to share it anyway because of the great pictures. Russ Dornier writes:

I have done some investigative photo work but I am not sure it would be appropriate for these viewers and readers since it purports to be members of the "Core" group which get enough print already.  I was trying to find out how Roger and Mike were able to stray so far apart from each other over the years and I believe I have located proof of their Rockbound principles which each has steadfastly held throughout our knowledge of them.

Photo Right: includes Mike O'Grady standing on the far left. 

Photo Left: includes Roger Frydrychowski standing on the far right. 

Again I am not sure that others are ready!
Russ Dornier

Is it just me or does the guy standing second from the far right in photo left look a little like Chuck Pfeifer? Anyway, great pictures of some guys having fun a long time ago.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I just got another great report from Tom Kovach reporting on their monthly dinner event. This boy sure makes it easy as all I have to do is transfer his story and it's ready to go. Everyone is looking great in Sin City. Tom's report:

The Las Vegas area classmates gathered at the home of Tom & Marilyn Kovach for their monthly dinner event.  Pictured are Tom & Marilyn Kovach, Jim Holmes & his significant other, Jen Srisamang, and Skip & Marilyn O'Donnell.

While the usual jovial atmosphere prevailed, it was dampened by the need to bid farewell to Jim & Jen as they will be relocating to the Seattle, WA area later this month.  So, those of you up there in the far Northwest, please welcome Jim & Jen.  Your gain is our loss here in Las Vegas.

The O'Donnells and Kovachs intend to continue the Las Vegas area monthly dinner events, so if you are visiting or passing through, please let either of us know and we will schedule that month's event accordingly.  Even better, if you are looking for a retirement area, consider the Las Vegas valley.  Great stuff here - lots of national parks nearby, monthly dinner events, etc., etc.  You can ignore the stories of the sweltering heat (it's a dry heat) and the possibility of a water shortage (you always can shower with a friend).

Cheers! from the desert.

Tom Kovach
TJKovach@aol.com

Thanks Tom, great report as always. Jim, I plan to be spending more time in the Seattle area so maybe we can get together. And Jen, I look forward to meeting you, you wouldn't believe what your name did to my spellcheck.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Bob Bradley has sent us another update on Madeline Lewis (granddaughter of our Denny Lewis) who we have been watching off and on since she was appointed to the Class of 2018. Here we have a picture of her surrounded by a loving family at the 2018 Acceptance Weekend. Included on the left is Denny's widow, Marie. Looks like a lot of smiles for a gal who is well on her way to bigger and better things.

Thanks Bob.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,    

Tim Thames sent me this very poignant message which is actually a report from Retired BG Herb Lloyd regarding the ambush in which CPT Don York '54 was killed. While he left it to me to decide if it was appropriate for sharing, I made the decision based on the mention of our dear fallen Classmates and the fact that none of these horrific loses should be forgotten. I hope you agree -- Fair warning -- IT IS VERY GRAPHIC! Tim's comments:

I just got this from the Secretary of The Society of the Vietnamese Airborne.  Most of us who were assigned as advisors to the Vietnamese Airborne Division belong to this wartime Society. The article itself is primarily about the ambush death of Captain Don York, Class of '54 in July 1962 but it also mentions Bob Arvin and Chuck Hemmingway as well as Terry Sage, '63 who were also killed while serving with the Vietnamese Airborne.

Tim   

And the report from Retired BG Herb Lloyd:

Comrade Red Hats,

52 years ago yesterday the first senior NCO/Officer Red Hat---CPT Don J York was killed in a vehicle ambush en-route to Bein Suc to pick up an engineer company, which had been constructing rifle ranges at Bein Suc, and return them to Saigon---the 23 vehicle convoy was ambushed at approximately 10am from tall grass on both sides of the road approximately 15 km south of Bein Suc---York had 16 days left in the country prior to departing for an ROTC assignment

The Airborne Senior Adviser, LTC Mel Triplet, did not want Don to make the trip for safety/security reasons---however Don insisted that he wanted to inspect the finished engineer work and LTC Triplet finally agreed that Don could go.

York was seated in the passenger seat of the jeep and the Battalion XO was driving.  When the Viet Cong initiated the ambush both men suffered multiple wounds--- (a large piece of the road side mine shrapnel went in under York's flak jacket and likely caused the fatal wound).The Battalion XO played dead and survived for several days and provided this account---York's last words were ‘‘look out they are coming'' as he was firing his pistol. He fell from the jeep into the ditch---where his remains were discovered ---his ring finger had been severed in order for the enemy to take his West Point ring---hand to hand fighting ensued in the back of the open bed trucks---and eventually the enemy withdrew taking four M-16 rifles from dead paratroopers---the first ever M-16's to be lost to the enemy in the war.

The 8th Parachute Battalion was on alert status and parachuted in at approximately 1400.  LTC Triplet was so distraught that he parachuted in wearing his office clothing, khakis and low quarter shoes---and wore them for three days in the jungle. The 8th Battalion tracked the enemy force. Several days later the 8th Battalion overtook the enemy force and a firefight followed in a small creek/river complex.  Several of the enemy were killed and on the body of one enemy officer was discovered '' CPT Don J York's Saigon Officers Club chit book''.

Don York was interned at West Point near Terry Sage, Bob Arvin, Art Parker, Chuck Hemmingway, and other West Pointers who fell.

Don was the nephew of LT General Robert H. York who commanded the 82nd, Fort Benning, and the 18th airborne corp.

Lest we forget

Herb Lloyd 

Red Hat 6

An amazing story and difficult to read but sometimes we have to remind ourselves of the awesome sacrifices that so many of our number have made.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I received this message from Mike Teeters who visited the Point last fall and took some of the most remarkable photos I have seen of our Rockbound Highland Home. He says he is not a great photographer but I strongly disagree (fortunately he did agree to being "Pretty damn good"). Mike was concerned that since his trip was primarily to visit his wife's grave site, that it (and the several pictures of the cemetery) would be a downer for some folks. I, again, disagree. I see it as very moving and appropriate. I asked him to let me share the entire set of photos (which are linked below) and he finally agreed. Here is his message:

Last fall I made a visit to West Point to visit my wife's grave site. Took lots of pictures for friends and family who hadn't been there. After weeks of effort from this tech goat, I got the pictures uploaded to a website. There are lots of shots of the old campus, and some of a brigade review that some might like. I'm not a great photographer, but pretty damn good.

The slide show you will see is personal, but not private Go to www.miket.phanfare.com. Key on the words "West Point" and then hit the start slideshow button or if you prefer, you can look at the photos individually at your own speed. Note also that there are three albums to look at.
Mike Teeters 

Thank you Mike for sharing these very special pictures. We all wish you the best.

Don't hesitate to let me know if you have difficulty getting to the pictures.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Paul Schultz has been doing a magnificent job for us these past few years as he has lead us and the involved members of our Affiliation Class of 2015 through the moral training inherent in the Professional Military Ethics Education (PMEE) Program. Unfortunately, he is now facing a severe medical issue which is causing him to pass the baton on to his local pal and Classmate, Doug Gibson. Our Class President, Clair Gill, explains:

Guys,
As I am certain you are all well aware, we are on the final run to our 50th Reunion.  One of the highlights of the past 4+ years has been our participation with our Affiliation Class of 2015. We have a number of key activities with the Class of 2015 impending, and one of the most meaningful will be our direct engagement with them in the Professional Military Ethics Education (PMEE) program.  To date, we have had over two dozen Classmates participate, largely through the organizing and encouraging of Paul Schultz, who took on this challenge with gusto.

Paul has recently been waging what we hope and expect to be a successful campaign to defeat esophageal cancer, but has had to turn the reins of PMEE over to his local Classmate and pal, Doug Gibson, while he undergoes treatment and an operation.  Please keep Paul in your thoughts and prayers as he takes the treatments.

Meantime, I think we can best support both Doug and Paul by making a commitment and signing up to participate in the 4 upcoming PMEE sessions (2 this fall and 2 in the late winter).
I know you will receive back in abundance what you put into this program.

Detailed instructions from Doug are below, so please read them, and if you can make the time, get involved.

Clair

Thank you Clair. Let me reiterate Clair's, Paul's, and Doug's appeal -- Please if there is any way you can squeeze it into your schedule, participate in this most meaningful of opportunities to help guide the leaders of the future. Remember their motto, "For those we Lead". Here is the necessary information to get you involved:

Second Notice to Class of 1965 for Fall PMEE Leadership Challenges
This is a reminder that you still have time to volunteer for the September 4th PMEE Leadership Challenge, and the second Leadership Challenge on October 2nd.  Anyone attending the Buffalo Game
On September 6th should consider coming early and participating in the program.
The two leadership challenges are:
Leader Challenge 1
Date: 4 September 2014
Topic "Assault on Trust"
A company commander weighs whether to lift a personnel flag, for compassionate reasons, imposed on Soldier who failed their Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and who was a recent victim of sexual assault.

Leader Challenge 2
Date: 2 October 2014
Topic: "Coercing Loyalty"
To protect the company commander, a company XO pressures several NCOs to falsify reports on property accountability. What should the NCOs' platoon leader do?

The day for PMEE is basically the same as earlier formats. 
Rally Point Breakfast for 1965                 8:30AM
Begin the Prep Session                          10:00 AM
Meet and have lunch with the
Class of 2015 Firstie Facilitator   Noon
Leadership Challenge Class                    12:45 -- 2PM
Review of experience with PMEE staff    2PM -- 3PM
Option to visit Cadet Store and Similar Facilities

What is new is that having Orders will allow you much lower rates for local hotels and other places that that give these special discounts, and also provide tax deduction verification.  
Hotels:  General Information Link-
http://hotelguides.com/new-york/usma-west-point-ny-hotels.html

IHG Army Hotels Five Star Inn (on post)
http://www.ihg.com/armyhotels/hotels/us/en/west-point/zywpa/hoteldetail
Phone -- 845-446-5943
Their rate w/orders have been stated at $90.

The Thayer Hotel
http://thethayerhotel.com/contact-us
Phone -- 845-446-4731
The rate PMEE Participants were quoted for Sundays through Thursdays (including Thursday nights) with orders is $106. Without orders, on the week of the Leader Challenge event is $211.50 per night.

Please note that, due to Paul Schultz's medical problems, Doug Gibson has volunteered to work with him as the Class POC on all PMEE Fall schedules. [THANK YOU DOUG]  Doug's contact information is:

Email      gibsondg5@aol.com
Phone   203-664-1547
Cell       802-353-1313

Please confirm to Doug via email if you want to volunteer for the September 4th session.  In order to help fill out the orders quickly, we need the following info in the confirming email:                                   
Name
Cadet Company you want to work with
Retired Rank (If applicable)
Mailing Address
Email Address
Telephone Number (Cell if possible to help day of PMEE contacts)

Thank you Doug for stepping up to help out in this way and Thank you Paul for a job extremely well done, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

A good friend from way back in the day, Richard Ozgood, was kind enough to jump on the board and send these comments and pictures:

I'm still an active Prof at Columbia - trying to understand and invent in a broad range of sciences.

Photo Right: I recently had my oldest grandson Toly Osgood for two weeks at Columbia University as a high-school intern. I show his picture with the "Black, Bald, and Gray" guy!

During his stay - we visited Grant's Tomb and saw both inhabitants and, then, the next week we drove up to West Point and toured the Bartlett Hall renovations and had supper in Grant Hall. Lots of construction there. Saw the 65 memorial.

Photo Left: This second picture shows my research group - which includes West Point prof to be (Right side) Lt Col.  Brian Souhan.

Thank you Richard, it's great to hear from you and good to see you are doing so well.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

What a terrific follow-up to a previous message! Kent Brown saw the story provided by Bill Heller about the Don Stivers painting and provided this note and great picture:

I enjoyed the piece from Bill Heller about the Don Stivers Painting about the return of the Confederate Graduates to West Point in 1875. It's entitled "One Flag, One Country, One Destiny." Sherry and I have copy #748 in our family room. It was given to us by my son, Jeff and his wife, Liz (both USAFA '91) about 20 years ago. I really enjoy telling our guests about the story behind the painting. Longstreet is the guy in the center with the top hat.
Kent Brown

Wow, thank you Kent, I love your taste in art.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

It's great to find that I have some really helpful friends out there. Thank you all for your supportive responses. Here is a quick report from Dave Bodde who shares a wonderful picture from the early 80's. Now that's a cool looking couple of dudes just chillen. I love the line regarding the belt buckles, I don't think mine has looked straight forward in years. Dave's report:

The outpouring of classmate photos has been enormously enjoyable.

I thought it might be of interest to add an historical photo -- as we were back when all our belt buckles faced straight forward.  This shows Ken Yoshitani and me around 1980.  Ken and Imi had come to visit Priscilla and me at our home in Northern Virginia, and we were enjoying a few brews on a warm spring day.  The ladies must have found something better to do.  Life was sweet.  It still is.

Kind regards,
Dave Bodde

Thanks Dave, it's good to remember how we were.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Here's a treat for those history/Civil War buffs among us. Bill Heller, whose brother is a member of the class of '71, shared an e-mail with me which came originally from their class Scribe. It tells the stories of two early reunions of grads. He points out that "he (I assume he means the scribe) lives in Virginia, so those folks have an interest in graduates who joined the Confederate States of America (CSA) in 1861".

Enjoy:

For their 40th Reunion, the Class of '61 commissioned a painting by Don Stivers capturing a moment at West Point involving Longstreet.
On June 17, 1875, 112 members of the Association of Graduates (AOG) of the United States Military Academy, virtually all of them Civil War veterans, came together at West Point to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, 100 years earlier at Boston, Massachusetts. The AOG had been founded in 1869 by five graduates "to cherish the memories of our Alma Mater, and to promote the social intercourse and fraternal fellowship of its graduates."  Significantly, the constitution specified that the AOG would include all graduates.  Sylvanus Thayer was named the first President of the Association, but because of ill health, could not attend any of the AOG's annual meetings.  In his absence, Professor Charles Davies '15, was elected permanent chairman and thus presided over five of the first six annual meetings.  As the presiding officer of the meetings, Davies made it clear that the purpose of the meetings was one of reunification, after the Civil War had divided the Academy's graduates. 
At first, only a few Southern graduates, who had embraced the Confederacy, joined the AOG. But, as each year passed and the desire for reconciliation grew, more and more graduates who had served in the Confederate Army, joined the Association.  At the annual meeting in 1874, Professor Davies initiated a campaign to encourage all graduates to return to West Point for the 1875 reunion. Davies' efforts paid off and the 1875 AOG meeting was the largest up to that time.  Seven of the twelve former Confederate AOG members attended the reunion.  These were Francis Hennies Smith '33; Robert Ransom, Jr. '50; James Longstreet '42; Sewall L. Fremont '41; Joseph R. Anderson, '36; Eugene McLean '42; and Richard C. Tilghman '28. 
In the morning of June 17, 1875, the Corps of Cadets honored the returning alumni.  The Cadets took their position in front of the Superintendent's house.  The returning alumni then marched onto the Plain led by the Superintendent, Colonel Thomas H. Ruger '54, and the Commandant of Cadets, Lieutenant Colonel Emory Upton May '61, to the tune of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home."  The Alumni formation halted in front of the cadet formation.  After honors had been rendered, Colonel Ruger welcomed all of the returning graduates to their "West Point Home."  He then suggested that the returning graduates greet each other openly as a gesture of comradeship and reconciliation. Without hesitation, James Longstreet '42, took the initiative and grasped the hand of Horace Porter '60, who had fought against him at Chickamauga and won the Medal of Honor there. 
And here is the second offering which also tells a very interesting story:

SUBJECT: Longstreet and Wheeler at West Point in 1902 for the 100th Anniversary

Major General Joe Wheeler was 1 of 3 CSA Generals who joined the U.S. Army as a volunteer in The Spanish American War. Wheeler served in the Union Blue uniform very similar to the uniform the CSA fought against.

General Longstreet had suffered years of abuse by Jubal Early and his "Lost Cause" crowd for causing Lee to lose at Gettysburg and for being a turncoat by serving as a Republican Congressman. What Early began as a post-war diatribe in defense of Lee morphed into the "Lost Cause" -- a post-war defense of the Confederacy. In a sense, Early was the father of the "Lost Cause." He certainly would have cussed out anyone he considered a turncoat.

Longstreet and Wheeler attended the hundredth anniversary celebration of the U.S. Military Academy (West Point, New York) in 1902. MG Wheeler approached the old West Point hotel where his Confederate comrades James Longstreet [33] and Edward Porter Alexander [34] were seated on the porch. Wheeler wore his dress uniform of his most recent rank, that of Major General in the U.S. Army. Longstreet recognized him coming near, and reportedly said, "Joe, I hope that Almighty God takes me before he does you, for I want to be within the gates of hell to hear Jubal Early[35] cuss you in the blue uniform."[19] [36]

Wheeler and Early had been friends; the tease would have been Early rolling in his grave seeing his friend Joe Wheeler in a Yankee Uniform. So, Longstreet is saying he wants to witness Early cussing out Wheeler
for going to the 'other side'; when he is in 'hell.'

More about Wheeler. Not edited by Jim Buck beyond this point. Thanks to the unknown author from Class of 77 for a great story. Some of his footnotes follow the text.

In 1898, Wheeler volunteered for the Spanish-American war, receiving an appointment to major general [6] of volunteers by U.S. President [7] William McKinley [8]. He assumed command of the cavalry division, which included Theodore Roosevelt [3]'s Rough Riders [9], and was nominally second-in-command of the V Corps. He sailed for Cuba [10] and was charged with scouting for the U.S. advance by General William Rufus Shafter [11], overall commander of V Corps. He was ordered not to engage the enemy on his own until the American troop disembarkation had been completed.

Approaching Las Guasimas de Sevilla on June 24, American reports suggested the Spaniards were digging in with a field gun; however, Cuban scouts contradicted these, revealing the Spaniards were preparing to
abandon their position. In fact, the Spanish troops at the position had received orders to fall back on Santiago. Wheeler requested the assistance of the attached Cuban forces in an immediate attack, but their commander, Col. Gonzales Clavel, refused. Wheeler decided to attack anyway, rushing his men forward with 2 guns to the front, with Colonel Young's brigade leading the advance against the Spanish columns
in what came to be called the Battle of Las Guasimas [12], the first major engagement of the war.

During the excitement of the battle, Wheeler supposedly called out "Let's go, boys! We've got the damn Yankees [13] on the run again!" with the old general confusing his wars.[18] [14] Wheeler's forces moved to
encircle the Spaniards' first battle line, assaulting its front and right flank, but were repulsed. During a pause in the fighting, both sides reinforced their positions. The Spaniards sent forward 2 companies of the _San Fernando Battalion_, along with the artillery. After midday the U.S. attack was renewed, but Spanish Comandante Andres Alcamiz, leading the _Provisional de Puerto Rico Battalion_, once again checked the American assault.

After halting the American advance, the Spanish resumed their ongoing withdrawal towards Santiago's outer defenses according to their original plans. The battle had cost U.S. forces 17 dead and 52 wounded, while
Spanish forces suffered 7 dead and 7 wounded.

Wheeler fell seriously ill during the campaign and turned over command of the division to Brig. Gen. Samuel S. Sumner [15]. Wheeler was still incapacitated in July when the Battle of San Juan Hill [16] began but
once he heard the sound of guns, the "War Child" returned to the front despite his illness. Being the senior officer present at the front he first issued orders to the 1st Division, under Jacob F. Kent [17], before returning to his own command. Upon taking the heights, Wheeler assured General William R. Shafter [18] that the position could be held against a possible counterattack. He led the division through the Siege
of Santiago [19] and was a senior member of the peace commission.

Wheeler's youngest son died shortly after his return from serving in Cuba; he drowned while swimming in the ocean. When back in the United States, Wheeler commanded the convalescent camp of the army at Montauk Point [20], now a state park in New York.[18] [14]

PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR[EDIT [21]]

Wheeler sailed for the Philippines [22] to fight in the Philippine-American War [23], arriving in August 1899. He commanded the First Brigade in Arthur MacArthur [24]'s Second Division during the Philippine-American War [23] until January 1900.[18] [14] During this period, Wheeler was mustered out of the volunteer service and commissioned a brigadier general [25] in the regular army [26], both on June 16, 1900.[3] [27] After hostilities he commanded the Department of the Lakes [28] until his retirement on September 10, 1900, and moved to New York.[18] [14]

Supposedly while serving in the Philippines, Wheeler encountered an infantryman who was complaining about the heat and being tired. Wheeler promptly dismounted, took the man's rifle and pack, told him to mount
his horse, and marched the rest of the way with the infantry.[_citation needed [29]_]

LATER LIFE [EDIT [30]] [31]

Wheeler in later life

Wheeler was the author of several books on military history and strategy, as well as about civil subjects. His first was _A Revised System of Cavalry Tactics, for the Use of the Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, C.S.A._ in 1863, a manual that saw use by the Confederacy. His other works include: _Fitz-John Porter_ in 1883, _The Santiago Campaign_ in 1898, _Confederate Military History: Alabama_ in 1899, and _Report on the Island of Guam_ in 1900. Wheeler also co-wrote several more books throughout the rest of his life, the last of which, _The New America and the Far East: A Pictureque and Historic Description of These Land and
Peoples_, was published in 1907, after his death.[3] [27]

Wheeler also appeared in an early film called _Surrender of General Toral [32]_ (1898) with William Rufus Shafter.

While attending the hundredth anniversary celebration of the U.S. Military Academy (West Point, New York) in 1902, Wheeler approached the old West Point hotel, where his Confederate comrades James Longstreet [33] and Edward Porter Alexander [34] were seated on the porch. At the festivities Wheeler wore his dress uniform of his most recent rank, that of a general in the U.S. Army. Longstreet recognized him coming near, and reportedly said, "Joe, I hope that Almighty God takes me before he does you, for I want to be within the gates of hell to hear Jubal Early [35] cuss you in the blue uniform."[19] [36]

General Wheeler was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution [37] and the Society of Colonial Wars [38].

After long illness, Wheeler died in Brooklyn [39], New York City [40] and is one of the few former Confederate officers to be buried within Arlington National Cemetery [41].

Links:
------
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Wheeler&action=edit&section=8
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Theodore-roosevelt-and-officers.gif
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Wood
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Oswald_Brodie
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_general_(United_States)
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McKinley
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_Riders
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rufus_Shafter
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Las_Guasimas
[13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damn_Yankees
[14] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wheeler#cite_note-Dupuy794-18
[15] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_S._Sumner
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Juan_Hill
[17] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_F._Kent
[18] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_R._Shafter
[19] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Santiago
[20] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Point_State_Park
[21] http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Wheeler&action=edit&section=9
[22] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines
[23] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine-American_War
[24] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_MacArthur,_Jr.
[25] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigadier_general_(United_States)
[26] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_Army_(United_States)
[27] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wheeler#cite_note-Eicher563-3
[28] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_the_Lakes
[29] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed
[30] http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Wheeler&action=edit&section=10
[31] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Wheeler_later_life.jpg
[32] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_of_General_Toral
[33] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Longstreet
[34] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Porter_Alexander
[35] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubal_Anderson_Early
[36] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wheeler#cite_note-19
[37] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_the_American_Revolution
[38] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Colonial_Wars
[39] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn
[40] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City
[41] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_National_Cemetery

While this is a little off the beaten path, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you Bill.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

One upsmanship is obviously alive and well. Here we have a nice report from Bob Fritz regarding a trip to Alaska and Canada to make sure he is not outdone by his roommate, Ron Floto in a previous message. Both gentlemen seem to know how to have a good time. Here is Bob's report with two great pictures in Alaska and one at Butchart Gardens in Canada:

Photo 1.

Photo Right: My wife of almost 48 years, Trish, and I (certainly no Core member) enjoyed a trip to Alaska in June escaping the Naples, Florida heat for a few weeks.

Photo Left: is of the Butchart Gardens in Canada where we spent the last few days.

I had to send this after seeing my roommate Ron Floto's pictures.
Bob Fritz

Thanks Bob, great report, great pictures, beautiful lady -- looks like a great trip.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

And now a word from the cowboys. Larry Neal, a long way from home, writes:

Bob Cato and I may be "Un-core" but not un-cool! Bob and Cay Cato and Larry Neal took some of their grandkids to a guest ranch in Colorado this summer. Here is a shot of Laramie River Ranch from the summit of Bull Mountain.

Photo Right: Bob (left) and Larry on the summit of Bull Mountain.

Photo Left: Kay Cato and grandson Michael

Larry's grandsons Brayden (left) and Ridley.

Larry and grandson Ridley and then Michael and Ridley and the ranch dog Carmel.

We spent a week together at the ranch and had a wonderful time. We expect to repeat the trip with a different set of grandkids in a couple of years.

Larry Neal
4271 Garth Road
Charlottesville, VA 22901
(434) 823-2168
LarryNeal@frii.com

Wow does that ever look like fun. Thank you very much for sharing this.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Wow, talk about taking fishing seriously. Check out these great pictures from Alaska where Tom Mushovic and his family hang out. Tom starts with a question but from the looks of things, on this day, I would say guys did much better than the bear (who I will call Herman since he seemed to be without a name).

So who do you think really got more fish? Just wanted you to see a few more pictures of what we do in Alaska. The bear, not sure of his name, but he was looking for Halibut carcasses at our cabin at Kachamak Bay. The handsome guy in the old army raingear was me with a 13 pound Sockeye caught in front of our house. The group of four was one son, two of our grandchildren, and me after a day on the ocean.
Tom

Thanks Tom, great pictures.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

They just keep coming in. Thank you again to all who are being so helpful. I even heard back from the guy who complained about so much coming from just the "Core Group", and he too is very pleased with all the things coming from those who don't normally get involved. Here we have a nice report about a trip to the Canadian Rockies. Bill and Deb McKemey seem to have had a great trip through this unbelievably beautiful part of the world. I have been there many times and even enjoyed the bus trip (seen in the 3rd picture) which takes you up onto a glacier. And check out the amazing flowers which, I assume, are in Butchart Gardens near Victoria. Here are their comments and photos:

Just back from a three week trip to the Canadian Rockies that included: Vancouver, Whistler, Lake Louise, Banff and the beautiful Gardens in Victoria.  Deb and I had a fabulous time on hoard the Rocky Mountain Train.  The scenery was magnificent.  Yes, that's us freezing At the Ice Glacier.
Bill and Deb McKemey

Photo 3 | Photo 4 | Photo 5 | Photo 6

Thank you Bill and Deb for this great report. I think it demonstrates, very well, how easy it is to share and how much we all enjoy seeing what all our Classmates are up to.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Wow, now here is a family gathering!

Here is family photo of the extended Harman family which includes six of our seven kids and their families.  Anne's sister, Meg and her four daughters and their families are also in the picture.  We had a great birthday party for Anne on the Outer Banks in NC.

If you really know our family you can find and name our kids. (Good luck with that).
Steve

Thanks Steve I can't remember when I saw so many smiles in one picture. I just did a boat cruise and dinner in Seattle for my wife's 70th. It sure is fun to get the whole gang together like that. We had a few less with 27 in attendance.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Jim Holmes stepped up to give us a base for comparison of the previous message from our Classmates acting like monkeys. Jim points out:

I think this is No Hear, No Look, No Say:  like our classmates were sharing.

Jim

Thank you Jim, every little bit helps.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

As the terrific support I have enjoyed begins its inevitable slowing down, I would like to say how much I appreciate your many words of encouragement. You may see one or two more in the category of "A Little Help From My Friends" but as I prepare for a few days away from the heat of The Valley of the Sun (taking the motor home to Sedona), you probably won't hear much more about it after tomorrow.

However, as I was planning to say thank you this way, a dear friend from the Dallas area (actually the guy who hired me to my second career in steamship sales) sent me this absolutely perfect example of the comic genius of one of our favorite personalities, recently lost. Robin Williams hits it out of the park with this fairly short routine taking on the role of the American Flag. Totally non-political, I hope you all enjoy it.

Thank you again for your many words of support.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Now this is cool stuff. Exactly what I look for as it ties the past with the present.

Appler, Floto and Simmons before and after.  We were reminiscing at the 45th and tried to recreate the earlier one from Plebe or Yearling year from our failing memories.  I have no idea why we took the earlier one, but it may have had something to do with avoiding the books.

Really great, but did you forget who sat where? Thanks guys, I really appreciate this.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

And one more. I didn't realize how much work I was setting myself up for but I sure appreciated the show of support. It's great to know that the majority seem to like what I do.

Here is a nice note from Jerry Hoffman:

Another non-Core contribution.  Michele and I took our first cruise this summer---aboard the Queen Mary II---from New York to Southampton.  I shall not wait another 72 years to take another such trip.  Four days in NYC were very much enjoyed as well---9/11 Museum etc, etc.  There were a lot more USNA files onboard the ship than USMA types.

Great picture but you need to make some friends other than those big glasses of wine, you seem to have found an empty dining room. Love the tux and the smiles.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

And still they keep coming in. Here we have a nice note and photo from Don Nowland an old friend from way back in the day but I don't believe we have seen each other since. He has let it slip that he and his wife, Davita, are the principal owners of The Landing on Marblehead's Harbor. Now we know where to go when trying to bum a drink. (Sorry about that Don). Here are his comments and photo:

Been meaning to send this to you since mid-July when Davita and I had lunch with Cynthia Johnson, our late Tom Johnson's wife. Cynthia lives in Rockport, MA ... just north of Glouchester ... and helps take care of grandchildren of her daughter who lives just outside Boston.

Davita and I live in Marblehead, MA, a beautiful "old fishing village," just 16 miles north of Boston on the coast. In this picture, we're standing outside of a Bar Restaurant called The Landing on Marblehead's Harbor, of which we are principal owners. We had a wonderful visit and lunch. We meet up with Cynthia whenever possible...as we are all very busy.
Best, Don

Thanks Don, it's great to hear from you and thanks for your support.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Now this is another unique way to help a guy out. Gerry Buckosky stepped up with a couple of selfies that reveal something strange about the boy. Apparently he doesn't save his Halloween mask for just one day out the year. It seems he has been known to wear it while skyping a Classmate or even driving around town where he gets his share of laughs. Here he is without and with:

I'm not sure if I would be laughing if I looked over at the car next to me and saw that.

Thank you Gerry (I think) for the help.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

George Brock was kind enough to step up with very nice note and picture. Sure looks like the boy knows how to go after the big ones. His note:

Here's a photo of this non-Core Group member at home on Lake of the Woods in Virginia, just West of Fredericksburg, and right in the middle of the Wilderness Battlefield (May, 1864. Longstreet wounded by own men and Texas "Lee to the Rear!" in case you slept thru that class). (I did) I play a lot of golf (poorly) and do precious little else (to near perfection). My wife of 45 years, Johnnie, and I have been first-time grandparents for two months, as one of our two kids finally got off the dime. Looking forward to the Williamsburg golf outing in October and the Reunion in May.
George Brock

Thanks George, it's great to hear from you.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

My good friend from Las Vegas was kind enough to step up with a nice picture of him and his lovely wife, Marilyn, on a recent cruise. He wrote:

Here is a picture of Marilyn and me on a bridge over the Motlawa River in Gdansk, Poland during our two week Baltic Sea cruise this past June.

Skip O'D

Thanks Skip, it looks like you two were having a great time.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

In his own unique way, Bob Bradley has reached out to give me something to share. The problem is I think he would be considered a member of the "core group" but I appreciate his contribution nonetheless. He offered:

To help save the economy, the Government will announce next month that the Immigration Department will start deporting seniors (instead of illegals) in order to lower Social Security and Medicare costs. Older people are easier to catch and will not remember how to get back home. I started to cry when I thought of you. Then it dawned on me ... hell... I'll see you on the bus.

Thanks Bob, it's always (well, almost always) good to hear from you.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Hank Kelley quickly stepped up when I asked for some more input to share. He is apparently one of those who is far more fit than I and is still out there doing great things for a cause. It makes me very proud when I discover how many of our number are doing things to support so many charities and just basically paying back for the Blessed lives so many of us have and are enjoying.

Here are Hank's comments and pictures:

I don't know if I fall into the category of the dreaded "core group," but at the risk of giving offence I'm sending this along.

I spent several days this summer with my offspring at Cape Cod, kayaking in search of Portugal, Atlantis, or some other mythical land rumored to lie off the New England coast.  No luck -- and so no pictures (better luck next year).  On the plus side, we did avoid a meeting with the great white shark that was reported at a nearby beach and so were spared the indignity of starring in yet another wretched sequel to Jaws.

I also participated in this year's Ride to End Alzheimer's, a 100k event that followed a route thru Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.  (100k sounds longer and more impressive than 62 miles)

Photo Right: Hank and his bike

(note: my bike number is higher than my class standing)

Photo Left: At the last rest stop: 18 miles to go, and wondering why bike events don't have the equivalent of golf's beer tee. 

Note: I am not holding a urine sample -- since Lance Armstrong wasn't participating there was no need for testing.

I crossed the finish line to the rapturous acclaim of some local high school cheerleaders and other joyful spectators.  I wasn't the last guy to finish.  In fact I came in first in my category: 73 year old USMA '65 grads who ride silver bikes.  And this just goes to show that if you've got Strength and Drive, you're never too old to pedal you're a__ around town.

Cheers,
Hank

P.S. That was a great picture of Jay Stewart and his twin brother.  I never could tell them apart.

Thanks Hank, a great report and a couple of very nice photos. Please don't make this the last time we hear from you.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Now here's a guy (Jay Stewart) who really went above and beyond. What a guy to take a selfie with a monkey just to help out a friend. I agree that I think he is the one on the right. It appears that he is wearing a Ranger Hat and the other guy doesn't really look like Ranger material, although…

Note that Jay asked me not to share this great picture but, come on, how could I not? Actually, I called him and put a full court press on him to let me share the picture and he finally gave in.

Here are Jay's comments:

Please enjoy this fine photo of me and a monkey wearing a hat with my compliments. I'm the one on your right. Hope this selfie is what you are looking for to augment your tiresome, "core group" posts. Jay (way out of the core group) Stewart, '65

PS. Don't you dare send this to the Class.

Thank you Jay, you have definitely made my day!

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Talk about friends stepping up to help a guy out. All I had to do was let it be known that I would like to hear from some folks who haven't been in the "Core Group" and immediately I get some very nice stuff to share. This one is from Tommy Thompson from out in Princeville, Kauai (just a few miles from my favorite time-share) showing us his little office with some great memorabilia, not the least of which is his Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame medallion. Here are Tommy's (or is it T2?) comments:

Picture below is me with HOF Medallion. If you enlarge the photo, you can see my WP & USC diplomas on the left, many trophies, on the right dog pictures, my beloved Phillies mug, and two pictures of my centerfold shot which appeared in the now defunct magazine called Texas Woman in (1978?). It went down the toilet a month or two after this issue, doubt there is any connection. This is my little office. My Man Cave is downstairs in front of the Big Screen.....

T2; --AKA Tommy T

Thank you Tommy, it's great to hear from you and I look forward to more in the future.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

A very nice, albeit very brief, message from my friend Bob Frank.

It may have been a ragtag bunch, but the Franks, Hawkins & Jones (as seen, left to right) got together last week for golf, the US Women's Amateur at Nassau Country Club, and some relaxation on the Port Jefferson beach abutting Long Island Sound.  Yes, folks are bundled up because the temperatures were unseasonably cool and the breeze was strong.   Even with his normal Wisconsin ability to stand the cold, Ray could not be convinced to go in the water.

Thanks Bob, it's always nice to hear about Classmates getting together to enjoy each other's company. Is it just me, or are your legs as white as mine under my socks? I'm guessing that the others get out in their shorts more than you do.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Paul and Neva Renschen frequently provide me with great stories and pictures from the amazing Land of the Midnight Sun. I enjoy sharing these brief glimpses into the unique lifestyle of these modern day frontiersmen and women. I lived in Alaska for about 2½ years, visited Fairbanks (where Paul and Neva live) a couple of times but never quite enjoyed as many unusual adventures as the Renschens seem to enjoy. I hope you enjoy hearing about their adventures as much as I do. Paul writes:

Son Paul was stationed at Anaktuvuk (I dare you to say that one three times real fast) for something more than a year. In commuting back and forth, he accumulated enough Wright Air miles for two round trips to Anaktuvuk. He gave them to us. We decided we would do it in early August.

Photo Left: Paul in the co-pilot's seat

Wright Air has eight Cessna Caravans and another five aircraft; two a little larger than the Caravan and three smaller. The Caravan can carry from 4-14 passengers depending on how much cargo they are hauling. We had nine passengers and quite a bit of cargo. We left Fairbanks at 0800. I don't know why, but I was offered the co-pilot's seat. It was quite a climb to get into but it was better seating with a better view than Neva had.

Our cruise altitude was 2,500 feet which was between 400 and 2,000 feet AGL (Above Ground Level). We had great views from there.

The first identifiable thing we flew over was the Yukon River. It is huge. This photo doesn't do it justice. North of the Yukon, we frequently had a view of the Haul Road and the pipeline snaking across the wilderness.

Photo Right: The Yukon River

Our first stop was at Bettles. Bettles is just above the Arctic Circle on the Koyukuk River and, according to the locals on the plane, has about ninety inhabitants. The airport is a busy little place. It has a year round lodge and is a transfer point for hunters and others going deeper into the wilderness. From Bettles we headed north-west over the Brooks Range. Well, not exactly "over the Brooks Range." Our flight was through the passes and under the clouds and mountain tops.

About ten minutes out of Anaktuvuk, the pilot dropped down to about 200 feet AGL. He had spotted some caribou. He brought the plane around and went over them again. It was a male with a huge rack (funny, I rarely think of male with a huge rack) with a female behind him, both moving fast. The pilot brought the plane around again and we saw a huge grizzly moving as fast as it could behind the caribou. It was a blond with rolls of fat that jiggled as it ran. It was really cool but unfortunately went by too fast for any photos. He went around once more because not everyone had seen the bear but he couldn't find it. We spotted a small herd of caribou a few miles away as we went on into Anaktuvuk.

Photo 1 | Photo 2 | Photo 3 | Photo 4

Anaktuvuk has a population of about 300 but unlike Bettles, it has no lodge or hotel. We never left the airport and were only there long enough for the cargo to be unloaded and a potty break. The flight back was direct, 171 miles. The pilot took the same path through the Brooks Range but we were a little further west on the rest of the return flight. We were back in Fairbanks a little after noon. It was our first trip above the Arctic Circle and a day well spent.

Thank you Paul and Neva, it's always great to hear from you.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

John Bell shared with me a terrific letter from our new coach to John's longtime friend, Tom Dusel '66 who played center as well as other positions on the famous '64 team. Tom was also John's classmate in dental school and neighbor for almost 10 years. The letter, which I will save to the end of this message, came from the coach after the recent golf outing and gathering of heroes reported on earlier.

First I want to share some great photos from back in the 70's when John and Tom were attending Dental school at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco. Some time back I was admonished for not picking up on an obvious bad joke while reporting on another of our Classmates turned dentist. I'll change it a little to fit here but it appears that these two guys (like so many of us) learned to drill together. Sorry about that. Here are a couple of shots of John and Tom with their wives while back packing in the Sierras (South Lake Tahoe area) in 1972. Here we have Tom taking the picture while John and his wife Becky join Addie at the fire.

Photo Left: is of Tom and his wife Addie while she cooks a beautiful trout. 

Next we have a picture of John and Tom at their graduation from dental school in 1974. John points out that Tom is smiling because he has a real diploma while John's is a blank piece of paper because he had not yet completed all his requirements.

Photo Right: John and Tom at their graduation from dental school in 1974

And now to the recent letter. John pointed out that:

The coach, at our golf outing had said that one of the first things he did as coach was to evaluate the size of our players as compared to Navy and Air Force. We were undersized. So he said he would beef up the conditioning staff and emphasize lifting and agility. I guess he has. He also said he would change the summer training and get the kids to give up their summer vacations so they could concentrate on football. That is a huge commitment from the players. 15 pounds average weight gain per player!

Here is what Coach Monken had to say to Tom:

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

On July 11, many of the giants of the 1964 Army Football Team, their coaches, managers, rabble rousers and loyal friends were joined by several very special guests to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of their thrilling 11 -- 8 victory over Navy at Memorial Stadium in Philadelphia, PA, on November 28, 1964. Rollie Stichweh, the Team Captain and Chair of the organizing committee for this fantastic event asked Bernie Ziegler, the Team Manager to put together a report on the event to allow both attendees and those who could not be there to get a feeling for what it was like to be there. Attached is his incredibly comprehensive report. It is a large document which includes three links, one to a highlight clip of the game itself, one that is a link to a Memorial to Our Fallen Brothers and TEAM mates, and one that gives you access to the many photos taken that night, only a few of which are shared here. The links are in blue within the black report.  Should you choose not to read the entire document, do yourself a favor and at least follow those links, you won't be disappointed.

The following are some great photos taken at the event which will give you an idea of what it was like for these titans of the gridiron. First we have a table with, from L to R, Bernie Ziegler, Rocco McGurk, Tom Abraham, and Jim Tomaswick. Next is a picture of Bill Sherrell, Sonny Stowers '66, John Carber '66, John Johnson, and Barry Nickerson '67.

Photo right: Tom Genoni, Bob Jones, Ray Hawkins, Chuck Pfeiffer, and Dave LaRochelle.

Here's Rollie Stichweh with Rees Barksdale ‘66

Here's John Seymour at the podium and then Bob Bedell, Tony Pyrz, and Bill Sherrell listening.

I couldn't resist this shot of the table holding a bunch of memrobilia, most notably one the Chinese Bandit Coolie Hats from the Paul Dietzel era.

To wrap up the pictures here are three notable attendees whose very presence at this event demonstrates the esteem they all hold for this group and the importance of that one game in history that meant so much to all of us.

Photo Left: Here are the Supe - LTG Robert L. Caslen, the Director of Athletics - Boo Corrigan, and our new Head Football Coach - Jeff Monken.

During the discussions that Bernie, Rollie, and I were having as we put this report together, I saw a copy of a letter that Rollie sent to the Team as a follow up to the big gathering on the 11th. I hope you will agree with me that it is a valuable addition to this already very large report:

'64 ARMY TEAM:

Like so many of you, I continue to savor the pure enjoyment and pride we all experienced as attendees at our recent 1964 Team Reunion event in Herbert Hall at West Point. What a memorable occasion for all of us who, regardless of one's specific role at the time, contributed in critically important ways to securing that great victory over Roger Staubach's Navy squad in 1964. Of course, it was more than a win on a football field. It was a group of men, undaunted by a disappointing loss the prior year, sucking it up, bouncing back, and showing incredible grit and determination to accomplish something momentous which we have been able to celebrate through all the years since.

This event could not have been held were it not for the amazing effort of several dedicated and hard-working members of our organizing committee. Many hours of effort were invested by John Seymour, John Johnson, Rees Barksdale, Peter Braun, Frank Cosentino, and Barry Nickerson. Rees' associate, Jonna Welch, supported the effort in remarkable fashion and Barry's kids, Jonathan and Jennifer, worked closely with their Dad in producing two very impressive videos (highlights and memorials). Rees kept us all apprised of plans and arrangements along the way with his frequent and eloquent communications --- he is amazing. Peter coordinated all of the details with AOG/Herbert Hall personnel and performed an invaluable service. Everyone was terrific, and we thoroughly enjoyed working together as a team.

Enter Bernie Ziegler --- Team Manager, USMA 1965. Bernie offered to lend a hand, and I initially asked him if he might be willing to prepare a brief summary of the event for our Class Scribe and share with the '65 gang. As we discussed things further, we agreed that both those who attended the reunion and those who wanted to attend, but could not, would appreciate a full-blown summary including links to the videos and pictures arranged by Peter with Madi Salvani as our photographer. The goal was for Bernie to produce a detailed chronicle of this special evening so that the reader could feel as if he was actually there from start to finish. Bernie's summary is attached. He has invested many hours into this effort, and I know you will join all of us on the organizing committee in thanking Bernie for this exceptional piece of work. Thanks, Bernie!

As noted, Bernie's splendid summary includes links to the two videos shown at the reunion and to the photographs taken during it.

ENJOY, everyone! 
Rollie

Please enjoy the attached report that Bernie put together for us.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Here's a really brief message for you. My good friend Bud (Grosvenor) Fish sent me this and I couldn't resist sharing the chuckle:

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Our Class President, Clair Gill, sent me the following note and terrific photos with the following explanation:

Click here to view the photo of the December 11th 1985 Arrow Air Flight Memorial, description of events.

Click here to view a memorial from the people of Canada.

I recently received the attached photos from Pastor Dale Robble of the Highland Park Church in Nashville, TN.  Dale and my deployed aviator son (TF Wings, Afghanistan) have become fast friends during his service at Ft Campbell, to a point where Dale has become his confidante and de facto Task Force Chaplain (though completely unaffiliated with the Army).  Dale's lovely wife, Kelly, is from Newfoundland, Canada, and their family is vacationing there this summer.  They took the time to capture these beautiful images in remembrance of Classmate Marv Jeffcoat's battalion disaster there in 1985.  Recall that earlier I had provided images of the memorial grove at Ft Campbell of that terrible event--so now I am sharing the other side of the disaster, showing how our Canadian friends have memorialized their service and loss.
We remember.
Clair

Click the following links to view other photos of the Memorial site:  Photo1 | Photo 2 | Photo 3

Jeff was a friend of mine and remembering that sad day helps me to remember what a really special guy he was. I chose to add his graduation picture and brief bio here to help us all remember him as he was back in the day.

Grip hands my friends as we, once again, remember our dear friend Marv Jeffcoat. Rest in Peace my friend -- Well Done!

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Its fun to share the pride that all of us have in our kids. Here is one more from Leo Kennedy. He writes:

Well, Rick, as long as you are getting notes from proud parents, I thought I'd join the fray. This is a picture of James and me after his promotion ceremony back in February.

I don't have "official" bio info because I can't find my copy of the programs from his promotion or his Change of Management ceremony. James is a PM for PEO Aviation in Huntsville. He and his wife, Keri, have two kids: Jamie, at 22 my oldest grandchild, and Justin 16. Interestingly, our two boys, James and Brian, and the Chase boys were best of friends back when we were both in CGSC at Leavenworth.
Leo

Thanks Leo, I must admit to some nostalgic feelings as I read about James being a PM in Huntsville. I had the pleasure of working on a project in Huntsville way back in the early 70's. I worked on the Roland anti-aircraft missile system. A great experience and a great place to live with a small family.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

As expected, I have heard from another proud father whose son is well on his way through a terrific military career. Emery Chase's number 2 son, Ken, is slated to command the Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Division, in June of 2015. Additionally, Ken's eldest son, Gavin is a proud member of our Affiliation Class of 2015. Things seem to have come full circle for this family. Here is a brief bio of Emery's son Ken:

Colonel Kenneth D. Chase was commissioned in Army Aviation in 1991.  He is currently assigned as the Deputy Commander for U.S. Army Japan and I Corps (Forward) stationed in Camp Zama, Japan.  His previous assignment was as the Senior Aviation Trainer at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana followed by an Army War College Fellowship with the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy.

COL Chase has served in a number of American and overseas assignments to include Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Italy and Korea.  The majority of his assignments have been with U.S. Cavalry units to include, the 1st Squadron,  1st Cavalry Regiment (Germany);  3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Texas);  3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment (Hawaii/Afghanistan);  1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment (Colorado, Kansas, Iraq);  and 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment (Korea). He is slated to take command of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Division in Hawaii in June 2015.
COL Chase graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Management and holds a Masters in Business Administration from Touro University.  His awards include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal; and his additional qualifications include Airborne, Air Assault, and Master Aviator Badges.

COL Chase is married to his High School sweetheart, Ann Marie, and they are blessed with five children: Gavin, Ian, Erin, Sam, and Tucker.

Thank you for sharing this Emery, Ken looks like a great kid (look who's calling a full colonel a kid). I compared his picture to your graduation shot in the Howitzer and I can see the connection except for the hair thing. I'll assume he has been thinking too hard to keep a coiffe.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65, 
As you may recall, some time ago I requested input from the offspring of our Classmates for what I called the "Legacy Project". That was intended to allow offspring to share their personal thoughts about their dads. However, there's nothing wrong with looking, with appropriate pride, in the other direction. Recently I heard from Bob Bradley that Reg Drysga's son Brian had just been selected to attend the National War College which, as you probably know, is pretty much a necessary step to the top positions in any of the branches. I contacted Reggie and he was more than willing to share the details of his son's amazing career thus far. So here we have what I can't call brief, because he has done so much in such a short period of time, synopsis of Brian's career. I'll start with a picture of Brian so you can see who we are talking about. He sure looks like his dad, doesn't he?

Brian Dryzga graduated from Penn State in 1996. While a student he joined The Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) which required that he serve two summers of six weeks each at Quantico, VA.  Upon graduation from Penn State he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps.

He then reported to The Basis School (TBS) at Quantico, VA for six months of Rifle Platoon Leader training, a Marine Corps requirement even though Brian was guaranteed Marine Air.

In 1997 he reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, and was designated a Naval Aviator in April of 1999 while earning distinguished honor graduate.

In June of 1999, he reported to HMT-303 @ MCAS Camp Pendleton, and completed initial training in the UH-1N Huey in October, 1999, and reported to HMLA-267.

For the next two years, Brian deployed with HMM-268 (REIN) in support of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operation Capable (SOC) rotation.

In September of 2001 was Brian was selected to attend the Weapons and Tactical Instructor (WTI) course which he completed in 2002.

In January 2003 Brian deployed with HMLA-267 in January, 2003 to Ali Al Salem, Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

From the beginning of the invasion on March 20th of 2003 to the fall of Baghdad on April 9th of 2003, Brian flew 31 combat missions.

In December of 2003, while he remained assigned to HMLA-267, he was selected for a tour at Marine Aviation and Weapons Tactics Squadron-1 (MAWTS-1) .While serving at HMLA-267 as a Pilot Training Officer and Weapons Tactical Instructor, he reported to MAWTS-1 in Yuma , AZ in May of 2004 as an UH-IN Instructor and Division Operations Officer. During this assignment he went back to Iraq and flew combat missions for the purpose of "lessons learned" so that he could better prepare his student pilots who were about to go to Iraq or Afghanistan.

In May of 2007, Brian attended the Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC} in Fort Leavenworth, KS.

In January of 2010 Brian was assigned as the Detachment OIC for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). While attached to HMM-165 (REIN) he served as the ACE Operations Officer, senior Weapons and Tactics Instructor and Air Mission Commander for the Magellan Star counter-piracy mission. The latter made the news as a totally successful recapture of the Magellan Star when a platoon of Force Recon Marines covertly boarded the ship, and the pirates surrendered without a shot being fired.

In December of 2010, Brian returned from the 15th MEU, and was assigned to HMLA - 469 as the future Operations Officer.

In May of 2011, Brian reported to Headquarters Marine Corps, Department of Aviation, Washington, D.C. where he served as APW-71, Action Officer for Aviation Training System (ATS).

In February of 2012 Brian returned to Camp Pendleton to complete his UH-1Y conversion syllabus with HMLAT-303.

In June of 2012, Lt Col Dryzga reported to HMLA-267 for duty as Commanding Officer.

In December of 2013, Lt Col Dryzga relinquished Command, and was assigned as the 1 Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Director of Engaged Leadership.

On April 10th of 2014, Brian's former squadron HMLA-267, Marine Air Group (MAG)-39 was the recipient of the Commandant's Aviation Trophy for the 3d Marine Air Wing (MAW). At this Awards Ceremony, Lt Col Dryzga, MAG-39, was the recipient of the annual Alfred A. Cunningham Marine Aviator of the Year award for the 3d Marine Air Wing.

Lt Col Brian Dryzga was selected to attend Top Level School (TLS) at the National War College in Washington, D.C. starting in August of 2014.

Reg was quick to point out that Brian has received some very valuable advice from the likes of Ric Shinseki and Ross Wollen. 

Photo Right: Here we see Reg with Ric and Ross (R to L) (no doubt pondering what sage advice to give Brian).

As Reg pointed out:

Ric was very helpful in advising Brian before he started the Command & General Staff College (CGSC). Additionally, Ross & I visited L t Col Evan Wollen, Ross' nephew, and Brian while they were in the same class @ CGSC. Brian knows that when he needs advice, he goes to the remarkable Class of '65 !!!

Thank you for sharing this, Reg. I think we can all feel some of your pride as we watch Brian's amazing career continue.

This past May, Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Well, they did it again. Susan and Bill Sherrell were kind enough to time their annual gathering at their beautiful Spanaway, Washington home to coincide with my annual summer run to Washington. Bad weather (not all that unusual in the Pacific Northwest) dampened the event somewhat and probably accounted for the fact that there were only seven of us this year. We tried twice to move things outdoors only to be forced back in by another sprinkle. I got a few great shots to share and I'll start with a nice shot of the very gracious host and hostess:

As you may recall, Bill is a bit of a gentle giant whose antics have been highlighted here before and will be again as I get into the upcoming report on the gathering of football players who recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest football games in my memory, the 1964 victory of Army over Navy.

The next photo shows the ladies in our little group socializing while the men took on the difficult task of cooking the most beautiful batch of steaks you ever saw. That's (L to R) Anita Fredricks, my favorite lady, Donna, and our hostess Susan. The next photo shows Tad Ono (our resident wine expert) helping Bill with those great steaks. I have yet to see Tad in any photo where he is not sharing that very recognizable smile.

Next we have Tad (with the ever-present glass of wine) and Grant Fredricks demonstrating the camaraderie so common among those in our Band of Brothers. The final picture came just after I finished off my beautiful cut of steak (and a small second cut). Joining us at the table is Ben, Susan and Bill's grandson, I'll let you decide which one he is.

A great time was had by all. If you find yourself anywhere near the Pacific Northwest when the Sherrells host another gathering, I highly recommend that you go out of your way to join them. Thank you Bill and Susan for another great time.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Bill Sherrell sent me this great report following the Army Football Club (AFC) golf outing. While it's fun to see the guys as they gather for this special 50 year reunion, don't miss the link to the magnificent highlights of the best football game in my memory. Watch it to the end so you can see the tribute to the team from a true Class Act -- Roger Staubach.

Photo: (L to R) are Bill Sherrell, Sonny Stowers, John Carber, Johnie Johnson & Barry Nickerson

Here is Bill's report:

"The Army Football Club has an annual Golf outing and Banquet every July. This year 300 former players attended and heard the new coach and Superintendent address changes in the football program.  Coach Monken has enrolled approximately 50 in the new prep school located at West Point, similar to the AF football program. They changed the summer military training program so the players will be practicing football beginning June 15th till the beginning of the season (7 weeks) similar to the Navy and AF programs.

Friday night the 1964 Army team had a banquet celebrating the 50th Anniversary of our victory.  This was my first AFC attendance. I just retired last month.  It was really fun to spend time with guys I hadn't seen in 50 years and especially to spend time with John Seymour and David LaRochelle''.  We shared a rental car and stayed at the same hotel and finished each day at the South Gate Tavern - two great guys who I am proud to call teammate.

The highlight films were really great. They present the '64 victory as vengeance for the unfair 63 loss caused by bad officiating at the end of the game when the officials let the clock run out.

Sonny Stowers '66 Played guard and linebacker was voted defensive player of the game and was featured with a full page photo in Sports Illustrated as a result.  Sonny was probably the best athlete on the team, very fast and played halfback his final two years.

John Carber '66 was a great defensive tackle 6' 6" 250 pounds. Johnnie Johnson '65 played both ways at halfback and defensive back.  And of course. Barry Nickerson '66 kicked the winning field goal.
Clink the link to see the "64 game highlights!  http://www.vimeo.com/97041286

Go Army!  Beat Navy and Air Force!

wwsherrell@aol.com
Bill Sherrell"

Thank you Bill, good stuff!

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

I'm beginning to feel pretty lazy given that the most challenging thing I seem to get into recently is a long drive or a round of golf. Some guys clearly have no interest in slowing down at all. I'm thinking of John Howell with his exciting, albeit possibly ill-advised surfing adventure, Denny Coll, Ron Williams, Norm Eckstein, and Bruce Marshal last year with their 300+ mile bike ride, Dick Williams with his many sky diving jumps, and now Bruce Marshal with another long bike ride. Sorry if I missed others who continue to beat up on their aging bodies. Anyway, Bruce has provided a great report regarding his current big challenge which he is experiencing as we speak. Here is his report:

Photo Right: Bruce on Timms Hill, WI

"To follow-up the Georgetown to Pittsburgh ride with Denny, Ron & Norm last August, I decided to ride this!  There are a few differences 418 mi. versus 330 mi. last year; no shade this year versus lots of nice shade last year; 10,000 + participants this year vs. 4 last year; tent camping this year vs. Bed & Breakfasts last year.  Website last year: http://www.wp65bikeride.info/ or www.freeappcat.com/wp65bikeride (once the domain name expires). Website this year for those who may have even a passing interest: http://www.wp65biker.net/ or www.freeappcat.com/wp65biker

I plan to see Denny on the way back East from Guttenberg, IA on Saturday, July 26th.

Photo Left: Bruce on Mount Arvon

Looking back over what I just wrote, I'm kind of thinking, "Are You Crazy?" Well, we'll see!

By the way I've now done 35 State Highpoints, having picked up Timms Hill, WI & Mount Arvon, MI (in the Upper Peninsula) on Wednesday."

Well done Bruce we look forward to one or two more reports along the way.

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Frank Arnall very kindly sent me this message with the following photo to make sure I was aware of the great Wheels for Warriors program. His comments:

Susan and I were in Tampa yesterday to see Mary Kay Salamone present two modified Honda Pilots to two of our amazing NCO's who lost the use of their legs in IED attacks in Afghanistan. I met Mary Kay at Rance's funeral and she told me about the work of the charity she runs to support our soldiers. I believe she has enabled 35 gifts of vans and SUV's that have been modified to accommodate the particular wounds of each soldier. She arranged prepayment of 6 months of USAA insurance and gave a $500 check for gas. John could not be there but it was thrilling to see his bride of 46 years change the mobility options of 2 of our young heroes and their families. The '65 ers continue to serve in so many ways that make us all proud! S&D, Frank

Photo Right: (L to R) Susan, Frank, and Mary Kay in front of one of the modified Honda vehicles.

Following receipt of Frank's report, I called Mary Kay to request that she give me a report of her own about her charity so I could share it with all of you. She was very reluctant because the last thing she wants is to draw any of the focus to herself rather than to the true heroes, the wounded warriors and their families who have given so much to all of us and our country. Fortunately, I was able to employ my gift of gab (I have kissed the Blarney Stone) and persistence to talk her into sharing some information about her charity and some pictures of this recent effort. She didn't even want me to ask for your support, as she gets so much just by word of mouth from those who want to do something for our wounded warriors.

I asked Mary Kay to just tell us how she got started and a little about her organization. Her comments:
"In the fall of 2005, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, I was waiting for a shuttle to take me from the guest house to the hospital to visit the wounded.  For thirty minutes as I sat at the bus stop shelter, I did not see a single troop who wasn't in a wheelchair or was not missing multiple limbs. Because my sons were both deployed at the time, I wondered if John and Steve were injured and needed a wheelchair, how they would get around.  Most wheelchairs wouldn't fit in their small Hondas.

The more research I did, the more I realized this was a major need not only for the wounded troop, but also for their families. Without an adapted vehicle that could handle a wheelchair, many of the wounded never were able to leave the hospital grounds. Many of the wounded were at the hospital for months, some even over a year as they were treated for their injuries.

When I returned from San Antonio, I approached my Board of Directors and my membership and explained that we needed to address this situation. After lots of research and education about mobility equipment, in April of 2006, we presented our first Wheels for Warriors adapted vehicle to a young soldier that had been injured when his Humvee was hit by an IED. He had lost sight in one eye, had a traumatic brain injury and was paralyzed on his left side.  We presented the vehicle (a new Dodge Caravan) to him and his wife and two little daughters.  Seeing the smiles on their faces, I knew the Wheels for Warriors program was going to make a difference in every family that received one of our vehicles.

Since 2006, the Wheels for Warriors program have presented 35 new adapted vehicles.  At first we presented minivans, but our last four vehicles have been adapted Honda Pilots which can accommodate seven passengers.

To be considered for a Wheels for Warriors vehicle, our criterion is twofold.     
1)    Must be a service member in the United State Military
2)    Must have been wounded or injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.
We have presented vehicles to members of the Army, Navy Medics and Marines.
We have been fortunate to have presented our vehicles at an Army football game at West Point, at the Naval Academy, and at the Army/Navy game in Baltimore. We have given vans at Walter Reed, in Tampa at the VA Poly trauma center, in Wisconsin, Texas, Tacoma, Washington, Pensacola, Florida, MacDill AF Base at the Ranger and Seal Memorial and Fort Drum, just to name a few.  As long as we have funds, we will continue to help our severely wounded.  If there is anything else you might want to know, please don't hesitate to call me.

To be a member of our organization, you must have or had someone in your family who has served in the military.  Operation Support Our Troops, Inc. is an all-volunteer 501©3 nonprofit organization.  We depend on donations, but do not solicit funds. People hear about what we do for the injured and continue to support our efforts with donations.  Because we are all volunteers and have no paid staff, over 98% of our donations go directly to help our troops that are still deployed as well as to purchase vehicles for the wounded. The class of '65 has been very generous to my organization.
Most of our Wheels for Warriors recipients are young enlisted troops so when they receive a vehicle from us, there is no expense for the service member.  We pay the vehicle insurance for six months.  We also cover the registration, sales tax and title. The vehicles always have leather interiors and are equipped with a GPS. When we present the keys, they are ready to drive off the lot with absolutely no expense to the recipient.

It has been such a privilege for my organization to be able to try to make life a little easier for our most severely wounded. Having their own vehicle gives the troop some of the independence and freedom they lost when they were injured. It's just a small way of thanking them for serving our country."

The most recent two recipients of these great vehicles are highlighted here. First we see the two vehicles with some major modifications.

These pictures are of SGT Austin Burchard and his wife Donna and Ann Mayo who makes a quilt for each one of our recipients in memory of her brother who served in Vietnam and died from his injuries. Austin is paralyzed from the waist down and has numerous internal injuries. He was with the 10th Mountain Division when he was injured in Iraq. The next shot shows Austin in his new vehicle.

This next picture is of SFC Dustin Magner, his wife Rebecca, their ten year old son, James, and their three week old twins, Michael and Maia, as well as Ann Mayo. Dustin was injured in Iraq with the 10th Mountain Division. He is paralyzed from the chest down. Both Dustin and Austin are able to drive with hand controls. They were both injured when their vehicles were hit by IEDs. Dustin and Rebecca were one of the first couples to be selected for a pilot program with which the VA would pay for them to receive in vitro fertilization for service members who are paralyzed from the chest down. How blessed they are to have these precious twins. The next shot shows Dustin working his way into the driver's seat.

Finally a great group picture with Mary Kay and Frank behind the true heroes.

 Thank you gentlemen for your incredible service and sacrifice for us and our country. And thank you Mary Kay for your terrific work to help these true heroes. If you would like to share a personal "thank you" with Mary Kay, her e-mail address is: jsalomone@gmail.com

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,

Bruce Hulin shared this note with the comment, "Thought this might interest many". I agree.

"Vietnam War TV series coming in 2015!!!

This is a trailer from a documentary that is supposed to air next year ........ 40 years after the fall of Saigon "Welcome Home" is a new series being produced by Sleeping Dog Productions, Inc. It tells the story of Viet Nam Veterans, from all branches of the service.  It is scheduled for release in 2015, the 40th anniversary year of the end of the War. It is a thank you -and a welcome home that is long, long, overdue."

? "Welcome Home" Trailer - YouTube

Classmates, Wives, and Friends of '65,  
 
I'm sorry to have to share some bad news. Actually, I'm proud of John Howell for even thinking about tackling an opportunity to surf a new beach (or any beach for that matter). Unfortunately, this one had some surprises which left him in the hospital with some pretty serious injuries. John Seymour has been very supportive, has visited him in the hospital, and provides this report:

"I talked with John again this morning and he continues to feel a little better each day. He is hoping to be discharged tomorrow to begin his rehabilitation away from the hospital. A week ago John went surfing at a new beach in Laguna Beach, CA, one he was unfamiliar with. It was a good surfing day. John started to catch a ‘good' wave and ended up on the crest of a 6 foot + wave. As he went ‘over the falls' all he could see was sand as the wave had pulled all the water from the beach below. He apparently did a perfect one point landing on his head, severely injuring his neck and knocking himself out. He was pulled from the water unconscious and immediately transported to the nearest Trauma hospital in the area. After evaluation in the Emergency Room John went into surgery where they fused 4 vertebrae in his neck and repaired his neck ligaments. He will tell you he was very lucky.

John has some weakness in his limbs as a result of the injury which will require some extended physical rehabilitation. He has already expressed his determination to get back as quickly as possible to near normal, understanding that the neck fusion will be permanently limiting. When asked about receiving calls he assured me he'd love to hear from classmates, especially volunteers to help with the A-N game festivities this year in Baltimore. He can use some help. His cell phone is 703.424.8598."

Please take the time to give John a call. I know how much a call (especially from a Classmate) can lift the spirits. Also, please consider stepping up to help him any way you can with the gathering for the Army/Navy game this year.

Get well soon, John, we all wish you the very best.

I just received this note from Paul Schultz asking me to share this schedule, which was provided by CPT Graves of the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic (SCPME). Paul points out that: "From my perspective, the first class so early means we need volunteers NOW for the September 4th session.  Please have everyone interested in volunteering contact me with a confirming email ASAP". The contact information for Paul is:
 
Paul Schultz
Class of 65 POC
Office 203-731-3571
Cell     203-919-5600
Home 203-778-9164
E-mail paul@dmapsonline.com
 
CPT Graves message:
 
Gentlemen,
Here are the dates and topics for the fall Leader Challenge events:

Leader Challenge 1
Date: 4 September 2014
Topic "Assault on Trust"
A company commander weighs whether to lift a personnel flag, for compassionate reasons, imposed on Soldier who failed their Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and who was a recent victim of sexual assault.
 
Leader Challenge 2
Date: 2 October 2014
Topic: "Coercing Loyalty
To protect the company commander, a company XO pressures several NCOs to falsify reports on property accountability. What should the NCOs' platoon leader do?
 
If we are told to shift these dates by the Corps of Cadets Operations center then I will immediately send that to you for quick dissemination.
 
As I currently see the event playing out, there will be a prep session the morning of the leader challenge. This event will be facilitated by a representative from the Center for the Advancement of Leader Development and Organizational Learning (CALDOL) and me. CALDOL is the organization who collects and organizes the leader challenge materials. They will be able to brief your class mates on the topics and propose ways in which you classmates can further the learning of the participating Cadets. The actual training event takes place during the Commandant's Hour, and is scheduled for 1250-1345.
 
I look forward to meeting yourselves as well as your classmates during this event. The Leader Challenge events are highlights of the PME2 curriculum and part of that success is due to the ability of the 50 Year affiliates to provide long range context for the discussions the class materials provoke. From a learning theory aspect it is crucial to have experts in leadership share their experiences with up and coming novices. The support and contribution of the 50 Year affiliates accomplishes this crucial learning strategy and contributes to the great success of this program.
 
As we move forward please let me know of any questions, concerns, and needs. I will do my best to find answers and solve the issues. As the logistics of the event become clearer on my end I will communicate information requirements to you all.
 
Again, thank you for your continued support of the PME2 program and the Simon Center. I'm looking forward to seeing you in the fall and do not hesitate with any questions.
 
Respectfully,
Robert B. Graves Jr.
CPT, FA
Education Officer
Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic (SCPME)
United States Military Academy
 
(845) 938-3280 (Office)
(804) 720-1178 (Cell)
robert.graves@usma.edu (Email)
 
If there is any way you can join Paul's group for these events, I recommend you do so. I'm told it is well worth your time and effort.

It is once again my sad duty to inform you of the passing of one of our dear Classmates. This notification is a little unusual in that I only learned of it today when Tom Borkowski actually passed over two months ago on May 6th. Tom saw a doctor in early May only to learn that cancer had consumed most of his body and it was obviously too late to be treated. The quickness of the diagnosis and his passing left his dear wife Robin and his family with such turmoil that notification to his West Point Class was understandably, not high on their list of priorities. Tom Kovach was kind enough to help find this link to an obituary to help get a little better picture of Tom:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/savannah/obituary.aspx?n=thomas-borkowski&pid=170972350

On behalf of the Class, I reached out to Tom's widow Robin, a charming lady, who was quick to help me put together this report of Tom's passing. During our conversation, I invited her to join us for our 50th Reunion next year. I am thrilled to report that she has accepted our invitation and will join us with her daughter Katherine. I also asked her to provide a few words for me to share concerning her husband and her terrible loss. Here is what she had to say:

There are so many things about Tom that I loved and admired during our 43 years together. He was a man of few words who quietly did acts of kindness when he saw a need or could help a friend.  He was a man of honor, a man who knew how to listen and a man who loved his family.

Following the wonderful example of his parents, he was an active volunteer through the years, helping with reading programs, delivering candy at Children's Hospital, rocking babies in the NICU, and assisting families whose children were undergoing cancer treatment.

He fell in love with sailing, the water and fortunately, me in the summer of 1970 while stationed at Ft Lee, Va.  Throughout the years we enjoyed sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, in the Gulf, and most recently in the Savannah waterways.  In his retirement he enjoyed lunch with the guys, lots of beach time, reading, and biking.  Although his death was unexpected and too soon, he lived in a place he loved and most importantly, was loved.

Thank you for reaching out to our family. He loved West Point and all that he learned from his time there. Our daughter Katherine and I look forward to attending next year's reunion -- my first visit.

Robin also found a few photos to help us remember Tom. Here we see him with Robin. And then with his son Matt at Mount Fuji (I understand Matt actually lives in Japan).

And finally here is Tom having just taken the Polar Plunge New Year's Day on Tybee Island, Georgia. You were a better man than I, Gunga Din.

As always, I like to finish this type of report with a reminder of the Tom Borkowski we knew back in the day.

Grip hands my friends as we say good bye to our friend Tom Borkowski. On behalf of the entire Class of 1965 I wish to express our condolences to the family and to Tom - Be thou at Peace -- Well Done!

Ross Wollen shared this 12 minute video with me with the comments: "Bob Jones, ‘our' POW attended both events and approves the sentiments expressed". He also pointed out that Bob has an audio-visual POW display, formerly at the West Point Museum, now in the History Museum in Thayer Hall which we hope to move to the center of our 50th Reunion activities next spring. Here is the video which is well worth your time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LemllfcAY8A&sns=em

After viewing the video I decided to reach out to Bob for his thoughts. He was very quick and kind to share these words with us:

This video certainly brings back a flood of memories of a very joyous time for me.  Coming home after so many years to our wonderful country and celebrating with the President at the White House was beyond our wildest dreams as POW's.  Seeing the video of 40+ years ago and the reunion at the Nixon Library last year, the time in between seemed to have passed in the "blink of an eye" for me, as I'm sure it has for most.  All of us in our great class of 1965 served our country and sacrificed in our own way, many giving the ultimate.  More than anything, the video reminds me how fortunate I am, and in a broader sense, how fortunate we all are to live in this great country.  Let us never forget those who made this possible, especially the brave members of our '65 "Band of Brothers" who gave their all, and so young were taken from us.

Bob

These are the words of a very courageous and amazingly resilient member of our Class. Talk about "Strength and Drive". Once again I find myself humbled and extremely proud to be a Classmate.

Thank you Ross for getting this to me and thank you Bob for sharing your thoughts regarding these extraordinary events.

Dennis Lewis (the son of our Denny Lewis) was kind enough to cc me on a small distribution of this message which was actually sent to Bob Bradley. The question being addressed was clearly, "Has the Corps gone to Hell?" After watching the brief video in the message, and having met many cadets in recent years, my answer would be, while things are clearly easier than they were 53 years ago when we did this, the Rock is still turning exceptional men (and women) who will serve this great nation very well. So, no, different but not gone to hell. Here is the message from Dennis to Bob. I highly recommend taking the time to watch the film clip at the imbedded link:

Yeah, the Corp has. The new cadets are even calling home this weekend for a 2 minute call. And only 2 of them ended up in the hospital from R-Day! I'm sure in your day at least 100 were permanently damaged by now.

http://westchester.news12.com/news/video-reception-day-at-west-point-1.8643476

This is a collection of footage from R-Day. At around 3:21, you can see Madeline walking down the hallway. She's second to last.

A parent posted the picture above from yesterday. Facebook is awesome. She's in the middle, with glasses.

Keep paying your taxes, Bob. She's going to need it!

I wish you all a wonderful day of celebration of our nation's 238th Birthday.

On Friday, June 27th, our own Tom Fergusson was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame at a very special ceremony at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. He was one of eight inductees, four from the 2013 group and four from the 2014 group. The 2013 group was unable to have their induction last year due to budget concerns. Below is a great picture from the back of the brochure, which shows all eight inductees (four of the eight are deceased and were represented by someone close). That's Tom in the lower left of the picture. Next is a scan of the page with the write up about Tom which explains why he was selected for this honor.

The ceremony while quite long (scheduled for 2 hours and 10 minutes but actually only lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes) was extremely well done giving each inductee considerable time to be honored and their contributions to Military Intelligence explained in detail. Below are two pictures of the actual presentations as the Base Commander, Major General Robert Ashley, with his Command Sergeant Major presented the awards. Each Inductee was also awarded the Knowlton Award (an explanation and brief biography of LTC Thomas Knowlton is attached) for their outstanding service to Military Intelligence. As you can see, the Knowlton Award comes with a pretty spiffy ribbon and medallion.

Following the ceremony most of the attendees were bused to a hanger on the flight line where we all enjoyed a sumptuous Mexican (almost sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? But it was very nice) lunch. Below is one of the obligatory pictures (this time in front of pretty large drone) of many of the folks who gathered to salute Tom on his big day. From left to right: John Concannon, June Fergusson, Tom Fergusson, Tom's daughter Robin, Henry Lowe, Annette Lowe, Jose Gonzales, Ana Gonzales, Moi, and Hank Mickells. The picture is being taken by LTG (R) John Pickler which is why I'm in it -- I've learned not to say "no" to folks like him. Finally, we have the guys of '65 surrounding our man of the hour and that's LTG (R) John Pickler standing between Tom and me.

All in all it was a great day and I was proud to be part of this special salute to Tom for his career long contributions to the Military Intelligence community.

I had driven down from Goodyear, to Tucson the day before and spent the night with Hank and Trina in their beautiful home on the north east side of town. On our way back to Tucson from Ft. Huachuca we had only traveled a few miles and were out in the wide open dessert when we came upon a thirty or thirty five foot tall tent like structure (just used to provide shade from the constant sun) where we were checked by the Border Patrol for (I'm guessing) illegal aliens or drugs. Now I'm not the brightest bulb on the string but it struck me that if I was trying to transport such things, I might try to avoid this giant (albeit temporary) monument to our need for border security. No political statement intended here, just an observation for what it's worth.

Hank and I returned to his home in Tucson where we enjoyed another great Tucson restaurant before I returned to Goodyear the next morning. While at their house I insisted on getting at least one picture of them to share. Here they are next the very western looking fireplace in their living room where I was also able to catch a shot of one of the many pieces of rare art that they have collected from around the world. This colorful painting is called "Coyote Survivor" By John Nieto. Hank and Trina (also looking pretty colorful) were the perfect host and hostess as always.

I recently received a brief but very nice note from Bob and Diane Doughty enjoying another visit to Paris. His note:

Diane and I are enjoying another trip to Paris.  Over the past 30 years, we have traveled to France almost every summer and enjoyed the food, wine, walks, and sites. As usual, I am doing research at the Service historique in the Château de Vincennes and Diane is visiting the parks, gardens, and museums.  Neither of us ever gets bored in Paris!

I'm not sure where they are in this picture, but they are obviously happy campers.

Bob followed his comments above with one more quick note that seemed very appropriate to add here:
 
When I see the Impressionist paintings in the Musée d'Orsay, I am always reminded of the Class of 1965.  Up close I can see many ideas, interests, and accomplishments, but when I step back, I can always see "Duty, Honor, Country."

Thanks Bob, for sharing this.

Walter Oehrlein forwarded this great report and pictures to me to share what it was like at this year's Arvin Tribute Dinner.

The Arvin Tribute dinner was held June 21st at Polo Fields-Washtenaw Country Club in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ten area student scholars were awarded $1000 each in memory of our First Captain/Brigade Commander Bob Arvin. Classmates in attendance were guest speaker Tom Abraham, Class Historian Bob Frank, and locals Mitch Bonnett and Walter Oehrlein. The evening before was a 'pre-game' meal, (photo left) with, from left to right standing: Walter Oehrlein, Mitch & Jo Ann Bonnett, Ina & Tom Abraham, and seated: Jim Conley & his guest Dana, and Joe & Dr. Rochelle Anderson. Francie (Walter's wife) is missing from the above photos as 'grandparent duty' surfaced after dinner.

The Saturday agenda included a meaningful visit for the Abrahams with former Navy FB Coach Rick Forzano and his lovely wife Betty at their beautiful lake-front home. Tom reminded Coach of his 'decisive' tackle of Roger Staubach during the 1964 win over the Middies! From there the Abrahams toured the Ypsilanti Historical Museum (Arvin memorabilia on display), and also visited Bob's Ypsilanti High School, the VFW Post named in Bob's honor, and the Ypsilanti Vietnam Memorial.

The dinner was ably MCed by Bob Arvin high school teammate & Foundation Chairman, C. Tino Lambros. The inspiring evening featured an outstanding address by Bob's wrestling partner Tom Abraham, and then the scholarships that now amount to slightly more than $100,000 in these past eleven years. As previously announced, the final dinner of this Foundation will occur in conjunction with '65's 50th anniversary of our graduation. A yearly Arvin award will continue to honor Bob's legacy and you are again asked to consider a donation to endow this wonderful program. (Note the mailing address below should you choose to support the program).

Below (photo right) we see Bob Frank and Tom Abraham joining two members the honor guard from a local Viet Nam veterans group saluting the flag at the beginning of the dinner, followed by a picture of Tom Abraham delivering his speech as the Guest Speaker.

Below we see one of the ten local students, Kyla S. Sylvester from Ypsilanti Community High School, receiving one of the scholarships while Bob Frank and Walter Oehrlein look on (please note the bodacious tie that Walter is wearing which shows his support for Save the Children). And finally a nice group picture with Bob Frank, Bill Nickels (a local Ypsilanti supporter of the Arvin Foundation), Mitch Bonnett, and Walter Oehrlein.

 Should you choose to support please send contributions to:   
Captain C. Robert Arvin Foundation
Attn: Gregory J. Gurka
424 S. Mansfield
Ypsilanti, MI 48197

The Arvin Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Thank You.

Walter Oehrlein

Thank you Walter for sharing this nice report