Terrell, North Carolina 28682
703-473-5322
dgerard@erols.com
www.west-point.org/class/usma/1968
Founder’s Day season has become a great time for mini-reunions – or just catching up. Since Ross Irvin’s bride, Margaret, was in Orlando on business during the North Texas FD celebration at the Prestonwood Country Club in Dallas, other classmates in attendance appointed him group scribe. His diligence, as well as his position as President of the South Texas Federal Credit Union reflected magnificently. The rest of the group are too busy enjoying their leisure time as retirees. Lee O’Reilly is now part-time consultant for Verizon, a semi-pro tennis player, and part-time home engineer for working bride Dianne. Phil Samuel is a full-time home engineer for working bride Linda. And ailing Ed Nelson is a part-time rehabilitation participant supported by caring bride Shirley. Ross reported that the speaker at the dinner was the Commandant, BG Scaparrotti, who gave a great presentation which included a number of inspiring young graduate stories. He said that much of the faculty now had been in Iraq and Afghanistan and that experience is invaluable to share with cadets. The 1968 group could easily imagine General Rogers saying the same thing to West Point Societies in 1968, substituting Vietnam for Iraq.
[Photo #1 – “Ed & Shirley Nelson, Lee & Dianne O'Reilly, Linda & Phil Samuel, and Ross Irvin at the North Texas FD celebration”]
Bob
Shaw sent greetings from New Orleans
– along with a picture of him and Dan Adams at the 2005 Founders Day
celebration there. Joel & Janice Pigott were also there, but didn't
stick around for the photo. Marv Markley wasn't able to join in the
festivities as he was recovering from hip replacement surgery. Bob also
reported that he got an email from George Fravel, who is back in the job
market in Philadelphia.
[Photo #2 – “Dan Adams with Maureen & Bob Shaw at the New Orleans 2005 FD Celebration”]
Chick
James also checked in to report his
attendance at the Omaha FD celebration at the Space and Air Museum. They
brought along special guests, Lyle & Noala Fritz, who are parents of Jacob '05
and Dan '08. Chick’s & Carole’s son, Chad, and his wife still live in Austin,
TX, which makes for a good excuse for the Jameses to visit so Chick can play
golf with Andy Silverthorn. Their daughter, Laura, graduated from the U
of WA with her degree in orthodontics last December and, with her husband, Vince
(also a dentist), is relocating to Omaha.
[Photo #3 – “Carole & Chick James with Noala & Lyle Fritz at the Omaha 2005 FD Celebration”]
Bob Keller
took FD as an opportunity to bring us up to date with classmates in the Orlando,
FL area. Bob is an Associate for O’Connell & Associates working as a
subcontractor to Lockheed Martin on the Common Training Instrumentation
Architecture (CTIA) and Common Training Center Objective Instrumentation System
(CTC OIS) programs. In the last nine years, he has established offices in three
states for various companies. His bride, Jan, is currently running the
Keller family operations and was the assistant to the NSA curriculum Director at
the Naval Postgraduate School in CA. Their two children are on their own –
Kristi teaching in San Mateo, CA and Scott owning his own business in
promotional marketing in San Antonio, TX.
Dick
& Betsy Wiedenbeck live in Windermere, FL (also home to Tiger
Woods – but that fact has not helped Dick's golf game at all). Dick
spent 25 years with Disney and now welcomes Dan Kaufman to
"Retirement Land." Dick and
Gordon Sayre were B4 roommates during our Firstie year. Gordon is a
program manager for SAIC working on the training portion of the Army's Future
Combat 
System,
and has been with SAIC in Orlando for 6 years. Gordie’s bride, Alix,
used to work as the guidance office secretary at Oviedo High School, but now
devotes her time to her family. Their children are all out of the house:
Danielle and Matthew working in Raleigh, NC, Anne in Chicago, and Alexandra in
Orlando.
[Photo #4 – “Dick & Betsy Wiedenbeck, Gordon & Alix Sayre, Dan & Kathryn Kaufman, and Jan & Bob Keller at the Orlando 2005 FD Celebration”]
Last
May, Gordon Tillery and his son-in-law, Jeff Hooper (husband to Gordon’s
and Elsie’s oldest daughter, Stephanie, and father to their first
grandchild, Matthew), along with Jeff’s brother, climbed Mt Hood (OR). Prior to
the climb, Elsie (always the practical one) advised Gordon to ensure his
insurance was paid-up, and went to visit her Mom in OK. They had tried this
climb in 2004, but they were stopped by an ice storm well short of the summit.
As part of their adventure, Gordon discovered muscles that he hadn't used since
Ranger School. When not going off to bond with family on adventure training,
Gordie is part of the class SAIC mob.
[Photo #5 – “Gordon (Sir Edmond) Tillery finding it’s better to scale Mt Hood than Ft Hood”]
If you didn’t get to China within the last four years, you’ve missed being looked after by a classmate. Terry & Kristine Wong are finishing up with Terry’s 4 years there and moving back to Washington, DC for another assignment.
Jim Stefan dropped a note from Forida, where he’s teaches five history and government courses at the University of Tampa. He & Sue echoed that it was so hard to leave Virginia, where they had lived longer than anywhere else in their lives, and make the move for health and family reasons. While they’re still adjusting from the loss of the DC area lifestyle, they’re managing with beaches and proximity to kids and grandkids. If you’d like to test such a lifestyle, Jim & Sue have offered up plenty of room for guests -- with the pool a sliding door away.
Jared Florence wrote to express his understanding of moving issues, having left Manassas after 20 years. After he returned from Iraq, he realized his heart just wasn't in his work. He retired a year ago and moved permanently to Vermont. He married Sandra Lee Estep in Woodstock, Vermont last April – in time to get in a honeymoon to Egypt and Jordan before she had to carry him home from the marchback he made with son, Jonathon, who just finished his Cow year. When he wrote, he was wrapping up three weeks of TDY with the Guard, and going to Purdue to see his older son, Charles, graduate.
Al
Aker dropped a note after a fly-fishing adventure on the Bighorn River in
Montana with Don Davis and Norm Miller. They not only almost
caught up on the past 35+ years, but they caught some fish as well...
[Photo # 6 – “Don Davis, Norm Miller, and Al Aker with Ranger Rations by the Bighorn River”]
Who says it’s too late to have another child?!! Nellie & Ann Laughton recently discovered they had another son, and daughter-in-law and grandson. Contrary to what Nellie had been told by his high school sweetheart, Kenton is actually his son. The discovery process began via the Internet (you can run but can’t hide!), followed by a letter in December, which led to emails between Nellie and Kenton, and culminated with their first meeting at Ft Story, VA in March. The weekend was especially significant as it was Kenton and Allyson’s 10th wedding anniversary. Needless to say everybody experienced the entire gamut of emotions. Since then, they have had two more fabulous weekends together and look forward to many, many more. Nellie & Ann are both extremely joyous at this unexpected event in their lives.
It’s lucky that John & Anne Marie Keane’s son, Jim, has a father-in-law with pull in the Army or his reception could have been a standup affair. Jim married the former Sarah Marchand at the Ft Myer Memorial Chapel in April and their reception was held at the Officers’ Club. Due to increased security and search procedures enacted these days, the van delivering chair covers was also found to be carrying a leafy matter in such quantity as to qualify for other distribution. After a discussion with the father of the bride (#2 man in the Army JAG Corps), the covers were delivered prior to the deliverers being taken into custody. Ed Thal verifies that John is recovering well from last year’s bypass surgery, but John deferred to Anne Marie to coordinate parents of the groom activities.
[Photo #7 – “Ed & Peggy Thal, Anne Marie Keane, Sarah (Marchand) & Jim Keane, John Keane, Barbara Gerard, and Jon Dodson at Jim’s and Sarah’s wedding last April”]
Don’t let up, Rabble. While we’ve made some great strides toward fulfilling our class gift obligations (not only coming up with the funds, but doing it as a class), we still have a ways to go. I know that, with all your adventures during the summer you’ve thought of classmates and the class a lot. Share your adventures, thoughts, and some of what a West Point education and class bonds helped you attain because YOU’RE ALL WE’VE GOT. Dave