Terrell, North Carolina 28682
828-478-9813
gerardd@charter.net
www.west-point.org/class/usma/1968
Two important weddings held at West Point were reported this period. On May 29, Geroge Shoener married Andrea Cree, a nurse where George is Director of Facilities Management at Shore Health System in Easton, MD. Monte Anderson was the Best Man and Andrea’s son gave her away. Their reception, that included a gaggle of friends and family, was held at the train station. It was wonderful to hear that a prepschool classmate has found happiness again, and continues to be so productive and giving. They’ll continue to reside on the Eastern Shore.
[Photo #1 – “Andrea and George Shoener”
A
week later, Dutch & Megan Hostler produced and directed a
multi-day wedding celebration for son, David, and his bride Kim. David’s
brother, Christopher, this year’s Cadet Honor Captain, was David’s Best Man –
and Cadet Music soloist. The gala brought lots of folks together to cheer on
the newlyweds, celebrate our time together, and catch up on relationships,
adventures, and nuances. Since classmates who have been instrumental in each
other’s marriages and lives attended, the
gathering at West Point evoked a lot of excitement and emotion. Furthermore,
because David’s and Christopher’s classmates were involved, we learned what
medical students, lieutenants, and cadets experience these 
days.
We even learned – first hand for a couple of classmates
– a new term in the cadet lexicon – “party shrapnel.” However, I’m not sure the
phrase has made it in to Bugle Notes. The phrase was articulated by one
of David’s classmates shortly after one of
Christopher’s classmates asked Dutch, Pete Wallace, and Joe
Fowler if they had room on their seats for some reception food and a six
pack. Our classmates naively thought the cadet was describing pre-ingested
fare. Needless to say, each event brought
back a flood of memories – some about nights we can’t remember with friends
we’ll never forget.
[Photo #2 –“At the Hostler Wedding Reception: Seated: Julia Bodenhamer, Joyce Hansen, Barbara Gerard, Cookie Roberson, Barbara Fowler, and Barbara Wallace; Standing: Jim Bodenhamer, Orca the Lake Norman Whale, Dale Hansen, Dutch & Megan Hostler, Christopher Hostler, David & Kim Hostler, Gary Roberson, Joe Fowler, and Peter Wallace”]
Prior to attending the Hostler wedding, Peter & Barbara Wallace flew in from London and had dinner with Bill & Jane Bachman. Bill is still recovering from a surprise 60th birthday present from daughter, Kara, who contacted Bill’s classmates, Army buddies, and faculty mates to send remembrances and good wishes so she could compile them in a book. After the wedding, they moved on to Florida to see grandkids, oh yeah, and daughter too since Steve is deployed. Pete is still coming to grips with retirement. While they’ve set up temporary housekeeping in London, they’re thinking of an additional lap around the world in search of something else to do.
Joe & Barbara Fowler took time out from their busy academic, professional, golf, and family schedules to attend the Hostler celebration. Joe continues to lend reason and credibility to the overall labor movement and was kind enough to comment that retirement had defined the shape I was in – round.
Jim & Julia Bodenhamer took copious notes on the formal wedding. Their daughter, Juliana, met and fell in love with a classmate in, of all places, their branch basic course, and got married by a Justice of the Peace to ensure concurrent assignment. Their wedding present from Uncle Sugar was Hawaii. Now, Jim & Julia are planning a formal announcement and reception because they’re tired of just blowing money in the stock market and on gas, and want to use up the rest of their retirement on a hefty bar bill.
Gary & Cookie Roberson are still trying to keep up with their kids. Will hired Cookie to keep his books and run distribution operations for his high tech paintball computer chip company. Gary helps out with distribution when he’s not working at his day job dealing with commercial real estate in the Pittsburgh area. Of course, their activities still include getting back to Hawaii as much as possible to visit Kristi and Fabio, and traveling to Asheville to visit Gary's family and get reacquainted with Carolina Barbeque.
Since they live in NYC, Dale & Joyce Hansen had the shortest driving distance to the wedding. Dale is the VP of Operations for Command Line Corp., a software firm in Edison, NJ, and Joyce is the Sr VP/Deputy General Counsel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in NYC. Much of our conversations included the good work Dale and Dutch are doing for West Point and the class (we’re fortunate to have such great classmates living so close to The Rock), and reliving the last year’s Alaska cruise, and associated tales that won’t find their way to print.
Not
to be outdone by Peter & Barbara Wallace with their around the world jaunts,
Chris Ohlinger has done them one better. In June, Chris and his 14 year-old
son, Mack (“eight years of schooling and works cheap”) began their odyssey
around the world – on someone else’s tab. Debbie is not accompanying the
boys – opting to either stay home and look after the horses or travel with
fanatics with bird flu – smart lady. Chris heads up Service Industry Research
Systems (SIRS) – a company that researches stores of all types through the eyes
of the consumer. As part of his work, he has discovered that it’s really tough
to come up with a great boondoggle,
although he has managed to garner a few to Disneyworld, Las Vegas, NYC, LA, New
Orleans, Chicago, Paris,
London, and NE Washington, DC. This boondoggle is designed to take them around
the world observing the best practices of successful foreign
concerns for adoption into domestic and international enterprises. So far, they
have already visited Shannon, Kilarney, Dublin, North Wales,
Edinburgh, York, Stratford,
Bath, and London without
offending too many people. However, once, while dining at a Middle Eastern
restaurant in London, the
militant/waiter noticed that he was wearing his one
USMA shirt and asked if he was
“associated with this institution.” He felt his response should be: “As a
Canadian, I had a high
ranking American General pen pal that I was trying to convert to be a traitor.”
However, he actually admitted to being a graduate and suffered the consequences
– more food and the admiration of his son. When they hit Berlin,
Mack’s
interest in visiting museums grew dramatically
when he found out that the Erotic Museum is the fifth most
visited one in Germany and features activities that we only heard about during
the Firstie Trip to Ft Bliss and Juarez.
[Photo #3 – “Mack and Chris Ohlinger with a coalition man in uniform in London”]
John & Margie Hedley
continue to entertain and lodge classmates in the Charlotte/Lake Norman area.
During this reporting period, Jim Altemose stopped in while doing
Raytheon business in the area to drop off some Scottish single malt nectar that
he had taken home during John’s
and Margie’s transition back from Tokyo. As a result of Jim’s weekend
divergence from regular business, he and John dug up some extra business
opportunities for Raytheon and a little extra sun for Jim. A couple of weeks
later, Craig Carson showed up with a couple of probing question – “How
can I get my world class plastics operation in Indianapolis recognized by the
Federal Government, and how can I come to Lake Norman more?” John is already
helping with both. While visiting, they met with some Government reps that are
going wild over Craig’s new pallet designs and environmentally friendly
construction.
[Photo #4 –
“Jim Altemose and John Hedley at Lake Norman”]
[Photo #5 – “John Hedley, Craig Carson, and Free Willy in Denver, NC”]
[Photo #6 – “Don Davis and Jon Dodson at the Class DC area Inn and Dodson
Compound”]
Not to be outdone as an innkeeper, Jon Dodson wrote in that he hosted John Hoffman, a Poopschool classmate who left early, and Don Davis, who retired from the FBI after coordinating aviation assets for the Olympics in Salt Lake City. John Hoffman lives in Denver, CO, while Don Davis moved to Hamilton, MT – about , 50 miles south of Missoula. – to coordinate classmate fly fishing events. Al Aker and Norm Miller can attest to the beauty of Don’s corner of the world.
Joe Henry forwarded a cybersite from the Rocky Mountain News that showcases Bob Uhler and the job he has done since being President and CEO of MWH Global, Inc. a hydro environmental engineering firm that has 190 offices in 34 countries, and moving it to Denver, CO. The company does everything from helping clean up New Orleans after Katrina last year to building aquariums and attractions such as Epcot and Sea World, and heading an effort to add 500,000 square feet to the Las Vegas Convention Center. Mike Fellows is another important member of Bob’s organization. It’s great to see that while some folks sit back and watch the world go around, classmates like Bob and Mike make it turn.
[Photo #7 – “Hal Timboe and Bob Uhler at our 35th Reunion”]
The new coin list is out and we’re technically getting closer to our
class gift goal – if all pledges are kept. As we’ve said before, reversals of
fortune drive some pledges down, and we need others to step up and cover
shortfalls. We also need to add to our pledge to adequately memorialize our
rotunda. Dutch Hostler and Pres Miller have enhanced giving
opportunities by having each classmate who actually participates in this year’s
plebe marchback march in memory and recognition of a classmate lost to us by
action in Vietnam. You can not only give
as a virtual marcher, but also give even more to honor our fallen classmates.
We are close to our goal and getting down to the home stretch, Rabble, and we
still need to dig a little deeper. While all the names on the coin list are
familiar, we still need some more. Many of the names do not belong to our most
financially comfortable classmates – they’re folks who don't necessarily have
the best of everything, but they know how to make the
best of everything. More of you should be on that list and hold our coin.
Yeah, I know, the cost of living hasn't affected its
popularity. Surround yourself with what you love – classmates, family,
pets, music, friends, and the knowledge that you backed the class and our Alma
Mater. Please join the fair share givers, or
at least join the classmates who have given because YOU’RE ALL WE’VE GOT.