

17 AUG 2017 Update31 JUL 2017 Update24 APR 2017 UpdatePlease continue with the writting of your own memorial article in three copies...provide one to your next of kin, one here, and one with AOG (we can help). With everyone taking part we will be successful in Memorializing every deceased classmate. Rich and Inez Cardillo 26 MAR 2017 UpdateCongratulations to all for this great effort. Here are the names of those whose article will appear in Taps 2017: Bates, Eddins, Franklin, Frear, Graham, William, Gunderson, Henry, Hergenroeder, Johnson Charles, McClelland, Patton, Perkins, Poirier; Regnier, Roberts, Benjamin, Robertson, F; Rumsey, Sechrist, Shimunek, VandenBosh, Waterstrat, West, and Hodgson (Ex 55) We are also making strides with 'Living Memorials'. We have on file eighteen (18) such articles. We can do much better here. As an example of the value of living articles is the passing of Joe Franklin. He had submitted his article months ago and at his passing it was activated and his Memorial Article will appear in Taps 2017. *Please take the time to prepare your own Living Memorial *and e-mail it to me. I will then file it and activate it when appropriate. The AOG has also agreed to accept Living Memorials..however in order to keep track of the progress, send me the Article and I will get it to AOG. Get it done now. This should be on your priority list. Rest assured you have a very committed working group and with your assistance we will get every deceased classmate in Taps! Rich and Inez 10 MAR 2017 UpdateDue to the efforts of many members of our Class, their wives, and their children the Class of 1955 will have a minimum of twenty one (21) memorial articles included in Taps 2017. This is a significant improvement over the one article in Taps 2016. However; the loss of eighteen classmates in the same time - frame means we have a net gain of three (3).(We will provide the names of those Classmates whose Memorial Article are included in Taps 2017 when received.) We are all aware that our loss rate will increase. Unless we tackle the issue now, the last surviving member of our Class will be left with an enormous burden. The solution is obvious: Each surviving Classmate must write their own Memorial Article! Once completed it would be wise to make three copies: keep one, provide one to your next of kin, and send one to your Memorial Committee. (Inez and I).In addition to your Memorial Article also have your next of kin (wife or children) complete the Memorial Article Inventory Sheet (copy to follow). Both the Article and the Inventory Sheet are required for publication. Outline for the Memorial Article: Life before West Point; Life at West Point; Your military career, Life after your military service. Try to keep it to 800-900 words and write it like a Celebration of Life...not an obituary! Preparing your Memorial Article and the Inventory Sheet must be a priority. It is the only way we can be assured a place in Taps 2018 is reserved for us. Your Committee recommends you do this ASAP, but not later than July 30, 2017. We are here to assist. Rich and Inez Cardillo 6 FEB 2017 UpdateHowever this is just the start ...we still have *over one hundred Classmates without a Memorial Article*, which means we have to double and triple our efforts. To do so requires an increased effort by the living members of the Class. We previously requested assistance from our Cadet chain of command...hopefully this generates more interest and increased results. I have been advised by members of our current working group that it would increase our output if we reach down to each cadet lettered company. We believe this has merit and we are*asking for two volunteers from each of the lettered companies* to assist your committee. Please send your consent to volunteer to us and we will help with your efforts. These *volunteers are NOT asked to write the Memorial article**but to assist the next of kin* in completing the Memorial Article. Once we receive the names we will provide the details and the guidance necessary to produce the Memorial Article. We realize we are getting beyond the 'volunteer' stage but help is needed and our efforts must be increased. There is one other thing we can do to 'stem the tide'..*WRITE OUR OWN MEMORIAL ARTICLE* !!! This is the only way we can be certain that we do not add to the growing number of overdue memorial articles.We suggest you write your memorial article and prepare three (3) copies. Provide one copy to your next of kin, one copy to your Committee, and one copy to the AOG. Remember,your memorial article is not an obituary it is a 'Celebration of Life'. It should highlight your achievements before West Point, at West Point, during your military career, and finally during your retirement years. Be positive!!! In summary: our efforts are increasing and we are getting better results,.... but have a long road ahead. With your help we will be successful in honoring every deceased classmate with a Memorial article in Taps. -Rich 16 JAN 2017 UpdateOur living members are becoming fewer and fewer and the pace will accelerate. To stem the tide lets all prepare our own Memorial Article and make it available to this Committee and to your loved ones. I suggest three copies be prepared: one for your next of kin; one for this committee, and forward one to the AOG (I can help here). In addition there is an Inventory Sheet Memorial Article Inventory Sheet that must accompany the Memorial Article. We have made a good start..now lets be sure we finish what we started..'One hundred percent of our Classmates Memorialized in Taps." Serving Proudly Rich and Inez Cardillo 6 OCT 2016 UpdateWe currently have submitted one article for publication; we are in the final stages with five (5) others and are working with LCA's on many more. However; we have over thirty others that require our attention. *AND THE LIST GROWS! * We have put great emphasis on the role of the Class LCA and for good reason. The LCA is our link to the next of kin of our deceased Classmate. It is he who, when the time is right, can work with family members, classmates, company or team mates and*assist* in the preparation of the Memorial Article. Notice we said 'assist' in the preparation. LCA's are not expected to write the article (although they may do so) they are to assist in the preparation of the memorial article. As important, or maybe more so, is the very important task of getting next of kin approval of the completed Memorial Article by having the next of kin complete the Inventory Sheet which includes the next of kin approval to publish the Memorial Article. Without this, the Article cannot be published. The bottom line is the LCA is crucial to the process of memorialization. Finally: we are in the process of 'Memorialization' of our deceased Classmates and not writing their 'obituary'!!! The final product should be more of a Celebration Of Life. I suggest that the contents of the Memorialization follow this format: Life before West Point; Life at West Point; Military Service Life; and finally life after Military Service. Ideally each section would be two-hundred words long for a total of 800-900 words. This is not hard and fast but it is a good guide. Many of our Classmates have volunteered to assist in the writing of the memorial articles and it is greatly appreciated. However... our requirement increases almost weekly and the writing requirement increases with it. In our opinion, the best way to address this issue is by everyone writing their own memorial article. Using the format above, take the time to put in writing your memorial article. Many of our classmates have done so and many have sent us copies which we put in our file cabinet. It is not necessary that we get a copy. But if you desire we will maintain a 'second' depository. The AOG will also accept and file your Memorial Article. Just keep us informed. The bottom line is we have scratched the surface but need to do better. Inez and Rich 25 JUL 2016 UpdateWe need to update the list of Classmates currently involved with the writing of a Memorial Article and those who would like to get involved with this effort. If you are currently involved in writing a Memorial Article...please let us know who you are writing the article on and the status of your effort. If you would like to write the Memorial Article on a deceased Classmate..let us know and we will assist. We are hopeful that we complete 18-20 Memorial Articles for submission in the 2017 Issue of Taps.To do so we need to get the involvement of 20-30 Memorial writers. Finally....please take the time to write your own Memorial Article. This certainly assists your next of kin and your Memorialization Committee. We know we can count on you: Rich and Inez 21 JUN 2016 UpdateWe have various pieces of information about classmates preparing Memorial Articles for deceased classmates. Just so we do not duplicate the effort, *please do the following:* 1. *If you are involved with writing a memorial article*, please provide your committee with; 1. Whom are you preparing the article for? 2. Where are you in your preparation? 3. How can your committee assist? 2. If you are not currently involved in preparing an article, *would you volunteer t*o write a memorial article for a deceased classmate? Who? Getting approval from the next of kin, to publish memorial articles is an ongoing problem. Before the AOG can publish a memorial article, it MUST have the approval of the next of kin. Please include the approval document, found on the AOG website, with your completed article. Should this be a problem, get your committee involved. Your committee has nine,(9) memorial articles on hand that require approval from the next of kin. to clear the backlog, we will be sending these completed articles to the Local Class Agent, LCA, who represented the class at the time of death of our classmate. We will be counting on this in addition to the duties of the LCA, to expedite the approval process. Lastly, one of your committee members, (Ed Trobaugh) is getting our Cadet Chain of Command to 'supervise' the production of memorial articles in the Battalion/Company, they commanded as Cadets. This is a great way to involve leadership in this effort. I would like to see Corps. Regimental, Battalion, and Company Commanders get involved in the class effort. Let me hear from you with your ideas. Your committee will keep you posted as we go along. You will see very little progress in the 2016 issue of TAPS. We will have only have one article published, (John Martling). By the time, your current committee was formed and organized, we had already passed the deadline for the 2016 issue of TAPS. We will do better, only with your help. Finally, *we request and URGE all surviving classmates to write their own memorial article, and send it to the committee.* Also, include an AOG approval form, signed by the next of kin. This will expedite the future publication of the article. I currently have ten, (10) on hand. Your committee is dedicated to reducing our backlog of 139 articles, by 50% NLT Feb. 2, 2017. To do so requires the participation of every living classmate. With your help we will be successful. Respond to: Mtnhaus@aol.com Rich Cardillo 4 APR 2016 UpdateWe would like*every living member of the Class to take a few moments and write their own Memorial Article.*Recently, four Classmates have done so..Joe Franklin, Rich Miller, Todd Graham, and yours truly.. The format is as follows..A total of 750-850 words; cover four areas: life before West Point;Your West Point experiences; Your military experiences; and finally life after your military service. I have added the first draft of my Memorial Article to this message as an example. I am working with AOG to determine where these 'living' Memorial Pages should be maintained.. Rich and Inez Memorial of Richard G CardilloIn 1947 he entered Clifford Scott High School where he excelled on the fields of friendly strife and took the easiest academic route to graduation. (This 'formula' would soon result in great difficulty when looking at a higher education).It was also at this time that he met Inez W Stewart andbegan a relationship culminating in marriage that would produce two children, Rich and Robert, and would span a generation. Rich would excel in athletics receiving state and regional recognition. He was recruited by the universities of Pennsylvania, Rutgers, Yale, Princeton and Tennessee. In February 1951 he accepted a football scholarship to attend the University of Pennsylvania. However, in March of 1951 he was visited by Captain John Greene and Mr Vince Lombardi. They offered Rich an opportunity to play football at West Point. To prepare for the Entrance Exam they suggested he attend an Athletic Department - run prep school at West Point to prepare him for the exam to be given in June 1951.After consulting with his parents and receiving an appointment from his Congressman he proceeded to West Point where for the next three and a half months at the 'West Point Prep School' he crammed for the West point Entrance Exam. On June 10, 1951 he took and passed the WP Entrance Exam and on July 4 1951 was sworn in as a member of the West Point Class of 1955. In September of 1951 academics began. For the next two and a half years Rich's poor academic background resulted in his not meeting academic standards in Math, English, Russian Language and Mechanics of Fluids. However with the assistance of classmates, active duty professors and Inez a passing grade was achieved in every course offered. Athletics continued to play a major role as a Cadet. He was a three sport athlete competing in football, basketball and baseball. He received Major 'A's in basketball and baseball and was elected captain of the 1955 Baseball Team. Graduation from West Point and marriage to Inez thereafter became our goal which was achieved on June 7 1955. Immediately after graduation we were united in marriage in the West Point Chapel. Our marriage would last thru eternity (for over 63 years) and result in the birth of our two son's, Rich in 1956 and Robert in 1963, six grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren. Rich selected Infantry as his branch of choice at graduation. This would be short lived as the Infantry Branch did not meet Rich's needs. In 1957 while stationed in Alaska he was asked to command a tank platoon in Company D, Fortieth Armor. Rich accepted, transferred branches to Armor and for the next twenty eight years his military career would be centered on Armor and Cavalry. Highlights of Rich's Armor/Cavalry career include two tours in Germany, a lieutenant leading a Beachcomber Patrol from Cape Prince of Whales to Nome Alaska which included a mission to maintain communications with the USS Nautilus as it made its way under the ice - cap to the North Pole; as a Major he was assigned to West Point as an instructor the Department of Physical education. Assigned to Vietnam in 1969 he saw to the introduction of new equipment to Vietnam and was tasked with the reorganization of the theater as the US forces began their departure from Vietnam. He continued to serve in various command positions leading in 1978 to Command of the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment. During this tour he was designated as the Test Director for the operational testing of the XM1 later designated as the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. This effort culminated in the successful introduction of the Abrams as the army's main battle tank. Promoted to Brigadier General in 1980 he was selected as Deputy Commander of the US Army Pacific, then as the Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver) of the Eighth Infantry Division and finally in 1983 as Chief of Staff of the VII US Corps in the Federal Republic of Germany where he oversaw the development ofplans for the defense of West Germany In JULY 1985,having achieved his lifelong goal of commanding soldiers in peace and war as a 2^nd Lieutenant and General Officer, Rich decided it was time toretire and he and Inez returned to their home in Colorado. However retirement was short lived. In early 1986 Rich was selected as the Associate Athletic Director of Student Services and Non- Revenue Sports. Rich accepted this challenge and for the next fifteen years led the effort to better serve the recruited athletes at the University of Colorado. He retired from the University of Colorado in 1999 and he and Inezbecameactive supporters of Colorado and Army athletics. 22 March 2016 UpdateIdeally the articles should be between 700 and 1000 words and include a picture of the deceased..usually the picture is a Cadet picture from the Howitzer Four areas should be included : pre West Point; West Point; military service; and post military history. *Most of the pre West Point info can be obtained thru family, roommate, teammate. *West Point info can be obtained from roommates, classmates, and teammates. *Military service is found in the DD214/and or the Register of Graduates book. (I found the Register of Graduates to be very helpful and in many cases complete.) *For life after military service, The Register of Graduates is also a great source . Certainly the next of kin is the best source for info before and after military service. It would be ideal for the article be written by a family member of the deceased. In many cases the family defers to a friend or roommate. In the latter case it is important that the next of kin OK and authorize the input. In this regard I suggest that the Class Rep at each classmates funeral be instructed to identify the family point of contact for the memorial article. This will speed up the process. I found that the article can be developed based on the OBIT published in the local paper..in fact Leo Hergenroeder's and Dick Regnier's articles come entirely from this source. Many of you may have some additional ideas on how to proceed. Please share them with your Committee. It will be greatly appreciated. As we go down the line we will keep you appraised. Rich and Inez Cardillo 3 March 2016 UpdateI have two monitors and am looking for 4-6 more volunteers. If interested please let me know. I would also like to know who, if anyone, is working on a Memorialization article for a classmate listed below A-1....Greene,Jerry, Thomer,Joe, Lewis,Jerry, Herdman,Larry----- B-1....Sechrist,John----- C-1....Sietman,John, Bates,Quent, Hayes,Eck, McClelland,Bob, Passafiume,John, Isbell,Don, Phillips,Fred, Murphy,Jim----- D-1....Pirtle,Jim, Parks,Bill, Tebodo,Lou, Eddins,Jim----- E-1....Singer,Earl, Olive,Lew, Nidever,Ed----- F-1....Gilpatrick,Dave, Johnson,Jim, Sanderson,Sandy, Gunderson,Ray----- G-1....Rule,Ron, Bouchard,Phillipe(self-written), Anderson,William, Massey,Clyde, Blitch,George----- H-1....McNiven,Ronald, Gamble,John, Longbottom,Dean, Town,Jim, Harris,Bill----- I_1....Roberts,Buddy, Cairns,Ron----- K-1....Hock,Bill, Law,Don, Napier,Jim, Gransback,Don, Flemimg,Woody----- L-1....Hamilton,John, Floyd,Lee, Leventis,John, Hergenroeder,Leo, Boyd,Perry, Malooley,Mike M-1....Denman,Jerry, Ikeda,Ken, Robertson Frank, Turner,Tom A-2....Jellsion,Don, Auger,Tom, Stemle,Dick B-2....Poirier,Jack, Straus,George, Waterstrat,Rod, McKelvey,Bob, Shimunek,Dick C-2....Henry,Ralph, Jones,Warren, Miller,John, Hargrove,Dick, Hodges,Russ, McCrillis,Walt, Stoeckel,Chuck D-2....Erminger,Donnie, Jefferies,Paul, Stern,Wynne, Russell,Bob, Stockett Lawrence, Bundren,Al, Coyle,Bud E-2....York,Mick, Murray,Ron F-2....Symonds,Charles, McDonald,John, O'Brien,Frank G-2....Wildermuth,Bill, Sheldon,Lee, Crancer,Jerry H-2....Booras,Pete, Pond,Chet, Frost,Jack, Chambers,Walter, Vulgas,Ed, Clayton,John I-2....Donald,Frank, Schow,Doc, Fralen,Cliff, Vanden Bosch,Jon, Campbell,Walter, Harvill,Stan, Roades,Chuck K-2....Hotchkiss,John, Flynn,Charlie, Hall,Bud, Millard,Bob, Patton,Dave, Karam,Ray L-2....Doerr,Bob, Volkstadt,Wil, Hardy,John, Karnes,Jack, Maus,Bill, Spellman,John M-2....Blanton,Phil, Bosshard,Chick, Farrington,Jack, Mullan,Tom, Sullivan,Paul, Franklin,Ben, Dryer,John, Burkhart,George Rich Cardillo: Email: mtnhaus@aol.com Phone: Cell 303-345-5140, Home 303-466-3948, Snail mail: 2246 Country Club Loop, Westminster, CO 80234. 12 February 2016 UpdateTo accomplish this the Committee will need your TOTAL support. In the past we have had twenty-four Classmates monitoring and ASSISTING in the preparation of Memorial articles on deceased company mates. I would like for these Classmates to not only continue but to increase their effort. I will get back to all after I finalize my oversight committee. We must begin the process of Memorialization immediately after the notification of the deceased. Our Class Representative is key to this endeavor. Identifying a member of the deceased family who our Committee member can contact for personal information and get this information to the classmate responsible for the oversight of the preparation of the Memorial Article is critical to the process. However, I must emphasize that the Committee member is not responsible to write the Article. The article should be written by the family member identified to do so. Should the family desire the article be written by a classmate the completed article must be then approved for publication by the family. We are all aware that within 2016 our requirement for Memorialization will increase. I would suggest that those who are willing to assist the process by preparing your own Memorialization article or at least a draft of the article with basic information on family, military, and civilian highlights, and a family point of contact and provide that to the Memorialization Committee. It will be of great benefit to the preparation of the Taps article. I will get back to you with more specifics after I finalize my 'overwatch'/ Memorialization Committee. Those of us, who are remaining members of the Class must be committed to insuring the Class of 1955 honors its fallen Classmates with a Memorial Article in Taps and together we will get the job done. I can be reached at mtnhaus@aol.com or by phone 303- 466-3948 or 303- 345- 5140 Rich (#405/470) BEAT NAVY!! 13 January 2016 UpdateThis is a very important committee with a large and important mission. Tom Horst, Class President, asks that you offer them your full cooperation. Carry on... ~jackC 25 November 2015 UpdateThe principal functions of the committee are: 1. To contact the next-of-kin of a deceased classmate to determine if a memorial article that will be published in TAPS is desired. 2. To assist family members, friends, and classmates in their preparation and submission of the article. 3. To maintain a spreadsheet detailing the current status of the preparation of a memorial article for each of our deceased classmates. Please note that the purpose of the committee is not to write/prepare memorial articles, but to assist family, friends and classmates in their preparation. If you would like to get started on pre-preparing your article, please contact Danny or Lo. VR, Tom Tom Horst '55 President 25 November 2015 |