Dear Classmates Family and Friends,
REPORT ON EVENTS HELD SINCE 1 July 2000
PORTLAND OREGON MINI
REUNION. Reunion 2000 was a great success. One hundred and thirty-four classmates
answered the roll call with 265 folks attending altogether. Almost everyone took the trip
up the Columbia River Gorge on Friday. That day culminated with a service at Oregon's
Vietnam Memorial and a great dinner at the nearby zoo. Three optional tours on
Saturday gave everyone a chance to see parts of the Portland metropolitan area with
another great dinner at the hotel in the evening. Before the mini officially began, 7
classmates (14 with wives) came down the inside passage on a small cruise ship. After the
mini, 64 classmates, wives and friends sailed to Alaska from Vancouver. Both trips were
great. Dick Oberg deserves a great amount of credit for organizing these tours. All in
all, there was plenty of time for classmates and friends to get together.
The reunion committee reported that there was $2082 in the bank after
all bills were paid. This money will be deposited in the Class Operating Fund. The
committee enjoyed working on the reunion and is pleased so many came. The Class and the
Excom salutes the “Gang of Four” and their wives.
Terry and Harriett Connell
OK and Harriet Hill
Bob and Suzanne Miller
Paul and Virginia Vanture
FIRST CLASS CLUB REDEDICATION AND TURNOVER. USMA
’01, the Bicentennial Class, received the First Class Club on 24 August
enthusiastically and with gratitude. Once again, Bob Pointer organized this annual event
and the turnout by ’58 was the best ever. Present were Bob and Marianne, Andy
Andreson, Tony Bauer, Will Collet, Brad Johnson, Butch Ordway, Walt and Susan Patterson,
Bill and Helen Tuttle, Pete Brintnall and Branch Worsham. Many of our ranks spent the day
there. We gathered at the bar in the Thayer where Bob Pointer got us
organized.
COL Pat Kane, who has come back to
West Point to run the Bicentennial, gave us a rundown on plans for that event, and picked
our brains for ideas. We then moved to the First Captain's room and toured the barracks
and talked with the Brigade Commander and his staff. LTG Dan Christman met us on our way
to the barracks and also attended the events at the club. He was gracious and
enthusiastic. Next it was on to the steps of the mess hall where we watched the cadets
march in for supper, and presentation to the Corps from the poop deck where the Great
’58 was received with much cheering and the traditional twirling of napkins. This
year, we noticed an additional greeting, the beating of plates. Instead of all of us
eating together, each one was met by a cadet and escorted to a company or brigade table.
Mealtime was brief, but there was opportunity for a good exchange with the cadets.
Thursday night, by the way, is the only required meal formation for the week, so it was an
occasion not only for us, but also for the cadets.
Following dinner we moved to the First Class Club. We are
pleased to report that it is in excellent condition and the cadets seem to love it.
’00 turned it over to ’01 in an in informal, yet dignified manner. Bill Tuttle
made some brief remarks that caught the spirit of the occasion perfectly.
For many of our classmates this was their first time at
the event, and we commend it to all that might be able to attend next year. Our classmates
who came up with the idea of this class gift and then made it happen – – deserve
out thanks. To them, it may be said, “Well done.” And to Bob Pointer who
organizes this event each year thanks. Lets have an even greater turnout nest year in
August 2001.
PLEBE HIKE PARTICIPATION. Plebe March Back. Members
of all graduating classes were invited to join the Class of 2004 during the plebe march
from Camp Buckner to the USMA. This event represented the end of Beast Barracks for the
new cadets. Ed Weckel, Wally Ward, Bill Votruba and Roland Peck of the Class of 1958 were
among the 135 "old grads" who participated in the 15 mile march back. The
participants, who had to report to Hubert Hall by 0130, were greeted by rain, lightening,
mud, and a high dose of enthusiasm by the cadets and members of the Academy staff. Members
of the Class of 58 were solidly behind the marchers. Over 100 pledges of support were made
to contribute the the Class Endowment (based upon miles walked or just for showing up at
the starting line), and over $15,000 was raised. Preliminary information from the Academy
indicates that this event will continue in 2001. Three of last year's marchers 58ers plan
to return and eight others from the class have indicated a strong interest in the march
back, which is scheduled for 15 August, 2001. So mark your calendars and get your feet in
shape for an adventure you wont forget. We ain't over the hill yet!
LAS CRUCES/NEW MEXICO STATE FOOTBALL GAME 6-8 0CT.
A large contingent of our classmates friends and wives attended the game and the events.
Except for the game (we lost) and the weather (we froze) everything went as smooth as
clockwork. Thanks to Gerry and Bonnie Schurtz and Neil and Carol Mathis the event
organizers. We met at the Schurtz house for dinner and a memorial ceremony (at Gerry's
flagpole and memorial site). We had an interesting tour of the house which is beautiful
and has quite a history. Then we went to a rousing West Point pep rally. It was well
attended with members of the El Paso West Point Society and lots of cadets. The
cheerleaders are peppy and have been invited to enter a national competition. The mule
worked hard but it was an imitation, a dressed-up mascot. Not like the real thing. But a
good spirit rouser.
The next afternoon we had dinner at the Mathis Hacienda
with a beautiful view overlooking the Rio Grande River. The other side of the house is
pure desert, with its own beauty. The game was spirited. Neither team had won a game up to
that point. We had some bright points but they had more.
ARMY NAVY GAME AND EVENTS. Our class turned out in
great numbers for the game and the events leading up to the game. Unfortunately we lost,
but we had a great time anyway. Baltimore put on a great show for the Great American
Public with static displays of military equipment in the city, march-ons by the Cadets and
Middies through downtown, and flyovers by Apache Helicopters and F-18 fighters. The
Parachute jumping into the stadium by the Army Golden Knights and Navy Seals was
magnificent.
29 NOV A/N Football Luncheon/Rally @ Bolling AFB O-Club We filled two
tables for this annual affair which is conducted by the local WP and Annapolis Societies.
This is a fun event where the Service Secretaries the two Superintendents, old football
players and others poke fun at each other. Make an attempt to attend next year. Try it!
You will like it!
30 NOV Class Luncheon w/USNA '58 ANCC . This was again a fun event with
our Naval ‘58 counterparts. Brad Johnson gave the rundown on the Army Team and a
former Navy ‘58 player gave the rundown on the Navy Team. The game was rated a
toss-up and it was
1 DEC A/N Rally and Party
hosted graciously by Al & Florence Salisbury. A great time was had by all at this
event . A highlight was “Academy Beer”. Attendance was good with a number of
out-of towners attending.
2 DEC A-N Game/Tailgate Baltimore . The tailgate was organized by
the West Point Society of Annapolis and was held in the Club Level of the Baltimore
Orioles Stadium which is adjacent to the football stadium. This was a superb event
attended by 3000 Army rooters organized into class sections. Our class was well
represented in its section . Food and drink were plentiful and a good time was had by all.
A large contingent attended the tailgate and game arriving from Washington by bus
organized by John and Sally Herren. On the bus trip home the wine and beer flowed as we
drowned our sorrows after a close game and loss which was marred by at least 3 bad calls
which went against our team, and in football and in life there are no recounts. As some of
you may know our class seats were near the End Zone and your Excom is looking into the
situation for the future. In spite of the poor location viewing was not bad because of the
excellent stadium design.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION.
The Class Executive Committee(Excom) meets a number of
times a year to conduct class business. The current committee assignments are:
Chairman :Palmer McGrew (703) 323-9671.palmermcg@aol.com
Secretary, Class Records, Policy: Dick Reidy
(703) 569 2292 reidyr@nasd.com
Treasurer : John Nun (703) 317-9347. johannun@erols.com
Class Gift: Andy Andreson (703) 385-2502 rkandreson@west.raytheon.com
Communications: Jerry Mitchell (703) 866-0145. germar@erols.com
Social Activities: John Herren (301) 229-7713. jdherr@aol.com
Class Initiatives: Pete Brintnall (703)
644-6869 brintnal@erols.com
Class History: Alan Salisbury (703) 242-8648 alanbs58@aol.com
OBITS.
Current count is 90 deceased (including 6 non graduates) and 56 memorial articles. We
urge authors, company CCQs, and all classmates to rededicate yourselves to getting these
articles finished.You can help the Memorial Article author by posting a remembrance to the
person's Personal Home Page.To add a remembrance to any deceased classmate, go to
http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1958 and open the persons Personal Home Page.
Several classmates have written their own obits and filed
them with the Association Of Graduates(AOG). We would suggest that each of you make a stab
at what you would like to see appear in your memory and file a copy with Jack Downing and
Carol Malone, assistant “Assembly” editor for memorial articles. Her e-mail
address is yc5852@exmail.usma.army.mil. . Please keep Jack Downing
(71222.3245@compuserve.com), CINC Obit, informed though, so he can be sure to keep her
replacement up to date whenever she moves on.
On its home
page, the AOG has a list of all deceased classmates and identifies those with published
memorial articles. To get there, go to the AOG home page, http://AOG.usma.edu and log in.
You will need your Cullum number (graduation number in the Register) and a password(get
from AOG) to read the grads-only section. From there a hyperlink will take you to the list
of deceased classmates.
Since the last
newsletter, the following class deaths have occurred:
Mary Trainor, wife of Peter Trainor G-1, 27 July
2000.
Richard D. Osborn D-1, 5 Sept. 2000.
Frank Sayles Bowen III D-2, 27 Sept. 2000.
Alan Brian Claflin B-2, 21 Nov. 2000.
COMMUNICATIONS.
Communications with its members and constituents are of
prime importance to the Class of 1958, the Academy, the AOG, and your Excom. The means at
our disposal are, e-mail, the Company CCQ system using phone calls, periodic newsletters,
the Class home page, and the “Assembly”. By far the fastest, best, most
efficient and cheapest is e-mail. If you are not on e-mail, this is a plea for you to join
your classmates, and get on e-mail. Try it and you will love it. The “Assembly”
is published 6 times a year. The Class Columns and Obit sections are a valuable means to
keep informed. The articles and columns in the “Assembly” are far superior to
those of the past. Our class rather consistently runs about 60-66% subscribers--which
means that 40-34% are not getting the magazine written by alumni of USMA, written about
alumni and our alma mater. Mid-sixty percent of subscribers is not an acceptable level of
support from '58, the class which leads the way in so many ways. Your Excom encourages you
to grab your credit card, pick up the phone, dial 1-800-232-7821 and sign up for
“Assembly”! It costs $25 per year.
The Class Home Page and web site is another important
communications means. The ‘58 is Great Class Web Site at
www.west-point.org/class/usma1958 was visited over 3,300 times in 2000. The major
change this year was the addition of a password-protected class roster, which is kept up
to date with all known addresses and telephone numbers of classmates, former classmates,
and class widows.
The most requested pages on the site are:
The “Scribe” page, which contains George Sibert’s
“Assembly”columns (posted several weeks after you receive your snail mail
hardcopy of the “Assembly”).
The”Class Info” page, which provides access to the
class roster, info about class officers, a list of CCQs, Jack Downing’s list of
obituaries in progress, and the West-Point.Org”Taps” page.
The “Events” page, which contains info about Class
scheduled events (currently pretty bare as the year draws to a close). If anyone has any
Class Web Site questions, comments, or wants help- contact Pete Trainor at
pbtusma58@aol.com
or call him at 703-931-6191.
We are improving our communications through the Company
CCQs. The Excom has sent a detailed set of instructions to the CCQs explaining in detail
their duties. CCQs have the responsibility to get the word out quickly, particularly to
their Company members not on e-mail. A first order of business for Company CCQs this year
is to get your guys on e-mail, and to get them to subscribe to “Assembly”. CCQs
are responsible for encouraging their Company mates to attend reunions, to participate in
class projects, to inform of deaths of Company mates and family members and to take care
of flowers and other requirements for the Company. If you are a CCQ and don’t want to
be, let us know. If you think your CCQ is not doing the job and you would like to help,
let us know. We can assign a new CCQ or add an assistant CCQ if that is appropriate. A
list of current Company CCQs including recent changes
follows:
A1 Lee Miller A2
Charles Densford
B1 Dick Price B2
Dick Schonberger
C1 Jerry Mitchell C2
Al Pensiero
D1 John Schaefer D2
Paul Ruud
E1 Larry Bullis E2
Chuck Toftoy
F1 Bob Rhodes F2
Glenn Brown
G1 Pete Trainor G2
George Lawton
H1 John Devens H2
Phil Pryor
I1 Tony Bauer I2
Charles Glover
K1 Ron Turner K2
Art Meyer
L1 Dick Reidy L2
Paul Johnson
M1 Otto Thamasett M2
Ash Haynes
SOCIAL EVENTS FOR 2001.
10 JAN WPSDC Winter Luncheon, Ft. Meyer, WPSDC
13 JAN Capital Steps Political Satire at Reagan International Trade Bld, Tony Smith OIC
8 FEB Class lunch with health care speakers at Towers Club, Tysons Corners, A. Salisbury
OIC
26 FEB-3 MAR Ski Trip at Breckenridge, CO., M. Dugan OIC (Details below)
1 MAR luncheon with USMA 57 at Ft Myer O Club, J. Herren OIC
17 MAR Founders Day at Hilton in Alexandria, WPSDC
19 APRIL Annual Class Meeting, Elections at ANCC, A. Andreson OIC
20 MAY Vietnam Memorial Ceremony and buffet lunch, G. Sibert and G. Lawton OICs
MAY TBA WPSDC Spring Luncheon, Ft. Meyer, WPSDC
2-9 JUN Elbe River Cruise, J. Mitchell and P. Pryor OIC (Details below)
JUN Eastern Shore Bike Outing, B. Moore OIC
JULY Picnic and Event at Wolf Trap, T. Bauer OIC
AUG Battlefield Tour, H. Puscheck OIC
15 AUG Plebe Hike at West Point, E. Weckel OIC
23 AUG First Class Club Turnover, B. Pointer OIC
SEP Open Class Event TBA
SEP TBA WPSDC Fall Luncheon, Ft. Meyer, WPSDC
11 OCT Class Luncheon, D. Hruby OIC
1-4 NOV Mini Reunion in Santa Fe, N.M., T.Claffey OIC (Details below)
15 NOV Class luncheon with USNA 58 at ANCC, A. Andreson OIC
25 NOV AN Football Luncheon Bolling AFB, WPSDC
1 DEC Army Navy game and rally at Alan and Florence Salisbury home.
OTHER EVENTS THIS YEAR. In addition to the one mini
reunion each year there are many other events scheduled. Some Companies have organized
micro-reunions for their Company mates. We think it is a great idea and we encourage more
of it, however we don’t intend to publish all of these events in our newsletters. We
prefer to leave those as Company matters rather than matters of overall interest to the
class. We also have a number of subgroups that communicate primarily through e-mail and
the internet. The Stock pickers, the Ski Group, The Wine Tasters, and a Travel Group come
to mind. We don’t plan to publish their information either unless asked, except for
major events. However if you are interested, call any member of the Excom, and they will
tell you how to get in touch with the group.
CLASS SKI TRIP The Ski58 group will rendezvous in
Breckenridge, CO from February 25th through the 2nd of March. Already the snow gods
have blessed the group with twice the snow pack of recent years. Mike Dugan is putting the
final touches on the activities just as soon as he gets a head count on who will attend.
Headquarters for Ski58 at Breckenridge will be the River
Mountain Lodge.
Our 'account rep' at River Mountain Lodge is Cheri. (970)
547-3238 or ctester@cfpbreck.com. You can get a 15% discount off the rack rate or ask for
the special if you are only staying during the scheduled days. The special is "pay
for four nights and get the fifth night free". (goats this is slightly better).
You can stay at the River Mountain Lodge or get a minor
upgrade to the River Bend Lodge, a bit newer and closer to the lift, (58 yards to the ski
lift and ski back to your condo/hotel room). Rates apply to both.
More Questions? You can contact Mike Dugan at
"mikexxxxdugan@aol.com". Mike travels more than most classmates so his aide for
this mission is Herb Johnson. Herb's email is "herbj58@msn.com". Come and win a
NASTAR or class medal. You can swap ski stories on the lift and brag at the evening
functions.
ELBE RIVER TRIP. Because of the success of this
year’s River Cruise in France, Phil Pryor and Jerry Mitchell have organized a similar
cruise on the historic Elbe River from Prague to Berlin from 2-9 June 2001 using IMS
Travel and the Peter Deilmann cruise line again. The cruise will be preceded by an
optional 3 days in Prague from 30 May to 2 June at the Intercontinental Hotel, a first
class hotel, with tours of the city and a cocktail party. River travel will be aboard the
MV Katherina a 5 star ship. Ports of call include Prague, Leitmerritz, Pima, Pillnitz,
Dresden, Meissen, Torgau, Wittenberg, Magdeburg and Potsdam. The river cruise will be
followed by a 3 day post cruise option from 9-12 June at the Berlin Hilton, a first class
hotel, with tours and other events. The Katherina has 50 cabins and we have reserved 20
cabins of which 19 have been taken by 38 classmates, wives, and friends. Space is going
fast. Information on the trip has been sent out to the class by mail, and brochures and
information were provided at the Portland Mini. To sign up, or for more information,
contact Phil or Jerry or preferably, Deanna Osborne at IMS Travel, Phone 703 893 5648 ext
15 or 800 999 1IMS ext 15 or email<imstvl@ix.netcom.com> We are hoping that an
informal group of travelers is forming, and that the planning and hosting duties will
rotate among interested classmates on future trips.
MINI-REUNIONS FOR THE YEAR 2001 AND BEYOND.
The 1958 reunion and mini reunion schedule for the next
few
years is as follows:
2001 is Santa Fe, New Mexico from 1-4 November.
2002 in Pensacola, Florida mid May.
2003 is West Point for our 45th reunion, from 11-14 September, Rutgers Football week-end.
Start making your plans now to attend. We especially want a strong attendance for the
45th. CCQs start working your Companies now! Get pledges from classmates and widows to
attend!
2004 We are considering San Diego with Dick Groves and Larry Hunt OICs.
2005 We are also looking at the possibility of a Washington, DC reunion.
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. We are calling the 2001 Reunion
"The Reunion Different in the City Different". (Santa Fe, NM is known as
"The City Different".) The event is scheduled for the period 1-4 Nov '01. The
nearest big city, where most will fly in, is Albuquerque. It is about a 90 minute drive to
Santa Fe. Headquarters for the reunion, the bulk of the rooms reserved and most of the
activities will be at the beautiful La Fonda Hotel which is just off the Plaza. Details on
registration will be in the next mailing from the committee. The tone will be totally
informal, and Gerry Schurtz will be armed with some dull scissors to remove any ties,
other than Bola Ties. Golf will be available to those who want to play a round or two here
in NM, at over 7,000 feet altitude. Bussing attendees to various locations is not planned.
Attendees will be provided with information on what is available (a lot is within walking
distance), but with our effort to minimize structure and formality, everyone will have
abundant free time to visit any of the sites that interest them. There will be no formal
seating arrangements for activities, so attendees can get together with friends, company
mates, Brother Goats or Hives, or whatever. The first mailing on the reunion has been sent
out . The Committee assignments are:
Chairman - Tom Claffey
Operations - Mark Sigurski
Finance - Tom Claffey
Special Events - Gerry Schurtz, Bob McCann and Neil Mathis
Public Relations - John Sutherland
Golf- Tom Sands
We are looking forward to seeing you all 1-4 November 2001 in the beautiful city different
for a reunion different-BE THERE!!!
USMA CLASS OF 1958 PERPETUAL ENDOWMENT.
Class of 1958 Perpetual Endowment. The Class Perpetual
Endowment finished its second year of operation on a high note. Three hundred six (306)
classmates, next of kin, and friends have supported the Endowment, which as of 12 December
2000 was worth $139,500. Our goal is to have every classmate represented as a donor, or if
deceased, have a donation made in his memory.
Based upon a classmate's
suggestion, and a favorable vote at the recent class mini-reunion, the window for
receiving donations will open in June 2001, so that donors may date their checks "4
June" in honor of the date of our graduation. Your tax deductible check should be
made out to the "Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund" and mailed to reach
Ed Weckel in June. (Please do not send your check before June or afterwards.) Address is
120 Regent Drive, Bel Air, MD 21014.
HEALTH CARE INITIATIVE.
Congratulations to our own Pete Brintnall and Bob Riordan
'59 for their hard work in coordination with NAUS, TROA, AUSA and the Military Coalition
on the all important health care issue. Thanks also to Alan Salisbury for his work
on the "50-star" letter to Senator Warner. This letter got Senator Warner
energized on this issue. And thanks to all '58 files and others who contacted their
congressmen and senators to win this important issue for all military retirees and their
dependents.
TRICARE-For-Life. The fiscal year 2001 Defense
Authorization Act provides improvement in military health care, especially for
Medicare-eligible military beneficiaries. The provisions immediately took on the label
"TRICARE-for-Life."
Not surprisingly, DoD was slow to agree that
"TRICARE-for-Life" was an accurate way to present these changes in a
"Bumper Sticker" format. DoD formally agreed to adopt
"TRICARE-for-Life" as the label to be used in the future.
In a nutshell, the legislation provides that
Medicare-eligible military beneficiaries will be entitled to Medicare and TRICARE.
Medicare will be the first payer, TRICARE will pay the remaining costs. Other than the
requirement to enroll in Medicare Part B, the beneficiary will be subject to no enrollment
fee, no co-payments, and no deductibles. (Those who choose to use an out of network
pharmacy may see relatively minor co-payment obligations.)
The effective
date for the pharmacy benefit is April 1, 2001. The effective date for the health care
benefit is October 1, 2001. This is a monumental achievement. Most importantly, we
stress that this is a legislative accomplishment made possible only because the Senate and
House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of the initiatives of the Senate
Armed Services Committee and the House Armed Services Committee.
The Defense Department is working hard to implement the
provisions of "TRICARE-for-Life" by its October 1, 20001effective date. The task
is daunting and the details are mind-boggling. Pete Brintnall and his team are continuing
to follow the implementation of this important achievement.
CLASS HISTORY PROJECT.
The Class History Project has started its work. The
primary deliverable will be a 50th reunion book (including a multimedia insert), which the
group felt ought to be sent out a few months after the actual reunion in order that it can
include pictures and other material from the reunion. Anyone with "war stories"
of any age and type relevant to our class should send same to
"USMA58History@aol.com". More details will be made available
on the class home page shortly. In the meantime, any new volunteers who would like to work
on the project are asked to contact Alan and Florence Salisbury, via e-mail to
USMA58History@aol.com, or call 703-319-2187 days or 703-242-8648 eves. A detailed
action plan will be distributed to the committee (volunteers) in January.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
CLASS RING MEMORIALIZATION PROJECT. The first meltdown of
memorial rings took place in Providence, RI on Monday, 20 November.
It was a great experience. We had thirty rings--weight
over 20 ounces. Our class contributed five of them. Included in the group were rings from
Mike Luck (his stepfather's Charles B. Gatewood ' 06. This was the second oldest of the
entire group contributed), the Roosma's along with their brother John ' 52 (their father's
John S. Roosma ' 26), Stan Bacon and Wayne Wyatt (their own rings not worn for some time),
and John Isaacson (his father's ring--Harold Isaacson ' 27). Our class can be proud of
contributing 1/6 of all rings donated by all classes in the first program--far more than
any other class!!
In addition, the Class of '58 will contribute
some funds to offset some of the Cadets' expenses relating to the ceremony.
The group went to the Herff-Jone's factory escorted by
Paul Paradis of Herff-Jones. We had a great and very educational tour of the factory and
watched as stones from the rings were removed--all were removed without any stone damage.
We then went to the metal factory. There the gold was weighed again and then
"melted" as the group watched. We ended-up with a Hershey Kiss-shaped ingot
about two inches in height. This will now be refined (procedures to take out silver and
other metals) leaving about 12-13 ounces of 24 carat gold. Some of this gold will be mixed
with new gold for rings for the Bicentennial Class of 2002. Some will be kept for
following classes as the program continues through the years.
The program is a great success, thanks to Tony and to
graduates and widows who have made it work, and to Ron Turner.Next year's meltdown will
likely take place at about the same time, with many more rings contributed because of an
"Assembly" article being published in March 2001 and information to be provided
to all Class Leaders. Those of you who are ready to send a ring to Tony for the program
call him at 1-800-232-4723, ext 1563. Have the stone removed before you send it if you
wish to keep the stone. Please let Ron Turner know when you do so. Check
http://www.aogusma.org/class/classringmemprog.htm for the latest info on the program.
INCREASED CLASSMATE’S WIDOWS PARTICIPATION. We have
been looking for ways to include widows of deceased classmates and to increase their
participation in class activities and social events. We have asked Audrey Webb, Dick
Webb’s widow, to join the Excom with the purpose of being a voice and focal point for
widows. The Company CCQs and classmates who are close to the widows and others who are
reluctant participants, are crucial in this effort to get widows and single classmates and
other nonparticipants to grip hands with us and join in the fun. We need a grass roots
effort from each Company and CCQ. Those organizing Class events such as Mini-Reunions, and
other events also need to help by making events as single-friendly as possible. The Excom
would like to hear from the class if there are any other thoughts on how to improve
participation.
HELP TO CLASSMATES IN NEED. Bin Barta and others have
suggested that perhaps the Excom could come up with a plan that would allow the class to
discreetly and effectively help those classmates who may have fallen on hard times, and to
enable them to participate in class events such as mini-reunions, reunions or even to
communicate by e-mail or to subscribe to “Assembly. The Excom has discussed the
subject and we are eager to receive any ideas from the class at large. At the present time
this program is in the hands of CCQs and company mates with help from the Excom and the
class on an “as needed basis”.
CLASS ROSTER. As been our custom, we published an updated
class address roster and distributed it at the Portland mini. In order to make it as
accurate as possible, we invite you to send in any changes or omissions to the current
roster (address, phone numbers, area code or even spouses names, which we might be
missing) to George Lawton and/or Pete Trainor . The current roster in electronic form can
be found on the class home page maintained by Pete Trainor at http://www.west-point.org/class/usma1958
.
We would also like to remind everyone that we have an
active program to locate all our classmates who did not graduate with us and to invite
them to join with us. If you know or know of someone who might know how to locate any of
these missing classmates who did not graduate with us, please provide George Lawton with
this information and we'll put out the search teams.
CLASS OPERATING FUND TAX STATUS. The Class Excom has
secured 501C(19) tax free status for our Operating Fund which will save the class
$150-$200 a year in taxes on our Operating Fund gains. There are other possible advantages
to our new tax status that your Excom is investigating.
GRADUATE GUIDE FOR GRADUATES. Classmates can get a
"Graduate Guide for members of the Long Gray Line" published by the AOG by
e-mailing Tony Ferraiuolo at ya8199@usma.edu ,
calling (845) 446-1614 or writing him at Director, Class Support Program Office of Alumni
Support Association of Graduates West Point, New York 10996-1614. The guide is free and it
is full of useful information on the AOG, West Point, and other information useful to the
“Long Gray Line”.
CLASS ART PROJECT. "Nostalgic Colorful Howitzer
Prints for Christmas or Other Special Special Occasions"
The Class of 58 Art Committee is continuing to offer
colorful Howitzer Prints both framed and unframed. These make perfect Christmas, birthday
or other special occasion gifts for classmates, families and friends. See our displays and
descriptions on the Class Web site. You can order by email from the order form on the
Class Web site. We deliver in the Washington area or will ship to you. If you have
questions, call Ceda McGrew at 703-323-9671.
We are also offering these through the AOG Gift shop and
at Founders Day in Washington and Annapolis. The profits go to the Class for the support
of Projects at West Point.
Gerald C. Mitchell
Chairman Communications Committee
Excom