140th Column. 29 Feb, due tomorrow, you’ll read it in May. Glad it’s a leap year with the extra day.
Good
news. Heyward & Evelyn Hutson’s two sons, Rob and Heyward III (“H3”)
both ’90, have returned safely from Iraq: H3 to Fortress Drum and Rob to Ft
Campbell. Also Meg Roosma ‘85, daughter
of Garry & Jill is safely home
and back to civilian life after her USAR deployment. No doubt there are others home from Iraq and vicinity. Read this as a plea for information! I know that Peter Jones ’85, son of Linc & Ann, and his battalion
should be leaving Baghdad for Germany about the time you read this. More good news for Ann & Linc: daughter
Patty and husband Malcolm Frost ’88 recently provided a granddaughter. They are stationed in Hawaii, and both are
programmed for second tours in Afghanistan.
Ann & Linc may see a lot of their new granddaughter during the
Afghan sojourn.
More
good news. Class offspring being
promoted to O6. Scribe reported earlier
that Bud & Holly Moentmann’s son
Jim ’81 is already a colonel and has completed O6 command of an aviation group
in Korea. Another earlier report: Scott
Miller ’83, son-in-law of Dave (died
1 Jan 00) & Leticia Coury was
selected for colonel BTZ. A new report:
Patrick Sharon, son of Denny &
Shirley was selected on the recent (Dec 03) O6 list. Patrick is an ROTC grad from Jacksonville
State and serves in Chemical Corps. He
is attending ICAF this year. Are there
others soon to colonels? Another plea
for information. Please let me know.
Sad news.
Those of you wired to class email lists know that Chaplain George Bean died.
George’s newspaper obit is in the Bulletin Board section. Don Johnson’s account
of the memorial service: “John George and I represented the Class. If any others were present, I did not see them. St John's was PACKED Chaplain Bean was VERY
well known and VERY well loved in Lynchburg.
There were no eulogies during the service.
“Afterwards, a reception was held in the social hall and a
PA system was set up for remarks by the family and others present. I made a few remarks on behalf of the Class
and was followed by members of '59. I
saw five floral arrangements: one from us, one from '59, one from ‘classmates,’
one from six of his close friends and one from Condi Rice! (I think Chaplain
Bean's daughter works for her). His son
told me that his Honorary Membership in the Class of '58 was the honor he
cherished most in his long and distinguished career. A very fitting sendoff.”
Thanks for report and newspaper obit, Don. And thanks especially for your having
invited the Beans to dinner during B-2’s Lynchburg company mini. George attended,
probably the last large group of his ‘58 “classmates” he saw.
From Garry
Roosma: “Another note about George Bean; for those who were married by him
he kept a record and said a prayer every year on their respective anniversary.
One reason, no doubt, why Jill and I
are still together.”
Great story from Jody LeTowt: “I knew George and Betty Lee from my growing up days in Bethlehem,
PA. When I was in high school and
couldn't talk my dad out of the family car during summer vacations, I used to
hitch hike out to Saucon Valley Country Club to play golf. Betty Lee was an avid golfer. She & George belonged to the same club. She would frequently pick me up at the end
of the bus line and take me out to the club in the morning or bring me home in
the afternoon.
“I never met George until I got to Lehigh. George was head of the religion department
at Lehigh University, which I attended before USMA. I took a course in Religion 101, St Paul & the Early Christian Church, from George my last
semester at Lehigh before entering USMA. He was a great and memorable
professor.
“Imagine my surprise when we got to Beast Barracks and
George was the new Cadet Chaplain. One
day during Beast, I was pulled out of ranks and sent to see the Chaplain. I had no reason why. When I got to George's office there was Bill
Schempf, who had been head of the music department at Lehigh, and another one
of my professors in music courses. Bill
was mulling over an offer to become CO of the West Point Band. I think George and I convinced him with our
talk about how thrilled we both were to be ‘plebes’ at WP and what a great life
it was (even in Beast). Bill took the
job.
“As you probably know Bill joined the ghostly assemblage in
Feb 2002. His widow, Marjorie, still
lives in Cornwall. I'm sure Bill &
George are ‘up there’ reminiscing over their days together at Lehigh and
USMA.” Jody, thanks for this wonderful
story.
Your Scribe believes that George Bean was an honorary
classmate of three classes: ’58, his plebe class; ’59, his second graduation
class and ’39, his college year and the ones with whom the Beans were socially
involved at West Point. You will all
remember that ’39 “colonels” had a great impact on ’58 ranging from Deputy Com
William McCaffrey to 1st Regt Tac Michael Davison to 2d Regt Tac
Julian Ewell to Master of the Sword Frank Kobes. I know some of us had further contact with ’39 over our years as
Soldiers. In my case, AI was provided
by Andrew Goodpaster (kept me as his Aide) and Stanley “Swede” Larsen (made me
master of ceremonies for his division Founder’s Day dinner) as successive CGs
of 8th ID in Germany.
Communications with ’58. A schizo situation
for your Scribe. Many (not enough) are
on various class email lists, many subscribe to Assembly (again, not nearly
enough), but not all in either category do both. An explanation why I repeat information you may have read “on the
net.” Of course, at our age repetition
is OK -- for many it still seems like news.
Sad news repeated here: “Estelle Tredway, former spouse of Bob, passed away on 14 February after a
10-month bout with five cancerous tumors. She had retired from work about
18 months ago and lived with daughters Deborah and Catherine. Catherine,
Valerie, Deborah, Bob and six grandchildren were visiting her over
the President's Day long weekend and were present during the final hour.” Many of us knew Estelle – our sympathies are
with her children and grandchildren.
Those on the net have kept up with
classmate health problems experienced since our 45th. Clark
Bailey, Terry Connell, Lynn Shrader and Tex Lenart have had open-heart surgery. Good news by all reports: each is on the mend. Bob
Miller is recovering from a stroke.
Again, good reports from classmates about Bob’s progress. The silver lining here is that classmates
are visiting, sending cards/emails, staying in touch and keeping the rest of us
informed of situations and progress.
Those readers not on the net should contact Dick Buckalew with your email address to become “wired” for this
sort of information. You can do this
much with or without joining the class email forum (true confession: Scribe is
not on the forum). On the net I have
sent similar pleas about subscribing to my favorite magazine Assembly. If you are reading a borrowed magazine, buy your own copy!
Grad March Back with
’08 9-10 Aug. When you read this it will be too late to
sign up for the 15-mile version. But it
may not too late to join the 2-mile group to follow the plebes, “our grandkids
from ’08,” from Ski Lodge to Supe’s Quarters.
Special thanks to Ed Weckel
for being our OIC of this endeavor.
This will be Ed’s fifth March Back (Wally
Ward’s fifth also). Not too late to
contact Bob Pointer about FCC
Turnover on 19 Aug. Nor too late to
contact Tony Nadal about 4th
Annual Williamsburg Golf, now named “Billie Nadal Memorial Golf Tournament,”
27-29 Aug. Definitely not too late to
contact Jack Bujalski about the main
event – San Antonio Mini 21-24 Oct.
John Schaffer gave the keynote address at College
Park, MD Veterans Day ceremony. He
looks great in his Blues! There is a
good story about the uniform – ask John to give you the details. Please note the photo was taken by Barbara
Salisbury, daughter of Alan &
Florence. Photo appeared in article
by Megan Mullan in The Gazette.
San Francisco
Army-Navy game party. This affair turned into Paul Ruud’s first planning session for San Francisco Mini in Oct
2005. Watch for details during and
after San Antonio this year. Here’s
another digital photo: Bill Serchak
and granddaughter at Christmas.
Non-digital photos.
Scribe received 45th Reunion photos from Joan Collins (some already used) and Edgie Waller in addition to the disc I purchased from Academy
Photo. You will probably see a few 45th
photos in each column from now till our 50th. Here is one from another source, Jude Theibert. He & JoAnne were doing heavy recruiting with their eight grandchildren
at 45th. The one of Jack & Henriette Gordon came from
Joan. While Edgie took this one of A
Companies. Name these classmates and
their A Company.
Scenic shot of Orlie
& Harriet Hill coming down from summit of Mt Rainier. They don’t look warmly enough dressed to
have been to the top. Out of airspeed,
altitude, power and runway. See you at
VN Memorial (23 May), Grad March Back and/or San Antonio, the class events
Scribe will make this year. Till then,
keep cards, letters, emails and photos coming, especially with news of our
offspring in the service.
Photo captions:
1.
John
Schaffer – Veterans Day
2.
SF
Mini Planners
3.
Bill
Serchak at Christmas
4.
Theiberts
and grandchildren at 45th
5.
Jack
& Henriette Gordon at 45th
6.
A
Companies at 45th
7.
Ranger
Hill and Guide
Cut from
140th and placed in Bulletin Board section by Cheryl West, Editor Assembly:
“Dr. George Martin Bean, 85, of 3230
Downing Drive, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2004, at his residence. Born in Charlottesville on July 26, 1918, he
was son of the late Robert Bennett Bean and Adelaide Martin Bean and was the
husband of Betty Lee Bean.
“Dr. Bean graduated from Virginia Episcopal School in 1935,
from the University of Virginia in 1939 and from Virginia Theological Seminary
in 1942. He served his country during World War II and was chaplain in the
Navel Reserve from 1942 to 1946. He also was chaplain at the United States
Military Academy at West Point from 1954 to 1959. He served as rector of St.
Luke’s Episcopal Church in Montclair, N.J., from 1959 to 1969 and of St. John’s
Episcopal Church in Lynchburg from 1970 to 1983. He was a member of St. John’s
Episcopal Church.
“In addition to his wife, he is
survived by two daughters, Tracy Bean Kenny of Charlottesville and Lee Randolph
Bean of Palo Alto, Calif.; one son, William Cleveland Bean of Oklahoma City,
Okla.; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a sister, Mrs. Helen Bean
Emery of Bethlehem, Pa. He was preceded in death by a sister, Mrs. James V.D.
Eppes, and a brother, Dr. William B. Bean.”