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Classmates—
The Class Notes are now being sent on the class unrestricted
senders email list:
usma1958@west-point.org. This is the list that any of us can
used to send an email to everyone else on the list with information
about the class or class activities. Again, I am asking CCQs to
forward these notes to their company-mates whose email addresses are not
on the class unrestricted senders email list.
I sent Feb, Mar and Apr Class Notes via the restricted (limited
to approved senders) class email list
58usma@west-point.org, but
our email lists Moderator Dick Buckalew A-2 strongly
prefers my using the unrestricted senders email list. The
restricted senders list is primarily for death notifications. In
accordance with directions from higher authority, Moderator Dick the
unrestricted list it is for May 2017 Class Notes and beyond.
CCQs please note the change of list being used because it changes
of classmates to whom I need your help in forwarding the Class Notes.
This is not a big change, but there are a few more on the longer
restricted email list than on the shorter unrestricted list.
Confused? Send me an email (reply to ME and not Reply All) and I
will try to explain it better. Actually, I would love to get an
email from YOU! Especially if you include some news I can use in
the Class Notes.
And, in accordance with a reminder from Pete Trainor (G-1),
I am again adhering to the custom of underlining and making bold the
names and companies of classmates and wives used in the Class Notes.
My apologies for forgetting that practice last time. I plead
advancing age and declining memory. And, in due course, the Class
Notes will be available on the class web page and the WPAOG web page
thanks to Pete. Not all of us find getting to the class and AOG
web pages all that easy which is why I am sending these to the class
directly via email. If you need help getting to the class web
page, contact Pete as in Trainor via email or phone. Email <PBTrainor@cox.net>
or telephone 757-345-3564 and/or cell 757-773-4470.
Sadly, I will again begin with deaths. The first is from an
email sent by Jack Downing (H-2):
“Robert
E. ‘Bob’ Lindquist (L-1),
Colonel US Army Retired, 81, of Panorama Drive, Rock Springs Comm,
Lavonia, Georgia passed away Saturday, April 22, 2017 at his home.
“Born on November 21, 1935 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, he was the son
of the late Roy E. Lindquist Sr. and Alice Murch Lindquist. COL
Lindquist was a 1958 graduate of the United States Military Academy at
West Point and later received a Masters degree from George Washington
University. He retired after 28 years of service. He served two
tours of duty in the Vietnam. During his first tour, he served as
commander of C Company, 1st Bn, 12th Infantry, 1st
Cav Div. During his second tour, he was District Senior Advisor
for the Trang Bang. Bob was a former real estate agent for
Paradise Reality, a member of the Hartwell First United Methodist Church
where he served as an usher. He was a member of the American Legion Post
#109, Hart County Golden K, where he received the Andy Stackhouse Award,
received the Hartwell Rotary Club’s Four Way Test award. He also
volunteered for several years for Meals on Wheels and directed the AARP
Tax Aide Program for 18 years.
“Survivors include his wife: Norma Elsen Lindquist; two
sons: Robert “Rob” Lindquist Jr & Catherine of Ellerslie GA and Karl
Lindquist & Renee of Columbia SC; a daughter: Debra Hooker & Michael of
Ft Collins CO; six grandchildren: Robert & Cydney Lindquist, Tyler &
Samantha Lindquist and Erin & Claire Hooker. His brother Roy E
Lindquist Jr and his wife Sara of Salinas CA also survive.
“Funeral services will be (were) on April 27, 2017 at the Hartwell First
United Methodist Church with Dr. R. Allen Stewart officiating.
Burial with full military honors will be at the Nancy Hart Memorial
Park.”
FYI added by Scribe: Bob’s father is MG Roy E Lindquist Cullum
#8891-1930 and his brother is MAJ Roy E Lindquist Jr USMA Cullum
#21109-1956.
And,
Scribe is pleased to report that Palmer McGrew (I-2)
arranged for the one of our class flags to be sent to John
Schroeder (M-2) for Bob Lindquist’s funeral. You cannot
imagine what a fantastic service Palmer and our classmates perform to
get one of our class flags to funerals. A big “WELL DONE” to
Palmer and others involved! Bob Lundquist was our 217th
graduated classmate to join the ghostly assemblage and will be included
in the Roll Call at our 60th Reunion at West Point.
Our second death was former cadet Bob Gal (G-2).
From his G-2 company-mate George Lawton via email: “Bob
was smart at a whip. Others in G-2 can tell some funny stories
about his study habits, more accurately his non-study habits. He
did not need to study. It should be noted that Joe made a very
significant contribution to the FCC during our initial fund drive.”
And from Bob’s widow Toni: “I am not sure whether I am sending
this to the correct person, but I found this email on Joe’s iPad.
My husband was a member of your class although he only stayed 2 years
before transferring to MIT. I just wanted you to know that he died
on April 20th. He has been suffering from Lewy’s Body
Disease for five years with care at home for three of those. He
died quietly and is now at peace.” Thanks to Toni for checking
Bob’s email and providing this information. My roommate Will
Roosma (H-2) also died of Lewy’s Body Disease. I had never
heard about it before and now two classmates have died of it.
Scribe has taken the liberty of repeating Bob Gal’s 50th
Reunion Book information (saves you from looking it up and gives me
something for Class Notes).
Bob wrote: “I resigned immediately after Yearling year to attend
MIT. With considerable reluctance, I had given in to a strong
desire to pursue a scientific education free from military distractions.
The previous winter I had applied to Cal Tech and MIT. I was accepted at
both, but only as a freshman and sophomore, respectively. I was
able to graduate from MIT in 1958 by taking extra classes. I
majored in electrical and computer sciences. Immediately
thereafter I attended Harvard Business School and graduated in 1960 with
an MBA. After a brief job at Raytheon, I joined White, Weld & Co,
a small investment banking firm in New York, in the corporate finance
department. I became a junior partner there in 1967.
“While still in Boston I had met Toni Hess, who was
then a senior at Wellesley College class of 1962. We married later
that year and eventually had two sons: Jonathan and Christian. Our
family lived in Manhattan until 1969 when we moved to Beverly Farms MA
on Boston’s North Shore. This was in connection with refinancing
and expansion of a small company White, Weld and I had started earlier
and which we eventually sold to Chase bank. Thereafter, I joined
Lehman Brothers in New York to become the partner responsible for the
firm’s venture capital investments. I continued in the venture
capital business in various ways for the next twenty years. I am
now retired.
“With the children long departed, for the last fifteen years or
so, and until just recently, Toni and I spent most of the year in
Europe. We had an apartment in London and swe were there each
spring and fall. For each of the last thirty-eight winters we have
been skiing in Zurs, Austria, where we especially enjoy mountaineering.
“West Point. While I was there for only two years, those
years were among the most formative of my life. They were
responsible in no small way for whatever successes I may have enjoyed.
I am most grateful to have had the opportunity to attend this
outstanding institution.” From the Alma Mater which Bob sang for
two years: “Well done, Be thou at peace.”
Our third death which is reported about a year late is another
former cadet Alan O Beck (B-1). Alan, found at the
end of Plebe year, died on 17 Feb 2016 in Fairoaks, California.
Scribe went to the web site provided by Jack Downing (H-2),
but found no useful information. I then called Jo Ann Shipley at
West Point AOG and she did not have much to add other than place and
date of death, but that was helpful. Perhaps someone in B-1 heard
from Alan over the years and has some further info. If so, please
share with Dick Price (B-1 CCQ) and Scribe.
Of course, our former cadets Bob Gal and Alan Beck will be
included in the 60th Reunion Roll Call as well. Grads
are easy to include. Knowing about deaths of former cadet
classmates is more problematical. If anyone has information about
deaths of other former cadets, please let your Scribe and appropriate
CCQ know.
The FCC has generated some email traffic lately. This from
Tony Smith (I-1) who is our point-man on the FCC and all the
work for recent renovations. Remember that and after the 60th
oversight of the FCC goes to USMA 83 along with the FCC’s “83 foot-long
bar” (see Tony’s report which follows).
“Classmates, At long last the First Class
Club restoration has been completed! Jack and Lynne Bradshaw
(M-2), Dale and Dodie Hruby (M-2), Brad
Johnson (K-1), and Bonnie and I attended what was
billed as an invitation-only Showcase Event on Friday evening, 21 April.
The Supe spoke, heaping deserved praise on the Class of 1958 for our
role in supporting the Club over the last quarter century. Jack was
invited to speak for the class and offered some well-chosen words on the
history of the FCC and how our 25 years of supporting the Club not only
brought our class closer to cadets but also served to reinforce the
bonds among our own classmates. There were only a handful of cadets
present, including the First Captain, some members of his staff, and a
few others. Coach Monken and his wife attended and stayed well into the
evening.
“The Club looks good. The layout is functional and well thought-out.
The bar, 80' long (the class of '83 rep claims it's 83' long), snakes
through half the Club, which should greatly reduce wait times on busy
evenings. They have carved out a section for a meeting room, with
sliding barn doors that close it off. TV sets abound - there must be
about 40. They are proud of their modern kitchen, state-of-the-art
beer cooler, displays of liquor and wine that can be purchased, and wide
variety of beers on tap (at least a dozen).
“The refurbished Club is tastefully decorated. However, it has a brand
new look; you will hardly recognize the place when you come to see it at
our 60th Reunion. Our concept was to dedicate the FCC to Army sports at
all levels (varsity, club, intramural) and the theme was "Every cadet an
athlete". To that end, Dale Hruby, Butch Ordway
(G-1) and others painstakingly selected, framed, and hung
a representative set of a couple of hundred action photos depicting Army
sports. I always thought the impact of those hundreds of photos
covering every square inch of wall space in the old Club was way cool!
None of those photos hang in the renovated Club, although they tell me
that the decorations are not finished and they intend to use some of our
photos before they complete decorating the Club.
“The class is not neglected in the new Club. Immediately after
entering, there are three items of class of '58 memorabilia that catch
the eye: the framed rubbing that we made of the classmates who fell in
the Vietnam War, the poster that commemorates the leading role that Dale
Hruby and Butch Ordway played in fitting out the FCC in the early 90s
when it was first established in its present form, and, (Brad
Eliot (G-2) take note), the team photo of our 1958 national
champion lacrosse team.
“A videographer wandered around the Club during much of the evening. He
told me that they would post a video of the event on YouTube. I'll try
to find out when and send out the link.
“The FCC will open to the class of 2017 beginning with a Grand Opening
event on 3 May. The Supe is very proud of having kept his promise to
the class to have the Club open before they graduate. LTG Caslen
deserves the lion's share of the credit for pushing through the
rebuilding of the FCC. As he told the story Friday night, his Chief of
Staff got every department head across the entire West Point facility
together in a room and "solicited" reductions in their
respective department budgets until he had reached the $3.5 Million,
give or take, required to rebuild and refurbish the structure.
“As we end our relationship with the First Class Club, I think we may
all take great pride in having presented to West Point the gift that the
cadets most appreciate and that graduating classes for the past 25 years
have enjoyed to the fullest.
“Best regards to all, Tony”
Another of Tony’s emails about the FCC is quoted here: “Classmates, I
had an important question from Andy Andreson (G-1), the
answer to which deserves posting class-wide, especially to the
aficionados of the old First Class Club.
“Andy wants to know if they retained the vintage, circa 1920s,
urinals from the original Club. (When we renovated the Club before our
50th Reunion, and I had the honor of acting basically as the general
contractor, I made sure that the upgrade of the Men's Room retained
those urinals.)
“Actually, I did not use the Men's Room last Friday night.
However, when Dale, Brad, Munge and I toured the new Club under
construction last September, they were still there. I was also told
that one of the facets of the renovation that dropped out for lack of
funds was a redo of the rest rooms. That's a good thing. For sure,
some idiot decorator type would no doubt have been eager to replace them
if he/she had the chance. (They did hire a woman decorator from NYC to
choose the decor of the renovated Club.)
“Hence, I'm reasonably sure that those venerated urinals remain
intact.
“Perhaps Dale, Jack, or Brad can provide first hand verification
of my assumption. From the amount of free beer that Brad consumed,
it's virtually impossible that he did not have the opportunity to check
out those vintage facilities. Tony.”
Dale is, of course, Dale Hruby (M-2), this Brad is
Brad Johnson (K-1), Munge is Munge/Bob Moore (C-1)
and Jack is Jack Bradshaw (M-2).
More
on the FCC via an email from our President for Life, Jack Bradshaw on
the question of the urinals: “Before
our evening fete, I reconned the Club, and made straightaway for the
men’s urinal. Very tidy. I had seen those urinals before. Jack.”
Of course, normally the need to use the urinals in question is
BEER consumption. Phil Gibbs (I-2) provides some
information on Scribe’s favorite beverage and the renovation of the FCC:
“Renovation of the FCC and a member’s
capacity to enjoy beer is misjudged. After all beer was first
discovered in Mesopotamia many eons ago and that has certainly made many
people happy. But, the fact that one of the senior citizens
consumed vast quantities of beer and then spent part of the evening
admiring the ancient architecture of the beautiful, handcrafted urinals
misses the point. The gentleman was only taking care of his health
in an artful place. I learned when I was in the 106th General
Hospital in Japan that the doctors regularly authorized BEER to the
patients who were bed bound and immobile. They prescribed it as
medication to flush the kidneys and for good health. Therefore,
all the great imbiber was doing was ministering to his health, and
clearing his kidneys. His only problem was calibrating the number
of beers to each kidney. I wonder if this logic would have with
stood Julian Ewell’s penetrating questions?”
This
question prompted Scribe looked up our 2d Regimental Tac then-COL Julian
Ewell ’39 in the AOG Register. I was surprised to that his time at
USMA while we were cadets was NOT covered by his register entry.
There is a great void in LTG Ewell’s bio information between 1954 and
1959. I would have thought we had more impact on his career – he
certainly had an impact on ours!
Russ Robertson
(son of George and Gale (H-1) and a retired colonel from
USMA ’82) represented the class and presented the Larry Malone (M-2)
award to the top member of the Georgetown Univ ROTC Ranger Team.
His remarks follow: “Good evening. My name is Russ Robertson and it is a
privilege to be able to present the Lawrence M. Malone Award on behalf
of the West Point Class of 1958. I serve as the Treasurer for
their Class Endowment and my Dad is also a ’58 Grad, so I have had a
long association with this great group of leaders and soldiers.
“The award was originated in the late 1960s by BG Royal Reynolds
(USMA ’33) as a tribute to Major Malone, his former aide-de-camp.
In 1997, Georgetown formed a new ranger group to compete in the Ranger
Challenge Team Competition. COL John Herren (G-2),
also a former Georgetown ROTC instructor and classmate of Larry’s,
gathered support from his West Point classmates to sponsor the award.
Since then, members of Larry’s company from the class of 1958 have
presented the award to recognize the most outstanding cadet in the
ranger challenge team competition each year and honoring Larry’s memory.
It is truly an honor for me to present this year’s award to Cadet John
Keally.” John Herren is working with Georgetown ROTC to take over
the award. He will keep us posted.
In an email to DC classmates and his company-mates, Jerry
Mitchell (CCQ C-1) wrote about Tom Looney (C-1):
“Tom previously had two hip replacements. Sometime earlier this
week he fell and broke a hip. The doctor says surgery will not be
required but he will need extended therapy (8 weeks +/-). The
doctor is of the opinion that the bone will grow back together and heal.
Tom is in a rehab facility in Rocky Mount, NC and, while he has a
positive attitude, he is understandably not a happy camper. He is
pretty immobile and having to use a walker but is hopeful that at some
point he will be able to commute to his therapy on a daily basis and not
have to be staying at the rehab place full time. He doesn't think
he will need visitors in the immediate future but I'm sure he would
appreciate phone calls or cards.”
Many of you know that Alan Salisbury (L-1) played a major
role is establishing the Alumni Glee Club. Here is some
information about a forthcoming performance of the group: “The
West Point Alumni Glee Club will perform a testament in song to military
veterans at the Eisenhower National Historic Site, Gettysburg, PA on May
6th. The performance is part of the day long "Doors Open
Gettysburg" offering an insider’s look into the preservation of many of
Gettysburg National Military Park’s magnificent historic buildings. This
free event is held during National Historic Preservation Month in cities
and towns throughout the U.S. and internationally.
“To cap off the evening, at 6 pm, Eisenhower will sponsor a special
performance by the West Point Alumni Glee Club. The hour-long concert is
free to the public and will take place in the back yard of President
Eisenhower’s Gettysburg home. Parking is available on site for the
performance. Vehicles may enter through the site’s main gate off of
Millerstown Road. The gate opens at 5:30 pm.
“The West Point Alumni Glee Club is made up of graduates from the United
States Military Academy at West Point, 75 percent of whom are combat
veterans with an average of 20 years active duty service. Members
perform as ambassadors of West Point and the Army, believing in the
importance of traditional music in their service to the nation. In the
case of bad weather, the event will be moved to the Group Lobby of the
Gettysburg Military Park Visitor Center.
“Details of the day's activities can be found at
https://www.nps.gov/gett/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?event=476228ED-1DD8-B71B-0BA5817B7C1F0331”
An email note from Jack May (B-2) to jog your memories: “I
came across this recently ... an event in 1955 that affected us all.
As yearlings we traveled to New Haven to take on Yale in football. We
fully expected to easily dispatch the spoiled, haughty, preppies.
It was not to be.”
A email note from George Lawton (G-2): “I received a call
from Lee Miller (CCQ A-1) the other day informing me that
Judy George (A-1) had a lot of fluid in her and was back
in the hospital to get it drained and taken care of. John George
(A-1) also is not apparently in great shape, but whatever he has
is treatable and pales in comparison to what Judy has. The Georges and I
were stationed with the 503rd Airborne (together with about 17 other
classmates) in Okinawa in the early 60s. I’ve called John and left a
voice mail for him and am awaiting a call back.
George Lawton also let Scribe know that Lisa, Herb & Betty
Puscheck’s (A-1) youngest “(although that is relative these
days), was in a serious car accident recently and suffered a brain
injury. She is currently staying with them in Alexandria. We
(George and Mary Jane) are loving the weather down here (down here is
Naples FL) and were disappointed you could not join us. Maybe another
time.”.
Dave Swanson (C-2)
may make it to the annual ceremony at the VN Memorial Wall for our 13
classmates who fell in SEA during Vietnam. He inquired about the
uniform. My reply was that guys
normally wear jackets (blazers) for the service and ANCC brunch.
Many wear ties, but not all. Scribe is looking forward to seeing
Dave on 21 May. I also referred to a river crossing in Ranger
school -- long time ago. Dave and I were in same Ranger class and
he swam a river for river crossing while I was the patrol leader.
While waiting on the far side Dave was freezing in Jan-Feb 1959 in NW
Florida while waiting for me to send over his uniform. I truly
hope that Dave makes it to ANCC for brunch on 21 May at ANCC. If
you need more information about the ceremony and ANCC brunch, contact
our DC Social guru Jack Gordon (A-1) at his email address
hjg5041958@sbcglobal.net.
There have been many email tributes recently to Ray Riggan (B-2).
Ray was captain and All American goalie of our 1958 National
Championship Lacrosse team. Under Brad Elliot’s (G-2)
leadership we classmates raised money for a wall locker dedicated to Ray
in the new Lacrosse center. As Brad explained in his email it all
took longer than expected to complete the facility, but he hopes that
some go to the opening and dedication. Brad will not because “it’s a
long go from Arizona.” Dick Schonberger (B-2) added “RB
was my roommate and I also received an invite. Brad Elliot has
been our guy on this who raised funds for RB’s memorial locker for which
some of us contributed. The locker is reserved for team captains
as they cycle through.” And from Frank Waskowicz (C-2)
who also received an invitation: “I’m
thinking I may have gotten it because I’ve purchased lacrosse tickets
from West Point, but not sure. The class had collected money to dedicate
a locket in that facility… It would be great if some classmates could
attend and share their experience and observations with us.” And,
of course, your friendly Scribe would love details from any attendees
after the event later in May.
Time to wrap this up and launch my email on the class unrestricted
senders list (still only for class news, unlike the class forum).
The class unrestricted list is the one that I am now using for the Class
Notes. A reminder here
about class email nets: we can all use the
unrestricted senders list for class news whereas the class forum
is not restricted to class news. But our somewhat longer class
restricted senders is just what it says – restricted senders and your
Scribe is not one of those. The restricted senders class list is
mostly for death notifications, maybe reunion info (not sure
about that – up to Dick and reunion organizer Garry Roosma (H-2).
Most of us CANNOT send emails on it.
If you need more information about our various class email lists, please
contact our Lists Moderator Dick Buckalew (A-2) via his
email address
Buckalew@West-Point.Org.
You can also re-read my explanation at the beginning of this edition of
the Class Notes. Your Scribe is not the expert here – questions
should go to Moderator Dick. If you did not receive my Class Notes
for February, March or April, please send me an email at
gsibert@comcast.net and I will
send you the Class Notes requested. And, please do not Reply
All to this message. You should send a reply only to
the sender, me in this case.
Cheers, George as in friendly Scribe
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