Blog

  • Images from the 40th Reunion

    Click on the link titled "Reunion Photos" in the menu on the left to view a few photos from our 40th Reunion.  Send us your photos and we will add them to the collection.

  • Cold Weather Gear

    Several awards were handed out at theSki64 Business meeting in Aspen.  In addition, a cold weather gear adjustment was made early in the trip.

    For those of you who have high speed access, click on the link below to preview a clip from  a DVD that contains most of the Business Meeting where Bob Michela's skills as emcee are displayed.

    If you are interested in the full lDVD, e-mail me at d.puckett1@comcast.net with your address and I will send you a copy.

    To load the clip, click on the link below.  Once the program has loaded, to view it, click on the start button on the bottom of the screen.:

    www.west-point.org/class/usma1964/coldweathergear.htm

     

  • Simplified Process for Submitting an Article

    How to Submit an Article

    During Beta Testing the Class Site Curt Davis found a problem with the article submission process.  We decided to simplify the process as follows:

    1. Prepare your article in MSWord, Notepad, or any text editor you
    commonly use.

    2. Attach any images you want to the article.  We prefer them to be
    jpeg, but we will deal with whatever you send.

    3. Send the article to d.puckett1@comcast.net

    When we receive your article, we will:

    1. Give your submission a quick look.

    2. Run your images through Picasa 2 to size them to 600X800 pixels.

    3. Upload the article and images to the class web site where your classmates
    can then view your masterpiece.

  • hggfdfd

    dffghjjkkkk{mospagebreak}

  • Classmates Present Plaque to the 21st Arillery

    Tom Anthony sent the following to me in a private e-mail.  He granted permission for me to  share it with the Class. 

    Have any of out other Classmates done similar presentations?  If so, let me know about it so we can share it with everyone.

    ————————————————————————————————– 

     

     

  • Plaque Presentation to 21st Artillery

    I received this as a private e-mail from Tom Anthony.  I thought it was (and is) a really special honor that our Classmates paid to their old unit.  With Tom's permission, I'm sharing it with the Class.

    ———————————————————————————————————————————————- Active Image

    Last week, Gary Minor from Austin, Bob Winter from Lagrange and I drove up to Fort  Hood from Austin.

    Gary and Bob and I were castlemates in Germany 1964-66. Together we rented the Mainstockhein Castle, at one time the summer palace of the Bishop of Wurzburg, North of Kitzingen.  We each had a suite and shared the kitchen.  Our Porsches and Corvettes were parked out side.

    At Fort Hood we were met there by our old commander, COL Farrar, who drove in from Missouri; he is 87 now.

    Informally and personally we had collected some cash to use for the benefit of the troops of the 21st Artillery, the unit we all served with in Germany. The 21st is 3rd Corps Artillery now assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. They are deploying back to Iraq in June, some of the troops for the fourth time.

    We paid for a plaque to honor those who were killed in Iraq.

    We bought them a fussball machine to use in barracks.

    We were very surprised to find the entire unit in battle gear all formed up to receive us for the unveiling of the plaque.  They took it very seriously, as did we.  I think what impressed the troops the most is that somebody cared about them personally, with no political agenda, and just did this personally, without any organization involved. Just us old guys to them, a band of brothers across generations and almost 50 years.

  • Tricare for Life



    TRICARE for Life: Top 10 "Need-to-Knows"

    If you’re nearing retirement, transitioning health care coverage shouldn’t be a hassle. As you’re preparing to switch to TRICARE for Life (TFL), the following facts and tips will help you make a seamless transition to TRICARE for Life (TFL) coverage.

    Enroll in Medicare Part B when first eligible.
    TFL enrollment hinges on enrollment in Medicare Part B. You must remain enrolled in Medicare Part B (medical care) in order to maintain TRICARE eligibility.

    Keep DEERS up to date.
    Although Medicare provides data to DEERS, you must maintain your TRICARE eligibility by keeping DEERS up to date any time there is a life changing event, like becoming eligible for Medicare. Contact DEERS online at www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl or call toll-free 1-800-538-9552 .

    Enrollment in TFL is seamless.
    If you are receiving Social Security benefits, you will transition smoothly to TFL  upon your 65th birthday; if you are not receiving Social Security benefits at the time of your 65th birthday, you will need to visit the nearest Social Security office and enroll in Medicare.

    Medicare authorized providers are also TRICARE authorized.
    You can visit any Medicare provider for care since all Medicare providers are also TRICARE authorized. Simply show your Medicare card and Uniformed Services ID card at your appointment.

    Claims are paid automatically between Medicare and TFL.
    As a TFL beneficiary, you will not need to submit a paper claim when you have a doctor’s visit (in most cases). The provider will submit the claim to Medicare. Medicare will then submit the claim to TRICARE once the Medicare portion is paid.

    TFL is considered a second payer to Medicare.
    For services covered by Medicare and TRICARE, Medicare will pay its portion of the claim and TRICARE will pay the remainder. For services that are covered by Medicare and not by TRICARE (such as chiropractic care) TRICARE will not make a payment and the beneficiary will be responsible.

    Services covered by TRICARE but not Medicare (such as overseas claims) may be billed directly to Wisconsin Physicians Services (WPS) and TRICARE will pay as primary insurer. You will be responsible for any cost shares. Payments for services that are not covered by either program remain your sole responsibility.

    Other health insurance (OHI) coordinates differently with TFL and Medicare. TFL beneficiaries who have OHI need to submit their Medicare Summary Notice with a paper claim and OHI explanation of benefits (EOB) to Wisconsin Physician Services. The paper claims may be sent to:

    Wisconsin Physician Services
              TRICARE for Life
              P.O. Box 7890
              Madison, WI 53707-7890

    Enrollment in Medicare Part D is not necessary.
    The TRICARE pharmacy benefit is considered creditable coverage and pays equally to Medicare.

    TFL beneficiaries may continue to use any of the TRICARE pharmacy programs.
    You may fill prescriptions at any military treatment facility pharmacy, through the
    TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy or through any TRICARE network or non-network pharmacy.

    TRICARE coverage continues for eligible family members after the death of a sponsor.
    Surviving spouses remain eligible for TRICARE unless they remarry. If they remarry, they lose TRICARE eligibility and cannot regain eligibility later, even in cases of divorce or death of the new spouse. Unmarried surviving children remain eligible for TRICARE until their 21st birthday (or 23rd birthday if enrolled in college full time and if at the time of the sponsor’s death, the sponsor provided more than 50 percent of the child’s financial support.) For more information on TRICARE for Life, please visit www.tricare4u.com or call Wisconsin Physicians Services toll-free at 1-866-773-0404 .

  • New Aspen 2007 SKi Pictures

    Several participants, including Bob Magruder and Dan Evans, have submitted pictures taken during the Aspen Ski Trip.   Several group pictures are included.

    To access them, click on the menu link "Late Arriving Ski Pictures" located on the left of the screen.

     

     

     

     

    {mosimage}

  • Testing the “Send in Article” Site

    Using the site to develop a checklist for others to use.

     This is going to be put up temporarily, then taken down.  I'm working on a checklist/instructions to make it easy for the occasional user to sign on and submit articles.