Class Poop

Lt. James F. Hennessee
214 Grimes Street
Fort Bragg, N.C. 28307


Class Notes 1967v26n2Jul

From the ranks of our prosperous (who says 1st Lts. with over 2 aren't wealthy?) classmates in Germany came a letter recently from Betsy and Ted Kleinmaier. They had a happy event on 29 May by the name of Lee Edward III. Ted is in Nuremberg, a CO in Divarty of the 4th AD. He sent news of the following: Tim Timmerman is aide to the CC of the 4th Arrnd ; Manny Maimone, who transferred to AG, Is aide to the Asst Div Comdr; Bill Lehman is also a battery commander in Divarty there, as is Jim Coughlin; John Wattendorf and Mike Viani are in the Engr Bn; and Jim Smith is in one of the Armor battalions. Outside the 4th Armored: Doug Richardson is S1, 2d Arrnd Cav Regt, while Terry Ryan is a CO with the 8th Engrs. Both stopped off in the States between Korea and Germany and took the big step. The Paul Barbers, in Bamberg with the 82d Engrs, have a son Paul Jr. Ted also reports, from letters received, a son born to JP and Bobbye Greene in Fort Stewart, Ga., and, Bob Belanger is in RVN as an advisor af ter a tour in Thailand.

Stateside, Joe Sanchez wrote from flight school in Fort Stewart, Ca. He and Nancy have no children, but their 180-lb. great dane is a houseful. Joe sends this advice for those going to flight school: "Housing is scarce; write ahead." In and around Fort Stewart in April when Joe wrote, there were plenty of classmates: Mert and Jerri Munson who now have a son, Mike Hudson and his lovely wile Lynn, Jon Thompson, Kurt Churchwell, Pat and Scottie Nelson, Jerry and Linda McMillan with their daughter Karen, Chuck and Rosemary McCloskey, Jesse Whitten, Ron Kolzing, and Mike Stanko. All those mentioned have orders for Vietnam for the fall or early winter and invite us who'll be on the ground at that time to call for some good, Army air support.

Joe had also heard from Bill and Marsha McKenney in Germany, Preston Motes who's married and on orders to Greece, and Karl Savatiel who had orders for Germany when he returned from Korea. Thanks for the letter, Joe.

A couple of hundred miles farther west in Georgia, at that bastion of the Inf, Fort Benning, Skip O'Donnell wrote from the Ranger Dept of his marriage last summer to Marilyn. Steve and Molly Philo, Jim and Sharon Talbot, Art and Carol Roth, and Bill Birdseye are all with the Ranger Dept. John Swensson is assigned to the 197th. Tommy Barron is Senior Tac for the 61st Co. (OCS), and Fred Scruggs is at the mountain Ranger camp.

From some AF news releases I read that Rick and Alice Osgood are assigned to Wright-Patterson AFB. Rick is a physicist and works in R&D. Bill and Johann Heller are at Dow AFB, Main e. Bill works as a construction engineer. Bill and Kathleen Bradburn are at Charleston AFB, S.C., where Bill's wing set a world's record for low-altitude drops by a C-141.

From much farther north came a card from Jim Long, who is an aide at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He and Minnie Lon just had a baby boy in April. Jim wrote that Jim Hume is a CO in the 1/47 Inf at Wainwright. Jim and Claudia had a son last October.

News from various sources: Frank Skidmore married Dorrie Heiberg; Pete and Heidi Lounsbury have a new son; Russ and Diane Campbell have a new son, too; George and Carole Bell also announce a new son; the Chuck Moseleys have a new daughter; Bud and Judy Fish have a new son; Mark Walsh married Linda Kuzman; Don and Sue Erbes have a new baby daughter, Sherri Lynne.

Here at Fort Bragg classmates are still coming and going. Bob and Cindy Hill are attending the MATA course, as is Don Erbes. In the 1/505 Abn Inf, Dave Gabel, Step Tyner, and I command the 3 rifle companies; Curt Adams, recently returned from Korea, is the S1; and Jim Webb is XO of HHC after a transfer from the AF. In the 2/504 Inf Harry Joyner has a company, while Duncan Brown and Dick Williams are CO's in the 1/504. In Special Forces here are Steve Spoerry, Jerry Ledzinski, and Chuck and Sue Burgardt. In the 82d Divarty Pat O'Connor is a battery commander.

Rick Boerckel sent welcome news of classmates in the Tech branches. Rick, Mark Walsh, and Tom Fergusson are all in AIS. Mark is now in Brazil as an aide, Tom is in Vietnam as a photo-interpreter, and Rick and Donna are with the 650th MI Detachment in Naples, Italy. Rick also wrote of Jack Concannon, who's AIS, but serving as an Infantryman in RVN.

From the war in Vietnam Ron Floto and Mack Gill found time to write. Ron was concerned because his sister hadn't married a millionaire. But he hopes Jay Stevison can work his way into that category. Ron is with the 1st Cav and by press time will already be back in the States. Ron had seen Zig Roebuck in Hawaii on R&:R. Zig is to marry Linda Moseley in August.

Mack Gill is with the 4th Inf along with Jim Heiberg and Mike Lapolla. John Connor has been in the same battalion since January as an XO. Mack was married after Ranger school and hopes to be back in July to see Dianne and their baby girl, Jennifer, born 7 Feb of this year. Mack will be with the S/F at Bragg.

We have had several classmates wounded recently: Ron Riley was wounded while commanding a company of the 1/5th in the 1st Cav; he is now in Japan. Also, at last word, both Denny Cbudoba and John Howell were hospitalized in Japan. Denny was supposed to be evacuated to the States, but John was content to stay and chase the nurses in Japan. In all seriousness, we wish a speedy recovery to all those (and I'm sure there are many more) who have been wounded in Vietnam.

As another column draws to a close, we are again saddened by the passing of 2 more of our very best, Chuck Dickey and Chuck Hemmingway. Both gave their lives, but their memories will remain, for they live on with us who truly understand their sacrifice.