The S&D Viking Four gathered a few days before Christmas for a delayed semi-annual lunch and before Jim McEliece escaped to Florida. Jim Stephenson, Ken Hjelm, and Jim Mc are in great shape, but Ken Yoshitani needed help from Jim S and Ken H to get to the restaurant.

Wishing all S&D Happy New Year and watch the Vikings win the Super Bowl.

Ken

Note from Scribe: Lions over Vikings last night. Detroit will have a week off, while Minnesota plays at the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams next Monday night.

Here’s an update on Jim Berry that several classmates might be interested in.

On January 14, Darlene and I visited with Jim and Margie Berry in the memory care facility in Fredericksburg that Jim moved to in July. He was in good spirits, frequently showing that smile we’ve loved over the years. Margie said he was having a very good day, compared to his average day, probably because he was cheered up by seeing good friends. He recognized us immediately, and we talked about classmates from G-2. He pointed out several guys in our G-2 photo in my 1965 Howitzer, which I had brought with me. He immediately recognized guys in the photo, pointed them out by name and made comments about them. And during our two-hour visit, he mentioned a number of classmates in other companies.

He has difficulty with times and places. For example, when talking about interactions with classmates in the past few years, he tends to speak of them in environments and situations he was in, in the 60s and 70s. But all in all, we had a great visit with him. Even though his memory and cognition aren’t what they used to be, he's still the easy going, smiling Jim that we've known for decades.

Anyone wanting to send him a card can send it to Margie at 10109 Colechester St., Fredericksburg, VA 22408-9564

Dave Hopkins

Here’s some news about the Central Virginia group luncheon on 1/9/25, with group photo.

The Central Virginia group met on Jan 9 in Richmond for our quarterly luncheon, thanks to Jim Helberg’s organizing efforts. We covered the usual assortment of subjects, e.g., the Army-Navy game, our 60th reunion, cadet life and Army life, families, health issues. Jim Harvey noted that the current cow-year cadets will have their 500th Night celebration later this month, continuing a tradition that our class initiated in January 1964. Jim recalled that the 1964 celebration was the occasion for his first date with June, who became his June bride in 1965. He believes there were probably several other classmates who had a first date for 500th Night with girls who later became their brides.

Because our 60th reunion will occur in April, our next luncheon probably will be in June.

Latest report from Class of 1965 – Southeastern / New Jersey Lunch Group. We gathered at Jimmy’s All American Grill in Bordentown, NJ for lunch on a very cold day. Great time! Glad everyone who made it is healthy, and looking forward to the upcoming 60th Reunion in April.

Standing in front of the “We the People…” sign...

Next is our luncheon:

Next meeting, after the reunion, is again at Jimmy’s on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. “Strength and Drive!”

Photos managed by Ralph Locurcio

All the best! Joe Barkley

On Saturday, 11 January, Bob Wolff was inducted into the Army Gymnastics Hall of Fame, officially named the Howie Pontuck Wall of Distinction. Inductees are recognized not only for their performance as a cadet, but for their contributions to Army Gymnastics and to USMA after graduation. The Wall of Distinction is housed in the Lou Gross Sports Complex (above Michie Stadium), within the gymnastics portion of the complex. The Wall serves not only to recognize worthy individuals, but also to inspire cadets, especially those on the gymnastics team.

Gathered to celebrate Bob’s honor were Classmates, former gymnasts and the current Army gymnastics coach. Bob still follows Army gymnastics closely. In fact, Phyllis and he just made a major contribution to the program, donating a state-of-the-art filming system which allows cadets to review their practice routines within seconds of completion. It is support like this that has been Bob’s hallmark.

 

Also, Bob was recognized for his major role in conjunction with the Cadet Jewish Chapel. Not only were Phyllis and Bob early supporters of that initiative, but Bob has remained deeply involved in the programs and activities of the Chapel to this day.

His continuing participation in both the Chapel and the Gymnastics program are essential to the robustness and vitality of each activity.

From Fred Smith

Partial input: Others have photos:
My recollection of USMA 1965 Attendees include. I may have missed some?
Bob and Mary Frank
Ray and Linda Hawkins
Russ and Maryann Campbell
Dennis and Cathy Coll
Ross Wollen
John Swensson
Ric Shinseki
Joe DeFrancisco
Bill and Mary Byrne?
Fred and Mary Ellen Smith

The Clarkes, Lapollas, and Neals met today to tour the Eisenhower Museum and Boyhood home in Abilene today. They followed it up with a farm town grill lunch. Discussion was all over the last 60 years with some focus on central KS. We were poignantly reminded of June 1965 and Ike's class 50th reunion. It might be interesting to gather anecdotes from the class on its interactions with the class that the stars fell on.

Bruce B. G. Clarke

Bob and Phyllis Wolff met Johnny and Rose Ann Wells for lunch at the Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant in Palmetto, FL . Johnny and Rose Ann have lived in Tampa for the past 15 years and we have lived in Lakewood Ranch near Sarasota since 2020 but did not know we were so close. Johnny and I had a great time reliving our engineer careers while Rose Ann and Phyllis got caught up on the Wells’ large family (8 kids and 18 grandkids) and our small family (2 kids and 2 grandkids. It was cold as hell - low 40’s - for FL but happy we are not up north.

Strength & Drive ’65. Bob Wolff

On a cold and snowy day, the Class gathered in the Cadet Chapel to honor and send off one of our own. In a filled chapel, the Class was seated just behind the large family contingent and other distinguished attendees. Ric Shinseki and Joe De Francisco headed the ’65 contingent, joined by newlyweds Ross and Myrita Wollen (united after 38 years together), Russ and Maryann Campbell, Denny and Cathy Coll (who drove from Chicago), Ray and Linda Hawkins, Jim Harmon, Bob and Mary Frank, John and Susan Swensson, Fred and Mary Ellen Smith, and Bill and Mary Paula Byrne. We were also joined by Honorary Classmate Dave Siry who runs the Center for Oral History. He and his Naval Academy colleague recorded the entire service and outside activities.

Other dignitaries included: the Supe, LTG Gilliland, the three star CG of Special Forces, the CG and CSM of the 101st Airborne as well as the Captain and 1SG of D Company which Buddy commanded when his company encountered a North Vietnamese regiment. There were five other Medal of Honor (MH) recipients in attendance as well. The Cadet Glee Club provided the choral accompaniment. The service and commitment were performed by the Cadet Chaplain, COL David Bowlus, who did a superb job of capturing the solemnity of the occasion. Chaplain Jim Ford, another of our honorary classmates, would have been proud of this service’s capturing the echo of our youth. Buddy’s widow, Chintz, arranged with Barbara St. John, AOG Memorial Affairs coordinator, for the Class seating together in the front of the chapel.

Buddy’s widow Cynthia Bell-Bucha (Chintz) put the wonderful service together, which included Carolyn, the mother of Buddy’s children, in the service. (Both will be at reunion.) After Chintz welcomed attendees, we heard from all four of Buddy’s children: Jason, Heather, Lindsay and Becky, and from grandson Matthew and granddaughter Tallulah. The children gave wonderful, very emotive insights to Buddy’s humanity and impact on their lives. Buddy surely would have been very proud of each. Memories of their father and grandfather were for us attendees a testament of the love Buddy had for his family.

The Cadet Glee Club sang “Mansions of The Lord “and the “Alma Mater” along with Mary Kay Messenger vocalist for the West Point Band. Their voices were marvelous. After the service, busses took us all to the West Point Cemetery, for the outdoor committal service and rendering of military honors. It was snowing, which Bud’s children all said that Bud had ordered for our entertainment. The only downside was the flyover was cancelled.

Dave Siry has worked very hard to record the observances. He is working to make a tape of the event, and hopes to make it available, along with a 40 minute interview Bud completed sometime ago. Hopefully this will be available before our reunion.

This LINK will take you to an Army Times article recounting the life of our classmate and Medal of Honor Recipient Paul "Bud" Bucha.

That was a beautiful tribute to Buddy and it made me even sadder that I was unable to attend. I also thought the article from the Army Times was beautiful and really captured the essence of Buddy Bucha.

We have kept up with Carolyn Bucha, whom my wife and I introduced to Buddy in the spring semester of our senior year when Rose, Carolyn and two other girls from San Jose State decided to come to New York and spend six months modeling and working in the city. They all lived in a one room apartment on 51st and Lexington and we had some great times visiting them in the city or having them all drive up to West Point in a 1959 Chevrolet Impala Rosemarie bought for a few hundred dollars. After we graduated in June, I paid an underclassman, whose name I don’t even remember, to drive the car out to California with their belongings after which we sold it for more that it cost.

Rose and I got married in December and Buddy was a groomsman in our wedding, but he waited quite some time before he finally asked Carlolyn to marry him. Nonetheless, we stayed close to them over the years, especially during reunions, where we would visit them in their various homes and watched as their family grew. It particularly saddened me not to have the opportunity to see their four children and hear them speak. We haven’t seen them since before Buddy and Carolyn divorced.

Divorces force friends to have to decide which party they are going to have to “side with,” and we chose Carolyn. We grew somewhat distant from Buddy, but remained on cordial terms, however it was awkward at times. Nevertheless, we would have been at the tribute if we could have.

That leads me to the reason I am writing you. For the same reason we weren’t able to fly back for Buddy’s “Last Salute,” we won’t be able to attend the Reunion in April. As many of our classmates already know, I was diagnosed with Amyloidosis in 2007 and was given 6 months to a year to live. With wonderful doctors and incredible support from my wife, Rosemarie, and a kidney transplant from my daughter, I was able to beat the odds and live fairly normally for over 17 years now. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2017, but am dealing with that pretty well also. In December of 2024, however, I had an episode of Congestive Heart Failure, followed by three incidents of completely passing out and falling, the last time a complete face plant that left me hospitalized for two nights.

The cause of the Congestive Heart Failure, was a return of the amyloidosis, but this time in the heart. I don’t know if you knew, but that’s what caused the death of our classmate Ron Walter about ten years ago. I had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted this month and start chemotherapy/immunotherapy next Friday, but in the meantime am more or less confined to my bed or sitting in a chair with pretty much round the clock caregivers.

That’s a rather long explanation of why I won’t be at the Reunion in April. Feel free to share this or as much as you see fit with the class. I have copied some classmates, but wanted to say we had a very nice room reserved at The Thayer and don’t want it to go to waste. Please ask Jim Harvey how I should proceed before I cancel it.

Sincerely,
Dave Kuhn

Pictured below are attendees at the most recent lunch meeting of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the Strength and Drive Grayhog Geezers. Visiting classmates to the Tucson area are welcome to join us. Next lunch is April 23d. We keep hoping someone will show up with something profound to tell us.

Jay Vaughn (I missed this lunch due to cataract adventures)

Dan Benton and Ken Slutsky taken following lunch at the Atlanta Cherokee Country in front of a magnificent statue of a Cherokee Warrior.

All,

Clair Gill sent me an interesting piece (attached) of history about his family tree. It is bit complicated, so I am writing a prècis to help the readers stay organized.

There are 3 Gills: Clair's dad (CG1); Clair (CG2) and son of Clair (CG3). In the story they are referred to as "Clarence," "Clair," and "Clair A."

The story begins with CG1 enlisting during the WWII era and serving in the then Army Air Corp's 390th Bomb Wing which now has and occupies a hangar with a Memorial Museum at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. In 1943, Richard Bushong was CG1's B-17 co-pilot. Before their maiden combat flight, Richard fell ill and did not make the maiden December 1943 bomb run in the B-17 named "Royal Flush." The bomber was lost to AA fire and the crew was captured and imprisoned in Stalag Luft 1 until liberated in May 1945. Upon leaving the Army, CG1 returned to his rural home in Pennsylvania to become a businessman. He and Richard lost touch. CG1 died in 1984.

Meanwhile, CG2, a mere babe in '43, would attend and graduate from West Point, Class of 1965, serve in the Army in the Corps of Engineers reaching the rank of MG; and, after retiring taking a position at the Smithsonian. During this time, CG2 befriended one William Brubaker (Bru) in 1976 where they served together in the Army as well as at the Smithsonian. CG2 and his wife Sherry had a son, CG3, who attended West Point, graduated in '92 and went on to become a MG as well.

The wonder of the story begins on Thursday, June 8, 2023, when William “Bru” Brubaker, a WWII history buff, visited the 390th Memorial Museum hangar at the Pima Museum in Tuscon. There Bru met and talked at length with a docent, Richard, who was volunteering one day a week at the 390th hanger. The two got into a long discussion where Richard related his WWII story. Richard offered Bru a book about the 390th “My Wars: B-17s to F-4s WWII to Vietnam” and had a snapshot taken with Richard under the nose of the museum’s B-17 “I’ll Be Around”. Bru bought a copy of the book.

Upon returning home to Virginia, Bru emailed CG2 about the coincidence of his trip and belief that Richard served with his dad, CG1. On this information, CG2 and CG3 had to go to Pima AZ ... they had to meet CG1's co-pilot, Richard, while Richard was still alive. They wasted no time, booked a flight to Tuscon and met Richard. The details are in the attached publication.

Boo

On January 17,2025, our classmate Captain Paul "Buddy" Bucha was laid to rest at West Point. During the funeral ceremony, Dave Dillard, who was Buddy's Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) in Vietnam, delivered a eulogy recounting the night Buddy demonstrated the heroism that earned him Medal of Honor during the battle near Phuoc Vinh in March 1968. Dave Siry, of the Center for Oral History, recorded the eulogy and with Dave's and Chintz Bucha's permission it is being shared with the class. At the Founders Day the Superintendent directed all of the First Class to read/watch this eulogy. It is a fitting tribute to Buddy. You can watch it at,

https://www.westpointcoh.org/interviews/my-captain-an-rto-s-eulogy

All,

Here is a photo of Abe and Chuck. Send Chuck a note.

From Abe. BTW Chuck and Denny Cole were B-2 Roomies.

Heritage Hunt held their annual Founders Day dinner March 9, 2025 and had turn out of over 150 grads and guests. As has been the case for the past 16 years, the West Point Alumni Glee Club performed with "An Evening of West Point and Army Music", starting off the evening with Benny Havens, the Stars Spangled Banner, and Mansions of the Lord. After dinner there was a rendition by the Hell Cats to wake up the octogenarians in the room before the main performance started. The distinguished class of ’65 was well represented as evident by the picture.

Also attending but not in the picture were Mike and Cathy Applin.