Web Photos Links

Robin Cabana represented the BOTL by placing a rosette next to fellow A-1 companymate Ken Yonan's name during a moving ceremony at the Punchbowl (National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific),
where several USMA graduates placed rosettes on those MIAs that have been accounted for. 9/20/2024, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, co-hosted by
the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). https://www.dpaa.mil/livestreams/

This Friday, 20 September, is National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Eleven USMA graduates, either shot down over Southeast Asia or captured on the ground during the Vietnam War, are among 953 former MIAs to receive a "rosette" next to their names on the "Courts of the Missing" at the Punchbowl, the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu..

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) will co-host the ceremony. Colleen Shine, Jon Shine's niece, who is the keynote speaker at our VN Commemoration on 12 October is the featured speaker and was instrumental in organizing this event.

Two of those being recognized, Hank Spengler '68 and Ken Yonan are well known to us. Robin Cababa who was in Co A-1 with Ken will be placing the rosette next to Ken's name. The placement of the "rosette" indicates that the individual's remains have been repatriated to U.S. soil and positively identified.

The 11 former MIAs (name and class) are: WH Mason, '46; ND Eaton, '49; BG Vinson, '50; SJ Burnett, '54; GI Barras, '55; ML Morrill, '58; JM Nash, '59; RL Whitesides, '59; SJ Kott, '62; HM Spengler, '68; & KJ Yonan, '69. Ten USMA graduates from the Vietnam War remain MIA.

One can view the ceremony at 4 PM EDST this Friday, 20 September, on the DPAA "Livestream." at this link: https://www.dpaa.mil/livestreams/

You are there? The Big Picture
"West Point: The Army Challenge ~ 1969 US Army; US Military Academy; The Big Picture TV-750"

Carpenter thinks "our own" Jill Jones @ 6:26 & 12:26
R Crosby thinks Nygren @ 19:02
Coyle thinks Stobbs & others @ 19:10
Brigham thinks Nygren @ 19:13
Grimm and Corica think Corica (and Nygren) @ 19:25
Brigham thinks J Clapper, Donahue, Kolb @ 19:25
Rhyne thinks P Grant, McCall, Nygren, and maybe Isenhower @ 19:25
Coyle thinks Donahue and Stobbs @ 19:26
Baldwin and Murphy think Hackett @ 19:57
Corica thinks Hagan to right of actor @ 20:12
Hunkele thinks 4th Regt guys @ 22:06, 23:45, and 26:07 (to include Kirby)
Brigham thinks Isenhower, Steel, St. Onge @22:07
R Crosby thinks Cpt Reggie Brown of Sosh @ 23:14
Bahr, Corica, Grimm, & Mesite think Nardotti @ 24:35

K Brown thinks Fowler (Bde Adj '67; first row Chapel Choir)
Actor stood beside Wood ('67) First Captain during graduation.
Chaplain Ford's deputy XMAS leave James Nicholson, TAC, to whom actor reports.

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Links to video of the Vietnam Wall Ceremony, 2014, USMA 1969, Parts 1 & 2, are posted below, filmed by
classmate Carl Oborski's son Carl III. On very short notice, he literally saved the day for us (no pun intended)! : )
Judge Thomas' full remarks, which the camcorder auto-partitioned,
are available uninterrupted in the third video. Click to enlarge for best viewing.
Please contact Bill Bahr asap if viewing problems. Event photos are available below in Photos section.

Note: See "Events" page for KC Brown's 6/15/14 email overview of
2014 Class Memorial Weekend. Alert: embedded sound for Microsoft Internet Explorer users.
http://www.west-point.org/class/usma1969/Events.htm

Public link submittals (eg, Facebook, Google+, Picasa, Youtube, etc) welcome. Contact Webmaster

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Photo above taken by Mary [Bill] Bahr on West Point Museum tour during 55th Reunion

Class of 2019 Ring Ceremony. L-R: Cdt Karhryn Sellechia (class treasurer), Cdt Christian Ackerman (class VP), Mike McGovern, Cdt Tony Smith (class President), and KC Brown.

9 June 2018 -- Class of 2022 Youngest Cadet Candidate Skylar Franz (Saint Cloud, FL) cuts ceremonial cake along with Oldest Graduate Chuck Anderson ‘69
joined by four USMA 2018 Graduates and ten more 2022 Cadet Candidates. Hail and Farewell celebration was held at Shades of Green resort, Walt Disney World, FL.

Distinguished Graduate Awardees (6 + 133 previous = 0.002 of Long Gray Line) for 22 May 2018:
GEN(R) William C. Wallace ’69 (2nd from Right)

Photo of Bill Johnsmeyer (Bahr is looking for a more frontal photo (Stars & Stripes?), likely with a flagpole and mentioning BJ's name).

Members of the Class of 2019 took the Oath of Affirmation on Sunday, August 20, [2017,] binding them to complete their next two years of study and a minimum of five years of active-duty military service thereafter. GEN (R) William S. Wallace ’69, who served in the Army for 39.5 years, from a military advisor in Bac Lieu Province of Vietnam to V Corps Commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom, addressed the new cadet sergeants about the significance of their commitment to the Profession of Arms. Forty-two members of the Class of 1969, the cows’ 50-Year Affiliation class, were on hand to present members of the Class of 2019 with a joint class coin symbolizing their new professional bond. Photos.

Micro-reunion (Bill and Mary Bahr and Roger Loder at virtually free trip to Cabo San Lucas;
NFL HOFer James Lofton in background of photo 3), Feb 2017
Facebook Photos NFL Attendees

Florida 4um Soiree (6 Dec 15) Photo #1: Dinner on the veranda at the Historic Taproom at Dubsdread Golf Club, Orlando, FL.

Florida 4um Soiree Photo #2: BOTL 1969 Attendees Arnie Haake, John Sanders, Paul Salazar, Roger Loder,
John Morris, Tony Singer, Ed Quinn, Steve Overstreet, Bill Friese, Phil Holden, Ed Kersey, Joe Gelineau, Pete Skells,
Cary Gaylord, Gene Murphy, Chuck Anderson, Bill Bahr

Florida 4um Soiree Photo #3: Orlando Fifty Year Affiliation Team Chuck Anderson,
Mike Starks (President, WPPCCF), John Morris, Phil Holden, Joe Gelineau, John Sanders

Florida 4um Soiree Photo #4: Balloon Release by BOTL Gene Murphy, Bill Bahr,
and Ed Quinn (Signal Corps); Chuck Anderson (ADA)

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25 July 2015 at USMA for Glee Club Spirit Video: Knights of West Point
L-R participants: Jay Harper, KC Brown, Larry Wells, Tom Spencer, Lew Killian
Note: Mike Colacicco in audience. Mike Brennan played golf there the day before but was not able to come to the performance.

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Former Kansans Bill Bahr and Jeff Weien, 1 Oct 2016 High Noon Rendezvous in Des Moines, IA.

Bill Bahr at 45th Reunion (10 Oct 2014, 1600 hrs) LTG Rienzi Memorial Ceremony.
Flower on the General's columbarium niche (corner) inside the Old Cadet Chapel.
"RIP, General. To all of us in USMA 1969, you are Signal!"
LTG Rienzi TAPS: http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1942/12735/

More Rienzi Eulogies

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From Hop Bailey:

Hi guys,

This was the 2012 annual party at Bob and Diane Pitz'a house in Colonia, NJ (about 5 minutes from Rahway). We did it again just a week ago before Bernie Tatro and I went up to West Point and did the Beast March Back with the Class of 2017.

Speaking of which: BOTL is 50-year paired with the Class of 2019 and it has become a USMA tradition for the 50-year paired class to turn out and March Back. That means that in 2015 we need to show that we are BOTL. I've done this event twice and it is really unique. You get to mix with many other grad classes plus the cadet cadre and the new cadets. This year the oldest grad was class of 1945 (90 years young) and next oldest was 1948. Both of them did the entire 12 mile March Back from Camp Buckner. There were many grads still in the Army including folks with recent deployments. The youngest was class of 2011.

Give it some thought. It's a great goal to get in shape.

Before the March Back at Herbert Hall picking up our stuff.

Overnight billets in Doris Barth Hall, Camp Buckner (absolutely unchanged in 50 years!)

Just finished at the sally port to North Area

Hop Bailey

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Bill and BOTL,

In the 1960s E-4 acquired the company motto Go Naked. The provenance of this proud declaration is not clear to me (George Albrecht may be able to help here). At the 40th Reunion the contingent of E-4 BOTL went over to North Area to poke around. The divisions were unchanged in every way except for the computers on cadet desks. We ran into some cadets and were telling them about the company motto. Much to our surprise they told us that it lives on secretly today! We were all thrilled, of course, to know that something of our legacy, even if it was disreputable, is preserved.

Please go ahead and post to the website. I think Bernie or Jodie, who also marched with 2017, will submit some pictures to Bob.

BTW, only the 50-year pairing class can carry a banner. We need a large BOTL contingent to line up behind Best of the Line 1969.

Hop

=========================

I should have said that some versions of the famous E-4 motto are Run Naked instead of Go Naked (again I defer to George Albrecht) but the spirt is the same either way.

BTW, on the 2017 March Back it was nice to hear cadets express the same sense of humor and sarcasm we developed to such a high level. It made me remember fondly the audience response to movies in South Aud (now named Robinson Auditorium). Nevertheless the newly adopted motto of 2017 is a lofty and idealistic: So Others May Dream 2017:

Lead formation of the Class of 2017 entering Washington Gate for the final two miles of the Beast March Back, 11 August 2013.

One other story from the 2017 March Back. Bernie and I were waiting to push off from Camp Buckner with E Company in the pitch black at about 0515. A dim figure in camouflage approached up and extended his hand in welcome. He was very cordial but I couldn't make out anything about him until Bernie told me it was the new Supe. We also got to meet the Com and the Dean plus the tac in charge of Beast. They were all rucking along through the early hours.

Hop Bailey

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Posted to the 4um on 7/15/2013

Gentlemen:

Notice that we were sitting in the Black Knight's rooting section for the joust. He won, well actually he was found to have cheated, so the later show (which we skipped) had a challenge fight to the death! We can only hope Divine Providence had him correcting (not just contemplating) the error of his ways and that he finally triumphed honestly!! "Deo Gratias!!" : )

8/20/2010 Author's Book Reading/Signing, Chicago (Bahr, Bacevich, Kessenich, Lachey)
Words of wisdom from a publishing master:
"Writing a book can be very painful. With all due respect to women, ...like having a kid. But just as painful is getting your kid noticed!" --Andrew J. Bacevich

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