Look alive with Seventy-Five!

Dear ’mates: 

The November column is always an interesting one to write if the Scribe happens to be a football fan.  As I write, Navy is 1-1 with a number of questions still to be answered.  Hopefully the boys of the Big Blue are well on their way to a winning season and a berth in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego as you read.  But given the seven-week delay between my keyboard and your mail box there’s no way to talk intelligently about games three to eight.  So how about this instead?  Beat NOTRE DAME!  [We have a contingent of Irish-Catholic Golden Domers on Nancy’s side of the family.  For just once in my life, I’d like to be the one initiating the phone call on November 3^rd.]  Then for the rest of the football season, let’s beat a couple of other teams … and then Beat ARMY!  

Once again, the great Class of ’75 gets to bask in the reflected glow of an extraordinary achievement of one of our own.  Jon Greenert has been nominated by the Secretary of Defense for promotion to four stars and assignment to Command of Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk.  Jon will relieve ADM Gary Roughead ’73 when he moves up to become the next CNO.

Dennis Sullivan hosted a mini-36^th Company reunion in April.  The reason for the event was to “celebrate the Beebs return to Annapolis from Hawaii for the All Flag Conference.”  It was an amazing turn-out given the middle-of-the-week timing and the travel distances involved.  Going around the table from the left in the accompanying photo—John Ennis Jr. ’02 (Pentagon duty), Jim Beebe (HI), Bill Daley (Annapolis), Dennis Sullivan (Annapolis), Steve VonChristierson (VA), Craig Rankin (VA), and John Ennis (NJ).  Even without the names, there’s no doubt which two are the father-and-son team!  Steve and Craig, avid sailors to the end, came by the party after their Wednesday afternoon sailing competition.  It was a fine evening of drinks and sea stories and tales of Mother B.

<photo 75#1:  “36^th company mates in Annapolis”>

Deb and Doug Martin had a good summer in Manhattan, KS.  With cancer in check, Doug was able to work every day at his law firm, where he concentrates on railroad cases.  His doctor (Guido Tricot) left the center in Little Rock to take a new position as the director of the stem cell transplant unit at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City UT.  Doug really likes Dr. Tricot, and seeing as how he is one of the tops in the world in the field, Doug plans to fly to Salt Lake City for his quarterly follow-up checks. 

<photo 75#2: “USNA 75ers golf with Viking great Randall McDaniel”>

Regular contributor Alex Plechash sent this update from Minnesota just in time for this month’s issue. 

“Things are really hopping around the Upper Midwest (read Minnesota) Chapter these days.  There are three guys from '75 on the Upper Midwest Chapter Board including Neil Tollefsrud - Vice President; Rick Udicious - Shipmate Contact; and myself - Chapter President.  We've been able to put together or coordinate with some great events including a fundraiser golf outing on Sept. 9th sponsored by Tee It Up For the Troops, Inc. a non-profit organization on which I am a Board member (see Minnesota Chapter News for more details).  There were six USNA alums at the event including four 'mates.  This photo is of the three of the ’75ers along with Randall McDaniel, the ten-time All Pro Minnesota Viking who played in the foursome that included Mike Stephenson and me.  Pictured from left to right are Neil Tollefsrud, Randall McDaniel, Alex Plechash and Mike Stephenson.  In two weeks, I have the Governor of our state, Tim Pawlenty, coming in to address our Chapter members at a luncheon which will be jointly attended by members of the West Point and USAFA alumni groups as well as our local Navy League, of which I was recently elected President as well.”

Alex, thanks for your terrific community involvement – and for your regular updates to the class.  Sometimes there’s a feast of good gouge for our column, sometimes it’s a bit of a famine.  This month we had a nice healthy snack.  Right now I’m fresh out of new information and bright ideas.  So maybe I’ll just shut up until next month.

                ---  ’75 Sir!  Larry

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Last modified: December 22, 2009