Did you miss last month's issue? Visit the Shipmate Archive.
Did you miss last month's issue? Visit the Shipmate Archive.
Anne and Ted Parker (19) hosted a Class dinner party after the Navy-Holy Cross
basketball game in January. Present were: Donna & Jack Renard (05) (who have sold
their Annapolis home and have fully moved to Wintergreen, VA), Alice & Don Sturtz
(23) (now living in Lewes, DE), Ann & Wes Saunders (23), Nancy & Don Kellerman
(07), Sabra & Bill Kennington (07), Margo & Gary Snyder (01), and Denny Sullivan
(13). It was a quiet and relaxed gathering, made memorable by the humor of Jack
Renard and the hospitality of Ted Parker and his lovely wife Anne.Bill Smith (04) reminds us that next year is the 100th anniversary of the Submarine Force and that there are numerous social and memorial events planned. Plans include a submarine exhibition at the Smithsonian American History Museum, a submarine float in the Rose Bowl parade, and a submarine commemorable stamp. A major celebration and conference by the Submarine League is scheduled for June 2000 and Bill proposes a gathering and party for '55 Class submariners in conjunction with it. Class submariners will be notified by letter of scheduled events and plans for a Class party.
Denny Sullivan took a trip to Baja California last December - see Denny with a prickly
friend he met in the desert. (PHOTO #1, "Cruiser Denny Sullivan") The trip included a
four-day cruise on the Sea of Cortez followed by a rail excursion to Mexico's Copper
Canyon and a visit to Chihuahua, MX. Denny received a note fom Judy & Ed Browder
(14) - still residing in Niskayuna, NY. They report travels around the country visiting
grandchildren (5 now) and relatives including LuAnn (Judy's sister) & Dickinson Smith
(03) in the Philadelphia area. Last Summer they spent three spectacular weeks in Western Canada, rafting and touring. (PHOTO #2, "Browders up a creek without a paddle") Give us a full report, Ed!When one of our classmates, Bart Fordham (16) reported on economic conditions
observed in several former Soviet Union countries, a project of interest to several '55ers
on our listserv was born. The goal of the project is to provide some type of relief to the
people of the former Soviet Union, in general, and our military counterparts specifically.
This project is still too new to (1) describe in detail, or (2) determine if it will take off as a
legitimate '55 Class project or a project supported directly by individuals. The problem
itself is too big to be fixed by just one Naval Academy Class. With those thoughts in mind, here is what has happened so far.A research team headed by Hal Guffey, looked into Olive Branch International,
Incorporated, as a humanitarian aid organization that could provide experience and
guidance and contacts in the region. Olive Branch, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia,
provides a variety of services to the military in several former Soviet Union countries. It is a US registered 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. Olive Branch International is also one of the organizations receiving funds from the Combined Federal Campaign. In 1999, Olive Branch operations will take place in: Murmansk, St Petersburg, Moscow,
Kiev, Sevastopol, Omsk, Chita, and Vladivostok. Between now and July, some 15
activities are scheduled. Most will involve trips to one or more of these cities. The first,
scheduled for February 10-24, was to Sevastopol, Ukraine and involved providing training
on suicide prevention to a group of chaplains and military representatives. This was an
opportunity to meet with representatives of both the Russian and Ukraine Navy regarding
an initiative on the part of our Class. Olive Branch invited Hal Guffey to participate in
this mission. The purpose was to develop a sense of mutual trust before discussing aid
plans and procedures for distributing funds. Hal was not able to rearrange his February
schedule, so John Roberts (01) took his place. For this to be a viable project,
establishment of goals and mounting some type of a fund-raising campaign are needed.
Ideas are welcome; participation is encouraged. Write Hal Guffey at: 134 Miramar Dr.,
Colorado Springs, CO 80906; (719) 576-7756; HalGuffey@compuserve.com, or John
Roberts at: 4895 Cypress Point Cir., Virginia Beach, VA 23455; (757) 552-0608;
john@pilot.infi.net. Standby for further information about this worthy cause.In connection with research being conducted by Mike Nassr '54 for a definitive history of
USNA alums who served in the Air Force, the '55 Class effort to assist is being handled by Joe Clarkson (08). Joe passed on some interesting '55er input regarding personal
experiences:Tom State (08). My career was fairly brief, and there were no major
glories, but it was a very good experience to modernize a small fighter base
that was only a short distance from Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Sort
of the "big fish, little pond syndrome". There will be a 414th Fighter
Group reunion later this year, and I'm really looking forward to that.
Sometimes I wonder about the wisdom of my leaving the Air Force, as I
had just received orders to be a math instructor at the AF Academy (which
came with a captaincy) when I resigned. However, I've had a great time in
aerospace designing, building and operating everything from launch
facilities to spacecraft. Included were two stints on Navy projects -
systems engineering for the ASW Project Office, and the Fleet Satellite
Communications System spacecraft. Always worked with government
entities - mostly Air Force, some Navy, NASA and others, so I don't think
I've strayed too far from national service.This year's Christmas mail included a surprise note from Sandy Helms
(08). Hadn't heard from him in all these years. Bob Conlan (08) checks in
every now and then, as do many others. My NASA/JSC visits
reintroduced me to Classmate Carl Peterson (13) who was TRW's rep in
Houston. George Abbey '54 is now Center Director there. Carl is now
fully retired, and at this moment is probably undergoing shoulder surgery.
He and Trudi are taking an anniversary Caribbean cruise shortly, so his
condition can't be too bad. Nonetheless we wish him a speedy recovery.
(The Petersons have moved to 6110 Ski Texas Ln., Rosharon, TX 77583;
Tel: (281) 369-0324) Another alum at JSC is Frank Parker '57 -8th Co.
Remember him? Top of his class, but best known to us as the guy who
could type term papers. Literally bumped into him one day, and he
recognized me as someone from his distant past. Nice guy. My roommate,
Bill Slattery, also is in the recovery mode. Seems that he was in a very
bad auto accident around Thanksgiving time, and has some ways to go on
the road to recovery. Serious stuff. Neck, nerves, vertebrae, etc. It was
bad enough that he was in surgery again on New Year's Day. I have
suggested to several classmates to send him a note or card, as I know it
would help his morale. Maybe you could get the word out on the net. I'm
not geared up for it, but this event sure convinces me to do something
about that. Bill's address is: 7301 Abby Marle Lane, West Lafayette, IN
47906. Maybe we could inspire him to come to the 45th next year. Bill
always made it to the local alumni gatherings here when I was doing the
June Week West thing on the Queen Mary. By the way, one of the leading
lights of the LA Chapter was Bob Cunningham '59 (nee '57-8th Co.).
Bob's energy got this Chapter rolling again. Bob "Zug" Zastrow '52 was
also a loyal participient before he died.My plans are to take some time off soon and move back to Spokane. The
TRW project (AXAF) that I've been working on keeps slipping its launch
date, but I can't wait any longer. Besides, these 50-60 hour weeks are
getting to be too much. I may be available for short-term gigs every now
and then, but it is time to take it easy. I've got a golf date with Ed McHale
(03) and Ray Medeiros (03) in early February, a couple rounds with my
in-laws in Palms Springs, two trips to Spokane this spring for the Gonzaga
U Engineering Advisory Council, three reunions this summer (grade
school, high school 50th, and that Oxnard AFB thing) and, hopefully, a
one-way trip to Spokane in the Fall with a contented wife. I like this new
schedule. McHale and Medeiros live in Camarillo near the Capehart
Housing Project I had built in 1958-60. Ray and I spent every USNA
summer together - Plebe Crew 108, USS DES MOINES, USS BENNINGTON
et al, USS GOODRICH, and USAFIT Civil Engineering School after
graduation.Francis "Chico" Castillo (14). On the day of graduation, I went to mass
with my mother at the Chapel, and gave her my ensign bars so that she
could put them on after graduation. I went to breakfast and came back to
my room at about the same time John R. Johnson (18), who had the color
company, asked me if I wanted to still go Air Force. I told him yes!! I
went to my Company Officer and he called the Commandant's office. They
said I had to see if the first alternate, who was Lewis D Smith (03),
wanted to go first, since I was the second alternate. I can still see Lewis
putting the gold braid on his cap as he looked at me then his cap and told
me to take his place. I went to the Commandant's office and told them I
would take Johnson's place. I was told that I had to be sworn in as a
Reserve Officer in Washington D.C. that same day.
.
After graduation, I told my mother I was going into the Air Force. We
were both going to my brother's graduation from Medical School in Omaha
NE. I had to wait at Andrews AFB for ten days on active duty until I
received my regular commission. I had no uniforms whatsoever. I spent
my time getting new uniforms and seeing the sights. I went to Mauldin
MO for flight training and was washed out for hay fever. Went to Kelly
AFB with Air Force Security from there to a detachment in Trabizon,
Turkey. I spoke Turkish well enough that I was asked where I learned to
speak English. Came back to Kelly after one year. I got married in
November of '57 and resigned in Sept of '58. We have two boys, three
girls and 7 grandchildren. All of our children graduated from college.
Four have advanced degrees. I am very active in my business which is
Castillo Ready Mix Inc. in Belen, NM. We have our youngest son in
business with us.Not to be outdone by the Air Force, Gary Snyder forwarded a sea story about his
convoluted entrance to the Naval Academy:The story starts in the eleventh grade when I competed for an appointment
to the Academy. Then Congressman John P. Saylor made everyone take a
civil service exam and used the results as the basis for choosing the
recipient. Later in my senior year, I learned that I came out on top and had
an appointment to the Academy in the Class of 1955. I was pretty excited
about this! I was in the Class of 1950 in high school and so had a year
before entering the Academy. After reviewing a number of options, with
all the wisdom a sixteen year old could muster, I decided to enlist in the
Navy and see what it was like to be an enlisted man for a year. I knew that
if my appointment was known, I would be sent directly to NAPS. So I
enlisted and did not tell a soul.Soon, after my very first (and still only) train ride in a Pullman car, I
arrived at Boot Camp in Newport, RI. Being reasonably perceptive, it did
not take me long to realize I did not like Boot Camp. So I cornered my
Company Officer, a Chief Machinist Mate, one evening after dinner and
told him of my appointment. I was transferred to NAPS the next day. All
I had to do, however, was pack my seabag and walk two blocks up the hill.
I was quite a surprise there. A Seaman Recruit as a student! I sometimes
wonder if this ever happened again. There was a course validation
procedure in place. I had done well in high school and was able to validate
all courses. Now get this, a Seaman Recruit with nothing he was required
to do, all day! That must have caused some distress at the management
level! But never fear, the Navy rose to the occasion and quickly
implemented a program wherein I would spend my time tutoring others. I
was the chief (and only) instructor. After some time I was able to expand
the program a bit by bringing in a few more instructors part time in the
form of other students who had validated some courses.Being Seaman Recruit had another advantage which quickly came to light.
The Navy was beginning to become a bit enlightened by then and imported
bus loads of young girls for the boot camp recruits on Saturday nights. A
dance was held in a gymnasium, on base. It happened that the layout of the
base caused some companies of recruits to march by our barracks going to
and from the dances. I had a number of jumpers with a red seaman recruit
stripe. So I would loan them out to others in my NAPS class. We would
hide in the bushes at the end of our barracks until a company of boots came
along on the way to the dance. We would fall in at the end of the company
and march off to the dance with them. The procedure was reversed at the
end of the dance. We did this so much the recruits began to expect us! I
was administratively promoted to Seaman Apprentice after four months
and so these Saturday night forays looking for beautiful women came to
an end.The Saturday night dances led to an event some months later which was
memorable. I had developed a minor relationship with a young lady
sufficient that when a NAPS graduation dance was held, I invited her. She
came, resplendent in a white, lacey, floor length gown. I am sure we had a
nice time but I only remember the final few minutes of the dance when
everyone was getting their coats, ready to go home. We were going up the
stairs to the coat room when I stepped solidly on the hem of her dress. She
kept going; the lower half of her dress did not. It tore off at the waist. I
felt bad but, but along with everyone else in the vicinity, was mesmerized
by the beautiful sight I had brought to light.One other event still is fresh in my mind. Don Briggs (21) was the senior
enlisted in our class, a First Class Petty Officer as I recall, and so he was
our Battalion Commander. Well one day I was assigned to clean the
showers. I was hard at it when I heard people enter the head. It didn’t
seem like it was a bunch of the guys, so I stepped out of a stall to look.
There was Don with three officers in tow, conducting an inspection. I
don’t know who was most surprised, me at seeing them, or they, seeing a
naked, wet sailor with a scrub brush and a can of Comet cleaner.At the end of the course we moved NAPS to Maryland-the old Tome
School, as I recall. Lots of buildings were being reactivated, including the
hospital. Shortly after moving in, we held a field day in our barracks. The
top half of a double hung window crashed down on my hand and broke my
little finger. I went to the infirmary at the hospital to have it set. Well they
were so anxious to have patients there that I was admitted! Shortly
thereafter there was an inspection of some sort. I had to put on my navy
pajamas and get into bed while the inspecting officer made his rounds.
There I was, the only patient on the entire ward, explaining the nature of
my medical problem to the inspecting officer. I think it was the next day
when I was discharged. End of saga!I received a nice letter from CAPT Fred Salvia, USN (Ret) '39 about a recent cruise he
took with our Classmate, "Scot" McCauley (10):I hope the enclosed snapshot of three "boat school" grads who met on a
cruise in December will make it in one of your columns. (PHOTO #3,
"Fred Salvia '39, Scot McCauley '55, & John Turnier '47") We met on the
ten day maiden voyage of the Renaissance Cruises' elegantly appointed
(680 passenger) MV RTwo in the Western Mediterranean, starting from
Lisbon. Following two nights in Lisbon, port calls went from Cadiz,
Tangier, Casablanca, Gibralter, Malaga, Almeria, Palma de Mallorca,
Menorca and ended with another two nights in Barcelona. I didn't
recognize modern, bustling Casablanca from the city I remembered from
going ashore there in December '42, after our side secured the area. My
wife and I enjoyed meeting and socializing with these fellow " ring
knockers" and their charming ladies.I regret to inform that Jimmie D. Jackson (01) passed away from coronary artery
complications on Christmas day last while visiting his mother in Calistoga, CA. Jimmie
had retired recently from the McDonnell Space Facility in Houston. He was a close friend and a "one of a kind". His wife, Rosemarie Jackson resides at: 3107 South Peach Hollow Circle, Pearland, TX 77584; Tel: 713-436-9642.Lyn & Dan Shields (16) are getting along fine on the Outer Banks. Dan's leg is mending
- getting to where he can walk a bit without a cane. He reports:Enclosed is a picture taken at our Army-Navy game celebration, or should
I say period of mourning. (PHOTO #4, "Paul Sutherland, Don Aven, Bart
Fordham, Dan Shields, & Bob Smith") My roommates Bart Fordham
and Bob Smith (16) with their wives, Carolyn and Maralynn, joined us
from South Carolina and Florida. Also with us were Don Aven (01) and
wife Millie along with Pat & Paul Sutherland (07) from around here. In
spite of the outcome of the game, we had an enjoyable time.Carol, Eddie Turner's widow, sends "my sincere apologies to the Class of '55 for not
having thanked you for all the beautiful tributes to Eddie - the flowers, the many cards,
which I treasure, and the wonderful write ups in the Class column. I would also like to
"publicly" thank my special children - Ed, Jr. (USNA '81), Lisa, Charlie, Tim and "Bear"
and their respective spouses for their support during this sad time - without them I could
never have made it. My new address is now: 11B3 President Point Dr., Annapolis, MD
21403 - right above M.G.! Phone is the same. Very sincerely."'55 LISTSERV. New members raise the total to 229, and are: Bill Barlow (24),
bbarlow@ida.org; Ellen Burton, widow of Bob Burton (12),
ELLENFBURTON@compuserv.com; Francis "Chico" Castillo (14), crmc@crmc.net;
Joe Dunn (16), Jdunn741@aol.com; Bill Farnsworth (12), Billgilla@aol.com; Jack
Higgs (01), rjhiggs@juno.com; Paul Jessen (10), pjessen@adelphia.net; and Charlie
Senn (07), csenn@erols.com.
Conceptual planning for the 45th
Reunion: The dates of our 45th Reunion have changed. It will
now take place on October 26-29, 2000, an "off-Homecoming" weekend.
However, nothing else has changed. We still have booked the waterfront
Marriott Hotel in Annapolis as well as the Days Inn on Route 50.
And Washington area Classmates are still planning a great program.
More details will be provided later in Shipmate, via letter, and on the
'55 Net. We still have a long way to go - if you have any ideas, put
them on our Listserv or call Tom Kiefaber at (703) 759-7743 or another
Washington area Classmate.
| Class Membership for December 1998 is 63 Percent...........
Are you a member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association (15 non-graduates are!)? You can sign up by calling (410) 263-4448 x112 or 117. Annual dues are $30.00 or $410.00 for lifetime membership (paid in quarterly installments). Or indicate your interest to me and I'll have USNAAA send you an application. You'll find SHIPMATE has vastly improved. Tom K. Note: Please contact USNA Alumni Services office at 410-263-4448 x112 or achamber@arctic.nadn.navy.mil to update your address if you are a member of the USNAAA and not getting Shipmate. If you are not a Naval Academy alumnus, but would like to subscribe to Shipmate, please contact the phone number/email address above or click on Subscription Form. Your Webmaster |
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