Did you miss last month's issue? November issue.
Did you miss last month's issue? November issue.
Time flies when you're having fun playing golf. All of a sudden the
'55 DC Area Golf season is over. The best turnout of the year took place
at Bell Haven CC in Alexandria, VA on the 18th of August. Don Kellerman
(07) hosted the magnificent event climaxed by a sumptuous feast on the
patio of the club. (PHOTO #1, "Ray Hine & Don Kellerman"; PHOTO #2,
"Denny Sullivan, Lucy Mustin & Dick Morgan"; PHOTO #3, "Hartley Holte,
Don Kellerman, Hank Mustin & Tom Emery") Participants were: Lucy &
Hank Mustin (12), Virginia Wyman & Ray Hine (20), John Adams (12),
Dick Morgan (03), Tony Bracken (20), Tom Emery (09), Denny Sullivan (13),
Joe Chmelik (22), Tom Schultz (24), Norm Harper (04), and Hartley Holte
(13). Tom Emery came in from Charlottesburg, VA and Hartley Holte came
all the way from Indiana. Ray Hine was low man with a 78. Hidden away in
the stat sheets was the fact that Lucy Mustin & Virginia Wyman were
paired with John Adams & Dick Morgan and the match ended up in a tie!
The season finale took place at Hidden Creek CC in Reston, VA on the 22nd
of September. A small but hearty group celebrated the occasion at the awards
dinner that followed, again, beautifully hosted and emceed by Ray Hine.
Awards were given to Tony Bracken (Best Overall Golfer); Dick Morgan (Most
Consistent Golfer); Denny Sullivan (Most Improved Golfer); Lucy Mustin
(Most Consistent Woman Golfer); Dick Morgan (1st Hole-in-one Award); Tom
Kiefaber (Best Media Coverage), and the Edward C. Straub Memorial Trophy
went to Lucy & Hank Mustin for contributions to Class Golf. Lucy couldn't
attend because she was in Fredericksburg, VA participating in the Virginia
State Country Club Championship. Her team came in First (2nd flight)! J.
Adams & D. Morgan shouldn't feel too bad. (PHOTO #4, "Hank Mustin accepts
E.C. Straub Trophy")
In September, Peggy and I journeyed to San Antonio, TX for a wonderful
ship reunion. The ship is the former TAYLOR (DD/DDE-468), a WW II
Fletcher class destroyer built in Bath, ME. She had a distinquished career
and was finally stricken from our Navy List in 1969 when she was turned
over to Italy. TAYLOR was my first tour of duty upon commissioning in
1955, after remaining at the Academy as a Plebe Company Officer to bring
in the Class of '59. In my short career of 20 years, this first tour was by far
the tour which I enjoyed the most. Being homeported in Pearl Harbor was
certainly a big plus! While in San Antonio, our group of TAYLOR Sailors
(from '42 to '69), their lovely ladies, and two TAYLOR widows, travelled to
the Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, TX. There we dedicated our
USS TAYLOR plaque as a new addition to the museum memorial wall portion
of their Commemorative Plaque Program. The Executive Director of the
museum is RADM Charles Grojean, USN (Ret) '46, who should be
remembered by members of our Class as a Company Officer during our
midshipman days. (PHOTO #8, "Charles Grojean & Otto Zipf") Truly a
surprise, it was good to see him again. TAYLOR was among the small select
group of ships that escorted MISSOURI into Tokyo Bay for the formal
WW II surrender ceremony on 2 September 1945. In fact, after the US
mineseepers swept the channel, TAYLOR led the US ships into Tokyo Bay.
During the early '50's, just prior to my reporting on board, TAYLOR had two
CO's by the names of, first, CDR Shelton H. Kinney '41, and then, CDR
Robert W. McNitt '38, both now RADM (Ret). It was Capt Kinney, as CO
of TAYLOR, who developed the "Wonsan War Dance" shore bombardment
routine during the frequent occasions when he took TAYLOR into Wonsan
harbor during the Korean War to conduct shore bombardment. This shore
bombardment routine was taught to our Class during First Class year in
O&G classes by then CDR Kinney.
After helping with the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Jenny and I moved to Palm
Beach Gardens so I could help the South Florida Water Management
District get their Everglades Construction Project started. The project, now
under construction, will clean up the water runoff from the agricultural area
prior to the water going to the remaining Everglades. This will allow the
flora and fauna (not words that we even knew in 1955) to be restored to
what they were before the Corps of Engineers did their handiwork.
Although, I thought it was to be civil engineering job, my role became more
of a political engineer dealing with the sugar producers, the
environmentalists, and the general public. In mid 1997, my former employer
in Atlanta, dangled gold and Jenny and I are now living in Herzliya Bet,
Israel until the fall of 1999. I am the Construction Manager of the new
Passenger Terminal Complex for the main Israel airport, Ben Gurion. Work
is a unique challenge. We are underway on a four year construction
program and implementing the U.S. style of large project management is a
trying process. Jenny and I are covering all the sites in Israel and have also
traveled to Petra, Jordan, Kenya, Cyprus and Turkey. A trip to Egypt late
this month will probably complete our major travel objectives. We will
return to the States in the fall of 1999 to our home in Palm Beach Gardens.
If any one needs a rental there, please let me know and at this point I can be
very accommodating. If you find yourself in Israel, please call. We have
plenty of room and would be delighted to have visitors. We would also like
to hear from any of you. It's get lonesome here sometimes. See you at the
Forty-Fifth. Our email address is: mandress@netvision.net.il
mandress@lmbil.com Our home address is: 1 Brandeis @ 24 Nordau St
Herzliya Bet, 46594 Israel (Home Phone) 972.9.956.2996.
A beautiful Christmas gift idea. Class of '55 silk scarfs are still
available @ $ 25.00 each. Same day mailing can
be accomplished by Denny Sullivan. Contact him at (703) 683-0733 or
me at email: KIEF55@aol.com.
Conceptual planning for the 45th Reunion has begun. Dates are October 18-22, 2000 and the Saturday football game is with Rutgers. We have over 100 rooms reserved at the Annapolis Marriott which is on the waterfront within walking distance of the Yard. We also have additional rooms reserved at the Days Inn on Route 50 (same as for the 40th). We still have a long way to go - if you have any ideas, put them on our Listserv or call me 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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