Did you miss last month's issue? December issue.
Did you miss last month's issue? December issue.
On a very cool and blustering day in October, the Great Golf Challenge took place at Fort Belvoir - the USNA Class of '57 vs the Class of '55 - the winning class to receive the '55/'57 Shootout Trophy and bragging rights for a year. Jim Poole, Class of '57, was the congenial host, supported by a wonderful cadre of classmates. Since '57 has a much larger contingent of golfers in the Washington Metro area, four members of our plebe class - Class of '58 - were pressed into service to aid their "old firsties". They included: Owen Kirkley, Mike Salmon, Pete Westphal and Frank Gamboa. Roger Christianson, an honorary member of '55's golf program and prior winner of the '97 challenge, also participated. Participating '55 golfers included: Lucy & Hank Mustin (12), Diane & Tom "Dutch" Schultz (24), Virginia Wyman & Ray Hine (20), Joe Chmelik (22) and son, Ed, Tony Bracken (20), Denny Sullivan (13), Tom Emery (09), Dick Morgan (03), who flew in the prior night from Europe, and Ray Medeiros (03), visiting from Oxnard, CA. (PHOTO #1, "Ray Hine, Dutch Schultz, Tom Emery & Dick Morgan") These latter two paired together and "ham & egged it" so well (as they did when company-mates back at USNA) that they won the low gross and low net prizes. Their winning net score - 55. (PHOTO #2, "Awardees with Jim Poole") Not bad for a couple of golf transients with an average handicap of 20! At the buffet following the match, prizes were awarded for "closest to the pin" and "longest drive" - both awards going to an awesome Lucy Mustin. The Class persevered once again winning the most matches and retaining the title of '55/'57 Class Championship. It was a fitting end to an enjoyable affair with compliments to the Class of '57 for hosting a wonderful event. Stay alive and golf with '55!
A rip-roaring Homecoming tailgate and game celebration was capped off with a '55 dinner party at Busch's Chesapeake House. Out-of-town attendees included: Marilou & George Stott (17), Ray Medeiros, Sybil & Charley Plumly (16), Karen & Pat Taylor (16), Margot & Gary Snyder (01), and Pat & Paul Sutherland (07). Don Conner (08) surpassed himself in superbly arranging the dinner party. (PHOTO #3, " Denny Sullivan, Joy & Spud Flowers", PHOTO #4, "Tom McIsaac, George & Marylou Stott", PHOTO #5, "Gary Snyder, Fred Tolleson, Ted Parker & Ray Medeiros", PHOTO #6, "Don Conner", PHOTO #7, "Denny Sullivan & Tom Kiefaber"). Al "King Koz" Kozischek (02) flew out from California for the Navy-Notre Dame game (the scene, in '52, of one of his best defensive tackle performances). Despite his exuberant cheer-leading and imposing presence, we lost the game.
Bart Fordham's (16) recent trip to Russia was a feature on the '55 listserv and bears repeating:
Having recently spent eight days riding some 4,500 miles through the Russian
countryside, from Belarus to St. Petersburg, I had a first-hand look at the sorry
state of affairs in Russia. To begin with, when the Russians split and everyone was
given their "freedom", some 1000 - 1299 senior leaders stole most of the wealth of
Russia and put it in secret accounts in various countries around the world.
Dumping more money into Russia is sheer stupidity. It will never reach the
Russian citizens. The top brass will get every single cent, I'll wager. The poor
peasants had nothing then, and they have nothing now. One man said that his
"wealth" was in his cabbage ... that someone stole 25 heads a week ago and he
lost 25 percent of his "wealth". What we need to do is send some of our business experts there ... the Russians know zilch about a free market economy. We have
got to help them help themselves, rather than pour more money into an impossible situation.On the road to Moscow from Minsk, Belarus, we saw numerous people on the
side of the road trying to sell various items: mushrooms, potatoes, cabbage,
cranberries, apples and cut glassware (yes, cut glassware). I cannot forget the
image of an elderly woman, patiently standing along the roadside with one bucket
of cranberries, hoping to sell it before she went home. And if she was fortunate
enough to sell it, she would make a whole eighty cents! All along the road were
similar situations. One lady was selling glassware. She worked in a factory
making the glassware, but the owner had no money, so he paid his employees in
the products they made. We bought a beautiful set of six small cut glassware for
$6.00. They had to sit by the roadside on their own time and try to sell so that they
could have money to buy food. Worse yet, Russians do not want to be paid in
rubles, since their currency fluxuates so wildly. When I got to Russia, the rate of
exchange was 9 rubles to 1 U.S. dollar. A week later, they gave 18 rubles for a
U.S. dollar! Most of the service-connected businesses want to be paid in U.S.
dollars, even if they have to give a discount. We could not use ATM cards, even
though they had machines, because there was no money in them! No one would
touch our American Express travel checks - even the American Express office was
only open a short time each day, and they only gave out rubles, not U.S. dollars.We stayed at the largest and best hotel in Moscow (owned and operated by the
Russian Mafia, or rather one faction) and the entrance was guarded by two goons
with automatic weapons, and more were patrolling the lobby and other floors.
Senior military officers were taking menial jobs just to put food on their tables and
they have the keys to the nuclear weapons lockers! Everywhere we went, we
heard rumors of a military coup. Quite frankly, the situation was very tense.
Carolyn and I went into a grocery store in the heart of Moscow, just to see how it
looked compared to ours. The produce section was a joke. There were two heads
of cabbage, one red and one white. And that is a staple in the Russian diet. There
was a bag with about twelve small potatoes in it ... another staple of the Russian
people. We saw no meat, although there was a quantity of vodka. And the service
was something else. We bought several items and put them on the counter. The
cashier totalled it up and told us how much we owed. I paid, she put it in the
register, and then turned around and walked away! We saw no bags, so we put
the items in our pockets and departed. So much for their stores. One old lady in
Red Square came up to us and said, in Russian, that she was a widow, that she was
a survivor of the war, but her husband was lost, and that she had not received her
widow's pension since June. It was a whole $18.00! We gave her some U.S.
currency and she broke down and cried. She pulled a crumpled picture of a
beautiful young lady out of her purse and, through our guide, told us that the
picture was of her at the beginning of WWII. What a tragic life she must had led.
We learned that most Russians live on beet soup, potatoes and cabbage. Rarely do
they ever eat meat, although they do make home-brewed vodka.In St. Petersburg, which we liked much better than Moscow, the waiters in our
hotel were allowed to quietly sell caviar to us by wrapping the containers in a
napkin and discreetly showing it to us and asking if we wanted to buy some.The trip was a real eye-opener, but not something that I would want to repeat.
Quite frankly, I am very concerned about the situation in Russia ... a country that
spans eleven times zones!
Recently Joanie & Dick Morgan returned from a month-long Space A trip to Europe. Just over three weeks was spent touring Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria in a rental car, the rest of the time was spent in air terminals waiting for aircraft to show up and not cancel. They were amazed at the friendships and sea stories one can amass while waiting as a Category 6 passenger. Category 5 (unaccompanied wives and children) bumped them by the dozens. They had a wonderful trip. It never ceased to amaze them how old the buildings are, ... plentiful the treasures, ... beautiful the churches, ... friendly the people, and expensive the meals and gasoline. They stayed on military bases when near and available, but mostly in a version of B&B's (Zimmer Freis, pensions, elder hostels and a few hotels). Three years ago, they found out that VOQ rooms were almost always available at the U.S.Hospital at Landstuhl, Germany, a few miles east of Ramstein AB (where most US military flights now terminate).
UPCOMING CLASS EVENTS. '55 Class Cruise to Bermuda. Dates: May 22-29, 1999 on Celebrity "Zenith". Ports: Hamilton and St. George. Departs: New York, NY. Bus pickup in Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia & New Jersey. Cost: About $1300 per person, depending upon cabin location. A deposit of $250 is required and reservations should be made by 1 March (later accomodations are possible but not guaranteed). Agent: S&T Travel, Olney MD. Phone: 1-800-823-1355 or 301-924-8300. This is Sandy & Ted Hyman's (13) agency. Call them or their associates, Gloree and Paula for additional information and a brochure. Ted's email address is tedhyman@erols.com. Med Cruise: Luxurious Mediterranean cruise in September
1999 (leaves from Rome 9/28). Call Paul Sutherland at 252-261-1094 or S&T Travel for details. Our annual Dark Ages Party is scheduled for 6 March at Mount Vernon CC. Call "Dutch" Schultz at 703-360-4332.
APPALACHIAN TRAIL (AT) SITREP. This time "Tree Bender" Charley Plumly started
out with company mate Pat Taylor who tried it for a few days and thought better of it until next Spring or whenever Plum takes the plunge again. For those of you who have followed Plum's annual assault on the AT for the past 5 years, you know he started in the foothills of Georgia in '93, and spends up to three weeks at a clip on the hike north. In addition to both his son, Chad and daughter, Honey, Charley has enticed such stalwarts as Carl Strang (16) and trail buddies "Smurf", "Geezer", and "180" to accompany him each spring. This year's backpacking journey started in late October when the two spent the night at the Betty & Tony Hastoglis (08) home in Charlottesville, a short distance from their ingress point for the AT. They planned to do 7-10 miles a day for a planned distance of 75 miles. This report summarizes the first three days of the trek before Pat had to pull out after experiencing some chest pains (better safe than sorry) due to the grind - additionally, Charley informed him that the next day would be brutal - a steady climb from 900 feet to 4000 feet, and a full 10 mile day. Highlights include: It was a "lonesome" trail - they encountered only one other group of hikers, and a couple of weekend afternoon hikers; their cellular phones didn't have the legs to get out unless they were on a mountain top; and, Pat was on the trail long enough to get tagged "White Wolf" by Plum after an experience late one night with something resembling. Charley resumed the trek north after a pre-arranged rendezvous with "Smurf".
Classmates in the San Diego region have been enjoying a beautiful fall. Twelve gathered on 10 September to watch the Wake Forest game at the Floyd's. Attendees included: Nancy & Paul Abernethy (06), Jo & Roger Coffey (21), Carol Schrader, Tom Shine (21), Peggy & Hugh Webster (12), Karen & Bob Weir (21), and Lynne & Ned Floyd (18). After the game, Lynne served chicken ole. Except for the score of the game, everybody had a good time. On 29 October, thirteen classmates joined for lunch at the Pier Cafe in San Diego. Attendees included Tom Boucher (07), Dee & Pete Eller (07), Lynne & Ned Floyd, Tulia & Bob O'Lear (04), Bob Price (06), Tom Shine, Peggy & Hugh Webster, and Karen & Bob Weir. The sea stories were pretty thick, especially Tom Shine's account of Mids in an inflatable raft off USS MISSOURI.
CONDOLENCES. Our Classmate Harry Spence (22) lost his wife Jane on 26 October in Winter Park, FL. "Jane was full of life. She loved people and loved building relationships. She had an incredible bond with her family and four grandchildren."John DeZell spent some time in Texas recently and had a great time with two Classmates:
On my 66th birthday, I was in Houston on business. I was invited by a friend and
Classmate, Kent Drummond (11) to dinner. His wife Pat cooked a splendid meal
and Kent gave me a "Go Navy, Beat Army" pin for a birthday present. Also, I had
a terrific reunion with Carl Peterson (13), who was a teammate on the 4th
Battalion lacrosse team. Carl and his wife Trudy were thoughtful enough to invite
Kent & Pat over for dinner and we all had a great time reminiscing. (PHOTO #8,
"John DeZell, Kent Drummond, & Carl Peterson")
'55 LISTSERV. New members raise the total to 216, and are: Carl Braun (01),
carlbraun@norfolk.infi.net; Stan Skorupski (23), SSSFMC@aol.com; John Tyler (19),
JTYLER4321@aol.com; and Carl Vogel (08), carlvogel@juno.com. Tune into the listserv for some very interesting Classmate experiences about "First Duty Station" and "Shipboard Incidents." They are too revealing to publish in this column!
POTPOURRI. Carl Strang reports that our Listserv host, Ingram Leedy, got married. He
married his banker, the beautiful Ann Marie Leidner, in Orlando, and Carl and Sheryll attended. Ingram, as most of you know, proudly displays on his office wall a certificate declaring him an honorary member of the Class of '55. Incidentally, Carl, acting in the line of duty, rose above the demands of advancing old age and creature comfort by representing the Class at Ingram's bachelor party. "Our chartered bus returned home at 0230 after visiting Deja Vue and the nationally-famous Mons Venus, two Tampa fleshpots. It was a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it". Sheryll & Carl were honored by a visit from Tom Davis (19) recently. Tom, who looks great for his age and could probably still squeeze into the white works he wore almost fifty years ago, is a biker and had come from his hometown of Wilson, NC, to Orlando to participate in a motorcycle rally and mischief. (PHOTO #9, "Tom Davis with motorcycle pals") A quick note about Class contacts from Ed Newbegin (12) in Charleston SC: A Myrtle Beach weekend with his brother Bob Newbegin (12); with Jack Pierce (21) at the Scottish Games (still blowing the pipes), and at a ceiligh (party) at Newbegin's house; and a brief talk with Bob Pirie (14), featured speaker at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Nuclear Power Training Center at the Naval Weapons Station, Charleston. (PHOTO #10, "Ed & Nancy Newbegin with Bob Pirie") John Richards (16) married Sheryl Webster on a misty and breath-taking October 4th morning along the shore of beautiful Fairfield Lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. (PHOTO #11, "Sheryl & John Richards with his son, Kyle") Family and friends participated. Sheryl, an accomplished portrait, landscape and etheric spititual artist and a former deputy sheriff from Texas with a black belt in Aikido, studies Holographic Repatterning (HR) for certification at the teaching level. The accompanying picture of Sheryl and John was taken at his son Kyle's graduation from Towson University in May.
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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