Well it finally happened. The bane of all scribes who have to meet publication dates. For some rather complex reasons, I missed the deadline notification for this issue and am in a severe catch-up mode. To add to that I am not at home and do not have my notes available; so, you'll have to forgive me in advance for: 1) the shortness of this column and 2) the lack of real news that it contains. Since Christmas, I have been literally out of touch with the Academy and the Air Force. Mom didn't tell me that retirement would be this work oriented.

As an offshoot of a class sampling concerned with seeking support for the AFA Fund, I contacted several of the classmates by phone. It provided me a chance to talk up the reunion and get a quick glimpse into what a few of you are doing. I spoke to Kirk CANTERBURY in North Carolina. He is doing well and gaining interest in something called the Master's Swim Program. I understand it to be focused on those of us who are somewhere past our 35th birthday. I have none of the details, but when I mentioned that I was also telephonically chasing Derry ADAMSON, Kirk mentioned the possibility of "recruiting" him to the program. Derry, is it time to run and hide or what? He also told me that occasionally he saw Jim THOMASSON, who was surviving in the construction business and was getting into politics, or so I understood.

I also spoke with Greg BOYINGTON, who, you will be pleased to know, has not slowed one step. He did get to the '59 reunion, and had so much fun that he is already scheming to hook his partner Tom CHASE, '59, with all the work of minding their real-estate projects while he takes the opportunity to top it in September. When I spoke with Fuller ATKINSON, he was also very positive about joining us at the 30th. In fact everyone I spoke with needed no coaching to say that they were all planning on the return to the Rockies to rehash the last 30 years.

Boy, this is tough. Being out of town and told that your definite deadline occurs well before you can return to your scratched-out notes and column outline material is impossible. We are all aware that our present memory capacity, or lack thereof, can not support my "faking it". Accept my apologies for this feeble attempt at a class news column. I thank whatever is holy for the likes of Jock SCHWANK, who has graciously volunteered to fill in the remainder of this issue with the present edition of the reunion agenda. Over to you Jock and thanks a ton for the assist.

Wednesday, 5 Sept: we'll have a pre-reunion warm-up and informal cocktail party for those of you who come in early to visit family, friends and/or play a round of golf.

Thursday, 6 Sept: we'll start check-in and registration at the Embassy Suites Hotel mid-afternoon. This will continue on into the evening with a companion cocktail party and hors d'oeuvres in the atrium area of the hotel.

Friday, 7 Sept: start the day off with a cooked-to-order complimentary breakfast. Golf for those who want to brave the elements; Noon lunch at Mitch's; followed by a tour/open house in Fairchild Hall, the library, and Vandenberg Hall; Mid-afternoon: State of the Wing briefings in Arnold Hall, Memorial Service in the Cadet Chapel at 1600, followed by a class picture. Start the evening off with complimentary cocktails at the Embassy Suites, followed by dinner and dancing at the Peterson AFB Officers Club.

Saturday, 8 Sept: Again, complimentary breakfast and then the big tailgate party before the game. Following the game we'll meet for drinks, dinner, swimming, hot-tub enjoyment, and socializing at the Embassy Suites as we celebrate another Academy win over Hawaii.

Sunday, 9 Sept: Meet in the atrium for breakfast, complimentary as usual, and to say our farewells. Optional chapel at the Academy. For those who are staying around for another night, we'll have a wind-down cocktail party at the Embassy Suites to retell stories about the fun times.

By the time you read all of this, you should have received a letter from us with much of the same information, a hotel registration card, and an order form for your sweaters and golf shirts. If you haven't received them, let me know ASAP. Our Registration form, with exact prices for each event will be in the mail in early June.

We don't have addresses at the AOG for the following classmates. If you know where they are, please have them contact us so we can send them the reunion information. Don ALMANZAR, Bob BAKER, Bill CURRIER, George HINES, Larry JOHNSON, Tony JONES, Bill LENINGER, Art LEWIS, Denny O'KEEFE and Charlie SANDS. Also if you know the addresses of any of the guys who started with our class, but didn't graduate, and who you think would like to attend, send the addresses to me at the AOG, and I'll send them the information. See you in a few weeks! (Jock Schwank.)