Ah, yes ... it's spring! 2002-another Palindromic Period. Spring: When a man's fancy turns to--Baseball! Opening Day, the crack of a bat, mus­tard on dogs, the ghosts of heroes past in those Green Cathedrals. Fans like Aaron Dean THRUSH, who grew up in St. Johns, OH, went to Crosley Field and is still an avid Reds fan who's probably right now in Sarasota at Spring Training. Vic THOMAS roots for the Dodgers, Ron DEEP for the Pirates. Johnnie KUENZEL had a chance to play for the Pirates, but chose USAFA. Bill CARNEGIE's baseball reads: "To Billy CARNEGIE. /s/ Babe Ruth." (Bill's mother was related to Hall of Famer Larry MacPhail, who started night baseball, and used to give Bill free tickets to the Yankees.) Bill GILLIS, whose father brought Ted Williams and the Babe into their home for dinner. Norm HALLER (Baseball 4,3,2,Captain 1). Baseball trivia buff Ned WHITMAN. Me, I go to most of the Rockies' games, and plan trips to Boston (ostensibly to see our daughter and the twins) only when the Red Sox are at Fenway's Green Monster.

I had just finished reading "DiMaggio: The Hero's Life," when I ran into a REAL hero--someone in an even greater league than the Yankee Clipper.

Name, Rank, Service Number and Date of Birth: Edward Watson LEONARD, Jr.'s mantra as a POW from 1968 thru 1973. Ed was at the Acad­emy for a POW Memorial, and I talked with him after the AFA-UNLV game November 17". While flying an A-1 Sandy on his 257th mission in to en­emy territory, May 30, 1968, he got Navy Lt. Kenny Fields out, but was shot down (his second time) and eventually captured. (R: Frank GORHAM said "the details of his evading capture were priceless--three days up a tall tree with a NV Regular division camped beneath him! Only eight of 550+ airmen shot down and captured in Laos returned.") Ed was senior ranking officer as a Captain at Portholes in '68, then Farnsworth until '71 and Plantation Gardens thru Feb '72 when he was moved in with the LULUS (Legendary Union of Laotian Unfortunates). He was transferred to the Hanoi Hilton for release on March 27, 1973 (after 46 months). Ed had 87 enlisted men with him--the Marines made him an Honorary E­3-and 23 enlisted recommended him for the Medal of Honor. He re­ceived four Silver Stars, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (with V), two Purple Hearts, 19 Air Medals, three DFCs, MSM and AFCM. Ed got a law degree from the U. of Texas in 1982 and practiced law in Austin, TX, then Astoria, OR, until retiring. He and wife, Susanne, are living in Ilwaco, WA (1,000 people), where he was sworn in as Mayor New Year's Day, 2002. Going annually to the NAS Pensacola Hospital for treatment, he's had both knees and a shoulder replaced--battle damage.

Glaza, Leonard, Mosier, Cler, Waddle,Schehr, Schwank

We weren't exactly heroes on the football field this year; so, unless you've been living in a cave with bin Laden you know that we had a semi-lousy season. 6-6. Most of the fun during the season happened off the field!

We beat San Diego State 29 September 45-21. Preceding that was a party even more bone-shattering than football: Dinner the evening before at Pat and Earl VAN INWEGEN's. (R: Bizarre news rides a fast horse--I had operatives there with "Booze Cams," and, trust me: This was not your garden-variety social.) Margaritas & Sangria with Santa Maria BBQ. Some guests reported an attack by terrorists, and one sighted a Stinger missile landing near the bar. Collateral damage included lacerations, bruises, shattered egos and injured gray matter. Survivors at eve's end were Andi BIANCUR & Carole Kramer, the VAN INWEGENs, PUPICHes, YOAKUM, MEINHARDTs, DOYLEs, GLAZAs, with several escorted to the La Jolla Wellness Center. (Warning: If you're invited to VAN INWEGEN's, wear Kevlar body armor. As Van cautions: "this ain't Kansas, Toto!".)

Top: Before, Bottom: After

We squeaked by Navy 24-18 at Redskins Stadium the 6th of October. Ralph LALIME's Tioga minihome provided a "2111 century series rolling tailgate," reported harried passenger Bob BADGER. "Anyone who's rid­den with Ralph knows that he does things with an RV that most people would never attempt in any kind of ground-bound vehicle, and most at high speed (the game always seems a little anticlimactic in comparison). It's analogous to Winston Churchill saying that there is nothing so exhila­rating as being shot at--and missed." The Flea provided transport to/ from the game and Prozac to quiet riders' nerves. Wives attended, and the guys are in the photo.

Back: Head, Biancur, Burshnick, Badger, Alnwick, Al Johnson, Lalime
Front: Fries, Holman, de la Cruz Glaza, Burke.

The Foofaraw around our AFA-Army weekend November 2-4 began Friday afternoon at the YATES home, then to Broadmoor's Golden Bee. Saturday morning's GLAZA-Gate included steaks before we blasted Army 34-24, earning us the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy (which weighs 170 pounds, slightly heavier than our running backs). ESPN's "Game Day" program was broadcast from the quadrangle. Saturday night's dinner at the Radisson had 61 attending: BIANCUR & Carole, BRUSHes, BILELLOs, CLERs, Barbara CREW & Bob Dunn, DOUGLASSes, FISCHERs, FLYGAREs, FARQUHARs, GLAZAs & son Steve, KALEYs & Sue Woodward, KENDALLs, LUCK, MEINHARDT & sons & wife, MOSIERs & daughter Deb (with two USMA'93 grads), PORTER, PUPICHes, SAVAGE, SCHEHRs, SEXTONs, SCHWANKs, STUMM, WADDLE family(9), WALSH, YATESes, Vic YOAKUM & Diane (Jansen) Davis. Entertainment by the "Very Light Opera Company" included a skit panning the ancient Florian Philip MEINHARDT<.b>'s 67th birthday, with his hazy recollection of where he was the night President Lincoln was shot! We finished Sunday afternoon at BRUSH's Mayan Gardens. (Next year: AFA-Navy game October 12, 2002.)