Our classmates. They've earned a living, raised families, fought a war and circled the globe. Survived these many years. Some retired, many now simply help others. Volontairement: Part Deux.

"I've been working as a volunteer in the New Bern, NC Police Department. I run their Pawn Shop Tracking Program, collecting copies of pawn tickets from the local shops, and entering them into the computer sys­tems. We have found three stolen guns by checking against the national system. And, we've solved a number of cases," says neo-crime stopper Ron PATCHETT. Meanwhile in Seattle, Jim O'ROURKE makes hefty do­nations to Habitat for Humanity, while wife, Bev, volunteers for FISH dis­tributing food to the needy.

Jim and Mary WADDLE make doing good deeds look apple-pie easy. Mary makes costumes for all the plays at their United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs, is on the Board for the Sacred Concert Series, and they both sing in the choir. Trying to prove Stanley Milgram's "Six De­grees of Separation" theory--that a chain of six people links anyone on the planet--they've spent the last six years building a church in Russia. After 25 trips, they've now completed the First United Methodist Church in Yekaterinburg, 1000 miles east of Moscow. This is the first ever built in Russia for a congregation meeting in a building formerly a Communist Party Propaganda Center (talk about retrofit!).

Good-guy do-gooder Chuck DIVER mentors 15-year-old Tyler, born blind with five fingers but no thumbs and some brain damage. Chuck picks Tyler up at his dad's business one afternoon a week; they go to McDonald's for burgers/fries, then the airport, driving range, home to fly Chuck's MS Flight Simulator, ending with cookies and ice cream. Chuck's also putting on a new church roof 40 miles north, cutting trees at their own church, and "assisting the family of a terminally ill dear friend trav­eling to their medical appointments."

Tony BURSHNICK serves pro bono on the AF Science and Technology Board, which works for the National Academy of Science (Access to Space, hypersonic flight, Reserve forces, substitutes for land mines, etc.); Advi­sory Board of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, and made speeches to groups in New York, Connecticut, Ohio, Texas; and, spends countless hours keeping the DC-'60 group scrubbed behind the ears. Tom BURKE's president of St. Bernadette's Elementary School PTA, league di­rector of the Springfield Youth Club girls' soccer league and commissioner of their boys' traveling soccer teams, and on the board at the National Capital Soccer League. Joe HIGGINS preps itinerant workers for their U.S. Citizenship Exams, chairs his Parish Church Council, and escorts 3rd/4th/5th graders thru Jefferson's Monticello (and is now gearing-up for the 200th anniversary of the Lewis & Clark expedition).

Bruce EDWARDS was driver for the athletes at the SLC 2002 Olympics, and wife, Karen, was on their Food Services Team; Bruce's also an assis­tant Scoutmaster in New Jersey and Utah for his son's Boy Scout troop. Karen's Troop Leader for their daughter's Girl Scout troop. Bruce performs numerous public speaking engagements with civic organizations. Both are Church Deacons and drive for the American Cancer Society, and Karen volunteered with the Paralympics this March 2002.

Gordy and Ann FLYGARE's central volunteer activity is helping Gordy's 95-year-old father--a critical care giving role, of which he says: "It's not exactly like driving nails for Habitat for Humanity," while the upside is "having all the Father-Son time together that WWII/Korea/Vietnam stole from us years ago."

George COLLIER volunteers with the James S. McDonnell USO "mak­ing recruits happy on their way to basic, and provides an area where vets and their families can relax/rest. I help our church with an Outreach Program for foreign students at Washington University in St. Louis." Gary VAN SINGEL's given 12 gallons of blood the last 39 years; wife, Marilyn, is active with Lifeline, monitoring older people living alone, and volunteers for Love In the Name of Christ (LOVE INC) which provides food, clothing and furniture to those who've lost worldly goods in tragedies.

Paul VALLERIE is Vice Commander of the Meridian American Legion Post, publishes their monthly newsletter, heads the Legion Membership Committee, is on the Color Guard Team, is Area B Commander for the Idaho State American Legion Information Coordination Team, selects students for Boys State, belongs to the Meridian Merchants Association and Chamber of Commerce. He and wife, Kay, are on the Lutheran Church's Council and sing in the choir. Val volunteers at the police de­partment working on area crime prevention, gives talks to schools on "Americanism and What That Means." Nuclear engineer and attorney Harry SWAINSTON's extensive and on­going pro bono publico efforts involve fighting the Feds' use of southern Nevada's Yucca Mountains for the disposal of spent fuel and nuclear waste--a China Syndrome Doomsday Scenario. Avery concerned Harry spends countless hours each month lobbying the DOE to keep these fissile ma­terials from prematurely ending intelligent life on the Blue Marble. Former School Teacher Roger LENT volunteers two days a week at Spokane High School tutoring chemistry, guest lectures, and helps new teachers with classroom assistance. Paul SULLIVAN is president of Lions Club and on its Community Personnel Board and Finance Committee, Red Cross Plate­let Pheresis donor, and a barbershop Chapter Member singing to nurs­ing homes and hospitals. Brian KALEY has been a volunteer Discussion Group Leader for the Naples Council on World Affairs, a branch of the National Foreign Policy Association.

Dennis O'KEEFE's on the board of Seattle Mental Health, Building Com­mittee for Washington Cathedral and works with the county bureaucracy on zoning approvals; years ago, Dennis established the Health Resource Center and initiated the non-profit Washington Seminary.

Gordy SAVAGE volunteered as Red Cross instructor last November, and is a veteran of the Rubber Chicken Circuit--he's made gratis presenta­tions for the American Cancer Society to Optimists, Rotary, Sertoma, Kiwanis. With the American Cancer Society 15 years, Carol BIEHLE is now chairperson of their North Valley (CA) Region, while Ken drives cancer patients to treatment and donates blood platelets (more precious than whole blood) every month.

Jock SCHWANK worked tirelessly as do-gooder at our AOG for many years--well beyond the call of (his paid) duty--and retired Feb 2001. Jock's now on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the AFA Library, and is asking for biographies of our classmates' cadet years and later ca­reers for library archives. (This juxtaposes George LESTER's request for bios: e-mail JCHSchwank@aol.com).

Dick and Midge HILLMAN moved to Cambria, CA, seven miles south of San Simeon's Hearst Castle: "Midge tutors 4th- and 5th-grade children at a local church, and volunteers at the youth center. We belong to Cambria Anonymous Neighbors (CAN), deliver hospital supplies (wheelchairs, crutches, etc.) to needy neighbors, and I drive elderly and disabled people to/from medical appointments. We participated in a CAN project to ensure all house numbers in the community were large enough to aid emer­gency vehicles for 911 calls; we're also involved with SWAP--Small Wil­derness Area Protection--to preserve local wilderness areas."

As wise guy Falconissimus Secundus said: "The Giving's The Thing."

December: Walter SWEENEY's story of very gentle noblesse oblige.