It's "on-the-road-again," sleighing up to the Dakotas-our last bastion of defense against an attack from the Canadians- for a North Dakota classmate's historiography: the first of our three "Dakota Kids."

Gary Dean Sheets: "My sophomore year we moved from Nebraska to Riverdale, ND, where Dad worked constructing the Garrison Dam on the Missouri River. Following high school graduation in 1955, I worked construc­tion and then entered the University of North Dakota. Two Army officers urged me to apply to West Point. My 1947 Chevy convertible was lost in snow until spring, but I hitch-hiked to Pierre, SD, borrowed a car and proceeded to Ellsworth AFB for testing, and was then nominated to the `New Air Force Academy.' That spring at a track meet where I pole vaulted, I met Jim Bujalski.

"On the AFA bus picking up new cadets at Stapleton, I remember two guys ­Ron Yates and Dean Vikan. Ron smiled as he spoke of his Tennessee girlfriend Connie; and, Dean's girlfriend Phyllis planned to move out from Minnesota.

"My 'doolie year' I roomed with Fred Porter and in the fall we were reas­signed from 2nd to 3rd Squadron. Cres Shields was my roommate our senior year. My Academy highlight was having the second fastest obstacle course time behind Dean Vikan. My most memorable happening at the Academy was meeting a local rancher, Dave Higby, when we first moved to our new campus; Dave was a former owner of the Academy property and ran cattle on 20,000 acres in the Monument area. We hunted and fished nearly every weekend. (Activities: Bowman's Club 4,3,2, President 1, Choir, 4,3,2, Class Com­mittee 4,3,2, 1, Gymnastics 3, Hunting Club 4,3,2,1, Football 4, Rifle 1, Track 4,3). Upon graduation, I bought a Ford Fal­con which I traded for a house during pilot training at Gra­ham, replacing it with a 1947 Plymouth. Ralph Lalime loaned me his Pontiac Bonneville so I could escort the Sherman, TX Armed Forces Queen, Ms. Sylvia Sonnenburg (to become: Sheets). The Lake Texhoma area was also great for tarantulas and black bass, both pursued by me and Ron Yates.

"After F-102s at Perrin I was assigned to 64th FIS at Paine Field, WA, which included Al Zmmerman, Howie Bronson and Fred Boutz. We still laugh about Howie putting worms in the apartment's clothes dryer, loaded with my cloth­ing. There were 30 pilots and three were killed in the 12 months, including Fred Boutz. After being aide to two NORAD generals, I was assigned to Vietnam as FAC and flew 152 missions, 80 over NVN. As FAC-IP at Hurlburt, I served six months with the Navy and Marines at Patuxent River NAS as test pilot in the YOV-10. I had an ejection at 400 feet and `Class 26' crash landing in the 1st Marine OV 10. Finally: MBA at Florida Tech, Air War College, B-1 Deputy Pro­gram Manager, retiring in 1984 as Colonel; then Lockheed as civilian Aquila RPV Manager and Houston on NASA Space Station Software. We moved to Plano in ‘95 to pursue a business started by our son, Jeff; sold the business in 1997.

"Sylvia (U-Houston) and I have four children and 13 grandchildren: Su­san (43) married Dr. Scott Hosler, Norman, OK--two children-High School and sophomore at OU; Susan and Scott are OU grads/med school in Califor­nia; Jeff (41) married Wende Vikan, Franklin, Tennessee - seven children, two 18 years old, Jeff is a U of TX graduate and President of Son Corp; Nathan (38) is married to Patty Houghton, Plano, TX-three children, 3-6, Nate is a Texas State graduate and ordained Baptist minister, and President of Evangecube Ministries which presents the gospel to one billion over 10 years; Rachel (33) is married to Chad Visser, McKinney, TX-one child, 10 months - Rachel is Houston graduate and head-hunter, Chad owns a credit trans­action business.

"I'm Bible Study Director/Deacon in a 25,000-member Baptist Church; three years on PGA Senior Tour, City Champion 1998, County Seniors' Champion 1998; performed 90+ times with Texas' largest musical production; Founding Member, Evangecube International; made mission trips into Texas and Okla­homa prisons sharing the gospel, and my family has been involved in 75 inter­national humanitarian mission trips.

"I've had congestive heart failure since my attack in 1986, and drive a 2000 Toyota Echo (38mpg) and a 1993 Mercedes Benz 600 SEL gas-guzzler."

Dale Thompson was lounging restfully on the deck of his cabin north of Boeme, TX, at 2:30pm. A ferocious wild boar approached, and Dale reached for his trusty pre-1964 Model 70 rifle. The barmy boar charged, spewing fire and foaming at the mouth while racing hell-bent for Dale's throat. He fired a 130-grain Nozler bullet at 3100 fps. The savage animal dropped, and after a few kicks, lay dead. Dale and Ina were unable to find a bullet entry point or exit wound on the ferocious beast. "These boars multiply rapidly and threaten both animals and humans," said Dale about his Boar War.

Our Mini-Reunion started Friday, Oct 6th at the Academy Hotel with dinner. Saturday was the G1mGate for drinks, Quarterback Club's luncheon and foot­ball with USNA, dinner at Biaggi's. Attending: Ted Stumm and JoAnn Phillips, Jerry and Dotty Farquhar, Andi and Carole Biancur, Dave and Camille Sweigart and Kehlers (deceased son Tim, AFA'82), Jim and Mary Waddle, Jock and Hope Schwank, Dick and Sally Sexton, Denis Walsh and Bill Goodyear and George Van Houten (USNA'60) and Norwood Gay, Tony and Carol Bilello, Karen and Rosie Cler>/b>, Ron and Connie Yates and Blythe Wilson, Jim and Jenny Glaza and Linda, Denis and Liz Haney, Brian and Carol Kaley and son Scott and grandson Nathan and Sue Woodward, Wayne and Barbara Kendall, Dick and Sharon Schehr, Bruce and Caryl Mosier and niece Laura Peters, Roy and Barb Jolly, Vic Yoakum and Suzanne Katsilas, Gordy Savage, Jon McClure, Charlie Holman, Jack and Elaine Brush, George and Diana Pupich.

Roy and Barbara Jolly moved in 2004 from Mesquite, NV, to St. George, UT, a lovely oasis proclaimed by AARP as the nation's neatest retirement spot. Roy and his Houston partner manage an investment partnership (utilizing a sys­tem Roy developed after researching 435 economic books). Barb and Roy are founding members of the Logan, UT, Opera Festival,; Barbara's taking many college courses using a Utah state law offering seniors a $10 class fee, and Roy says Greg Boyington no longer rides his motorcycle.

"Marty [Haitt] and Les Querry get kudos for a grand gathering of DC-'60 at their hilltop mansion--Falcons' Roost--in Bluemont, VA, Saturday, Oct 21st," writes Tony Burshnick. "Bill and Barb Hales came from Greenville, SC, while RG Head and Carole Hoover couldn't make it because of RG's back (hospital­ized with infection requiring two surgeries, got pneumonia, then released in November)."

We're "empty-nesters: 'Yeah, right. So what do you call CT Douglass III and wife, Brenda, who withdrew 14-year-old son, Dax, suffering from autism/ ADHD, from school environments to home-school him? "This allows DAX to develop living standards where he becomes independent, instead of being sent to a group home, writes CT." (Reflect on CT and Brenda's long evenings of late-night tutoring up in Stillwater, MN, while you and yours are cruising)!

Dateline: Boise--Deke Johnson is Post Manager for the local VFW, Idaho State Quartermaster, National Officer of VFW's 14th District representing Idaho, Montana and Washington on VFW's National Council of Administration, and attended meetings in KC Oct 6-8th' (lunched with Bill Kornitzer) and VFW's Western Conference in Panama City Nov 1st; saw Greg Boyington when Deke and Sally visited their son in California.

MiniSkiXVII: 23 Feb-3 Mar 07 in SLC--contact Andi Biancur at (719) 488 ­4317 or Bacfly60@)MSN.Com.

Final Roll Call. Gary Van Singel's wife, Marilyn, died Nov 2, 2006.