The Annual Rite of Almost Spring--MiniSki XVII was 23 February-3 March 2007 outside SLC. Snow was great, and all skiers managed to keep both skis on the same side of every tree. "We were fortunate to have second generation folks plus one '59er," said Andi Biancur. "It was great and they brought a lot to the party. We've asked Gene Vosika ('59) to return next year and bring his classmates." Marginally Magnificent Performance Award was conferred for a novel acrobatic maneuver never successfully completed (missing from photo: Ralph Lalime, son Jay, June Colgan--Greg's friend, Jim Gallagher '62).

Front: Tiffany (Boyington's daughter), Al Johnson, Diana Pupich, Bronson, Deke & Sally Johnson, Gene Vosika ('59), Pat VanInwegen.
Second Row: Jeff Fippa (Greg's son-in-law), Carole Biancur, Rani (Les' daughter), Hobgood, Boyington, DelaCruz, Biancur, VanInwegen, Pupich, Martha & Curt (Van's son & daughter-in-law), Kirstin (Van's daughter).

Revelations. Sid and Marvann Newcomb moved to Manchaca, TX 50 miles east of Austin "to be closer to daughters and grandchildren, church and the Elgin taco business" ... J.P. Browning: "Retired, doing part-time cost model work for Lockheed-Martin. Usual retirement--golf, stock market, grandkids" ... Jim Alexander says "wife Martha teaches at a technical college, and I am business developer for Oconee County (SC). Hear from Ed Eberhart ('69) frequently--he and his wife are coming for a visit" ... Norm Alexander: "Heart is good after quadruple bypass; legs have stents for circulation problems. Debbie and I visit Denver this summer to see our '56 bivouac location" ... Derry Adamson: "Ten grandchildren live close--in August Faith and I visit Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France" ... Howie Bronson: "Work for Parks & Recreation teaching skiing at adaptive recreation center in Big Bear (CA), taught skiing to 400 British kids and spent a week in New Hampshire skiing with sons and grandkids" ... Phil Meinhardt has prostate cancer, weighing treatment options ... "Health OK. Had a stroke 18 years ago--didn't cripple me, but I have problems communicating. Live near Hurlburt AFB," says TonyJones.

DC-60: Tony Burshnick and Mike Loh attended Gen. Seith's burial at Arlington in March ... Bill and Fran Hodson moved to Colorado Springs May '07 ... RG Head and Carole Hoover moved to Coronado, CA from Springfield, VA.

Ralph Lalime, Jerry de la Cruz and Tony Burshnick visited the AF Memorial:
"Magnificent, it sits on a hill overlooking Arlington Cemetery.

Gary Karshnick crashed his helicopter, so now he's driving--stopping in ABQ to visit Bill Leninger. Gary sold his chopper four years ago. "As part of the sale, I agreed to give the new owner's IP a checkout, during which he froze on the stick and let the rotor rpm die--I fought him for the controls when we crashed into a lake. The helicopter was destroyed. I got him out of his seat belt and his head above water, and then he left me to fend for myself. I made it to shore. The IP was uninjured and I had a four-inch cut on my scalp. While the ambulance took me to the hospital, the new owner managed to get the wreckage out of the water and recovered the bill of sale and the cashier's check he gave me. He claimed that there had been no sale and his IP denied being on the controls. I had no overwhelming proof to the contrary, making a lawsuit 'iffy.' My insurance company turned out to be 'bogus' (located in Cyprus), and wouldn't pay the claim. So, that was a $45K lesson. Since I was technically pilot in command, NTSB assigned the blame to me for not ensuring that the IP wouldn't put us in jeopardy."

The Northwest Guys gathered in the Museum of Flight at Boeing headquarters: "Pleasant conversation ... lotsa war stories ... no arguments ... everybody watching what we ate ... compared medications ... talked about body part replacements ... now in our 7th decade--couple of sweet young things at the next table were totally ignored (that tell you something?)," said Jim O'Rourke.

O'Rourke, Luck, Kaspar, Delisanti & O'Keefe.

The Dakota Kids: Philip Francis Roberts' gorgeously-wrought histobiopiece: "It was April 24, 1938 at Moe Hospital (Moe's my favorite stooge) in Sioux Falls, SD, and a beautiful boy was born--right next to me!

"Fast-forward 17 years to a high school junior pulling Cs. The future was mine: Party-planner? Circus clown? Chicken-sexer? Then the bomb--my parents had spent my college fund on tires! I heard about the Air Force Academy. I wouldn't need a college fund. The Air Force paid for everything! Who cared that I had no interest in the military? I fantasized about bombing stuff.

"In eastern South Dakota we didn't have any military; so, I never knew this was my dream. Not knowing about the Academy was just what I needed. If I'd known about the running and sweating and screaming and no-chicks and no-leaving, I might have been discouraged.

"I needed a congressional appointment. Senator Karl Mundt gave the Air Force a list of names and told them to pick for themselves. Do you know how I got on that list? Neither do I. That meant tests at Offutt AFB, 200 miles away. The physical wasn't degrading; just bending over and spreading my butt cheeks. I really hoped I was passing that test. I asked a doctor what he was looking for and he said, 'Next!' I was sure I hadn't made the cut, so I went home to begin a car-washing career.

"One day a letter came telling me I would be a cadet starting July 9th, 1956. If ignorance is bliss, I enjoyed several blissful months before reporting--picture in the paper, high fives and proud parents praising the no-tuition feature. On July 9th, I began in-processing. They couldn't have been nicer. My heart sang. I had made the right choice. Things changed when I left in-processing. Insane officers screamed at me from two inches away. I demonstrated the 'right stuff' by going into shell-shock. I squeaked: 'A terrible mistake has been made.' They said one day I would laugh about it (I still want that day to come). That first night, as I lie in my bunk staring at the ceiling, I realized things could have been worse. Hardly anyone saw me crying or trying to drink that Drano. Things would get better and, sure enough, they didn't.--The next four years are a blur. I credit my protective shell-shock for the healing amnesia. Graduation! What to do! So, I bought a 1960 Ford convertible; and, I was a navigator, thanks to the T-29 Barf Transport. Did I love navigating? I wouldn't call it love. Did I want to become a pilot? Hard one, but no. Could I live as a 2nd lieutenant with no flying pay (if I lived in my car 'til they repossessed it). So I became a navigator at Otis AFB, flying racetracks in RC121Ds. Navigators weren't exactly kings of the universe. Navigator-Man needed to compute a life change.

"One day a fellow navigator pointed out some judge advocates and said, 'We need those lawyers like a plague needs locusts.' But all I heard was, 'We need those lawyers'; so, I decided to become a lawyer. I graduated from CU law school and became a JAGOFF. I later switched to the Navy and retired in '92 as a Captain with 30 years active service. I didn't need USAFA to be a lawyer; but, if I hadn't attended USAFA, I wouldn't have these sweet memories."

Phil's home overlooks San Francisco Bay; wife Sue's a Research Scientist for the State of California (BS Cal-Berkeley, MS San Francisco State); daughter Laura, 40 (BA Cal-Poly), and Leslie, 37 (BA, Cal-Berkeley), both live nearby.

What If? "Jan 23rd 2007 was 51 years since I took the USAFA physical at Bolling--almost flunked the pull-ups!" Mike Loh (what would USAF have been without this man?).

"Rosie, I just wanted to show you what Les Querry can do with photos that are in bad shape," wrote Charlie Liggett, including samples of Les' wizardry. "He's doing great with our 50th CD--encourage classmates to send photos, even though they might be deteriorating"--before-after is amazing."

While not published in the magazine, here's what Charlie is talking about.