Edwin Lewis (Ned) Whitman is a Senior Navigator and retired Colonel-USAFR living in Suffern, NY, Ivy League educated with a Law Degree from Cornell University ("Big Red") and M.A. from Princeton University ("Tigers"), worked as Attorney for Rockland County in New York State. Ned's wife Mary retired after 42 years teaching high school Mathematics, and she and Ned celebrated 40 years of marriage in 2007 at Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria. There's been lots of travel; perhaps the best trip was Turkey and Istanbul, Bosporus, Topkapi Palace, Ephesus and Temple of Artemis, Hagia Sophia, Troy, Dardanelles to Gallipoli Battlefield and Sea of Marmara. (Photo: Ned, Mary, son Brad and wife Christine at Istanbul's Hagia Sophia). Brad is Senior Associate with the Carlyle Group in DC, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard University, where he won the Williams Prize as outstanding Economics student; our AOG awarded Brad three Graduate Dependent Scholarships while at Harvard (1994-'98). Ned and Mary's first grandchild, Abigail, was born May 2008, and daughter-in-law Christie works at Northrop-Grumman Media Relations.

"We left Clarksville, TN Christmas Eve for Georgia and Christmas with daughter Patricia and family, including our two great-grandsons," wrote JT Smith. "From there we spent a few days on Lake Martin in Alabama visiting Diane's sometime traveling buddy (and college roommate), Nell; then Brandon, FL to visit son Andy for New Years (while towing Diane's Honda CB250 Nighthawk for our traditional motorcycle ride on New Years' Day). January 4th began our three-phase journey to the southern hemisphere, visiting two areas of Argentina in addition to the "Antarctica Expedition."

"We started in Buenos Aires with a classic Argentine dinner before flying to Trelew on the east coast of Patagonia (where Butch Cassidy and Sundance met their fate). The principal wildlife includes Rheas, Guanacos, and Magellanic Penguins; and the area is one of three major fossil regions in the world--with a nice Paleontology Museum. We were surprised to find a significant Welsh community there, and we visited an old Welsh Chapel and a Welsh Teahouse. Then it was back to Buenos Aires to meet our group going to Antarctica, with a city tour visiting the famous Pink Palace and amazing La Recoleta cemetery where Eva Peron is buried, followed by a classic Tango dinner show. The next day, we caught our flight to Ushuaia on the Island of Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of Patagonia, boarding the MS Andrea for our voyage to northeast Antarctica.

"Crossing the Drake Passage (as in Sir Francis . . .) took 2 days, and the seas stayed in the 2-to-3 meter range. Our first scheduled landing had to be scrubbed due to 60-knot winds (it was a challenge to get safely in and out of those Zodiacs, inflatable 10-person vessels with 40HP engines). Our ten other landings were usually 'wet'; i.e., you swung your legs over the side and stepped into shallow water to wade ashore. Once ashore, we had an hour to watch the Penguins (Adelie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap). We also saw several Humpback Whales, Leopard and Fur Seals, and lots of Albatross and Petrels.

"Our final shore excursion was at the large, volcanic cauldera Deception Island, where some took a 'dip' in the Antarctic waters. The volcano still has active geothermal areas, one keeping a volcanic-sand beach quite warm. The trip back across the Drake Passage was worse than the trip south; seas got to 8 meters high, and they closed forward decks because water was breaking over the bow (most put Bonine patches behind their ears or took Dramamine--fortunately, neither Diane nor I found it necessary).

"Then back to Buenos Aires, from which we flew to the impressive Iguazu Falls, the world's largest. We spent the first day viewing from the Argentina side; the second, from Brazil; and then it was Iguazu to Buenos Aires, Miami, Tampa, and Nashville for another tango show at Vanderbilt University." (See photo of JT and Diane at the "bottom of the world").

Gary Sheets: "On Bill O'Reilly's show 2/3/09, he covered award of the DSC to LtCol Tom Holmes from Jasper, TX, WWII pilot; Tom is wife Sylvia's uncle (for the full ceremony, contact Gary).http://www.ktbs.com/news/World-War-II-pilot-receives-Distinguished-Service-Cross-24881/ Holmes was lead pilot flying a B-24 on a 1943 bombing raid against the Ploesti Oil Refineries in Romania. Allied pilots flew at dangerously low levels."

"In the Cross Hairs:" Leaving the snows of Michigan for sunny Florida, Gary Van Singel visited his sister near Ocala, then spent 18-19 February with us--we entertained Gary at Circus Sarasota, then glitzy Lido Beach and Ringling Museum ... Driving from Florida's Panhandle, Aaron Thrush joined me April 19^th for a "baseball-filled-day" at Cincinnati Reds' Spring Training Camp in Sarasota, Twin Lakes Park for the Baltimore Orioles' Minor League Camp, Port Charlotte for an afternoon Cardinals-Rays game, and that evening in Sarasota for the Red Sox-Reds game ... George Pupich prognosticates about future Academy football: "Some incoming linemen look good. Coach Calhoun believes that group, plus some at the prep school and a few who are being recruited, could form the nucleus of a great bunch in a year or two" ... Mike A. Clarke's wife Nancy has retired from the White House as Chief Florist after working for six different Presidents over 31 years: "She's Vacating a Seat of Flower," read the Washington Post ... Fuller and Judy Atkinson moved from Bradenton, FL to Griffin, Georgia in early-April ... Kath Gillis and children Cecilia and Sebastian met Kath and Bill's son Glen in Denver: "Enjoyed skiing with sunshine every day at Iron Horse Resort in Winter Park, and celebrating with Mom on her 90th birthday."

"We enjoyed shooting blue quail in southern New Mexico recently, also went to Ascension Bay, Mexico, where I chased bonefish, permit (Trachinotus Falcatus), and muchas margaritas," wrote well-seasoned sportsman John McCullough. "I took some old friends from Nashville, TN, and Deanne was the only lady with the seven guys. (She wished she'd gotten those odds earlier, and I reminded her of our blind date in 1959 when Jim Mills, Jabo McCain and Howie Whitfield came along. Deanne said: 'Yes, but I didn't know then what I know now!')" John's Spanish requires "pruning," and while attempting to speak native on the Yucatan Peninsula, he kept saying how much he liked chicharrones (fried pork skins)--the word is similar to chicarones, which are women's breasts in Spanish. John reminded them how he "enjoyed eating those every night with my wine." Three years of Spanish down the drain.

MiniSki XIX was February 21-28, 2009, and included Al Johnson; Howie Bronson; Earl & Pat Van Inwegen, with son Curt and daughter Kristen with friend, Julie; Andi and Carole Biancur; Greg Boyington and son-in-law Jeff Lippa and grandson Reef; Ralph Lalime and sons Jay and Chris; George & Diana Pupich; Jerry de la Cruz; Bruce Mosier and daughter Debbie; Jim O'Rourke; Charlie Holman and wife Weesee, son Charles, daughter Kyra and grandson Jack; Ron and Connie Yates; Gene Vosika ('59); Bruce and Pat Hinds ('61); Pat and Marilyn Buckley ('61); Bob and Jan Brickey ('61); and Jim and Judy Gallagher ('62). Roy and Barbara Jolly joined Thursday and Friday nights for dinner.

Our 50^th Reunion is scheduled Wednesday, 29 September 2010 through Sunday, 03 October 2010.

(Go to: www.usafaclasses.org/1960/afa60.html, click 'Class News,' then click 'April 2009 Web Column' for more parables).