"Hi, Rosie. I went to Las Vegas January 12th and stayed at the new Encore Hotel--it was fabulous," e-mailed Bill Kornitzer. "But, the real news is that I got home Thursday night, and Friday the 16th I started having chest pains; I finally drove to the hospital around 7 o'clock, and lo and behold, I was having a heart attack. A stent was put in Saturday morning and I got home on Tuesday. I am doing well with no damage to my heart. The moral is to keep exercising and get to the hospital quicker than I did."

"I am doing well--got my first class medical renewed again in September and still flying the Citation Excel part time for the charter company," wrote Jim Thomasson. "I've also taken up racquetball in my old age--can't find anyone that wants to play handball anymore. I'm getting beat like a drum--most of the time by these young 50-year old guys, but, I enjoy the competition."

"Our friend Ace Holman is fighting a brave battle with Parkinson's," wrote Les Querry. "After our DC-60 luncheon last July, he said that he wanted to come to our 'Falcon Roosting' on October 18th. Marty and I had Ace and Weese stay with us after picking them up at the airport. Bill and Barbara Hales arrived Friday, and on Saturday morning they took Ace and Weese to the new Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport where they rendezvoused with Brian and Carol Kaley. (I had earlier called Bill Haugen, ('62), who is a docent at the museum, to make arrangements for the visit). On Sunday we took Ace and Weese to Jerry de la Cruz's to join up with the Higgins and Fischers for one of Jerry's Gallery tours. In the photo are Jerry de la Cruz with Weese and Ace Holman.

"I completed my National VFW office in August and did not run for State Quartermaster; so, I am playing care giver for Sally. I went back to USAFA for a 50-year reunion of the Cotton Bowl team. Had a great time, but all those other guys looked really old! The Bronsons, Van Inwegens and I stayed with George and Diana Pupich, who are great hosts," wrote Deke Johnson.

Miles Kaspar sent me this tribute to our deceased classmate, Ted Stumm: "It was sad to hear of Ted Stumm's passing. We served together, and were both assigned to fly C-135s (MATS) at KWRI. I got a hitch in Viet Nam from '63-'64, and when I returned to the same base/duty, those that hadn't gone yet (Ted included) had built up their hours and were Aircraft Commanders (which Ted was). I was still 'co-stoking,' and we were flying together into Torrejon one dark, rainy night, and the WX was 'minimums' or less. Ted flew a precise approach to minimums (if not below) and I was quite impressed. I never forgot it and all I can say is he was a heck of a better pilot than I was--God Speed, Ted."

Let's take a glimpse of the idyllic lifestyle Jerry and Dotty Farquhar have fashioned: wintering at their Indian Hammock home near Lake Okeechobee, FL, flying Dotty's 1946 Piper Cub tail dragger (parked on a nearby grass strip) or their Navajo twin, traveling between Florida and their island paradise in the Bahamas, and spending summer months on their 48' boat christened the "Watchout." In the photograph, left to right is daughter-in-law Patricia with husband Rob (Dotty's son) and their son Augustus, Captain of the "Watchout" Jerry Farquhar (with island friend Alena Ferguson at his knee), Dotty, her daughter Kristen and husband David with their nephew Tristan (Rob and Patricia's littlest)--all on the beach at Staniel Cay in the Exuma Islands.* Jerry and Dotty

leave the Mainland every April for their ocean home near the Bermuda Triangle; meanwhile, daughter Kristen's writing a book entitled "Waiting For Jack," David's programming and helping folks with living, Rob's flying the Hawker 900 XP, and Patricia's teaching and loving and aiding the two babes.

*For those unfamiliar with The Exumas, our sea-swarthy and swashbuckling Farquhars describe them as "a 120-mile-long island chain-within-the-chain of the Out Islands of the Bahamas, with the Exuma Cays being the most exotic, a collection of tiny jewels set in the aquamarine and sapphire of the most beautiful water you've ever imagined." The hub of the Exuma Cays is Staniel Cay, where boaters gather at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club's bar and restaurant (Karen and I dined there in March 2003, and Karen still contends that it was absolutely the best meal she's ever had!) and where a landing strip used by Jerry and Dotty for their Navajo twin serves Staniel Cay. There's also the famous and eponymous Thunderball Grotto close by--seen in the James Bond film "Thunderball" and the movie "Splash"--where Jerry and I, several years ago, put on masks and snorkeled with friendly fish--this is truly a dream destination. It's also the home of movie star Johnny Depp, country singer Tim McGraw , and Faith Hill, some of whom hitch rides when Jerry flies his Navajo back to the mainland throughout the summer.

Jerry and Dotty now have their condo in Port St. Lucie over in the Ft. Lauderdale area up for sale, and Jerry Lance Farquhar is writing a book about his experiences as a Captain with Delta and recently lost 48 pounds (Q: Linkage?)

Friendly Fire. With his new grandson in Kansas, George Luck has a heritage dating back ten generations on American soil, from England in the 1670's to Virginia then Georgia in 1850 to the present . . . After John Gonsky's successful knee operation a year ago, and wife Nancy's lumpectomy and subsequent radiation treatments in September '08, it was off for a two-week cruise last October in the Eastern Mediterranean to visit Greece, the Greek Isles and Turkey . . . Howie Whitfield went in October '08 for the annual NHA Fleet Fly-In at NAS Whiting Field, FL . . . Fred Porter is still full-time in the USAFA Aero Department teaching Aircraft Design to First Classmen, teaching JAVA computer science at Colorado Tech two nights a week, and one evening course at the University of Colorado @ CSprings . . . The Cabin is (finally) completed! Dale and Ina Thompson have finished their "Texas Hideaway" near Boerne, TX . . . Jon Roby Day and wife Brenda are in Sorrento, FL, north of Orlando. Jon's Ophthalmology practice is in nearby Sanford, he's been there since 1973, and I "love it here . . . went to the beach today!"(26 Dec '08). . . Derry Adamson is fighting Alzheimer's disease, has some long-term (Academy period) but little short-term memory . . . To see how a new granddaughter should be announced, click: http://voylesbaby.blogspot.com. This is Gordy and Ann Flygare's first grandchild, and their daughter Karen and husband adopted this lovely child from across the Globe

"CT Douglass says that "Our son CT IV returned from Iraq (USMC) as an E5 (SSgt) last year, and left the Marines. He joined the Minnesota Army National Guard, and departed for Fort Benning on December 8^th for Officer Candidate School---his 30^th birthday was December 31" . . . From home in Manchaca, TX (South Austin), Sid and Marvann Newcomb continue their annual mission trips to the "Isaiah 55 Mission for the Deaf" in Reynosa, Mexico.

We've been updating rosters of those who started with our Class in 1956 and did not graduate (DNGs), while inviting them to our 50^th Reunion. Some will remember Noel "Beetle" Bailey, who left Lowry II on 23 September 1957. This photo was taken during the AFA-Navy Weekend at the Interment Ceremony for Ted Stumm on October 3rd, and Les Querry said: "During our Doolie year I roomed across the hall from Jim Bujalski and George Collier with my roommate, 'Beetle' Bailey. George's wife took this photo to send to 'Beetle'"

"Bert Card (2 Jun 58) called me in December '08 . . . James E. Brown (19 Feb 59) sent us his new address in Indianapolis . . . Jim Chamberlin (5 Nov 57) is living in Southwest Harbor, Me . . . Ron Giblin (22 Feb 57) called me several times last year . . . Paul Sones (25 May 58) wrote that "Hank Sredl's (30 Jan 58) address on your roster is incorrect--should be "Center Harbor, NH." Hank won't notice the error because he doesn't use the computer now that he is retired. I just saw Hank about three weeks ago. Sheila and I spent a week at a timeshare in New Hampshire and spent two days with Hank and his wife, Rowena." . . . Tony Bilello recently reunited with his Doolie Year roommate, Bill Hockenberry (17 October 1956) . . . Tony Burshnick writes, "Les Querry ran into Tony Bilello at the Mini-Reunion in the Springs around the Navy-AFA game, and when Tony told Les he would be traveling to Lorton, VA to see his daughter, Susan, Les suggested a get-together with the locals. Tom Burke offered "his" Springfield Country Club for a luncheon.

(Photo, back row: Querry, Bilello, Hockenberry, Alnwick; front row: Carnegie, Burshnick, De La Cruz). "Tony and Bill Hockenberry were Fourth class roommates and had not been in touch for 52 years, so they enjoyed swapping war stories. At one time, Jerry de la Cruz tried to convince Tony to join the ski team, and the will was there but not the talent. Tony now spends his spare time playing tennis, and had successful heart surgery in '97."

Goose and Susan Gulbransen live near Santa Barbara, CA, where the "Wind-Whipped California Blaze Forces Thousands to Fell Homes" was reported by the L.A. Times. Goose said "the fire started at a notorious spot for teenagers to sneak into and watch the sunset. Probably inadvertently, it took off. Wind blew south down the mountain towards the sea, we were 4-5 miles to the east and in no danger. I could see it from my yard and kept a nervous eye on it until the winds died down. We know three couples that live nearby who lost their homes. The task force subsequently determined that a bonfire started by the young adults was the origin of this October fire."

"Barb and I hosted Chuck and Edie Diver for a few days in December. They were on an extended trip to the Southeast and visited with Tom and Carole Seebode, then to the "Upstate of South Carolina" for some time with us. It was great having such a fine classmate and wife here," wrote Bill Hales, in Greer, SC on the Eastern Seaboard.

Due to an incredibly large number of requests for this "red hot but somewhat dated information" (only recently declassified by the DOD), I am listing those Colorado Woman's College (CWC) graduates who married members of the Class of 1960: Patti Krebs married Vic Yoakum; Karen Conant married Rosie Cler; Pat McFadden married Earl Van Inwegen; Carole Carlson married Don Wolfswinkel; Judy Linn married Fuller Atkinson; Donna Boyd married John Gutzweiler; Sherie Stokes married Dale Thompson; Mimi Schultz married Johnnie Kuenzel; Kathy Patterson married Charlie Liggett; Carol Larsen married Gordy Savage; Barbara Nork married Gary Crew; Pat van Kleece married Gerry Gammill.

Here's a great photo of Jim and Mary Waddle's family (2008 Christmas card), with Mary's catalog of family names on the back: Back Row--Jim, Ricky Johnson(Grandson), Rick Johnson(Son-in-law), Larry(Son), Robert(Son); Center Row-Mary, Fred Waddle(Grandson), Tom Johnson(Grandson), Lori Waddle(Daughter-in-Law), Patty Waddle(Daughter-in-Law), Emily Johnson(Daughter); Front Row--Mary with Granddaughters Molly Johnson, Erika Waddle, Sally Johnson, Melanie Waddle. Beautiful family, Duck!

Prior to the "70s Birthday Cruise" on the Danube last August, a few couples went on a pre-trip visit of three days to Transylvania, going by bus north from Bucharest and through Ploesti, after which they met the entire group in Bucharest for the August 11-23 cruise.

(Diane Smith is taking the picture, which has JT Smith, the Mosiers, Flygares and Liggetts with their three guides, near the Hotel in Transylvania--"on the trail of Vlad the Impaler"). Upon completion of the 13-day cruise, six classmates and wives (Photo: Flygares, Boyingtons, Glazas, JT Smiths, Macdonalds, Haneys) spent

This just in from Jock Schwank: "Don't think you get the Gazette, so I thought I'd send you something from today's (4 November 2008) sports section on our very own George Pupich" (article from the Colorado Springs Gazette) . . . this game was the AFA-Iowa game on October 4, 1958, and, who can forget that one?