We have the photo taken at Lowry AFB II at the end of the summer 1956--almost all the individuals have been identified--go to our Class Web Site (we'll have that photo available at the 50^th Reunion--4' long, unframed, and will cost a "few bucks"). Our 50^th Reunion is 29 September through 03 October 2010.

Bill Taylor is not in the "Summer of 1956" photo, since he was on Special Leave. (Nobody got leave during Doolie Summer) Before entering the Academy, Bill was recruited to play football at USAFA by Coach Buck Shaw. Bill's mother said that Bill could only attend the AF Academy and play football if he would be able to return home to be his brother's best man on 1 September 1956. Coach Shaw had the captain accompanying him write a letter indicating that Bill could have leave for the wedding. When Bill's queries about leave were laughed at by his supervisors, his mother wrote the Superintendent indicating that she expected him to honor the promise made by the Athletic Department. The Superintendent came through, and Jerry O'Malley, Bill's Flight Commander, indicated that he remained vehemently opposed (because Bill didn't deserve it), but still gave Bill a pair of shoulder boards to wear off-base and let him go. Bill said that "It was a Saturday, so I left Friday, arrived home during Rehearsal Dinner, served as best man on Saturday evening, and returned to Lowry on Sunday. This means that our class photo was probably taken on Saturday, 1 September 1956." (Bill later added that: "I actually wore a summer tux in the wedding, but my brother was in his Navy formal whites. Four of his squadron mates flew in from NAS Miramar in a four-ship of AD-6 (later redesignated A-1) Skyraiders to serve as ushers, also in their dress whites"). Bill Taylor, truly one of a kind.

"We try to get together monthly in the Seattle area, sometimes Tacoma or Everett, occasionally Sedro-Woolley or Astoria," wrote George Luck. "In January (2009), we met at Hector's in Kirkland, attended by Nels Delisanti, me (George), Jim O'Rourke, Chuck Diver, Dennis O'Keefe and Vic Yoakum. In February at the same place, it included Chuck, Dennis and George (see photo); and in March it was once again at Hector's in Kirkland, WA at noon on Wednesday the 25th." (Note: Bill Zersen was in California for the winter, and rejoins the group in May).

"Since I am a congestive heart patient, my trip of January 6, 2009 to the emergency room at Plano Medical Center (PMC) with severe chest pain caused them to focus on my heart," wrote Gary Sheets. "They gave me nitroglycerine, which caused my blood pressure to plummet, and then gave me morphine, which halted the pain in 15 minutes; after tests/scans provided no indication that my pain was heart-related, I checked out, and went to my cardio-guy at the VA. An angiogram revealed no blockage, although there were issues with my legs.

"Next morning the chest pain returned, so it was back for a second visit to Plano ER. They gave me morphine, I told them the pain did not feel like the angina I experienced during my heart attack in 1986, but none of the tests showed signs the current pain was heart-related; however, the cardiologist insisted it was angina. He said: "I am not going to argue with you, it was angina and that's my diagnosis." He offered me nitro patches, which I refused. That night, Sylvia and I discussed test results with a family friend, a nurse practitioner working with a neurosurgical team for 15 years. Upon describing my symptoms, she mentioned neuropathy, and asked if anything could have caused nerve damage. I recalled the night before the first incident I had done ten shoulder weight curls, but that I lifted weights frequently. On February 4th, the searing pain returned after getting out of bed. I gained seven pounds of fluid, which triggered VA guidelines for ER. En route I told Sylvia I couldn't make another 27 miles and to stop at PMC. It was a different ER crew, but Sylvia convinced them to provide morphine and they then coordinated with the VA for my admission to PMC.

"I had a different 'Hospitalist Doctor' from my second visit, and when he came in he said that the nurse told him I had a list of what needed to be done. He said they didn't operate that way, and there were insurance concerns if their actions did not relate to the reason for hospitalization. He stated that HE would decide what was to be done. I recanted for him the inadequacy of the hospital's previous diagnosis, and that I was sent home with no useable pain medication, which was why I was back. If he did not feel they could obtain a believable diagnosis for my pain, I needed to be released right now. After conciliatory probing, he looked into the neuropathy possibility; afterwards, he did a super job arranging x-rays, then an MRI of neck and head. The final diagnosis by a neurologist was neuropathy. My spine and shoulders had lots of tears, knicks, and protrusions, but no pain from the bone structure. The MRI did implicate a nerve traversing the same pain path and I was prescribed a pain killer and a muscle relaxer. No need for surgery and all should heal with time."

"Lutzi and I spent three days in Budapest, Hungary, then went to Lutzi's birthplace and home city for three days in Szekesfehervar, which was the original capital city," wrote Bob Fischer. "We visited her cousin, brother, niece and their families, while enjoying great Hungarian food and wine. Lots of Hungarian was spoken, very little English, but, I managed with some of my German," said Bob, who met Lutzi on a blind date* at the University of Colorado." Lutzi's Hungarian maiden name is Marta Lutzi Gabriella ZsuZsa Hortobagyi. She did some Judo, has a B.S. in Biology with a Minor in Modern Dance, excelled in Ballet and Ice Skating, and was an Alternate for the 1956 Olympics as a Gymnast. (First photo shows Lutzi with a Hungarian flag from the 1956 revolution at the House of Terror in Budapest--"I climbed up a tree during International Week at CU and cut out the hammer and sickle, which was the Commie symbol;" second photo shows Lutzi--unsuccessfully--trying to lift a 'Smart Car;' lastly, she's having luck taming a Falcon, used in Hungary for hunting).

*Bob said that "I first saw Lutzi wearing black leotards during a gym meet between CU and AFA at Lowry II in February 1957. It took six months to find her through Charlie Folkart's girl friend in Lutzi's sorority." (On their first date, a "blind date," Bob had to convince her he wasn't blind!)

Bob Fischer later wrote that "Lutzi and I were just in the 'Redneck Riviera' March 27th to April 3rd, 2009, revisiting Ft. Walton Beach and Destin, FL. Lutzi spent 17 months there in FWB while I was in Bien Hoa doing my Ranch Hand Tour from 1967-8. We actually found the same apartment house, now the Sea Spray Condominiums, right on the Gulf where she stayed 41 years ago with our two boys, then four and two--and a very big Akita dog."

One way to see what Bob and Jane Odenweller are doing is to look at various entries in Bob's diary (these are just a few items from that log): "Made Honorary Life Fellow of Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand. Returning to working on my book. Jane and I go to London in March, where I serve on the Board of Election of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists. Sign the Roll in Manchester late July. Jane and I travel to Venice in October to see daughter Liesl and family, and then drive through Croatia. Opera-singer-daughter Liesl is performing as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar, opera by Handel). Granddaughter Anna was in children's chorus for Mahler's Third Symphony at opera house in Venice; stayed with us while mother Liesl was rehearsing, she's now five, and Anna begs to see Wagner's Ring Cycle. Jane's mother is now 99." (Photos: Left--Anna with her mother Liesl; Right--Bob and wife Jane).

The DC-60 Group assembled 16 stalwarts on April 1, 2009. A few guys headed up by GJC Fries remembered that the decision to put the Academy in Colorado Springs was made in the Officers' Barber Shop in the DVQ at Scott AFB--Charles Lindberg, General Spaatz, and Mr. Hancher (President of U. of Iowa), were there after visiting the proposed site in Alton, IL. They told Leo the Barber about their visit and said they were turned-off by officials in Alton, and that the Academy would be built in Colorado Springs. "I saw the picture of Lindberg in the chair (when I was at Scott AFB), surrounded by the other two and Leo," recalled Tony Burshnick. "Unfortunately, Leo would not give me the picture and years later after his demise it just disappeared. As an aside, the USAFA Library could not verify my story."

At their luncheon, "Ken Alnwick presented information on the VA and how they work with us old vets to get well-deserved benefits, and still works with the Naval Research folks; Ken is also helping Norm Haller work on the AF Library at the Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, VA, so if you have AF memorabilia you would like to see preserved, get in touch with Norm," wrote Tony Burshnick. "Joe Higgins is trying to sell his condo in Charlottesville, VA, while Bill Carnegie enjoys his new home in Shenandoah, VA and just returned from visiting son and grandkids in Guatemala. Bill Taylor works his butt off trying to help the AF decide how much time to devote to flying sorties and how much to spend in the simulators; Bill's son was just made Maintenance Group Commander with the AZNG. Bob Badger had nothing but praise for Bob Odenweller and all the help Bob has given him to finish his novel. Mike A. Clarke noted that wife Nancy will be retiring soon from her White House duties. Mike Loh gave a rundown on how well his grandson was doing in hockey and hopefully will be selected for USAFA. Al Johnson put his Alexandria, VA house up for sale and is (finally) moving to Maine. Jerry de la Cruz received an award from the National Gallery of Art for ten years of dedicated service. Les Querry asks all of us to put 4 October on the calendar for his Falcon Roost. Bill Hockenberry is busy advising on plant closings and union issues. George Fries stays busy helping MOAA with ROTC at two colleges and Junior ROTC at 11 high schools. Leon Goodson works and rides his motorcycle "when he wants," and summer includes a European vacation with the grandkids. The next luncheon is 9 July 2009--our 53^rd anniversary of the day we entered the Academy."

POTUS Obama visited Trinidad in Mid-April; so, I asked travel-wise Goose Gulbransen about Carnival in Trinidad: "Susan and I went a few years ago--Trinidad is as dirt poor as India. You fly into Port of Spain, stay in a Hilton above a park where band competitions are held, and every week there are competitions that culminate in a Mardi Gras weekend with maybe 20 bands. Unbelievable sounds, and women with big jugs (of 'fire water') to drink from a paper cup, but make sure you try the shark sandwich. There are also Pan Band Clubs around town, and the night we arrived there was a 'Pan Round de Neck' parade of bands downtown. All banks are fenced and have armed guards, and we were cautioned not to walk around at night. Everyone was friendly; it's a religious country, with no orgies and no nudity. However, I would not go again, but it was a great experience." (For Trinidad's answer to Jelly Roll Morton--"Pan Music"---go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLxXgF5m9o4).

Tony Burshnick goes to Walter Reed Army Medical Center May 20, 2009 to get an operation for his Spinal Stenosis, and the procedure is described thusly: "POSTERIOR SPINAL FUSION T-10 TO ILIAC." Godspeed, Tony.