5423 Myrtle Wood
Sarasota, FL 34235-4624
(941) 371-4843
Email: RCtherose@aol.com
IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE WORDS . . .
In phrases such as: "When push comes to shove"… "at the end of the day"… "The American People Want"… "All options are on the table"… "Having said that"… "You know what I'm sayin'?"… "That said"… "In this day and age"… "The fact of the matter is." Zounds! Do we all talk like this? No—this jargon, this lexicon is just for pols, and these wasteful words will not appear herein. Fie upon them! And now, faithful reader—read on! . . .
1960 GRAD RECOGNIZED--This report submitted by Class President Andi Biancur: "Yet another honor to the Class of 1960. Jock Schwank handled the award and ceremony very well. Many of our classmates attended the ceremony, which presented the 2011 Distinguished Service Award during the Parents' Weekend Parade at the Academy on September 2, 2011, followed by the parade, and later, a reception. In attendance were: Andi and Carole Biancur, Dick and Sally Sexton, Jim and Mary Waddle, Ron Yates, Jim Glaza, Tony and Carol Bilello, Bruce and Caryl Mosier, Dave Reed, Pete Roe, Jim and Judy Bujalski, Fred and Mary Lou Porter, Dick and Sharon Schehr. In addition, friend-of-the-Class Tom Kroboth from the AOG was on hand, and many official photos were taken of the ceremony."
(Note: For the full story on this award, which appeared in the Academy Spirit newspaper, please [Click Here]
"Hi Rosie; I went to Hawaii for my Son's promotion to Colonel on 30 September 2011. I was very proud, and it was a great occasion," wrote Bill Kornitzer. "The top left picture includes Steve's wife Theresa and his daughter Amanda; his son Nick is at the University of Connecticut in ROTC, and couldn't make it."
"I hurt my back badly while clearing all of the fallen trees, leaves and other storm damage from that heavy snow we experienced two months ago," wrote Bob Fischer of Forest Grove, PA, on 1/12/2012. "I ended up in the emergency ward, and I've suffered with real pain for almost two months. But--after two epidural shots and a progressive physical therapy schedule, I am finally without pain and trying hard to recover."[Note: The photo below shows what an incredibly nice and expansive home Bob and Lutzi have out there in the "hills and dales" of Pennsylvania, and it shows just how many trees, and leaves, there are in their sylvan paradise.]
Bob's son Mark owns a grist mill and makes flour (which makes great pancakes). "Attached is an article that explains what Mark's venture is about," wrote Bob. [Click Here to View the Article]. "I grew up in Castle Valley (PA) from age 12, so I lived much of what is referred to in the article(s). Mark is also a pilot, and his love is aviation, but this hobby is fast becoming a business. Even his three kids are involved in the production, advertising and sale of the flour--and it is very good! (You can visit their website at Castle Valley Mill.)
"My dad came from Germany around 1923; he grew up as a 'Meuhler' in Germany; he was a successful businessman here, but always aspired to own his own mill. He tried by acquiring the property and seeking much of the necessary machinery, but, he ran out of time and died at age 86. Mark was intrigued with the idea of water-powering a grist mill, even as a kid, and when my parents passed away, he and his wife bought the property." Bob later added that, "Mark is very Hungarian-like, our Renaissance kid!"
This story should have strong appeal to those in our Class who were on the Rifle and Pistol Teams: Pistol—Bill Hales, Gordy Flygare, Ken Werrell; Rifle—Leon Goodson, Rick Kingman, JT Smith (Manager), George Luck, Denis Walsh, Alex Zimmerman).
Jerry Farquhar has been collecting guns for many years, and he has put together an impressive display. [To view Jerry's narrative description and photos of the collection Click Here]
In addition to collecting guns, both Jerry and Dotty are avid shooters and do so competitively. These photos show them in action.
"We had a very busy Fall," writes J. T. Smith "Diane and I added four more countries to our list of places visited. Except for being home five days to do laundry and repack, we were gone from the end of September to the middle of December.
"Our first trip was a quick pass through Italy, hitting only the high spots. [Click to view my 'after-action' report]. Then,we were off to revisit some places in Southeast Asia I had not seen since 1964: Throughout this trip, Diane sent home email accounts of her observations, thoughts and feelings to the family. To view a compilation of her reports with a sampling of pictures included, click on the country of interest:" Thailand Viet Nam Cambodia"
"My girl friend Jutta Gilstrap and I have been doing some kayaking for recreation," writes Howie Whitfield.
"In June we went on a guided kayak excursion off La Jolla Shores. It was a fairly rough day, and tricky getting through the surf line. They had to cancel the sea cave partof the tour because of the waves. Coming back through the surf line we did get dumped. In July we took a car tour up the California coast for a week, touring the Hearst Castle, Monterey and San Francisco, then visited Napa Valley and did the wine tour of Robert Mondavi. In August we drove up to Ventura and went out to Santa Cruz Island on a day kayak tour including the caves. Weather was beautiful and water very clear."
"For all of you who did any of your Air Force career and/or other business at Vandenberg, this is to let you know that ‘The Hitching Post' in Casmalia is alive and well," wrote Bill Zersen. "Coming down from Bellingham (WA), I made it a point to stay overnight in Santa Maria, thereby allowing myself the opportunity to go and search for the Hitching Post. Even talked with the owner, who also remembers (like me) that the building across the street was once a bar that had a shuffleboard. Place still looks the same and the steaks are still outstanding – although a few dollars higher than the last time I was there (perhaps in the 90's)."
Recall this item in our December 2011 CheckPoints Column? "Rosie, I had a number of relatives at my place this past week (9/15/2011) being here for my son's wedding. Bringing out all my possible blankets, my Academy blanket caught my eye. I wonder how many of us still have our (original issue) Academy blanket?" /S/ Bill Zersen.
Bill got this response from Bob Odenweller: "Hi, Bill: I saw the query about our blue blankets in the latest Checkpoints. Not only do I have both of our original issue blankets, but both are on my bed right now. The first is on the side where I sleep, while my wife's side has one folded longitudinally in half, so she gets three thicknesses. Temperature differences and preferences are often similar to this among couples I know, I've found. They still look as good as new, even after 55 years…All the best, Bob (Odenweller)."
Howie Whitfield writes in his Christmas letter, "About 18 months ago I started dating through the internet and about a year ago met the lady I am engaged to, Jutta. She is 66 years old. We haven't set a date to get married. Jutta came to the U.S. from Heidelberg, Germany when she was 25. She was a translator for the U.S. Army in Germany. Jutta has two grown daughters and a son from two previous marriages. She is a special-education teacher in high school. Jutta and I have gone hiking and kayaking together and like to watch movies at home or in a theater
"My brother Marsh (76) retired to the north shore of Oahu, HI, about 15 years ago to body surf. About five years ago he was diagnosed with carcinoid cancer (stomach cancer) and was given six months to live. Through surgery and medication and extraordinary will, courage, and luck he has been able to live until now; but the cancer is taking over. They have stopped all medication and he is fading fast. It is a matter of weeks now.
"My brother Dick (72) who lives in Vermont nearly died last winter shoveling snow. He had an aorta "blowout" in his abdomen, but they were able to get him to a major hospital emergency room, and he survived. Only 5% of people who have a rupture of an aorta survive. He was in the hospital for over a month recovering from major surgery and then in a rehabilitation hospital for a month. A few months later he was diagnosed with a urinary infection they have had trouble treating.
"Jutta and I spent Thanksgiving with my two daughters, Dawn and Lynn and their families at Lynn's house in Moses Lake, WA. Two of the oldest granddaughters, Lauren and Erin, are in college. The third granddaughter is in her senior year in high school and will also be going to college next fall. As we finished our Thanksgiving dinner we went around the table and expressed individually what we were thankful for this year. I expressed thanks for meeting Jutta and still having two brothers, even though Marsh's days are numbered
"Knock on wood, I am feeling good but it seems like we go over 70 and life catches up with us one way or another. I'm still working for the Naval Helicopter Association. This was a big year celebrating the 100th anniversary of naval aviation. We had our Symposium in May with the Members Reunion aboard the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum in San Diego."
Front, left to right, Lauren and Erin Fry, Eric's mother, college friend, and Sarah Nicosia.
Andi Biancur writes, "As a follow-up to our previous class trip on the Danube River, several of us met in August to cruise the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. The group included. Gordy & Ann Flygare, Richard & Carole Head, Russ & Barbara McDonald, Ron & Connie Yates, Earl & Pat VanInwegen, and Carole & Andi Biancur.
"The route, from Antwerp, Belgium to Basel Switzerland, with a run up the Mosel to Trier, Germany, included brief visits to Holland Luxemburg and France. Not only was the trip pleasant and very educational, it provided us an opportunity to ‘sample' many great wines and a wide variety of beers. River cruising has become a favorite and the very knowledgeable tour directors along with local guides pleasantly provide a great way to learn the history and customs of the areas visited. We had a lot of fun on the tours, laughed a lot and thoroughly enjoyed this trip together. The private wine party on the deck, cruising through the vineyards on both sides of the river will be remembered the rest of our lives."
Here are a few more photos from the cruise.
"Ann and I went on the Rhine cruise with Andi Biancur, Ron Yates, Earl VanInwegen, Russ McDonald and RG Head," wrote Gordy Flygare. "I was keen to spend some time with guys I've had so little time with."
"The whole trip was really great and I got to spend some quality time with each of the five other classmates. Had more time with RG than I had at the reunion and that was nice. He and Carole came after a trip to Russia, and, for the record, I think he'd agree that splicing two trips together is a bit of a stretch at our age.
"Ann and I were the only ones to choose the Switzerland extension, and it was a real winner. Weather was perfect and we saw the Jungfrau on a perfect clear day and are getting our ice axes out for some serious climbing on our next trip. I have 16.85 Euro left so I'm sure Ann and I will go back but the hassle of getting back into the US is so unpleasant that it might be a year or two until we get up the stomach to go again."
"We're good," wrote Jean Walbridge, wife of Jim Clark. "We have a new granddaughter—Annalise--born July 11 in New York City. Jim's son James and wife Sandra are the parents; with a two-year-old brother named Jimmy--what else? And, if you're traveling through Atlanta Airport with a lay-over, check out the folk art exhibit at gate 12. It's part of a collection belonging to Carl Mullis, who purchased one of Jim's pieces, a Pike whirligig. That same Pike is on display for the year. We're going to New York at the end of the month and have planned a long lay-over in Atlanta so we can see the Pike."
"Rosie, Kathy and I spent 11 days in Paris this last October" wrote Charlie Liggett.
"It was great to return to visit the many sites that we viewed on our cadet trip so many years ago. I won't bore you with all the details but you can imagine that we saw a lot of Paris and the surrounding area in 11 days. I thought the enclosed pictures would be of interest to the history buffs. The picture of Napoleon's tomb in Paris compared with his tomb on the island of Saint Helena where he was exiled. We visited that site in the south Atlantic January 29, 2012, as we continue our travels. All the best to you and yours."
William Frederick Hugo Zersen has, once again, employed his superlative writing skills to carefully craft another great Christmas Letter-- [Click here] to access his very nice missive.
"At my Mom's 100th Birthday celebration on January 21st, 2012 (in Columbus, Ohio) many photos were taken. This one shows Liz and me with Mom. She and Dad were at my graduation in 1960, and I gave film clips Dad made of that event to Les (Querry) for the 50th reunion CDs. About 60 people, in total, were at Mom's party, and I'll have other photos later with lots of relatives in them. Best regards, Norm Haller," from his home in Front Royal, Virginia."
Norm and Liz also created a very touching tribute to Norm's Mom for this special occasion. A portion of that document can be viewed [Here]
"We enjoyed Christmas at a condo that sleeps eight on top of a cliff at Solana Beach, just north of San Diego," wrote Eve Mayberry, in their 2011 Christmas letter. "Our daughter Kari and husband Don, along with teenagers Raechel and Merritt, joined us from snowy Colorado, as did our son Tristan, along with Colin. Grandson Colin has continued swimming lessons on the weekend, and is doing well, celebrating his 5th birthday on the 21st of December.
"This Spring (2011), we started going up to the Huntsman Clinic at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City to see a specialist whose expertise is myeloproliferative disorders, which is what Frank has. The red cells diminish and the spleen acts like a parasite eating up all the red cells, and the spleen gets very large. Plus, Frank gets very tired due to the low red blood cell count, which then requires red blood infusions. Beginning in November, Frank's doctor, who is originally from Prague, put him on a clinical trial with a new drug, which will last six months; Frank is then monitored weekly with blood draws, the results of which are sent to the Huntsman, and once a month he goes up there for an examination. So far, his spleen has reduced in size, his energy level is up, and he is looking so much better, so we are very pleased with the results.
"Our big treat this year was a trip to the UK to see family and friends, plus a few days in an area we had not explored before, which was the Pembrokeshire coast of South Wales. From the UK we flew to Copenhagen, and joined Princess Cruises to the Baltic cities, which included Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Talinn and St. Petersburg. It was nice for us to have a rest afterwards in Copenhagen for five days with low key sightseeing. Two of my school friends from England joined us there, and Frank enjoyed escorting three women around.
"In 2012, all being well, both politically and medically, we plan to do the Viking River cruise from Berlin to Prague. It takes us along the Elbe through East Germany, which we didn't have the opportunity to visit when we lived in West Germany."
Note: Small photos will enlarge with mouse over and click
"Our stay in Scotland this year was notable for there being the coldest and wettest summer since record-keeping began in 1704," wrote George and Evey Elsea, who have homes in Scotland and Plano, TX . "We missed the opposite extreme in Texas, where the local result was 70+ days hotter than 100 degrees, and zero rain (makes you recall the old saw: ‘If I owned Hell and Texas, I'd rent out Texas and live in Hell!') But, as I write, we've just had three days of rain and the weeds are already starting to perk up: A blessing! We enjoyed Thanksgiving with our son Roy's family and a grand nephew visiting from Scotland. We'll be travelling to Seattle for Christmas with daughter Merran's family."
Thanks for reading this missive, dear readers. Click Here to send your comments to Rosie.
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