VMI Alumni Review 2017-Issue 3

VMI 2017-Issue 2017-Issue33

Alumni Alumni Review Review

New Market Day 2017

Contents

Virginia Military Institute Alumni Review 2017-Issue 3

In This Issue . . .

This issue includes class notes and news items covering the time period of Feb. 15, 2017, to May 15, 2017.

Features 5

Message from the Campaign Chairman

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Solovey ’96: Active Duty Soldier’s Altruistic Art Endeavors

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Campaign Scholarship Donors Meet Cadet Recipients

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11 First Spring Reunion: April 24-25 16 Second Spring Reunion: April 28-29

News and Updates 3

Our Alumni Serving

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Association/Chapter News

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Class Notes

159 Births, Marriages, Degrees 161 Provisional Appointments

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163 Taps 169 Alumni News

Departments 2

President’s Letter

167 Association Directory 174 The Institute 181 Keydet Athletics 183 The Foundation 188 The Keydet Club

2017-Issue 3

Volume 94, No. 2

PUBLISHER The President of The VMI Alumni Association, Inc. Managing Editor: Jordan Moore Editorial Assistant: Elaine Wood ALUMNI REVIEW ONLINE www.vmialumi.org/alumnireview PUBLISHING OFFICE The VMI Alumni Association, Inc. Alumni Review Office VMI Moody Hall, P.O. Box 932, Lexington, VA 24450; 540/464-7224 review@vmiaa.org PRINTER Progress Printing Co., Inc. Lynchburg, Virginia The VMI Alumni Review (USPS 954-740) is published four times yearly in fall, winter, spring and summer

by The VMI Alumni Association, Inc., P.O. Box 932, Lexington, VA 24450. It is sent to alumni and friends of the Institute without subscription.

ATTENTION POSTMASTER : Send changes of address to: VMI Alumni Review, P.O. Box 932, Lexington, VA 24450 Periodicals postage paid at Lynchburg, VA. MISSION OF THE VMI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION To organize the alumni and old cadets of VMI into one general body to keep alive the memories of Institute life and, by their united efforts, promote the general welfare of the Institute and the successful prosecution of its educational purposes.

VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES TELEPHONE NUMBERS The VMI Alumni Association: The VMI Foundation:

The VMI Keydet Club:

540/464-7221 540/464-7287 540/464-7328

WEBSITE ADDRESSES Alumni Agencies: www.vmialumni.org VMI: www.vmi.edu ON OUR COVER Front Cover: Jackson Memorial Hall in spring.

Inside Front Cover: New Market Parade May 15, 2017.

All photos by Micalyn Miller, VMIAA.

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A Message From the President

Greetings, Fellow Alumni and Friends of the Institute, In a few short weeks, another academic year will commence with Matriculation Aug. 19. A significant number of local chapters are hosting rat send-off events, and Kathy and I cannot believe how quickly time is passing; our youngest son is now a 1st Classman.

As I have said many times, serving in this role has many blessings.

Over the past few months, I was privileged to join the Class of 1967 on the occasion of their 50th Reunion, and we welcomed the newest alumni, the Class of 2017, to our ranks, helping them assemble a time capsule they will open at their 25th Reunion in 2042.

Louthan ’82

This issue of the Review is packed with news. The Campaign for VMI drew to a close June 30 and exceeded all expectations, raising more than $344 million – an amazing accomplishment when you consider that the original goal was $185 million. Please read the campaign message from Donald Wilkinson ’61, campaign chairman, and the article on Charles Ayers, who sent three sons to the Institute. I would also like to extend many thanks to Hugh M. Fain III ’80 for his leadership at the VMI Foundation. Hugh was serving as the Foundation Board of Trustees president and was selected by the governor to join the VMI Board of Visitors July 1.

On the following pages, there is coverage of several special events on post: Spring reunions, New Market Day and commencement for the Class of 2017. Nine classes returned for reunions in April and had an enormous turnout. Detailed notes and pictures are included for the Classes of 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967 (celebrating their 50th), 1977, 1987 and 1997. We also had the privelege of hosting the largest Legacy Day ever on post in April.

The Athletics and Keydet Club sections provide coverage of the women’s water polo team, which made a big splash, literally, this year, by cracking the Top 25 and making their first appearance in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Water Polo Championship.

Also, please be sure to read about the Keydet Club Leadership Outing and the establishment of several new KC scholarships: The Chapman-Underwood and Robert R. Chapman III ’84 Family Athletic Scholarship, The VMI Class of 1968 Football Scholarship and The Class of 1958 Football Scholarship Fund.

As other articles note, our alumni have been active. Highlighted in this issue are Dennis Hackemeyer ’80 and his company, NanoSeptic, busy keeping microbes at bay, as well as artist Michael Solovey ’96, who sketches detailed collages and prints. Also of note, Grigg Mullen Jr. ’76, professor of civil and environmental engineering, retired from the Institute after 25 years this spring.

Aside from graduation, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – that attracts more people to post than a fall football weekend. The Keydets are working now to prepare for the first game at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on Labor Day weekend.

They return to post Sept. 9 for the first of five home games. Kathy and I hope to see all of you at a game this fall and for pregame tailgating on the Parade Ground. Go Keydets! Beat Air Force!

Yours in the Spirit of VMI,

Robert P. Louthan ’82 President, VMI Alumni Association, Inc.

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Vmi Alumni Review

Tony Sexton ’92, left, and Ryan deBouchel ’99 conducted a security advance for National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster’s visit to Kabul, Afghanistan, in April 2017.

Sexton and deBouchel are with the U.S. Secret Service and serve on the Presidential Protective Detail.

From left, Capt. Randy Hager ’01, 1st Lt. Matthew Mawyer ’10 and Maj. Wilson Mustian ’01 competed for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge while deployed with the 29th Infantry Division to Kuwait in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

Our Alumni Serving Recognizing Those Who Serve Others in Their Communities, Country and the World The Alumni Association would like to pay tribute to our citizensoliders, who are, as Col. J.T.L. Preston said and as printed on the parapet, “an honor to our country and our state, objects of honest pride to their instructors ... and ready in every time of deepest peril ... .”

Those alumni whose photos and articles appear in this section of the Review could be members of the armed forces serving anywhere in the world, or they could be members of police and fire departments, doctors offering their services to those less fortunate, alumni volunteering at food pantries or serving as Boy or Girl Scout leaders.

If you or someone you know is serving others, please submit a high resolution photo (3 or 4 megapixels, minimum) taken at the location you are serving or with the people whom you serve.

Along with the photo, please submit a caption that explains what your service is, where you perform it and for whom. Send these to the VMI Alumni Review staff at review@vmiaa.org or by mail to VMI Alumni Review, P.O. Box 932, Lexington, VA 24450, Attention: Editor. We will review your submission and consider it for publication.

Are you or someone you know serving the community, country or the world? Send in a photo and a description of what you’re Are you orand someone you serving the community, country or the world? Send in a photo and a doing, where for whom.

See know instructions above. description of what you’re doing, where and for whom. See instructions above.

2017-Issue 3

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Left: Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Casondra Minifield takes part in training on a Coast Guard 25-foot Response Boat-Small during a duty day at U.S. Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay, Baltimore, Maryland, May 21, 2016.

VMI Graduate Succeeds in Coast Guard Through Hard Work, Dedication

by Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Lisa Ferdinando

W

ith her eyes intently focused on a chart, Coast Guard Reserve Petty Officer 3rd Class Casondra Minifield [’16], a recent graduate of Virginia Military Institute, carefully plotted a course on the waterways surrounding Station Curtis Bay in Baltimore on a duty weekend.

Among the tasks with the small boat station that Saturday, the boatswain’s mate prepared for an exam, worked lines and navigated a 25-foot Response Boat-Small in the Patapsco River.

Minifield, who graduated from VMI in 2016, is now a graduate student at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. She takes great pride in her work with the Coast Guard and in all the commitments that fill her schedule to capacity.

A multi-sport athlete and community volunteer, this Winchester, Virginia, native said she pushes herself for a reason. She has a sense of duty, she said, to be a good example, put in the hard work needed for success and help forge a way for those who come after her.

“I always make sure that when I am doing what I have to do, that I am doing all I can do,” she said. “I try to work through all my failures, and I don’t ever get mad at myself or down on myself because failing is part of life.”

Past generations made tremendous sacrifices for the opportunities and freedoms of today, she explained. “Our duty is to keep digging away, keep making that path,” she said.

Minifield, who has an undergraduate degree

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in psychology, is studying forensic and legal psychology at Marymount University. She wants to advance in the Coast Guard and even perhaps become an officer. Her dream job in the civilian world, she said, is to work in the federal law enforcement field.

“Easy Choice,” Coast Guard’s a Perfect Fit Not wanting to wait until she graduated college, Minifield, who loves the water and swam competitively in high school and college, set her sights on the Coast Guard.

So after her freshman year at VMI, she raised her right hand and began her journey in the Reserve, which brought her to this station tucked away on Curtis Creek, a four-hour drive from Lexington, Virginia.

“It was an easy choice,” she said about seeking to become a boatswain’s mate, a job that demands expert knowledge of seamanship, boat operation and waterway navigation, among the myriad responsibilities.

Minifield is an exemplary shipmate and role model, according to the executive petty officer of Station Curtis Bay. “She is a very well-rounded boatswain’s mate and has made significant contributions both personally and professionally,” Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey C. Ritter Jr. said.

Ritter praised her solid work ethic, dedication, initiative and commitment. In addition to qualifying as a crewmember, she is also a

certified military fitness specialist who leads physical training at the station, he said.

Minifield had a rigorous schedule at VMI, where she immersed herself in leadership activities, athletics and glee club, and volunteered with children. She pushed herself athletically, taking up powerlifting and finding success in that endeavor, including winning first place in her weight category in a tournament.

Now in graduate school, her schedule remains just as packed.

She has continued her commitment to serving others in her hometown of Winchester, where she volunteers with children and helps with a law enforcement explorers program.

She credits her father, a former soldier who became a community police officer, as being a role model who instilled a love of service in her.

Paying it Forward Her time serving in the Coast Guard and volunteering in the community has exponential payoffs, she explained, saying she is happy to pay it forward: “Without the people who helped me when I was younger, I would not be where I am.”

Minifield said she feels proud and humbled when young people reach out to her for advice.

“It means a lot, because I can think back to when I was in their shoes,” she said.

She believes strongly in seeking opportunities to help the younger generation. People might underestimate young people, she said, but in them she sees unlimited potential and the ability to bring fresh perspectives and new approaches to challenges.

Her advice to young people is: Give it your best shot, work hard and put in 100 percent.

Don’t let a bad experience hold you back or get you discouraged. Keep moving; keep persevering.

While she admits her schedule is a lot to handle, she said effective time management along with some trial and error prove to be a successful formula in getting it all done. Besides, she said, she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Vmi Alumni Review

Message from the Chairman

by Donald M. Wilkinson ’61

Wilkinson ’61 2017-Issue 3

On June 30, 2017, An Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: The Campaign for VMI finished its important work for the Institute and its faculty, staff and cadets.

In the last few months, as it has during the entire campaign, the VMI family has seized the opportunities that An Uncommon Purpose represented: To ensure that VMI sustains its position among the top colleges and universities and to support VMI as it pursues its unique time-honored mission – educating capable, honorable and active citizen-soldiers – in its own time-tested way. So great was the enthusiasm that, during the last two months of the campaign, hundreds of alumni and friends either gave or committed more than $19 million. This meant that the campaign realized a grand total of $325 million in gifts and commitments from 15,775 donors. It’s been a remarkable adventure, which reflects well on everyone involved.

When we started An Uncommon Purpose, our initial goal was $225 million. Some cautioned that, given the uncertainty about the extent and the progress of the economic recovery and changes occurring in the landscape of higher education fundraising, it actually might be too ambitious.

However, we pressed on. Remembering the lines from “The VMI Spirit” – “Although the odds be against us, we’ll not care/Our battle cry is, ‘Never, never die.’” Once again, the VMI spirit prevailed.

I can’t stress enough the importance of the leadership of Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent; Brian Crockett and Buddy Bryan ’71, the chief executive officers of the VMI Foundation; and the highly knowledgeable and talented members of the Campaign Cabinet, all of whom had previously given years of their time to making the Institute what it is today. Without this body of experience and this shared love of VMI, our success would have been impossible.

You’ll be hearing from me and others over the next several months with more details about the campaign’s accomplishments, what priorities it addressed and, most importantly, what it means for the Institute’s future and the future of the young people who take up the challenge of being a VMI cadet. In the meantime, please accept my warmest thanks for making An Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: The Campaign for VMI such a resounding success and showing us that our confidence in the VMI family was indeed well-placed.

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Solovey ’96: Active Duty Soldier’s Altruistic Art Endeavors

by Elaine Wood, Editorial Assistant There are many iconic images of VMI – whether it is the statue of Stonewall Jackson standing resolute in front of barracks or the familiar hefty stance of Limits Gates as you first enter post, the feelings they invoke are powerful.

But if you were asked to gather and combine all of the images alumni and cadets most readily identify as truly VMI into one cohesive work of art, could you do it? How long would it take, and why would you feel compelled to do so? That is a challenge that Michael P. “Spike” Solovey ’96 boldly sought to accomplish. “It isn’t too terribly complicated if you’ve got lots of good source material to work with ... Usually when I start these projects, I start with a sheet of paper and about 25 ideas. And the top 12-15 make it into the final print collage,” he explained. Working exclusively in drawing and sketching, Solovey has successfully created and produced prints, primarily for the military, ever since his commission into the Army post-VMI. But he manages to pursue his artistic passion alongside his military career in a way that continually gives back to the communities that reach out to him.

Solovey explained that he always knew he loved art and understood that he had a unique talent for it, but the idea of actually being able to pursue that passion while attending VMI was initially not even comprehensible. “In high school, I [went] to the Governor’s School for the Visual & Performing Arts at the University of Richmond, and because of that, I earned a partial scholarship to Savannah School of Art and Design,” he stated. Being from Williamsburg, Virginia, his first inclination for school was actually the College of William & Mary, but inevitably, VMI won Solovey over when he visited during a Parents Weekend and saw a parade. “I said, yup, I’ve got to come here,” he stated. “So I gave it a shot, and my plan was to see if I could maybe get into the Army and do four years, and then after that, maybe go to architecture school. So that was the original plan, but it never turned out that way,” he joked. Instead, during his final year at VMI, he was unexpectedly presented an incredible opportunity to pursue art once more through an international exchange program that led him all the way to Aix-en-Provence, France. Once he

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Above: “Scout I (After the Fire Fight)” is an in-progress series depicting Scout, a German Shepherd, and his life as a service dog in combat and his transition to life after with his handler.

arrived in France, he was surprised to learn that the school hosted an art school within it. Excited by the prospect, he recalls that his reaction was “to load up completely as much as I could on art classes. And everything was instructed in French – but I was a language major, and that was one of the reasons why I went [on the trip].

So, I basically went to art school for a semester in France.” In addition to art classes, he was also diligently working through a normal course load of subjects; regardless, he remembers, “It was the best year of my life.”

In his life after VMI, Solovey was putting to use all that he learned while in France by establishing his art portfolio. “I think I’ve done about 170 sets of prints. I started in 1997, so it’s been a kind of slow snowball ... to be honest, I don’t do a lot of advertising. It’s just all word-of-mouth,” Solovey highlighted. Where previously his work has underlined the strength of the military, he now sees it morphing into other subjects involving potent historical images, all the while still maintaining the same medium of drawing. “My very first military print was in 1998. And ever since, within 3-4 months, a unit was calling me asking me to do something for their battalion or brigade,” he continued, “And then in about

2000, my intent was to get out of the military ... but Sept. 11 happened, and obviously I stayed in. Really since then through the last 14 years, it’s been deployment prints for units, because there is something so special in the life of a service member experiencing multiple combat tours and knowing what that feels like yourself.”

Now, Solovey sees that he can also transfer that appreciation for history and service to historical lineage-based prints. “It just kind of fell into place,” he explained when describing why he wanted to create this kind of print for VMI. He began working closely with Col. Keith Gibson ’77, director of the VMI Museum System, to create two collages: The first spanning from the inception of VMI to about the 1930s, and the second covering World War II until the present. “[Colonel Gibson] and I had the lists finalized to about 20 things, and then I’d go through item by item and look at several images of the same image to figure out what angle looked best, and sometimes the images are morphed, so you’re trying to draw as clearly as you can,” explained Solovey. “Other images,” he elaborated, “just kind of struck me that weren’t on the list but ended up there. Like in the first print, there’s an image of a cadet, and he looks like he’s

Vmi Alumni Review

All prints and photos courtesy Michael P. Solovey.

leaning back in his chair in his room reading ... and that’s not a real exciting image, but every alumnus can relate to that.” He also wanted each print to allow somebody to feel reminiscent of the time period it represented. He explained, “I had to show those things that really struck the period, like the old school football scene and give [the first print] a flare of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some of it is just kind of a gut feeling, to be honest.” The second print he purposely intended to appeal to a more modern perspective of the Institute. “That one has a lot cleaner lines, and we had to show things like the new New Barracks, which didn’t even exist when I was there,” he joked.

The process past the research and brainstorming sessions leads its way into the actual drawings. On average, Solovey explained it takes anywhere from three to seven drafts before the final one is chosen. “They start out very rough, and with each sketch, they become more refined.” He also emphasized what makes his prints stand out against the rest – attention to what others might think is a minute detail – is the lack of empty background. “I think the part that is pretty tough is that you see some artists out there who do these collages, and it’s just a bunch of floating images with white around them ... and that’s OK ... but it doesn’t make anything interesting.” He detailed how the method of figuring out how to best connect everything, with emphasis on overlapping images and deliberate spacing and perspectives, is what truly completes the sketch and eliminates that white space. “You want it to be complete,

Michael P. “Spike” Solovey ’96, left, pictured with a fan who had “All Seven,” a print Solovey created to depict guardian angels protecting those in combat, tattooed on his back. but you also don’t want it to turn into ‘Where’s Waldo,’” he jested.

Despite not heavily advertising his work, with so much intricacy and research behind each pencil collage, there is no doubt why Solovey is successful in his artistic pursuits. Other colleges and communities have recognized this perception and have reached out to Solovey as a result. Multiple colleges, such as Washington and Lee University and Hampden-Sydney College, have also expressed some interest for him

to create images reflective of their institutions.

But another avenue that Solovey is exploring more in-depth is that of historic communities.

A local business owner with the support of other local community leaders in Danville, Virginia, asked Solovey to compose a two-print series commemorating some of the distinct history that the town encompasses. The prints are scheduled to be released to the Danville public in November 2017.

Although his artwork audience is expanding greatly, Solovey abundantly emphasized that the biggest component to all of his hard work as an artist is a foundation of philanthropy, cemented largely because of his time at VMI. He even went as far as to donate 50 of the artist proofs he made in conjunction with the VMI Museum directly to the museum itself. Totaling roughly $10,000 worth of art, Solovey vowed that all of the proceeds go right back to the museum in order to help it raise funds for itself. “I wanted to do something altruistic ... every little bit helps.”

More than anything, he insists he just wants his artwork to give back to others and hold significance in its purpose. “When somebody first looks at it, and it’s not interesting to them, then it’s not going to connect. People aren’t looking for clip art. They’re really looking for fine art that takes time and thought, and that’s what I’ve tried my hardest to do.”

Left: “My Brother’s Keeper, Combat Rescue” print was created to honor not just combat medics but all soldiers who have endured trying times of war.

2017-Issue 3

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Campaign Scholarship Donors Meet Cadet Recipients

by Scott Belliveau ’83, Director of Communications, VMI Foundation One of the main objectives of An Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: The Campaign for VMI was the expansion of scholarship support for cadets.

The campaign was incredibly successful in this regard.

Donors made tens of millions of dollars in gifts and commitments to fund 187 scholarships.

Among the more than 100 guests who attended the VMI Foundation’s 15th annual Benefactors Luncheon were many who had established some of these scholarships.

During the luncheon, they were able to meet the cadets who benefit from their generosity.

Among those present at the 2017 Benefactors Luncheon was retired U.S. Air Force Col. Marjorie S. Davis, who was able to meet the cadet she supported. In 2015, she established a fund to support cadets’ participation in summer study-abroad programs for Arabic or Chinese language in memory of her son, U.S. Marine Capt. Ericsson Davis ’10, who died in a 2014 aviation accident. She did so because Ericsson highly valued his study-abroad experience in Morocco and his post-graduation travel.

“He said that by immersing himself in different cultures, he would better understand himself and the world around him,” said Davis. “Through this fund, cadets get the opportunity to learn more about themselves and the world.”

Meeting Cadet Emmanuel J. Ocampo ’19, the inaugural recipient of this fund who will study in Morocco this summer, delighted her for many reasons. “It was exciting to meet the first cadet who will benefit from this fund. It was even more exciting to know that he’ll be following my son’s path to Morocco. I’m sure he’ll get a lot out of it.”

Ocampo admitted that he was “caught a little bit off guard” when he met his benefactor. “I didn’t know that she was the mother of the man for whom the fund was named.” Yet, in very little time, they struck up a warm conversation. Asked what the time in Morocco will mean for him, Ocampo, who is an international studies major, said, “I picked Morocco to study because I am interested in the entire region, and it will help me hone my skills in Arabic. It’s a great opportunity, and I am thankful for this support.”

Richard M. Moore II ’82 and Thomas W. Williamson Jr. ’72 had a unique opportunity: The cadet who sat between them at the luncheon, Ivan W. Novick ’17, was the first recipient of scholarships that each of them established.

“My prior attendance at Benefactors Luncheons was one of the motivators for my establishment of a scholarship.

I was impressed with the talent, character, performance and the gratitude of the cadet recipients I encountered at the luncheons,” said Williamson.

“Dining with Ivan confirmed that I made an excellent investment. He shared with me that, early on in high school, he decided on a career in the Navy and planned how to achieve his goal. He clearly put away childish

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Vmi Alumni Review

things before most of his peers,” continued Williamson. “At VMI, he’s been a high performer academically and militarily, and he’ll commission in the Navy and then train for submarine service. Finally, Ivan answered questions I posed about cadet life and the current state of the Institute candidly and thoughtfully. The experience made attending this year’s luncheon, the first at which I was a benefactor, a special delight.”

Moore and his wife, Melissa, established a scholarship because, “looking back over my VMI experience and what it afforded me to do, we feel a great sense of responsibility to help cadets have the same experience.” He and Novick had an immediate bond, as both studied civil engineering as cadets. “It was great to hear that the curriculum remains much the same – that is to say, demanding – and that the professors still care deeply about cadets.” Saying that the scholarship’s goal is “to give back to VMI by providing assistance for young people to attend the Institute,” Moore said meeting Novick “made me consider myself blessed to be able to do it.”

For Margaret W. Allen, the event was somewhat different in nature than it was for Davis, Moore and Williamson. In 2015, she

and her husband, Robert Allen, established the Lane Whitley 1934 Scholarship in honor of her father, a World War II veteran who served in the Army Reserve for decades and retired as a colonel. Whitley was a devoted alumnus who, when he was more than 100 years old, would annually travel to VMI to see a football game.

This year, the scholarship was awarded to Cadet Hunter Wolfe ’18, an international studies major from Daleville, Virginia, who is studying in Chile for the semester so was unable to attend the luncheon. In most cases, this might mean that the cadet would be something of a cipher to the benefactor. In this case, however, Allen is quite familiar with Wolfe. Her granddaughter, Anne Chappell Barkett, who attended the event – as did her daughter, Virginia Barkett – knows Wolfe quite well. Also, according to Allen, a speech at Wolfe’s middle school that her father gave about his wartime experience made a strong impression on Wolfe.

“It’s very special that we were able to establish this scholarship while my father was still alive (he died in May 2015 at age 104),” said Allen. “My dad would have been thrilled to know that Hunter ended up here and that he was receiving this scholarship.”

Allen and her family enjoyed the company of cadets, specifically Joseph Z. Brown ’18 and Townsend A. Wilburn ’18. “It was nice to hear about their experiences at VMI, their interests and what they plan to do with their VMI education,” she said.

1. The fund that retired U.S. Air Force Col. Marjorie S. Davis established will help Cadet Emmanuel J. Ocampo ’19 study in Morocco during summer 2017.

2. Richard M. Moore II ’82, left, and Thomas Williamson Jr. ’72, right, with Ivan Novick ’17, the cadet who benefitted from scholarships that each established.

3. Margaret W. Allen, right, with her granddaughter, Anne Chappell Barkett, and daughter, Virginia Barkett, made the luncheon a family affair.

4. Moore, Williamson and Cadet Novick at the luncheon.

VMI photos by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.

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2017-Issue 3

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Charles E. Ayers Jr.

by Scott Belliveau ’83, Director of Communications, VMI Foundation

For Charles E. Ayers Jr., VMI is very much a family affair. He and his wife, Sally, sent all three of their sons to the Institute (his youngest, Alexander ’02, transferred to Hampden-Sydney College after his 4th Class year), and all three played varsity lacrosse at the Institute.

Some might think this was a case of three boys following their father’s path to VMI. In fact, Ayers is not an alumnus, as he attended Virginia Tech.

However, as a resident of Richmond, Virginia, where the VMI presence is, to say the least, strong, he and his family were very well-acquainted with the school.

“VMI is a wonderful school,” said Ayers. “I always have respected it. I especially value its effectiveness in developing its cadets as leaders through what it is known as the ‘three-legged stool:’ Academics, athletics and the military system.”

That respect deepened over the years because of the many alumni with whom he was acquainted.

Yet, the alumnus who had the biggest influence on his relationship with VMI was his long-time friend, the late John H. Woodfin Sr. ’61. “John lived for VMI. He believed it was a tremendous place,” recalled Ayers. “And when he found out my sons were interested in VMI, well, he and his son, John H. Woodfin Jr. ’91, went to work doing all they could to persuade them that VMI was the right choice.”

All three sons were stand-out Ayers multi-sport athletes in high school and were heavily recruited to play lacrosse.

However, they all chose VMI. Certainly, the Woodfins exerted a certain influence, but Ayers also credits Doug Bartlett, long-time VMI lacrosse coach. “Doug is a great coach, and he has an amazing enthusiasm for the Institute. Considering some of the schools that were recruiting my sons, it says a lot about him that all of them chose VMI.” As he watched his sons take the field for VMI (his oldest son, Charles ’97, was a starter and cocaptain, and his middle son, Mason ’99, still holds many VMI scoring records), he took an interest in improving the team. “When considering what school to attend, young people and their parents examine everything, and that includes how the team looks.”

So, when the team needed new warm-up jackets and

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The Ayers brothers, from left, Alexander ’02, Mason ’99 and Charles ’97. trousers, Ayers provided the money for them. Thinking that a military school’s team should have a uniform appearance, Ayers made another purchase. “I bought the team, everyone, the same shoes.”

Besides providing equipment for the team, Ayers was also a donor to the Keydet Club Scholarship Fund. In 2008, however, he established a lacrosse scholarship at VMI, and since then, most of his philanthropy has focused on the Ayers Brothers Lacrosse Scholarship.

Asked why he decided on the scholarship, Ayers replied, “Simple: To make VMI’s lacrosse program successful.” He recognizes the challenges VMI faces in recruiting. “It’s tough recruiting for VMI. When a young man is comparing it with a civilian school, he might not appreciate what a VMI education means and what it can do for him. It often boils down to the barracks versus the fraternity house. Even if he is attracted to VMI, a better scholarship offer from another school might tip the balance.”

When competing with a service academy, Ayers recognizes that the choice is between military colleges. “But the fact remains that going to Annapolis or West Point essentially means a full ride, and that can be the deciding factor.”

“VMI lacrosse is in a strong position,” he continued. “Coach Jon Birsner is a solid coach, who, as a Naval Academy graduate, understands the challenges associated with athletics at a military college. We have many committed and skilled cadet-athletes, and we have excellent facilities. In other words, the pieces are there.”

Enhanced scholarship support is the key element to ensuring success, according to Ayers. “For VMI to be able to compete with what John Woodfin would call ‘the big boys,’ to get the program to a level where it can play against anyone and have a strong chance of winning, we’ve got to have more scholarship money.”

To achieve this goal, Ayers is willing to do his part. He recently made a major commitment to his family’s scholarship. “When I set up the scholarship, my objective was to build it to a point where it can provide a full in-state scholarship for a deserving young man. I’ll get it there.”

Vmi Alumni Review

First Spring Reunion

April 24-25, 2017 Classes of 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957 and 1962

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Second Spring Reunion

April 28-29, 2017 Classes of 1977, 1987, 1997 and the Honored Class of 1967

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Association News Alumni Attend Baseball Game The VMI baseball team visited Charleston, South Carolina, to play a three-game series against The Citadel March 24-26, 2017.

Alumni pictured in attendance at a game were Mike Arendt ’96, Jerome Brinkley ’84, Andy Karnes ’05, George Mosby ’97 and Drayton Reynolds ’14.

Northern California Alumni Gather Alumni in the northern California area gathered in December 2016 for a dinner at the home of Pat Chang-Lo ’66. In attendance were Brian Andrew ’03, Jim Edmunds ’59, Nathan McCall ’07, Quinn Donovan ’89, Todd Arris ’87, Joe Kohen ’50B, David Kaulfers ’90 and Pat Chang-Lo ’66.

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Vmi Alumni Review

Association News

Upstate South Carolina/Pisgah Chapter Gathers

Alumni from the Upstate South Carolina/Pisgah Chapter gathered April 17, 2017, at the Moose Café in Asheville, North Carolina, for an Old Corps luncheon to welcome senior members and provide an opportunity for comradery. Members in attendance discussed the Corps of Cadets’ performance in the inauguration parade and recalled the Class of ’63 visited the Oval Office with President John F. Kennedy. Pictured at the event were, from left, clockwise around the table, Dale Wykoff ’49A, Dan Wells ’67, E.D. Woomer ’73, P.X. English ’73, Bob Byrd ’63, F.O. More ’67, Dave Davenport ’70 and Hal Way ’70.

Wilmington Chapter Hosts Dinner with VMI Baseball Head Coach Following an 11-5 win over Appalachian State University, Jonathan Hadra ’04, VMI baseball head coach, and his staff joined the Wilmington Chapter alumni for dinner at Hops Supply Company in Wilmington, North Carolina. In attendance at the event were Boyd Worley ’06, James Worley, John Gangemi ’61, Dick Stone ’61, Doug and Pat Huthwaite ’73, Henry Brown ’60, James Duke ’08, George Myers ’79, Tom McCarthy ’86, Frank Kalesnik ’83, Gregory and Emily Griffith ’72, Andrew Deal ’12, Will and Sandra Scott ’65, Bill and Diane Dunlap ’72, Ken and Kathy Wester ’72, James Griffith, Coach Hadra ’04, Travis Beazley, and Casey Dykes.

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Association News

Wilmington Chapter Hosts Annual Oyster Roast

The Wilmington Chapter held its annual oyster roast at the home of Sandra and Bart Williams ’85 in March 2017. Approximately 50 alumni, friends, family and current cadets were in attendance.

Cadets Attend 70th Annual Azalea Festival in Wilmington Wilmington, North Carolina, held its 70th Annual Azalea Festival April 5-9, 2017. John Cawthorne ’81 attended the Garden Party and met the eight cadets who served as escorts to the Azalea Queen’s court. Cadets in attendance were Coburn Brewer ’17, Hamp Beddoes ’17, Lincoln Frawley ’17, Eric Maudhuit ’17, Zachary Sprinkle ’17, Chad Jacob ’17, Cannon Clark ’17 and Pete McMahon ’17.

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VMI Alumni Review

Association News

VMI Alumni Association Hosts Spring Break in The Villages, Florida The VMI Alumni Association hosted Spring Break in The Villages, Florida, March 16-18, 2017. On the first day of the event, alumni were invited to a golf outing at the Arnold Palmer Legends Course. There was also a cocktail hour hosted at the Waterfront Inn at which Dr. David L. Diles, VMI director of intercollegiate athletics, was the guest speaker. The second day allowed for alumni to take trolley tours of The Villages, attend a presentation given by Col. Keith Gibson ’77, executive director of the VMI Museum System, and see a showing of the movie “Field of Lost Shoes.” Also drawing a huge crowd was the VMI Regimental Band’s performance in The Villages’ St. Patrick’s Day parade. The night was concluded with a dinner at the Eisenhower Recreation Center, at which the VMI band also performed and Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, was the guest speaker. Special thanks to Walt Chalkley ’72 and his planning staff as well as The Villages for their tremendous support in allowing us the opportunity to host an event of this caliber.

Left: Members of the planning committee responsible for the VMI Alumni Spring Break at The Villages, Florida, March 16-18, 2017, pictured during the after party were, from left, Bernie and Wanda Groome ’71, Kathy and Alan Vicory ’74, Debbie and Walt Chalkley ’72, Rick and Rosanne Hack ’72, and Sandy and Blake Thomas ’73.

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Association News

New Cadet Recruiting Event Held in Texas The VMI Alumni Association held a New Cadet Recruiting event at the American Freedom Museum in Bullard, Texas, March 29, 2017. The museum had a feature on VMI and New Market. Erica Putney ’15, Sean Lanier ’94 and Eric Hunter ’08 are pictured along with prospective cadets.

Networking Dinner Hosted for Dallas/Fort Worth Area Alumni The VMI Alumni Association hosted an event for Dallas/ Fort Worth area alumni at Happiest Hour in Dallas, Texas.

Pictured at the event were, from left, Mark Crocker ’92, Randy Crocker ’69, Jay and Christy Roach ’82, Bob Manteuffel ’77, Dakota Nicely ’15, Katie Clevenger, John Mason ’15, Walker Hays ’17, and Harrison Williams ’15.

VMI Veterans Transition Program Are you retiring or planning to transition from active duty military service to another job or career? If so, The VMI Alumni Association, Inc. can help.

Please contact Career Networking officer Eric Hunter ’08 at ehunter@vmiaa.org, and discover how you can find a rewarding career in the civilian workforce through networking with other alumni.

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Association News

Career Development Forum Save the Date

Save the date for the next Career Development Forum Oct. 14, 2017, in the northern Virginia area. It will be a great opportunity to learn from industry experts and network with alumni.

Please contact Eric Hunter ’08 for additional information or register at www. vmialumni.org/careerforum.

Above: Mac Curtis ’79, chief executive officer of Vencore, was the keynote speaker for the Career Development Forum in 2016.

Maryland Networking Dinner Stephen Maconi, chief executive officer of the VMI Alumni Agencies, spoke at the Maryland Networking Dinner May 2, 2017, in Columbia, Maryland.

There were more than 30 alumni in attendance, one of the largest turnouts for a networking dinner to date.

Thank you to Bill Miller ’89, who is with 1st Mariner Mortgage, for sponsoring the dinner and to all the alumni who took the time to attend.

If you would like to host a networking dinner for your chapter, please contact Eric Hunter ’08 at ehunter@vmiaa.org.

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VMI Alumni Review

Association News

Legacy Day 2017 Legacy Day was held Saturday, April 22, 2017. More than 200 children, parents and grandparents participated in the fun. Because of the rain, the kids had a blast breaking in the new Corps Physical Training Facility. The day consisted of rock climbing, obstacle courses, science experiments and much more! We look forward to hosting this event again next year.

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Association News

VMI Alumni Association Updates Strategic Plan

In 2016, the VMI Alumni Association worked collaboratively to update its strategic plan. This effort has identified priorities and established short- and long-term goals to further the mission of the Alumni Association to best support the alumni.

The board is comprised of several committees, including VMI Board of Visitor Liaisons, Career Networking, Chapter Operations, Communications, Finance, House, New Cadet Recruiting, Nominating, Senior Alumni and Young Alumni. Each committee participated in the strategic plan. Some of the resulting initiatives include: – Improve the effectiveness and ensure the correct audience for the many communications sent from the Alumni Association.

– Improve assistance to alumni in search of employment.

– Improve new cadet recruiting through better integration with the Admissions Office and improved support of alumni at event locations.

– Implement a One Year Reunion pilot program to better engage the most recent graduating class.

– Improve chapter events throughout the country and build new chapters where the alumni base is growing.

– Improve the upkeep and maintenance of Moody Hall.

– Implement chapter events specifically for senior alumni.

Efforts are well underway, including two iterations of the One Year Reunion concept with more than 70 alumni in attendance at the most recent; the distribution of updated Chapter President and Regional Director Handbooks to enhance the way chapters are run; and the realignment of regions to better serve the alumni base.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your chapter or regional leadership.

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VMI Alumni Review

CLASS NOTES

1935

Richard H. Knight Jr. ’70

Greetings to the VMI nation from the Class of 1935!

Earlier this year (March 31), I called Jim Sherman to wish him a happy birthday. It was Jim’s 103rd birthday. Jim answered the phone and was, as always, enthusiastic and alert and was looking forward to his birthday party that day. Jim was doing fine, he said, and although Peggy sustained a mild injury from a fall, Jim assured me that she was on the mend.

The birthday party was a festive event. A dance troupe, The Sophisticated Ladies, composed a patriotic program for Jim, which he and Peggy, who were seated at the “sweetheart” table, thoroughly enjoyed. (For the rest of the story, please see the photos.) Jim also liked the party food, which he attacked with gusto, washing it all down with root beer and coke floats. Jim, you are quite a guy.

We have been remembering ’35’s general officers, and in this issue we turn our attention to U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Thomas Felton (“Muggs”) Riley. Riley entered VMI from Harrisonburg, Virginia, majored in civil engineering and was commissioned by the Marine Corps after

graduation. Early duty assignments took him to Tidewater, where he “suited up” for the 1936 Marine Corps football team in Portsmouth.

Promotion was very slow in those early years, but with the outbreak of World War II, Riley rapidly moved through the ranks. He played a decisive role on Guadalcanal when, as commander of the 1st Aviation Engineer Battalion, he cleared the flooded landing strips that were needed to repel the enemy. His service in that prolonged and, at times, desperate battle is recorded (or cited) in many histories of the War in the Pacific. Riley also served in Korea. On his retirement in 1964, he was authorized to wear the Legion of Merit (with “v”) and the Bronze Star (with “v”), among many other decorations.

Now retired, Riley moved to Orange County,

Class of 1935: Jim and Peggy Sherman on Jim’s 103rd birthday.

California, and it was here that he began a remarkable second career. Governor Ronald Reagan appointed him to the Orange County Board of Supervisors to complete the unexpired term of a supervisor. Twenty years and five successful re-election campaigns later, Riley retired from that board.

Riley’s second career and the occasion of his retirement were accompanied by universal acclaim. And, on his death in 1998, a California legislator entered a statement into the legislative record: “He was known to millions of us affectionately as just the general. Tom Riley embodied every virtue that we seek in our public service.”

When we seek examples of a citizen-soldier, we need look no further than this gallant man.

Riley and his wife, Emma Jane, rest in Arlington National Cemetery among friends and family.

I heard from a brother rat several months ago who told me that his father’s combat decorations were now on display in VMI’s Hall of Valor. His father died many years ago, but my brother rat proved that it is never too late to honor a qualified alumnus for his or her combat service. If any of our readers know of an alumnus whose decorations (may) meet the eligibility criteria, he (or she) should contact VMI for more info.

Thanks for your continuing interest in the Class of 1935. We look forward to seeing you in November.

Rah! Virginia! Mil! Dick Knight ’70

1938

Cody Hennelly ’10

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 1938.

1939

Frank Parker III ’64

Class of 1935: Jim Sherman with dance troupe The Sophisticated Ladies on his 103rd birthday.

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I have been encouraging the children and/or grandchildren of members of the Class of 1939

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Class Notes with lung cancer. He died in July 1965.

Willis Riddick and Hank Cronin met their future wives-to-be on the same evening when they met the James sisters, Cynthia and Mary Rolfe, in summer 1938. Cronin married Mary Rolfe in 1941, several weeks after Pearl Harbor. Riddick married Cynthia after World War II ended. Riddick was in considerable action in World War II, including combat in New Hebrides, Bougainville, the Philippines and Guadalcanal over a 33-month period. He retired as a full colonel in 1967 and died in 1999.

I’m looking for more stories. Keep in touch.

1940

Robert Smith Class of 1939: Hank Cronin Sr. to send me stories about them. I know every family has some. My Brother Rat Hank Cronin ’64 is the first. The following are stories about his father, Brig. Gen. Henry “Hank” Cronin, and his father’s friend, Col. Willis Riddick.

Hank Cronin was not the classic example of a model cadet. Some of the offenses for which he was ticketed include: Driving a car in Rockbridge County; being a member of the “Painter’s Committee,” which painted a number of the large columns at Washington and Lee University red, white and yellow; blasting the commandant’s office with the high pressure water hose in the courtyard; and graduating under confinement. Although he started well academically, he finished near or at the bottom of the civil engineering curriculum. What seems unreal is that after graduating from VMI, he started over again as a plebe at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. However, after the start of World War II, he left West Point, since he already had a commission. He was captured at the Battle of the Bulge. He later escaped and joined the Russians until he was able to reconnect with his own unit. After the war, he requested that VMI superintendent Gen. Kilbourne ’894 recommend him for a career as a regular Army officer. Kilbourne, however, rejected this request in a letter to Cronin, which cited his disgraceful record at VMI. Cronin saved this letter and used it as a motivational impetus throughout his life.

He stayed in the Army and was notified in late 1964 that he was to be promoted to brigadier general. At the same time, he was diagnosed

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Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 1940.

1941

Stuart Seaton Jr. ’73

Since becoming the acting class agent for VMI ’41, I have been in the process of contacting brother rats and verifying the information that the VMI Alumni Association has provided me. Fortunately, I have a phone number and/or email address for most, so getting in touch hasn’t been too difficult.

During my efforts to contact VMI ’41 brother rats, I have learned that Gordon L. Early of Evanston, Illinois, died Jan. 5, 2015. His wife of 68 years, Margaret, predeceased him. I have also learned that Joseph L. Conduff of Floyd, Virginia, died in 2004, and his wife, Katherine, died in 2013. In my conversations with VMI, I have been informed that Floyd S. Smith Jr. of Auburn, Alabama, died in 2010. Floyd had been a professor at Auburn University before his retirement. At last count, the ranks of VMI ’41 now stand at four surviving brother rats.

I’ve had the privilege of speaking with retired Col. Charles “Chuck” Abbitt. After spending 22 years in the Army and about the same amount of time working as a contractor with NASA, he now

lives in an independent care facility in Richardson, Texas, near his son and grandson. Except for an occasional knee flair up and dealing with some glaucoma issues, Chuck says he gets around fairly well and enjoys still being able to drive and take care of his daily errands.

I was able to speak with Mary Rooklin, wife of Albert “Al” Rooklin, and she gave me a quick update. Al is currently living in Lexington, Virginia, at the Havenwood assisted living facility and continues to live with Alzheimer’s. Mrs. Rooklin says her husband is doing as well as can be expected, and she is very happy that Havenwood is in Lexington, which affords her the opportunity to visit Al often.

Jack N. Williams currently lives outside of Hot Springs, Virginia, on his small farm and says he stays active driving and taking care of errands and spends a lot of time on his Dixie Chopper zeroturn radius lawn mower keeping up with his farm duties. Jack informed me he roomed with Chuck Abbitt during his 4th Class year.

I was able to recently contact my Brother Rat Bob Maling ’73, who gave me a brief update on his father, retired Col. Robert “Bob” Maling. Bob and his wife, Mila, currently live in an assisted living facility in San Antonio, Texas. He says his main limitation is with his eyes; however, he likes his daily walks around the facility, still takes weekly shopping excursions and at the end of the day, enjoys relaxing with a glass of his favorite wine. I have been told that when his son comes to visit, they have a longstanding tradition of toasting VMI and the Class of ’41.

In the bonds of VMI. Stuart Seaton Jr. ’73, acting class agent

Class of 1941: Bob Maling ’73, left, with his father, Robert Maling, in May 2016.

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

1942

Charles B. Miller

Three members of the Class of ’42 showed up for our 75th Reunion – Harry Siebert, Jack Patton and I. Harry and I were there the whole time, and Jack was there for lunch Tuesday.

The Parade Ground was too wet for a parade, so we had the Old Yell from the sentinel box in the courtyard. Harry was taking his afternoon nap, and Jack had gone back to Harrisonburg, so I represented our class wearing my coatee.

At our 70th, I climbed to the top of the sentinel box. (The picture is in the staircase at the Alumni Association.) This time, I stayed on the ground and saluted.

My wife, Mary, could not make the trip for

Class of 1942: Charlie Miller at his 75th Reunion.

health reasons. Harry’s wife, Jody, and daughter, Kim, were there and were good company.

I am glad I had Jack Blackwell, a young friend, tennis player and Uber driver as a driver and valet. A University of Virginia grad, he was good company, too.

At one point, Harry, who grew up in Richmond, was talking with Jack and me about his fond memories of Sally Bell’s in Richmond.

(This bakery, originally known as Sarah Lee Kitchen, has been around since the 1920s.) On the final morning of the reunion, Jack had a present for Harry – four chocolate, lemon and caramel cupcakes he’d bought just before the drive to Lexington.

A few months ago, I received the following email from James Johnston (Jimmy) Leech ’78: “Hello Mr. Miller, I saw in the class notes section of the most recent Alumni Review that you were only aware of five surviving members of the Class of ’42. I would like to add a sixth: My dad, retired Brigadier General Lloyd L. Leech

75th Reunion – April 24-25, 2017

The Class of 1942

Class of 1942: Present at the reunion were Charles B. Miller, John M. Patton and Harry J. Siebert.

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Class Notes

Class of 1942: Charlie Miller wearing his coatee at the reunion.

Jr. He turned 97 in December and still lives in the Army Residence Community in San Antonio, Texas. I visit him from Corpus Christi about once a month, and he still eats like a horse and is occasionally able to respond appropriately to questions and comments, although he is quite cognitively impaired. Just thought I’d let you know.”

It’s wonderful to know Brother Rat Lloyd is still with us. Here is an Old Yell for him.

1943

Jeffrey G. Smith

genjeffrey@aol.com

I have no deaths of brother rats to report since my class notes were written in February 2017.

Good news!

As you know, my custom has been to start off with the most recent deaths of our brother rats.

That will continue. However, this particular set of class notes which you are now reading has, in effect, included results done independently by several of the staff agencies of the VMI Alumni Association. Among other things, the deaths of our Brother Rats John H. Bader April 18, 2000; Harry Bernard May 14, 2003; and Christopher Herring Oct. 19, 1993, have only recently come to light.

In my last notes, I left you hanging on the subject of Dr. Bill Winter’s broken leg (femur).

The culprit was the family dog, whose leash and

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Bill somehow became tangled and left Bill on the ground. I suppose in a heap. Bill told me a few days ago that the leg has healed nicely. He is no longer in a heap and has rejoined us physically-active bipeds, not to speak of pesky pet quadrupeds.

Our big news is to report that our very own Brother Rat Floyd D. Gottwald Jr., and his brother, Bruce ’54, were announced in early February as the Outstanding Virginians of the Year. The announcement was made in early February from the floor of the Virginia Senate. Quite an honor! Both Gottwald brothers are extremely strong supporters of VMI, especially financially. Many, many, many thanks.

My “cousin,” Gordon Smith, answers telephone calls with a friendly recorded message. Actually, it is a shouted bellow which goes something like this: “Lordy, Lordy, you’ve reached Gordy.”

It’s worthwhile a call to him just to hear the message. “Gordy,” by the way, is doing well physically despite the stroke he had a few years ago. He has given up driving, but so have a lot of us. He relies on friendly neighbors with whom he hitches rides when needed. Sounds familiar. And more power to him, he works out in his personal weight room several times a week.

(Warren) Settle Frank called and followed up with a kind note to keep me current on his address.

Apparently, his most recent address is W. Settle Frank, 175 Cape May Drive Apt 207, Wilmington, OH 45177. However, he hopes it will “be back to what it was by this coming October (2017).”

Not sure of what all that means.

The main thing on address items is to keep the VMI Alumni Association current on where you actually live!

Settle’s note was written on very attractive paper depicting waterfowl. The artist is a friend of Settle’s.

I know that my readers must tire of the numerous admonitions to keep me informed. I’ll strike a bargain. No more admonitions for a while.

Enjoy your summer!

Bruce Suter sent me a copy of Lisa Tracy’s account of the events surrounding VMI, Bruce and the Class of 1943 in particular. A fascinating read. Lisa spoke not long ago to several former cadets regarding their World War II experiences – both as cadets and through the war. She interviewed me, as well.

Who is Lisa Tracy? She is the wife of a retired Regular U.S. Army colonel. She is also the granddaughter of Maj. Gen. Charles Kilbourne ’894,

recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor and a VMI graduate who was the superintendent of VMI when we were cadets. Mrs. Tracy interviewed several former VMI cadets. I hope that, given time, she will publish her work.

As I recall, Gen. Kilbourne was, at the time World War II began, the only officer decorated with the Army’s three top awards: The Congressional Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal. I am not certain of how that record has held up during the succeeding years.

1944

Tom L. Peyton Jr.

In early April, I attended a class agents’ conference at the Institute. One of the features of the conference was to acquaint the attendees with the new and recently updated facilities on post by means of a guided tour. The Corps Physical Training Facility stood out as a new jewel in the Institute’s physical plant. There is an article with photo in the 2017-Issue 2 Alumni Review which provides an excellent overview. I must say, however, that a visit is necessary to totally grasp the size and scope of this spectacular facility. The building is a reflection of the superintendent’s interest in emphasizing physical fitness in the Corps of Cadets. This interest was further seen in several of the upgraded facilities visited. These included Cocke Hall, which members of the “Old Corps” will recall was the principal indoor sport facility and the venue for Ring Figure. With boxing returning to VMI, Cocke Hall becomes a good fit for that activity, as well as weight training and other physical conditioning activities. Another building visited included a newly repurposed building which now serves a wrestling arena, appropriate for intercollegiate events and substantial space for additional physical training.

Finally, we saw the remodeled Memorial Garden, still between Cocke Hall and the parapet, the latter bearing the inscription: “A crowd of honorable youths ... etc.” that, as rats, was one of the things we had to memorize and recite.

These visits are breathtaking to a member of the Class of 1944, who first saw post in 1939 on a

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes visit and remembers what it looked like then.

In mid-February, I attended an oyster roast and barbecue held by the Wilmington, North Carolina, alumni chapter at the Wrightsville Beach home of Dr. Bart Williams ’85 and his wife, Sandra. It was well-attended by enthusiastic alumni from the Cape Fear area, who attacked the succulent mollusks with great vigor, along with the vinegar-style eastern North Carolina barbecue. After living most of my life in the Chesapeake Bay area, raw oysters on the half shell with lemon and cocktail sauce, boosted with horseradish, has been my usual fare, so roasted oysters North Carolina-style with melted butter was a new, very satisfying experience. For those who are not attending local alumni chapter events, I must advise that you are missing something. Again, thanks to John Gangemi ’61 and Henry Brown ’60, chapter president and representative, respectively, for organizing these chapter activities.

I hope as many as possible saw the special treat of the Corps of Cadets marching in the recent presidential inaugural parade. I caught it on TV almost by accident. There was something very special in the scene at that time of early evening and the seemingly almost perfect way the Corps marched. I don’t get thrilled very often these days, but this time I certainly was. During the class agents’ conference, we were treated to a parade on post. By this time of the year, the 4th Class cadets are integrated in their respective companies and have learned most of the fine points of military marching in formation. When the Corps marches by in review and the band plays “Shenandoah,” it is a very moving moment.

Bob Smothers wrote that he and his traveling companion, Mei Kitchen, are going on a nearly monthlong trip to Europe, with a stop in Sicily and a cruise of the Baltic region. Judy Beam and I are about to depart for Cancun for some beach time and a visit to the ruins at Tulum.

Since taking on the duties of class agent, our class roster of active members has included the name of our Brother Rat Robert Wingo Gibson, M.D., of Ponca City, Oklahoma. We have been sending the Alumni Review and numerous cards and letters to Bob’s address in Ponca City, Oklahoma, during this period. So I was surprised recently when I tried to call him and was advised that his phone was no longer in service. This sort of thing happens these days

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with a changeover to cell phones, etc., however, the big surprise came, after a considerable search, to find that Bob died Sept. 13, 2002.

Apparently, his wife, Marian, also died in 2002. Bob spent one year with our class (194041) and left to enroll in college in Oklahoma.

He served in the Army Air Corps during 194345. He returned to college after World War II and received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1946. Following in his father’s footsteps, he attended the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine degree. From 1953-55, he served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force as a surgeon. He then returned to Ponca City and practiced as a physician and surgeon at the Gibson Clinic.

He apparently remained there until he retired.

In the Class of 1944 family, we note the planned retirement of Col. Wesley Grigg Mullen Jr. ’76, son of our late Brother Rat Grigg Mullen and wife Sis. Grigg Jr. has been professor of civil and environmental engineering at VMI and will retire from the faculty this spring after 25 years of teaching. He and his wife, Cindy, have been the guests of our class on at least two of our reunions. We congratulate Grigg and extend our heartfelt appreciation for his important contributions to the Institute.

I noted in the Winchester paper the obituary of Charles Harrison Marks III ’70, who died March 30, 2017. He was the son of our late Brother Rat Charlie Marks. He was a retired engineering project manager, living in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and was buried in Lexington, Virginia, April 8, 2017.

In response to questions: For the concluding VMI academic year of 2016-17, there were 1,685 cadets enrolled (193 female and 1,492 male cadets). I didn’t look it up, but I am fairly certain that the enrollment for the academic year of 1940-41 was about 600 cadets.

Rah Virginia Mil.

1945

William Quarles

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 1945.

1946

William A. Eliason

Once again, having received naught from my BRs, I have naught to report. I can, however, report that I attended the class agents’ meeting in early April 2017. To me, the highlight of the meeting was the Friday afternoon tour of the facilities that have been built and/or refurbished in just the last couple of years.

I wish I could adequately describe my reaction to what we saw, but all I can say is, “Wow!” I urge each of you to make the effort to visit Lexington and take the tour. You will be amazed and proud. The tour’s finale was a full-dress parade complete with pipes, kilts and a band that seemed to be larger than the Corps was at times during World War II when we paraded two companies that struggled to put a couple dozen old cadets and maybe 200 rats onto the hill to the tune of three or four musicians, maybe a worker from the tailor shop and a burger flipper from the post exchange on bugles, a grass cutter beating on a snare drum and some guy from downtown big enough to carry the tuba.

And if you haven’t seen a recent Corps parade with more than 1,700 cadets marching in perfect formation ... well. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Make the effort to see it at least once before we all take our places in that great Rat Line in the sky. Before we have run out of Parade Ground, and I’m pretty sure that they will run out of gold chevrons and bars or will have to start sewing them on their backsides as well as on their arms.

Come take a look for yourselves, and when you get back home, take pen and paper and tell me about it.

Bill

1947

Gus Robbins

The 70th Reunion of the VMI Class of 1947 was held April 24-25, 2017, in Lexington, Virginia.

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Class of 1947: Present at the reunion were Samuel M. Hairston, Louis R. Hundley, Garvin L. Jones, Augustus Robbins III and Roger P. Rosenfield.

The Class of 1947

70th Reunion – April 24-25, 2017 Class Notes

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Those of us there enjoyed fine fellowship and enjoyable festivities. Roger and Lynn Rosenfield and their daughter and son-in-law, the Winns, drove up from Raleigh, North Carolina; Gavin and Lucie Jones came from Charleston, South Carolina; Sam Hairston from Chatham, Virginia; Margaret Nicol from Atlanta (representing our late BR Ridley Nicol) and her sister, Betty Wray; and Betty Lane and I were together at the Robert E. Lee Hotel until saying farewell at breakfast Wednesday morning. Louis Hundley, who resides at the Kendal retirement home there in Lexington, had his son-in-law, Mark Hunt ’77, bring him to a number of the activities on post. It was great becoming reacquainted with everyone in those few short days.

The weather did not cooperate with the Alumni Association’s plans, as the rains drenched the campus both Monday and Tuesday, causing Monday’s post tour to be canceled, as well as Tuesday’s parade. We did get a tour of the new $88 million Corps Physical Training Facility next to Cameron Hall Monday with its director, Issac Sloan, and saw the excellent film, “Field of Lost Shoes,” Tuesday at Marshall Hall, both being highlights of our two days on post. In lieu of the parade Tuesday, we just met at Preston Library for the class picture (all five of us) and then gathered at J.M. Hall for the short sidewalk parade to Old Barracks for the traditional Old Yell.

Our spry Roger Rosenfield climbed to the top of the sentinel box to give our Class of ’47 yell.

The whole Corps filled the stoops and returned the yell in quite an impressive response. The outstanding VMI band concluded the five classes gathered there in the barracks with a playing of the “Doxology.”

It was disappointing that more ’47 BRs didn’t turn out, but health issues and travel distances took their toll on plans. Lucius Dabney and Allene had planned to come from Vicksburg but at the last minute found it just wasn’t possible. The same held true for Ben McCauley and his wife, Alice, but in his letter of regret he recounted, “Our get up and go has got up and went!” From talking to Mac Davis several times by phone, I know he really did want to come, but for whatever reason, he didn’t. Mac still talks about the touchdown pass he caught from Garvin Jones against Maryland in ’43. At Tuesday’s dinner in the officers’ mess at Crozet Hall, as guests of Keith Gibson ’77, director of the VMI Museum System, and his wife, Garvin Jones and I also spent a while boring our wives with old tales of football games in ’43.

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Garvin was on the team that one semester before he left for the war.

It is sad to think this may be the last ’47 reunion, but it is encouraging to report that there were three BRs from the Class of ’42 there celebrating their 75th! One of the Class of ’42, Charlie Miller ’42 from Richmond, still wears his original coatee.

I have had no volunteers to take over as class agent. This will be my final official act as your class agent, and I will miss being in touch with you four times a year, at least; but it is time to retire the position. I do hope, though, that those of you who have been so faithful to the spirit of communication will continue to do so through snail mail, email (bettylanerobbins80@gmail.com) or phone (804-530-8394), and I promise you will hear back from me. My best wishes to all.

In the spirit, Gus III

1948A

Dale E. Wykoff

In the month of February 1944, the following events were taking place: The Germans defeated the American troops in the Battle of Cisterna, near Anzio. The Americans bombed Eniwetok in the Marshalls – later to become a B-29 base.

The plan for the invasion of France, Operation Overlord, was confirmed. Fifty new cadets, forming the Class of 1948A, signed in on a freezing morning at J.M. Hall. Lloyd Goldman was the first to register (at 0800), and Powell Davis was the last (at 1750). Today, five brother rats remain, all in retirement homes with varying degrees of capabilities. Therefore, this will be my last submission to the class notes. I can still be contacted at any of the above addresses. It has been a quickly-passing 73 years!

1948B

Lionel T. Wolford

I learned from Doug Hamner that Chi Mills died Feb. 26, 2017. For me, he was a lifelong

friend and, perhaps, the most outstanding member of the Class of 1948B. He was one of the best college football linemen in America 1944-47.

While not big by today’s standards, he was better than average size for the 1940s. Chi was a dedicated two-way player who was extremely strong.

He could generate a tremendous burst of speed at the line of scrimmage. At that time, he likely could have outplayed any other college tackle in a one-on-one situation.

I first heard of Chi in January 1944. At that time, I was committed to VMI but knew of no one else who was going or who had any connection with the Institute. An article in the TimesPicayune reported that Coach Pooley Hubert of VMI had recruited two All-State football players (Ray Coates and Chi Mills) from Jesuit High School in New Orleans. My father tried to contact the two young men and did meet Ray Coates.

In June 1944, I boarded the train in New Orleans for the 24-hour trip to Lynchburg, Virginia.

As he was saying goodbye, my father added, “Look up Ray Coates; he will make a good friend. You can’t miss him; he is a big blonde kid.” I started the trip full of confidence but quickly became lonely and apprehensive. I hoped that Ray Coates and Chi Mills had also boarded the train in New Orleans and that I would meet them soon. A few hours before Lynchburg arrival, I went to the restroom. There, I saw a big blonde kid. I thought it was Ray Coates. I walked up to the young man and said “Are you Ray Coates?” He did not understand me, even after I repeated the question. Finally, he said, “Where are you going?” I replied, “I’m going to VMI.” He answered, “So am I.” We immediately became friends and decided to room together. We picked up a third roommate on the bus from Lynchburg to Lexington. I had met Henry Johnson and Cal Woodard. I forgot about Mills and Coates. A few days later, Coach Hubert came to our room to visit Johnson and Woodard, who were excellent high school football players. I asked the coach about Coates and Mills. Pooley replied that their room was just around the corner. Later, I made my way to their room and was greeted by a big, friendly, redheaded kid from New Orleans: Chi Mills.

He was rooming with Clyde Greminstein, Elmer Kozzora and Nick “The Greek” Harris.

I was shocked when he told me Ray Coates had returned to Louisiana to play football for

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Class Notes Louisiana State University. Because he stayed finished 5-4 and sixth in the 11-team Southern Tech game. The AP All-America team that year and did not take the easy path, I have always Conference. VMI defeated Virginia Polytechnic consisted of only 33 two-way players – many of Institute 7-0 on Thanksgiving Day. Thirteenth whom eventually were inducted into the Hall of had extra admiration for Chi Mills.

We were always good friends but were sel- ranked Duke was again conference champion Fame, such as: Doak Walker, Charlie Connerly, dom involved in mutual activities. We had sev- but did not play in a bowl game. Chi Mills was Chuck Bednarik, Bobby Laine, etc.

According to Doug Hamner, Chi was drafted eral classes together. I remember Chi as a serious, named to the All-Conference team.

Coach Pooley Hubert’s disappointing 1946 by the Chicago Bears of the NFL and by the Los hardworking student. Chi had a physical disabilAngeles Dons of the rival All-Ameriity that made him ineligible for the draft. The injury was quite apparent ca Conference. Chi thought Chicago when he was attired for gym classes. was too cold, but he did try out in When he was 10 years old, playing Los Angeles. Early on, it became apon the streets of New Orleans, he was parent that salaries for interior linerun over by a truck. I believe it was man (about $75.00 per game) were his right leg. The back of his thigh was insufficient for further interest in pro completely torn off. Doctors replaced football. the thigh using skin grafts from the Doug also sent me an article (he inleft leg. The injury healed remarkstigated) from the March 20, 2017, isably well, but the right leg was heavsue of the Richmond Times-Dispatch entitled, “Mills Football Legend Lives ily scarred and misshapen. His left leg on at VMI.” It gives an excellent dewas covered with quarter-sized spots where the skin grafts were removed. scription of Chi’s 1947 year.

Chi told me that, from time to time, Chi went on to marry Adelaide, had the scars on his right leg would spontwo children and four grandchildren, served in the Army as lieutenant, and taneously bleed. He walked with a nohad a successful business career in ticeable limp but could outrun most Richmond. He loved Adelaide, his athletes in a 20-yard sprint. children, grandchildren and VMI. Chi displayed his unusual strength After leaving VMI in 1947, I did not when he participated in intramu- Class of 1948B: Standing under a purple Martin House made in the image of The Institute at Thomas Tucker Sr.’s farm in Amherst see Chi again until the 40th Reunion ral boxing our 2nd Class year. The County, Virginia, were, from left, Chris Reisch ’79, Lowrie Tucker heavyweight championship pitted ’75, Thomas Tucker Sr., John Tucker ’78 and Thomas Tucker Jr. ’78. in 1988. With encouragement from George Ramsey and Walter VanChi Mills against John Gorman. I was on guard duty and did not see the fight. team finished 4-5 and was eighth in the 16- noy, Chi and I made a video of that reunion. I team Southern Conference. Chi Mills was visited with Chi at the 50th, 55th, 60th and 65th The middleweight champion, George Ramsey, did see the match and described it as follows: injured and missed several games – all losses. Reunions. At the latter reunion, I met Chi’s son, Round one displayed a lot of sparring and VMI lost to VPI 20-7 Thanksgiving Day. Ninth Malachi Mills III ’83, who was also a VMI footclinching with neither boxer having the advan- ranked University of North Carolina was the ball player. Chi always remembered me as that guy tage. As the fighters came out of their corners conference champion and lost to the University from Louisiana.

The Alumni Association informed me that for the second round, Chi threw one punch to of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Chi Mills was Johnny Hodnett died March 4, 2017. Like Chi John Gorman’s jaw, sending him to the canvas named to the All-Conference team.

Coach Slick Morton’s 1947 team finished 3-5-1 Mills, Johnny was a football player. To my knowlfor the full count and several minutes more.

During the four years that Chi played football, and was 12th in the 16-team Southern Conferedge, they were the last two survivors of the 1944 VMI was in a major football conference, South- ence. VMI defeated VPI 28-14 Thanksgiving football team. Johnny and Chi roomed together their 1st Class year.

Day. Fourteenth ranked College of William & ern, and played a major college schedule. He was I believe Johnny was also a star basketball player. seldom injured and played almost 60 minutes Mary was the conference champion and lost to I did not know Johnny well at VMI, but I do rethe University of Arkansas in the Dixie Bowl. every game.

Chi Mills was named to the All Southern ConCoach Pooley Hubert’s 1944 team finished 1-8 member how he secured his position on the 1944 and placed eighth in the 10-team Southern Con- ference team and to the AP All-America team football team. In late July 1944, Coach Pooley Huference. Eleventh ranked Duke University was the (second team). Outstanding performances in the bert invited all cadets to try out for football. About conference champion and defeated the University game with ninth ranked Georgia Tech and in the 180, including myself, out of total 230 showed up of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. No All-Confer- 14th ranked William & Mary game contributed for the first practice. The grueling routine discourheavily to his selection on the AP All-America aged many after a week. Encouraged by my roomence team was named. Chi Mills and Clyde Grteam. He outplayed consensus All-American mates, I continued for a few weeks more. eminstein were outstanding players for VMI. Coach Pooley Hubert’s improved 1945 team tackle Bob Davis, one-on-one, in the Georgia At the beginning of one session, Pooley had the

36

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes remaining prospects form a circle around him. He said he needed a fast man and asked who was fast?

The only man to step forward was Johnny Hodnett who said, “I’m fast!” I believe Pooley had someone bigger than the 142-pound Hodnett in mind, because he called for more to step forward.

Finally, about six or seven stepped forward, including 200-pound John Gorman. Pooley had the prospects run a 75-yard sprint. Hodnett won easily, but Gorman was not far behind. John Gorman got his tryout for running back, but he was needed at the tackle position. Johnny Hodnett was named the starting tailback.

We won only one game that year against Richmond. I didn’t see the game but read the account in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Johnny was the star of the game and received high praise. I believe Johnny was injured in the next game, and Pooley had to replace him with 136-pound Cliff Ellis.

Johnny graduated and received a civil engineering degree. He married Mary Anne Quinnelly in 1951. They had four children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He served in the Korean War as a first lieutenant with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team (probably).

Johnny worked for U.S. Steel. He was a founding father and mayor of Hoover, Alabama, an important Birmingham suburb.

I received news from Thomas Tucker Jr. ’78 that Brother Rat Tommy Tucker died April 26, 2017.

Tommy was a very close personal friend, and I have written about some of our mutual activities in previous newsletters. At VMI in 1946, Tommy

Class of 1948B: Howard Smith’s grandsons.

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came to me and asked me to teach him how to play bridge. Before long, we were playing as partners in rubber bridge money games. We never played together after leaving VMI, but both of us maintained a lifelong interest in bridge. Tommy’s obit lists membership in several organizations, one of which was the Shut Up and Deal bridge club.

Tommy married Jerry Martin in 1955, and after her death in 1973, Mary Phipps. Tommy had six children, 15 grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren. Tommy owned a thriving insurance agency, but he considered operating the family farm at Mountain View to be his main occupation. During our 1957 visit, Tommy and Jerry took Marion, myself and 3-year-old Marie to visit his mother. I remember the five of us driving in my car on a narrow, gravel road until we came upon a vast area of green pasture and lawn which sloped up a hill, where an impressive mansion stood. Three-year-old Marie exclaimed, “Oh, a golf course.” I remember Jerry laughing at that description. Later, Tommy’s mother received us in the parlor. I now know that was Mountain View, where Tommy lived from 1981 until his death.

Thomas Tucker Jr. ’78 submitted the accompanying picture and pointed out that, including Tommy’s brother, Walter Tucker ’46, and sons, sons-in-laws, etc., seven Tuckers attended VMI. I will miss Tommy Tucker.

On a happier note, I called Howard Smith on his 89th birthday. He lives in Marlin, Texas, which is located about 30 miles east of I-35 between Waco and Austin. He sounded great, and we recalled some of our struggles with Butch Ritchey in organic chemistry. Howard said he and Jean were doing well and that he was very fortunate to have such a great wife. I congratulated him on his grandsons, who have received VMI provisional appointments for 2030 and 2039. Howard’s son, honorary brother rat Tommy Smith ’98, sent a picture. Tommy also pointed out that Howard accompanied Brother Rat Robert Pagliaro’s body from Lexington to New York in 1946.

George Ramsey called my attention to the Smith appointments and to a 2032 appointment for William A. Gorman (John Gorman’s cousin).

Regina Gerstman enjoyed the last newsletter, but she wished that I would have spelt her name correctly.

Sonny Laine reported that some gracious 1960s VMI graduates took him out to dinner after reading my summary of his military career in a previous newsletter. We had a long talk recalling past

experiences with several brother rats. I will report on this in the next newsletter.

I saw a picture in the last issue of the Alumni Review (1975 class notes) of Doug Hamner and his family at his 90th birthday party. They looked great!

1949A

James Harrington

In the last (February) Review, I erroneously put Bill May in the wrong area code. As I found out through trial and error, he’s in the 804 area, not 704. Anyway, his correct number is 804-7445409. In our conversation, Bill says he missed the last hunting season because of problems with his eyesight. This has now been corrected, and he’s looking forward to the fall hunting season. In the meantime, he’s enjoying life at Brandermill – exercising and swimming regularly, and planning to buy a new bicycle. He’s also anticipating a new grandchild. His three sons and their families visit with him frequently. He’d enjoy a call from you.

Allen Penniman has submitted his usual and very welcome update and comments: “I received your note requesting my comments for our class, and I will do the very best I can. I figured that I have been out of VMI for 71 years, and this is a long, long time. Naturally, one slows down in that period of time. This is exactly what has happened to me. With all of the confusion and other problems coming out of Washington, D.C., it is hard for me to believe that this year is going to be a very good one for our country and for its citizens, like me. Therefore, I am not going to worry about this but instead will focus on the good things that are happening in the Penniman family during 2017. It is much better for me to do this, because I have no control over the political situation in our government.

“First of all, Joanie and I have two weddings to look forward to this year. The first grandson, William Coutret, will be married in May. He has been graduated from college, spent some time in the military and works for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He has a beautiful wife, and all of us will look forward to their wedding bells.

The second marriage will take place in April. This

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Class Notes is the wedding of my granddaughter, Alyce Frances Penniman, and I have written about her before because of her difficulty with cerebral palsy. This makes her special to me, and she is a very remarkable young woman. She has participated in Paralympics and has had constant therapy from almost the time of her birth. The result of this is that she is an active young woman, a college graduate and is presently employed by the Diocese of West Virginia. She specializes in adult education and is a most qualified and professional teacher. When I think about what this young woman has overcome in her lifetime, I am so thankful and totally amazed. Joanie and I will attend this wedding in Charleston, West Virginia, and I rejoice in the fact that it is happening to this lovely young woman.

“Joanie and I are in the process of setting up our visitation calendar for this year. We have had requests from four of the grandchildren, and we have two more who are trying to work out a trip.

I thought it might be nice to invite my brother rats for a visit, and I am so doing. We have nice accommodations, an excellent cook and the room rates are nonexistent. Just pack your bags, and come visit the Pennimans. What a nice thing that would be for you and for us, as well. Joanie and I remain in good health, a blessing, and we send our love and best wishes to every member of our class.”

The weather so far this year has spared the Harringtons, but not so much the ravages of advancing age. Ann has just completed an extensive radiation process for skin cancers on her leg and is slowly recovering. I’m still mobile, but a condition of neuropathy affecting my lower legs makes it unlikely I’ll run another two-mile race anytime soon. With 13 grandchildren and now four greatgrandchildren, we’re running out of wall space for all of the photographs. They are scattered from Connecticut to Florida to Colorado, Dallas and Los Angeles. We wish they were closer, so we could watch the growth process in person. Unlike Allen Penniman, we watch the national politics with interest. Ann and I both spent some time in politics and appreciate the difficulty of resolving the ideological divide that has grown so large. At least, those more or less now in the majority more closely reflect our personal interests and appear to be making some progress in restoring the domestic and international damage perpetrated by the last administration. We do have concerns about the leftward educational trends in colleges and universities (VMI excepted), but so far, our grandchildren are flourishing and have their heads on straight. I

38

have just replaced our torn and tattered U.S. and VMI flags, and you’ll see them flying when you visit. Come on down!

In an earlier email, Margaret Anne Noftsinger wrote: “We had a granddaughter’s wedding, a great-granddaughter’s christening and new greatgrandson’s arrival, all in February that kept us busy! Other than that, we keep plugging along.

More news next time – grandson’s graduation from Hampden-Sydney College and another great-grandson expected in July! Life keeps happening.”

In a later update, she was a little less upbeat: “Well, things are not too swift around here. Bill had pneumonia, and right now, I can’t spell my own name. He is now equipped with a cath and to say he is unhappy does not cover it. So, we just take each day one at a time. Our youngest grandson will graduate on this Sunday from Hampton Sydney. (I have even misspelled that!) I may have already told you that we are expecting our fifth great-grandson July 4, and that will give us three of each.”

And this from Herb Johnston: “Some good news from Columbus. We just finished our 75th Vaud-Villities show – six performances, and two were sold out. This was my 56th year in the show.

Bad news: Jeanne wasn’t able to go. Her first miss in over 60 years. Her condition is still about the same. We are just happy she has really good doctors and great facilities at Ohio State University.

After reading Allen’s note about Baton Rouge’s natural disasters, we are sure fortunate to be in Columbus. The weather has been great, and the city has continued to grow and to become a wonderful place to live. Being the state capital and the home of OSU helps a lot. We are lucky that both our children have flexible work schedules and can get here when needed. Also, we have direct flights to Fort Lauderdale (Boca Raton) and Oakland, California (Berkeley). We hope that it will not be long before Jeanne and I can start going to these nice places again.”

1949B Dan Smaw

These notes cover the period Nov. 1, 2016, to May 15, 2017.

Once again, we start off with the death of another BR/SR. Jane Dooley died of heart failure Dec. 2, 2016. She was always present, and usually with food, at most any function she attended. She will be missed. Our condolences go out to George and his family on their great loss.

John Hayes wrote in March saying he and Paula were doing well and were planning a trip to San Antonio in May since they had never seen the Alamo or the River Walk. They may visit the old ranch his father grew up on in West Texas before World War I. His cousin in Florida has given him maps.

Greg Nelson wrote in April to give an update on Kitty and himself. They are doing fine and had canceled out on their cruise since no one other than the Pattons was interested in going. They are on the waiting list for two different retirement homes. They hate to leave where they are, but changes make it necessary. The county has approved a 40-home residential community along their road, so the day of deer, wild turkey, geese on the pond, quiet and privacy will soon be gone. Kitty has recovered from minor surgery, and Greg is having his partial knee replacement in his left knee exchanged for a full knee replacement. He is still doing a little woodworking and gardening. He recently lost his sister, resulting in a large family gathering which was wonderful, even though the cause was not.

Ding Patton wrote in April with a lot of information. If it were not for the letters from Greg and Ding, these notes would be just about zero.

It would be nice if some of you BRs would send a little info from time to time.

Ding and Nobbie went to Lexington recently and reported that the Institute looked great. The one thing that is still needed is parking, which never seems to be addressed.

He spoke to Jim Morgan and Fred Duggan when they were trying to get the cruise together.

Both sound great. Jim moved from Delaware to Pennsylvania to be near his daughter.

Ding called Joe Spitler, who is doing well but, like so many of us, is not walking as far as he used to – only one-half of a mile per day now. He once walked from the north rim of the Grand Canyon to the south rim, which is quite a walk. Joe only drives in the daytime, like several of us. He does not expect to ever be back in Lexington, as he doesn’t want to fly anymore.

I talked with Helen Casey recently and found she is doing well. She does water aerobics three

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes times a week and plays cards with her friends in the complex. Once a month, they run a bus to a casino, and knowing how Helen liked games of chance, I bet she goes every now and then. We talked about the good times we had when the couples went to Marco Island in the winter years ago.

I talked with Izzy Maxwell, who is also doing well. Since she is a master bridge player, I guess she plays bridge as often as she can. She mentioned the good times we all had at our various reunions and remembered in Las Vegas that she and Louise spent lots of time playing the slots.

Thanks to all who have contributed. God bless America, VMI and ’49B.

1949C

Haywood France

Editor’s Note: Notes are no longer being submitted for the Class of 1949C. Haywood France remains the contact for the class.

1950A Bill Moore

I have some good and some not-so-good news for you guys and gals this time. First, the good news.

Charlotte (Harold) Logsdon emailed me that she was going to take the big leap and had cochlear implant surgery May 18. Of course, she was apprehensive but excited at the same time.

People who have had this procedure tell her that it is life changing. I’m a great believer in if you can fix something – do it. Don’t rely on steroid injections, pain pills and the like. Her grandson, J.D., and his wife, Miranda, (both Army Intelligence specialists) are stationed in Belgium at NATO Intelligence Headquarters and expect to be stationed there at least three years. I expect Charlotte will be going to Europe to visit them once she recovers from her ear operation. Don’t ever bet against Charlotte doing something. She’s still a fireball!

2017-Issue 3

Yours truly had his right knee replaced April 18, and I’m doing great with the recovery and therapy. The doctor told me I’d be driving in six weeks. I was driving in 10 days.

Next spring, when I’m 89 and completely healed and still strong, I might be able to talk my grandchildren into taking me skiing. No bumps or trees, just wide-open, fast slopes.

Hope springs eternal. All is well with my family, and David ’86 and Jennifer are doing well in the family business. Grandchildren are growing up. Hailey will graduate from Virginia Tech with a business degree this spring and Penelope will be starting at Tech in pre-med.

I don’t know how we seem to raise so many Hokies. Perhaps because their mother is one.

Oh well, I still have two more granddaughters to go. Hopefully one of them will opt for a real education and be a Keydet.

Once again, hope springs eternal.

Kenny Stagg and B.J. are still doing well. I had a chance to talk with both of them this time.

Both sound great, but like most of us, there’s not much in the way of news.

Mary (Joe) Ripley and her daughter are planning a trip to Asheville to spend some time exploring the nearby Biltmore. Barbara (Hugh) Barnes is doing all right with our normal slight-to-moderate infirmities. She does sound a little down, though. I’ll be keeping in touch with her. Her phone number is (804) 839-3953.

I suspect that her grandchildren growing up is partly responsible. They have been so close over the years. I know exactly what that is like.

Mine are growing up also and don’t really need me anymore. Life goes on, and there’s no stopping it. It would be nice for a pause now and then.

Harriet and Jennings Bunch have recovered from whatever relatively minor ailments I reported on in my last notes. Harriet still suffers from many of the same shoulder problems that I’ve endured for decades – old rotator cuff damage. To get rid of it, she and I are going to have to “bite the bullet” and opt for the relatively new shoulder operation that involves reversing the ball from the arm to the shoulder. I’m watching this very carefully, as a couple of my friends have had excellent results from this with an easy recovery. Otherwise, Jennings and Harriet report all is well.

Judy and Ralph Mooney are still holding forth on their lovely mountaintop. Judy says that Ralph

is holding up very well. I’m confident that Judy’s loving care has a lot to do with it. Judy, thanks from all of us for the care you give our brother rat.

Jackie (Dick) Martin tells me that her grandson, a doctor, is going to spend several years as a fellow at Vanderbilt. I know that means she’ll be visiting him. I’ll stay in touch with her and try to keep up with her schedule. Nashville is a relatively easy driving distance from Lynchburg for me. Of course, that assumes that my driving skills stay at the present level. I found out during football season last fall that driving 500 miles a day by myself is still a piece of cake. So far, I can drive at night without problems. We shall see when the time comes. I’m really looking forward to seeing Jackie again.

Last time was our 50th. Spokane is a little beyond my range. But Nashville – that’s another story.

Nancy (Hank) McWane just keeps on keeping on. No news is good news. Her farm keeps her going. My 20 acres and house and Debra do that for me. Our “Flying Eskimo” (name compliment of Dick Mandt), Dr. Syd Stealy and Beverly are settled into their smaller quarters in Fairbanks. I know he misses his shop and airstrip and working on planes. But, for all of us, there comes a time when we need to scale down, even if our health is good. I know that’s happened to me. I can still mow the flat areas and weed eat the easier plots, but I have somebody to mow the hillsides and weed eat the road banks. It’s a great life, and they’re going to have to drag me off my hill.

Now for the not-so-good news. Dick Mandt’s son, Richard, tells me that Dick has had a setback and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He’s back in his assisted living quarters.

He knew who I was but was fuzzy when trying to answer my simple questions. He has definitely declined from the last time I talked with him. I’ll keep all of you apprised if there is any significant change.

Elliott Hudgins has had a significant setback and is in a nursing home. His condition is such that Nan can no longer take care of him at home. To make things even worse, she has had lower back problems. I’m not optimistic. Elliott has recovered from many problems, but he is over 90. I’ll keep all of you up to date.

Gene Witcher, where are you? I’ve tried and tried to reach you. I suppose I’ll have to bombard you with snail mail. Please call me.

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Class Notes and from Lee she learned about Bob Lynd. Bob was a member of the Fort Lee ceremonial guard troops, and Lee was best man at their wedding.

Jake Berberich sent a note concerning the burial of his father. Sam Saunders, his brother-in-law suffering from cancer, and Braxton Green were present. A flag was folded at graveside. A box was found containing copies of The Cadet newspaper, Turnout magazine, Ring Figure picture, and a coatee with faded lieutenant stripes and without moth holes.

A recent telephone call from Patsy Lawrence in Tyler, Texas, informed us of the death of her husband, Richard D. Lawrence, in December 2016.

Joseph B. Kohen Jr. He matriculated with us in 1947 but left after our 3rd Class year and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He retired as a lieutenant general. I notified the Alumni Association of his death.

A note on Facebook reported the birthday of Rose Marie Anson. A telephone call to her was I attended the class agents’ meeting at VMI unsuccessful, but a note was sent to her expressing on a cool, cloudy Friday in April. Driving the good wishes of the class. to the meeting from Dulles airport, I stopped A newsy and much appreciated letter from Jim in Staunton, Virginia, for a visit with Braxton Close reported that he and Alice are doing well.

Green, who regaled me with stories of Col. DilThey spend the winters in Florida and the sumlard, the VMI Glee Club trips’ warm receptions Jacob H. Wamsley II mers in the Washington, D.C., area. He shared in Richmond and the golf team’s amazing vicsome memories from our years at the Institute. tory over the Southern Conference champion, A note from Lee Duval, who lives in Lewisville, Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech toTexas, with one of her and Hank’s sons, told us day) in 1949.

These notes are for the period Dec. 30, 2016, that she is doing fine. A second son, along with The new indoor athletic events’ multimillion four of their grandchildren and two great-granddollar building is spectacular, including its new- through May 15, 2017.

As you know, Jack Ross’ health has prevented sons, live a short distance away. A daughter lives car fragrance. The track has a hydraulic lift to angle runner’s turns depending on the speed. It him from continuing his duties as class agent, in New England.

A distressing telephone call from Dorothy also sports a four-story-high ropes course, plus and I have volunteered to fill in for him. I can only hope that the class will notice no substanBailey, Harry’s wife, reported that Harry is in a an additional second story track. VMI is one of tial change in the way things are handled. At nursing home in Orlando, Florida. He is in serithe rare institutions to host such a facility. this writing, Jack is slowly improving, but it will ous condition. She, too, has some serious health I took my former ring figure date back to Yorktown, Virginia, by way of Richmond, where I be a slow process, according to his daughters, problems. A subsequent telephone call, received Kara and Maura. He would want me to say just as the Review was going to press, told us that met the new Virginia Commonwealth University medical school dean at a reception at the that Marie’s health is also slowly improving. A Harry died March 31, 2017.

Taylor Hay emailed me when he received my Country Club of Virginia. If any one of you later note from Kara said that Jack suffered a setback, necessitating another visit to the emerletter about my new duties. He and Joanna are need a book to read, I recommend “Virginia’s gency room. The memory problems increased, doing fine. He, too, had a few memories to share.

Ring” by Lynn Seldon ’83.

Sid Hannah reported, during my birthday call Returning the rental car back to Dulles, I but improvement is still expected. to him, that he is suffering from spistopped in Fredericksburg and visited nal stenosis and is considering moving Alex Mitchell and family. I could not into an assisted living facility in Cinget over spending three hours with cinnati. All of us who have had lower Alex, and he hardly spoke a word. back problems can appreciate what he His family assured me he was OK is going through. and that he performs Karaoke at a Glenn Meader’s daughter, in an nearby club weekly. email to Win Baber, said that Glenn Norma Kelly sent me the anno longer reads his emails but that nouncement that retired Col. Tomthe family is monitoring his mailbox my Kirk gave a talk Nov. 16 at the for him. I plan to contact her and get Arizona Biltmore Resort at their Anmore details about Glenn’s health. nual Hero Patriotic Luncheon.

Sam Bass checked in with the good Bob Lynd’s comment on Lee Lenews that he and Dew are doing well wane was that he was not only a on the banks of the Rappahannock fellow pre-med under Doc Carroll, River in Virginia. They just celebrated but Lee was also a good friend of his their 70th anniversary and are expectwife – almost like brother and sister.

She and Lee traveled from Japan Class of 1951: Bounce Carstens and roommate Jim Enochs on ing their first great-great-grandchild. Is the 18th tee at Pebble Beach. this the first such event for the class? back to the states on the same ship,

1950B

1951

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes A welcome telephone call from Nancy and Jack (Sookie) Hill reported that Sookie has had several rounds of surgery – all successful. The most recent was a shoulder operation, for which he is still confined to a live-in therapy facility and remains bedridden while taking various forms of therapy. An earlier operation restored his voice to near normal, but that has slipped again. At our most recent reunion, he and I agreed that it must be comical to witness our conversations, with him having difficulty speaking and I having difficulty hearing even with hearing aids. He was scheduled to be released to return home May 22, 2017.

Roger Little provided a good email. He said he had talked with Marie Ross by telephone before he was aware of Jack’s health. Rog mentioned that he had been in a serious automobile accident back in 1955 which prevented him from jumping out of airplanes for a while. I was aware of his airborne duties but not of his auto accident.

George Cohen checked in from Hilton Head to say that he and Marty are “fortunate to be in relatively good shape.” He related an amazing event involving his son, Hap, who, with his wife, participated in a round robin kidney swap involving seven couples stretching across the country, with each couple giving a kidney and receiving one.

Hap, with his new kidney, relaxes by taking 30mile bike rides.

Sherry McVeigh, George’s widow, had a recent birthday. She replied to an email from the class wishing her a happy birthday. I reminded her of a telephone call they received from us in the wee small hours of morning at our first reunion in 1956.

An email from Bounce Carstens, along with a picture of him and his roommate, Jim Enochs, taken on the 18th tee at Pebble Beach, says that they still get together for golf pretty regularly. A good quote from him is: “About the only thing we have going for us is experience.”

As for me, I continue in good health and find that life in a retirement facility is not too bad. It would be much better if it was shared with Eday.

My entire family lives within a radius of 40 miles, so I get to see them on a regular basis.

Several years ago, I concluded that old age is not a whole lot of fun, and the news reported here confirms that fact. Somebody send me some news that is not about declining health! The roster I received from the Institute reveals that there are currently only 61 survivors of the inimitable Class of 1951. Here’s hoping that all 61 of us can make it

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back to our 70th Reunion in 2021.

Please stay in touch, and send me anything you would like to appear in future class notes, including pictures. Don’t forget to send in your contributions to one or more of the organizations that serve the needs of the Institute, and in the meantime, join in an Old Yell for the Class of 1951.

1952

James M. Mecredy

Peggy Stallings has moved to Westminster Canterbury, along with other brother rats from ’52 and some other classes. She looks forward to each Alumni Review to read about everyone and what they are doing and how they are. She also stays in touch with Barbara Welsh by telephone and hopes to visit them soon. Her life at Westminster Canterbury is very different from her past, but she remains busy with volunteer work at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond. There are 27 VMI people in residence at Westminster, and they meet twice a year for cocktails and dinner together. George and Mary Hutter are there.

Jack Lanford called to apologize for his inability to participate in our Reunion Committee activities. Last November, he fell in his yard while picking weeds and lost a tooth, cracked three ribs and suffered contusions to the extent that he was in a nursing home until February. He was hoping to recover in time for the reunion, but he needed a lot more therapy. Unfortunately, he had not recovered enough to join us.

Russ McCarthy sent me an article about changes in the Air Force Academy that read like they are no longer training warriors. Russ may be the healthiest member of our class. Last year, he walked 2,626,555 steps, covering 1,232.07 miles, just to stay in shape. In comparison, I spend two or three half-hour periods a week at the family YMCA exercising.

Charlie Hansrote died Feb. 15, 2017. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Melva; their son, Charles Hansrote III ’80, and his wife, Jill, of St. Charles, Illinois; grandchildren, Charles J. Hansrote IV, Morgan, Jon and wife Sarah, Meredith Reece and husband Jody Charette; and great-grandchildren, Taryn and Gage. He was

active in the Lynchburg local district and area Boy Scouts of America for more than 30 years.

He was awarded the District Order of Merit, Silver Beaver, and Vigil Honor in the Order of the Arrow. Charles and Melva participated in Lynchburg Bird Club birding surveys and Virginia Society of Ornithology forays for over 25 years.

They enjoyed history and nature travels in all 50 states and worldwide. Obviously, Charlie lived a very full life and will be missed by many people.

Melva called me to be sure I had been informed of Charlie’s death. She told me that he had a long illness but had a good day near the end, for which she was thankful.

I am beginning to hear from brother rats and widows who planned to attend our 65th Reunion. My recent activities have been in preparation for our reunion. I heard from Joe Craven in northern California looking for a ride from Roanoke to Lexington for the reunion. He hoped to fly from San Francisco to Roanoke and would need a ride to Lexington. He is crippled, so that will be quite a trip for him. Russ McCarthy was flying to Roanoke, so he offered to join up with Joe. However, Joe’s doctors vetoed this plan, so Joe found a fellow resident of the veterans’ home to accompany him to the Dulles airport in Washington, D.C. You will see Joe front and center in our class picture.

Sally Birge asked her daughter to come to the reunion with her so Sally would not have to drive by herself. Chuck Haley called several people to encourage them to join us. George Hutter called to tell me that he would not be able to make it to this reunion. Also, Rob Gerdetz was not able to attend our reunion, but said he would try for the 70th! Walt Ames called at the last minute to cancel because his doctor was messing with his medicines that would take a few days to balance out.

Nancy Bookman wrote her regrets that she could not attend our reunion. Here is her response. “Dear ’52s, I have been hoping for a minor miracle. I have been eating green leafies, monitoring my burgers and McNuggets, cutting back on Coca-Cola and merlot, limiting access to chocolate-covered anything, and maintaining a low level of pizza and grilled cheese. Still, I have this angry, persistent arthritis, these brittle bones, a really bad back and a need for two, or possibly even three (!) new knees. I am 85, which pretty much describes my degree of decrepit-ness. For the above reasons, I cannot ‘assemble’ in Lexington.

I prefer to have you remember me the way I was

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Class of 1952: Present at the reunion were Walter C. Ames III, William W. Baber Jr., Theodore M. Ball Jr., Robert P. Barry, Joseph H. Craven, John W. Cure III, Louis C. Delisio, W. Andrew Dickinson Jr., John L. Finney, Allen W. Haley, C.V. Holland Jr., Mitchell R. Mays Jr., James R. McCarthy, James M. Mecredy, Warren D. Meola, Henry Nanninga, Charles A. Piper Jr., Gary E. Pittman Sr., Willcox Ruffin Jr., Richard S. Valack, A.L. Wellford III, Cecil T. Welsh Jr. and Edward J. Wiley Jr.

The Class of 1952

65th Reunion – April 24-25, 2017 Class Notes

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes at Bookie’s graduation. Picture me looking like Elizabeth Taylor, swimming like Esther Williams and not limping like Chester on Gunsmoke! My love to all of you. I will be thinking of you and your grand reunion. Thank you so very much for the invite. God bless the team and VMI.” I also heard from Mary Anne Chamberlain thanking me for the invitation to our reunion.

She has other plans. Peggy Stallings was unable to join us, even though several BRs gave her a personal invitation.

Joe Webber sent me the obituary for Swede Larson, which I emailed to our brother rats. John Edward “Swede” Larson died Friday, March 3, 2017, after an extended illness. He was born in St. Louis, Mississippi, May 22, 1930, and was reared in Chariton, Iowa. He was a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Class of 1952, and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He was a member of the inaugural class of the McIntyre School of Business at the University of Virginia. He proudly served his country as a captain and pilot of the L-19 in the Korean War and enjoyed careers in both the funeral and real estate businesses upon his return. He was an active member of AA for 40 years. He is survived by four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held Thursday, March 9, 2017, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Roanoke, Virginia.

I received several responses to my email about the death of Swede. John Roche wrote to thank me. Rem Simpson wrote that he knew Swede pretty well during school and afterward in Roanoke. Jim Martin felt compelled to note Swede’s death. He sat across the table from Jim for four years. Jim last saw Swede at the 35th Reunion in 1987. Jim wanted to send a sympathy note to Swede’s family. I couldn’t help, because the only address I have is the veterans’ hospital address.

Later, I received a nice note from Anne Larson and a copy of the funeral service at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

I received a letter from Cadet Mark Peake ’20 thanking us for the support our class gave him through the Walter G. Robertson Jr. 1952 Memorial Scholarship. He is from Lynchburg and is a history major. His goal is a commission in the Marines. He accepted my invitation to join us during our reunion in April. Unfortunately, he was unable to join us.

Our 65th Reunion was a great success. There were 29 of us attending, including three widows.

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Two BRs were only with us part time. There were 57 at our class dinner, including wives and guests.

You will see our reunion photo and our photo with wives elsewhere in this Review. A number of us arrived Sunday and were treated to a presentation by Adam Kennedy (a guest of Russ McCarthy) about “Greatest Warriors and Leaders in Modern American Military History.” Adam Kennedy expanded on this at our class dinner Tuesday night. This is a three-year document in the making, which he will publish. Rain Monday and Tuesday of our reunion caused parade to be canceled. However, we (all five reunion classes) gathered in barracks for the traditional Old Yell.

All four classes of cadets lined the stoops and entered in the yells, so the result was quite satisfactory. We toured the new athletic center and the wrestling center, both of which are state-of-the-art and are outstanding facilities. The athletic center is one of only six such facilities in the nation. We had a memorial service for those who have left us, which included the song “Amazing Grace” with a bagpipe and taps after the benediction.

The music and taps were arranged by Chaplain Phillips, who joined VMI after 20-plus years as an Army chaplain. We greatly appreciated his support. The only flaws in the reunion were rain and bus delays in taking us to functions. Incidentally, Lou Delisio told me that his son, Class of ’76, had trouble with buses being late in their reunion last year, so this seems to be more than a limited problem.

Our planning committee was most helpful in making this reunion a success. We can especially thank Zeke Finney, Bill Ruffin, Dick Valack, Lou Dilesio, Sally Birge and Jim Wiley. Our class dinner was held at the Lexington Country Club and was a resounding success in part because Russ McCarthy contracted with a local Lexington media company to produce a video of our time at dinner. This video contains the comments and stories of several brother rats. You may obtain a DVD from Adam McBryde, the producer, at 540-309-8310 for $10. If you watch it, you will be highly motivated to stick around and join us at our 70th five years from now. We all need to thank Russ for instigating the production of this video.

Also, you will see our class photo in this Alumni Review. The picture includes, from left, front row, Bo Perkins, Mitch Mays, Jim Mecredy, Joe Craven, Chris Holland and Henry Nanninga. Row 2: Army Wellford, Charlie Piper, Zeke Finney

and Lou Delisio. Row 3: Russ McCarthy, Chuck Haley, Ted Ball and Bill Baber. Row 4: Warren Meola, Pat Barry, Cecil Welsh, Jim Wiley, Gary Pittman, Bill Ruffin and Andy Dickinson.

Jim Martin wrote to express his regrets at being unable to make the reunion. He is troubled by arthritis and had to give up driving privileges.

He saw the email of our class photo and even recognized some of the guys, although they have changed. He said to let everyone know he wishes them well and regrets missing the reunion.

I received a call from Rob Gerdetz from a letter and phone number of mine dated May 14, 2014.

He was going through some old files and was prompted to call. He was very disappointed that he could not make our reunion but promised to hang around until our 70th.

I am sorry to end these notes with sad news.

I received news of Jay Grumbling’s death May 11. Scott Grumbling, Jay’s son, sent news regarding the death of his father April 28, 2017.

As some of you may have been aware, he had been suffering from declining health due to complications from a worn-out hip. He was in Scott’s full-time care over the last two years since his loss of mobility and eventual decline from muscle loss due to inactivity. Otherwise he was in good health with no indications of cancer and was doing well with an overhauled heart from some years back. He was disappointed with his lack of mobility and loss of doing all the things he enjoyed when he could get around. Jay will be interred at the farm alongside his wife out in the rolling green fields where he spent much of his warm weather time during his retirement.

1953 William C. Noell Jr.

Brother Rats, It is very sad to have to note that Walt Sanders lost his wife, Emily, on a Sunday morning in April at their home in Georgia. Emily had been at a charity affair that Saturday with some of her lady friends and had a great time. However, when she awoke Sunday morning, she said she just felt very tired. When they were ready to go downstairs for brunch, she said she did not really feel like going and told Walt to go ahead. However,

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Class Notes they would have to miss the affair. An email from Wes Gray said that he and Elizabeth could not make it to the Richmond ’53 lunch, as he has had a tough winter with the flu and resulting kidney failure. He is now on dialysis three times a week. However, Wes says two months before the dialysis, it was golf Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As a result of the kidney problems, he also had high blood pressure, which has slowed him down moving around the house. He said, “Getting old is not for sissies, but I did have 85 Class of 1953: Pictured at a gathering at Ted Mariani’s home in good years.”

On the brighter side, Ted MariWoodbine, Maryland, March 18-19, 2017, were Ted Mariani, Don Matheson, Jim Meek, John Wilson and Fred Hauser. ani held a weekend gathering at his home in Maryland in March with his 1st Class roommates, Fred Hauser, Don Matheson and John “Wip” Wilson, along with Jim Meek. Jim said that the food was excellent, and of course, they spent time on stories about VMI, catching up on children and grandchildren, as well as viewed Ted’s new addition. Everyone agreed that the time was just too short, but they had a great time/visit.

Frank Spencer made a visit to Walt Disney World in March and had a great time and personal tour; one of his granddaughters works there in Florida, so he got handled with Class of 1953: Cadets John Gaston ’19 and Weston Gloger ’19 at Judy special care. Frank missed the RichNoell’s Mother’s Day gathering with six of the Noell grandchildren. mond ’53 lunch, as he was at the Augusta Military Academy reunion that weekend.

Frank has a grandson getting married in May near Atlanta, so he is preparing for that family wedding trip. Jack Trigg attended the Masters this year and got a flight there in a private jet from a friend in the medical field who he has known for a good while. He said it was a great event to be at and enjoyed it very much, but sometimes the crowds make it hard to see some of the shots.

I had lunch at The Palms in April with Warren Koontz and John Gilbert. Warren was here for the dedication of the “Doc” Carroll bust at the Institute that afternoon. Later, he told me that it was a very nice affair, and more than 100 were there for the occasion. In honor of the ’53s who Class of 1953: The Richmond and beyond lunch was held at the Country Club of Virwere in Doc Carroll’s biology section, a photo ginia April 27, 2017. of “all” is included in these notes of the lunch

she then passed out. Walt revived her, and in a short time, she again passed out. An EMT worked on her for over 20 minutes without success.

It, of course, was very hard on Walt to see his wife die so suddenly in such a way. Emily had not had any recent medical problems. Walt and Emily were married for 60 years and have four children, along with seven grandchildren. Judy and I have, in the past, stayed with Walt and Emily in Athens on a couple of occasions. She was always such a gracious hostess and very enjoyable to visit with. We have a remembrance of Emily in our yard – iris blooms/bulbs that she gave us from her garden on one of our visits. They have also stayed with us here in Lexington at the last two reunions and were planning on being here for the 65th next year. Regretfully, we could not attend the services in Athens, as we were at services for a longtime close friend here in Lexington. I did email all concerning Emily’s passing and sent Walt a note, as well as talked with him on the phone. Parker Cross also talked with Walt and commented at the Richmond ’53 lunch.

Jack Townes had back surgery back in April and was not able to make the Richmond and beyond ’53 lunch, as he was into rehab at that time. Meredith said that she was very sorry that

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes held in May 1953 courtesy of Warren. You will note that “Dodo” Dillard was also invited to the lunch. This lunch took place downtown, upstairs at the Virginia Diner on West Nelson Street. If you recall, that was the one place in town we could go and unzip our blouses while we ate (upstairs, that is).

We already have two adopted rats for next year. One is the brother of Cadet John Gaston ’19, one of our current adopted cadets who will be a 2nd Class cadet: Henry Gaston ’21 of Williamsburg. He has received a scholarship, which he contributes in part to the letter I wrote to the Institute on his behalf. The other is Kyle Donnelly ’21 of El Paso, Texas. I gave him his first tour of VMI earlier this year, and although he had been accepted, he had never seen VMI. Kyle said that my so-called behind-the-scenes tour convinced him he really wanted to come to VMI. Kyle has now won a full 4-year Marine Corps scholarship to the Institute. Both say they are really looking forward to attending the Institute, and of course, we will be taking them out and having them to the house to help get through the ordeal as a rat – a luxury we never had!

We did hold our ’53 Richmond and beyond lunch at the Country Club of Virginia on the last Thursday of April, the day after my 86th birthday. It was a very nice lunch, thanks to Warren Koontz making the arrangements. We had 34 in attendance, with four widows present.

A nice turnout, especially since medical problems kept at least three BRs and their wives from attending as planned. John and Maggie Lund

Class of 1953: Frank Spencer and Mickey Mouse at Disney World in March 2017.

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Class of 1953: The class biology section at lunch with Col. Dillard in Lexington in May 1953. came from North Carolina, but Jack Trigg came the furthest from Birmingham, stopping off the night before to visit Elizabeth’s daughter and family in Lynchburg. Judy and I, along with Jack Trigg and Elizabeth, stayed that night with Bill and Agnes Atwill. After a social hour at the home of Warren and Win, the group (11) of BRs and wives went to dinner that night at a local Mexican restaurant (El Paso) near Cedarfield. It was a very good meal, and we all had a very enjoyable time. After the others had gone to bed at the Atwills’ that night, roommate Bill and I stayed up late, an hour or so with a nightcap, and talked about our past and such; it was a very pleasant visit. Friday morning, Judy and I headed back to Lexington after visitation around the breakfast table at the Atwills’. Next up is our 65th in April 2018, so stay healthy so you can attend! At the request of the Richmond lunch group, I have requested quarters at the Hampton Inn Col Alto for our 65th – 30-35 rooms. Speaking of healthy, Win Koontz fell recently at Smith Mountain Lake and wound up with a fracture dislocation of her left ankle. She had surgery, received a plate and screws, a cast and no weight bearing allowed for six weeks. As Warren quotes, “Into every life, a little rain must fall.”

And, a little addition to my last class notes concerning Tee Morgan and our trip back from Sweet Briar College, as noted in my comments about his passing. Judy and I were going to Lynchburg in April to a scholarship reception at Lynchburg College and then to tour

my grandfather’s family place at 303 Madison Street that had been redone (circa 1813). Well, not having eaten dinner in Lynchburg in many years, I called a friend there, Bland Massie ’77 (his father was our BR for our 4th Class year), and asked for recommendations. He gave us the names of three restaurants, and after Judy had Googled them, we picked this Italian one – first coincidence. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were waited on by this young lady, Lindsey (the second coincidence) originally from Madison Heights. During some conversation, she asked which way we came to Lynchburg, and I replied by 130, not 501. So, it turns out, after some give and take in conversation, she worked for a year-and-a-half at what was a mom/pop gas station in our day, but now is a pie shop and lunch café, which has been written up in Southern Living, as well as Virginia newspapers. Now, it seems the widow of the owner, now 100 years old, sits at a booth and talks to customers while her daughters run the store. One of the tales she tells in conversations, according to Lindsey, is about being awakened in the middle of night by drivers that are running out gas. I do not remember who was with Tee and me that night – one was probably roommate Pete Cox. The Friday before these notes were due, Judy and I went to Agricola to look for the store, but regretfully found out it was not the same one we stopped at while at VMI. That building is still there and lived in but not a store any longer. However, Woodruff’s Cafe and Pie Shop is less than half of a mile away on the opposite side of the road, and

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Class Notes Mr. Woodruff also pumped gas in the middle of the night on many occasions. Route 130 is still fairly deserted, commercially, between Elon and J.M. Perry Archer Glasgow. Even though it turned out not to be the store Tee stopped at that night, we did have a great visit with Mrs. Woodruff. She is 100 and very spry and with it. We had lunch there, and bought pies (9 inch) for our Mother’s Day gathGreetings and Salutations, ering. And this all happened just before what I Brother Rat Dick Trumbo, former class had written about the gas stop in my last class agent, died Feb. 18, 2017. Billy Kingery and notes was published.

Lastly, when you change your email address, “Mud” White represented our class at the service for Dick, which was held at St. Aidan’s and you do not let me know – which does hapEpiscopal Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Bilpen – you no longer receive my periodic class emails, Institute updates, class info, BR ailments ly sent the printed service program along. Dick and importantly, the passing of BRs at the time, was born in Norfolk. After graduating from rather than months later in the Alumni Review. VMI in 1954, he attended the Medical ColOf course, there are still a few of you who have lege of Virginia 1954-57, was commissioned not caught up with the electronic age and do not in the U.S. Air Force, and obtained a master’s degree and Doctor of Philosophy degree from have email or, at least, not furnished me with it.

Trivia, kind of serious: Although I have had the University of Southern California with a several opportunities to attend services at the major in physiology. He remained in the Air Arlington National Cemetery, like for Mickey Force until retirement in 1988. Dick’s miliWoodward, I have never been able to make it tary awards included the Air Force Legion of until this April. My closest friend of 27 years in Merit, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal the Air Force, a colonel in retirement, and his with Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Services Comwife were buried there, both dying within a few mendation Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. The months of each other. A burial service at Arlington National Cemetery is quite impressive and pinnacle of his career was reached as chief of will leave an impression with you for years to aerospace physiology in the Office of the Surgeon General. He was a graduate of the Air come. Inside the cemetery with all visitors looking on, the casket is transferred from the hearse Force Command and Staff College and the to the horse drawn caisson for a trip up a road Air War College. After retirement as colonel, or two to the gravesite while the Honor Guard he established Aerospace Life Sciences, Inc., consulting in the areas of aerospace physiolband plays during the transfer. Those attending now follow the procession, and there at the ogy, human factors, exercise and fitness. In site is, again, the full military band playing before the burial service. After which a rifle salute is fired and taps played. Also, there is music by bagpipes, and of course, the flag is folded and presented – in this case, to their daughter. In the older section of the cemetery, the large stones are still allowed. It was a very nice way to tell my old Air Force friend and his wife goodbye. If you have a chance to attend such a service, you definitely should. The scenery looking out over the very large, rolling expanse is very beautiful, in its own way. A very impressive service but not one that I Class of 1954: General Al Mattox with an F-22. would choose; I prefer Lexington.

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Class of 1954: Mud White with the ’54 class flag from Peggy and Dick Trumbo.

1991, he was named assistant executive vice president of the Aerospace Medical Association. Dick is survived by his wife, Peggy, as well as sons Hunter Trumbo ’90 and Raleigh Trumbo ’93 and their families and extended family. He is also survived by his sister, Sunshine Trumbo Williams. He was preceded in death by his sister, Susan Trumbo Meredith.

Included in Dick’s funeral service was a poem

by Henry Van Dyke titled, “Gone from My Sight.” It is well worth reading and easily obtained on the internet.

Dick had our class flag made while he was class agent, and Mud took it to the funeral.

Colonel Keith Gibson ’77, director of the VMI Museum System, had taken it to Mud in Winchester. Peggy Trumbo and Mud coordinated with Col. Gibson concerning placing the flag in the VMI Museum.

All of the required paperwork (not a simple task) for the placement has now been completed, and the ’54 class flag has now been accepted by the museum as a gift from the Class of ’54. This was done by deed of gift executed on behalf of the Class of 1954 and denominated accession #20170019, consisting of guidon, stand and finial. It is available by loan for use by the Class of 1954. Its next use will probably be at the next reunion of the Class of 1954. Thank you, Col. Gibson, Dick, Peggy and Mud. The flag and gift are a labor of

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes moved from Byrd Field to Langley. love for both the Class of ’54 and for There, it joined with active duty 1st the Institute.

Fighter wing and transitioned to the Mud, who lives with wife Frannie then-brand-new F-22A, which they in a Winchester retirement commuhave flown ever since. The combined nity, also reported on other things. In guard and active duty units continue January, he and Frannie visited with to honor their respective histories.

George and Bea Ramer in Culpepper.

The active duty unit traces its history During our cadetship, Jeff Robertto World War I and the 94th Aero son, Mud and equipment manager Squadron commanded by Eddie RickHenry Johnson went with the football enbacker. A replica of Rickenbacker’s team to a game in Roanoke. Henry aircraft is in the hangar next to an F-22 was smoking a cigarette on the way and threw it (he thought) out of their display aircraft at Langley. vehicle’s window. Well, it landed in The guest of honor and speaker at the game jerseys, and there was a fire. the dining-in was Gen. John Jumper Class of 1954: From left, George Ramer, Bea Ramer, Fran White Coach McKenna must have been fu- and Mud White. ’66, who flew in from his command in Europe. He was highly complemenrious, and the players did not get to wear game day jersey numbers. VMI tary of the VaANG, pointing out did win. that almost all of the F-22 action Mud was at VMI April 24, 2017, in Iraq, Syria and so forth has been and visited with “Polo” Meyer. done by the LFI Associate Fighter About 75 of Doc Carroll’s “boys” Unit. Also at the dining-in was Guy were in Lexington to attend the Murray ’57. Al and Guy once flew unveiling of a new bust of Carroll, in an ANG I-33 around 1964. They who made quite an impact at VMI and families see each other when at and in the medical profession as a Smith Mountain Lake. teacher. The bust may be seen in And this from Bill Ralph: A moththe new biology building (Mauryer went to wake her son so they Brooke Hall). could go to church. Her son said he We asked Billy Kingery recently if wasn’t going because the people at he is still on the organized, competichurch didn’t like him. She said he would have to go for three reasons: tive nationwide tennis circuit, and the answer is a resounding yes. He Class of 1954: General John Jumper ’66, Gen. Al Mattox and 1.) It was Sunday. 2.) He was 35 years old. 3.) He was the pastor. did not play this year in Florida in Guy Murray ’57. ’Til next time. the West Coast Super Senior Grand I neglected to mention in the last Review Prix. His wife, Shirley, had a pinched nerve in her back and could not travel. Billy is No. 1 in that Jock Wheeler and wife Bonnie were with singles 80-and-over in Virginia, No. 2 in mid- Tom Wallace and wife Robin when they visRead Hanmer Atlantic and No. 27 nationally! He plays 15 ited “Honus” Wagner and wife Betty. They all or so tournaments each year and is now in the went to colonial Williamsburg and had a won85-and-over group. He may try the nationals, derful dinner at a fine restaurant with much outdoors and indoors, held on the West Coast. lively conversation.

Al Mattox attended the annual dining-in at Go, Billy!

We have been informed of the passing of BR the Virginia Air and Space Museum for former Things have been pretty quiet here in downJames Kirk Dille of Roanoke. Kirk was born in pilots of the Virginia Air National Guard at town Falls Church after a fairly uneven early Roanoke and graduated from St. James School Langley Air Force Base. Some of the attendees spring, but as the old saying goes: “Spring has in 1950. He retired from Fuel Oil and Equip- flew in World War II. Al was 192 Tactical Fighter come, the grass has riz; I wonder where the ment Company and retired after 40-plus years Group commander from around 1980-85. Then, birdies is?” Actually, some of the birdies “is” as executive vice president. He served on the upon his promotion to brigadier general, he was on top of my electrical service meter under the board of Virginia Road Builders. He is sur- deputy adjutant general for air. The last tactical deck. I expect they will decamp soon and join vived by his wife, Jennie Evans Dille, as well aircraft that he flew was the A-7, just before the the rest of the birds that regularly strafe Lois’ unit’s transition to the F-16 in 1991. In 1996, the VW Beetle in the driveway. Ain’t nature wonderas his son, James Kirk Dille Jr., and daughter, unit became the first associate ANG unit and ful? The Washington Nationals had a wonderful Emily, and their families.

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Class Notes April, leading all the teams in the Major Leagues at the end of the month. At this writing, the Nats are battling the Baltimore Orioles in a fourgame series to determine bragging rights in the Baltimore/Washington area. Now, to the class news: Congratulations to Mich Pettyjohn! Barney Lawless provided the following report on Mich’s induction into the VMI Sports Hall of Fame.

Mich has been designated as an All-American rifleman by the National Rifle Association.

Attending the event were Barney and Helen Lawless, Ron and Nita Bryan, and Bill and Pattie Davidson. Also attending the induction banquet were two members of the present rifle team, Cadets Samantha Alexander ’18 and Hunter Jacob ’20. In his remarks, Mich acknowledged contributions of rifle team’s coach, Master Sgt. George Driscoll of the Army ROTC detachment. Mich also received letters of congratulation from Bob Bowden, Q.T. Barrett, Bill Grieg and Ernie Edgar ’58. Barney noted that this was a long overdue recognition of Mich’s outstanding performance in intercollegiate sports competition.

Barney went on to note that he visited the new rifle and pistol range in Kilbourne Hall, where the present team was in a match against the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Barney says this range is a far cry from that dungeon in the deepest basement of Cocke Hall where we used to fire. The whole small-bore game has changed dramatically, and you wouldn’t recognize the adequate lighting, electronic targets, computer scoring screens and a “team mom” in the hall with a snack bar table! They treated him so very well that he felt very welcome.

The trophy from the 1955 William Randolph Hearst match is hanging there, among the other trophies the team has garnered over the years. If you get a chance, you should visit the range and make yourself known to Lt. Col. Bill Bither, the current coach. They also have a new outdoor range across the Nile, which he hoped to visit in April when he took my grandson to Legacy Day. Bob Rennicks provided a great input, reporting that “Clara and I recently celebrated 25 good years of retirement living in Hilton Head, and we are very thankful for good health and living in a lovely part of this great country! We had recent visits from Nita and Ron Bryan (he beat me again on the golf course) and also had

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a fine dinner with Margaret and Tom Tait.

This was their first long trip they have made in several years, and we were happy to be with them. Tom says he is back in business after overcoming several health challenges. Margaret was looking like she did in her younger years. I am still very active in USTA tennis, playing on four different club teams. I just finished playing first court on a 70-plus doubles team which placed second in the USTA South Carolina State Championships. We had beaten the winning Hilton Head team during the regular season but could not quite repeat it in the ‘states.’ Our 10-man team featured four octogenarians, along with the rest of the youngsters.

I love the game and plan to continue as long as my ‘wheels can roll.’”

Ben Semmes wrote: “Connie and I have just completed moving from our house to an apartment. Let someone else do the maintenance.

Tons of ‘stuff ’ had to go. After 58 years of acquiring furniture, etc., we needed several special collections by the village. After all who wants a 55-year-old couch that has been reupholstered at least twice? An amusing point (at least to me) is that we lived in this same apartment building when we got married in 1959.

One of the major advantages is the short walking distance to the CVS drugstore we have used for years and a supermarket with a Tuesday senior citizens’ discount! And, one of the prime local watering holes is in walking (staggering) distance. The major unsolved item is where to hang the pictures, and if we don’t hang them, what happens to them. For your information, our new address is: Connie and Ben Semmes, 365 Stewart Ave., Apt. A10E, Garden City, NY 11530.” Thanks, Ben. Ever peripatetic Bob Bowden said he traveled to Lexington in late April and, after lunch with Margaret and Tom Tait, attended the dedication of the bust of Doc Carroll, newly placed on post. Bill Stickley also attended the ceremony. Bill is trying to complete his recovery from back surgery he had right before our 60th Reunion. Bill is aqua-farming, raising oysters and soft-shelled crabs. Bob says he hopes Bill would give a class discount, owing to Moose Tyler’s fondness for oysters. Bob noted that he and Jane continue to get around, although Jane has some balance problems (as do I, Jane).

Sarah and Casey Jones reported that they are settled in Fredericksburg, having managed to

find a house big enough for all the “junk” that they’re still unpacking from two moves ago.

An added bonus of the new digs is a basement apartment, which was recently christened by a visit from Moose and Betsey Tyler. Moose gave Casey a lesson in martini-making, and Casey gave Moose his world-famous lecture on the advantages of keeping booze in the freezer.

Casey said that, for an LA, Moose seemed to grasp the thermodynamics principle involved, and by the second martini, they realized they had left out the vermouth. Casey noted that in today’s bar science, where “on the rocks” means half-melted crushed ice, the traditional meaning needs to be passed down for future generations.

I received a quick note from Leon Cock, who noted that “life is exciting in North Texas this time of year. So far, we have luckily dodged serious hail and tornadoes. For excitement, we have doctor appointments lined up for as far as we can see.” Leon ended his note with a hearty “Rah Virginia Mil” for the Class of 1955.

Frank Brooke said he and Judy attended the graduation of their grandson, Will Robinson, from the University of Florida. Will graduated with honors in two degrees, one in industrial engineering and one in finance. Frank said, “Florida has six graduation ceremonies over three days for different schools and involving thousands of people. I’ll take VMI’s graduation ceremony any day.” Frank went on to say that he and Judy spent a few days at Cedar Key on the Gulf Coast in February enjoying clams and oysters. Cedar Key is a laid back small community free of today’s hustle and bustle.

Their oldest granddaughter is getting married in Jacksonville in December. The Brookes went to Lake Gaston in the middle of May, and they welcome all BRs to come and visit.

Joe Cestaro conveyed the sad news that Joan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s around the time of our last reunion, and things have been going downhill rather rapidly over the past year. An aide is required whenever Joe is away. He says that he has definitely upgraded his “domestic skills,” and his cooking has improved since he discovered the frozen food department in the local grocery store. He recommends a book titled, “The Thirtysix Hour Day” to all caregivers. Joe notes that, on the brighter side, he has been volunteering as a docent for the past six years at the Smithsonian’s Aerospace Museum (Steven F. Udvar-Hazy

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Center). He says he truly loves the opportunity to member of the board of consultants of the Eno grill on old Rt. 1. As always, it was a great getgive tours and converse with visitors, as well as his Foundation for Transportation. After his retiretogether in spite of our golf not being the greatest. docent colleagues. As you can imagine, it’s a conment from Wilbur Smith Associates, he owned Paul was looking forward to protecting last year’s stant study effort to keep up with each artifact, as and operated a Maaco Paint Shop for seven years win at his home course in a handicap tournament well as the visitors. Joe said, “Since my flying days in Columbia, South Carolina. two days later this week. Before meeting him, I Finally, I heard from Bev Magruder that his had visited my first cousin, Bill Gee ’58 and famare behind me, I now get my vicarious thrills by telling war stories and quoting specifications on wife, Winifred, died recently. Our thoughts are ily in Boca Raton. We had a great reunion reliving artifacts such as the SR71-Blackbird. All of this with you, Bev. old times growing up in Kenbridge, Virginia, and tends to keep me sane and counterbalances all while at VMI. the home problems.”

I had planned to spend some time with BR Joe continued: “Still trying to play some golf on Spider Allison and wife Anne, but unfortunately, occasion, but my handicap has risen to a 21, and Richard M. Smith she had a heart attack just before I contacted him. the ball just will not go as far. Must be the equipFortunately, they got her to the hospital in time, and no major damage was done. ment! I just don’t play as much tennis as I used to, I also planned a visit to BR Scott Boland, but but I still love the game. Also, I try to help as much that got canceled because of family travels schedas possible in my son’s business (prosthetics and Having just returned from my annual trip to uled. orthotics), and I still find myself enjoying the patient interaction. For what it’s worth, they tell me Florida and visits with some VMI alumni, I’d betBob Morris reported that they had another anthat I am the oldest board certified practitioner still ter start writing before I forget what I did. Paul nual spring VMI alumni get-together at The Vilworking in the profession. I have a few VMI colGronroos and I had our golf game again in Fort lages with the superintendent attending, as he leagues who I work with at the museum, but they Pierce with a dinner at Pineapple Joe’s bar and usually does. Bob and Jackie hosted a couple of all graduated in the 1960s. I am sorry cadets who are members of the VMI band and the Scottish bagpipes, who to say that I have not seen my roomplayed for the St. Patrick’s Day celmates, Bob Ragan and Q.T. Barrett, ebration. One of the bagpipers persince our last reunion.” Many thanks formed for their neighbors. I had an for the update, Joe. We’ll keep you and email from Paul saying he had sent a Joan in our prayers. note to Walt Donovan and received a I’m sad to have to relay the report I nice note from his wife, Charlotte. It received from Everett Irby about the reminded me I needed to check on death of Ned Whitlock. Ned died Walt’s progress in recovering from a April 7, 2017, in Houston, Texas, stroke. I called and had a good chat after a long illness. Ned grew up in with both Charlotte and Walt. He has Farmville, Virginia, and was a memtaken a lot of physical therapy, and it ber of the 1950 undefeated Farmville Class of 1956: Paul Gronroos and Dick Smith at Pineapple Joe’s seems to have paid off. He can now High School football team. He loved in Fort Pierce, Florida, after playing golf. write some brief notes and is able to to spend time hunting, fishing, boatcarry on a conversation fairly well. ing and traveling. Ned graduated They are delighted with his progress. from Farmville High School in 1951 I have been up to VMI for several and then attended Virginia Military baseball games, and they are playing Institute and was awarded his degree very well against some strong opin civil engineering in 1955. After graduating from VMI, he served his ponents. I planned to attend the first country in the U.S. Army in Korea alumni baseball golf tournament May for two years as a second lieutenant.

6, as well as a ballgame that night After his time in the Army, he worked against the University of North Caras a traffic engineer for Wilbur Smith olina-Greensboro.

Associates, which is a worldwide trafA phone call to Bob Brickner was good to learn of more marathon confic engineering firm. He retired from quest by the senior athlete. He was that firm as the senior vice president pleased to learn I had talked with his with 30 years of service. Ned was old VMI roommate, Walt Donovan, a licensed professional engineer in Class of 1956: Honey Rector, with her granddaughter, Isabelle, and that he was recovering well from South Carolina, as well as many other and Richard Smith at brunch in Richmond, Virginia. his stroke. Bob is busy with his trust states and foreign countries. He was a

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Class Notes lawyer finalizing much of his estate and contributing to numerous worthy causes. He says he feels good and works out continuously. We will be sharing some pictures of each other with friends. He followed up our phone conversation with a very nice birthday card, as well as

Class of 1956: Wes Barrow ’99, Eric East ’00 and Josh Spradlin ’00 were partners in a VMI baseball alumni golf tournament at the Lexington Golf and Country Club May 6, 2017.

Class of 1956: Barrow and Spradlin with Dick Smith.

a check in the amount of my age. His stipulation was that I use it to take Honey to dinner. I plan to do just that and deliver her Mother’s Day gift of a large box of strawberries picked from the Cabbage Patch farm.

Scott Boland called to wish me a happy birthday and tell me he had finally gotten to talk with Jim Stephens. His outlook is somewhat better after getting over the letdown from his stroke.

He wanted to contact Kirshmier, so Scott gave him the number. Scott has a new outboard motor with a self-starter button, so we don’t have to pull the cord and cuss when it doesn’t start!

I enjoyed playing in the first alumni baseball golf tournament last weekend with three alumni from the Class of 2000. There were 36 attendees, and our foursome missed first place by .1 point, shooting 15 under par. Despite the cold and windy weather, it was great fun, and the course was in great shape. We weathered the cold for the baseball game that night and saw VMI get an 8-7 win in the 10th inning. They ended up taking two out of three games for the weekend against UNCG, which was in first place in the Southern Conference. I talked with Fred Farthing after he had been to the dermatologist for removal of some potential skin cancer areas, and he is optimistic they are all gone for now.

He invited me to come to the combined Tidewater Chapters for VMI spring/summer dinner in Williamsburg June 15, 2017, when Gen. Peay ’62 will be their speaker. We hope to make it and get to play a round of golf, as well.

This about does it for this set of notes. I hope you all have an enjoyable summer.

Yours in the spirit, Dick

1957

George Sydnor Jr.

Howard Lawrence

Class of 1956: Paul Gronroos and Dick Smith golfing in Florida in March 2017.

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The beginning: At 0830 hours on the hot, sultry day of Sept. 9, 1953, marked the beginning of the Class of 1957 as the heavy oak doors of Jackson

Memorial Hall swung open to “welcome” the matriculating newcomers to VMI. Within five minutes, one Charles Schwendinger, age 22 from Dubuque, Iowa, became the first registrant. And so the process continued throughout the day until 282 youths had passed through. But, they were not finished; the ensuing five days saw four more mortals pass through, with Ben Elmore of Mobile, Alabama, being the last to register Sept. 14, bringing the total to 286. Then Feb. 1, 1954, Sam Woolwine showed up from Georgia Tech. While we claimed Sam for ’57, he graduated with the Class of ’58, having gained fame as one of VMI’s all-time renowned athletes. Four more then followed Sam and signed in; the last of these was Dave Martin, who would also graduate with ’58.

That made the total of our class 291.

Fast forward: April 2017 and the 60th Reunion of the Class of ’57.

Through the visionary leadership of Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, the Institute, equipped with state and private capital, has invested nearly $400 million in new buildings and infrastructure improvements to the post.

The just-completed $83 million Corps Physical Training Facility (one of only six such facilities in the nation) is expected to get a new aquatic center, complete with a 60-meter pool addition, as part of a new $120 million capital investment now in-progress. If you have not visited VMI for some time, you may want to treat yourself to a visit, soon. You will be proud of VMI and very impressed with its improvements, all designed to enhance the academic, military, and athletic and physical training programs of the “I.” And now for a few topics revolving around the reunion. Harry Warner has announced his latest book, “House Mountain Affair,” it is a wonderful, picture-laden story, about House Mountain and can be purchased for $46, with all proceeds going to the preservation of House Mountain.

All books will be personally signed by Harry and may be ordered from the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council, P.O. Box 564, Lexington, VA 24450, racc@rockbridge.net, 540-463-2330, http://rockbridgeconservation.org.

Betty Mixson was very disappointed that she was not able to attend the 60th. She indicated this would be the first one she had missed. We did enjoy seeing Patti Hammond, (chair of communications with ’57 sister rats), Joan Atkeson, Sis Douthat and Ruth Wills Smith. See page 176 of the 2017-Issue 2 Alumni Review for an article

VMI Alumni Review

2017-Issue 3

Class of 1957: Present at the reunion were Martin Andersen Jr., Lynn D. Avis, B. Drummond Ayres Jr., Wilson C. Batten, Alan S. Baumgartner, Robert F. Bolling III, Richard E. Collier, Donald H. Coombs, Claiborne Coupland Jr., Anthony N. DiCesare, W. J. Dickens III, Benjamin F. Elmore III, Thornton H. Elmore Jr., John W. Emmerich, John R. Fiske, Drewry R. Fox II, William A. Gay Jr., W. Franklin Gilmore, Clinton T. Glover, I. Lionel Hancock III, Milton I. Hargrave Jr., R. Kirkland Hubbard Jr., William H. Huffcut II, Donald K. Jamison, Nicholas Kallelis, John E. Kuchnia, James C. Kyle Jr., Howard C. Lawrence, Monroe I. Levine, Charles W. Locke Jr., John B. R. Long Jr., Raymond G. MacKay Jr., Carroll A. Mason, Ronald G. McManus Sr., Joel F. Moody Jr., William R. Moore Jr., Paul D. Muldowney, Guy E. Murray Jr., J.G. Musser, John A. Paganelli, Philip B. Peters, Paul D. Phillips Jr., James A. Piggott, John T. Poffenbarger, Warren L. Richardson, Fritz J. Scholz III, O. Van Pelt Sessoms, Charles P. Smith III, Joseph M. Spivey III, John R. St. George Jr., Garland W. Sullivan, George W. Sydnor Jr., John H. Trant III, Armand W. Wagner, Harry H. Warner, John P. Whittle, Ben E. Wiggins Jr. and Robert V. Wood.

The Class of 1957

60th Reunion – April 24-25, 2017 Class Notes

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Class Notes on the T.L. Atekeson ’57 Rifle Team Scholarship established by Joan in BR Tom’s name. It is interesting to note that his father was captain of the Iowa-class battleship USS Wisconsin our 4th Class year when Tom roomed with Howard Lawrence and Bill Benson. Several of our Norfolk area BRs got a special tour of the Wisconsin during Christmas furlough that year.

Tom Vaughan was not able to attend the reunion due to a long convalescence period following recent surgery. George Sydnor talked with Tom following the reunion and found him in good spirits.

Tom said that he is already making plans to attend our 65th when it rolls around. His last words: “Just send me one of the reunion booklets.”

A phone call to Dick Moore, in Reno, Nevada, determined that he also would be unable to attend the reunion. Dick said he is recovering from health issues but expected to regain “like new” status soon. Dick and Virginia have moved from their mountain home down the slope and are enjoying “downsized living” in Reno; 20 feet of snow up on the mountain had become too much for his hand shovel and snow blower. Dick has offered to help George and Howard set up a Class of ’57 website, and more will be coming on this initiative to improve our class communications.

Similarly, Al Baumgartner sent his regrets on not being able to attend the reunion due to a recurring medical issue that “keeps me anchored to home base.” We missed seeing you and Carolyn, Al, and hope you will make it back for our 65th.

Garland Sullivan had a recent conversation with Sid Perry and reported that Sid was the same happy, friendly BR he always was with a big smile on his face and a congenial disposition. Sid and Madge live in Pensacola where several of our BRs “have found themselves a home.” (Does everyone remember when 3rds would ask: “How do you like it here, rats?” and we would dutifully respond: “We love it here, we love it here; we’ve found ourselves a home.”)

G.E. Murray, Al Mattox ’54 and Gen. John Jumper ’66; Al was the 1st Battalion commander our 4th Class year and later taught G.E. to fly the F-86. G.E. likened that as driving a “Corvair” after having flown the “Corvette” F-101 earlier while on active duty. Later, they flew together in the National Guard. General Jumper is retired chief of staff, United States Air Force, and serves currently as chairman of the VMI Board of Visitors.

Van Sessoms with Joe Moody, Harry Warner and Joe Spivey, attended the National Collegiate

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Boxing Championships at VMI. (VMI No. 2, and the Corps was thrilled when a VMI female cadet decked her opponent.)

Jimbo Smith ’60 and wife Ruth (formally Mrs. Waller Wills) reconnected with Jimbo’s old dyke, Frank Gilmore. Jimbo has been very generous in his praise for the “good coaching” he received from Frank and his 1st Class roommates, Howard Lawrence and Walter Kidwell.

We must have done something well, because Jimbo turned out to be a top notch cadet and later a highly respected and long serving general surgeon in Lynchburg. He and Ruth now live in Southport, North Carolina.

As many of you know, Frank Gilmore has been in the fight of his life the last couple of years with a recurring health issue that he has “faced head on” in his typical Gilmore determined, stoic fashion.

We are happy to report that Frank has indicated his health issues have been brought under control, and his future looks quite good. Truly, Frank is the embodiment of the indomitable soldier.

How many knew that our three most highly decorated brother rats were Bill Huffcut, Bob Wagner and Martin Andersen, in that order? We were pleased Bill and Betty and Martin attended our 60th. We miss Bob and Charlotte. We are all very proud of all our decorated brother rats and will talk more about their proud, yet unselfish, records in future notes editions. They have served VMI and our country with great distinction. Joe Mixson, Cliff Heathcote and Chuck McLennan died in the service of our country. Let it be known, we will never forget any of our warrior brother rats; you will live in our hearts forever to “the last syllable of recorded time.”

George and Howard recently enjoyed dinner with Ed Powell. Ed lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and like many of us, has some health issues that limit his mobility but certainly not his intellect. He is as sharp as ever. We plan to have more about Ed and his noteworthy career in our future class notes.

At reunion time, we were sad to learn of the recent passing of Jose Chioco, M.D., in Oklahoma City. We wrote to his widow, Dr. Carmen Warren Chioco of Norman, Oklahoma. Their marriage lasted 57 years. We have written his widow. Plus, we also learned Larry Armstrong died in January 2016 and learned from Bob Garrett that Harvey Griggs died in 2014.

Bob Garrett, originally from Montvale, Virginia, worked as engineering construction manager

for Roanoke Electric Steel. Retired now, Bob lives a couple of blocks from Howard. Jim Rust also lives nearby, and Howard’s recent phone call to him found Jim in good spirits and his trademark sharp sense of humor.

Joe Spivey has stayed in touch with Big John Quillen. Both John and wife Judy have issues affecting their mobility, but John’s wit is as sharp as ever. Our thoughts are with them, and a reunion booklet will soon be on its way to you, Big John.

Wonderful 60th Reunion highlights – heavy rain aside – throughout which the Class of 1957 rekindled its old friendships. Our chairpersons, John and Carole Whittle, and their committeepersons, Drummond Ayres, Lynn Avis, Sis Warner, Jim and Toni Piggott, Ron McManus, Patti Hammond, Sis Douthat, Robert “Mad Dog” Bolling, Garland Sullivan, G.E. Murray, and Dick Collier all did a great job. Many, many thanks, guys and gals. In recognition, your “not so humble” class agents, using the full powers as vested in them, have decorated John and Carole Whittle with Class of 1957 honorary cadet captains’ stripes. It’s about time John became a “ranker,” but we note that that high rank is nothing new to Carole.

The opening night reception and buffet affair at Moody Hall provided great food/beverages and warm fellowship for reunion-bound BRs and SRs upon their arrival. Each BR was gifted a fine walking cane inscribed with “Class of 1957 60th Reunion.” Also presented then were other VMI pins, necklaces, ’57 ball caps and our revered reunion booklet, edited and published by Drummond Ayres.

Monday, a tour of post: Impressive is the only word to describe the approximate $400 million invested in new facilities and infrastructure improvements, including the $83 million Corps Physical Training Facility, complete reconstruction of The Pit (now Cormack Hall), including a state-of-theart wrestling stadium and weight room. Cocke Hall (the site of our dances and memorable Ring Figure) and Memorial Garden have been fully restored “from roof to foundation.”

The area across Woods Creek (aka “the Nile”) is now known as North Post, where a state-of-theart rifle range, ranger training center and three new lacrosse/soccer fields, along with the beautiful Gray-Minor Baseball Stadium, are located.

The view looking south back across the Nile to Old, New and Third Barracks is memorable.

There is now a paved road along Woods Creek

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes 2.

1.

4.

3.

Class of 1957 1. Pictured at the reunion were, from left, Martin Anderson, Sonja Musser and Jay Musser.

2. Pictured at the reunion were, from left, Carole Whittle, Clint Glover, Belkis Glover, Bill Batten, Sonja Musser, Jay Musser, Ruth Wills Smith and Jimbo Smith ’60.

3. G.E. Murray, Al Mattox ’54 and John Jumper ’66 were pictured at a conference.

4. Pictured at the reunion were, from left, Prisilla Jamison, Don Jamison and Sonja Musser.

5. Garland Sullivan, chairman of the Reunion Golf Committee, at Roanoke Country Club with Howard Lawrence after the reunion rains passed.

6. John Whittle, 60th Reunion chairman, and Bill Huffcut, regimental commander, atop the sentinel box for the Old Yell.

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5.

6.

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Class Notes that runs parallel downstream and exits the post at a new Limits Gates near the historic Maury River. This area is now developed as a beautiful park and was once the Port of Lexington in the days of the James River and Kanawha Canal.

Monday afternoon in Marshall Hall, we saw the “never to forget” movie, “Field of Lost Shoes” – cadets at New Market. Few of us departed the movie dry-eyed. It is available in DVD format from the VMI Museum and very worthy of your viewing.

Monday evening, we were guests at an allreunion classes dinner at Marshall Hall, the conclusion of which featured an excellent address on “all things VMI” by Peay, superintendent. The Institute, with its meticulously groomed grounds and graceful Gothic style buildings and the 1,700 strong Cadet Corps, featuring the only true Honor System remaining in academia, is doing very well, indeed.

Major Gen. Dick Collier led our Tuesday morning Class of ’57 memorial service, which included readings from the scriptures and a call of the honor roll of brother and sister rats lost since our last reunion. Class of ’57 regimental commander, 1st Capt. Bill Huffcut, delivered a fine memoir homily about VMI life and friends.

As with past reunions, this well-attended service was a somber and sobering experience as we remembered those classmates and their mates that are gone but not forgotten.

As luck would have it that afternoon, the rain gods maintained their sway, and the reunion parade was “washed out.” Not to be deterred, however, and remembering that all tradition at VMI is carefully guarded, the Old Yells continued on, rain or no rain. All reunion classes formed up “on the bricks” outside of Jackson arch and J.M. Hall and marched class-by-class into the courtyard, oldest first and in sequential order.

Outside guard room windows, standing at attention in full-dress uniform, were Gen. Peay and Col. Wanovich ’87, commandant of cadets, who saluted each class as it passed into and through Jackson Arch.

The 1st Class “rankers”/officers, (Class of 2017), lined both sides of Jackson Arch leading into the courtyard, much like the Honor Court did in our day. In barracks, the 1,700-strong cadet Corps lined all four stoops, with cadets dressed smartly in blouses, white ducks and garrison hats with every space filled and the courtyard hushed in anticipation until the Regimental Band

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marched in and an inspirational feeling swept over all of us.

In front of the sentinel box, erect and serious, stood the Old Corps Class of ’42 alumnus, Charlie Miller ’42, still in his coatee and with tears in his eyes, silently represented his long-passed class.

The young cadet atop the sentinel box led the Corps in an Old Yell for the Class of ’42 in his best 1st Class private command voice (their 75th Reunion). His voice fired up everyone watching, and the Corps joined in with such enthusiasm that barracks seemed to vibrate with the cheers. Each class thereafter received a similar Old Yell salute.

Reunion chairman Whittle, backed up by regimental commander Huffcut, bounded up the stairs of the ladder leading to the top of the sentinel box and led a thunderous Old Yell for ’57. Our class was followed by the Class of ’62 and then, with the entire assemblage in support, an Old Yell was given for each class in barracks, starting with 2017 and concluding with 2020. The response, again, was incredible. Our class was standing not 20 feet from the sentinel box, and all of us were fighting back tears and controlling “lemon-sized lumps” in our throats. This ceremony brought back so many vivid memories of our life together in barracks and of those we have lost.

The Regimental Band then played “The Spirit” and “The Doxology” as we sang. Once again, the Corps responded with full and enthusiastic participation. As we departed barracks, we were aware that times may change and conditions may change, yet we have all shared that “uncommon experience” that is VMI tradition, ever-represented by the fine young cadets present. We knew our mutual love of the Institute has not, and never will, change. Long live the Institute and the great Class of 1957.

The Tuesday evening class banquet was held at the R.E. Lee Hotel and brought back many good memories; all present had a wonderful time. The hotel has been remodeled, was reopened in the last couple of years and is an asset to the lovely restored Lexington downtown area. Chairman Whittle, exhibiting his new-found command with his having been awarded “stripes,” was the master of ceremonies and kept everyone on track as best as he could. We all had a good time, and the banquet concluded with an aura of good camaraderie.

As mentioned earlier, the Institute and grounds, the post, has never looked more impressive or more beautiful. General Peay mentioned in his talk to the class agents a few days before the reunion

that every day he gets up wondering just what changes may have happened to VMI overnight.

After prayerfully sorting out the possibilities, he and his staff decide what should and can be done to meet each and every possible challenge. Realize that just keeping up is a constant challenge for our venerable superintendent and his capable staff, yet we are convinced they have done a yeoman job in adjusting to the times, but never forget or sacrifice as they preserve the principles on which VMI was founded. They use Col. J.T.L. Preston’s inscription on the Parapet at Memorial Garden every day as their guide. “The healthful and pleasant abode of a crowd of honorable youths pressing up the hill of science with noble emulation ... and ready in every time of deepest peril to vindicate her honor or defend her rights.”

Our class could not help but notice that a number of changes have taken place in cadet life as we experienced it at VMI. Much of “the loud talk,” abusive language, resurrections, sweat parties, straining over radiators while hovering over bayonets and the like of our day has been replaced by a continuous, strenuous physical environment.

There are multiple topnotch, well-utilized physical training facilities on post, and it appeared that there were always groups of or individual cadets running on post. Nowadays, it takes five days of intensive physical workouts, each starting at 5:30 a.m., of various types for rats to break out of the Rat Line. The entire rat training process, or Rat Line as we called it, is managed by the three upper classes, with each class having a distinct leadership role that evolves as each ascends through the class system. The process provides leadership opportunity training for the upper classes and a more useful learning experience for the rats.

Prospective new cadets are told “they must arrive at VMI in excellent physical shape, or they may not make it.” Actual enlisted Army personnel are engaged with each cadet company as advisers with the result being that cadets are much more serious and dedicated to being engaged members of their companies and of the Corps in general.

There are now 1,700 cadets in barracks; just to have witnessed the Corps during the presidential inauguration parade as they passed in review in Battalion Mass was truly a gratifying spectacle.

And the reunion synopsis, present and accounted for. Brother rats in attendance were: Martin Andersen, Lynn Avis, Drummond “B.D.” Ayres, Bill Batten, Robert “Mad Dog” Bolling, Dick Collier, Don Combs, Clay Coupland, Tony

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes DiCesare, Waverly Dickens, Ben Elmore, Billy Elmore, John Emmerich, Bob Fiske, Drewry Fox, Bill Gay, Frank Gilmore, Clint Glover, Lionel Hancock, Milt Hargrave, Kirk Hubbard, Bill Huffcut, Don Jamison, Nick Kallelis, John Kuchnia, Jim Kyle, Howard Lawrence, “Tiger” Locke, Jay Long, Ray MacKay, “Curley” Mason, Ron McManus, Joe Moody, Bill Moore, Paul Muldowney, G.E. Murray, Jay “Rainmaker” Musser, John Paganelli, Randy Pendleton, Phil Peters, Paul “P.D.” Phillips, Jim Piggott, John Poffenbarger, Skip Richardson, Van Sessoms, Charlie Smith, Joe Spivey, John St. George, Garland Sullivan, George Sydnor, Jack Trant, Armand Wagner, Harry Warner, John Whittle, Ben “Bunny” Wiggins and Robert “Bob” Wood. We were very pleased to have SRs Patti Hammond, Joan Atkeson and Ruth Wills Smith ’60 with us.

Accounted for, but not present. Brother rats missing in action were: Sam Barker, Al Baumgartner, Bill Benson, Bob Blocker, Bill Boice, Bob Christopher, Wiley Clapp, Bill Colvin, Dave Davenport, Ken Dickenson, Lew Diuguid, Bruce Dunseth, Ed Fletcher, Carter Fox, Ross Fraser, Bob Fravel, Joe Gilbert, Bill Haas, Bob Hall, Jerry Harden, Carl Hellstrom, Dick Hunt, Tommy Hunter, Charlie Jeckell, Charlie Jenkins, Frank Kline, John Kling, Carl LeBourdais, Moe Levine, Art McCrary, Lynn Meyer, Phil Miller, Dick Moore, Bob Newbill, Fred Newcomb, Dick Newman, George Niedermayer, Sid Perry, Ed Powell, Dudley Price, John Quillen, Bob Rader, Floyd Riddle, Tom Robinson, Jim Rust, Fritz Scholz, Jim Snead, Doug Talbot, Tom Vaughan, Joe Wickes, Larry Wise, Vic Wolf and Jay Woodward. You were all missed and we hope you can be with us at the 65th.

Subsequent to the reunion, Betsy Davis emailed that Russ, our class president, has been moved from his home in Radford to an assisted living facility in Richmond that can provide Russ and Betsy with the best support for his struggle with dementia. Russ’s condition has unfortunately taken a turn for the worse. He is at Brookdale, West End, The Crossings, Room 227B, 1800 Gaskins Road, Richmond, VA 23238. We are sure Russ would appreciate your cards, emails and prayers.

Email: russdavis@gmail.com.

Now, attention in barracks: Your class agents are searching for ways to streamline our communications with you! We are working on several ideas such as email “blasts” and a class website.

All methods to reduce time-consuming, labor

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intensive, handwritten materials. There is good information about our class and VMI that we would like to transmit to you on a continuing basis. Your ideas and suggestions are welcome; let us have them! Finally, we thank you for your notes, calls and words of encouragement. And please keep us up to date with your current email addresses so that we may effectively stay in touch with you. God bless you all.

George and Howard

1958

Lee McCown

Spring greetings, BRs. And happy pollen level measuring to all.

Laura keeps declaring that the Class of ’58 is in an impressive legacy mode, with the recent Ezekiel ’866 statue restorations at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens headed up by Bill Harshaw, the ’57 football photo placed in the locker room thanks to Jim Moore, the football scholarship I am pushing and, most recently, a legacy masterminded by Charlie Hayes.

Charlie has always expressed his gratitude for the mentoring and support he and other cadets interested in medical careers received from biology department chair Robert Patrick “Doc” Carroll. Charlie has made his dream of commissioning a sculpture honoring Doc come true by raising more than $90,000 and directing the design of the bust and pedestal and their installation. Charlie is grateful for the support of many pre-meds, as well as ’58 support from Bill Harshaw, Bill Keefe, Hull Negley, Dave Pitkethly and Jim Poteet.

The bust of Doc Carroll, which is located to the left as you enter the lobby of Maury-Brooke Hall, was unveiled April 25, 2017. “The sculptor was Richard Pumphrey, who is well-known in his field and should be, because he is a genius,” Charlie said. “He teaches fine arts and sculpture at Lynchburg College. He only had bad photos to work from, and from the result, you would have thought that Doc was his father. I even recognized the expression on his face. It was the one that he used when I was trying to explain a D on a monthly report.”

The plaque on the pedestal says the following:

“Robert Patrick Carroll, professor of biology.

During his tenure as chairman, Col. Robert Patrick Carroll built the biology department of the Virginia Military Institute into one of the most prestigious undergraduate programs in the southeastern United States. In addition to instilling a passion for excellence in all of his students, he was the wellspring of hundreds of researchers and practitioners of the medical sciences who saved thousands of lives and stopped and prevented untold amounts of pain and suffering. He was a giant in our lives. – Doc’s Boys.” (The last sentence came from Bill Harshaw.)

Charlie reports that of the $90,000 raised, $16,000 was for the bust and almost $75,000 for the Carroll Fund. Half of the $50,000 annual earnings from the $1.5 million fund are used by the biology department to keep facilities up to date – twice the $12,000 allocated by the Institute.

Charlie wants everyone to know this: “Bill Harshaw wrote the first check for the Carroll Fund in 1966. It was for $50. Of course, he was a captain in the Army with a wife, two small children and a salary of about $7,500 a year. In today’s dollars, that’s pretty close to $700. ‘Great oaks from little acorns grow.’”

Charlie saw Carolyn and Bill, Judy and Hull Negley, and Mike Smeltzer at the presentation.

Congratulations, Charlie, on an outstanding contribution to the Institute and the memory of Doc Carroll.

Elizabeth and Ernie Edgar attended the memorial service for Ted Henry in Anderson, South

Class of 1958: Jim Poteet represented VMI in awarding Michael Tomaso from Fairhope, Alabama, High School, with a football scholarship, which will be provided in part by ’58’s new scholarship fund.

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Class Notes Carolina. Ted died March 1. “The church was almost full, showing the esteem they had for Ted. His pastor knew Ted well, because in his meditation, he shared stories about Ted’s love for VMI, country, church and family that only one who was close to Ted would know. It was a beautiful service, and the warmth and love shown Becky, Millie and Noelle at the reception was evident. The last months have been difficult for them. Please keep them in your prayers.”

Ted and Becky were a great pair who obviously enjoyed their lives together. We last saw them at the mini reunion in 2015 and heard about a full life involving triplet grandchildren. A chemistry major who spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, rising to lieutenant colonel, Ted taught at the Air Force Academy, Clemson University, a technical college and, for a year, enjoyed being on the faculty at VMI. Our hearts go out to Becky and the family.

Jim Poteet proudly announced his and Peg’s insanity: They have built another house, this one with an address on Tennis Club Drive in Point Clear, Alabama. “Eighty-year-old people should cool it!” Jim said. “We never learn!

No tennis for us; we are just getting next door to our daughter. Old people need constant care!” Jim confirmed our guess that his San Antonio architect son, Jim Poteet Jr., designed the house and did a great job. Their long distance apart was not a problem. Laura and I recall a fancy magazine spread several years ago about this son’s loft design for one of the Dixie Chicks. It was one great looking space, in part because it had the same dining room chairs we have! Check out http://www.poteetarchitects.com. Young Jim is enjoying great success.

Jim also reported that he got a call from folks at Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama, saying they needed a presenter for a football scholarship on awards day. “I said sure, only if it was to VMI! It was, and I went

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Class of 1958: Richard Pumphrey, sculptor of the bust of Doc Carroll, and Dr. Charlie Hayes at the bust’s unveiling in Maury-Brooke Hall in April. Photo courtesy VMI Communications & Marketing.

Class of 1958: The unveiling of the Doc Carroll bust drew a big crowd on a reunion weekend.

Class of 1958: Class Agent Lee McCown said of this photo, “Art Carnevale and Roy Palmer marked a spring break for our age group at The Villages in central Florida, home to Art and lots of other VMI grads.”

and presented it to him with much applause! He is a great kid and will be a star!” Jim points out the obvious in the accompanying photograph, that is, how close in age he and Michael Tomaso look – only 63 years’ difference! I will look for Michael suited up in red this fall. I have been assured by the Keydet Club that some of Michael’s scholarship money will come from the Class of 1958’s new football scholarship fund!

Let’s keep filling that scholarship bucket. Since my last report, Lou Farmer and Bob Jordan, both members of the ’57 football team, plus Paul Royer, have joined our list of supporters. Contributions may be made by sending a check to The Keydet Club, P.O. Box 932, Neikirk Hall, VMI, Lexington, VA 24450. Please put “Class of 1958 Football Scholarship” on the memo line. Or you can make a pledge to contribute a certain amount for X number of years or make a planned gift, e.g., a bequest, an estate gift, a trust or a life insurance policy, etc. If you have any questions, contact Donnie Ross ’74 at the Keydet Club, 800444-1839, dross@vmiaa.org.

Landa and Bill Holt are considering a move to Roanoke to join their two daughters. As a native and now visitor, I can report that Roanoke is a new place and still a great place, with nice housing options and plenty to do.

We recently read a long article about Roanoke in Politico Magazine titled, “Trains Built Roanoke. Science Saved It.” The Norfolk and Western Railroad ruled when I was growing up; now it’s Carilion Hospitals. This major change, plus a successful move to brand the city as a mecca for outdoor activity, some developments in the arts and lots of downtown redevelopment, make the city a pleasure to visit. And don’t miss a cultural spot that I expect is unique to Roanoke: A museum of pinball machines! We spent about an hour there, and I think I played on some of the same machines I squandered my paper route earnings on

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes advantage of being in that part of the world. You and friends attending. Art says, “All is well down back in the day.

Susie and John Peters enjoyed a great recent probably will be sorry later if you do not, and you here, enjoying life and looking forward to 2018.”

Roy still does an occasional test pilot job. “I trip. “We cruised from San Diego to Fort Lau- don’t want to be an embarrassment to your friends, derdale through the Panama Canal. The trip was neighbors and classmates! Mara and I visited Syd- returned from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last week delightful in every respect, but the Canal was the ney many years ago, and we had a wonderful time. after some 767 testing,” he told Stir. “I may be gohighlight. We were amazed at how it remains It is really a magnificent city. ing to Tel Aviv next week for some 747 tests, but vital and functional more than 100 years after its “I was only on the south island of New Zealand, these things always happen at the last moment.” completion. I guess that must be interpreted as but it is a spectacular place and probably the most Gene Grayson is one of our unsung heroes with some praise for civil engineers from this old Eng- scenic of the two islands. Also, it is a temperate a long history of service to veterans. He recently lish major.” Thanks for that, John. I have always climate. We started our bike trip in Christchurch. reported on this mission. “I just left the VMI verintended to read David McCullough’s book, “The From there, we went west over the mountain range sus Radford University baseball game on VeterPath Between the Seas: The Creation of the Pan- and then down the coast, back over the mountains ans’ Night. I do this annually when VMI comes ama Canal, 1870–1914.” I expect it was a to-hell- and ended the trip in Queenstown, the most popu- to town. VMI hit three home runs but could not hold the lead. and-back experience for all those turn-of-the-cen- lar tourist destination in all of New Zealand.

“My Veterans of Foreign Wars post has two “It reminds me of a city in Switzerland with tury civils. I’ve heard that fighting the mosquitoes lakes and mountains. In one of our overnight funerals Saturday at the National Veterans Cemand malaria was the toughest part of the project.

Possibly better than any vacation etery in Dublin: One homeless vet, for John and Susie is the move from which means no family, and one from Myrtle Beach to Richmond of their Shawsville. We do the rifle firing, flag wonderful daughter, Margo Millure, folding and taps. We do an average of and her husband, Dave. We had the one each week. Beautiful cemetery. pleasure of meeting them a few years Five hundred markers so far with ago and look forward to seeing them 40,000 spaces. Never can plan anyin Richmond. thing until we get more members on The lunches for Richmond area BRs our funeral team. are still going strong, thanks to Moon “We get a one-day notice from the Menefee’s leadership. In addition to Salem Department of Veterans AfMoon and me, the following attended fairs for homeless vets and two days the most recent one: Duke Bishop, if a Radford funeral home handles it.”

Class of 1958: Class Agent Lee McCown said of this photo, “The Alec Clarke, Brook Doggett, Joe adventurous and always fit Dave Pitkethly at a marker com- Gene, we know the families deeply apGray, Charlie Hayes, Onza Hyatt, Bill memorating the highest paved road in New Zealand.” preciate the comfort a military funeral Holt, Dave Martin, Flip Miller, Frank offers. Thank you for caring about Norvell, Paul Royer, Stuart Whitehurst and Stir- stops at Lake Moeraki, we stayed at the Wilder- these protocols.

The Alumni Agencies at VMI do a great job of ling Williamson. ness Lodge, which is at the edge of a true rainPaul Royer seems to be aiming for the title of forest. We did the nature walk and saw the huge planning annual meetings for class agents, and the most recent one was particularly engaging. The oldest living consulting transportation engineer. – up to 8 feet long – eels.

He still does what he calls “small jobs.” I find “We are not doing medical volunteer trips at this dinner speaker was Col. Bob Phillips ’87, Institute out about these things in various ways, most re- time. We do go to Kenya every year to visit a fam- chaplain, who did a great job of describing cadet cently at a funeral for Jack Corley, a friend we ily of six orphans we are supporting and educat- life today compared to when he was at the I. “It is worked and lived with at the Virginia Department ing.” Thank you for this, Dave. We remember the far more challenging than it was 30 years ago,” he of Highways, now the Virginia Department of story of your support for these children and salute said. Phillips described today’s cadets as smarter (like many of us, he said he would not be accepted Transportation, here in Richmond in our work you and Mara for it. days right out of school. In more recent years, the Roy Palmer visited Joan and Art Carnevale in today), more physically fit and more civil.

All of us were very impressed by the perforthree of us enjoyed quarterly lunches together. We March at The Villages, the big retirement comwill miss him. munity in central Florida where they live that is mance of the Corps at the inaugural parade, Dave Pitkethly continues the very active life he’s home to lots of VMI grads. It was a VMI spring and Phillips said the entire trip was executed by known for, with a recent bike trip in New Zealand break for our age group. Thirty-five members of regimental staff who planned for the weather plus where he reached the marker commemorating the the Regimental Band marched in a St. Patrick’s food and uniforms for 1,600 people on 32 buses. highest paved road in that country. I asked Dave’s Day Parade, drawing a large crowd. Art and Roy Phillips was originally opposed to the admission opinion about tagging a trip to New Zealand and played golf in unseasonably cold weather – 39 of women to VMI but now thinks it was one of Australia on to a January trip we are planning degrees! On Thursday night, Gen. Peay ’62, su- the best things VMI ever did, calling the women to India. “This may be a once-in-a-lifetime op- perintendent, made a presentation about events at cadets “smart and tough.”

Two changes he considers negative are 1.) the portunity,” he said, “so I encourage you to take the Institute during a dinner party with 186 alumni

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Class Notes constant connection cadets have with the outside world via phones and the internet, which reduces the isolation that drove him and us to depend on BRs, and 2.) the propensity of modern parents to hover, which doesn’t help a process that has worked well for nearly 180 years. “Visits every weekend are not necessary or productive,” he said.

Colonel Phillips came to VMI in 2016 after more than 25 years in the U.S. Army. He commissioned as a field artillery officer, leaving to pursue his seminary degree and returning as a chaplain.

His military experiences include combat assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan with awards and decorations including the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.

How sad to learn of the death of Bill Keefe’s wife, Barbara, April 22. Rest in peace, Barbara.

We are so glad we were there to toast Barbara’s marriage to Bill at the mini reunion in 2015.

Mark your calendars: Our 60th Reunion will kick off Sunday evening, April 22, 2018, with cocktails at Moody Hall, activities Monday the 23rd, and Tuesday, the 24th. On Wednesday morning, plan on a goodbye breakfast hosted by Jack Payne. It’s time to start your tune up. We won’t have many more opportunities as a class to pass in review, march through Jackson Arch and give an Old Yell for ’58.

Cheers!

Lee

1959

Shep Shepard

I received a returned Christmas card that I sent to Jake Garcia with a message on the envelope “Deceased, Return to Sender.” I had not heard that Jake had died, and I have had no contacts with any of his family. He was a renowned heart surgeon. A few years ago, I heard from him, and he told me he practiced medicine in New York City but did a lot of pro bono work down in the Caribbean Islands. Jimmy Johnson sent him a Christmas card along with a 50th Reunion coin.

All were returned. Not long after I received the news about Jake, I got word from Dean Brown, Bruce Mackenzie’s step-son, that he had died.

Bruce was red, white and yellow through and through. He loved VMI and especially being with

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his BRs. Bruce and Norma never missed a class reunion. I got a nice note from Dean thanking the class for the beautiful red, white and yellow flowers Rusty Loth sent in the name of the class.

Alex Mackenzie, Bruce’s son, thanked everyone for their friendship with his dad over the years.

Alex said, “He loved you guys and all of his VMI friends.” Keep both Jake’s and Bruce’s family in your prayers.

Bud Kramer was indoctrinated into the ’59 pacemaker club. He was apprehensive about walking around with an “iPod” in his chest, but that was soon relieved when he got reassuring words from other members of the club. Bud is putting the pacemaker to good use. Health issues have dominated Bud’s life for the past year. He felt weak and chalked it off to just growing old.

Then he began to walk like an old man. It continued to get worse, until one evening he collapsed onto the floor. He ended up in the emergency room, and two weeks later he was sent home with the pacemaker. Bud feels like he is a reborn person.

Buzz Nowlin had a hard winter. He suffered a severe bout of pneumonia from which he never fully recovered. He has rheumatoid arthritis with some minor effect on his lungs. He also has stenosis of the aortic valve and now has a rheumatologist and a cardiologist, as well as a lung doctor. He is doing pretty well but spends lots of time visiting doctors.

Jimmy Johnson’s heart goes out to all our brother rats who are suffering from an illness. He thinks we are moving into this “retirement home world” a little too fast for his liking.

Max Gugenheimer had lunch with Ina Ingram and they spent lots of time talking about Bruce Mackenzie and Jim’s other roommates, Gordy Keiser and Frank Breth. There were a lot of sweet memories flowing. I remember that whenever Bruce attended a VMI function, he always arrived with gifts in hands – all handmade. Bruce was quite a lapidary and glass blower. He gained favor with the ladies by presenting each with a beautiful red, white and yellow necklace, pin or an appropriate Christmas tree bulb he had made.

The gifts were appreciated; Ann still has each gift prominently displayed in her jewelry box.

Jack and Joy Angolia have just returned from a month touring South America. They began their trip in Buenos Aires and went down the east coast with a diversion to the Falkland Island to walk the battlegrounds. In Jack’s estimation, the

grounds provided little in return for victory other than ego. Definitely not a battle he would have wanted to fight. From there, they traveled around the cape, where they came within 50 yards of the most beautiful glaciers they have ever seen. Then it was up the coast of Chile, where they transitioned from ice to Bavarian-type Alps. They finished in Peru, which was total desert in the lowlands. They returned home to meet the demands of Jack’s latest book release. There are two more books in the hopper awaiting printing, and Jack is currently working on his latest book, which will be a marked departure from anything he has ever done before, but he feels it will have significantly greater impact. Jack and Joy have two more trips scheduled for 2017 and two for 2018. Next year’s trip will include one of their greatest bucket list adventures: The tattoo in Scotland. Keep on traveling, Jack and Joy. Got a note from Howard Sprinkle who sensed a bit of frustration in the email I sent out requesting class note input from those I don’t hear from often. He wanted to ease my pain; thanks, Howard. Howard and Cinthia are leaving their beautiful home in Chester and moving to their second home in Wintergreen Resort, Virginia, about 30 miles from Lexington.

Lee and Nancy Southard finally moved into their newly renovated home in March after months of false starts. One of the last problems they encountered was one of the only good things about the house to begin with – an avocado tree that provided lots of shade and enough avocados to supply a division got a disease and died. Lee just had his book accepted for publication. The title is, “To Know with Certainty.” The subtitle is, “Answers to Christian Students’ Questions on Leaving High School.” It is a compilation of evidences both secular and biblical concerning the existence of God and Jesus’ life, death and resurrection; the role of Christianity and the church in giving us western civilization and the United States of America; creation of the universe and the earth; and the origin of man with the emphasis on intelligent design in creation and the ongoing physics, biology and chemistry that sustains life. Lee thinks his high school English teacher would be proud. The purpose of the book is to prepare high school students for life after school when they will surely encounter challenges to their faith, so they will be able to not only defend but contend for their faith with facts in any setting. Weakening the church weakens the nation,

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes recovering from a knee replacement which is what one of the next books and heavily into booze and strong is about. He has two more books in pain pills. progress.

Bill and Connie Nebraska’s first Billy and Sue Kornegay thought grandchild is graduating from the about down-sizing for some time and University of Vermont with a Bachfinally bit the bullet and moved to Lexington, Virginia, where they will be elor of Science degree in mechanical neighbors with their son, Keith. Their engineering. They will be attending decision was based on the fact that the ceremony. In August, Bill goes to their two girls still have more moves Quebec for a week of salmon fishing. left in them, while Keith and his famWhen he returns, he and Connie will spend a week at the Irish Village on ily are firmly located. They bought a Cape Cod, where they will be joined townhouse just down the street from Class of 1959: Monique Harnetty, Bob Haines, and Mel and Jean AnVMI and love it. Billy served on the derson on the Salvation Islands en route to the infamous French by eight other couples. In October, VMI Engineering Advisory Council Guiana, Devil’s Island, which was once the prison home of Papillion. Bill takes his two sons on their annual steelhead trout fishing trip in Ohio. before retiring. The council studied Later, Bill will repeat the fishing trip the engineering departments to enwith three of his best friends, a tradisure that their programs were relevant to the real world, so he is close friends tion they started eight years ago. with many of the faculty. VMI made Penn and Betty Whitescarver have a job offer to someone who thought enjoyed the beautiful weather in Florhe would finish his Doctor of Philosida this winter. Penn reminded me that, after Vietnam, he was hired as a ophy degree program by December. charter employee of the United States He was delayed, so the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. civil and environmental engineering His team developed the nation’s water department asked Billy if he would pollution permit program called Nahelp them out. Billy is now teaching two days a week as an adjunct profestional Pollutant Discharge Eliminasor but says he enjoys retirement too tion System. He did permit consultmuch to make this a full-time job. ing during his flying years, but when Class of 1959: Don and Carol Messner spent some quality time Mel and Jean Anderson teamed up he hung up his flying spurs, he quit with their traveling buddies Monique in Key West, Florida, with Don’s brother and sister-in-law, Rich consulting and started a nonprofit and Joan.

Harnetty and Bob Haines to tackle training program. To date, more than the Amazon River. Although it was the rainy sea1 million permits have been issued to construcson, they were lucky and were interrupted only tion companies, industries and municipalities for once due to the weather. One day, they boarded wastewater and stormwater discharges. a small boat and traveled up one of the thousand Jim Edmunds enjoyed the weather they had in tributaries that feed into the Amazon. They had a Washington this winter; lots of rain. No worries fishing contest and competed for the biggest and about water conservation, but they still have to be most piranhas caught. Mel won both prizes, havaware of water usage; the reservoirs may be full, but it takes years to recharge the aquifers. Jim ing caught two fish; nobody else caught anything. took a 10-day trip to San Cristobal de Las CaHis prize was a stuffed piranha, which Jean refuses to let him display in the living room. A side sas, Chiapas, Mexico. He also spent two weeks trip to Devil’s Island was interesting, especially in Japan, where he visited his grandson who is an the French prisons. The cells were about 4 feet English teacher in the local school. They traveled by 7 feet with chains anchored in the walls and from Nikko to Hiroshima. Japan is beautiful and no air conditioning. Next stop was Rio, where it should be high on everyone’s bucket list. was “car naval.” Mel and Bob saw so many girls Skip and Linda White are spending a lot of time who could not afford to buy sufficient clothing attending grandkids’ weddings, a definite sign of to cover their bodies; they were shocked. Bob getting older. At one wedding, their grandson Class of 1959: Skip and Linda White enhas admitted that he cannot keep up with his sigarranged a flash mob dance – a surprise for evjoyed liquid refreshments at their grandnificant other, Monique. Monique is on a tour of eryone, including the bride and groom. The bride child’s wedding.

Italy with her daughter-in-law while Bob is home and her family were good sports, and it was a hit.

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Class Notes

Class of 1959: Ned and Binny Addison’s grandson, Addison Lagarde, is happy to be out of the Rat Line.

Skip and Linda have maladies galore like everybody, but it doesn’t stop them from enjoying life.

Skip sent a “thinking of you” email to Jim Wood as he sat in his swing in shorts while looking at TV listening to the forecast of an impending 12-inch snowfall heading for Massachusetts. Skip says you must give loving support to your old roommates.

I received a nice note from Mark Williams ’85, Tommy Inges’ nephew. Mark says that he feels like he knows the Class of ’59 pretty well thanks to the quarterly class notes. He went to VMI because of Tommy, who gave him a framed VMI provisional appointment that hung in his bedroom since middle school. While there, Mark emulated Tom. A photo in the ’59 Bomb shows Tommy about to exit a window, so Mark “ran the block a lot.” His ring has the same green stone as Tom’s, and he was Artillery ROTC, just like Tommy. He looks back at how his life unfolded and is thankful Tommy pointed him toward VMI. Tex Carr and Emily Hanzok enjoyed a wonderful riverboat cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.

When they returned, they visited with Ron and Mary Alice Marley and report that Ron is doing well with his knee, and Mary Alice is slowly recovering from that nasty fall. They missed not having Ron and Mary Alice with them to share the riverboat cruise.

Tex is cleaning out his Alabama lake house, and in the process, he closed out a safety deposit box.

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In it, he found his rat and class rings. Tex said that the rat ring carries as much emotional value as does our class ring. Both symbolize a special time in his life.

Don and Carol Messner had a great time celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at the VMI spring break in The Villages. Just before that, Don had a bizarre incident occur which resulted in having a toe amputated. Close friends now refer to him as “Nine Toes,” but everybody else still ignores him. Without going into a lot of detail, what started out as a toenail trimming resulted in an infected toe, which resulted in the amputation. All is well now, and Don is feeling great – albeit without a toe. Don took his brother, Rich, and sister-in-law, Joan, on the catamaran from Fort Myers to Key West.

They had a great time seeing the sites and sampling some great seafood while at the same time partaking some of the island libations. Highlight of the trip was lunch with fellow Pittsburghers, the Salsgivers ’56, who drove down from their place on Marathon Key to join them for lunch.

Bob and Lois Hobson visited their daughter in a small town outside of Athens, Georgia. Bob and Lois are doing pretty well, although dealing with aging issues. Bob is apparently allergic to something, because as he wrote his input, he was covered in a rash from head to toe. Doctors assure him that it is not poison oak, and it probably won’t kill him. Their lovely family continues to grow, as they topped out at 21 grandkids but have just welcomed their 27th great-grandchild. Life is

good, God is great and blessings are incredible.

Dick and Judith Irons continue, together, to battle Judith’s battle with ataxia (SCA6), so this limits their activities considerably. Dick is still able to play golf a couple of times a week and still shoots in the 80s. He still loves the game and the camaraderie.

Ralph and Janice Rae Lawson report that their way of life and bodies are unchanged.

Ralph says, “Movement is life, baby.” It is good for bones and muscles and prevents those much talked about diseases. This summer’s trip will be the Lewis and Clark trip on the Columbia and Snake Rivers out of Portland. Because of their frequent trips to their timeshare at the Homestead, they keep a close eye on Buzz and Virginia Nowlin.

Ed Thomas dropped me a note from Phoenix telling me that his girlfriend, Diane Dix, would be attending the VMI spring break at The Villages and wanted to make sure we looked after her.

Ed couldn’t make the trip due to health reasons.

Diane is a Southern Seminary graduate who Ed dated while at VMI. Ed said he spent many sweet moments with her at the College Inn. Diane’s brother plays the bagpipes in the VMI band. Unfortunately, Ann and I did not arrive at The Villages until Friday afternoon and did not get the chance to track Diane down until the evening activities, where we met her and introduced her to all the ’59ers. Diane is a beautiful lady, and we hope to see more of her at future functions.

Class of 1959: The ’59 contingent at the VMI Alumni Spring Break in The Villages, Florida, were, from left, standing, Gen. Peay ’62, Dave Goode, Jean Anderson, Penn and Betty Whitescarver, Mel Anderson, Don Messner, Geri and Royall Geis, Ann Shepard, John Patane and Shep Shepard. Sitting: Carol Messner and Chris Patane.

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Bob and Priscilla Martin have finally retired.

They moved from Riverview, Florida, to a Presbyterian clergy retirement home in Bradenton.

It takes a lot of pressure off Priscilla, as she has her hands full just keeping Bob in line. Bob has just had knee surgery and wonders if his condition was the result of PT at VMI or from jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. Three of their children live within 45 minutes of them, and the other two live in Greensboro and Atlanta. They plan to get together in May for a wedding.

John and Teddi Martin just returned from their annual three week trek to Florida. John’s lovely bride had to fill in as his personal Uber driver, because on Christmas Day, John had a fainting spell that put him in the hospital. All the tests could not determine a reason for what had happened, but Virginia law restricts him from driving for six months. John has become most appreciative of Teddi and his neighbors, who make up his transportation team. He is counting the days until he can get back behind the wheel.

In the meantime, John has a wireless cardiac monitor implanted and programmed to send abnormal data to his doctor. John feels great and, other than driving, has no restrictions. Get well soonest.

It’s not too late to sign up for the 2017 Florida group mini reunion. Lee and Nancy Southard have arranged the next one at Fisherman’s Village Resort, Punta Gorda, Florida, from Sept. 26-28, 2017. The resort is on the Fisherman’s Village Pier actually on top of the water. Fifteen rooms have been blocked at a rate of $110 per night. The hospitality room will be located in the conference room. Check in is 3 p.m. and check out is 10 a.m.

Address is 1200 West Retta Esplande, #57, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. Website is fishville.com. Email is resort@fishville.com. Phone is 1-800-639-0020 or 941-639-8721. Identify yourself as the VMI Class of 1959 when you call. There are lots of things to do: Shopping in the village, a military museum 100 feet away, a Vietnam memorial wall close by, harbor tours and sunset cruises, excellent fishing, wildlife preserve, and a zoo close. There are five restaurants on the pier. For our out-ofstate BRs, there are two airports close by. Punta Gorda Airport is 15 minutes away and Southwest Florida International Airport is 30 minutes, both with shuttle service. We have had a few non-Floridians attend, and I think all enjoyed the Florida hospitality and experience.

Rusty Loth says the LAME lunch group has

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changed to LAMM (Loth, Addison, Martin and Myers) or GLAMM when Dave Goode figures out when snowbirds return north. When members are not on the gim, it is an enjoyable experience: Ned has joined the pacemaker club; John will get his driving privileges restored shortly.

Marvin is tasked with finding a restaurant, and Rusty just graces the group with his presence.

When it all comes together, it is good and “the spirit” is carried forth.

Rusty spoke with Bill Kessler in California, and he sounded great. Bill was on his way to visit an alumnus from ’63 in the local Veterans Affairs Hospital who is having some problems.

The Alabama swamp rat, Sonny Eskridge, has down-sized from Southfork Ranch in Prattville to smaller digs in Montgomery not far from his son. Rusty will stop by for lunch on his way to a 14th ACR Reunion in San Antonio the first part of May. This is the fourth reunion for Rusty and Bill Wray ’63.

Mike Vargosko says the only thing that comes close to the BR spirit is sharing combat with those whose lives depended on your actions and you, in return, depended on theirs.

Nowell and Sallie Loop are happy they downsized to a senior living center in Dallas, Texas.

The year has been filled with the excitement and joy of attending grandchildren’s activities.

They have two graduating from high school this year and leaving for Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and The University of Texas this fall. Sallie took three third-year Spanish students to Spain last summer and is taking two third-year German students to Germany this summer for some local culture and a chance to see how well they interact with the locals. The Loops are blessed with good health, good friends and a great family they see often.

Ann and I have had trouble recovering from our Nepal/India trip. We picked up a virus that was hard to shake, but it didn’t keep us from attending the VMI spring break at The Villages over St. Patrick’s Day. We had a great time and enjoyed the company of several ’59 brother rats, Including Dave Goode, Mel and Jean Anderson, Penn and Betty Whitescarver, Don and Carol Messner, Royall and Geri Geis, and John and Chris Patane. Ann and I did not make it to The Villages until Friday afternoon, just in time to see the VMI band march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. They did us proud, as they always do.

I can’t say enough about what Col. John Brodie (Hon.) has done with the VMI band. That

evening, we had cocktails and dinner at the Eisenhower Recreation Center and got to spend some time conversing with BRs and others. It is always good to talk to Gen. Peay ’62, Donnie Ross ’74, Jim Joustra ’76 and Jack McEwan ’65, as well as two lovely young ladies, Elaine Wood and Micalyn Miller, who represented the Alumni Association, the hosts for the VMI spring break.

Our granddaughter, Megan, continues to make us proud as a global ambassador for the Special Olympics. She is called upon to present awards and give speeches at Special Olympics functions.

She recently participated in the opening ceremony at the VMI Special Olympics swim meet, where she gave a speech during the opening ceremonies.

Keep those cards and emails coming in.

New email: shepvmi59@gmail.com.

Yours in the spirit, Shep

1960

James A. Smith III

Greetings from St. Martin, French West Indies.

Ruth and I have been taking a break from reality here in the Caribbean but are returning home to St. James Plantation, North Carolina, March 9.

My journey began Jan. 7 on a surgical project to the Dominican Republic, which lasted two weeks, followed by our hedonistic adventure here. My phone coverage has not been satisfactory and is expensive, so my birthday calls have been replaced with emails. Carl Benner, Feb. 18, had his usual round of golf, having recently shot his age. This is accomplished by some skill, moving up to the forward tees and having many birthdays. He replied that he is healthy. Guy Smith, Feb. 21, remains healthy and a regular contributor to Facebook.

Jim Tumlinson, Feb. 28, is also healthy. He is returning to Pennsylvania State University to teach again this spring and continues to stay active. Sam Horner, March 4, is also doing well and being spoiled by Lynn. He is convalescing from knee issues, but his golf game hasn’t suffered. Some sad news came from George Uhlig. His wife, Evelyn “Evie,” of 52 years died after a prolonged illness Feb. 3. George has been active in missionary work with his local Facilities Management Group in Price, Utah. He inspects local churches, fixing

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Class Notes wanted to be a pilot since I was a young what needs repair. On March 14, I kid in grade school, and I have always called Hunter Dovel but only got an been fascinated with the military. Beanswering machine to wish him well.

We need an email address, Hunter, if ing an Air Force pilot seemed to be the you are reading this. On March 21, I logical path to pursue as a dream of tried to call Ridge Parks, but the phone mine. In middle school, when people number we have for him has been disasked me, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ it always was imcontinued. We don’t have an email address but hope that by reading this, mediate that I could fire back that I Ridge will get in touch with us. We wanted to be an Air Force pilot. Howhope he had a happy birthday. ever, wanting to be an Air Force pilot On March 23, The Paul Bayliss 1960 and actually getting to fulfill that job Memorial Scholarship was awarded Class of 1960: G.G. and Frances Phillips, left, with Rev. Kate and seemed like completely separate ideas.

by Col. Robert Webb of the Air Force Rosser Bobbitt ’62 at their granddaughter’s wedding.

I was hopeful, but not filled with conROTC department to Cadet Tristan fidence that I would ever get to even Silverstorf ’18. Cadet Silverstorf is be an Air Force officer. When I was originally from Virginia Beach and is in high school, I began flying small a computer science major who mainairplanes and eventually started pursutains a 3.3 GPA. He is a certified priing my private pilot’s license. Getting flight time assured me that I needed vate pilot and has earned an Air Force to keep pursuing my dream of being training slot following graduation. He a pilot. During my senior year of high accepted the award humbly and with school, I found out that I had received much gratitude. Members of the Class an appointment to VMI. I was quick of ’60 in attendance were Reba Bayliss to accept this appointment and knew and son Patrick; Bob and Lucy Clay, that I intended on pursuing a commisEagle’s roommate; Jimbo and Ruth Smith; Hap and Mary Miller; Buddy sion in the Air Force. This was the next and Jeanne Frith; Howard and Susan step in my life that gave me the opporMoss; Bolling Williamson; Henry tunity to attend an institution where Brown; Herb Vaughan; Jim Pittman; many great military officers, such as and Ed Tolley. Before the presentation Captain Bayliss, have been shaped. of the award, Bolling spoke of how This is when being a pilot started to the award from our class reflects our become a possibility rather than just a appreciation not only for Eagle’s brav- Class of 1960: Herb Vaughan, Jimbo Smith, Bob Clay and Jim nice thought in my head. It was at the end of my rat year that I received an ery and service, but also as a reminder O’Dell at the Eagle Bayliss award presentation.

Air Force scholarship and contract, of the bonds we have as brother rats. and I could not believe that everything was falling Cadet Silverstorf’s letter to our class and Reba into place. Over that summer, I got to fly quite a bit Bayliss follows: “Dear Mr. Smith and Mrs. Baylin small Cessnas, and I was also fortunate enough iss, Thank you for the generous support from the to get an incentive ride in the T-38 Talon with Class of 1960 and VMI to help me pursue my the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base. dream of becoming an Air Force pilot. I think I was already completely sold on flying, and the this award serves as an inspiration for all cadets, two sorties in which I got to act as an aggressor particularly those who also dream of becoming toward multiple F-22 Raptors motivated me to military aviators. Captain Bayliss embodied the make sure that I end up in a cockpit. The followcharacteristics that the Institute is still working to instill in all of us. He was a selfless man committed ing academic year was mostly filled with preparato helping others and serving his country. I think it tion to go to Air Force Field Training, which is, is fantastic that this scholarship is designed to help of course, mandatory to commission. That sumothers achieve a career in military aviation, which mer, I managed to get my private pilot’s license the people are often so passionate about. week before I went to field training. This past year “This award personally allowed me to acknowlwas particularly exciting, because it was time to apply for the Rated Board to find out if I would edge that I am one step closer to achieving my Class of 1960: Barbara and Carl Bender. be selected to go to pilot training. In the middle dream of being a pilot in the Air Force. I have

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes of February, I got called down to the detachment commander’s office, hopeful that the news would be good. It turned out that what everyone had told me was true; hard work and persistence pays off; sure enough, I was elated to find out I had received a pilot slot. Since then, the next milestone was receiving this generous award that I am so fortunate and grateful to have been selected for. I remember seeing this scholarship awarded to upperclassmen during my previous years here at VMI. I think it is fantastic that this scholarship is designed to help cadets achieve their dreams, particularly in honoring Captain Bayliss’ selfless service and flying career.

“I want to thank Mrs. Bayliss and Patrick Bayliss, along with the VMI Class of 1960, for making this scholarship possible and providing inspiration to cadets who are striving to achieve their dreams.

I will be sure to keep you updated on my flying endeavors.

“P.S. I went down to the Memorial Garden in front of Cocke Hall, and I can confirm that Captain Bayliss’ silver wings are shining bright on his plaque on the memorial wall.

Sincerely, Tristan L. Silverstorf, VMI Class of 2018.”

On April 5, I tried to call Dave Maddox for his birthday wish, but no answer. He got an email birthday wish instead. On April 7-8, I attended a class agents’ conference at VMI. Ruth was with me. The highlight of the trip was a tour of the new, finished construction on post. The Corps leadership building is phenomenal. When you see the

renovated “Pit,” Cormack Hall and Cocke Hall, you will not recognize them. Truly state of the art!

A presentation by Gen. Binnie Peay ’62 made me and others aware that our Institute has become a beacon among small colleges. So much has been added to the curriculum, barracks and military life, as well as the incredible new buildings. I hasten to add that the core values that have meant so much to us over the years have not changed one iota. Within the first five minutes of matriculating, the new cadets are introduced to our Honor System. The teaching continues throughout their 4th Class year. The academic programs rank in the top 10 of small colleges. The Corps is physically fit to a degree beyond my imagination. The Corps leadership is vibrant. Our Institute has progressed with the times. Your gifts to VMI, and those that I’m sure will continue, have and are producing results in which we all should have a sense of great pride. While Ruth and I were there, we were able to spend time with Bolling Williamson, who is the historian of the Alumni Association, along with Howard Lawrence ’57 and George Sydnor ’57.

George and Howard are the new class agents of ’57, and they were being indoctrinated. I dyked in Howard’s room. Ruth is a widow of Waller Wills ’57. As such, we have been invited to attend the Class of ’57’s 60th Reunion. We are looking forward to being with old friends, especially my dyke, Frank Gilmore ’57, whom I haven’t seen in 60 years. More about our experience in later class notes. Also, Bolling and I ran into Professor Hap Miller in Preston Library, putting in extra hours

Class of 1960: Bo Bowles, Herb Vaughan, Bob Clay, Jim Tumlinson, Jack Willard, Howard Moss, Bolling Williamson, Jack Willard, Jack Seamon, Dave Maddox, Roy McLeod and Jimbo Smith at Bill Cressall’s Arlington National Cemetery burial May 15.

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working with one of his students. Bolling complimented Hap on his commitment and apologized for his intrusion of Hap’s session. Hap wrote, “Bolling, not at all. Anytime. My students appreciate meeting some of my BRs. I think it makes me more ‘real’ in their eyes. And they are what keep me alive! So, my time with them is really selfish on my part! It was good to see you, as always. Take care, and hurry back!” This is another wonderful example of one of our brother rat’s commitment to service. On April 18, I got hold of Peanuts Elliott and wished him a happy birthday. He has thawed out but still a bit chilly. That’s just his “old age.” As I mentioned, Ruth and I were invited to the Class of ’57’s 60th Reunion. We had a wonderful time reminiscing. My dyke, Frank Gilmore ’57, and wife Ann, whom I hadn’t seen in 60 years, was there. Many of your dykes were present and asked about your whereabouts. When my memory worked, and theirs as well, we “filled in the blanks.” The experience was another example of how our time at VMI has come to mean so much the longer we are away. As I’ve said before, those years from age 18-22 were so important in our lives. We went from boys to men.

On April 26, the three birthday boys, Brother Rats Otis Pool, George Salaita and Dick Evans, got a phone call. I was only able to speak with Otis. He was fine. All got email messages. On April 29, I spoke with Vaughn Foxwell on his day.

Vaughn’s wife, Helen, had just baked a German chocolate cake and a daughter had brought him a cherry pie. Vaughn is one of our active farmers.

He said he had just received a load of soybeans to plant. He has graduated from 100-pound sacks to 50 pounds. He is “da man!” I also spoke with Jim Greathead in Colorado very early in the morning April 29. He and Reba had 6 inches of snow the night before. Both Vaughn and Jim are doing well.

On May 4, I received an email from Tom Royster. He and Jennifer have moved from Round Rock, Texas, to Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

They are temporarily renting until a permanent home is found. New email: dtroysterjr@gmail. com. New phone: 336-941-9330. Tom’s brother John ’68, and wife Susan and Tom’s sister live nearby. Tom’s daughter, Ashley, lives in Charlotte.

VMI folks who are in the area are encouraged to look up Tom. On May 8, I spoke with John Hilliard in Satellite Beach, Florida, as well as John’s wife, Linda. John had back surgery earlier this spring but is able to go to his fitness center and rehab. He is still an active

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Class Notes see Herb Vaughan, wish him a happy birthday, no matter when or where you may be. He continues to look younger with age!

In the spirit, Jimbo

1961

Sal Vitale Jr.

Class of 1960: Brother rats and wives were pictured with Reba and Patrick Bayliss and Cadet Silverstorf, the recipient of the Capt. Paul Bayliss Class of 1960 Memorial Scholarship. guide for the Kennedy Space Center, taking care of the media during launches. He is doing well and sends his best regards to you all.

On May 11, I caught up with the Rev. Robert “Bobby” Graves on his birthday in Pensacola, Florida. Bobby is still saving souls as an Episcopal priest. He has a church in Pensacola and is also the priest-in-charge at a prison in nearby Alabama.

Bobby says he is planning on coming to our 60th.

Bolling Williamson and wife Theresa were visiting their daughter in Maryland May 12, his birthday. Joe Stewart, May 13, was celebrating his birthday on a motorcycle trip with an old friend.

I had a delightful conversation with Joe’s wife, Yvonne, in search of Joe. Joe continues to work at his construction company started 10 years ago.

We wish him continued good health, safety and many more birthdays and motorcycle trips.

On New Market Day, our Brother Rat Lt. Col. Bill “Elrod” Cressall was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. In attendance were Mrs. Jane Cressall and friends, Mrs. Brooke (Cressall) McKinnon; Hunter and Kim Cressall, Bill’s son and his wife; Bob and Lucy Clay; Herb and Terry Vaughan; Howard and Susan Moss; Jack and Anneliese Willard; Dave and Ethelmary Maddox; Bo and Nancy Bowles; Jimbo and Ruth Smith; Bolling and Theresa Williamson; Jack Seamon; Roy McLeod; and Jim Tumlinson. Herb Vaughan gave a wonderful

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and touching eulogy at the chapel service. After the graveside service, we gathered around our red, white and yellow wreath given by our class and gave an Old Yell for Elrod, followed by one for the Class of ’60. It was a privilege to be there.

Herb reminded us all of the meaning of the invaluable bond we all have as brother rats of the Class of 1960. After the service, we parted ways with memories of Elrod, and Ruth and I headed for the Olde Mill Resort to get ready for our “midterm reunion.” We expected 19 brother rats and assorted wives. Our next class notes in the Alumni Review will fill you all in about the goings on at The Olde Mill Resort, along with pictures.

It’s time to close again. Let me please remind you all that the Institute needs our financial support. The commonwealth of Virginia provides only 18 percent of the school’s total operating budget. Moreover, our class legacy, The Capt.

Paul Bayliss Class of 1960 Memorial Scholarship needs funding. To date, there have been three outstanding AFROTC cadets that have received the award.

I thank you for your contributions thus far. I will continue to try to call each of you on your birthday. It is my pleasure to find out how you all are doing. Please continue to stay safe, healthy and in touch.

Before I close, I must admit an omission of a birthday notice in my notes in November. If you

Where does the time go? The last time I was writing class notes was six weeks past my heart surgery. Now, I am very proud to tell you I have finished 34 cardiac rehab sessions, received a completion cardiac rehab diploma and am moving forward with my life. Unfortunately, we missed three great events: Amelia Island golf, the class southern Caribbean cruise and VMI at The Villages. Again, thank you for all your prayers.

The Amelia Island golf outing organized by Clayton Smith was an outing to remember.

Based on the reports I received, the accommodations at the Hampton Inn were outstanding. The Hampton Inn renovated a historic building, and the interior was beautiful. The management provided the class with a happy hour each day with wonderful hors d’oeuvres. For non-golfers, the inn was located near small shops that provided an opportunity for shopping. Incidentally, the price for the stay was very reasonable. Golf was at the Amelia River Golf Course, and as usual, it would not be a VMI ’61 golf outing without a huge rainstorm. Several folks were able to get in nine holes the first day, but a driving rainstorm forced all of the players from the course except for one die-hard foursome. The next day was sunny and very windy. Clayton’s outstanding arrangements resulted in his being elected to do it again next year. Those in attendance included: Dude and Kathy Copenhaver, Henry and Brenda Huntsberry, Rod and Doris Hudgins, Bob and Bronnie Polk, Ray and Sally Hanlein, Harrison and Terry Fridley, Lee and Betsy Badgett, Dicky and Dianne Stone, Jim and Blair Bickford, Ken Ayala, Charlie and Margie Finnigan, Spike and Mary Callander, Stu and Lee Crow, Robert and Pat Williamson, Jud McLester, John Miller, and Clayton Smith.

The class southern Caribbean cruise started for most attendees with a day in Puerto Rico taking

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes contact Tom Phlegar at 704-776-8166 in the sights. Then, aboard the ship, or by email btphlegar@aol.com. the group ate together and rotated The 2017 VMI Spring Break in The tables each night so everyone had a Villages, along with St. Patrick’s Day, chance to spend time together. The was celebrated in a big way. George group was very compatible, and Gayand Edna Henning hosted two of lia Hudgins (the only single on the the VMI cadets from the band that trip) said everyone was so gracious came to The Villages to march in the to her, and she would travel with us St. Patrick’s Day parade. One played again. The trip was not without inthe tuba and the other played the cident. Returning home, nearly evsousaphone. (And also Edna’s grand eryone was affected by some sort of piano; he gave serenades both nights ailment. However, Andy Myruski after dinner using sheet music. Amazand Hill Browning were unscathed, primarily due to the consumption of ing young man.) Both wore academic an absurd amount of alcohol. Rod Class of 1961: Pictured at dinner March 17, 2017, at the Water- stars and were from Roanoke. The Hudgins inoculated himself with the front Inn in The Villages, Florida, were, from left, Clayton Smith, Corps looked quite dashing marching Lee Badgett, George Henning and Dude Copenhaver. Present miracle cure, “Theraworx,” and for but not pictured were Stu Crow and Bill Hala. amongst the many assorted decorated some reason didn’t share it with his golf carts and razzle dazzle leprewife, Doris, and she became ill. The majority of chauns. Only about a third of the band – 36 caand Margaret Myruski, Tom and Barbara Phlethe class and friends had various illnesses like a gar, Dick and Diane Stone, and Bob and Sue El- dets – attended. Kathy Copenhaver worked the simple cold, eye infection, sinus infection and len Reitz. hospitality desk for two days and met a bunch bronchitis. However, the winner of the National All of those on the trip said they would like to of alumni. Mostly were older alumni, but there Institute of Health infectious disease award goes do another trip but this time cruising from, say, were a few younger ones (’93, ’94, ’08 and ’09). to Bob Reitz, who came down with double pneu- Baltimore, Maryland, along the East Coast of Dinner at the Eisenhower Recreation Center was monia, congestive heart failure and a yeast infec- the United States north to Halifax, Nova Scotia, very nice, and of course, Gen. Binnie Peay ’62 tion, and the second place goes to Dick Stone. or even further up to the St. Lawrence River and gave a great talk. Lee and Betsey Badgett, Dude Those on the trip were: Hill and Heather Brownon to Québec or even Montréal. The time of the and Kathy Copenhaver, Stu and Lee Crow, ing, Spike and Mary Callander, Tim and Mary year for this trip would be fall 2019 so that we George and Edna Henning, and Clayton Smith Donovan (friends of Spike Callander), Ed and can enjoy the foliage. Trips also leave from New attended. A few brave ’61 alumni – Dude CopenPat Duncan (friends of Rod Hudgins), Ray and York, but considering the cost of parking (most haver, Stu Crow and Clayton Smith – particiSarah Hanlein, Gaylia Hudgins, Rod and Doris folks would drive to the port), Baltimore is very pated in the golf outing at The Villages Arnold Hudgins, Leo and Janet Kirkman (friends of reasonable. If you’re interested in taking this trip Palmer Country Club. Tee-off temperature was Tom Phlegar), Harold and Celia Kurstedt, Andy (2019) or have any ideas about other trips, please 39 degrees and warmed up to a balmy 57 degrees.

Lunch followed at the Arnold Palmer Country Club, and the cocktail hour was at the Waterfront Inn, where everyone had a chance to meet and greet the band cadets. Bill Hala was in town for this event and shared a table with George and Edna Henning and Royall and Geri Geis ’59.

Geis was in Band Company. At the table were two cadets, one of whom was David Tolley ’19, grandson of Ed Tolley ’60. There was a showing of the movie, “Field of Lost Shoes,” (story about New Market) and a most entertaining talk

by Col. Keith Gibson ’77, executive director of the VMI Museum System.

The spring golf outing at beautiful Southport/ Oak Island, North Carolina, was the first time Class of 1961: Pictured at sea on Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas March 16, 2017, Sue and I had an opportunity to be with the were, from left, front row, Gaylia Hudgins, Heather Browning, Doris Hudgins, Pat Duncan, Ray and Sarah Hanlein, Diane Stone ,Celia Kurstedt, Dick Stone, Mary Donoclass, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We arrived van, and Janet Kirkman. Second row: Ed Duncan, Rod Hudgins, Tim Donovan, Harold Wednesday, May 3, and attended the party at Kurstedt, Spike and Mary Callander, Andy and Peggy Myruski, Leo Kirkman, Barbara Dickey Stone’s clubhouse, featuring delicious Phlegar, Hill Browning, Tom Phlegar, and Sue Ellen and Bob Reitz. heavy hors d’oeuvres; Ray Hanlein’s specially

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Class Notes

Class of 1961: Jane and Lou Kiger completed a bucket list trip March 10, 2017, at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. prepared smoked salmon; Dianne Stone’s rum cake; Bert Modine’s coconut white cake; and lots of wine, beer and, yes, water. Thursday was golf day, and six foursomes played at the Carolina National Golf Course. Sue and I, along with Mary Callander, Dianne Stone, Margie Finnegan, Edna Henning, Jeannie Burks, Judy Keen (Dianne’s friend), and Tom and Barbara Phlegar had lunch in Southport at a wonderful restaurant called Oliver’s. Thursday night, we returned to the clubhouse for a sit-down beef and chicken dinner and to give out the prizes for golf. The winning team was Spike Callander, Bert Modine and Dickey Stone’s neighbor, Doug (a ringer).

The second place team was John Miller, Sally Hanlein, Rhett Clarkson and Dick Stone. Third place was Modine, Henning and Lee Crow. As I said before, it would not be a VMI ’61 golf outing without a huge rainstorm. While at dinner, the rain came, and it was heavy. Golf for Friday was now in question. After breakfast with the Phlegars, Copenhavers and Burkses, we left for home, and it was on and off showers for six hours.

Those golfers and non-golfers in attendance were: Fred and Carolyn Ayers, Bob and Jeannie Burks, John and Linda Butler, Spike and Mary Callander, Rhett Clarkson, Stu and Lee Crow, Allison Drescher, Jerri and Charlene Eubank, Charlie and Margie Finnegan, John Gangemi, Ray and Sally Hanlein, George and Edna Henning, Will Hoskins, Jud McLester, John Miller, Kent and Bert Modine, Tom and Barbara Phlegar, Mike and Betty Pitt, Bob and Bronnie Polk, Bob and Suellen Reitz, Dickey and Dianne Stone, Ashby and Sandra Taylor, Sal and Sue Vitale, Robert

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and Pat Williamson, Kim Wise, and Dick and Judy Youngblood. I have lost count on how many times Dickey Stone has hosted this event.

I hope he plans to do it as long as he can get a few of us together.

During Bill Hala’s trip to The Villages, he stopped by the Institute and had lunch with Tom and Barbara Phlegar in Charlotte. This winter, Bill only got in two days of cross country skiing before going to Florida.

Andy and Peggy Myruski returned to Virginia for the summer. Andy said that the car was so loaded with Peggy’s shells and craft stuff that there was no room for her. The solution was easy; Andy could hitchhike home (smile).

Lou and Jane Kiger took a four-week road trip through several southern states. They traveled

from Lynchburg down to Tallassee, Florida, and then along the Gulf Coast through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, stopping for a few days in New Orleans. Then it was on through Texas, sightseeing in San Antonio and Big Bend National Park. They continued on through Texas to Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico.

Carlsbad Caverns are huge and impressive. Then it was back home to Virginia, stopping at Amarillo, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Robbers Cave State Park, Oklahoma; Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas; and Vicksburg, Mississippi.

They also drove the Natchez Trace in Mississippi; visited some horse farms in Lexington, Kentucky; then were on to Cumberland Gap in Kentucky.

The trip ended by traveling through southwest

Class of 1961: Pictured at dinner at the Caswell Dunes Clubhouse in Oak Island, North Carolina, May 3, 2017, were Mary Callander, Charlene Eubank, Bert Modine, Lee Crow, Bronnie Polk, Sally Hanlein, Sandra Taylor, Dianne Stone, Sue Vitale, Edna Henning, Jeannie Burks, Jerri Eubank, Bob Reitz, Ray Hanlein, Bob Burks, Charlie and Margie Finnegan, Dickey Stone, Allison Drescher, Rhett Clarkson, Mike Pitt, Ashby Taylor, Carolyn Ayers, Dick Butler, Suellen Reitz, Barbara Phlegar, Sal Vitale, Spike Callander, George Henning, Will Hoskins, Tom Phlegar, Kent Modine, Bob Polk, Stu Crow, John Gangemi, John Miller, Betty Pitt, Fred Ayers, Dude Copenhaver, Jud McLester, Linda Butler, and Kim Wise. Present but not pictured were Robert and Pat Williamson and Dick and Judy Youngblood.

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Virginia on their way home. Lou and Jane have now marked seeing all 50 states off their bucket list. We are so fortunate to live in this great and beautiful country.

Frankie Ring is a chaplain for the ministry at Kairos women’s prison in Goochland, Virginia.

In May, she spent four days at the prison and returned home without any problems.

I was not able to attend the VMI scholarship lunch, and Harrison and Terry Fridley volunteered to attend. This year’s VMI 1961 Scholarship went to Cadet Tyler DeJoe ’18, a 2nd Class cadet and international studies major with a minor in French. His activities include the Regimental and Pipe Bands, debating, and being the cadet in charge of the Civil War Round Table. Upon graduation in 2018, he will be a combat systems officer in the U.S. Air Force.

This year’s Face of America bike ride from Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, took place on a few very hot days. Due to a scheduling conflict, Alison (Pigmy) Drescher was unable to ride for Team Custer’s Cavalry.

Lou Shuba and Alison thank all of you for the financial support they have received for this endeavor. Both Lou and/or Alison have been in the top five fundraisers for this event. This year, Lou worked as a support person for the three-day bike race. There were over 500 volunteers involved in various aspects of the event.

The support from church groups, volunteer fire companies, civic organizations and the general public along the route increases every year. Priscilla Shuba’s “cookie brigade” did another outstanding job by providing a large assortment of homemade cookies and brownies (approximately 300 dozen) for the luncheon at the completion of the ride. Many riders took Ziploc bags with them for the return trip home, and leftovers were given to the food pantry and local homeless shelter. Congratulations to Lou and Priscilla on reaching their 50th wedding anniversary.

Doug and Mollie Popp, Allison Drescher and Fred Ayers attended the unveiling of the Doc Carroll bust at VMI. Doug was sitting behind Doc’s family. Also there was Col. Hundley, who is in his 90s and wheelchair bound. Doug credits Doc and Col. Hundley for getting him through VMI. I am sure there are hundreds more who would tell the same story. Doug was told that one of “Doc’s boys” contributed $25,000 for the bronze bust, and almost

2017-Issue 3

Class of 1961: Pictured at a golf outing Feb. 21, 2017, at the Hampton Inn at Amelia Island, Florida, were Dude Copenhaver, Kathy Copenhaver, Brenda Huntsberry, Doris Hudgins, Henry Huntsberry, Bronnie Polk, Ray Hanlein, Sally Hanlein, Bob Polk, Harrison Fridley, Lee Badgett, Betsy Badgett, Dickey Stone, Terry Fridley, Diane Stone, Jim Bickford, Ken Ayala, Blair Bickford, Margie Finnegan, Spike Callander, Stu Crow, Charlie Finnegan, Pat Williamson, Jud McLester, Robert Williamson, Lee Crow, Clayton Smith, John Miller, Mary Callander and Rod Hudgins. $75,000 of those surplus contributions were directed into a fund for the biology department.

The months of May and June will be very busy for Sue and me. We have a grandson who will be getting married in May, another grandson graduating from high school and going to Weidner College in the Philadelphia area in August, and another grandson who will be graduating from Valley Forge Military Academy and College and hopefully be off to VMI. Our granddaughter, Victoria, will be with us for part of the summer. She is now a senior at James Madison University, and after she completes two early session summer classes, she will be in Virginia Beach working as a senior counselor for a summer program. Last summer, I did not have an opportunity to spend much time with her, and I want to catch up. This year, I will be at the Shuba pig roast, and other than that trip, we do not plan to do much more than just enjoy the summer.

As most of us know, VMI has its own unique vocabulary with words such as “dyke” and “gim.” I could not remember where the expression “riding the gim” (sick list) came from. I learned the following from reading the book, “The Institute:” When the post surgeon’s assistant made his rounds in a wagon drawn by a horse named Gimlet, cadets who were sick went to the infirmary on the wagon, and hence were “riding the gim.”

The list of brother rats and spouses who are in need of your prayers continues to grow. Hugh Gouldthorpe is recovering, and when I talked

to him via telephone, he sounded like himself.

Hugh has been walking up to 3 miles and started playing tennis. Ann Woodfin is holding her own and does read her emails and answers them.

Dave Magee had a few issues which he claims are now under control. Bob Burks’ doctors do not know why he is having problems, but that is not stopping him from playing golf. Bob Polk keeps making stones and breaking them up and passing them, which keeps him on his toes. Bud Alligood was losing weight and after diagnosis and treatment is regaining his weight. Bud and Peggy missed Southport golf; this was a first in many years. Ken Ayala is coping with a problem but, again, his attitude is positive. Howard Dyer had his right knee replaced and should be back on courts in three months. Judy Youngblood just had a knee replacement and should be home now (May). Irene Gangemi has severe arthritis, and it is not getting better. Ken Legum had a knee replacement and is in rehab. Oscar Mabry is scheduled for a second knee replacement in July.

Ken Patrick was at Cleveland Clinic for a serious operation May 10, and Brother Rat Fred Kressierer visited with Ken and his family a few days later. According to Fred, Ken was doing really well, has a positive attitude and things look very good for him. Sue and Ken’s girls drove Ken back to Virginia Beach May 14. The power of prayers!

Mike Payne is still coping and was not able to meet with the BRs at the Amelia Island golf outing. Roger Suiter relocated to a new facility in Charlotte. Tom Phlegar visited with him, and

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Class Notes Roger is doing OK, considering his condition.

Charlie Stevens is doing great, considering he died at least four times. We see him several times a month at Gibbings’ beer and cookies.

Brother Rat Paul Singer Thompson IV died Feb. 20, 2017, following surgery to correct an aortic aneurysm in the abdominal area. Paul made it through the surgery, but his blood pressure suddenly dropped in recovery and doctors were unable to revive him.

Paul was born at the West Point Military Academy in 1940, the son of an Army officer who taught there but was later killed in World War II. Paul wore stars his entire cadetship and, upon graduation, was the recipient of the Woodrow Wilson fellowship in history at the University of Virginia. Howard Dyer remembers Paul as a great student, and Joe Lisiecki remembers Paul used to wear the Army Finance Corps golden triangle on his fatigue hat when most of us wore infantry, armor, etc. branch identifications. Paul was a history instructor at VMI before he and Earline moved to South Africa to teach at the University of Natal (as it then was called).

Paul developed an interest in local history, and during the 1970s, he collaborated with John Laband on the ground-breaking “Field Guide to the Zulu War” and several subsequent publications, including, “Wars Comes to Umvoti” and “The Buffalo Border.” He continued to research KwaZulu-Natal history and later wrote a history of the Natal native contingent during the AngloZulu War and, more recently, several books on the Bhambatha Rebellion, including “Bhambatha: The Making of a Rebel,” “Incident at Trewirgie” and the “Historical Atlas of the Zulu Rebellion.”

His files will be placed in the Natal Archive, the Alan Paton Research Centre at the Natal University and other research centers in Durban. His contribution to the field of Zulu history was immense and will be sadly missed. He is survived by his wife, two children and four grandchildren.

Every day is a blessing, and I wish for you many days of happiness and good health.

Please call a brother rat you haven’t heard from in a long time. Maybe a kind word from you will help brighten his day. Also, communications from you have been lacking, and I had trouble using the space allocated, so let’s hear from you.

Sue and I are looking forward to being at this year’s VMI Matriculation Day when our grandson, Mark, signs the book. Stay tuned! God bless the class, VMI, our troops and the USA.

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1962

Monty Williams Jerry Burnett

This is my first of many class notes as your new co-class agent. For those of us who attended the 55th Reunion, we owe a rousing Old Yell to Columbus (aka Chris) Cartwright, Lewis Graybill, Carolyn Worrell, Tony Curtis, Jerry Burnett, George Collins, Dick Thomas and the others who helped make this reunion one of the best we have ever had. The bar has been set high for the 60th.

The following are reports from the indicated BRs: Tom Miller: “You know, BR Toth and I went to Annapolis after rat year (two rat years ... stupid).

He was killed on the Israeli bombing of the ship USS Liberty off Israel, and I was on the rescue ship the next day. I went aboard with the investigating officer and was shocked to see his name as killed!

Brother Rat Steve Toth and I were the only two to go to Annapolis after our rat year. I went surface warfare; Steve went intelligence. On June 8, 1967, we were the only ’62 or any VMI grads at sea in the Mediterranean. Steve was on the intel ship USS Liberty; I was on the destroyer USS Fred T. Berry. The Liberty was viciously attacked that day by Israeli planes, purposefully, and BR Steve died a true hero’s death (Silver Star). My ship was ordered to pick up Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd Jr. in Malta and carry him (flank speed) to the eastern Mediterranean to be the investigating officer for the calamity. I, in turn, carried Kidd to board the Liberty in the captain’s gig and collect some documents. I saw copies of the dead and wounded and absolutely shockingly discovered BR Steve’s name.

A fitting coincidence, I think. We were BRs and Annapolis classmates. Obviously we were close at Annapolis. Steve’s family received $100,000 from the Israeli government. I believe almost certainly this was a deliberate series of attacks. Another coincidence of all this is that Rear Admiral Kidd brought up to me the irony; he was the son of Admiral Isaac Kidd Sr., who died on USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor (the senior casualty), and here he

was the investigator of the bombing of USS Liberty. As we approached the Liberty in the gig, there was a hole the size of a bulldozer in the side and other extensive combat damage.

“At VMI, Don Landes and Klaus Burmeister were my roommates, and Brother Rat Binnie Peay was my next-door neighbor. I started in A Company and switched to Band Company – played clarinet and was second from the front on right flank behind Beetle Bailey! I was a math major first semester. Dee Worrell was a math major, and we were good friends; the number of math BRs was small. ‘Phi’ Burns, the department head, taught us well. Second semester, I switched to English! Don Beckner, Carlisle Lowe and Don Landes were particular friends in English. We met some nights at Professor Do-Do Dillard’s quarters – good experience. There were few of us. I learned how to write and read.”

Tom attended the 55th and reported how special it was to be with his BRs again and to share many stories from his rat year.

George Collins provided four bottles of a 1962 vintage French wine, a 1962 Scottish whisky and several cases of a 2014 vintage wine from Wine Cellars of Annapolis for the dinner at Carolyn Worrell’s. The wine and scotch were well received. George and his family went on a skiing trip to Aspen. George was also observed sailing off Miami Beach with his sea dog, Sully.

Per Madsen: “I will most likely not be there (reunion), as I am undergoing a start of two operations at the Veterans Affairs Hospital starting Monday for up to over a month. My son, Niels ’09, met with a friend of ours at Grafenwoehr a week ago. He is a surprise. If I make things work, I will try to get down there later this year.”

Roberto Gorbea: “Thanks for forwarding BR Per’s message. I would like to add that the person who his son met in Grafenwoehr last week was my son, Carlos, who commands the 457 Civil Affairs Battalion (U.S. Army Reserve) there. I will be sending a note to Per wishing him well.”

Mercer McPherson reported that he and Carol were on a trip to Antarctica where he had a golf outing. He stated, “I think I have the only golf ball in existence that was hit by a person who has hit golf balls on all seven continents! It was a trip worth taking!”

Stan Henning: “Please forgive my lack of correspondence. I certainly love my brother rats but find it hard to leave Hawaii, because I am currently anxiously awaiting the Beijing Ethnic Publishing

VMI Alumni Review

The Class of 1962

Class of 1962: Present at the reunion were John C. Allen, John D. Anthony, C. Allan Bamforth Jr., Thomas R. Bandy III, Eugene M. Bane Jr., Eldridge Blanton III, Joseph R. Bobbitt III, Robert D. Bradley, Gerald C. Burnett, Hughes D. Burton, Randolph E. Campbell, John S. Candler, Columbus Cartwright, Howard E. Cobb, Gerald D. Connors, Frederic Consolvo III, Theodore C. Cooley, Thomas E. Coulbourn, James D. Cox, John W. Cummings, Anthony M. Curtis, Ryland P. Davis Jr., J.R. Dunkley Jr., Dennis F. Easley, A. Weldon Eddins Jr., Robert R. Evans, Douglas S. Fielder, William H. Fisher Jr., Roberto Gorbea, Lewis V. Graybill, Randolph M. Hamner, Richard H. Hoagland Jr., Robert M. Howard Jr., R.L. Stinson Jones, Carl M. Jordan Jr., Victor D. Kane, R. Danny Kiser, Louis C. Landry III, Calvin A. Lloyd II, Alfred R. Mangino, C. Douglas Marechal, Thomas R. Meler, John A. Merrill, Thomas H. Miller, Geoffrey S. Mitchell, Robert T. Mitchell Jr., William K. Mizell Jr., Patrick J. Morrison, Thomas W. Murphree, Henry K. Murray Jr., Edward D. Northrop Jr., H. Wayne Pacine, J.H. Binford Peay III, J. Bowles Pender Jr., Walter C. Perrin II, Roy A. Raney Jr., William B. Rawlings Jr., H. Paul Rhodes, Louis C. Ritchie Jr., George W. Robbins III, Joseph B. Roberts Jr., J. Mott Robertson Jr., Bruce G. Seiling, Calvin C. Seybold, John C. Shelhorse III, W. Ware Smith Jr., Richard R. Speidel, John W. Spence, Edmund R. Strickler, C. Richard Thomas Jr., John E. Traynham III, David W. Wagner, Richard B. Ward, Joseph L. Weakley, Gordon R. White Jr., William C. White Jr., Richard N. Willard, M.C. Williams III, L.B. Wilson Jr. and Robert D. Yearout.

55th Reunion – April 24-25, 2017 Class Notes

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Class Notes House release of my book on Chinese martial arts history. I wish my brother rats the best!”

Skip Davis: “Bill Kohout was my roommate our rat year. The night before he left, he was unsettled about staying at VMI. He said he was going to leave, but John Morris and I did not think he would. The next morning, he left, and his uniform was found downtown. Nobody knew where he went until six weeks later, when he was found working on a dairy farm in Kentucky. He subsequently went to the University of Kentucky and graduated. So glad he had a successful career and great family. He was a terrific guy. Bill’s leaving was a big shock to us; he was on the football team and did well academically. His father was a VMI graduate.”

Earl Severo: “Joan and I will not be able to attend the 55th Reunion. I have just started physical therapy to help improve my mobility. I have Parkinsonism. This is the motion disorder phenomenon of this disease. In short, I process all movements at the conscious level. Normally, the majority of those motions are processed at the subconscious level. The result is slower reaction times and walking motions. The physical therapy program is designed to improve many aspects walking to improve my gait. Interestingly, cycling is the most effective. As you know, I love to cycle.

I have an indoor bicycle that is being serviced this week. I guess I’ve worn out the machine! As you might expect, navigating in crowds is somewhat difficult. Joan and I are doing quite well, and we will be with you in spirit during the reunion festivities. In the spirit.”

Don Arey: “Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend the reunion due to my recent open heart surgery/aortic valve replacement; no bypass necessary. Maybe my healthy lifestyle for 45 years accounts for the lack of coronary artery occlusive disease, but there is no known way to prevent aortic valve stenosis. I believe that I am doing well regarding the surgery, but recovery is taking longer than I thought – weak and tired. I can see why I have been dreading this for three years, because it is very traumatic; I have never had surgery before except trauma and minor. I thank the BRs who have called me and written notes and emails. Will contact you after the reunion. Hope that I can ultimately be able to bike from Auburndale to The Villages again, as I have done twice before.”

We presented 73 Vietnam War service lapel pins to our brother rats either in person or by mail during the reunion. This lapel pin is authorized by the

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president of the United States and is managed by the Department of Defense. The program is used to recognize the military service of all who served during the designated Vietnam War period (Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975). Recipients of the lapel pin did not have to actually serve in Vietnam to qualify to wear the pin. If any BRs believe they qualify and would like one, please submit the following information to Cal Seybold by email (seyboldc@hotmail.com) or by USPS to 12641 HWY 1, Mount Carmel, IL 62836. Include your name: Last, first, middle initial; highest military rank; branch of service; hometown/state; service years; served in Vietnam (yes or no); and Cal will send you one.

Bob Miller said he was unable to attend the reunion, as he had just returned home from the Institute after attending Legacy Day with his grandson April 22, 2017. He said the events scheduled for North Post were moved to the new Corps Physical Training Facility (which is awesome). His grandson’s 12-year-old group did a rope climb, cargo net climb, climbed the climbing wall, raced the 60-yard track, beam walk and other events. They then ate at Crozet Hall and finished the day with a chemistry department demonstration with some practical exercises. To close the day, they were presented graduation certificates from Moe, the VMI mascot.

Our class president, John Anthony, continues to do well, as follows: He serves as chairman of the North American Bridge Network, a consortium of non-government educational organizations to which His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al-Sa’ud has contributed over the years, with the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations being the most favored recipient. Prince Alwaleed has promised to contribute all of his $34 billion to charitable causes upon his death. (He is now in his mid-50s.) He was recently appointed by Senators Pat Roberts and Robert Dole and all five of the former presidents to the International Advisory Council of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission. He has also been appointed a trustee of the Gulf Bond Fund, and investment firm whose other trustees (nine) include high net worth Fortune 100 and 500 individuals and former ministers of finance and director-generals of the leading development funds of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. It has also been his privilege to speak at international conferences in Paris, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi and to escort the sultanate of Oman (for the 21st year in succession), a

delegation of armed forces officers selected by the commanding general of the U.S. Central Command.

Rosser Bobbitt and Alex “Frog” Raney were present at the wedding of the granddaughter of G.G. Phillips ’60 April 29 at Galilee Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kate Bobbitt officiated the wedding.

Carl and Ellen Jordan attended the 55th with their grandchildren, Briley Jordan and Lucas Christiano, along with the grandchildren’s parents.

Briley and Lucus are first cousins. On Monday afternoon, April 24, Gen. Peay presented each with a provisional appointment to VMI. In a perfect world, they will attend VMI and graduate with the Class of 2030. They were observed playing chess at the superintendent’s quarters during our reception April 25.

Ed Vineratos wrote that, after teaching in the former Soviet Union for 24-and-a-half years, he has left Russia and is temporarily residing with friends in Latvia, a Baltic country and also part of the former Soviet Union. He is well with a sound mind and body. He states that living in northern Europe is an advantage for convenient journeying to countries of interest in lower latitudes. Last September-October, he visited Kiev, Ukraine, for a couple of weeks then went to Thailand and the Philippines in December-January and Greece, Italy and France in February-March. He will visit England and Iceland soon, then Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine again. He is planning on returning to the USA in December and hopes to make it to future reunions.

Danny Kiser reported, “What a wonderful reunion we had, and it seems that each one gets better and better. “ He attributes it to the fact that we now take more time to meet, talk and listen with one another than we did when we were younger.

He and Nancy have had a busy 2017, starting with their 50th wedding anniversary at the Homestead Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, which was the actual day they were married in 1967. All their children and grandchildren were there for a wonderful threeday celebration. Coming up, Nancy has several of her Pi Phi sisters from the College of William & Mary coming to what they call summer camp at their cabin on the creek, followed by a trip to Chicago in the middle of June and then on to a tour of the Hudson River Valley in September with the same campers with their husbands.

Wayne Pacine and Larry Wilson have already volunteered to serve on the 60th Reunion

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

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Class of 1962 1. Mercer McPherson golfed in Antarctica.

2. George Collins with the 1962 Scotch whisky and 1962 vintage French wine at Carolyn Worell’s.

3. Sully, a sea dog, and George Collins at the helm off Miami Beach.

4. General Peay and Pam during the Old Yell in Old Barracks.

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5. G.G. Phillips ’60, Alex “Frog” Raney and Rosser Bobbitt at G.G.’s granddaughter’s wedding.

6. Briley Jordan and Lucus Christiano played chess in the superintendent’s quarters at the reception April 25.

7. Briley Jordan and Lucus Christiano pictured with Gen. Peay holding their provisional appointments.

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Class Notes Committee, which will be here before we know it.

It seems that the older we get, the faster time goes by.

Pete Petitt and Jan are doing fine. They occasionally serve as Uber drivers for their daughter, Colleen Jones, who is chief executive officer of Content Science, when she comes through Richmond en route to accounts in Charlottesville, Alexandria, D.C. and Tidewater.

Edmund Strickler: “After the reunion, which we thoroughly enjoyed, we spent several more days in Lexington with my brother, Michael ’71, and his wife, Doris. We then headed to South Boston, where we had dinner and attended a play with Jerry and Joy Burnett. We then stayed a week in Fredericksburg visiting Margie’s sister, her husband and Margie’s brother. (A Hokie!) Two days were spent near Richmond, and we attended a dinner with seven of my classmates and their wives from the Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry – many of whom I hadn’t seen in more than 50 years. It was a very nice get-together. From there, we went to Virginia Beach to visit with my brother, Stephen ’68. During that time, we visited with and had lunch with Rosser and Kate Bobbitt.

After visiting with relatives in North Carolina and South Carolina, we will head west to see a new great-granddaughter in Rapid City, South Dakota.

We should be back in Texas by the middle of August to prepare for a river cruise from Bucharest, Romania, to Budapest.”

Bill Harris and Christa went on a Caribbean cruise in late 2016. This cruise was their seventh and was to all the popular sites in the eastern and western Caribbean. Some of the better cruises they have taken were to Tahiti, the St. Lawrence Seaway and Antarctica.

Sonny Robbins: “Recently, my wife, Betsy, and I spent the day with Weldon and Nancy Eddins at Amelia Island, Florida. They were here visiting a high school friend and teammate of Weldon.

Nancy and Betsy were at Mary Washington at the same time, so it was old home week. They are making a Florida swing visiting relatives and friends. It turned out that, several years ago, we were in the Solomons in Maryland where they live half the year but didn’t realize it was their hometown! Weldon’s still a serious tennis player!”

Fred Mangino: “My friend, Linda Greene, and I attended the 55th Class of ’62 Reunion last month. We enjoyed a fabulous several days at the Institute attending the various activities.

Linda was impressed with everything, including

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BRs, sister rats (particularly Signe Marechal), the grounds, buildings, mess hall, etc. Unfortunately, she was disappointed our parade was canceled because of the rainy weather and wet Parade Ground.

“On way to Lexington from New Jersey, Linda and I stopped at and spent several hours visiting New Market, including the museum and farmhouse. So when we saw the movie, ‘The Field of Lost Shoes,’ we had a better understanding of the difficulties the New Market cadets faced on the battlefield many years ago. Also, Linda was impressed with Sir Moses Ezekiel’s [’866] statue of Virginia Mourning Her Dead and the markers.

“Of course, the weather was nearly perfect Wednesday, get away day. We enjoyed the buffet breakfast with remaining BRs at Moody Hall. One final visit to the bookstore to get a few souvenirs for the grandkids, and then we were on the way home to New Jersey. But first, we took the opportunity to visit Natural Bridge. As you all know, it’s awesome.”

As I mentioned at the class meeting, I set up a Facebook page named “VMI Class of ’62.” I hope BRs will use this page to keep us up to date on their activities, etc. Right now, it is a Facebook page in the making.

I want to thank all of you who have forwarded words of encouragement on my assuming the role of your class agent. Remember, my success depends on you, so keep the notes and info coming.

1963

Michael J. Curley

Greetings, all! Guess what? Your 55th Reunion Committee has already met twice and is busy planning an exciting get-together in Lexingon for April 22-25, 2018. The 50th seems just like yesterday, doesn’t it? Soon, you will be receiving an email, a letter and a call from one of us on the committee to share some information and excitement about our time together. By now, you may have checked your calendars and realized the dates oddly occur Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. By tradition, the VMIAA now schedules reunions for classes past their 50th during the spring reunion period, primarily Monday and Tuesday. Our proposed schedule allows for early arrivals Sunday

afternoon, normal reunion activities Monday and Tuesday and a departure brunch Wednesday morning hosted by Steve and Peggy Riethmiller at their Possum Hollow estate. God bless ’em; I thought they would have learned by now! But, what a fabulous way to end our time together!

As you can guess, at this age, conversations easily turn to health and, like others, ’63 finds a number of our own in declining health. Personally, I have been blessed by the remission of my prostate cancers, only to be diagnosed just recently with COPD, even though I was never a cigarette smoker. Veterans Affairs responded by prescribing an array of inhalers (Symbicort, Spiriva and Albuterol ... “as seen on TV”), and my breathing has been restored to somewhat normal. Without identifying the victims, many of our brother rats are dealing with the effects of Agent Orange: Diabetes, heart disease and cancer; others with Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, you name it!

So how, you may ask, do we merge discussions of an upcoming 55th Reunion and declining health?

Try this: “All it takes are good friends, some decent food, a beer or two and we’re back to 1963... all of today’s problems seem to fade into the background for the duration.” So, see you at the 55th, and we’ll turn the clock back to 1963 together for just a little while, OK? Doug Sterrett’s response on Facebook to an email from Randy Williams pretty much puts things into perspective: “Good to hear from you, Randy. Yes, I flew helicopters off and on for about 15 of my 20 years in service, especially the two years I served in Vietnam. Paying for that period now with Agent Orange problems and possibly neck problems caused from wearing a flight helmet all those hours. But, we are getting along. Doesn’t seem that long ago that we were standing there getting this picture taken. (mjc: Randy emailed Doug a picture of ’63 cadets who were in the Army FIP program.) Rachel and I are stumbling along. She has Alzheimer’s and is doing well in the present but doesn’t remember much or for very long. Puts up a good front. She really enjoyed planting flowers in our yard last week and likes sitting by the window, watching the birds come to our feeding center. I am trying to downsize some, giving up most of my shop, keeping active working in the yard and teaching Sunday school in our church.

Trying to do some writing by restating reformed theology into simple, readable language. Slow, but interesting. My health has not been good through the winter, so we are hoping for improvement this

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes spring – pancreatic insufficiency possibly related to Agent Orange exposure (I’m 100 percent VA disabled from the stuff). Probably just old age catching up. On the other hand, maybe I can blame the Rat Line about 54 years ago. Gotta blame something! Our son, John, in Golspie, Scotland, is the pastor of St. Andrews Church, Church of Scotland. Son Joe is a professor of English literature and Shakespeare at Aarhus University in Aarhus, Denmark. I should say Joe is based in Lancaster, England, as he travels back and forth teaching in Denmark while living in the U.K. Both seem to be oriented toward staying in the U.K. John recently bought a home near Edinburgh, and Joe has a new flat, which he is renovating in Lancaster, England. That’s our update. Nothing much happening right now.” (mjc: Praying for you and Rachel, Doug. Thank you for your service, Doug!)

W.O. Jones reported in mid-February that “Caroline had her orthopedic surgery and came through very well – much better than last time. She even walked around the room – assisted, of course. May come home today depending on doctor review and physical therapy assessment. Thanks for asking. We’re fine, what with close neighbors and her mahjong girls ... we may have too much food!”

In February, Pat Kelly wrote, “Hi, Mikey! Hope you are in full recovery mode now. If not, get your ass in gear!

Here’s my contribution to the 55th.

Gwen and I plan on being in the area for several days before April 22 (2018), so we will probably hit Lexington Saturday, April 21 (2018). Do we know what hotel will be base camp yet? (mjc: Natural Bridge) For those of us farther away from Lexington, it would be nice to have a few more opportuniClass of 1963: Bunny Reynolds and Artie Phaup represented ’63 ties to meet and talk with all of you at the recent Benefactors Luncheon in April, dining with the class’ guys. (mjc: Done!) I know for those two scholarship beneficiaries, Cadets Devin Carper ’20 and Jack in Virginia, North Carolina, WashingFox ’17. Pictured were, from left, Reynolds, Carper, Fox and Phaup. ton, D.C., etc., opportunity abounds.

Looking forward to April 2018. Regards, Pat.” And then, as frequently happens in this position (sadly), I received this follow-up email from Pat April 19. “My visit to the lung doctor was inconclusive but suggests I may have lung cancer. I have multiple bilateral nodules that appear to be growing. Not large enough yet to do anything but observe them. There does not appear to be a mass anywhere, but since I am a bladder cancer survivor, it is common for bladder cancers to migrate to the lungs over time. (mjc: Breaking news!) “May 8, I don’t have C. I have a fungal infection that is not fatal!

Class of 1963: Class Agent Mike Curley said of this photo, “Pete “Gwen and I will be doing some Brunel’s mid-life crisis arrived a bit late, but isn’t it hot, hot, hot?” traveling and hope to get back to VMI and Virginia this summer or fall. I ask for your prayers and will continue to pray for you and your recovery. (mjc: My prayers you have, Pat.) As far as class notes go, we did get out to see Preston and Judy Holtry in February and had a great visit with them. Also, visited Gwen’s sister and hubby in Sierra Vista, Arizona, on that trip. We have a trip planned to Ohio and Kentucky in mid-May to visit friends and relatives there, and a trip to Colorado and New Mexico in late July if health permits. In September, three of our dear friends from Northern Ireland are scheduled to come visit for a few weeks. I will keep you posted and ask that you do the same. You are a very dear friend; I want to know what’s going on with your health, as well.

Class of 1963: Pictured at the March meeting of RVA rats at Wegman’s in Richmond Regards, Pat.” were, from left, Mike Curley, Bill Shaner, John Mills, Doug Rowe, “Greybeard” Jones, Sadly, Bob Earle reported that Bromby’s cancer Buddy Cato, Bob Earle, Richard Warren, Billy Bell and Artie Phaup. has returned, and she was scheduled to resume

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Class Notes radiation treatment May 31. True to form, she’s out there selling real estate like a banshee!

Tony Hancock: “Thanks again for including me.

Great class news; Harry Jones remains the witty person I remember – his toilet paper analogy is my mantra from now on (mjc: Story from last issue of class notes.). Not sure what you mean by change in format in Review. The paper seemed heavier this time, but that’s not format. The elimination of donations in people’s names and shortening of obituaries to born, attended and died irked me, but I figured they were trying to save expensive print.

Got a call Tuesday evening from Cadet Flye at the VMI call center who, after confirming address, cut right to the chase and asked for $125. Said my last donation was for a band trip to the Rose Bowl, which surprised me, because I thought I had given since. Told him I had sent $100 last week, but since it seems $125 is minimum now, I would send another $25, which I did. He did a decent job!

Curious how these kids are compensated. (mjc: By the hour) I hope one way is for 1st Class to work off penalty tours. (mjc: Nope.) It was great to see old friends in the pictures. Last question – when did you start being class agent? (mjc: 40th – 2003.)

You have done a terrific job. Still think you deserve a bench on the Parade Ground near the Sigma Nu rock. Tony.” (mjc: Prefer Arlington for my ashes, thank you.)

VMI has been receiving a lot of good press recently, such as this one in the Richmond TimesDispatch written by Jeff Shapiro regarding the upcoming Virginia gubernatorial and General Assembly elections. Here’s the link: http:// www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/jeff-schapiro/schapiro-vmigrads-help-one-another-no-matter-their-party/ article_83c7c7ad-79f9-5f02-ac28-9c4eccc97619. html, and another in The Weekly Standard Feb. 21, 2017. “In November 2016, incoming National Security adviser H.R. McMaster addressed the Virginia Military Institute. The video is worth watching. You may find it here: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcESByl9rpc.”

Bob Gregory thought this complex excuse for missing the RVA rats lunch here in March would work. I’ll believe his story when I see the pictures. “Mike, I will have to miss this one, but I am sure it will be great. Susan and I should be in Hong Kong boarding a Holland America ship for a cruise from Hong Kong to Tokyo including Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul. It’s been a lot of work to arrange, but we’re really looking forward

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to it as the most unusual trip we’ve ever taken.

You guys have a great lunch. Photo to follow!

Bob G.” (mjc: Bon voyage.)

“Mike, I hope you are continuing to thrive and staying off the gim – makes us all a little bit happier when you do,” writes Bunny Reynolds. “Judy and I just returned from our seasonal transition trip, this time to Arizona. The plan, of course, was to leave Connecticut late in February when it’s cold and snowy then return in mid-March when the weather is mild and the snow is just a

Class of 1963: Class Agent Mike Curley said of this photo, “Could you possibly find a better destination B&B in Florida than that of Tom and Teak Whitford’s in Daytona Beach? Absolutely not!”

Class of 1963: Class Agent Mike Curley said of this photo, “I was allowed one silly wish and said, ‘A mug shot taken of my best side!’ I also said, ‘Bald was way too cold!’”

memory. Actually, the weather was fine when we left Connecticut and even finer in Arizona, but the day after we returned home, the big New England blizzard hit. Some places apparently got 42 inches of snow, but we only got about 10 inches, followed by a few hours of rain which promptly froze into massive blocks of ice. So much for plans.

We loved both Phoenix and Tucson and had a delightful meal at the home of Pres and Judy Holtry in Tucson. Folks out there know how to live.

Pres and Judy are good examples: Beautiful home, great scenery, clear skies and, according to Judy, only the occasional Gila monster on the patio. For your information, the Foundation advises that the Class of ’63 Scholarship fund has two beneficiaries this current year. One is a rat psychology major from Bedford and the other is a 1st from Frederick, Maryland, majoring in physics. Glad we can help these guys.” Bunny later reported that “Artie Phaup and I represented ’63 at the Benefactors Luncheon in the Center for Leadership and Ethics April 21 and met our two current scholarship beneficiaries; both were impressive young men who are very appreciative of our assistance.

Jack Fox ’17 will graduate this year with a double major in physics and applied mathematics – doubt if he ever saw LA Beach! His goal is to serve the country in Naval aviation, and he is the kind of guy who will succeed in whatever he chooses. The second is Cadet Devin Carper ’20, a rat from Bedford majoring in psychology. Devin is a walk-on football linebacker; another worthy and promising investment.”

“Diana took this picture after we visited friends in my new toy, a 1999 Torch Red Corvette,” said Pete Brunel. “Trying to keep my foot out of it.

Took out liability insurance only then changed my mind yesterday and added collision and comprehensive. Was I imagining trouble?” (mjc: Guaranteed! Any of you ’63 lawyers out there – got a lead for you!)

“Good Evening, Dear Friends and Relatives,” Denny Marchant wrote recently. “Mair’s rotator cuff surgery is scheduled for April 11. From what I have learned on the internet, the surgery will probably be fine, but the recovery is long and painful (four to six months). She promises to follow the doctor’s instructions. She will be in an arm sling that will keep her arm from moving for 10 days. Yes, she will be able to remove the sling to shower. The doctor and others want her to sleep in a recliner for the first 10 days. We will see what is required after the 10 days. Please keep

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Mair in your prayers. Love, Denny and Mair.”

Jane Greene recently unencumbered of a 200plus pound weight around her neck, reported from Louisiana in March that “I found out when I went to the ophthalmologist Monday that I’ll need to be here in Mandeville, Louisiana, longer than six weeks. I will need two procedures on each of my eyes, and none of them can be done at the same appointment time. I will need to have laser drainage holes in both eyes before I can have the surgical procedures. (mjc: Ouch.) She said if she doesn’t do this first, I stand a chance of losing my eyesight in the operating room during the surgical procedures because of the narrow angles in both eyes. She, too, was very surprised that I have this problem, because my pressures were normal in both eyes, and I don’t have glaucoma, which is usually what you have with narrow angle. I had my first procedure Monday, March 27; my second Tuesday, April 4; an ultrasound of my eyes Thursday, April 6; and my first surgical procedure Thursday, April 13. My second surgical procedure will be scheduled for two weeks after the 13th. Just hoping and praying that all will go well with each step of this process. Jane.” (mjc: Anxious to hear the outcome.)

“I see you were at Short Pump Wegman’s today,” wrote Kent McCraney. “I was at Wegman’s in Charlottesville – now, home. On April 24, I will visit my neurologist at the VA in late morning. Celia wants to go to Wegman’s that day to shop. I ain’t going to walk around that place ‘shopping.’

Ain’t my bag! Want to join me for lunch, my treat at the pub. Kent.” (mjc: Great lunch together and nice time chatting with Celia. Thank you, Kent.)

“After getting up at 4 a.m. to be at the hospital at 5 a.m., Sally’s surgery was at 7 a.m. She was in recovery at 9:30 a.m. and home by 12:30 p.m. Ain’t modern medicine great? Sally is asleep now and should be fine within two to three weeks. Thanks to all for your concerns. She had a bone spur at S1L1. We should be back in Virginia by May 5. Take care!” From Frank and Sally Allison. Frank followed, “Sally and I will be back in Tidewater May 5. We will have dinner with Tom and Teak Whitford at their condo in Daytona Beach May 1 and take our time getting back to beautiful downtown Seaford, Virginia. Looking forward to seeing all of you at the June meeting of the swamp rats. Sally is recovering nicely from her back surgery and has been released by the neurosurgeon as of yesterday.

We went to lunch at Mulligans in Vero Beach yesterday, and upon leaving, I spoke to a guy and

2017-Issue 3

his wife. He had a Redskins hat on, so we chatted briefly about my old friend Chris Hanburger, who was a linebacker for them for 14 years. After we drove away, they spotted my Keydet Club sticker on the back windshield and, at a traffic light, yelled out ‘Class of ’65.’ I, of course yelled back, ‘Class of ’63.’ Never got his name. Small world. Later, Frank and Sally Allison.”

Phil Vaughan reporting: “Spring has sprung in tax-free Alton, New Hampshire! I watched 3 feet of the white stuff disappear in less than a week!

Still building clocks (mjc: I know, I have one – beautiful and still running!); many for our friends in West Point, New York. My best to you all.”

Finally, Si Bunting by text: “April 20 lectured at New York Historical Society: ‘George Marshall in the Age of Trump.’ Marshall biography due out late summer. Continue as chairman Friends of National World War II Memorial in Washington.

Warmest to you, Mike.” (mjc: And, to you, my friend.)

In February, Mike Smither said, “The Corps looked great in the recent inaugural parade!” Mike added that he and Betty enjoyed some time with Mary Fran and Parky Parkman ’66 and Eric Connor ’91 while they were visiting New Hampshire.

Eric, in fact, works at Attitash Mountain where the Smithers ski! “Small world,” remarked Mike.

Also in April, Mike sailed with four friends for a week in the British Virgin Islands. They sailed to a different port each day, then dined ashore each evening. “Another good but expensive trip, much needed by me. Happy New Market Day. Come see us! Mike.”

Dinner with Tom and Teak Whitford sounds like fun, so Peg and I headed to Florida for a few days in May with the Whitfords. We’ll take pictures! You may do the same, please! Godspeed!

Please pray for those on the gim and our prisoners of war-MIAs. curleyrat

Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean were spectacular, living that closely to 500 of our neighbors just didn’t give us the privacy we had been used to in a house. We’re only moving about 15 miles, so still in the Dayton Beach area.

In early February, just before the previous class notes being submitted, Don and Margaret Carson hosted the eighth annual Florida mini reunion. Attending the four-day event were Bill and Marior Garber, Bill and Dyan Crone, John and Sherrel Cavedo, Tom and Penny Sebrell, Bob and Cathy Warren, Kevin MacCarthy, Tom and Yvonne Myers, Dan and Sandy DeForrest, Penny Kaliski, Butch and Joan Nunnally, David and Nancy Ayers, and Bill and Lola Tornabene. Everybody had a great time, as usual.

The Garbers and Crones left a day early to spend an extra week in western Florida, trying to avoid the cold just a little longer.

Don and I agreed to reduce next year’s event to only three days. Details to follow in the fall.

Tom Hill: “I forgot to mention that my brother, John B.C. Hill ’70, said his roommate, Dick Knight ’70, recently had lunch with three of our Nashville guys: Parker Duncan, John Manley and Matt Jablonka.”

Andy Tucker: “Had not forgotten to follow through on granddaughter’s pictures. The accolade I was sending news about was after her junior season. She was second team All-State as an outfielder. I didn’t want to jinx her, but I hope good things for her this year, as well. She has recently signed an athletic softball scholarship with Southern Wesleyan University located in northern South Carolina.

“As an aside, these young folks in today’s

1964

John R. Cavedo

Please make a note that in the next class notes, there will be a different address shown above. Sherrel and I decided, after three years, we just weren’t condo people. While the views of the Intercoastal

Class of 1964: Tom Hill took a selfie while touring Europe in February 2017.

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Class Notes “At 0130 this morning, I looked outside my environment are being sought when they are times. He even received a letter of commendation from the White House. He is survived by his wife bedroom window and saw Fairbanks engulfed in juniors or younger. I didn’t have to decide una red aurora (Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights). til the spring of senior year. Not being a ‘blue of 54 years, as well as his daughter and grandson.

Michael Degman: “How is this for a one- The entire sky was filled with an iridescent bright chipper’ may have played a role.”

Bill Elder: “Just a note to touch base after so liner in the Alumni News? It happened to me red. Snow and ice were still whitish, and evergreen on Fairbanks’ city streets in the daytime Jan. trees were dark green. But no stars in the night many years. I have depended on your part of the 18, 2017: Happiness is a flat tire at -47 degrees sky were visible; their shine was blotted out by the Alumni Review for news about my two roomaurora. About 25 minutes later, it was gone, and Fahrenheit. You know you aren’t dead yet. mates, Tom Davis and Hank Cronin. the sky and streets were back to their “Linda and I have been married for normal black darkness with a few stars 52 years this coming June, and we out. Auroras tend to last from a few have three children and eight grandminutes to a few hours. If you aren’t children. I launched a brand-new at the right place at the right time, you church in Birmingham, Alabama, in can miss them entirely.”

1992 and served as their senior pastor Tom Davis: “A nice thing about livfor 20 years before retiring as a result of a stroke I had on Christmas Eve 2009. ing in Newport News now, besides The stroke came just before I was to being close to Marshall and his fampreach the Christmas Eve message, ily, is access to brother rats in this and thus began a journey into chaos, area. A good example is Bill Taylor. though I have learned so much on that He and his wife, Betsy, live in nearby journey and am still recovering a little Yorktown; he still works from home in bit and quite slowly each day that passhis insurance business. The four of us dined together last night; what a wones. I am so grateful for the learnings from the journey and am in the process derful evening. Bill was a good friend of writing a book about it, which is Class of 1964: Dan DeForrest, W.J. Kitchen and Tony Munera on in our cadet days, and it’s good to rekeeping me still very much involved in one of their African safaris in Kenya. connect again.” ministry and hopeful about the future.

Tony Munera: “In September 2016, “My days at the Institute were Frank and Marcy Parker and Tony sources for many illustrations for my and Barb Munera traveled to Canada sermons through the years. In fact, my for a Grand Circle Travel tour of the congregation kidded me, unmercifully, Canadian Maritimes that included about the frequency of mentioning Quebec, Montreal, Nova Scotia, New VMI. However, I continued, unabated, Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. and I am still gratefully seeking to press During the trip, everywhere we went on as our VMI experience taught us to there was an abundance of lobster, do.” mussels and oysters to eat. Barb called Some of you remember John “Pooit our LMO trip. The trip included a visit to Campobello, President Frankgie” Campbell. He was a football lin Roosevelt’s boyhood summer scholarship rat assigned to Company home, by boat, where we were esA. He roomed with Andy Tucker, Gus Salvat and Pete Mazik. Though corted by one of the local whales. In he wanted to, he didn’t return after Class of 1964: Frank and Marci Parker and Tony and Barb Mu- the Bay of Fundy, we experienced a the Christmas break. He died this past nera with their guide at Holland College in February 2017.

35-foot change of the water level from March of a brain aneurism. He and high to low tide and reverse tides. We “According to my Subaru garage in Fairbanks, stuffed ourselves with chocolate in St. Andrews, I were best friends in high school and remained close for the past 59 years. In Phoenix, he was well- weird breakdowns occur in vehicles when the temNew Brunswick. In Prince Edward Island, we ate known in his role as Santa Claus, which he adperatures fall below -47 degrees Fahrenheit. In my lots of lobster and mussels and visited the Anne of Green Gables Museum. Overall, this was one opted every year for 43 years. He visited hospitals, case, they suspect that my tire hit a bump in the icechildren’s homes, nursing homes, Veterans Affairs bound street a little too hard, and the seal between of our better tours, and we were impressed by centers and many, many other venues. He gave my tire and its rim momentarily broke, producing the hospitality and friendship of the Canadian away teddy bears and candy canes everywhere he an immediate flat tire. The tire was undamaged, people.”

Joe Chompaisal: “We went to India in January went – all out of his own pocket. He was recogand when it was remounted in their heated garage last year and will do so again Jan. 30. We travel nized by the local papers and magazines several repair area, it held perfectly with no leaks.

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes W.J. Kitchen: “We have had a great 2017 so far. quite a bit inside Thailand and end the year with a ’79) as chief of defense forces (chairman joint trip to Russia. Great trip but very cold in Decem- chiefs equivalent). He is the first VMI guy to make In early February, we spent 10 days in Tahiti, ber. Lots of snow and ice. Just came back from it all the way to the top. I have been working with five in Moorea and five in Bora Bora with Mary a few people to get VMI to recognize his achieve- Jo Jordan and Bill Bandy. We had great hiking, Chiangrai; lots of nice flowers.”

Jim Brittingham: “Did anyone send you pic- ment by inviting him to visit the Institute. Last snorkeling, wonderful accommodations and outtures and comments about the November 2016 Saturday, during the reunion of the U.S. CGSC standing food. In March, we took my youngest Founders Day parade and dinner at the Institute? at Fort Leavenworth, I mentioned this to the U.S. son, Jeff, and his girlfriend, Cheri, to the Big IsLaura took several photos, and I thought she was ambassador to Thailand. He said the matter was land, Hawaii. Besides swimming, snorkeling and going to send them to you. Let me hiking, we rented bicycles and rode know if she did not, and I will get her the Iron Man bike course. We did it to try again. Laura and I escorted a in two days – 60 miles to Hawi on one potential future cadet to the Institute day and 52 to Kona on the next. Not in November 2016. He spent the time sure how people do the Iron Man at with several potential rats accomall. I just returned from eight days of skiing with my oldest son, Scott, and panied by a current rat while Laura my two grandchildren. Lauranne and and I escorted his mother around the I haven’t skied for the past two years, campus and listened to a half day of and being smarter than me, she debriefings from General Peay ’62 and the staff. This orientation was well cided not to join us. After skiing every planned, and the presentations were year for 40 years, yet missing the last excellent. The program was designed two, I was able to pick it up again relato give potential cadets and their famitively quickly. No more moguls now, just cruising. We have also had several lies an accurate view of life at VMI. I Class of 1964: King von Schilling and Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, will admit that there was a ‘no BS’ ap- superintendent, presented Charles Borinstein ’17 with the Cadet groups of friends visit us here in Ranproach taken by all of the presenters, New Market Legacy Award May 14, 2017. VMI photo by Kelly Nye. cho Santa Fe and always enjoy their even General Peay. I was impressed. visits. Our next trip is in May, taking a “I had a nice phone conversation cruise around the British Isles with a with Bill Taylor and his wife, Betsy, number of brother and sister rats jointhis past week. First of all, Betsy is going us.

“We are looking forward to seeing ing in the hospital Feb. 1 for a second you and Sherrel in June on our trip heart procedure to correct the first opto Iceland and then again in October eration and then properly correct her on the cruise around Australia. In beexisting heart problem. Bill said that he has been in touch with Tom Davis and tween, we are headed off on another taken him to lunch and had Tom and safari to Kenya and Rwanda. We are Helen to lunch. The Davis family is doing great and fortunately are in doing well and is enjoying their move good health. Since we sold our home to Newport News to be closer to their in Tucson last year, we decided to do son (and grandkids).” some upgrades here in our Rancho On March 17, the Alumni AssociaSanta Fe home.”

Sherrel and I just returned from tion hosted a large get-together at The a wonderful experience. First we Villages in central Florida. The cadet Class of 1964: Ken and Barbara Dice with a cadet at the superincruised out of Ft. Lauderdale on band participated. There was a golf tendent’s speech at The Villages, Florida, in March 2017. a repositioning cruise to Europe, tournament. Following a luncheon, there was a showing of “Field of Lost Shoes” and being considered and he would work on it with landing in the Azores. The ship continued on, stopping in Cork, Ireland; Dover, Enga parade. Closing the day was dinner where the commander in chief, Pacific Command.

“Tomorrow (April 13) is traditional Thai New land (with a side trip to Canterbury); Bruegge, superintendent delivered an update of the state of the Institute. Attending from the Class of ’64 Year. It is also the hottest time of the year. We Belgium; and then Amsterdam before dockwere Don and Margaret Carson, Ken and Barba- Thais stay cool by throwing water at each other.” ing in Copenhagen. Then we flew to Norway, Note: I contacted VMI and pointed out the pro- where we rented a car and wandered around ra Dice, John and Sherrel Cavedo, and Dan and Sandy DeForrest. motion/selection. At the time of this class note the country for eight days before flying back to Tony Putamanonda: “Thailand Alumni Chap- submission, there is an effort ongoing. It seems Florida. The Norwegians are masters of tunnel building. The length and complexity of their ter now has a VMI grad (Surapong Suwana-Adth they had lost track of Surapong’s addresses.

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Class Notes boring into mountains was mind-blowing.

Cliff Crittsinger: “It’s springtime at VMI, and graduation is in the air! Once again, I sit in Moody Hall composing this update to you. Thirteen newly cast statues from the Art Castings of Colorado Foundry have been received by VMI for future presentations. King von Schilling and I sat in on the fourth Selection Committee meeting where the top 20 cadet finalists were pared down to eight. We were joined by Colonel William Wanovich ’87, VMI commandant, who took the opportunity to observe the proceedings. At the completion of the voting, I asked the 1st Class cadets to present for their thoughts of the award since they were rats at the first awarding during out 50th Reunion. To the man, they enthusiastically supported the award, the concept and the opportunity to acknowledge one of their own. Colonel Wanovich added his comments with, ‘I know of no higher accolade than the recognition of one’s peers. As such, I fully support the CNMLA.’ Later, May 14, King von Schilling assisted General Peay in presenting this year’s award to Charles Drew Borinstein ’17 of Indiana.

“Finally, 2017 saw the VMI Alumni Association realign the 50 states into 11 new regions in order to better serve the alumni base. In the process, I was appointed director of the newly created Northwest Region consisting of Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. These 12 states total 1,429 square miles, making it the largest and most diverse region, so lots of travel ahead. Otherwise, I am just sitting back and enjoying retired life.”

King sent me an email late in the cycle: “John, would you send out a blast to the class and tell them to look on page 112 of the current Alumni Review for my picture with Brigadier General Jim Begley ’85, and check his class notes for the rest of the story. I take combat vets to hunt deer, and this year we bagged 10 deer. We all shared; the land owner got one, and we donated one to feed the homeless. It is very gratifying.”

Bill Gaffney sent me a handwritten note: “So sorry to hear about Brother Rat Bob O’Hara and his struggle with CRS (can’t remember stuff). I remember clearly, as if it were yesterday, the parade in D.C. for that president guy. I think his name was Kennedy. It was a warm, balmy day, unusual for early January in D.C. Snow? Come on, Bob. Remember the Honor Code. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? I remember a gourmet dinner

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at the officer’s club at Andrews Air Force Base.

The beef Wellington was perfect. As you can see from the above, I, too, have minor problems myself.”

Bill, as do you, I remember things differently from Bob. It was much more miserable than even he indicated. But memorable through the fog of 56 years.

Finally, it’s been three years since our 50th. The 55th is just around the corner. Buzz Birzenieks wrote to advise me it may be time to schedule and reserve our hotel. But, several of you spoke and wrote to me following the 50th about looking for a different venue other than Lexington. I’ll be trying to form committees over the next year, but for now, it would help if you’d let me know your preference for Lexington versus some other place. If some other place, please be specific and state your reasoning.

1965

Mickey Finn

Russell Proctor wrote about his meeting with an old friend: “Major General John K. Singlaub and I had a French 75 cocktail at Rules Restaurant in London Feb. 28, 2015. General Singlaub, legendary special operations leader from World War II to the present, was commander of Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group when Proctor was a company commander in the unit. They were in London to participate in the ceremonies commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Special Operations Executive, a British unit which preceded the OSS and which in many ways was a role model for it. General Singlaub was 93 years old and senior American representative at the ceremony. Proctor was his aide-de-camp for the event. After the ceremony, both men in great form, they were the last members to leave the Special Forces Club in London at 0200!” See the photo in this issue.

Debbie Sterling wrote, “Dear Mickey, I was hoping to hear from you, as I did not have your contact information. It is with a heavy heart that I report that William Christopher “Chris” Sterling died Jan. 19, 2017. In 2005, he started exhibiting dementia symptoms, and he became the co-pilot.

Chris had a quadruple bypass in 2012 and suffered a stroke during surgery. He was treated at Sheltering Arms in Richmond, where he went from the fetal position to walking with a walker, though no longer able to read or write. I was able to care for him for several more years at home until he became less able to ambulate on his own. He moved into a memory care facility in Richmond, where he made many new friends and lived out his final days. We were married for 40 years, but I must say the greatest time of his life was at VMI with his brother rats, learning the important values of life. My best to you all, Debbie Sterling.”

James Davis Thompson died March 23, 2017.

Dave, John Yager and Mickey Finn were roommates their 2nd and 1st Class years. His full obituary is in this issue. Bob Law, Larry and Fidelia Umberger and Mickey Finn attended the service March 28 in Sumter, South Carolina.

Wayne Chiles reported, “Another memorable gathering of ’65 – 13 in attendance – with many thanks to Bob Wilkinson and Chuck Hough for herding us together. The restaurant and service were excellent, and a good time was had by all.

The timing was very appropriate since we could not be in Charleston, South Carolina, to say goodbye to BR Dave Thompson, who sadly left us too early. Dave was a fine man, a great BR and will be missed. We thank God for being able to gather with friends of many years; I don’t have any ‘old’ friends but remember fondly those who have ‘gone home.’” See the photo for a list of attendees.

Lou Siegel is relocating. “Joan and I are moving to the Nelson County area, just west of Charlottesville. Our address will be Afton, at the foot of Afton Mountain. Marty Hash lives in the area, and we’ve exchanged several emails; he is enthusiastic about the area. We have a 1-year-old grandson in Nellysford and a delightful daughterin-law and son living there. Joan has been driving up and baby-sitting for two days a week for the last six months. We’ve spent a lot of time there over the last five years visiting and are looking forward to the move in the first week of June. I haven’t seen any BRs recently, though I’ve talked with Easley Moore and Johnny Mac Marshall a lot. Take care, Lou.” Johnny Mac Marshall sent a wonderful mustread report. “As always, springtime is a busy time for us. I went to Poland in March for my usual lecture program in Lublin, which was two weeks by myself waiting for Jamie to come. As usual,

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes she had her own duties as the director of the alumni foundation at the university, but that still left some time for me as the chief spear-carrier in her chorus. Needless to say, the last week was delightful, and on the way home, we stayed an extra day in Frankfurt at the end of the first week in April (still rather chilly, but the trees wanted to bloom). Some of our friends arranged for us to go to a ‘hunting park’ in Heisterberg, just outside the city. It is a training facility to teach people how to handle firearms, particularly shotguns, and it is owned by Augustinus von Papen, a relative of a former preWorld War II chancellor of Germany.

He is one of the highest-ranking sport shooters in the world, so it was a rare privilege to get some instruction from him. I emerged with a modest amount of bruising and the knowledge that German wildlife (even if made of clay) was safe from me.

“It hardly seems like a normal year, since we have not been by VMI yet.

Of course, that will change in June, as we plan on driving to Washington, D.C., for the wedding of a dear friend.

A stop by the Institute is mandatory, if only to make sure that nothing has changed – or, at least, not much.

“A couple of weeks ago, I went to Waco to a special event honoring Dr. James Vardaman, our College Bowl team coach. He is still the force of nature that we knew as cadets, and Baylor University has recognized his contributions by establishment of an endowed professorship in the department of history in his name. Needless to say, his memories of VMI are both sharp and warm, and he asked me to remember him to all of my brother rats who were his students.

“The College Bowl team, though, continues to make history. Bob Morgan got married April 2, 2017. I suspect that he holds the record for the oldest first-time groom in the history of VMI, and we wish him the very best.

“Jamie joins me in sending our

2017-Issue 3

Class of 1965: Russell Proctor and Maj Gen. John K. Singlaub having a French 75 at Rules restaurant in London. General Singlaub, legendary special operations leader from World War II to the present, was commander of MACV Studies and Observation Group when Proctor was a company commander in the unit.

Class of 1965: Johnny Mac Marshall and Augustinus von Papen paused from the shooting lesson Johnny Mac is receiving from one of the world’s best shooters.

Class of 1965: Pictured at a memorable gathering March 28, 2017, were, from left, Ron Obenchain, Granny Amos, Fred Bishopp, Charlie Russell, Bob Wilkinson, Bob Southworth, Chuck Hough, Tommy Howard, Daryl McClung, Wayne Chiles, Bob Deaderick, Harry Bartosik and Jan Brueckmann.

warmest good wishes for a happy summer holiday to all of the BRs.” A great update from Bill Cather: “As I have done for the last 19 years, I managed to lead the scouts on a 20-mile hike. I noticed I have slowed from 10 hours to 10 hours and 20 minutes. Mia flew to Zurich in March for her nephew’s wedding, and her sister was here for two weeks in April.

“Our twin granddaughters are 11 months old, and we see them almost every other day. That makes eight grandchildren living no more than 20 minutes away. My oldest grandson (an electrical engineer and computer science major at Auburn University) took a semester off and did a 42-day trek in the Himalayas in India with National Outdoor Leadership School carrying 65-pound packs.

They were on the glacier for 30 days and climbed over the pass at 18,500 feet. I wish I was young enough to have done that! My youngest son, Robbie, is taking his family on a 12day rafting trip in the Grand Canyon.

I was asked to join them but did not want to be gone that long, so I volunteered to fly to Las Vegas and shuttle them four hours to the canyon in July. With three active children and eight grandchildren, my life is full of recitals, baseball and football games, hiking, canoeing, and a little time for sitting by the lake and drinking beer.”

Richard Coke Marshall provided a book report about our war: “I have now finished ‘Kiss The Talisman’

by Howard Moss ’60. It was recommended to me by a BR who grew up with him in Richmond. It’s a novel about living in Thailand and flying everything from the O-1 Bird-Dogs, gunships, helicopters and the F-4 out of Korat, and Being a Tiger FAC in 1970. A great novel and very hard to put down, and I highly recommend it. Lots of memories there about the war we fought, our missions, those we lost, our bosses, the decisions we made, and living in the Thai culture while flying combat, fighting a war

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Class Notes and working on the ground in SEA. A fantastic tale in which we all are included.”

Melvin Brannan filed this great report on the athletic prowess of our class. “Irwin McCumber, Donnie White, Billy Loughridge and I represented the Class of ’65 in the annual VMI Richmond Club golf outing at Hunting Hawk Golf Club.

We were three under par, which was neither the lowest nor highest score recorded. Some of the more recent graduates (aka ‘flat bellied, limber backs’) shot a lower score. In spite of threatening weather, we had a great time. The evening before, we also gathered at my house with our spouses, as well as Brian and Joyce McNeil, for an evening

Class of 1965: Bruddy Baillo and Bill Wilburn at their last semiannual lunch meeting with Russell Proctor.

of fellowship, food and fun. It was a most enjoyable time. Sorry, but we had such a great time, we forgot to take a picture.”

Jane and I had the opportunity to enjoy dinner with Dale and Bill Donsbach May 4, 2017, at a nice restaurant after visiting them in their home in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Bill is recovering from two operations; the first removed both kidneys, and the second repaired damage from the heart attack which occurred during the first operation. What a gracious, loving couple; an inspiration of courage and commitment of 51 years together!

Russell Proctor made it just under the last moment with an interesting story. “While working in Bangkok on a project to fund public health and clean water projects for the Karen who live on the Thai /Myanmar border, I met Yanyong Phataralaoha ’77. Yanyong is a retired colonel who runs a large family enterprise producing PVC pipe, essential to move water from springs and wells to villages. Yanyong’s firm supports several large schools which train disadvantaged Thai people and also employs many of them.

I have been working with the Karen Hilltribes Trust for about 15 years. He says it is a great project, as the Karen are a forgotten minority in Thailand who live in strategic border areas.

Also, as one who has worked with other hill tribes in neighboring countries, he says that it is often, ‘Deja vu, all over again...’ Those of you who served in Southeast Asia in earlier years can guess at what he means.”

We are now halfway between our 50th and 55th Reunions and in the time when the volume of input for these notes slows down. An anticipated event. So, as you read this, put together your input for the fourth issue now; the email will be in your inbox very soon! While you wait, join together in an old yell for our class: ’65! ’65! ’65!

1966

Nick Hoskot

Class of 1965: Dale and Bill Donsbach in front of their home after dinner with Jane and Mickey Finn May 4, 2017.

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Spring will have been replaced by summer ’17 by the time you read these notes, prepared, as always, right on the deadline for submission, New Market Day 2017. Theses tidbits come from all over the world, and George Newton was the first one

to report on his new “home away from home” in Cantabria, Spain. Beaches, big mountains, historic cities, 20,000-year-old prehistoric caves, waterfalls, skiing, mountain climbing, etc. similar to many places in the U.S. of A! If you are planning a trip to Europe, or specifically to Spain, I have all the info you need to contact George. Space “A” to Rota is really easy out of Charleston, Norfolk and Dover; sign up once and merely update every 30 days to keep a priority date.

Tom Evans checked in from Honolulu and San Diego; the man is everywhere! While in San Diego, they visited the USS Midway, and I can confirm that taking a few hours to go onboard is well worth the effort. Ken Petrie reports that on Flag Day (June 14, 2017) the second annual dykes’ reunion of Bill Gregory, Dave Roberts, Woody Miller and Ken with their dykes, Bob Earle ’63, Alex Scott ’63 and Ritchie Warren ’63, will take place at Brio’s Tuscan Grill in Richmond.

Ed Guida noted that while John Crotty was unable to attend our 50th Reunion, Tom Lemons and Ed did meet with John for lunch in Dallas this past March. Many stories told, and a pledge was made to do it again and not wait for 50 years. I hear that frequently from other BRs: Get together, visit and enjoy the company!

Hugh “Sleepy” Adams and Jim Smith have 6-year-old grandsons on the same baseball team.

He had intended to get a group photo; maybe next time. Hugh had just returned from his fifth or sixth visit to the U.S. Marine Corps Museum at Quantico with his local chapter of Vietnam helicopter pilots. He gives the museum great reviews, and I can concur. Another site to visit with family, and especially the grandkids; no one will be bored.

Howie Lloyd scheduled his family’s trip to visit his granddaughters on Oahu to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. While at Pearl Harbor, they also toured a World War II submarine, the USS Bowfin. Howie noted it had more room inside than an M-48 tank turret, but not by much. Howie and his wife are enjoying the “retired life” near Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he worked for the local school system and with the county sheriff as budget manager.

“Parky” Parkman and his wife, Mary Fran, were in a restaurant in Jackson, New Hampshire, when he heard a lady ask about an SUV with North Carolina license plate “66-VMI.” Thinking someone had damaged his car, he raised his hand and met Mike Smither ’63 and his wife. They met later in the week for dinner and a terrific time.

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes The Parkmans also visited Peru (Machu Pichu), Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands during February and thoroughly enjoyed their first adventure to South America.

Hugh Adams (ace reporter extraordinaire) noted seeing Cliff Martin, Ray Melton, the Odoms, Robblees, Phlegars, the Randolph Williamses, Cliff Crittsinger, Pete Sensabaugh and “the” Eddie Willis at a Citadel game in Lexington.

Jim Whitehurst posed with Jim Harrington ’49A at a VMI alumni gathering at Bald Head Island this past February.

Paul Robblee graciously agreed to represent our class at the class agents’ and alumni chapter presidents’ update meetings in Lexington in early April while yours truly was recovering from a total knee replacement, proving some body parts do wear out eventually! The group received tours of the new Corps Physical Training Facility, Cormack Hall and aquatic center. During the conference, Gen. Peay ’62 also announced that an aquatic center will be built on the town side of the new Corps Physical Training Facility and that the basketball team will be playing in Europe this summer. Among others, L. Randolph Williams noted that Charlie Ramsburg just completed six years as a voting regional director for the VMIAA Board of Directors. Charlie’s dedication and service was noted by a resolution from the board.

John Sharkey provided an internet link to an announcement about the opening of the $120 million new Museum of the American Revolution in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic district April 19, 2017. “At long last, the nation finally has an institution entirely dedicated to the struggle of its birth,” said John Jumper, the retired Air Force general who became chairman of the museum’s board of trustees in December. The museum, he said, “will present the facts of history in unique and compelling ways, but more importantly, it will teach us about the frailty of the continental Army and how close we came to disastrous defeat.

This museum is for all Americans to relearn the power of selfless dedication to higher purpose – the founding virtue of our nation.” The museum’s core holdings, and its hold on authenticity, consist largely of W. Herbert Burk’s Valley Forge Historical Society collection – some 3,000 plus artifacts, including Washington’s tent, or “marquee” as it is formally called, plus 400 of the artifacts will be on display in the museum. John also provided an announcement about the latest show at the Bellefonte Art Museum, where, as president of the State

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College Photo Club, the club provided 22 pieces in the Museum Photography Gallery. The exhibit will be on display for another month.

Rob Ritchie was elected to the Impact a Hero Board of Directors in April. Impact a Hero’s mission is to provide immediate and ongoing support in the form of opportunities and assistance for our severely wounded post Sept. 11 combat veterans and their families and caregivers. As Rob noted: Any assistance is always greatly appreciated.

The class was represented on Legacy Day by BRs Miguel Monteverde, Carl Rhodes and Rick Kiernan, and each was accompanied by one to three grandkids. The new Corps Physical Training Facility was a big hit with the youngsters!

This final note is courtesy of Charlie Ramsburg: “After joining the VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors July 1, 2011, my term of office ends July 1, 2017. I have really enjoyed my role as a VMIAA regional director for Region VI (the Carolinas) where, in the last six years, three new alumni chapters have been formed and three chapters were revitalized. There is now geographical coverage for all North Carolina and South Carolina VMI former cadets ... with 10 VMI alumni chapters now active in the region.” Well done, Charlie, and thank you from the class for selfless dedication to alumni and their families.

OK, brother rats, I’m sure a busy summer of activities is underway, so keep those cards and letters (emails/texts) flowing over the next couple of months.

1967

Jan Abernathy

I begin these April 1. No fooling, but so much email has come in these last weeks before the reunion that I will miss many items unless I start our class notes now.

Doctor Dave Wilkinson has been honored with a Distinguished Service Award for his years of work by the Association of Pathologists Chairs.

I exchanged several emails with Ray Gosney trying to have his photos sent in a size that I could share with you. He was our ’67 first rat sentinel.

He was busy having his second hip replacement at this time, and I suggested he get his oldest granddaughter to help him with the techie stuff. Watch

for photos in the future. Terry Moore found another lost BR during his quest to update our rooming charts: “Bob Hinkel is no longer a lost BR. He is in California. Spoke to him tonight, and he is at the following number: 626-797-8178. He won’t be at the reunion but wants to be remembered to anyone asking about him ... good conversation. By the way, he has had 14 surgeries since graduation.

I didn’t go into the ‘what fors.’ We now have only 28 lost BRs.” Jan adds that by reunion, there was only one truly lost BR. It is Julin Da Lu. Burt Palmer and I had a long phone visit. His health will not allow him and Pam to join us. I did not know he had been an F-4 pilot – F-4C, I think he said ... at least a model with missiles before guns were added. He reminded me that Dan Jordan flew Ravens. Burt has sight only in one eye, and macular degeneration is a major problem. Last year, he spent three months in the hospital with septic pneumonia that also left him with throat and epiglottis problems. Last year, we helped him register all eight grandchildren with provisional appointments. There are no ’67 BRs close by, but a nearby ’66 is now in touch with him: Clark Riefsnider ’66.

John Lee: “I have spoken to Marie Howard, and she can’t come to the reunion but still wants to visit us at the farm. She was at the 1987 reunion before Chip died. I still keep up with her and Chip’s children, Brynn and Andrew. I paid Steve Sboray a visit last fall. Still can’t convince him to come to the reunion – still trying. I suggested to Vaughan and Stafford that we kidnap him and bring him to Lexington. They thought that it was a good idea.

(But the idea of prison time put that idea out of their minds.)”

Jack and Sandy Thompson were available to accept my invitation to represent our class at the Scholarship Benefactors Luncheon on post in early April. Jack said they enjoyed the event. Tex Young also sat in for me at the April class agents’ meeting since my Achilles tendon tear and the cast made driving a challenge.

Some who were not in Lexington had solid reasons for not joining us for our frolics down memory lane. Most involved health reasons and seemed to center on joints just replaced or about to be. I am not making fun of anyone, as I have my own tendon issue, but at least mine is not too serious as to require surgery or replacement at this time. Ray Gosney is challenging Ron Lowry for the class title of most new joints. He has had both knees and both hips replaced. I have lost track of Ron’s joints,

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Class of 1967: Present at the reunion were L. Jan Abernathy, E. Lawrence Adams Jr., John C. Anderson, Michael A. Bagnulo, William J. Baker, H. Martin Bandy III, Allen M. Barnwell Jr., Lynn P. Beaulieu, Randolph M. Blanks, Bruce I. Bodner, Paul A. Bouis, Patton H. Breland Jr., William F. Brent, David H. Bristow, Charles V. Brooke, George M. Brooke III, Richard N. Brooke Jr., Don A. Brown, J. Stephen Buis, Albert P. Burckard Jr., John J. Burgess Jr., Colin M. Campbell Jr., Phillip M. Cannon, Malcolm A. Carter Jr., Kenneth N. Chun, James B. Clarke, Kenneth D. Comfort, Philip C. Cosby, Thomas R. Coughenour, William C. Creswick, Henry P. Dickerson III, Harley W. Duane III, Kent M. Easty, George T. Elmore III, Edward Ernouf III, John B. Farley, George S. Ferrell Jr., David F. Fink, William M. Fleshood, Robert J. Flynn Jr., John F. Forsyth IV, W. Terry Fowler, Robert V. Gates, J. Thomas Gillette III, John L. C. Goode, James E. Goodgion III, Ray Gosney Jr., C. Barrett Graham, Barry L. Green, Robert L. Green, Thomas A. Gritzmacher, John T. Gupton III, Allen M. Gwaltney, Michael E. Hall, Thomas F. Hancock III, Jameson T. Hannah, William E. Harman Jr., Barry E. Hedquist, Samuel B. Heltzel, Randolph G. Heneberger, Robert W. Hess, John R. Hilsabeck Jr., Bryan W. Holloman III, John H. Holt, W.H. Hoofnagle III, John S. Horner, William V. Hughes Jr., Michael J. Ingelido II, Richard M. Irby III, Ray E. Irvine, Thomas E. Jenks III, J. Kipling Jones, James N. Joyner Jr., Charles W. Keblusek, W. Lane Kelly IV, Robert H. Kerr, Robert W. Klink, William P. Korink, Charles A. Krebs Jr., Robert P. Kyle, H. John Lee, Ronald E. Lowry, C. Brian Malley, Wayne Marshall, Wiley L. McIlrath, T. Carter Melton Jr., Ted N. Mervosh, Charles E. Miley III, Francis O. Moore Jr., Terry L. Moore III, Robert A. Morin Jr., Jack B. Mundy Jr., Robert L. Nablo Jr., Ronald B. Niedermayer, Patrick D. O’Brien, John I. Orrison, Lewis F. Payne Jr., James S.C. Phlegar Jr., Willard G. Plentl Jr., Elias D. Poe III, Bob Poland, Eugene K. Potter Jr., Vance D. Powell Jr., C. Austin Pritchard Jr., Kermit E. Quick Jr., A. Wharton Ramsey, Robert C. Randolph IV, Harry Ratrie III, Lewis C. Read III, Lewis C. Read III, Thomas B. Rhodes Jr., Tom Richardson, James A. Robertson, James E. Rogers, James L. Rutherford, George E. Sanborn, Michael A. Schlosser, Neil Schlussel, Howard C. Seal, John S. She Jr., John J. Sheeran, C. Frederick Smith, Joseph P. Stafford, Richard E. Stanard, Victor J. Tambone, James P. Tate III, Douglass A. Taylor, Hunter F. Taylor, Dennis L. Telzrow, W. Ruben Terry, Jack L. Thompson, Thomas L. Thompson, Maximilian Toch, Meredith T. Tomlinson Jr., John L. Topping Jr., Heber V. Traywick Jr., John W. Vaughan, David J. Veazey Jr., John E. Vest III, Hans F. Wachtmeister, James F. Waehler, William D. Walker, S.P. Waskiewicz III, Bruce H. Weiner, Daniel F. Wells, Peter D. Wells, David S. Wilkinson, James G. Wilson, Edward F. Wittel Jr., James A. Wojcik, J.R. Worsham III, Melville G. Wright III, Robert G. Young, Stephen T. Young and William A. Yowell III.

The Class of 1967

50th Reunion – April 28-29, 2017 Class Notes

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes but I know that both hips and a shoulder have been done, and he says he will need a carpal tunnel and ulna nerve repair done next winter – after fishing season. Doug Goodall had a fishing expedition scheduled with a few of his buddies with reservations made a couple of years ago. Somewhere exotic, but I cannot recall where – Belize, maybe?

Jim Cain was in France, and both Ernie Kish and Richard Reid were on cruises that were planned long ago. Richard said his was a north Atlantic route and then up into the Scandinavian fiords for five or six weeks.

I finally gave up on adding every short story that came in in the weeks before we met in Lexington.

What with our rat photos and last minute registrations and “off grid” room requests/swaps/substitutions and such, I think we got a little burned out but needed to save some energy for Lexington.

Read on!

Moving forward into May and adjustments for those who missed the reunion at the last minute.

John Pasco broke his ankle in three places the week before reunion, Skid Garrett was hospitalized again with blood clots in his leg and Howard Seal stayed home with wife Sandy who was being tested for her blackouts, which were resulting in some serious falls. Much of this has been shared on my email, but there are many BRs who do not have or share their email addresses. During our four days in Lexington, Ray Gosney endured three days of a stomach bug and just barely managed to join the Saturday morning photo. John Lee tripped and split his knee cap, but it is now surgically repaired and on the mend. I spoke to John a week after getting home, as he was lying in the back seat of his car while Sandy was driving him to the hospital to have his bandage changed.

He was grumbling about not being able to drive the Corvette, ride the horses or cut the grass with the bush-hog and tractor. I stopped him there and reminded him that I had visited his farm and knew that Sandy did all of the tractor work ... and fed the chickens and all of the livestock and mucked the stalls and, well, just about all of the manual labor, so he could ride the horses. He grudgingly agreed that was true but was still grumbling as they pulled into the parking lot and said, “Goodbye.”

Like so many of you, we were all impressed at the huge turnout of BRs. Ted Jenks told me we actually registered more than 300: BRs, their wives and/or significant others and family members.

George and Suzanne Elmore, Anne and Randy Blanks, Carole and Bob Green, Bob and Janet

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Nablo, Tom and Lucy Gritzmacher, and other members of the committee helped run the registration room in the bottom of the Holiday Inn. That was the first step in checking in. Reviewing the rooming charts for accuracy was step two. Brother rats were handed a large bag which included a navy jacket with our ring embroidered on the lapel and a pillow with our ring embroidered on the front, and the wives received an embroidered bag in red and white with the ring as the design. There were a couple of BRs who showed up “late” Saturday, I was told, but I did not see them, as things were moving too quickly. After leaving Don Jones emails and voicemails at both his home and office earlier in April, I was told he was seen Saturday.

Vance Powell arrived with his son and daughter and their spouses and four grandsons. Doug and Carol Ann Mills brought a son and daughter and their spouses and grandchildren. Johnny Watt Vaughan had his three grandchildren at the parade Saturday. We could tell they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. As promised, Ray Irvine walked with Vance Powell into the courtyard. Though all who came did not officially register, the extra family members put our totals over 320, the best I could figure. Even without the extras, we, the Class of 1967, set an attendance record for a 50th Reunion.

And we had fun doing it!

Joan and I hosted a three-day open house hospitality room in our suite in order to give others a place to connect and mix and visit. We were able to see many BRs and wives we might have missed otherwise. It got crowded at times, but if there was nothing official going on or one did not sign up for something extra, our room was the place to hang out, as the snacks were plentiful, and the fridge was full of soft drinks, ice, wine and beer. The plan had been for us to do a liquor run to the ABC store in town Thursday, but people kept bringing bottles of their own choice. The first to share was Ron Lowry, who brought a bottle of Crown Royal, so we delayed going to the store. Jim Ferrell brought a bottle of Maker’s Mark. Not too long after, Will and Ann Plentl brought a small store’s worth of nuts, candy and 12 assorted bottles of their favorite whiskeys, gin, vodka, bourbon and a couple of exotic beverages. Then a large bottle of Dewar’s showed up. Later, a BR who has his own still – he showed me photos, honest – provided several small Mason jars of his homemade white lightning (name withheld, just in case). A couple of folks chipped in to assist with the expense of hosting the event, which was appreciated, and the

remaining funds went into the class flower fund.

Thanks to those of you who gave us checks or said they would mail a check for the class flower fund. I had not mentioned it during our 50th fund campaign the last few years. Our records are open to anyone who wishes to see how the funds have been used for funerals and memorial donations.

It is a small account but has served the class well.

When you see the photos in the AR of BRs at funerals and they are standing by a large arrangement of red, white and yellow flowers, you can be assured they were sent by us from you, the Class of 1967. Others brought wine and such but it is impossible to recall all who did. A generous thank you to all who joined the group who kept us up late all three nights and enjoyed the company of so many BRs and families so long absent from our collective friendship. It was always a “help yourself” bar. Special thanks goes to Brenda Orrison, Bambi McIlwrath, Ann Plentl and the other ladies who kept things moving and made certain there was always ice in the cooler, snacks on the counter and space for more empty drink bottles in the trash. Sam and Ann Heltzel roomed next to us, and Ann engaged in many of the activities.

On Sunday morning at breakfast, John Goode, Tom Gillette and Bill Brent told me they represented a group who said Joan and I needed to repeat the same policy of open house next time we all get to a reunion. After that conversation in the Holiday Inn breakfast area, they added that their job was done and dissolved the delegation. Not sure we can wait another five years for a get-together, and a couple of ideas have been mentioned.

Possibly two or three regional meetings in the next couple of years, as not everyone enjoys traveling to Virginia. A class trip/cruise is a possibility. Other classes have done these things. Many among us have cruised to Alaska or down the Danube but most have not. Your suggestions are solicited.

I want to compliment or recognize a couple of those who were at our reunion for different reasons. I am quite certain I have not seen fellow Band Company BR Bob Kerr since graduation (or maybe since we played our last Guard Mount as 2nds in 1966). Like many of us, Bob and I just did not have much contact in barracks. It was great to see Marie Wertz, Anna Green and Anita Guthrie, as well as Anita’s daughter, Anne Guthrie Anderson. Anita now lives in Florida, and Anne has moved to Wyoming to follow her snowboard interests. I did meet Bruce Bodner’s daughter, Holly, and Monica Chun for the first time. I spoke

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Class Notes briefly with John Burgess, Phil Cannon and Phil Cosby. I know the Goodgions, the Holts, Tommy and Sandy Thompson, the Wittels and Andy Yowell were there, but like so many others, I never got to say hello. I wanted to visit with Gretchen Fox Stein and meet Jay, but I did not. For the first time, I did meet Hans Wachmeister, whose name has appeared on every list from the Alumni Association in the nearly 30 years I have been your class agent, but I almost had come to believe he was a myth. A personal best memory surrounds an email I received just before we left Georgia to drive to Virginia. Ken Comfort, who left when we were 3rds, asked if I thought brother rats would mind if he marched into Old Barracks courtyard with the class. I said ’67 would welcome him. Joan and I sat with Ken and Barbara during the parade, and we caught up a lot. It is impossible to recall all of those we enjoyed visiting with and hard to remember those we did not. But Joan and I want to thank you all, all of the ’67 family, for such a wonderful reunion experience.

Watching Jimmy Rogers, Tom Richardson, Bob Randolph and Jim Phlegar present our check was an honor. They were each wearing a custom yellow tie with “VMI” and “1967” woven into the pattern. This was a gift from Jim Rogers (designed by Bootsie Rogers) to each member of the class and was presented to them at the Friday evening dinner. Jim Rogers chaired the 50th Reunion Giving Committee and planned a methodical team oriented approach to maximize our check from the class while keeping in mind the goal to meet or exceed the worthy goal of $20 million.

The day of presentation with the class present was beyond beautiful with House Mountain shining in the distance. The band and pipe band combination played as well as I can recall, and the Corps marched as sharp as if Garnett Andrews was at stake, and I know the Corps was graded on performance. In keeping with a tradition, Wiley McIlrath asked the Company A commander, Tony Best ’17, if he would carry his sabre in our recognition parade, and he did. Wiley made the same request at our 25th but this time followed every move of his sabre from his motorized wheelchair.

Wiley and Bambi took Best ’17 to lunch and presented him a RATMAN shirt as a thank you. Tom Coughenour was also in a wheelchair with his oxygen bottle. The one from home had small wheels not suitable for the grass on the Parade Ground, so a BR who has requested to remain anonymous rented one with large wheels, and Tom motored

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along with the rest of us with other hands pushing him. Ron Lowry and Barrett Graham each positioned themselves under one of my arms to help me walk with the class through the grass as I dragged the heavy stabilizing boot attached to my leg. In the old courtyard, once on level ground, I surprised myself and the crowd by doing a slow climb up the stairs to get to the top of the sentinel box. Going up was less scary than coming down, but there were many helping hands.

Favorite memories from the reunion shared by BRs so far: Barrett Graham: “Aside from the totality of the experience (being back in Lexington and sharing time with 160 or so family members), it was the trip to New Market (which I took for the second time) and the certain belief that although geography separates us, the passage of time brings us closer together.”

Chuck and Ginny Keblusek: “Other than the reunion at the Institute, we have many good memories of the Homestead, where we broke up into smaller groups and visited at meals and just enjoyed the beautiful surroundings, the weather, etc.

It was a wonderful place to wrap things up and spend quality time with the BRs we knew best.

We had several meals with Fred Smith and Lynn Beaulieu, my roommates, as well as Brenda and Terry Fowler, who were with us in Germany in the U.S. Air Force after our marriage. Wonderful times and good memories.”

John Lee: “My left kneecap will never let me forget, maybe, unless when my mind reverts back to my second childhood and I ask myself, ‘Where the hell did I get that scar?’ Other than that little diversion, the reunion turned out even greater than I had imagined it would.”

Terry Fowler: “My best reunion story is the impromptu gathering we had with Colin Campbell. Colin, the bagpiper, the theme that ‘we all have problems’ and then hearing some of those problems really hit home. Several BRs came up to me after the ceremony and expressed their concern for our son, Brennan, and his Lyme disease. I’ll never forget it. The second favorite take away was Monday night at the Homestead. Tuck Worsham, Mike Schlosser, Mike Ingelido, myself and our wives had dinner at the Sam Snead Grill. After a great meal and several glasses of wine, we decided (Sue Worsham decided) that the eight of us weren’t riding into the Keydet sunset over House Mountain. Therefore, let it be known far and wide that the eight of us will meet in

some designated place each year to rekindle the friendship. Since Ingelido was not a 1st Class roommate, we took a vote, and he was elected to set up the first gathering. After all, he is a great BR, and he fits the requirement of the group that no one shall be taller than 5 feet 7 inches!”

John Horner: “Jan, here are a couple of vignettes from the reunion. It was a great reunion. First, at the Lexington Golf and Country Club dinner, we dined with Bland Guthrie’s wife, Anita, and his splendid daughter, Anne Guthrie Anderson. It was sort of transcendent. I had loved C.B.; such a remarkable person. I felt deeply in contact with him again. I am very glad they have stayed with ’67. The second thing: It has been a milestone experience for me to lead the memorial service at both the 45th and 50th. Leading it in front of the giant mural of the New Market Battle – that could only happen at VMI. The experience is unique to VMI and as inexplicable as much of the other parts, like the Rat Line, the Corps, the marching to dinner. I could go on. Again, it was a very fine time.”

J.B. Farley: For me, it was really great to see so many old friends from so long ago. The chemistry section gathering at (old) Maury Brooke was a real highlight. Thanks go to Lynn Beaulieu for organizing it. Also, I am pleased to report that Ron Lowry and I did not find the book! He will know what I am referring to. Patsy and Carol were afraid that we might find it and make another gross out. That we had the largest number of attendees at a 50th Reunion says a lot about our class, as well as our health care system! By the way, Ruben Terry and I probably hold the record for having been schoolmates for the longest time – ever since the second grade! Best reunion ever, in my opinion.”

There may be a challenge on J.B. and Reuben’s record, as I recall one or two other BRs who went to grade school together, so let me know. Dave Bristow and Tubby Wilkinson are in the running having been together maybe as long. Dave was joined by his sister, Jeanne, for the weekend.

She is assisting Dave with his move from Colorado to Virginia and volunteered to do some of the driving. They stayed with John and Sandy Lee at Sandy’s restored childhood home near Craigsville. Rambo Farm is a delightful place available for special events, long weekends or a weekly retreat. I know Max Toch has stayed there during deer season. John and Sandy live about half a mile away in a log cabin. Lynn Beaulieu organized

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes 2.

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Class of 1967 1. Tom Rhodes, Bootsie Rogers and Suzy Rhodes sharing time at breakfast.

2. Jim Waehler, Pete Wells, Tommy Thompson and Ken Chun at the Saturday night dinner.

3. Ken Comfort and Bob Hess after not having seen each other since 1965.

4. Doug Mills, Kermit Quick, Kip Jones and J.B. Farley at the Lexington Golf and Country Club dinner.

5. Wayne Marshall, Jan Abernathy, Richard Reid and Bo Traywick just before the parade.

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6. Ron and Brenda Neidermayer with Jamie and Cathie Tate at the Parapet.

7. Joan Abernathy, Ken Chun, Vance Powell and Laurie Linard at the Parapet.

8. Phil Cannon, Marty Bandy and Jim Robertson catching up on 50 years.

9. Mary and Jamie Hannah with Anita Guthrie and Anne Guthrie Anderson.

10. Andy Carter, Vonnie Kane, Colin Campbell and Stan and Carol Ann Waskiewicz in Crozet Hall.

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Class Notes the chemistry guys for a photo together, and he also had special lapel pins and keychains made for them. I was invited to be in the group photo, as Lynn said I had more time in the department in my three attempts to pass rat chemistry than most of those working toward a degree. I was sidetracked, however, recruiting a piper to join us to play at Colin Campbell’s healing prayer event, so I missed the honorary position and photo. (For those who joined us at the event, cadet piper Brady Matthews ’17 greeted everyone with “Shenandoah” and concluded with “Amazing Grace.”)

On arrival Wednesday, Joan and I had a late meal with Dot and Wayne Marshall and Ray Gosney. Wayne was enjoying telling everyone in sight about his new sweater. Moths and time had finished off his original, but he had saved the emblem and managed to get the Keydet/athletic folks to sell him a new sweater. Then he persuaded the ladies in the tailor department to apply his emblem and sew his name into the inside. It was really a nice touch. The whole thing was important to Wayne, and it looked great. Somewhere I do have my emblem protected from the elements and critters, but I gave, or sold, my sweater to my rat dyke Neil Steverson ’70. Neil was a traffic court judge in Richmond. Do you keep in touch with your rat?

Thursday morning, Joan and I were leaving the Holiday Inn parking lot to go to shop for the items needed to stock the hospitality room. We were hailed by a guy I thought I knew but did not recognize. F.O. Moore recognized me, and we enjoyed a short visit until I told him we were going on a beer run. I think his reply was, “Hurry back!”

Terry Moore: “I’d say my favorite experiences at our 50th Reunion were: Reacquainting myself with our brother rats. It began as I tried pulling the rooming charts together. Interestingly, at our graduation in June 1967, a person could ask, ‘Is so-and-so in my VMI class?’ and I could immediately say, ‘yes,’ or ‘no.’ Not that I could provide intimate details, but I could recognize the name, probably the company and degree sought (especially if engineering) and possibly a bit about my brother rat. As the years passed along, my memory became dimmer to the point of maybe 50 percent.

Now with 100-plus phone calls, many emails and the reunion, I may be up to 75-80 percent. Plus, a number of new stories/recollections have been added to the ‘new’ faces of our brother rats. The challenge now is to continue the interaction.

“Beth and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit/tour of New Market. This was even more significant, as I

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am very much involved in genealogy and I have a second great-uncle, John Richards Triplett ’886 (1845-82): VMI 1866, a corporal in Delta Company, who participated in the battle. Walking the battlefield and envisioning all that could have occurred was a very personal experience, and one I will cherish. Both tour guides (Keith Gibson ’77 [director of the VMI Museum System] and Troy Marshall) were outstanding and knew details far beyond a ‘standard’ docent. They brought the battle experience to life.

“Of course, I must commend highly the ’67 reunion team for such a successful time for all – organization, number of attendees, great schedule of events, yes, no ‘rubber chicken’ meals, special details (tie, jacket, medal, etc.), and a very sizable gift to VMI to ensure its future. Thanks to all the team!”

We all agree with Terry. The Reunion Committee and the 50th Campaign Committee did a magnificent job. All those who volunteered to step up to help Jimmy and Jim deserve our collective thanks.

Ron Neidermayer: “Gee, the whole experience was fantastic. The one thing that left a lasting impression upon me was the number of BRs attending the 50th who had left VMI during their cadetship, finishing their education elsewhere, like Vic Tambone, John Shea and Jim Tate. I am sure there were more. It says a lot about the BR spirit and bonds that last a lifetime. At the reunion, I learned about Tom Gillette’s determination to obtain his degree from VMI after leaving and enlisting. That story was so impressive and inspiring that I am still in awe. Regardless of our journeys over the past 50 years, each BR exuded that BR spirit and comradery that makes VMI such a unique experience. I was also impressed that our wives have become ‘sister rats;’ Brenda has established a number of good friends via our reunions.”

I will try to close now, but there is so much to mention before I do. I finally met Marge Hedquist and Cita Bandy. I was able to honor Susan Groseclose’s request for photos of Skip’s buds, Bill Hughes and Don Brown. I still wonder about the T-shirt J.I. Orrison brought to share from a trip to Singapore. It showed a dozen things that you could be fined for if you did them in public. Wil and Ann Plentl’s adopted niece is a breath of fresh air and delighted us all with her presence. Lowry left the reunion to go to the Bahamas to go bone fishing. Not sure why, as they are not edible fish.

The Andersons left to go on a family trip to the

Grand Canyon. Thanks to Jimmy Rogers, Rick Irby and Bob Randolph for presenting Joan and me with a certificate of appreciation. They also replaced Jim Joyner’s cadet sabre that was lost in a move years ago. Did you know that Phil Gioia redesigned the etching on the VMI sabre that is still used today? Thanks to Terry and Brenda Fowler and Chuck and Ginny Keblusek for organizing those who presented Joan with a necklace and me with a set of VMI cuff links. And thanks to the ladies who presented Joan with a floral bouquet as a thank you for her many years of dedication and giving back to so many of you.

Between us, Joan and I took dozens of photos, trying to capture as many of you as possible on film and trying to “tell the story” of the weekend. We are adding in the ones you are sending via email with the hope that we can create a class CD compilation in the near future. I also took photos of the multiple serving stations in Crozet. It still amazes me that there are so many choices. No cadet waiters and no white tablecloths. Also, no straining or double timing or trifling, but more on this at a later date. For now, let’s bask in our memories and consider what comes next for a get together in the future.

Thinking of all of you and our great time together and wishing that we could have visited with more of you in person. There will be more stories to come. This is just a new beginning. It was truly a weekend of brother rats supporting and helping brother rats.

In the spirit, Jan

1968

Tom Hickey

Ed Anderson (Lynchburg, Virginia): “Pat and I, along with a couple from Roanoke, were in Lexington for The Citadel game Feb. 11. We got there early, hoping to have an opportunity to look around the new cadet fitness center and, as luck would have it, were able to join up with a guided tour. The tour guide really knew his stuff about the new facility, and we also benefited from having Donnie White ’65 present. With their combined knowledge, we were able to gain a lot of insight not only into the construction details and features

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes of the building but also the reasoning that went into its planning and layout. The tour lasted a little over an hour; time well spent! And the game?!

Well, beating The Citadel was pretty special, too, and very exciting! Don’t know what the coaches told the players during halftime, but they went from struggling in the first half to dominating in the second half. Ran into Jay Reeves (Lynchburg, Virginia) after the game. I know there were a lot of other BRs at that game but just didn’t recognize any of them in the large crowd. What a great day!”

In May, Ed provided additional information: “Pat and I are now in our fourth year of retirement and doing very well. We have a few ‘regular’ activities that we have to set our alarm clocks for but also enjoy it when we’re able to stay up late and/ or sleep in. One day a week, we baby-sit our granddaughter, Loren Nicole Fields (Fields, L.N., VMI provisional appointment Class of 2036), and we also help tutor second- and third-graders in reading and math at a local elementary school once a week. Pat also enjoys quilting and has three or four meetings a month with a quilting group. I’m keeping my disk jockey business going and also try to get to the gun range about once a month.

Church activities also help keep our calendars fairly full. I’ve been meeting with a group of senior Lynchburg VMI alumni for lunch once a month.

Most of them graduated in the 1950s, and there are always a lot of interesting VMI and non-VMI stories.”

Dee Biggs (Acton, Massachusetts): “I was in South Florida in January 2017 working on a project to help put veterans back to work. Our program is supported by a $25 million grant from the Department of Labor, and it has gone very nicely.

I travel all over the country talking to companies about hiring veterans and other people who have taken some supply chain courses and are ready to make a contribution. We have gotten several hundred veterans hired at this point and will go over 1,000 before the grant ends at the end of March.

I have been involved over the past 18 months, and it has been great as so many companies have been willing to work with us, large and small.

“Last week, I had a chance to go to dinner with Bill and Gail Bouck (Deerfield Beach, Florida), Bill and Vicki Cobb (Pompano Beach, Florida), and Dixon and Linda McElwee (Boca Raton, Florida). We had a great time eating at a spot on the beach near Deerfield Beach, Florida. They are all doing well and looking forward to the reunion.

We should have gotten some pictures but missed

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on that opportunity. Needless to say, the three wives look considerably better than the rest of us. I had a free afternoon that day and played golf with the two Bills. We had a great time. We played last year also when I was in town working on the program. Dixon said he will be in Lexington in April for the W.G. Davis tournament that Kevin Henry (Winston Salem, North Carolina) organizes.”

Smokey Beirne (Roanoke, Virginia): “Wife is enjoying her retirement, and I am moving up in the ranks of Royal Arch Masonry and the Knights Templar Commandery. I may have been on an assignment at the “I” with the state police when that chopper was there.”

John Byrd (Richmond, Virginia): “Margaret and I plan to go to Lexington this coming Saturday, April 29, 2017. That day will mark 50 years to the day (Saturday, April 29, 1967) that we met at VMI on a blind date. We have two granddaughters, Penelope, who is almost four, and Vivienne, who is one. We love the time we get to spend with them.

It is fascinating to watch them grow and learn. We are much more aware of the things they learn than we were when our kids were that age. We have more time to notice things now that we are retired.

I continue to perform as a ventriloquist. I won the title of Senior Idol of Greater Richmond. I was selected from a field of 12 finalists. We performed for an audience of more than 500. I appeared on WDBJ7 TV in Roanoke in May 2016 and am scheduled to be on WTVR TV in Richmond probably sometime this fall. I also play tenor sax in the Chesterfield Community Band. We definitely plan to attend the reunion.”

David Wagner (Littleton, Colorado): “My birthday this year was quiet. I have been recovering from lathroscopic gall bladder surgery. Fortunately, it was successful. Today (March 2017), Marti and I are on Maui. We have been coming here every year at this time for about eight years. This year, we are very busy doing nothing. We will be on Maui until the middle of March. I truly enjoy our time here. The big news is that our daughter is getting married in September. She lives in Austin, Texas. We are very excited. I am finished with most of my work on the School of Mines Foundation. We had an event to honor my service. I received some nice plaques. They named an award in my honor for outstanding achievement by a foundation employee, and they created a $500,000 scholarship in my name. All in all, it was a good evening. I saw the Air Force football schedule and noticed that VMI would be playing in the first

game. If any brother rats are making the trip, let me know. I will try to put something together.”

Paul Hebert (Steamboat Springs, Colorado): “As many BRs may know, I taught a course at VMI in fall 2015 in the international studies department and loved getting in touch with the new modern VMI cadets. My students were extremely impressive. I had a chance to connect with a few brother rats during that time. Mayling, my wife, joined me, and we had a glorious four months with onpost housing – somewhat in need of upgrading.

I am sure they did replace the outdoor plumbing a few years ago, but the bathroom was about halfa-mile from our bedroom. Teaching was great and had a couple of outings with Chandler Williams (Midlothian, Virginia) and family, including a great canoe trip down the James River. Life in Colorado is quiet and full of outdoor activities with camping, biking and skiing. We also made it back to the Institute to attend the ceremony where Congressman John Lewis received the fourth Jonathan Daniels Humanitarian Award and had lunch with him, as well as General Peay ’62 and his wife. We were back in Virginia at the end of March 2017 at Longwood University, where Mayling received a well-deserved JLM Curry Alumni Humanitarian Award for her lifetime work in international public health. Look forward to seeing everyone at the 50th in 2018.”

John Royster (Bermuda Run, North Carolina): “I am in my second year of retirement, and enjoying it very much. Susan and I are busy here at home, but we also travel a good bit, and have been able to keep in touch with some BRs. Last fall, we spent a few days with Howard and Sally Donald (Richmond, Virginia) seeing some Civil War sites including Harpers Ferry, Sharpsburg and Gettysburg. Later, we saw Howard and Sally and Herb and Betty Laine (Chesapeake, Virginia) for the weekend in Richmond, and most recently, we caught up with golfing and non-golfing BRs in Lexington at the Billy Davis golf outing/mini reunion. These mini reunions are great fun, thanks to Kevin Henry who organizes them and to a cast of characters in attendance who can’t forget hundreds of stories – some of which are true. Susan and I are taking a hiking trip in May to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon Park in Utah, and then to the Sedona, Arizona, red rock country. I saw Mike Smythers (Chesapeake, Virginia) at the recent mini reunion, and he says Zion and Bryce Canyon are two of the best hiking venues in the country. In July, we are going to Norway on a

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Class Notes cruise, exploring a few fjords in Zodiac boats and hiking in the hills around the fjords. Later in the fall, we are traveling with Roddy and Betty Delk (Smithfield, Virginia) in the Hudson River Valley and will see the U.S. Military Academy and some other sites. Susan and I are looking forward to the 50th next May. In 1968, the 50th Reunion class was 1918 – ancient – and now the Class of 2018 will have the same impression of us. Whaddaya going to do?”

Vic Huang (Cupertino, California): “Well, what am I doing? Busy! Besides hosting grandkids that come every spring, summer (and maybe fall) breaks which keeps us busy, I am still consulting on the side in areas of autonomous vehicles/selfdriving cars/electric cars, etc. to smaller automotive companies (mostly foreign) looking to understand the future of the automotive industry. Since the auto industry is now being disrupted by electronics (such as connected vehicles), the electrical engineers are coming into the mainstream. My time is then divided with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers activities, where I am quite active in standards. These activities provide Shirley and me the opportunities to travel worldwide, as many of the IEEE conferences and meetings are overseas (Europe, Asia, LATAM...) Anyway, hope all is good with you and all our BRs. Looking forward to see all of you at our 50th!”

Steve Powers (Malvern, Pennsylvania) sent an email to Kevin Henry that mentioned Groovy Davis. Here is part of what Steve wrote: “I was thinking about our roommate, Billy Davis, this morning. So many (too many) times before an upcoming basketball game, Billy would say to me, ‘Powers, you’ve been wrong too long; you better be right tonight!’ He was our biggest fan, win or lose, he enjoyed watching the games at the Old Fort, usually with a pretty girl sitting next to him in the bleachers.”

Wes Padgett (Montgomery, Alabama): “Ruth and I have every intention of coming to the 50th next year. As I plan to fully retire this December, it will be even easier. We are both in good health with Ruth getting a new knee two weeks ago. Her first one, put in five years ago, failed and had to be replaced entirely. All seems to be going much better this second time around! I am still doing a lot of traveling as a director and the senior program manager for my information technology company – mostly government contracts. Ruth started volunteering at the humane society but had to quit, as she tried to bring every dog and cat home. We

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ended up with two dogs, one cat and added a third dog inherited from our eldest son. We figured that was enough! I am still singing in our church choir and with the Montgomery Chorale. Those two gigs and work pretty much keep me busy. We look forward to our grandchildren coming to visit for the summer. This year, we actually plan to stay in the state, as last summer we all took the train to Washington, D.C., and then New York.”

Rick Eades (Ridgeland, Mississippi): “Getting ready for the National Senior Olympics to be held in Birmingham the first full week in June. I will be cycling the 20K and 40K events. I did it 10 years ago when the Olympics were in Baton Rouge.

What a field of riders; some were actually returning from touring in Europe. The only thing I can say for myself was that I was not last and I had a personal best. These old folks can really ride.”

Wayne Burton (Kingsland, Georgia): “Well, I lost my wife to cancer in March 2017. We met at Sem Sept. 17, 1966. She was my Ring Figure date and my bride for 47 years. She died the same day we lost Ken Pennington, who lived an hour from me. But, life goes on. We have a new grandson who was born in April 2016. He represents the circle of life. I owe a lot to my BRs Lew Yeouze (Peachtree City, Georgia) and George Buzzard (Waynesboro, Georgia) for their continued support this past year. Look forward to seeing everyone in April.”

As you read this, Dean Kershaw (Fairfield, Virginia) and his committee are at work putting together our 50th Reunion program. As I was assembling them, I was struck with how many brother rats are committed to attending that reunion. I hope each and every one of you will be there the weekend of April 19-22, 2018. See you then.

1969

Walter Judd

Greetings, Brother Rats and Friends of the VMI Class of 1969, It is spring in eastern Virginia and almost warm. We head toward our 50th Reunion with a smile and hopes for seeing many old friends in a short time.

In my last notes, I mentioned I was about to

attend a reception sponsored by VMI to greet members of the Virginia General Assembly in mid-February. Glenn White and I rode to Richmond that afternoon and found a parking spot near the Library of Virginia – a minor miracle!

We saw several other class members and even a few Good-To-Mes. Charlie Bryan was there early, and soon after, Mike Santoro, Courtenay Welton, Fred Downey, Bob and Ruth Waldo and Richie Daub showed up. Of course, we all talked a bunch and met a few persons of interest. VMI has at least two alumni running for public office in Virginia soon, and both were there. We did not see our current governor.

Earlier that same day, I got a call from Don Mercer in Virginia Beach who said he and Bob Leibecke were together for a few days. They wanted to talk and were interested in coming to Yorktown.

We met at a local Starbucks and talked for a couple of hours. Bob is mostly hanging out in Florida these days but was further north working as part of a team training Army intel operators. It did not take long for the conversation to turn to past histories and our wartime experiences. Bob was on the ground as an Army officer, while Don and I did our Air Force duties in various places in Vietnam and surrounding areas. For the record, Bob spent his time in the I Corps area and even visited my work area near Danang. Both others thought most of our BRs spent time in a uniformed service after VMI and many had served in the Republic of Vietnam in the late 1960s or early 1970s. I decided to check the records as well as I could and did a survey of our class (using as a reference the 2015 Register of Former Cadets) for service participation. According to my research, 177 BRs from our class (of the 382 who matriculated) had an affiliation with the Army, 47 with the Air Force, 9 with the Navy and 11 with the Marine Corps. Doctor Chris Brothers spent time in the U.S. Public Health Service and several others opted for other military organizations serving their state(s). That translates to 245 persons (more than 64 percent of our class) with some sort of military service after college. I have no way to verify those who served in RVN, but I think there were probably a couple of dozen BRs who served in that area. If you don’t mind telling your story sometime, pass on to me your wartime stories from RVN. To carry that idea of veterans’ service a bit further, let me relate a call I received from Ralph Wright’s widow, Mary Alice. She thanked me for the attention paid to her by BRs and mentioned

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Chunk Neale had called her on his way to a turkey hunting adventure. She passed to me the fact Ralph attended VMI for two years and then enlisted in the Army. It was 1967, and a lot of young men were called to duty in the various services. He was a military policeman and served in the Republic of Vietnam. Flash forward to current times.

Ralph was struck down by a condition related by the Department of Veterans Affairs to contact with Agent Orange. As a Vietnam vet with a condition tied to that insidious stuff, Ralph was due benefits from the VA, and Mary Alice discovered what that meant. She asked me to tell you about the deal. The surviving spouse of a vet who served in RVN and whose death can be linked to that era and those conditions can apply for benefits under the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation program. The benefit is a monthly sum of income for the rest of the life of the surviving spouse.

What is needed is proof of service and a link to the Agent Orange list of medical issues. When I talked to the VA representative to get the details, she told me there is a list of the medical problems known to be linked to Agent Orange, and it is fairly widespread: Heart and artery issues, diabetes, lung cancer and prostate cancer, to mention a few. My recommendation to you all, BRs, is to put your military records in a place where your survivors can find them and to advise them of the program.

If you have questions about the DIC or eligibility,

Class of 1969: John Sebrell in front of Moody Mansion in Galveston, Texas, in February 2017.

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contact me, and I will get you some answers.

One bright February day which seemed very warm and spring-like, Jim Long in Salem agreed to play golf with me in Williamsburg in midMarch. I wish the weather had stayed that way on our golf days, but alas, it did not. On the way to the course Sunday morning, we drove through snow showers and even after arrival at the course, there was considerable doubt whether we could play or not. What a bummer to get snowed out of a round at a great course! Of course, the tournament did go on, and we ended the day in bright sunshine.

(But very cold temperatures!) I might quit whining someday, but it was a bummer that day.

While I was freezing in the great outdoors that day, Bob and Susan Alexander joined my wife in a nice, warm church celebrating our Scottish heritage to the sound of bagpipes and swirl of tartans.

Bob confided he never was very good at marching to drums and the band at VMI, but he surely could stay in step with the bagpipes!

And the cool weather continued too long. Drew Brantley tried to get a group together for a midweek baseball game with VMI at the College of William & Mary, but the cold weather again foiled the plans. Bob Heely and others tried to gather BRs for a game at Old Dominion University, but the same thing happened: Too much rain and cold for a good outing. Eventually, the weather did warm up a bit and folks headed outdoors for activities. Tom Morris and I did enjoy some great rounds of golf in the Williamsburg area.

My wife and I journeyed to Colorado at Easter to be with our daughter and her family and found spring weather. It is still amazing to me to hear of my grandson skiing one week and playing baseball in short sleeves the next. Mother Nature was not finished messing with that area, however, as snow fell the last week in April in the Denver area.

While in Colorado, we spent a night at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. One of the first true resorts in the western U.S., that hotel complex is nearly 100 years old and would be a great place to stay when you go see the VMI versus the Air Force Academy football game Sept. 2. Coach Wach told us he wanted to take his team to the high country, and apparently that will happen this fall. I am looking forward to going and meeting up with our Colorado BRs and friends.

In February, Eileen Nohava sent a newsy update on her travels. “My quest to travel to all seven continents took me to Australia and New Zealand this year. I traveled with a group gathered by Tauck

and met Ray Martin ’71 and his wife, Dee.” Lucky Eileen was able to see the top tennis pros at the Australian Open, a real treat for her as a player herself. Her 2016 travels took her to Antarctica and had her “weather” the rough seas in the Drake Passage before getting to the calmer bays closer to land. She flew on helicopters, rode in zodiac boats and tried out the jet skis on her trips. Pretty adventurous, I would say! Eileen is proud to say she has visited all 50 states and all seven continents in her various travels.

In early April, I went over to Lexington for the annual class agents’ conference with leaders of the alumni association chapters. We met with Gen. Peay ’62 one morning and heard a complete assessment of the Institute. The capital campaign closed at the end of June and has done wonderful things for the Institute’s resources. Ideas that had been only dreams will now be possible with the new funding. That funding also comes at the time the commonwealth contributes less and less to the school coffers. While the state helps greatly in building and/or renovating academic buildings, there is little set aside for tuition and fees for students.

While the class agents discussed many topics related to our volunteer jobs, we also got to see firsthand the results of months of building and renovation on post. We visited the new Corps Physical Training Facility, just completed this spring along Route 60. Cadets can walk over the highway on a new bridge and enter the building on the upper level. And what a building it is! Forget about the dark indoor track at the Pit and envision a full 220-yard indoor track on the perimeter with central dual sprint lanes, long jump and pole vault areas, and special weight throwing areas on one end. The ends/curves in the first level track can be raised to ease the transitions for the longer races. The running track on the upper level of the bright, airy building serves also as access to several fitness challenges, rock climbing and rope climbing stations. We also visited the refurbished Cormack Hall to see what had been done to replace the old “pit.” Now the building holds the wrestling “Thunder Dome” (complete with two large competition mats and seats for fans) and a large physical fitness center. More than just free weights await cadets in that large area. While at the CPTF, I found the trainer’s room and was pleased with the various machines and tubs for track and field athletes. We also toured the recently renovated Cocke Hall and saw several weight rooms for all

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Class Notes is a fortunate man with six kids and 13 grandkids, and special places for other fitness classes and the was in a wheelchair, his handshake was firm.

As I was leaving the restaurant in Williams- mostly in the area near him. When I asked him club sports teams. The floors of the main level and the upper running track looked new and shiny, but burg, I got a call from my wife telling me V.J. about retirement, he said he had tried it for a while the pullup bars were still way too available. We did Petrella was on the way to the house for a visit. I and liked working better. He first retired in 2005 and then was recalled to active service as a civilian not see any overweight cadets at any of the places hustled home and met V.J. as he arrived. He had we visited. delivered his Coast Guard daughter to the small knowledge manager in El Paso 2010-14. He was In early May, Bob Flowers, Dan Gibson, Drew Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown for a part of a group monitoring Mexican cartels and Brantley and I attended the quarterly get together course and had a few minutes before heading to working to reduce the flow of drugs into the U.S. As we talked, it was apparent he enjoyed making of the senior alumni in the Williamsburg area. Richmond (and a visit with Charlie Bryan). We Drew brought a 1901 Bomb he had discovered, sat on the back porch for a spell and got caught up a contribution to the effort and feeling the exciteand we all enjoyed looking at the class which in- on all the latest gossip. The weather was perfect, ment of doing something that potentially could cluded several men named Marshall. A 1st Class and we enjoyed the repartee. Of course, the stories have been dangerous. While El Paso was very cadet named George C. was notable. Leo and came out, and we laughed at things that happened safe for everyday living, the areas across the border Gary, George C. played left tackle on the football so long ago. There was something about V.J. and were not. Rick’s activities are much more cerebral team! A ’62 grad, Dr. Robertson, also brought roommates allowing lighter fluid to drip down a now and forward-thinking and a lot less stressful.

I chatted with Charlie Bryan the next day and news and photos of the bust unveiling ceremony pipe into Good-to-Me Denny Long’s room and told him he was not the only history for Doc Carroll at the VMI biology deprofessor-to-be that ended up in “public partment in April. Doc’s son was there history” vice academia and he agreed. representing the family, and many biolHe called Rick himself and had a good ogy grads (“Doc’s boys”) from earlier conversation. Charlie and his wife, years all attended. As we have learned Cammy, learned in early March that before, Doc was officially retired by the her cancer had reappeared, and they time we arrived at VMI, and we took headed to Houston and the M.D. Anclasses from the professor emeritus. No matter what was his official status, he derson Cancer Center for six weeks of was the same Doc with all the traits we treatment. They returned in early May fondly remember. with a hopeful, optimistic attitude. He Here is what Scott Rhodes had to say told me he had spent a weekend with about the ceremony: “Just a note to let Paul and Becky Mascot while there. you know that there were three BRs Charlie and I also talked a little about Class of 1969: Pictured May 2, 2017, at the senior VMI alumni from the Class of ’69 at the dedication our upcoming 50th Reunion activiluncheon in Williamsburg were Dan Gibson, Walt Judd, Bob of the bust of Doc Carroll yesterday. Flowers and Drew Brantley. ties, and he referred me to his book of Chris Brothers, Geoff Taylor and I articles for the Richmond newspaper, represented ’69’s biology grads with great dignity then watching the reaction when a match was in- “Imperfect Past,” and the article about charitable and class. Chris was on his way back to Santa Fe troduced – all good fun, I am sure. V.J. was living giving. See page 210 of the book for an idea of from a visit to the Outer Banks. Surely didn’t ex- the dream with a big black Corvette for transport. what we are facing: The raising of a large sum of pect to see him. I walked into the bio building, and Speaking of neat cars, Drew Brantley drove his money and the reasons we want to be successful.

Time for a Facebook survey. There was Frank there he was! Jim Turner ’65 (department chair) vintage 2003 Porsche convertible to the luncheon gave an interesting update on the state of the biol- in Williamsburg with the top down, of course. It Novakowski up in Michigan holding a nice sized ogy department. I took a self-guided tour of the was a joy to see him working so hard with all the fish and a big smile. The day looked sunny but cool and a little windy. Nearby was a picture of building. It was the first time I had seen the place gears on the floor and a clutch to play with.

On the spur of the moment a couple of days Tommy Jones leading prayer at his office in Masince they renovated it a few years ago. I was very impressed. The donations for the bust were suf- before his birthday in early May, I called Dr. con May 4, the National Day of Prayer, for all his ficient to pay for the bust and donate $75,000 to Rick Morris and had a nice chat. Rick is an ac- patients and their parents and guardians. Mike the Carroll fund, which you probably know helps tive history Ph.D., running his own company af- Lamar told of the wise old grandma on one day subsidize the biology department’s programs each ter retirement as a civilian from the Department and posted birthday greetings to his daughter on year. Attention all biology majors! If you are look- of the Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Rick another. Many of us with May birthdays got a has worked “lessons learned” and knowledge bunch of greetings from assorted BRs. Thanks to ing for a worthy cause for some of your extra cash, the Carroll fund is a good one. Each year, the management activities for many years and is now you all for taking the time to send me your best department depends on money from the fund to running a company consulting with several U.S. wishes. Tom Ruffin reported on his duties as a supplement the meager amount the state allots government agencies. I learned from him the term trustee for the Jefferson estate, Monticello. He told them for operations.” Scott also added that Dr. “learning organization” and will have to do more of collecting and rolling over 50 pounds of coins Hundley attended the ceremony, and though he research to better understand what it entails. Rick from Mr. Jefferson’s grave. I am sure the money is

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes well spent in preservation of that grand old house.

John Edenfield reminded us of the National Day of Prayer. Thornton Newlon recommended we accept some advice from long lived folks. I do wish there was more news and less fussing about politics. Obviously, half of our country’s residents like what is going on and the other half doesn’t.

On another day, Jamie Totten talked about visiting San Antonio and finding Texas a little different but refreshing. Paul Mascot, the small-town, Texas judge and true Texan, had a birthday and got plenty of greetings from Texans and the rest of the country’s finest. Hugh Hopkins posted momma duck followed by her many chicks jumping into the water from the dock. Jamie posted a film of a large turkey showing off. Reminded me of the two I saw parading on the golf course last week. Scott Rhodes recommended using peppermint oil to get rid of ticks. Biker Bob Ladd showed off a picture of his son’s newest calf. Can farmers and ranchers claim calves as family members? The new calf was named Penelope after a short search. Tom Hickman was shown with Gov. Hogan of Maryland: Nice photo. Or was it the governor was seen with Col. Hickman?

Time to wrap up this batch of notes. As you might imagine, I am already in the 50th Reunion planning mode and starting to rev up the requests for participation of BRs in the fundraising efforts.

My desire is for everyone associated with our class to make a donation to VMI so we can claim 100 percent participation. Consider it, please: Any size gift will do, and we can do some truthful boasting. We have been away from the Institute for almost 50 years and might want to set aside all those contentious issues from the past. What is relevant now is our class will be honored in April 2019. For all those who dote on things gone by, Doc Carroll said it best: “VMI is not like it used to be (and probably never was!).”

Plan to be in Lexington at the end of April 2019.

Get out and contact your former roomies, study buddies and card partners. They might have aged a little, so don’t be surprised if you have to introduce yourself to them. Laugh a little and tell them a story of what you did with them once upon a time. You will be pleased with the time spent in conversation. Invite them to come to Lexington for the 2019 reunion weekend and participate in the festivities. We are going to have a great time and they should be part of the fun.

In the spirit, Walt

2017-Issue 3

1970

Warren Grasty

Unfortunately, these notes begin with the sad news about the passing of Chuck Marks March 30 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Annie said his burial service is planned for Aug. 4 at Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Lexington. Quite a few brother rats sent in remembrances of Chuck, as follows.

Al Johnson roomed with Chuck and informed me that his ancestor, Charles H. Marks ’867, was a New Market cadet, and his dad, Charles H. Marks Jr. ’44, was in the Class of 1944. Les Ginn reported that he and Chuck were the only ones in their James Wood High School class to attend VMI. Les, Larry Brumback ’71 and Terry Bowers ’68 played high school football with Chuck. Terry graduated with Chuck’s older sister, who later married Terry’s dyke, John Prosser ’65. Terry also worked for Chuck’s dad for two summers while at VMI. Sometimes, it can be a pretty small world.

Gordon Williams remembered running sprints in a group with Chuck during rat football practice where Gordon was a walk-on. After realizing that his scrawny butt could barely outrun this 230-plus pound bruiser, he opted to drop football and concentrate on running track. But as Dick Knight advised, Gordon still had to keep an eye out, as Chuck was also a discus thrower on the rat track team. Dick also recalled the Akron football game our 3rd Class year where Chuck was as big as Akron’s biggest lineman at 265 pounds. On one play, Chuck busted through the line and found himself alone trampling through Akron’s secondary, only to be caught by their safety before finding the end zone. Years later, when Dick asked him if he remembered that play and if, perchance, the training table had something to do with his being caught, Chuck, with a twinkle in his eye, said that he was simply the prototype of the big running backs of the future like Craig “Ironhead” Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Paul Dickinson remembers a pickup basketball game in which Chuck was guarding him. After Paul drained a few shots from the perimeter, Chuck told him he wasn’t going to make any more. Sure enough, the next time Paul went for a shot, Chuck lowered his shoulder and tackled him. Obviously experiencing some form

of brain damage, Paul later tried another shot, which he reportedly made. From the bleachers, I presume. Rest in peace, brother rat.

On a happier note, upon recovering from openheart surgery a few months back, Tommy Cooke finally succumbed to retirement envy. Not wasting any time, he and Jill hit the road for Wild Dunes and Myrtle Beach with Herb and Susan Braun, followed by a visit with Lanny and Terry Sue Gault ’71 on Hilton Head. From there, they took the short ferry ride across to Daufuskie Island to mooch off Bob and Susan Copty, who, Tom reports, appears to be the de facto mayor of said island. Somehow during their tour of the island, Tommy managed to get assaulted by a goose, which, unfortunately for him, wasn’t the Grey Goose that usually causes him so much pain.

Also recently joining the ranks of the retired is Bruce Kirchner. Actually, he re-retired. After retiring after 21 years in the U. S. Army, he re-retired after another 21 years at Proctor & Gamble in October, where he was global medical director for the Fabric Care & Cleaning Products Sector. With his newly found free time, he stays active in supporting a nonprofit that promotes occupational hearing conservation, including teaching physicians and audiologists on related topics. Hear, hear!

Although not yet ready for retirement, A.C. and Beth Arnn have put their South Carolina home on the market and are looking for new digs in the Burlington, North Carolina, area to be closer to daughter Sarah and her family. He plans to continue working for M.B. Kahn Construction out of his home office until he retires next year. They will be attending the VMI versus Air Force Academy

Class of 1970: Jerry Nickelsburg with northern Icelandic trolls in May. 91

Class Notes football game in Colorado Springs this fall and will head from there to Alaska to visit son Patrick, Jessica and Adelaide, with hopes that Patrick will be reassigned to Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina soon.

Also still in the workforce is Turner Scott, who keeps busy with zoning and municipal matters in Newport, Rhode Island. He finds working with local boards and commissions less time consuming than courtroom work, so he is scaling back on the latter. He said last year was his best legal year yet. So good, in fact, that he took a month off to go to Australia and New Zealand.

He and Kathy had planned to visit Bill and Ann Richardson in their Clearwater, Florida, home in February, but Turner fell while bike riding and broke his collarbone, which required surgery.

Upon healing, they plan to hike the length of Hadrian’s Wall in England, spending the nights at bed-and-breakfasts along the way. In September, they head for Machu Picchu. As it turns out, Al and Anita Johnson drop in on the Scotts when they make their occasional treks to Newport to visit their daughter, Helen, who happens to be the city historic preservation planner.

Turner also sent me scans of two Rat Man drawings by his dyke, Phil Gioia ’67, that Phil had drawn for his class’ 50th Reunion. I remember his Rat Man sketches in The Cadet newspaper as providing a few bright spots during a pretty gloomy year. Turner invites any brother rats and wives to stay with them and explore the area, if you can catch them at home.

Phil Anderson reports that he is now president of the Big Canoe Property Owners’ Association, where he will command (oops!) schmooze with their 2,700 members to enhance their community, including completion of a new fire station and high-speed internet connections to all homes. I assume these people already have a chicken in every pot. He and Carolyn eagerly await the annual summer arrival of now 7-year-old grandson Stanley, who

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Class of 1970: John and June Bailey, Nancy Chandler, Randolph Williams ’66, Warren Grasty, Priscilla Williams and Liz Grasty at the Williams’ Virginia home in May.

Class of 1970: Kelly Sutton, Davy Davenport and Hal Way at Hal’s North Carolina home in April.

Class of 1970: Warren Grasty and Gray Chandler at the gravesite of Sir Moses Ezekiel ’866 in Arlington National Cemetery.

will spend five weeks with them.

Gordon Williams wrote me that his father, Luther R. Williams ’37, who was a pilot during World War II, will have his medals displayed in the Hall of Valor following Gordon’s efforts on his behalf. Congratulations, Gordon.

In April, I attended the Volunteer Leaders’ Conference on post, which brought together class agents and Alumni Association chapter leaders.

Among the attendees I had the pleasure of catching up with were Dave Keller’s brother, Bob ’75; Mike Roblee’s brother, Paul ’66; and Harry Bare’s dyke, Mike Kelly ’73. I also met Steve Maconi, chief executive officer of the VMI Alumni Agencies.

Steve brings a very impressive set of qualifications and a high level of energy to this critical position, and I hope many of you will have the opportunity to meet him at some time in the near future.

This spring brought with it a threeday mini reunion of former roommates Kelly Sutton, Cliff Davenport and Hal Way at Hal and Melinda’s home on Summit Lake in North Carolina. From the picture Davy sent in, everyone looks in fine form. But then again, it was taken before happy hour. It seems that Hal has joined Jon Vordermark in pursuing painting as an outlet for his artistic talents, and according to Kelly, he is pretty good.

Kelly and Rhonda then headed farther west to spend a few days with former 4th Class year roommate Dave Price and Priscilla, the first time they had gotten together since graduation. Kelly said Dave looks great after recovering from a recent heart attack. Dave wrote me a few weeks back to say how much he appreciated hearing from so many of you during his recovery.

After returning home to Richmond, Kelly caught up with another 4th Class roommate, Dave Trenholm, who is reportedly slim, trim and fit. Dave has sent me quite a few old photos of our time in barracks for inclusion in the 50th reunion slide show and for

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes potential bribery purposes. Of note, last fall Kelly published, “If the Fish are Bite’n,” about his fourmonthlong, 13,000-plus mile fishing trip across Canada with long time fellow fisherman Greg Wall ’68. It is available on Amazon and has been well reviewed. I particularly liked the review sent in by “Mom.” We also have another budding writer in our midst: None other than Don Crawford, who is in the process of publishing a book he co-wrote with Lois. It’s a good thing the book is complete, because he just had cataract surgery on his left eye, with the right eye scheduled for New Market Day. Don also mentioned the Alumni Association’s efforts to revive a Shenandoah Valley Alumni Chapter, so all you brother rats in the valley, please get in touch with Keith Jarvis ’82, director of the Shenandoah Valley Alumni Region, and let him know of your support. Don is also on the verge of retirement and recently conferred with Leonard McClure about his post-retirement consulting. Being a non-golfer, Don would appreciate any advice any of us could provide on how to survive retirement without golf. Unfortunately, Don, I don’t know of any better way to waste time in such huge chunks.

Jesse Glidewell wrote in from Utah to say they had such a great ski season in the Upper Cottonwood, with over 500 inches of snow, they probably won’t be able to hit the high-country mountain bike trails until mid-July. At the opposite end of the spectrum, he reported that he and his son are auditing drug systems in Imperial County, California, this week and are headed for Tucson, where it is 108 degrees. All of which makes me appreciate the below-average 60-degree temperatures we are having in Virginia as I write these notes.

I had a very good phone conversation with George Bach a while back for the first time in many moons. He is still in West Virginia, having retired early as a systems analyst due in part to a bout with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which I am glad to report he has beaten. We reminisced about Jeff Guild, with whom George served while in Europe in the Memel Territory, which is now part of the Republic of Lithuania.

I also had an interesting call from former roomie George Ritko. It seems that, as he and Lisa were checking out of a motel on a recent trip, the woman at the front desk, after noticing George’s VMI hat, told them that her son was a cadet. It turns out he is Travis Arnold ’18, who will be Band Company commanding officer in 2017-18.

2017-Issue 3

A tweet out of the blue, so to speak. George also recently spoke with Al Kirk, who was scheduled to have his second knee replacement surgery May 1. I’ll have to remember to give Al twice as many strokes the next time we play golf as I gave him the last time. Speaking of Al, Skip Carver rang me up yesterday to say that Al had invited Skip to join him at the Masters Golf Tournament last month.

In what certainly qualifies as a serious bummer, the storms that came through Augusta, Georgia, the day of their tickets were so intense they had to leave the course, and when they got to Al’s home, Skip thought the roof was going to blow off. He says they don’t get storms like that in the Great Northwest.

From just down the road in Fairfax, Virginia, Bob Wood checked in to say that he and Marilyn decided to stay put after retiring seven years ago.

It seems that their son lives only 15 minutes away, and Bob’s nephew, also an alumnus, recently moved to Fairfax with his two young children. As an escape hatch, they have Woody’s sister who lives in Naples, Florida, and puts them up every February or anytime snow is forecast up here.

Although they missed our 45th Reunion due to a previously scheduled trip out west to see Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore and the Grand Canyon, they promise to lock in our 50th Reunion on their calendar, which will be in April 2020.

Ned Haley writes that he is planning a surprise trip to Paris in June to celebrate his and Fricka’s 10th wedding anniversary. Shortly after that, they will head to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands for their niece’s wedding, then to Michigan to visit friends and in October to Pennsylvania for Ned’s son’s wedding. Over the winter, Ned and Fricka completed six months of square dancing lessons, and they now spend most Friday evenings dancing the night away. They also have recently joined up with 4th Class year roomie Gary Weishaar and Lynn on several Tuesday evenings at the Richmond Shag Club dances. One can only hope that Ned doesn’t get confused during all the excitement, as I imagine it would be very difficult to do-si-do in the sand, and the ensuing humiliation would be devastating, since it would mostly come from Weishaar.

Also hitting the road/air are Chad and Caryn Lash. Chad will be meeting up with Caryn in Normandy in late June following her six-week hike along the Camino de Santiago from France to northwest Spain. As you may know, the Catholic Church has for centuries awarded penance for

certain sins to those who made the pilgrimage to the site of the remains of St. James at Santiago de Compostella. Hmm. I think we may have just stumbled across the conceptual origins of penalty tours. Anyway, in the fall, Lashman and Caryn will cruise from Chicago to Rhode Island via the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal and the Hudson River and will end the year with a trip to Sonoma and Yosemite.

Artie Pates just returned from an Italian vacation extravaganza, which started in Sorrento and included Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ravello, and Positano and Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast. He is not sure who have the biggest death wishes, the tour bus drivers or the crazy motorcyclists who fly along the tight, twisting roads.

Speaking of death wishes, David Schmidt spent several months over the winter qualifying for his crop duster pilot’s license. You read that correctly – crop duster pilot’s license. For various reasons, sanity not being one of them, he has decided to change course, so to speak, and fly banner ads up and down Atlantic coast beaches this summer.

That should make you think twice (or more) while you tan away by the seashore.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any weirder, I discovered via Facebook that Steve Craddock qualified as an ordained minister so he could officiate over the wedding of his and Sherrie’s younger son, Bill, to bride Lien May 6.

I reckon Steve really, really wanted to be sure the boy got married.

Also gleaned from Facebook was a picture of Jerry Nickelsburg from his trip to Iceland showing him with a statue of several trolls that are said to inhabit the lava tube caves of northern Iceland.

One looked eerily like my 4th Class midwinters date. Probably has a similar personality.

Moving right along, in early May, Gray and Nancy Chandler came up from Florida to spend a week with us and take in some historic sites, including Mount Vernon; Winchester, Virginia, which reportedly changed hands 72 times during the War of Northern Aggression; and Arlington National Cemetery, where we checked out the Confederate veterans’ section. The centerpiece of this section is a monument by Sir Moses Ezekiel ’866, beside which he is buried. As you may know, the only inscription on his gravestone is “Sergeant of Company C, Battalion of Cadets, Virginia Military Institute.” One evening we had a nice dinner with John and June Bailey at the home of Stix’s cousin, Randolph Williams ’66, and his lovely

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Class Notes bride, Priscilla. The next night we had dinner with the tennis group that Liz and I play with at the home of one of the players. And the following evening we went to a cookout at the Bailey’s home in Manassas. Having spent so much time around Stix, I think I am finally catching on to the nuances of mooching. It’s actually quite fun.

My apologies to Cy Dolph for overlooking his mention in Alumni News two issues back about being included once again in The Best Lawyers in America for Trusts & Estates. This award is based upon confidential peer reviews by members of his practice area. Cy has also been recognized as a Virginia Super Lawyer and one of Virginia’s Legal Elite by Virginia Business Magazine. Disappointingly, there was no mention of his effectiveness in traffic court.

But then there is always Neil Steverson, who stills holds court (literally) in Henrico County, that is, when he is not playing golf with Herb Braun.

And last but not least, a word from the Godfather, aka Howie DeWolf, who reported the arrival of grandchildren Nos. 13 and 14: Joshua Michael, born on Thanksgiving Day, and Colin Patrick, born April 8. Gotta be something in the water.

Woefully falling behind in the grandchild race were Jim and Judy Mawyer, who welcomed No. 5, Peter James Mawyer, born to son Todd and his wife, Meredith, in Richmond April 11, and Keller Gray Volpe, Gray and Nancy Chandler’s sixth, who was born to daughter Tara and husband Josh in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 17. Not even close.

That’s all for now. Be sure to check out the VMI’70 Facebook page for pictures and comments posted by our BRs. Also, if you are not on the brother rat email list, just send me an email at ClassAgent1970@aol.com so you can keep up with BR and Institute related news.

In the spirit!

1971

Jim Kelly

These notes will cover the period between Feb. 15 and May 15, 2017.

Rain, more rain, flooding, tornadoes, endless wind, hot days and cold days pretty much sum up what many of us have experienced for the last few

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months. It has been difficult to get anything done outside or even plan for an event of any kind other than mowing the grass. Case in point, our grandchildren, Lauren and Ryan, were here for Easter weekend, which is often cold. Turns out it was over 90, and we had not set up the air conditioning. They came back to Pulaski for a graduation at Radford University May 6 – air conditioning working and 38 degrees outside, go figure. I do hope that all of you and your families were not harmed in any way by the flooding and severe storms and that you have plans for a great summer.

By now, I expect that you have heard that our Brother Rat Buddy Bryan has been named as the chief executive officer of the VMI Foundation.

Buddy was interim CEO after Jan. 1, 2017, and during the meeting of the Foundation board in April, he was announced as the new CEO. Buddy has served VMI since 1976 and has been a part of many successful fundraising campaigns and was vice president of major gifts when appointed as interim CEO. See 2017-Issue 2 of the Alumni Review for his resume and reflections on his time at VMI. Join me in wishing Buddy much success as he takes on this duty.

Bernie and Wanda Groome served on the planning committee for the VMI Alumni Spring Break at The Villages in Florida. The event was held during St. Patrick’s Day weekend and was well attended. The VMI band was a hit during the St. Paddy’s parade, and one of the band members, 2nd Class Cadet Ed Olbrych ’18, from Williamsburg, Virginia, was a guest of the Groomes for the break. During the weekend, the group heard presentations from Keith Gibson ’77 and Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62 on the early history of VMI and an update on VMI today. The weekend was covered by Walt Chalkley ’72. Photos and article should appear in this edition of the Alumni Review. Bernie and Wanda have also extended an invitation to any brother rats who visit The Villages to spend time at their place.

Toward the end of March, John Metzger hosted a weekend gathering at The Lodge in Vesuvius.

On hand for the weekend were Fogleman, Jollisaint, Paton, Ronayne, Haywood, Biersack, Littleton, Bryan and Graham Undercoffer ’74. Part of the weekend was spent on preliminary planning for a summer trip to the site of the Civil War Battle of Antietam. That historic battle (aka The Battle of Sharpsburg) was fought Sept. 2, 1862, as a part of the confederate Maryland Campaign. Metzger and others have been touring famous battle sites

for the last few years. Littleton, Jollisaint and Metzger and a couple of old timers at Quail Ridge got in some sporting clay shooting and sent along a picture, which, unfortunately, was too small to be printed in the Review.

I got an email from Lanny Gault recently with an update on the progress that he and T.S. have made in the last few months following surgeries for both of them. Lanny is back on the pickle ball court, and T.S. is doing aqua jogging in the pool.

They also joined the Mikulas for a western Caribbean cruise, which, in Lanny’s words, featured “way too much food and drink.” On Easter weekend, a visit was made to T.S.’s mother’s home in Roanoke, and they were joined by Rick and Bev Littleton on Bev’s birthday for an evening out. At the end April, the Gaults were off to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to spend the week with Jill and Tommy Cooke ’70. While at HHI, the group took the ferry over to nearby Daufuskie Island to pay a visit to Susan and Bob Copty ’70. Daufuskie is the southernmost island in South Carolina, covering 8 square miles and is still only reachable by boat, “quite an interesting spot” according to Lanny.

As of this writing, the Big Red football team has completed spring practice. Coach Wachenheim commented in the media that he was looking forward to the upcoming season, his third at VMI. One player to watch in the future is redshirt freshman Elliott Brewster ’20, a former standout at Pulaski County. Elliott will join a very talented group of linebackers that has been described as among the best in the Southern Conference. The coaches are also anticipating the arrival of a fine class of recruits in August.

The Roanoke Times recently published a nice article about VMI’s water polo team. This sport was added for women in 2010 to help bring VMI in to compliance with Title IX requirements. Our team competes in the Middle Atlantic Athletic Conference, which is one of only two Division I leagues on the East Coast with water polo competition. The team has just completed their sixth season and were ranked No. 25 nationally by the Collegiate Water Polo Association with a regular season record of 22-1. Anchored by nine players from California, the team has become quite popular on post. The home matches at Clark King Pool have been packed with about 200 cadets and other spectators, which have included Coach Wachenhim and Gen. Peay.

During the winter meeting of the VMI Alumni

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Association held in February, several reports were given on the state of VMI and the Corps. The topic of commissioning cadets in the armed services was discussed at some length. Currently, the commissioning rate of cadets is at the highest level since 1990, when the Board of Visitors did away with mandatory commissioning.

Currently, the Army has no “cap” on commissions, and the Air Force will see a significant increase in commissioning in the next two to four years. There is much greater competition for Navy and Marine Corps slots. VMI’s Army ROTC had the No. 1 and No. 5 cadets out of 5,500 nationwide, and the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School had the No. 1 graduate nationally. VMI is now the last of the senior military colleges to require four years of ROTC training. This provides all cadets with leadership training with an emphasis on core values and keeps them qualified and competitive for late commissioning opportunities.

The Volunteer Leaders’ Conference was held in April and included class agents and the leaders of the many alumni chapters. The group was provided a tour of the Corps Physical Training Facility, Cormack Hall and Cocke Hall, followed by the Friday parade and a dinner in Marshall Hall. Reports were given from the Institute leadership including Gen. Peay, the VMI Foundation, the VMI Alumni Association and the Keydet Club. Steve Maconi, the newly appointed chief executive officer of the VMI Alumni Agencies, was also introduced to the group. Members of the information technology department presented information on a new email system being developed to consolidate and improve information services at VMI. Stay tuned for more on that in the coming months.

The Office of Assessment and Institutional Research provided an updated copy of the “VMI Fact Book 2016-17,” which contains a wealth of information on VMI, including historical events and a list of ratings from many sources that rank VMI and other colleges and universities. VMI received consistently high ratings among liberal arts colleges and colleges providing the most “bang for the buck.” Competition for admission to VMI continues to be strong and prospective cadets are sporting very good numbers on SAT, ACT, GPA, class rank etc. Quite a bit of this information can be found on the official VMI website.

During their spring meeting, the VMI Board of Visitors voted to increase tuition and fees by 3.7 percent for Virginians and 4.7 percent for out-ofstate cadets. Fees and other charges in the total

2017-Issue 3

cost of attendance include room and board, uniforms and military activities. Tuition and fees account for 55 percent of the $105 million budget for Fiscal Year 2018, 28 percent from private funding and the remainder from the state. Enrollment is expected to be 1,756 cadets for next year. Matriculation is Aug. 19, with the “Old Corps” returning Aug. 27. Classes will begin Aug. 29.

I have recently received the third quarter giving figures for FY17, and the Class of ’71 continues to be at or near the top of the leader board. We had a total of 78 donors and an alumni participation rate of 32.64 percent. The percentage of alumni donors for all classes from the ’70s is 26.94 percent.

After finishing in first place last quarter, we got barely nudged out (0.18 percent) this time around by the Class of ’70. As always, I thank each one of you that has contributed to VMI this past year.

For FY18, our theme will be One Corps – For the Corps and focus on the bond between the Corps of Cadets and VMI alumni. Presently, more than 80 percent of cadets receive some financial aid (to include loans and VA benefits) and, as noted above, 28 percent of the Institute’s operating budget comes from private donations. All of us who possibly can do so need to be part of supporting VMI and the Corps financially. This will help to ensure that VMI will continue to provide top quality educational experiences for the young men and women in the barracks today.

Kathryn and I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer season, and we hope to see you this fall. Our next deadline for class notes will be Aug. 15, so let me hear from you.

In the spirit, Jim

Several remembrances of Chuck Wielgus echoed his words and shared a theme: Whether we graduated or attended a short time, the values of accountability, honor and leadership were ingrained in us at an early age, and we are blessed to carry them with us throughout our lives.

What a rare gift that is.

Don’t know if you saw this: Business First magazine, a publication of American City Business Journals Inc., the nation’s largest publisher of local business news and information, ranks VMI 45th out of nearly 500 four-year public colleges and universities nationwide. Business First uses a wide sampling of data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to “identify the (public) institutions of higher education that offer the best educational experiences to their students.” Principal factors include the selectiveness of the admissions process, retention and graduation rates, earnings by alumni, campus resources, and tuition and housing costs.

The University of Michigan is ranked first, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill second and University of California – Berkeley third. Other Virginia schools on the list are the University of Virginia (fourth), the College of William & Mary (10th), Virginia Tech (33rd), James Madison University (49th) and George Mason University (50th). VMI is in the top 9 percent of a group headed by Michigan, UNC and

1972

Larry Houseworth

Brother Rats, Families, Friends and the Curious, These notes cover mid-February to New Market Day – yet another gray November-like weekend in the Holy City, but I wager we’ll blast through 70 degrees any day now ... but, by the time you read this, we’ll be within a month of our 45th Reunion. Our stalwart planning committee has done an outstanding job of planning, coordination and outreach; it will be a wonderful time!

Class of 1972: Larry and Marie Carswell Houseworth during A.J. Fojt’s toast at their backyard wedding.

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Class Notes Berkeley – pretty impressive.

To the news. Eric Hammersen wrote May 21, “...45 years to the day after we graduated from VMI with our bachelor’s degrees (talk about the ‘circle of life’ coming round!), I will receive my doctorate from The George Washington University (though my ‘hooding ceremony’ takes place May 18). Paraphrasing Coach Lou Holtz, you are either learning or dying. I wrote my dissertation on advising at the national strategic level and had the opportunity to interview a wide variety of nationallevel leaders (recently retired ambassadors, heads of all the intelligence agencies, and 4-star generals who had been the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, vice chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, service chiefs and combatant commanders) about the experiences they had throughout their careers that allowed them to become credible strategic advisers to the president and National Security Council. A second interview with the participants focused on what they looked for in the individuals they chose to be their advisers once they became national-level leaders in their own right.”

Eric says his “‘day job’ continues to be serving as the vice president of the National Intelligence University up here in the national capital region.

(We just relocated from inside Washington, D.C., to a brand-new, purposebuilt academic campus on the shore of the Potomac River, just beyond the D.C. line in Bethesda, Maryland.)

National Intelligence University is a federal school (like the National Defense University or the military service war colleges), which offers a variety of master’s degrees, graduate certificates and a one-year bachelor’s degree completion program to mid-career professionals from across the U.S. intelligence and national security communities. We’ve got more students each year than NDU’s National War College, Eisenhower College and College of International Security Affairs combined, and everything is taught at the classified

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Class of 1972: Pictured at the Houseworths’ engagement party were Bax West, Lindley Vaughn, Sonny Brittle, Larry Houseworth, J.R. Bell, Bill Irby, Jim Snead, Roger Hart, John Martin, Bob Stransky, Chris Foster, Chris Arey, Jim Van Landingham, Bob Gore, Phil Wilkerson and Bob MacMeccan.

Class of 1972: Rick and Roseanne Hack, Walt and Debbie Chalkley, and Bob and Grace Bailey celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in The Villages with the VMI Regimental Band, Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62 and Col. Keith Gibson ’77.

Class of 1972: Greg Griffith, Dianne and Bill Dunlap, and Ken and Kathleen Wester at the VMI versus University of North Carolina at Wilmington baseball game. Photo courtesy Emily Griffith.

level, given the students and the topics.

“Carol and I are planning to retire in the relatively near future, as soon as we get the ‘forever house’ designed and built out in the Texas hill country (where my parents lived for more than 30 years after my dad retired from the Army). Who knows, maybe then I’ll take up my third career as a consultant.” Very, very impressive, BR, and the Texas Hill Country will be your manna from heaven.

Bill Mundie wrote that, while they live in the Colorado Springs area, he wouldn’t be able to attend Chuck Wielgus’ memorial service, because he was on his way to Wake Island that week to participate in a missile defense intercept flight test. “A month on Wake Island seems like a year in the Gulag.

The middle of the Pacific sitting on a rock. It’s exile.” I’m thinking kind of like Napoleon at Elbe, but without the cuisine.

Rick Hack sent this: “Here is a photo of John and Sharon Fick, Tom Williamson, Rich and Beth Flowers, and myself at the VMI Museum during the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees meeting April 21. John was honored for his eight years of Foundation service and, as you might know, Rich returned to the Board after already serving eight years. Tom Williamson is chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.” You’re right, BR; the Class of ’72 is well-represented.

“Captain Tampa” Bob Bailey sent this and a photo: “Walt (Chalkley) requested I forward our latest escapade for class notes: The Hacks and the Chalkleys (both of The Villages), and the Baileys (from Tampa) celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with the visiting (spring break) Regimental Band, which marched in The Villages St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The three BRs, along with a great showing of alumni and wives, including Gen. Peay ’62 and band members, gathered at The Villages’ Eisenhower Regional Recreational Center to enjoy a buffet dinner and our common bond. Highlights of

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes the week were golf, Colonel Gibson’s [’77] museum update, a showing of ‘The Field of Lost Shoes,’ the supe’s Institute update, and the shared camaraderie with Colonel Brodie (Hon.) and the cadets of the Regimental Band.” Looks like a great time, all; wish we could have been there!

And from the archives (my bad for not catching this for the last Review), Emily Griffith sent a note along with pictures from the VMI versus the University of North Carolina Wilmington baseball game early in the season in Wilmington. She said, “Here are the pictures I got after the game. Unfortunately, VMI lost to UNCW 4-3 on a couple of errors. (I am going by what Greg and Ken Wester said.) We had a good visit at the dinner the evening before and then enjoyed the game together.” Ah, spring baseball – when a young man’s fancy turns to ... and an old man’s turns to staying warm.

And now to your humble scribe. Bob and Linda Stransky threw a fantastic VMI ’72 engagement party for Marie and me at their home in Midlothian. The house and the caterers were spectacular, the laughs and guffaws abundant, and as usual, the stories grew more colorful and the ladies more tolerant as the afternoon progressed. Some of our throng had not seen each other in too long, but you’d never know it. Jim Snead came over from Charlottesville, Phil Wilkerson from Alexandria, and Chris Arey from Stafford. The rest of the group included Sonny Brittle (yep, that Sonny Brittle), Baxter and Elaine West, Lindley and Debra Vaughn, J.R. and Cindy Bell, Roger and Linda Hart, John and Darlene Martin, Chris and Betsy Foster, Jim and Winnie Van Landingham, Bob and Sharan Gore, and Bob and Glenda MacMeccan. Marie and I were speechless. Then there was our small backyard wedding on a misty, cool Saturday afternoon. Our children (Whitney, Kelly, Mike and Alli) walked us up the aisle to the strains of a classical guitarist, stood with us and jointly read Sandol Stoddard Warberg’s, “I Like You.” At the VMI table were Moon Mullen, Bob and Linda Stransky, A.J. and Karen Fojt, J.R. and Cindy Bell, and Phil and Carol Wilkerson. A.J.’s toast was eloquent yet humorous, and graciously restrained (see the photo for our reaction). A quick honeymoon to Lexington-ish, then back to the grind.

Well, that’s a wrap for now. Stay in touch, call that BR you haven’t spoken with in years and we’ll see you at the reunion.

May God bless you all, and Rah Virginia Mil! Larry

2017-Issue 3

1973

Mike Kelly

It is almost New Market Day as I write these notes. Pat and I went to the Institute last year for the ceremonies; however, we will not make it this year. We are hosting a party at our house for members of the Raleigh Alumni Chapter as a gettogether and celebration. I also plan to show the “Field of Lost Shoes” for any folks that want to stay and watch it. That is a powerful movie!

We have had a pretty busy spring, including several trips up to the ranch in Pulaski County, Virginia, to keep the grass mowed. In April, we attended the class agents’ meeting in Lexington and got to tour the new Corps Physical Training Facility with the ropes course and indoor track. Very impressive. And the Pit is now a physical education training facility on one side, and the other side is set up with mats for the wrestling team. Things really are looking good on post.

Larry Mays was there for the weekend, as well, attending the Alumni Association’s board meeting.

At that meeting, Larry was appointed to the board of directors for the Mid-Atlantic Region, and I was appointed to be director for Region 6, which includes North and South Carolina. I have some pretty tough shoes to fill, as Charlie Ramsburg ’66 has been the director for the past six years and has done a terrific job. Larry and I officially take over July 1. We have a history of BRs who have been active with the Alumni Association. P.X. English is now the chapter president in Greenville, South Carolina, and E.D. Woomer, who lives near Asheville, North Carolina, is part of that chapter and provides a lot of assistance in the area. Blake Thomas recently took over as chapter president at The Villages in central Florida. Tom Clark rotated off as president of the Colorado Springs area chapter last year.

Pat and I are planning on a vacation this year after having not been anywhere in a couple of years! I think we will go to San Francisco and up the coastal highway to Portland, and then plan to fly over to Colorado Springs and stay with Tom and Bonnie Clark and attend the VMI versus the U.S. Air Force Academy game Labor Day weekend. We are looking forward to that trip. One of

my functions as a director will be to attend more events, especially when they are in the Carolinas.

P.X. is planning an event before the Furman University game in October, and there will be an event in Charleston for The Citadel game Oct. 28. Look at your calendars and start making plans yourselves. Being retired does make a difference.

I had a note from Tom Jennings, who said he really enjoys his retirement, and sometimes as he drives down the road, he wants to open the window and shout how much he loves it! Tom said he had a call from an employee he had hired before his retirement and was asked how he enjoyed being retired; Tom replied that, for the caller, it was Monday, but for him, it was Saturday! Tom’s son has moved back to the Richmond area, and both he and Tom’s daughter live close by, so they get to see a lot more of each other. They enjoy getting together to watch the English Premier soccer league.

Tom said his wife, Lois, was doing well and playing a lot of golf. They planned to be at VMI for New Market.

Mike Smith recently moved into a new home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, less than a mile from the ocean. You may have seen some sunrise pictures of the beach Mike would post on Facebook that were taken from the apartment they rented on the beach while waiting to get into their home. Mike said Billy Stephens lives close by on Pawley’s Island, and they try to get together at least once a month to play golf, as they have something like 80 courses in the area! I think he is enjoying his retirement, as well. Billy sent a note talking about the annual March golf outing at Hilton Head where he was joined by Mark Weiss, Jim Chalkley, Yerry Kenneally, Rich Lykins and Tom Napier. They call themselves the “Duffers.”

They had dinner at the White Owl, where John Sykes joined them. Sounds like a great ’73 evening!

Stuart Seaton sent me a note saying that after 22 years with Morgan Stanley, he decided to retire at the end of 2016. Stuart’s father, who was the class agent for the Class of 1941, died last year, and Stuart has taken over class agent duties for the remaining members of the class. He said they were a very elite group, with six brother rats still living.

Stuart said that Bob Maling’s father was also in the Class of ’41 and is one of the surviving BRs. He has been in contact with Bob and Kristi and said they were also enjoying retirement. Bob mentioned that whenever he and his dad get together, they have a toast for the Class of ’41! Stuart said he

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Class Notes has taken up tennis again and is active with the neighborhood doubles group.

He is thinking about taking up pickleball next. Stuart and Debbie are planning a trip to Colorado in September for John and Ann Pinner’s daughter’s wedding to be held in Vail. They also plan to spend some time with Sandy and Diane Edens ’72, who live in the area.

Steve Arthur retired from law enforcement after 20 years but is going strong with a second career. He and his wife, Barbara, just celebrated 20 years as owners of the Travel Lovers travel agency in Lynchburg, where they plan travel all over the world for individuals. They just returned from a trip to Eastern Europe where he said he had someone yell, “Rah Virginia Mil,” at him from a passing bus; Steve was wearing his VMI hat! Steve and Barbara still live on a farm in Appomattox and sponsor a community-supported agriculture program, essentially supplying fresh vegetables for 20 families for a 20-week period. They also raise beef cattle and have horses, donkeys and a dog. Sounds like the good life to me!

Mac Kirkpatrick enjoys his retirement riding one of his BMW motorcycles somewhere around the world. I reported in the last issue that his son, Clark ’15, was planning a trip into Mexico on a bike with a friend of his. As it turned out, his friend had to give up the trip, so Mac met Clark in Phoenix, and they headed to Mexico City. He said they found the people to be very friendly and helpful. His son’s bike had a major electrical problem, so they left it in Mexico and flew home, then went back to continue their trip after the bike was fixed. They had a great time. Mac said his daughter, Julia, graduated from Temple University and is headed to East Tennessee University to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree in kinesiology.

John Sterrett is another BR who is still hard at it. He and his wife got a later start to parenting, and they have

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Class of 1973: Mike and Pat Kelly hosted a New Market Day celebration at their home in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the Central North Carolina/Raleigh Alumni Chapter. Class Agent Mike Kelly said of this photo, “While the crowd was small, the time was big!” Pictured were, from left, Bruce and Shirley McCreedy ’56, Mike and Pat Kelly, Ron Wall ’69, Drew and Laurie Turner ’72, Betsy Wall, Paul Johnston ’61, Susan and Larry Parker ’59, and Bill and Dorris Gibson ’65. Photo courtesy Patty Gibson.

Class of 1973: Mac Kirkpatrick and his son, Clark ’15, spent time riding motorcycles in Mexico. This picture, taken by Clark, is of Mac as they passed through Copper Canyon, Mexico.

Class of 1973: Mark Skupien, Sandy McNamara and Danny Williamson got together at the National Boxing Championships held at VMI in March.

two children ages nine and eight, so they are the “king of taxi cabs!” Tate is playing baseball and soccer and recently got into wrestling (getting them ready for VMI!), and Genevieve loves dancing and gymnastics and has discovered that she loves running. Sounds like a VMI track star to me! Great hearing from you, John. We have grandkids that age, and we can have fun and send them home! Enjoy them while you can.

Jack Hayes and his wife both officially retired Dec. 31 and are starting to get adjusted to retirement, health issues and deciding what they want to do now. Jack said he stays in touch with Chuck McCurdy, and Chuck and his wife recently moved back to Georgia from Virginia Beach. Chuck retired from Norfolk Southern, where he had been their corporate pilot for many years. Great hearing from you, Jack, and would love to hear from Chuck!

I don’t know if he will ever really retire, but at least he is finally coming home. My roommate, Roland Tiso, has been back in Iraq for the past 17 months, and hopefully when you read these notes, he will be home. Roland said he is scheduled to leave Balad Air Base June 5. Before leaving Iraq, Roland said he is taking a vacation to meet Judie in Paris and then go on a river cruise and visit Normandy and Omaha Beach, a big bucket list item for him. Once home, he won’t be “seeking employment in the near term.” He plans to do some catching up with Judie and the “girls.” Allie continues to perform with a contemporary ballet company in Pittsburgh while attending college, and C.J. is finishing up her first year of law school.

Welcome home, Roland! I am coming to see you!

I also heard from my other roommate, Terry Howlett, this month.

Terry continues to be involved with work issues and usually flies for the Texas Group Counterdrug Mission, where he serves as a director. His work is done as a pilot for the Civil

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Air Patrol. However, Terry has been “grounded” for the past few weeks, as he found himself living “like a 30-year-old” and ruptured a disc, which required surgery. He misses looking for the bad guys, but I’m sure he’ll be back out there soon.

He and his wife, Nina, will be coming to Radford, Virginia, in June for a family reunion. He joined me in wishing Roland back home and us having a get-together soon.

I had not heard from Tuck Bowie for a while; however, he recently sent me a note to say that he was still working and loving it! He is the president of Terry Peterson Company in Virginia Beach and is having fun. He said he just passed his 45th wedding anniversary, and they have two wonderful children. Life is good!

P.X. English passes the time by coordinating activities for the Upstate/Pisgah Alumni Chapter.

He said they recently hosted a “senior alumni” luncheon at the Moose Café in Asheville, North Carolina, along with E.D. Woomer. I appreciate your work, P.X., and will appreciate it even more after July 1! P.X. said he visited VMI recently and spoke with the Alumni Association and the admissions office about getting a stronger presence in the college fairs in South Carolina. Sounds like a great idea. Let me know if I can help facilitate!

Rick Gribling said he is still working as an instructor at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk and plans to do some teaching in Germany and France later this year. Rick said that he and Rebekah, who has beaten cancer for the second time, plan to celebrate in Ireland this summer and then head on to Edinburgh, Scotland, to visit their daughter and her husband. They also hope to spend Christmas with family and inlaws in Scotland.

Dan Williamson has been busy working on his cabin in the Shenandoah Valley and enjoying the serenity of the country with the views and wildlife.

He also has spent a lot of time with Mark Weiss and Dale Kitchen during the winter attending VMI basketball games, and Mark Skupien came down in March for the national college boxing championships. Dan said they were in the stands watching the events, and Sandy McNamara walked in and joined them. I think they all had a great time, and VMI captured seven national champions out of 32 colleges. Dan said his son, Ike ’13, was settled in with the 1st Infantry Division in Korea and is currently working in the brigade S-3 operations.

John Sykes said he was retiring from the Beaufort

2017-Issue 3

County school district in South Carolina in June after teaching for nearly 17 years and said he looks forward to joining the six-Saturdays, one-Sunday per week club! John figures that after 26 years in the Marines and 17 in the school system, it was time! He will be staying in the Savannah/Hilton Head/Parris Island area and said he would be glad to swap stories and enjoy a cold one with any BRs coming through the area. Sounds like we’re getting a fairly large South Carolina contingency!

I traded messages with Larry Mays after our meeting in April, and he said he had been on the gim for a while after having cataract surgery, but he seems to be recovering nicely and is now back on his phone and iPad! Jim and Susan Ackley are still in the Lynchburg, Virginia, area and are enjoying their six-month-old grandson, Oliver. They just spent their first weekend baby-sitting, and while it was a “blast,” they also realized that there is a reason God gives newborns to young folks! Jim is still working some.

He said that after 36 years directing high school theatre, he is now working in college and community theatre. He recently directed the Virginia premier of “Avenue Q” at Randolph College. He was proud to say that this was the first time in the history of Randolph College the entire show was sold out! He is currently working on “Raisin in the Sun” for the Lynchburg Academy Center of the Arts, and after that show closes, he and Susan are headed to London for a two-week cruise to Copenhagen – one of their bucket list items! Great hearing from you, Jim; have fun!

I also had a nice note from Jim Davidson, who said he continues to recover from melanoma cancer and urges all of us to be vigilant and to watch out for those “little black moles” on our skin. Jim said that melanoma skin cancer is one of the easiest to treat, if caught early, but is also very deadly once it becomes metastatic melanoma cancer.

Thanks for the note, Jim, and very glad you are doing well!

Bob Poynor sent me a quick email to say he and Sandy were doing well. He continues to “smash bugs” with his motorcycle rides as he enjoys retirement and endless Saturdays! He also visits the gym regularly and is doing some gardening and yardwork. Bob always thought that he would miss the Air Force when he retired but soon found out that was not the case! If you are like me, Bob, I miss a lot of the folks I worked with but don’t miss work one darn bit!

That about wraps it up for this edition of the

Review. Thanks for all of your notes and letters. I hope everyone has had a great summer, and I look forward to seeing many of you in the fall. Take care, and be safe out there.

In the bonds, Mike

1974

Snookie Parker

Greetings, Brother Rats, Family and Friends of the Class of 1974!

The notes from February to May have been assembled for your reading pleasure. Let’s get to it.

The Potomac Area Breakfast Club met in late February at the Silver Diner in Springfield, Virginia. Attendees: Twana and Cliff Biram, Jim DeFord, Charlie Gardner, Bill McDonald, Arnie Leonard, and Clint Anderson. The highlight of the event was the presence of BR Jim DeFord.

In March, the Tidewater Area Breakfast Club met. Attendees: Sam Turner, John McLaren, Chip Beaman, Gary Trinkle, Al Rasper, Paul Van Doren, Bill Pennypacker and Chuck Cayton. Both clubs continue to work on solving the problems of the world over flapjacks and joe ... so many problems, and so little time; we’ll clearly need more meetings and more flapjacks and joe.

In early March, Pat Flynn, Mike Cole and I met Phil Parker (and Phil’s wife, Randy) to discuss a possible business adventure. The evening evolved into an impromptu gathering of Potomac area BRs at the Tilted Kilt in Sterling, Virginia. On hand for the festivities: Arnie Leonard, Tom Puskas, Phil Parker, Pat Flynn, Mike Cole, Charley Banning, Bill McDonald and yours truly. In case those who were there are wondering, in order to protect the innocent and keep your week-night kitchen passes intact, our able-bodied servers did not make the picture.

In mid-March, I joined Donnie Ross and Gary Trinkle for a golf soiree and St. Patrick’s Day celebration at VMI’s spring break at The Villages outside Orlando, Florida, co-hosted by Al and Cathy Vicory. The Villages: A well-manicured retirement community, almost Disney Worldlike. The land of golf carts: 80,000-120,000 carts of all shapes and sizes – most of them “tricked

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Class Notes out” to the owner’s favorite team/ state/car/hobby. Lots to do at The Villages; you name any obscure activity, there is likely a club, and in some cases many clubs, meeting several times a week. Don’t know why, but I did observe that there seem to be many, many more ladies than men. Al and Cathy confirmed the observation. I suspect the men pass on and the ladies just accumulate. VMI’s band was the highlight of The Villages’ St. Patrick’s Day parade. General Peay ’62 was the keynote after-dinner speaker at a gathering of 180-plus alumni, cadets, friends and family. Hats off to the other co-hosts for a superb weekend: Walt Chalkley ’72 and Lt. Gen. Rick Hack ’72. As for the golf, Donnie and I took on Gary and Al on day 1, playing for blood – loser buys major league bloody Marys (double shots plus extras). To say the least, Donnie and I enjoyed our bloody Marys. On day 2, we decided to even things up, and Al and I took on Gary and Donnie; however, there was a reluctance to bet. Out of the blue, Gary’s golf game showed up. Al and I were trounced. Gary, the Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde of golf, explained: Too much to drink the night before. Al and Cathy were terrific hosts. Cathy and I did find a common interest: Honor flights. Hats off to Cathy, as she is one of the leaders of the program in central Florida. I did take in a spring game and saw Detroit versus the Braves since it was so close. Gary and I sat with two very impressive, relatively recent graduates at the dinner, Rob Kelley ’08 and Becky Harris ’09. Rob is an artillery captain teaching fire support to aviators at Fort Rucker, Alabama, (affectionately known as Mother Rucker to my Army Aviation brethren). Kudos to Rob. Becky, an avid horseman (owner/trainer, hunter/jumper/dressage), is an honors teacher and swim team coach at Crystal River High School and was the runner-up County Teacher of the Year last year and the County Teacher of the Year this year.

Becky mentioned to Gary that over

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Class of 1974: Pictured at the Tidewater Breakfast Club March 25 were Sam Turner, John McLaren, Chip Beaman, Gary Trinkle, Al Rasper, Paul Van Doren, Bill Pennypacker and Chuck Cayton.

Class of 1974: Pictured at the February meeting of the Potomac Area Breakfast Club at the Silver Diner in Springfield, Virginia, were, from left, Twana and Cliff Biram, Jim DeFord, Charlie Gardner, Bill McDonald, Arnie Leonard and Clint Anderson.

Class of 1974: Pictured at a gathering at the Tilted Kilt in Sterling, Virginia, in March were, from left, clockwise around the table, Charley Banning, Mike Cole, Phil Parker, Bill McDonald, Snookie Parker, Pat Flynn, Tom Puskas and Arnie Leonard.

the course of the weekend, she had observed the enthusiasm, tightness and obvious affection the Class of 1974 had for one another, and that was something she missed with her class.

Gary mentioned that the feelings do mature with time and opportunities to be around your BRs. The long and short of it: We made Becky Harris an honorary sister rat, gave her a class challenge coin and explained the tradition of the coin. I did try to connect Becky with our world class dressage trainer, BR Bob Braren (Marco Island, Florida). Hope that works out.

In May, Charley Banning hooked up with Mark “Brillo” Prentice and Bill “Misto” Shumate in Lexington to see some VMI baseball. They reported some long balls and defensive gems that contributed to the “I”’s victory.

Note: Mark and Michelle are busy getting their new home built. Misto is still toiling away for the Secret Service.

Deb and Charley just left for a week aboard a 60-foot catamaran floating around Saint Martin. Charley’s extensive packing list: Suntan lotion and a speedo. Do you need someone to help carry your luggage, Charley?

Mike Mahoney, now in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, working on his golf game, was inquiring for contact info on BR Bob Smith. Hope they made the connection.

Lane Toomey was in Lexington, Virginia, for a Foundation board meeting in April and reported that a retirement parade was scheduled for Friday afternoon. He noted that BR Dan Barr was one of the honorees. Unfortunately, the bottom dropped out (rain) about the time the Corps was in formation.

On Gen. Peay’s order, the Corps did a left face and marched back into the barracks. Of course, the crowd fled the scene seeking shelter. Lane said it was the first time that he had ever seen that happen. Kudos to Dan for an illustrious career, and welcome to the ranks of the retired. Dan, you’re not thinking about going down to The Villages, are you?

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Speaking of retirement, Andy Eason, president heard him right, and the others were aghast, must be sensible in my food choices?” He laughed of the Kiwanis of South Oklahoma City, spends when Jim continued, completely unabashed, and said, “I’m tasting all that is possible for me to his time selling his art to support his favorite chari- “along with two large scoops of vanilla ice cream.” taste. I try to eat the food I need and do the things ties, one of which is to support his daughter’s mis- We tried to act quite nonchalant, as if people did I should to stay healthy, but life’s too short, my this all the time, but when our orders were brought friend. I hate missing out on something good. This sion in Africa. Awesome, Andy!

Several are on the hunt for another lost BR: John out, I didn’t enjoy eating mine. I couldn’t take my year, I realized how old I was.” He grinned. “I’ve Hudson, matriculating from West Virginia. Any- eyes off Jim as I watched him savoring each bite never been this old before, so, while I’m still here, of his pie a la mode. The other guys just grinned I’ve decided it’s time to try all those things that, for one have a tally on John? years, I’ve been ignoring.” He continMarla and I planned to meet Mick and Debbie Ernzen at Pete’s for breakued, “I haven’t smelled all the flowers yet. There are too many trout streams fast recently while up at Gaston Lake.

I haven’t fished. There are more fudge Lo and behold, while at dinner at the sundaes to wolf down and kites to be WatersView at Eaton’s Ferry the night flown overhead. There are too many before, we happened to run into Mick golf courses I haven’t played. I’ve not and Debbie. Good food, spirits, music laughed at all the jokes. I’ve missed a and cheer, along with great company, lot of sporting events and potato chips were ingredients for a mighty fine eveand cokes. I want to wade again in waning. Plans for a summer weekend gathering of BRs at Gaston Lake were ter and feel ocean spray on my face. I discussed. The event will likely have want to sit in a country church once taken place by the time you read these more and thank God for His grace. I notes, if it materializes. Stay tuned! want peanut butter every day spread The House Mountain hike: On May on my morning toast. I want untimed 5, a small group of BRs made a gru- Class of 1974: Pictured in front of Al’s golf cart at the VMI Spring long distance calls to the one I love the eling one-day hike to the top of Big Break at The Villages were, from left, Gary Trinkle, Snookie Park- most. I haven’t cried at all the movies yet or walked in the morning rain. I House Mountain. Hikers: T.J. Wilson, er, Al Vicory and Donnie Ross. need to feel wind on my face. I want to Tommy Anderson, Terrell Williams, be in love again. So, if I choose to have Bob Benninger and John Savage. The dessert instead of having dinner, then good news is that all survived. No one should I die before night fall, I’d say I had to be carried off the mountain. died a winner, because I missed out on What next? Perhaps Mount Kilimannothing. I filled my heart’s desire. I had jaro in Tanzania, Africa or Mount that final piece of pie before my life Everest on the Nepal/China border. expired.” With that, I called the waitMost likely, an annual trek to the top of Big House Mountain next year. ress over. “I’ve changed my mind,” I Well done, BRs! said. “I want what he’s having, only On a final note. While composing add some more whipped cream!” Live this set of class notes, I turned 65. well, love much and laugh often. Be One of the advantages of Facebook/ happy and enjoy doing whatever your the internet is the ability to be/stay in heart desires. You only go around once contact on a moments’ notice. I want on this crazy planet. Be mindful that to take this opportunity to thank all my happiness isn’t based on possessions, Class of 1974: Pictured hiking House Mountain in May were T.J. BRs who sent happy birthday wishes. Wilson, Tommy Anderson, Terrell Williams, Bob Benninger and power or prestige, but on relationships They were very much appreciated. John Savage. with people we like, respect and enjoy This year, I realized how old I was. I spending time with. Remember that read the following and thought I would pass it on: in disbelief as they silently ate their lunches. The while money talks, ice cream sings! In the bonds.

One day, I had lunch with some old friends. Jim, a Class agent plea! Don’t be caught without your next time I went out to eat, I called Jim and inshort, balding golfer type, about 85 years old, came vited him to join me. I lunched on a white meat class coin. If you need one, send $10 (cost of coin along with them. All in all, it was a pleasant bunch. tuna sandwich while he ordered a chocolate par- and postage). Please forward any news regardWhen the menus were presented, my friends and fait. Since I was chuckling, he wanted to know if ing births, deaths, illnesses, marriages and other I ordered salads, sandwiches and soups, except he amused me. I answered, “Yes, you certainly significant events concerning your family and/or for Jim who said, “A large piece of homemade do, but you also confuse me. How come you al- careers. Brother rats are interested and do care. apple pie, heated, please.” I wasn’t sure my ears ways order such rich desserts, while I feel like I I know email addresses have a half-life of about

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Class Notes six months. Keep us current. Send your updated email address to me snookieparker1974@earthlink.net, Charley Banning cbanning@cox.net or Kevin Nettrour (our webmaster) nettrour@accessus.net. Check out the website. Send me a note.

Yada, Yada, Yada and Yaba Daba Dooooo!

Warm regards, Snookie

1975

Robert Keller

Greetings from the mountains of north Georgia.

This year, I was again able to travel to Lexington in early April to attend the spring class agents’ meeting. My travel started in Florida, which by early April was already quite hot, to our place in north Georgia, where spring had settled in with a gorgeous display of cherry blossoms, dogwoods, redbuds and an array of spring wildflowers. If you have ever attended or have watched the Masters Golf Tournament, you know what I mean. Then, I got to Lexington and was able to watch spring emerge again. I even took a ride up to Goshen Pass, which has not changed much, and there were a good number of people there, all in kayaks doing the river. Boy, did that water look cold. All I remember is that we only had inner tubes back in the day, and we froze our butts off. Many thanks go to Scott and Barb Risser, who graciously offered one of their spare rooms to me for the stay during my visit. They are both doing well and remain very active in the community. They are the host family to three cadets and are really busy in their church’s building committee, with that effort close to becoming a reality. Scott still has some issues with his feet, but it doesn’t slow him down at all. Many thanks also go to Al and Sandy Morgan, who invited the three of us up to their house in Fairfield for dinner that Saturday evening. Sandy calls it their Fairfield VMI house, and it sure makes it convenient for them to have a quick weekend trip from their home in Moseley. Al smoked us up some of the best ribs I have tasted on his homemade smoker, while Sandy put out a great collection of roasted vegetables; needless to say, we ate well. We had a great time that lasted past midnight, and I especially want to thank Lenny Riedel for leaving me the remains of a bottle of Buffalo

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Trace from a past visit he had with Al and Sandy.

Al has made frequent use of the house on his trips over to VMI to attend the Keydet Club Board of Governors meetings, of which he is a member. He is in his last year in this position, and it is nice to know that our class has had representation on this board. Danny Darnell is also a member, and we should all thank them for their service. Part of the class agents’ meeting agenda was to visit the new Corps Physical Training Facility and the recently renovated Cormack and Cocke Halls. These are truly remarkable facilities, and if you are visiting Lexington, you should make an effort to see them.

After the class agents’ meeting weekend, I made the trip over to Virginia Beach to pay a visit to roommate Yulee and his wife, Karen Richardson. My timing was really good, as I was able to join them in celebrating the 34th birthday of their daughter, Marie. It was quite a celebration and was attended by members of the family, including Yulee and Karen’s son and his wife, John Joseph and Ashley Richardson ’08, and Yulee’s sister, Branchie, whom I haven’t seen in years. Also attending were Steve and Helen Jones, along with their children, Justine and Susannah. Steve is the son of Tom and Peg Jones. Steve and family now live in the area, which makes it really convenient for Tom and Peg to visit friends and family in one effort. Tom tells me they try to make the trip about every other month. It was a great visit and was nice to catch up with Yulee and his family and to finally meet Steve and Helen and their family.

Billy Hunter’s wife, Lee, completed her 22nd Boston Marathon and has qualified to run in next year’s event, her 23rd. What a tremendous accomplishment. Billy and Lee’s daughter, Tayloe, were along as Lee’s support team, and Tayloe jumped in at mile 17 and ran the last 9 miles with her mother. Actually, Tayloe is quite the runner, and her goal is to qualify and run the marathon with her mother. Of course, the ever-proud Billy is there to cheer Lee on and soon to cheer them both on.

Great story.

Ron Norman sent a note just after the February deadline to bring me up to date on his activities.

Back in November 2016, he was representing our government at an international meeting in Australia, and while there, he spent some time in Sydney awaiting his return flight to the states. He also let me know that he attended the VMI Hall of Fame Weekend, where he met up with Art Nunn and Al Morgan. He and Margie keep busy keeping up with their grandchildren in Indiana with frequent

Class of 1975: Artie Nunn, Ron Norman and Al Morgan attended the 2017 VMI Sports Hall of Fame Banquet held in Lexington in February.

Class of 1975: Branchie Richardson (Yulee’s sister), Robert Keller, Yulee Richardson, John Joseph Richardson ’08 and Karen Richardson after lunch in Virginia Beach in April.

Class of 1975: Randy Frank and Doug Conte got together for a round of golf in Palm Desert, California, in January.

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes this spring. Tad has asked him if he is ever hometrips out there as often they can.

John Young wrote to let me know that he had Bobby Hughes wrote to let me know that he sick, to which Kyle replied that there isn’t enough come across the VMI mission statement one day retired a few years ago from AT&T. While he en- time to be homesick. Doesn’t that sound familiar? as he was looking for something else on the VMI joys getting out of the daily grind, he does miss Thanks for the great update, and good luck with website. He said that the statement struck him as a profound summary of his life after VMI. As he the work. He and Jeanette say they need to find your birding life list. looked back over his 42 years since a warmer climate than Missouri, but graduation, he is absolutely convinced they do enjoy being in the home area that the Institute prepared him for sucof the Royals and the Chiefs. Bobby is one of us who has made the transition cess in every aspect of life, as stated in to Medicare, a journey we all will be that statement. He recommends that making soon. From the looks of it, it’s we all should check it out. He also not a bad thing. Thanks for the update, asked me to pass on that he has been Bobby. in the process of setting up his estate Tad MacGowan informed me that and that the VMI Foundation was he is starting to think about dialing extremely helpful is assisting him in back his work with his information establishing a bequest to the Class of technology company. He is able to 1975 Scholarship Fund. Thanks, John, work from home Monday and Friday, for sharing this with the class. and he spends the rest of the time in I had the opportunity to take advantheir Fairfax office, which, for now, is tage of the VMI band’s spring break the right mix. But, he stated that the IT visit to central Florida in March. The business is quickly becoming a young event took place at The Villages, and person’s game. He has also become a there were many from the Alumni birder and tends to like to watch the Association’s Tampa Chapter who bird feeder he has in his backyard. His made the visit, including the chapter binoculars and bird book are always president and member of our dykes’ at hand in his home office as he keeps Class of 1975: Bob and Shirley Holby, Robert Keller, and Edith class, Bob Bailey ’72. I am sure there and Bill Robson attended the alumni dinner at the Eisenhower working on his life list of bird species. Recreation Center during the VMI Alumni Association Spring is an article in this Review that reports From what he told me before, they Break at The Villages, Florida, in March. on this gathering, so check it out. The have a great backyard for this kind of VMI band was there with a small conactivity. Makes you wonder how much work is tingent and participated in The Villages’ St. Patgetting done Monday and Friday – just saying. rick’s Day celebration. I can tell you, they were Bev changed the broker she works for, and it has the best unit in the parade. Later that evening, a worked out wonderfully. She is hoping to spend dinner was held which more than 100 people atmore time with the clients and less doing admintended, to include cadets, alumni and friends of the Institute at the Eisenhower Recreation Center. istrative duties. The house has been getting quieter But the biggest thrill was that I was able to share over time as daughter Ginny has moved to San this experience with several of our BRs. Bill and Diego and taken a position with Northrop GrumEdith Robson, who are part-year residents at The man. Her older sister, Kathryn, and her best friend Villages, attended and were nice enough to give are also moving out west to live with her, and her me the grand tour of The Villages community earother sister, Calee, has been accepted into both the Ph.D. programs at the University of Arizona lier in the day. Bob and Shirley Holby were also and the University of Akron and will start by the able to come up from their home in Melbourne, time this update reaches us all. Tad is betting that Florida, and join us for the parade and the dinner.

Arizona will be her choice, as that is closer to San Bob is finishing up his career at Patrick Air Force Diego, and Calee’s mentor from Virginia ComBase before he retires. That is a beautiful area; one I was quite fond of when I lived in Cocoa Beach. monwealth University is now at Arizona. Son Needless to say, we had a great time, and it was Kyle has been accepted at the Norfolk Apprentice great to meet up with everybody.

School and started in February. He has been asClass of 1975: Dean Armstrong honored Dean Armstrong was on the road again in April signed to an electrician crew that is working on a fallen VMI graduate Robert Finley ’41 on his visit to the Philippines for the 75th and visited the Philippines, where he traced the new aircraft carrier until school starts. Kyle also anniversary of the Bataan Death March 75th anniversary of the Bataan Death March. He had the honor to be in the crowd when President in April. was part of a group that visited the area, and part Trump visited the USS Gerald R. Ford CVN 78

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Class Notes of Dino’s activities was to walk the last 3 kilometers into Camp O’Donnell, which was one of the first stops of the death march. He also was able to visit with World War II service members who took part in the war and to find the graves or memorials of four VMI men who lost their lives there during the war. He was able to find the memorials for Maj. Stuart W. King ’919 and Reid S. Aaron ’40, who were both missing in action from a Hell ship, and the graves of Robert Finley Jones ’41 and George B. Handy ’919. He said that his trip was a very interesting and moving experience.

I received a note from Rodney Low, and it seems that he has been spending time in Botswana with Rusty Rahm working on a contract. He and Rusty are officers in a company called Global Force Training Consultants, LLC, and they have entered into a contract with the government of Botswana to teach command and control skills. Their tasks include exercise construction, training plans and standard operating procedures development training, and conduct 12 command and control exercises over the next two years. They ran into Chuck Wohlrab, who did some bit work for them while he was waiting to begin a new job in the Washington, D.C., area. They just completed an exercise in mid-April and will be doing the next one near the end of May. Rod tells me that the flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, by his understanding, is the longest civil aviation flight at 16-and-a-half hours.

Hope you guys are flying business class or better.

Thanks for the update. Sounds like exciting work.

Bink Rush sent me an email to let me know that all is well in Haysi, Virginia, and that he is hoping to come up for the mini reunion in October. He continues to play music just about every weekend and is doing well with it. He visited a place near the intersection of I-81 and I-66 a few years back and heard the Tom Cunningham ’74 Band and was very impressed; his words were, “Big-time good.” Bink remembers Tom’s good work with the VMI Commanders group back in the day, of which Bink was also a member. Bink also shared a depressing remembrance that both he and his brother, Bruce Rush ’71, had and that was seeing the gim form up and march off from the guard room in their rain cape, early in the morning while it was cold, wet and dark. I think that’s why it is called the Dark Ages. Thanks for the update, Bink.

Randy Frank and Doug Conte, along with Doug’s fiancée, Monica, were able to meet up in Palm Desert, California, last January for a round of golf. Doug reported that Randy is becoming a

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pretty good golfer despite his “bass-ackward” left handed swing. Doug has also been spending time in Virginia with work and returned to California at the end of April. Thanks, Doug, and let us know when the wedding is.

Ben and Anne Vanderberry got a little impatient for warm weather at the beginning of April, so they decided to join two other couples in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. They spent the week on a sailboat and following that, they rested on St. John Island before returning to the real world. Ben says that this trip was focused on research to find the best snorkeling spots and the best beach bars.

Unfortunately, most of their spreadsheets that contained their data were lost, and we will just have to take their word for it.

Rick Henning has had a busy spring this year.

It seems that the strange weather up his way continues. This past year, they have been hit by hurricanes, snow and now the spring rains have brought flooding to the Tar River. All of this continues to sharpen his pizza delivery skills though, as he has had to dodge the barricades and flooded roads to supply his pies to the masses. He tells me that there is still culture in his DNA, as he and Suzanne attended the North Carolina Symphony in Raleigh, and later, they took in a local production of “Fiddler on the Roof” performed at the Dunn Center in Rocky Mount. He and Suzanne were then joined by their son, Sam, and attended a concert that featured the group Building 429 and singer Josh Wilson. On the sports front, Rick lost his standing bet this year with Sam on the University of North Carolina–Greensboro versus VMI basketball game outcome and had to treat Sam to dinner. They also attended the VMI versus Elon baseball game in Elon, North Carolina. The next team visited was the Carolina Mudcats for several games. At one of these games, Sam’s brother, Andrew, and his two sons joined them. Grandpa and father Rick had a great time at this game with the added benefit of catching a foul ball during the game. When the game finished and the kids went on the field to run the bases, Rick collected several players’ signatures on the ball and later gave it to his grandsons. Health-wise, Rick has fully recovered from his hip replacement of several years ago.

Rick and Suzanne were able to visit her brother in Washington, North Carolina, on a beautiful spring day and have a pleasant meal at the On the Water Restaurant. The Henning calendar won’t be slowing down this summer, as Rick has plans to do volunteer work at the Battleboro, North

Carolina, food pantry; attend the Nashville, North Carolina, Blooming Festival; attend more baseball games; take a trip to Huntsville, Alabama, to attend a wedding; attend the North Carolina Croaker Festival; and later in the summer, attend the family reunion in Georgia. The Hennings don’t slow down. But keeping busy is a good thing.

Well, the shoebox is empty, and it is time to close this edition out. Hope you all had a great spring, and I am looking forward to hearing about your summer. Thanks again to all that sent in both updates and pictures; it is most appreciated. Take care BRs. In the spirit, Bob

1976

William Bhatta

It is May 14 as I write these notes; Happy Mother’s Day to the Class of 1976 family!

I received an Easter update from Tony Young.

Tony is enjoying retirement in Vero Beach, Florida. In the early mornings, you can find him walking the beaches. He enjoys researching anything to do with the local veterans in the Vero Beach area.

During World War II, Vero Beach hosted a naval training center; the local airport sits on top of it today. Tony has researched the men recognized at the Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary and can share with you the unit campaign history for each soldier, airman and sailor. Here is a quick historical blurb about the Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary from the Internet: “River travel was vital to the early human activity of Florida and the Indian River area. In the early 1900s, efforts began to dredge the Indian River. By the 1930s, the U.S. Corps of Engineers routinely maintained this channel called the Intracoastal Waterway. After World War II, the channel was once again slated for dredging and Alex MacWilliam Sr., a veteran and member of the Florida legislature, proposed a special project and persuaded the federal government to realign the existing Vero Beach channel to make way for a modern drawbridge (the first Merrill P. Barber Bridge) and to create a memorial island with the surplus dredging material. ‘Lest We Forget’ are the words used in the dedication of this island May 3, 1964. This one

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes water, especially during a nor’easter! man and hundreds of citizens in Indian River Do not forget about the Oct. 7 mini reunion at County did not forget and 17 years later created VMI. Be there, or be square. By the time you read Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary. The Vero these notes in August, the details will have been Beach Beautification Society and the Garden Club published. coordinated the beautification of the property. Today, the Stars and Stripes wave proudly over this island sanctuary, which can be seen from the deep channel of the Intracoastal Waterway and the two Mark Bryant modern bridges now spanning the Indian River.”

Last October, Tony decided to run for a position on the local city council. There were five other candidates and only three positions to be filled. He won a position with the second highClass of 1976: The Class of 1976 plaque Brother Rats, est number of votes. Tony says he tries to be a dedicated 13 years ago to honor brothWhat a great reunion weekend! I do not know positive influence and opts to build bridges, but er rats who have fallen while serving in the military. how we will ever top that one for sheer camaradethe position is not without challenges; he and one other on the five member council are in the mirie and relaxed good times. I am submitting these nority. Tony is involved with the Veteran Council notes on the VMI historical annual observance and is busy planning the city’s centennial in 2019 of New Market, and of course, the anniversary (40 years!) of our class’ release upon the world. and is preparing a book about the local veterans Today is also the commissioning ceremony for in the area. the Class of ’17. I am glad I’ve been allowed to Nick Tarzia checked in. Nick retired about a work with some of these young folks, as they year-and-a-half ago. He said, “I realized, in my remind me of how we all started out and how industry, I was way past my expiration date, much our cadet years have served us all. and it was time to bow out and open up slots for First, I want to recognize the great work of our younger troops. Thirty-seven years in floorcoverclass agent for the last five years, our own forever ing was long enough.” Nick and Sheila live in the captain, Steve Neas. Steve, we all want to thank Ashland, Virginia, area, but they also bought a you again for all your work, support and for a place in Roanoke, Virginia, so they could be near great reunion! I know I stand on the shoulders of Sheila’s elderly parents and also to have a change some great BRs who have all served us wonderof venue. They are travelling and just got back from Puerto Rico and went up to Niagara Falls fully as class agent, and I only hope I can pass the last fall. Nick said, “We have a lot of places we baton without dropping it. I am thinking of startClass of 1976: At the annual class agents’ and VMI Alumni Association chapter repplan on going to over time – never realized there ing a corps of former class agents just so I can resentatives’ dinner were, from left, Ray would be so many things to do in a day. I now tap in to all that talent and experience! (J.J., Mike, Brooks, Bill Bhatta and Jim Dittrich. wonder how I would ever have time to work in Bland, Gus, etc. ... I know where to find you). a career.”

Our reunion weekend included Mike Martino sent a short note to some first time events, which of say he retired May 1 from the Associacourse, will now become traditions, since we have done them once. The tion of American Railroads. He plans ’77 bike ride organized and led by to rest, travel with his wife, Jeanette, Rich Howell was a resounding sucand possibly some do consulting in the future. Mike said he still sees Jim cess, and I know we will see that again!

Simpson, a lawyer for the DepartBrother rats subdued the golf course ment of Health and Human Services. at Lexington Golf & Country Club And now the BR minute: Bob Gleaagain, and the club even let us back in for the Friday evening event. My wife, son, Kavie Thrift, Jim Mallon, Rocky Caryl, and I were happy to host the Glass, Lee Godsey, Tom Hawthorne, cookout event for early arrivals at our Bill Danziesen, Al Kinker and Mack Curle meet for breakfast roll call in Class of 1976: Jim Mallon, Ray Ramos and Lee Godsey skied in house Thursday. Even though the rain Richmond last month. Al Kinker re- Steamboat, Colorado, the last week of February. Class Agent drove us indoors, it was a great time. cently retired and is living in Franklin Bill Bhatta said of this photo, “Everyone had a great time and Thanks to all who came! We might returned home without broken bones.” have to do that again one day.

County. Al said his home is close to the

1977

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Class of 1977: Present at the reunion were R. Mark Abernathy, Frederick Allner III, John S. Alvis, G. Edgar Anderson Jr., William H. Anderson, Charles W. Angemeer Jr., Evan H. Ashby III, Robert K. Atkinson, Stephen A. Billingsley, C.F. Blackley III, Reed R. Bonadonna, George Borojevich, Daniel D. Bradach Jr., James B. Bradshaw, Donald S. Browder, Joseph M. Brown Jr., Mark H. Bryant, Henry R. Bungay, William E. Bynum III, Bruce C. Cann, Thomas A. Cole, Michael H. Conaway, Charles A. Conner III, John R. Cutright, Glenn T. Davidson, Michael W. Davis, Oscar L. Davis III, Lee J. DeMeo, E. Paul Farrell Jr., Charles T. Floyd, Herbert U. Fluhler, Craig T. Forbes, Lee G. Foresman, Michael J. Freeman, Randy S. Gates, Ralph H. George, Keith E. Gibson, Richard T. Greene Jr., Robert G. Gutjahr, Clifford Hamilton II, Randall W. Hartley, Robert B. Hartzell, Gary J. Haste, Jerry T. Haste, Stephen D. Heinrich, William F. Holzgrefe, Robert J. Houser, Richard C. Howell, James L. Hugar, Mark O. Hunt, Eric D. Hutchings, John D. Johnson, Richard S. Joslyn, George J. Kalaris, William S. Kelly, Kevin Knotts, Dennis E. Kocik, Michael Korolevich, Keith Kowadlo, Michael D. Lafferty, Kimber L. Latsha, Eric J. Letendre, W. Timothy Liles, Michael E. Lindsay, Robert L. Manteuffel, John J. Marshall, Lawrence A. Martin III, Bland Massie Jr., Lawrence N. Mauck III, Robert L. McQueen, Michael R. Meise, Thomas M. Mihalik, Timothy A. Mitchell, Jose R. Molina, Richard H. Moore, Kerry J. Mullin, Morton C. Mumma IV, Jeffrey M. Munsey, Michael J. Myers, Wesley W. Naff III, William H. Nay, Stephen L. Neas II, John T. Pace IV, Michael L. Parish, Norman L. Paul Jr., Thomas B. Pender, Christopher M. Perry, Raymond J. Pietruszka, William E. Powell, John E. Quackenbush, Eric M. Radford, David L. Ralph, Robert E. Reibach, Jeffrey W. Reynolds, Shelton P. Rhodes, Augustus Robbins IV, John R. Robertson, W. Gary Roundy, William P. Sangtinette, Joseph J. Santelli, Douglas W. Sebert, Paul M. Seufer, William A. Short, Douglas N. Simms, Morris Slagle, W. David Slomski, Timothy B. Snyder, Stanley B. Stout, St. Clair Streett III, Andrew M. Tarr, Timothy K. Thompson, Glenn A. Trimmer, Stephen R. Turley, Allan S. Wagner III, David L. Wallenborn, Kurt Weidenthal II, Ronald E. Wilkosz and Terrence E. Wolfe.

The Class of 1977

40th Reunion – April 28-29, 2017 Class Notes

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes One of our most memorable moments was our remembrance of those BRs no longer with us in the newly renovated (and beautiful) Memorial Garden. What a great moment. Special thanks to Terry Wolfe for reading the names for us all and to the estimable Ralph George for organizing the lineup and BR handshake. I know that one is staying in the schedule! (Although we will have to back off the class picture; time to get all you slow walkers and long talkers up to the library steps.) I hope we continue to pursue our mini reunions and regular reunions with similar events.

Who wants to organize a fun run or a parachute jump for our 45th?

We had a record turn-out of BRs and honored guests for our 40th, and we looked good! Our

registration count was 116 BRs, and with guests, we had 200 people gathered to celebrate our 40th. I know I will not be able to list everyone here, but we had some brother rats returning to VMI for the first time and many who had not been able to rejoin us in quite a while. We all were really happy to see everyone! We know not everyone could make it, but know that we certainly thought of all of you! I am sure we will always be able to get Kimber Latsha up on that sentinel box to lead the best class in barracks for many years to come. (In spite of Kimber observing just before we stepped off at parade that the sentinel box seemed to be taller than it used to be!) Kimber finishes his tenure on the VMI Board of Visitors this year and leaves a great set of shoes to fill

Class of 1977: Class Agent Mark Bryant said of this photo, “The inaugural reunion bike ride Class of ’77. Devil’s Backbone brewery was probably a brilliant place to finish!”

Class of 1977: Class Agent Mark Bryant said of this photo, “Super ’77 ready to fall in behind the Corps after 40 years!”

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Class of 1977: Pictured wearing the new super ’77 hats at reunion were Mark Bryant, Steve Kelly and Gus Robbins.

Class of 1977: Class Agent Mark Bryant said of this photo, “Our newest and coolest reunion tradition: Shake hands with every brother rat right after our remembrance of BRs passed.”

Class of 1977: Class Agent Mark Bryant said of this photo, “Truly a well-led class.

Our first captain, Steve Neas, and our president, Kimber Latsha.”

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Class Notes there. Thanks for everything, Kimber.

The Friday night dinner event at the Lexington Golf & Country Club was a great kick off to the “regular” reunion events. A special thanks to BR Buzzy Northen for organizing that for all of us. It was a great venue, and one that I think we might well consider again in the future.

Saturday started early, and after all the activities, it was nice to relax in the shade on the edge of the Parade Ground for a little tailgate-style picnic wellprovided by Brother Rats Hartzell, Pace, Ferrell and Billingsley.

We needed the breather before we all packed into Moody Hall for the finale Saturday night. It was a squeeze, but everyone made it in, and the folks serving dinner and behind the bar did a great job making the space work. As we bring back more and more BRs, we may have to look for larger venues. Wouldn’t that be a nice problem to have!

Ralph Davis checked in from New York by email and let us know he is still out there working away as a property manager, and Ron Parrott sent a letter expressing his regret at not being able to attend the reunion but wished us all well. Next time, Ron! I hope everyone knows that even if you could not attend this time, we will always look for you at the next one. In addition, more than ever, like any class agent, I very much want to hear from you all at any time. Share what is going on in your life, where you are and give me some material to publish here.

We had a record number of brother rats attend our 40th. I’m sorry I cannot note each and every one by name and that I did not get a chance to talk to everyone. I had the pleasure of saying at least a few words to so many, but I would hate to start listing names, knowing I would leave someone out without meaning to. Please stay in touch, and help me pass on all your reunion experiences. I will hopefully write even more by the next deadline!

I have already started to receive a few suggestions and wishes from BRs, and I promise I am working on them. First, BR Hartzell is looking for a good image (either digital or one that is high resolution and can be digitized) of our class ring to be blown up and put on a banner for future tailgates.

Great idea. Does anyone have such an image? I have contacted Jostens to see if they have one, but no answer as of yet. I guess Hartz does not want to go with the graduation picture of himself anymore. Not sure why; it is like a homing beacon to all of us now.

Some have requested lists of email addresses and

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similar information. The easiest way to be found and to find each other is honestly to register and keep your information updated in VMI Ranks on the Alumni Association’s website. If you have not done that yet or have not updated your info lately, I encourage you to do so.

To avoid any privacy issues, I will ask any of you who want to have your email shared with other BRs I come in touch with to opt in so I will know positively that you are all right with it. Let me know at the email address above that you are OK with sharing whatever email address or contact information you provide to me. That way, I should be able to provide such information when requested but without anyone getting emails they do not want.

Since Caryl and I are now settled in Rockbridge County to stay, I just want you all to know that I would be happy to try to connect you with VMI staff, alumni or Foundation folks, or anything else I can help you with. I will continue to teach biology classes part time at VMI and have an office space in Maury-Brooke Hall, so please let me know when you are on post. I would hate to miss an opportunity to catch up. And of course, please keep in touch. A short note, a photo of some place you’ve been or of events in your life are always of interest to us all.

Thanks for all you do. Here is to the Class of super ’77!

1978

Tom Brown

Greetings, Brother Rats, Thanks for your responses to the status check, we have news that covers November 2016 to New Market Day 2017.

Steve Craig: “Continuing my Ph.D. program in the history of medicine on a part-time basis from the states. I also have recently had a spin-off article from my research published in the Journal of Medical History and Allied Sciences. This article, which concerns an 18th century Edinburgh physician named John Rutherford and his innovative clinical teaching methods, was accepted for presentation at the 18th Century Scottish Studies Society annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, in late June. Carolyn and I recently returned

from San Antonio, where we visited the kids and grandkids. We are looking to retire near there (if the housing market ever returns in Maryland).”

Bill Hardy sent along that Community Bankers Trust Corp., the Henrico County holding company for Essex Bank, announced March 23 that it has appointed him to its board of directors. Dave Gray: “Finally hit my retirement milestone with Pfizer, now trying to figure out if I go out at the end of the year or work until the end of 2018.

Kilsun’s health issues are progressing well with her post-cancer treatments. I am still working part time as an adjunct professor and hope to either move into a full-time role or increase the adjunct opportunities once I do retire.” Kevin Callanan: “Barely above ground, but hanging on! Things are well here in Winchester with Lisa and the kids, so just a few updates. Our oldest is off to college next year; only six more years (at age 67) before I’m an empty nester. I really am a late bloomer. I’ll be finishing my master’s this summer, and once that is done, I begin my political career by running for the local board of supervisors. Think I was supposed to start this stuff about two decades ago.”

Pete Manoso: “My status is ‘all right’ and getting better every day. This retirement gig suits me just fine. The first year was kind of tough, but I think I’m getting the hang of it. Our daughter, Sarah, will be married May 13. This will be our second and last wedding. Son Robert was married Nov. 14, 2014. We will soon be official empty nesters.

Being father-of-the-bride is a little more difficult than father-of-the-groom. But I am glad I got to experience both. Unfortunately, neither son nor daughter went to VMI; apparently I dragged them to too many class reunions. My wife and I have been a couple for over 40 years; she was also my Ring Figure date. I wonder how many of our brother rats were and/or still are married to their Ring Figure dates.”

Bob Wright: “I’m still working at Texas Instruments for the last three years. I have a new grandson, Liev London Anderson, born Aug. 19, 2016.

He’s going to be Class of 2038.”

Tom Tucker: “My dad died. It was about as good as an old age death gets, and with a lot of good people’s help, he died in the same house he was born in. Otherwise, I’m doing fine. My Edward Jones business is doing well, and I am playing music fairly often with various groups. I have a Piedmont Symphony Rock show at the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival in July.”

Chris Stone: “Checking in from the sandy beach

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes at Virginia Beach; all good here. I was at the Institute for the 2017 Environment Virginia Symposium. I am on the planning committee and attend every year, either as a speaker or a moderator. Governor McAuliffe was the keynote speaker. With the addition of a couple new hotel renovations and restaurants in downtown Lexington, it actually is really a nice place to visit. The symposium was well-attended this year. A lot of concern over the federal government eliminating all $73 million in federal funding that helps pay for programs in Virginia and other states to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Just took the pool cover off. I am looking forward to another year at the beach. I was recently named our firm’s chief executive officer, passing the president responsibilities on to the next generation.”

Dave Mecredy: “I’m OK. In fact, I am better than OK. Last August, I was laid off from my technical writing job of 16 years as a result of a merger.

After receiving a handsome severance package, I spent September, October and November looking for work. In December, I found a four-month contract in nearby Mankato, started my own business and went to work. In March, my former manager called me and offered my job back (one of the other writers had left). I am in the new job with the same salary that I had before, and I am working from home. Grace does happen. I have taken up hunting – small game, that is. Well, actually it’s rats. Armed with a Benjamin Marauder .177 air rifle, a Sony handicam mounted to a scope and an infrared flashlight, I hunt the barn in the dark.

It’s more fun than a video game. I continue to play guitar on the worship team at church, and on occasion, I will play the drums. Youth ministry and Boy Scouts fill out the week. I became a grandfather for the fifth time in February thanks to my oldest son and his wife: Caleb Gilbert Mecredy. Son Branson finishes his two-year program at Hennepin Technical College for marine, motorsport and outdoor power equipment technology. I couldn’t be more pleased. I now have lifetime mechanic privileges for my motorcycle. Daughter Felicity will finish her first year at the University of Northwestern St. Paul (theater and film) and then she is off to London for two weeks. She always wanted to have a British accent. Daughter Jerusha and her husband are raising their two boys while she pursues a master’s in choral directing. My three years in the Glee Club must have rubbed off. My wife, Susan, is a pretty as ever and helps me stay up to speed with the social calendar.”

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Mikey McCarthy: “I was notified of my selection for the Army Senior Executive Service, Executive Placement Program. Sometime in the next few months, I will be detailed to an SES position for a one-year assignment. I am one of 26 senior civilians selected for this program. Not bad for a first class private from B Company.”

Bob Magnan: “Only new news here: I had my Friday night disrupted; apparently our little town is dead bang on the flight path from New York City to Trump’s golf club about 12 miles from my house. The whole entourage overflew Fanwood en route to Bedminster after Trump’s speech in New York City. I got to be the ‘local authority’ on military aircraft when everyone started asking: ‘What kind is that?’ ‘Which one is he in?’ ‘Why are there so many?’ ‘Why do they fly so low?’”

Jay Hutt: “In the job hunt; not much fun. Ren’s wedding happens June 16-17 – going to be a fun weekend in Cape May, New Jersey. Sarah moved to Raleigh for a new job. We are very excited for her but hate to see her go – every parent’s dilemma.”

Rick Wolffe: “I got in the ring with former heavyweight contender, Jerry Cooney. My rat boxing skills were very rusty but am happy to report I barely survived one round.”

Paul Campbell: “Unfortunately, my news is not good. I have been diagnosed with prostate and kidney cancer. The ‘silver lining’ in that dark cloud is that both situations are treatable by an operation – a single operation for both cancers. I should not have to lose the entire kidney, just the cancer, and should not need any additional treatment (i.e., chemo or radiation). Of course, I must have periodic scans to ensure that the operation got everything and/or nothing else is happening. I had surgery Nov. 21, and that went well. By all appearances, the cancer is gone. I will have bloodwork every three months as a check to ensure the prostate cancer has not returned and a CT scan every six months to ensure the kidney cancer also has not returned. My three-month check was good, although I’ve had a couple of speed bumps along the way (i.e., infection that may have been related to the surgery). Next checkup is June 9 (bloodwork and CT scan).”

Rob Traver: “Greetings from Philadelphia! Pam and I are fine and enjoying work and traveling.

Taking our first cruise in the late summer to Russia then to Prague for work. 78+40 = 2018. Wow ... no wonder I have gray hair.”

Ken Singleton: “I’m still working at Express

Scripts, Inc., the pharmacy benefit manager serving health care plans, including Tricare. Thinking about a change of pace, but not ready to make the leap yet. Hoping to make it back for the 40th Reunion next year and catch up with BRs!” Ron Dolan: “Winter is over in Minnesota, and fishing has been great. Lots of projects: Addition to the lake house and a new boat to take my five grandchildren fishing. Travel has picked up under the Trump administration with many organizations ‘bullish’ on defense and space spending. I am spending more time in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill and at the Pentagon. I will be spending additional time on the Space Coast, as several new projects and launches are in the planning.”

Alec Earle: “All’s well with Sheila and me. We left our almond farm in early April and have traveled to San Antonio, Branson and now southern Utah. Moab, Utah: We were there a week visiting Arches and Canyon Lands National Parks. The beauty is absolutely stunning. While in San Antonio, I traveled to Lexington and attended the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees semiannual meeting. The biggest Foundation news is that the highly successful Campaign for VMI will end June 30, 2017. As of April 30, 15,125 alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends have made gifts and commitments totaling $321.8 million. Congratulations to all of our BRs who helped make the campaign so successful! It’s hard to believe our 40th Reunion is only a year away.”

Greg Gearhart: “My 60th year just concluded, and I was blessed in many ways. Our first

Class of 1978: Rick Wolffe got in the ring with former heavyweight contender Jerry Cooney.

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Class Notes grandchild was born to son No. 1; son No. 2 got married; we had a great mini reunion at Hilton Head with McKissick, Tanner, Lucado and Allen Moore; and I served as a water/ sewer engineer on a project in Mozambique with Engineering Ministries International. Our engineering team was a jumble of English accents, with members from Virginia, Mississippi, Australia, South Africa, Scotland, the Shetland Islands and Canada. Pretty cool. My brother, Jess ’77, would have appreciated how much attention rugby received in the newspapers in Africa. A couple of goals for my 60th year involved running. Being bereft of athletic talent, which I considered a curse growing up, seems to now have had a silver lining. Any BRs who witnessed my pitiful rat training pugil stick bout (where I ended up looking out the earhole of my helmet) would not be surprised that, in junior high, I was cut from every school sports team during tryouts.

Forty-five years later, having avoided youthsports-related joint damage, except for the little incident at Fort Bragg with the tank, my knees still work. So, I was able to complete a bucket list goal of competing the past two years in the Ultrarunning Magazine Race Series, completing four trail race distances each year from 50K to 100 miles, and finishing pretty well in my geezer-agegroup and overall. An old geezer racing well may be somewhat notable, but the challenging conditions that can exist at trail ultras often attract participants with something to prove. The most inspiring effort I’ve witnessed was at the Brazos Bend 100 last December, when Adam Popp, a former Air Force bomb disposal tech, became the first above-knee amputee to complete a 100-mile race. Lots of tears of pride flowed for this airman, who had been severely injured while defusing an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, gutting out 27 hours of running. Adam is proof we usually set our expectations too low; perhaps we all need to revise upward our goals for the last third of our earthly journey! That said, my very next running goal is buying a jogging stroller for my grandson! I’m still working at WGK Engineering, but Judy and I try to take a trip in our motor home every quarter. We head to Yellowstone in June. We are looking forward to seeing everyone next year!”

John Forsyth: “Moving to Greenwood, Virginia, after 38 years. Hell of a journey with hopefully a soft landing. Looking forward to seeing all the knuckleheads of ’78 again and

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nice to be returning in time for our 40th. Wow, we’ve grown a little older, haven’t we?”

Jim Mackin: “Represented the Class of ’78 at an informal ceremony in the Pentagon center courtyard for New Market Day. John Piedmont ’89 is the unofficial organizer of VMI grads working in the Pentagon, and he coordinated a gathering of grads at noon to honor the New Market cadets and conduct a roll call. As is the case at VMI, volunteers here answered the roll call with, ‘Died on the field of honor, sir.’”

Jim Simons sent along his annual report on the VMI Spring Field Training Exercise.

“Once again, the VMI Cadet Fishing Club took to the field for FTX 2017. Building upon work begun over FTX 2016, a detachment of 21 cadets, comprised of club members as well as volunteers drawn from the Corps of Cadets at large, participated in a two-day conservation project in the recently established Moore’s Creek State Forest.

“It fell to me to command the operation this year, supported by Will Shehan ’14, Jim Tate ’67, Art Keuhne (USNA ’73) and Rich Illes.

“Working under the supervision of regional foresters from the Virginia Department of Forestry, the cadets implemented various habitat improvements in Moore’s Creek, all designed to promote a year-round population of naturally reproducing brook trout in the stream. Additional tasks deemed critical to the overall objectives of the VDOF were also undertaken, including the cutting of a new hiking trail to the cliffs overlooking the Lexington Reservoir. It is hoped that the new trail will promote the public’s use of the newly established state forest. The cadets hiked, with tools and equipment, approximately 3 miles from the bivouac area to the project work sites and back each day.

“While in the field, the cadets participated in a day-day military-style bivouac on National Forest lands adjacent to Moore’s Creek State Forest.

As the detachment was denied direct access to the bivouac area due to recent rains that made the road impassable by vehicle, the cadets carried all of their individual field equipment, as well as the detachment’s supporting equipment, to the bivouac area by hand.

“After four days in the field, the cadets broke camp and returned to barracks overnight. The following morning, the cadets arrived at my home, where they performed all tasks necessary to prepare the equipment used in support of the

FTX 2017 bivouac for storage. Upon completion of their assigned maintenance tasks, the cadets then conducted a one-day stream cleanup project on a section of Colliers Creek, a small portion of which runs adjacent to my property. Beginning just below the stream’s headwaters and ending 1-and-a-half miles downstream, the cadets collected a significant amount of litter and other debris.

“A month later, working in concert with the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Adopta-Highway program, members of the Cadet Fishing Club assembled at my home and then undertook a roadside highway cleanup project along VA-646 here in Rockbridge County. After completing the cleanup project, all those present participated in the club’s annual year-end barbecue.

It was then that I learned that the latest addition to the ranks of the Cadet Fishing Club is Cadet Bobby Fricke ’19, son of our own Bob Fricke!

“With graduation only weeks away, the Cadet Fishing Club’s activities for the 2016-17 academic year officially come to a close, but the planning process for next year is already underway, promising an even more eventful schedule of events than past years.”

Checked in as “all right:” Bruce Kay, John Tucker, Pat Wilson, Jim Mackin, Bryant Streett, Leland Horn, Anthony Moore and Tom Sliwoski.

Not “all right:” Stephen Downey: Not all up, no shirt or socks, non-reg haircut, found in Austin-Healy uptown, still breathing, hungover.

1979

Michael Ogden

Doug Doerr wrote: “Corinne is retiring as a fourth grade school teacher and is looking forward to it. I still have at least three years to go before I retire. I am preparing for a 100-mile bike ride, the Cap2Cap ride, May 13. Last year, our ride time was about 6.4 hours, and my buddy, Dave Wassink (yes, our basic school classmate), and I hope to do it in the same amount of time. In June, I will be riding with John and Jessie Arthur in the Bike Virginia ride. They are planning to ride all six days, but I can only ride

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes the last three days of the event. Hopefully, John and Jessie will be merciful on me. They are in great shape!”

George Eliades has been laid up with a shattered left shoulder since January. Evidently, the bones healed well, but he got “frozen shoulder,” so his surgeon cut out the scar tissue. The shoulder was aching for four-plus months.

Tim Cordle relays that his son, Paul, was accepted to the Institute and matriculates in August. Paul will major in applied mathematics and minor in business and econ. Tim runs into Al Soltis, John Arthur and Ed Johnson at the Keydet Club Board of Governors’ meetings and reports that “they look great and are doing well.”

Brian Tollie and Pete Underwood are gearing up for a buddy-trip to the Baltics in June. Their last buddy-trip to Gallipoli never quite came to fruition. Brian made it to Turkey, but Pete got held up in a snowstorm in New York City. We are counting on Pete for pictures, as Brian evidently does not own a camera or a smartphone.

Truth stranger than fiction? Safe travels, BRs. Nick Kepf checked in. “Donna and I are both retired and enjoying retirement. We just sold our Charlotte, North Carolina, home and are traveling the U.S. in our motor home for a while until we decide where we may want to settle down.

We’re currently in Kentucky enjoying the Bourbon Trail and some horse racing. Off next to Natchez, Mississippi, for a month. While there, we’re going to spend some time with Craig and Claudia Maxson.”

David Smith pens, “Linda and I are still living in Ashburn, Virginia, and living a quiet life.

There’s a BR breakfast every few months, but my boss expects me to work Saturdays, so I always miss it. Therefore, I can’t say it was good seeing whoever was there. On the other hand, I may be looking for work again soon, which, at this age, isn’t a good thing. Know anybody who needs a dyslexic correspondent? Retirement ... well, my retirement accounts went into the toilet twice when the stock market tanked, so I can’t join the ranks of all the retired BRs. I am healthy. No recurrence of the cancer; all my tests are good. At my cardio test, the doctor said I was ‘athletic,’ (I’m not) and it’d been months since someone ‘my age’ had been able to finish all the tests. (Ha!) I’m married to the sweetest lady in the world, though I can’t imagine why she puts up with me, and she’s a better cook than me, so I’m blessed. I feel strong

2017-Issue 3

most of the time, but I know I have to get more exercise. Hard to believe today that I used to do a six-minute mile at VMI in gym dyke and a six-and-a-half in fatigues and boots. Today, I laugh at the notion that I’m the same person.

Like the book title, ‘We Were Soldiers Once and Young.’” Thanks for the update, David, and great news on the cancer recovery!

Phyllis (and Jay) Higginbotham writes, “Our only updates concern our children, as usual.

Our youngest son, Sumner, will be graduating from the University of Virginia next week with a master’s in accounting, and he has employment with a large accounting firm in northern Virginia, starting in September! Our daughter, Meg, finished her master’s in English literature from the BreadLoaf School of English of Middlebury College at the end of July 2016, after five summers’ work (while teaching at Flint Hill School during the academic year) – most of which coursework was taken at the adjunct St. John’s College campus in Santa Fe. We will miss our yearly sojourns out to New Mexico either accompanying Meg on her drive out there and/ or back. But we still have travel plans to visit another distant place: Alaska, where our middle son, Win ’14, is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. I spent seven weeks with him last fall when he had surgery to repair his torn PCL (behind the knee) and during the first part of his rehab while he couldn’t drive (had a huge leg brace). I was glad to have that time with him; we didn’t drive each other crazy, and I got to see Alaska during the fall and early winter. It is a beautiful place! Our oldest, Hunter, and his wife, Charity, are both doing well and are living/ working in Lynchburg. They are the only ones who are likely to be living relatively close to us.

No grandchildren yet. So, we can report that we are finally finished paying tuition! It boggles the mind to think how much we have invested in education among all four of the children. Money well spent. They are all accomplished in their respective fields and are good people anyone would be glad to call a friend. We are blessed.”

Thank you, Phyllis, for keeping us up to date.

We really appreciate more than you know what our significant others bring to the ’79 table!

Mike Staso is back in the states for the summer, taking time off from his fourth year of traveling around Asia in retired bliss.

I am sorry for the “lightness” in notes this issue. As most of you know, my father died just

as notes were coming due, and I was not able to put my normal vigor (read, bug the crap out of everyone) into this effort. Many, many thanks to everyone for all the emails and calls with thoughts and condolences. My father was laid to rest in Beaufort National Cemetery with my mom, who was buried there now nearly 20 years ago. My father was a retired Marine Corps colonel with 30 years of service. We had a military ceremony, as you would expect, with a Marine Corps ceremonial unit that had it all, to include a 21-gun salute and lone bugler playing taps. Just like Arlington, minus the caissons. Snap and pop!

Very, very impressive, as you might imagine.

I promise a better effort next edition. Stay well.

–M

1980

John Gibney Jr.

Hello, Brother Rats, These notes cover the period Feb. 16, 2017, through May 15, 2017. We are approaching 41 years since matriculation, and we just passed 37 years since commencement.

A pattern is emerging regarding our class notes. The Feb. 15 set is long, reflecting communication that includes The Institute Society Dinner, Thanksgiving, Christmas and a new year.

The May 15 notes are relatively short. Please recall that I only write about news received firsthand. Therefore, information shared via social media outlets is not included.

The period began with an email from Tom Johnston. After 30 years in the Navy, Tom has been retired for more than seven years. Tom and Tammy spend most of their time traveling, playing golf and walking their yellow lab, VeeMI, as well as visiting with Tom’s brother, Jim ’83.

They are considering a visit to VMI in the fall for a football game.

Dennis Jacobs sent an email containing a photo taken with his dyke, Bland Massie ’77, skiing at Lake Tahoe in February.

March began with an email from Brian O’Neill announcing a new email address.

Andy Ludlum, a pilot for Southwest, sent a text message from Richmond where he was staying overnight. Rick Fowler was a passenger

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Class Notes read a list of our BRs who are no lonon the flight to Richmond, and John Diggs was staying at the same hotel ger with us. as Andy.

As the May 15 deadline for submisWalt and Mary Lynne Wood sent sion approached, John Diggs sent an three email messages. The first mesemail. John keeps in touch with Rob Gearhart, Andy Ludlum and Keith sage contained news of their redeStewart. John and Beth have a marsigned website (www.teamperu.org) and their planned visit to Alaska ried daughter living in Nashville and Sept. 7 through Oct. 2. In two subsea son who recently relocated from Raleigh to Jersey City, New Jersey. quent messages, Walt sent story No. John retired from the Air Force Re4 and story No. 5. These stories memorialize Walt’s exploits. Stories six serve in 2000 and is a pilot for UPS. through nine are in the hopper. Walt Class of 1980: Pictured at a gathering in Washington, D.C., in April He and Beth recently relocated from noted that he and Mary Lynne are in 2017 were Mike Knapp, John Lillard, Dan Conn, Martin Bernet, Walt Raleigh to the Wilmington, North good health and continue to enjoy Kreitler, Joe Belkoski, Jack Keane, Tracy Wilson and Rob Wheeler. Carolina, area. John also included in their work. his message seeing Andy Ludlum in I spoke with Gary Levenson on Richmond. his birthday. Gary is VMI’s deputy I received an email from Joanne commandant. He said that he was Pearson, Dwight’s wife, with a looking forward to spring break and photo of Psycho, who set out March the end of the “Dark Ages.” Gary 31 from Springer Mountain, Georsaid that discussions were underway gia, in an attempt to complete the regarding the annual get-together in 2,189-mile-long Appalachian Trail. the fall organized by Mike Luning The message noted that Dwight was and Rob Quarles, among others.

35 days into his journey and had I spoke with Hugh Fain on his completed more than 450 miles. birthday. In addition to managing his Mark Grubber sent an email after Richmond law practice, Hugh is conreceiving the Alumni Review. Mark is enjoying retirement in Missouri. tinuing to serve as the president of Doug Walker sent an email conthe VMI Foundation as it concludes a very successful capital campaign Class of 1980: Dennis Jacobs and Bland Massie ’77 skiing in Lake taining a summary dating back to and transitions to a new chief execu- Tahoe in February 2017.

1992, when he and Jeanne and their children (at that time) Alex and Metive officer. His daughter, Joyce, is a counselor in Charlottesville, where her husband lissa, moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where they is in law school. His daughter, Audrey, lives and still reside. Doug worked in the state treasurer’s works in Los Angeles. office until 1998, then as a human resources April began with a call with John Alerding. professional. He retired from the Marine Corps John is retired from both the Air Force and from Reserve in 2000 and has worked for the Deteaching. John’s wife, Anne, is a biology profespartment of Veterans Affairs since 2009. Doug turned 60 in April, and he and Jeanne have been sor at VMI. His son, Johnny ’12, is a pilot in married for 33 years. Eight years ago, Doug had the Air Force. emergency triple bypass surgery at age 52 due to I spoke with Pat Griffin on his birthday. His severe angina while in Chattanooga, Tennessee, older son, Michael ’17, graduated from VMI in traveling to Parris Island for Melissa’s graduaMay. His younger son, John, will matriculate in August after attending VMI’s Summer Transition from Marine Corps boot camp. His health is now fine. Alex is now 30 and Melissa is 27 tion Program in July. and a mom to Kyler, age 4. Their third child, Jack Keane sent an email with a photo. A Andrew, is 19 and attends the University of Negroup of our Washington, D.C., area BRs met for dinner on the fourth anniversary of the passbraska. In his free time, Doug is a scoutmaster and a certified firearms instructor. ing of Joe and Sue Brown. In attendance were In closing, please note my opening remarks Joe Belkoski, Marty Bernet, Dan Conn, Jack Class of 1980: Dwight Pearson hiking about class notes and social media.Thank you Keane, Mike Knapp, Walt Kreitler, John Lilthe Appalachian Trail in May 2017. for your support. Please keep in touch. lard, Rob Wheeler and Tracy Wilson. Wheelz

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

1981

Jerry Manley

Brother Rats and Family and Friends of the Class of ’81, I hope this edition of class notes finds everyone happy, healthy and well. As I consolidate these notes, it is the weekend of Mother’s Day, and the summer months are fast approaching. So with that, I extend two wishes: One, I pray that each of you had a very blessed and joyful Mother’s Day reflecting on the “moms” who have carried us or walked side-by-side with us as we journeyed through life. The VMI “moms” I have proudly known through the years have all been incredibly supportive, loving and truly a guiding force when we were young Keydets. Two, that everyone has a very safe and joyful summer! By the time you read this, it will be August. Hopefully, many will have planned to join Jim Hart and all the usual suspects as the Smith Mountain Lake ski bash the weekend before the Fourth. It is truly a great event!

No matter what your summer plans, please take the time to focus on all that is truly important in life – your family, friends, health and faith. I look forward to getting Review inputs and pictures that capture it all!

And a bit of administration before I launch into the write-ups: If you are reading this but have not received any class emails from me since October, please send me your correct contact information right away. I am working off a class distribution list that requires periodic updates, particularly if you have changed work or home email addresses/ accounts. Any support you can provide me in that regard will be greatly appreciated. Also, as most of you know, we do have a class Facebook page. Greg Wolven has been key and instrumental in keeping that site up and running. Please contact either me or Greg if you need assistance joining the group.

With that, here is this round of inputs: Received a great email from Wirt Shinault where he shared a personal and meaningful story.

In Wirt’s words: “Had to share this experience.

50 years ago this month my grandfather, William Chapin ’917, M.D., took me to his 50th Reunion (in 1967). I thought it was great and at that point decided to go to VMI. Fifty years later, in 2017, I

2017-Issue 3

got to take my grandson, Nathan Watterson, (potential Class of 2029) to Legacy Day. What a great time! We both had a blast and even went to Goshen Pass Wayside and relived a hike my grandfather and I had made 50 years prior up Laurel Fork Run. Some things never change young boys’ and now girls’ fascination with uniforms, guns, parades and the big ‘I.’ Hope you are doing well; take care, brother. Wirt ’81. Rah Virginia Mil! May it never die and all it stands for. It saved my life.” (Great sharing, Wirt, and great closing, sir!)

Jim Frishkorn sent his greetings from Panama City. Jim and the beautiful Mei-Ling had a great time hosting an evening gathering back in April of local area alumni from VMI, The Citadel, Texas A&M University and Norwich University. Jim reported it was “a cordial group” and that they have adopted a couple World War II Navy veterans who not only enjoy spending the evening with former military but with each other; apparently, a number of great stories and some humorous sparks were flying during the dinner! Two local area Norwich grads recently joined the group and, per Jim, offer an easy target for the occasional military school joke or two.

Brother Rat John Keene made contact. John shared some very kind greetings and wanted to personally thank all of the BRs for the warm welcome at the reunion. Per John: “Can’t express what that meant to me after all these years of what for me was unfinished business. Thanks to everyone who showed me what being a brother rat really means. I never was a quick study. My transcripts and demerit records will confirm that if there is even a question.” (To you, John, know that whatever “unfinished business” you may have had, you have always been a BR! It meant just as much to all of us having you attend the reunion, sir, and I hope to see you at many more.)

C.P. Davis shared that his daughter, Courtney, graduated from North Carolina State University, as projected in the last Review. Courtney is now working in Charlotte for Vanguard, and C.P. could not be prouder! C.P.’s son, Jackson, is a rising sophomore and a team member on the Charlotte Latin Swim Team – named 2016-17 state champs.

Jackson is an exceptional swimmer and hopes to continue swimming in college. (VMI does have a swim team, you know, C.P.!) C.P.’s youngest, Thomas, is line one on his middle school tennis team, also Charlotte Latin, and plays for On Deck baseball academy’s travel team.

I was happy to hear from one of our favorite

BRs, Corky Mitchell. His biggest news was the birth of his first grandchild, Kassidy Bradley.

Corky’s son, Kristopher Bradley, and his fiancée, Kyuona Mason, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, were greeted by the beautiful Kassidy April 22, 2017.

Corky reports that mother and baby are in great health and extremely happy. Corky has also been doing a bit of traveling. He attended the 2017 Jeep beach gathering in Daytona Beach, Florida, and had a ball driving on the beach along with more than 3,000 other “Jeepsters.” Check out Corky’s Facebook page to see pictures. Corky is

Class of 1981: Dave Hinchee with his new grandson and future Keydet, James Gardner Meek IV, born March 13, 2017.

Class of 1981: Corky Mitchell with his granddaughter, Kassidy Bradley, born April 22, 2017.

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Class Notes also “Jeeping” out to Wyoming after Memorial Day to do some camping, photography, painting and 4-wheeling and to visit dear friends, Kris and Mitch Benson, on their October Morning Ranch near Riverton. Corky plans to join them for their annual cattle branding and to share in a good porterhouse or two. On a more personal note, Corky shared that he is back on track after some physical challenges and through the tremendous support from Veterans Affairs. Per Corky, “If there is anyone in our class who can really advocate for the VA, please ask them to do so.”

Not to be outdone by Corky, Dave Hinchee shared the big news that his oldest daughter, Lauren, gave birth March 13, 2017, to his first grandchild – James Gardner Meek IV – BR Dave’s new “best bud.” Apparently, Master James has already expressed interest in VMI, and Dave is working on his provisional appointment. Dave is hoping to make the ski bash at the lake this year. (Hope to see you there, Dave!)

Ed Boylan shared that he and Linda have ended their “empty-nester status.” Their daughter, Peri, has moved back home from Austin, Texas. Peri graduated from the University of Texas and had been working in Austin for over two years but is now pursuing her master’s degree through Johns Hopkins University. Ed loves having her home! Ed also reports that Linda’s design business is getting stronger and that he is “still running like [his] hair is on fire at work!” (At least you still have hair, Ed ... just sayin’.)

Also, it is always great to hear from Ken Pierro. Ken and family have finally settled for a while in Ocala, Florida, close to his father and enjoying every aspect of being close to him after having spent so long away from family. Ken is the operations manager for a golf course maintenance and light construction company in The Villages. (... I am sensing demand signals for mini reunions in your future,

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Class of 1981: At the joint class agent and VMI Alumni Association board dinner were, from left, Grover Outland III with parents Margaret and Grover Outland II ’49B and Patricia Manley with son Jerry Manley. Margaret and Grover II reunited with Patricia after 36 years.

Class of 1981: Pictured at a mini reunion at the Capital Ale House in Richmond, Virginia, were Vince Wood, Bruce Kitchen, Tim Nitz, Mike “Psycho” McLeod, Bruce Gottwald and Hank Lee.

Class of 1981: Pictured at a class gathering with then-chaplain of the Corps of Cadets in Fort Myers, Florida, were Dan Pere, Chaplain Charles Caudill, Ken Pierro, Bill Bird, Jeff Adler and Ken’s son, Kenny.

Ken.) Ken also shared that the kids are home from college, and they are all enjoying being under the same roof for a few months. It seems the Pierro family has moved 14 times in the past 20 years, and Ken is hopeful they will finally feel secure enough to unpack all the boxes this time! All in all, after this last big move, they are looking forward to just relaxing this summer, exploring Florida beaches and ultimately getting ready for the next school year.

Dave Openshaw now has two girls in New York City. His oldest is graduating from law school this May and has accepted a litigation position with Kasowitz Benson Torres in Manhattan. (Dave, tell her to expect a call from Sloppy, but she does not have to answer!) Lily and Dave are “empty nesters-in-training” with their youngest finishing “a big first year at Brown and named both a ZAG Field Hockey/ NFHCA Division I Scholar of Distinction (cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher) through the first semester and also named to the Ivy League Honor Roll and ZAG Field Hockey/NFHCA Collegiate National Academic Squad. Her field hockey team posted the nation’s top GPA. Played in all 17 games with seven starts and concluded the year third on the team in points with five goals and three assists for 13 points, leading all freshmen.” Dave and Lily are now enjoying frequent weekend jaunts to New England to follow the Brown field hockey team.

When not enjoying his “off time,” Dave is staying busy putting in underground utilities all around Baltimore and starting a makeover on his home in Annapolis.

Bob Cody wrote that he is finishing his second year teaching middle school social studies. Bob was selected to attend a teaching seminar on the Battle of Gettysburg at Gettysburg College in July, and he plans on going down to Lexington after the course. Bob’s wife, Lisa, is the assistant director for his city’s preschool program. His daughter, Katelyn, is finishing her first year at

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Fordham University, majoring in history, and his other daughter, Claire, is a 7th grader at a different middle school from where Bob teaches; she didn’t want her dad to be her history teacher. (Smart girl, Claire! Smart girl!)

Ray Lawson reported that he is staying really busy as the safeguards and security engineering manager at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina. He is bringing on Joshua Kuzel ’17 as a full time employee this summer. Joshua was an electrical engineering major and the regimental S-2. Ray also shared that he will be starting his second career teaching online in Tulane University’s homeland security graduate program.

Mike Wallace ’93 is the program director. If all goes well, Ray thinks this could end up being his “full part-time” vocation in a couple of years.

John Dixon sends his always appreciated greetings from Gwynn’s Island! He reports that all is well with him and Patricia. At the time of writing, John was working toward finals at Veritas Preparatory School in Williamsburg. Patricia continues to enjoy working at Zenith Bank in Gloucester Courthouse. As of early May, both John and Patricia were already catching some very nice blue crabs. John continues to enjoy his grandchildren, all of whom are doing well, and he continues to “beat the bushes for suitable new cadets” amongst his ranks!

Rich Bartholemew chimed in with great news.

His daughter, Melanie, has graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with her master’s degree in architecture. On top of that, Melanie accepted a job offer from a very good AE firm in San Antonio, so as Rich exclaimed, “She’s officially off the payroll!” Rich also shared with humor, and I suspect a small tear running down his cheek, “Don’t know where I went wrong – both kids are now architects. Couldn’t convince either to take engineering.”

Great hearing from Bill Grigg. He shared that he and wife Lisa took four Keydets to the White House correspondents’ dinner – two 1sts and two 4ths, one of whom was his son, Garrett. Tremendous experience for the cadets, as they met some impressive folks, to include a former Army chief of staff, and of course, they were the hit of the party wearing coatees and white ducks.

Trip Lloyd dropped a note to say he and the family are doing well. He is the assistant director of the Virginia Renaissance Faire, and spent the spring rehearsing his cast and running the faire. In April, he and his daughter were part of a regional

2017-Issue 3

one-act play festival, and their show won first place.

This summer, he and the family spent three weeks cruising in the Mediterranean. The last time he did this, the boat was uniformly gray, and after a few weeks, he was able to sleep through the cat shots.

Only nine more years to get his youngest through college and then he can consider retirement.

Brother Rat Mike “Psycho” McLeod shared that he was flying a four-day trip and had an afternoon in Richmond and connected with Hank Lee. Hank called a few more BRs, and they all met up at the Capital Ale House. In attendance with Psycho and Hank were Vince Wood, Bruce Kitchen, Tim Nitz and Bruce Gottwald. Reportedly, all were on their best behavior since they met up on Ash Wednesday! Psycho is still doing amazing model work for the Cold War Gallery on the Navy Yard and for a number of senior admirals.

(Very proud of you, Psycho!)

And what would a class notes section in the Alumni Review be without input from our very own Grover Cleveland Outland III. I received far too much from Grover this input period to try to sanitize or even attempt to edit. I thought it best to just share all as he drafted it so you can see firsthand the struggles we class agents go through.

Here is Grover’s input; I can neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of his ramblings. Hold on to your hats – five paragraphs worth: “Manfield sighting! Saw and had dinner with a bearded, heavy-set chap who claimed to be ’81’s new class agent at the early April joint class agent and Alumni Association board dinner. He looked nothing like the handsome, slender and athletic Adonis with whom I roomed for four years in barracks, yet attended the dinner with Jerry Manley’s mother (the wonderful lady is clearly among the dozens that Manfield has already hornswoggled.) All kidding aside, my parents and I thoroughly enjoyed that dinner with [Jerry and his] mom, even though at times [he fed himself] in an almost En-Digby-ish manner.

“Later in April, I got a text from a 1st I know with a photo of our own Mike Shupp, who was back at VMI to speak at the Army ROTC dining in! Delighted to learn that Mike has seen the light and, after a 27-plus year career in the Marine Corps, is joining the ‘big green machine!’

“Bill Stamm and I sat next to each other at the May 2 Maryland alumni networking dinner. Seated on Bill’s right was new Alumni Agencies’ chief executive officer, Steve Maconi, who had spent 18 years at the U.S. Naval Academy where Bill’s son,

William, is a rising first. Before Steve gave a great talk to the crowd, Bill (in his N-Star polo) and Steve talked about USNA and then VMI. Only 32 days in the new Alumni Agencies CEO position, the Maryland alumni dinner was Steve’s first offpost VMI alumni event. I was surprised to learn at the dinner that while still on active duty, Steve (a P-3 Orion pilot) was the officer representative to Navy’s varsity baseball team when my cousin, Tommy McLemore (USNA ’96, currently on active duty as a commander), pitched for the Midshipmen. Steve had a few Tommy pitching stories I had not heard or witnessed while serving as Tom’s sponsor in Annapolis when he was a mid.

“The Outland clan is headed back to VMI over the next 24 hours. Matt Outland ’17, oldest son of brother Jim Outland ’83, graduates Tuesday with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. His younger brother, Ben ’19, is a rising 2nd and will have his ring in six months. Thanks to their Cedar Island training, both young Outlands were able succeed in the competitive shoot-on and make VMI’s trap and skeet team. Matt ’17 is team captain. I got to see both and their team in action in late April at a Delaware competition in which the Keydet shooters vanquished both the West Point Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen. In one trap round, Matt broke 25 of 25 targets! Another Keydet shooter, a 3rd, broke 25 of 25 targets in each of a skeet round and a trap round. The Keydet trap and skeet shooters actually wore ties while firing and also outclassing their polo-clad service academy opponents in scoring. Ben was able to shoot on to the team competitively with three of his barracks roommates who are also James River High School classmates and Cedar Island-trained shooters.

“At the New Market parade, Ben ’19 will move over to march with Bravo Company in order to answer the roll call during the parade for Cadet Thomas Garland Jefferson ’867, his cousin (on my mother’s side), who was mortally wounded while charging with B Co. at New Market. Matt ’17 has decided for his final parade at VMI to march with his BRs in Echo Company one last time. With Matt’s graduation the following day, my father, ’49B; mother; brother, ’83, and his wife, Jodi (a Washington and Lee University grad); Melissa; and I (and several other Outland relatives) are really looking forward to the next several days in Lexington!”

Wow! I got tired just doing a cut-and-paste of all of that. (And you know I love you, Grove ... my

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Class Notes four-year roomie.) And now, in stark contrast to Grove’s input, here are some quick hitters: Scot Marsh wrote: “I will try to get something to you. Many thanks.” (I am still waiting, Scot, but we love you anyway, BR!) Ray “Buke” Moschler checked in. Ray didn’t have much to report save for his youngest, Joshua Moschler ’17, graduating with distinction and commissioning into the Army. (We are all very proud for you, Ray! Tremendous accomplishments all-around for Joshua!)

Paul Boulden shared that he and Tammy have become grandparents for the fifth time.

Gary Morgan is heading to Ireland at the end of May for some “bucket list golf.” He is planning on “seven rounds in seven days and a ‘few more’ than seven pints!”

George Depaoli chimed in to share that nothing much has changed for him and Robin and, more importantly, to castigate our elusive BR Manfield for not spelling his last name correctly in the last Review. (From Manfield: “Sorry about that, Jorge!”).

On April 15, Dan Pere, Bill Bird, Jeff Adler, and Ken Pierro along with his son, Kenny Pierro, gathered at LeRoy Selmon’s restaurant in Fort Myers, Florida, an annual tradition that began about six years ago. In attendance were Chaplain Charles Caudill and his lovely bride, Jan. That is all I have for now, BRs. Please keep me posted on life events and changes in contact information. Keep up the communications, not just with me but with other BRs; it means more than we realize, at times. I will be in touch with all.

In the bonds of VMI, Jerry

1982

Will Council

Hello, Brother Rats, It’s reunion time! This Sept. 8-10 will be our 35th Reunion celebration. So, by the time you are reading these notes, I hope you will have already made your plans to attend. That being said, it would also explain why hardly anyone sent in any news for sharing ... you are all saving it up for that weekend. Right?

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Class of 1982: Paul D’Antonio assisted Father Kevin Fimian ’85 while performing services at St. Patrick’s in Fredericksburg, Virginia. One of the altar boys pictured is Paul’s son, Joseph.

So let’s get on with it, shall we?

Susan and John Boyd reported in. John is enjoying his job as assistant director, futures identity with the Department of Homeland Security.

He started there last October. He has recovered well from his illness of two years ago except for occasional double vision. He and Susan will be celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary July 31. Anyone else have that longevity? I myself had to wait a few more years before finding the right partner – some are still looking! But it would be interesting to hear from you all as to who has been together longest.

Susan also says that their grandson will be eight this summer, and she wants to challenge for bragging rights on oldest there, too. Thanks, Susan, for stepping in for a busy BR. These notes are always welcome from spouses.

Paul D’Antonio sent in two photos of himself and Father Kevin (Cubbie) Fimian ’85. Fimian was assigned to Paul’s parish, St. Patrick’s in Fredericksburg, Virginia, for three years. The one where they are in red is on Pentecost 2016. The one in green has Paul’s son as an altar boy. Paul says it was a great privilege to assist Fimian at the altar and with many other things – especially with the youth and altar boys. Paul says he never let him forget he could drop him for pushups at

any moment, and he could do them easily. He wrestled and played football at VMI, including the win over Virginia Tech. While Fimian only did three semesters at VMI and finished at Virginia Tech, regardless, he attends many ’85 events – always in clerics. He loves to do things outdoors, hiking and what not. They hiked House Mountain with altar boys for the first time since 4th Class year. He is a holy priest who loves his vocation.

The shared VMI experience kept their relationship tight in those three years. Thank you, Paul.

That’s all that was in my inbox from you all.

My household is moving right along. Son Hayden graduated from Chattanooga State Community College with an Associate of Arts degree, hoping to work in the robotics field in manufacturing. Who knows, maybe even here at Volkswagen AG. I am still there as a contractor in logistics also hoping they will open the door for a full time position. Rumor has it that when they hand out the bonuses soon, some will take it and run, thereby creating new openings. I’ll let you know when I see you in September. Since I can never do enough in Boy Scouts, I am now signed up for mountain biking instructor training. Long range plan is to build trails and establish the program at our local camp. I just need to make sure I survive the training. It should help, as I will be at the BSA

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes cadets. These changes came out of the issues our system experienced in the ’90s and a review headed by Col. Jamison ’57. There are layers of review involving cadets and the administration before a trial is convened. The jury is made up of randomly selected cadets and to me, surprisingly, confidentiality seems to be maintained. The accused has options of representation ranging from faculty to cadets and counselors, and chaplains are available.

Outside attorneys are not allowed.

The highlight of Friday afternoon was tours of the new Corps Physical Training Facility and the remodeled Cormack and Cocke Halls. The Pit is now a combination of wrestling stadium, faculty and coaches offices, and a workout area. Our tour guide in the Pit was Col. Coale, who looks better than he did in 1983. He is rightfully proud of his Hugh Daughtry facility. Cocke Hall looks immaculate. From remodeled floors to state of the art exercise equipment to a beautifully redone Memorial Garden, it is most impressive. The training facility is world class, and the next phase will be an aquatics center next to it on Rt. 11.

Brother Rats, There has been a reorganization of the VMI These notes cover the period of mid-February Alumni Agencies and a chief executive officer, through mid-May 2017. As I put the finishing Steve Maconi, has been brought on board. The touches on this update, it is New Market Day, and heads of the Foundation, Keydet Club, Alumni graduation events are in full swing at the Institute.

Association, Marshall Library and Development I am looking forward to great updates and pictures Board will report to him. This has been an initiafrom our brother rats who have sons graduating tomorrow. tive that has been considered for more I had the opportunity to attend the than 20 years, recommended by sevclass agents’ conference in April. eral outside groups, and seems to be This is an annual event and gives the well received by all in Lexington. Steve agents a good opportunity to get back graduated from the Massachusetts to Lexington, see the Institute and get Institute of Technology and served updates from key staff members of the 20 years in the Navy driving P-3s. He various agencies. Some of you may came to VMI after many years at Anhave seen these comments in our Yanapolis working for their foundation.

The agencies at the U.S. Naval Acadhoo Group. I provide them again for emy underwent this same type of reoryour review: ganization, and it was successful. His The next superintendent is going to wife went to college with our own Ivan have some big shoes to fill. Our day Marcotte’s wife, Donna, so I was able started off yesterday with a brief from to talk with him a great deal. He spent Gen. Peay ’62. He is 77 years old and, a lot of time with the class agents, and as he says, “on the back side” of his I think he’ll be a fine addition to the tenure. He looks like he’s closer to 57 VMI family and a breath of fresh air. and spoke for over 90 minutes without Finally, the Campaign for VMI connotes. No great revelations but a very cluded June 30. As mentioned earlier, comprehensive overview of VMI tothe support from the commonwealth day. His primary concern is the contincontinues to decline, and that will ued decrease in state support and the Class of 1983: Ben Cottrell, John Gordon, Steve Goddard and impact it has on VMI. He has proved Charlie Luck reunited at Steve’s Virginia Beach house in July 2016. not change in the foreseeable future.

Our contributions help in areas such a master navigator of this in the past, National Jamboree with the wheeled sports program this July in West Virginia. Anyone who is coming through, please look me up!

A final note, if you have not done so, please download the VMI alumni app onto your smartphone. You can find all the contact information on everyone in our class. It’s the same that is available to me as the class agent. So you can reach out to those long lost roommates and re-establish that link. Then sit down and write a note to the class agent!

Have a great summer, and I hope to see everyone at the reunion.

Willis Council

1983

2017-Issue 3

and his plans for issues such as faculty salaries and continued capital improvements are sound.

The Corps continues to be superb. The parade Friday was conducted in wind like I had not seen in Lexington. There were gusts to 30 or 40 mph, and the color guard definitely earned their money.

Any cadet I came in contact with was professional, greeted me with a, “Good morning, sir,” answered every question with a, “Yes, sir,” or, “No sir,” and looked good. A large majority of the Corps does physical training Friday mornings at 11 a.m., and it is an impressive sight. Sure there are a few big guys who buy their clothes in the husky section, but it is a better looking group than when we were there. Say what you will, but I think the academics and physical aspect are significantly tougher than when we were cadets.

It’s been almost 20 years since women were admitted to VMI. While it is still a tough concept for some of us, it appears to continue to be successful.

The female cadets are impressive, and they perform well. Concerns of security and sexual assault are a priority to the staff; nothing can get us on the national news faster. VMI has a very good team and a fully-vetted process to address complaints, but as we saw in the court case, there are outside forces that want to have their input.

Some of you may be aware of this, but I was not.

An Honor Court trial is now presented to a jury of

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Class Notes as junior faculty salaries and cadet life 25 pounds and is ready to give sloppy activities. Academic and athletic schol’81 another opportunity at “the title.” arships depend on these funds.

Greg says he makes a “soup” that he I got a nice note from Tony Arnold eats every so often, and the weight melts right off. I did not ask him what when I sent these notes out previously. was in the soup, but for some reason, Snake appreciated the update and was I believe the Food and Drug Adminheading to the Bahamas with the family. Sounded like a nice spring break istration would not approve! Greg and trip. By the way, he reports Bubba HaI saw Chuck Foster recently. Greg zelgrove is still not calling. traveled to Columbus, Ohio, and I Joe Leonard shared exciting news was lucky to see Chuck while he visited his children in Norfolk. Chuck about Dave Powell. As many of you has remarried and is in the banking/ know, Dave is a noted author and Civil War historian. He has published nu- Class of 1984: Class Agent Andy Protogyrou said of this photo, financial consulting world. He is doing merous articles and created more than “Frank Kollmansperger, Jamie Shoemaker, Alex Thompson and quite well and keeping himself very Dave Pruitt each decided to save ducks on a winter Sunday. Ducks: 15 historical simulations. Dave’s focus busy. Frank Kollmansperger returned 4. Keydets: 0.” from the great duck hunt ’17 hosted has been the Battle of Chickamauga, where he is known for his battlefield tours. His return home and write our notes. It was a beautiful by Alex Thompson. With Frank were Jamie newest book, “The Chickamauga Campaign – day. While home, I began watching the livestream Shoemaker and Dave Pruitt; however, without Glory or the Grave: The Breakthrough, the Union online. The Corps was outstanding, and the com- any of them were ducks. Not a one! I hope the Collapse, and the Defense of Horseshoe Ridge, ments online show VMI alumni and family have picture of our forlorn hunters, or more like nature September 20, 1863,” has been recognized and made us a national institution that our country is walkers, makes it into this periodical. Ken Gill named the winner of the Dan and Marilyn Laney proud of. The refrain, “Died on the Field of Hon- recently returned from France. Ken walked the battleground and American cemetery at Belleau Prize. This award is given each year by the Austin, or,” repeated numerous times, evokes waves of Texas, Civil War Round Table to the author of the emotion. I am very proud of my two children. My Wood. He said it was a profound and sobering book that best advances the knowledge of the Civil son, Tony ’16, was commissioned a second lieu- experience to see what our troops accomplished War’s military or political events. This is just the tenant last May into the Virginia National Guard against veteran and determined German sollatest in the accolades Dave’s works have earned and was set to graduate from his Basic Officer diers. Ken wrote that Lt. Lemuel Shepard ’917 and is well deserved. Well done! led his men and was twice wounded during Leaders Course in field artillery at Fort Sill, OklaAlso got a nice update from John Manning. He homa, the last full week of May. He is an FSO in the battle in June 1918. He received numerous has relocated from northern Virginia to Midlothe same unit, 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery honors and went on to become commandant of thian to escape the traffic and is still with Neus(Norfolk Light Artillery Blues), which I served in the Marine Corps. Ken, it sounds like a great tar. John welcomed his third grandchild in April, as the battalion S-4. He is to start law school in trip. We should plan a class trip to Normandy! I John C. Manning III, provisional Class of 2039. August at West Virginia University on a partial just got word from R.G. McManus that he has He joins brother Luke, Class of 2037, and sister academic scholarship. My daughter, Demetra ’19, been running from one end of the state to the Virginia. John reports she is destined for James a 3rd Class cadet with academic stars, is an applied other. This spring, one of his daughters graduMadison University. Father John Manning Jr. mathematics major and physics minor who will ated from the College of William & Mary in ’11 and mother Mia are doing fine but have their work for the math department this summer. It was Williamsburg. This being no small feat, I must hands full. add. The next day, the other daughter graduated just over four years ago that our class lost RichSorry for the shortness of this update. The mailard Baker. Tony wore Richard’s hat brass all four from VMI and is ranked No. 1 in her major of bag was pretty light this time. Drop me a line when years. Richard had given it to him just before his electrical engineering/computer science (anyou have an opportunity. Let me know what is gomatriculation in 2012. Demetra ordered her class other not small feat). Congratulations to both young ladies and to their parents for raising two ing on with you, and I will share with the class. ring for her November Ring Figure and put RichThat is all. ard’s initials with our class in her ring, “RBB ’84.” fantastic scholars!

Finally, it is with great regret that I deliver the I often catch myself missing him when I cannot share today’s VMI experiences with him. Richard news to you that Sandy, the commandant’s secretary/assistant/boss, is retiring after 120 years would have loved the stories that Tony and DemeAndy Protogyrou tra tell. He left behind three beautiful children. I at VMI. She saved my cadetship when I was a rat and Tony’s all four years. She made sure recently saw a picture of his son, Lee. He is Richard’s very image! Maybe Richard’s brother, Edwin Demetra got two-for-one PT credit. She is irreBaker ’80, can convince Lee to come to VMI and placeable, and I really do not know what VMI be the next Baker generation. I saw “The Cav” on will do. She is an institution within an Institute!

Guys, I must say, I really miss my brother rats.

I just left the New Market parade with my wife to New Market Day, and he looks terrific. He has lost

1984

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

1985

Matt Daniel

Help Received: Spivey, Jake.

Collaborating with Jake Spivey is a great thing.

I know I mention him often, but it is because he is so loyal to VMI ’85 as a class and to you guys individually, too. His strong connection with the class and his GSF (give-a-darn factor) is unmatched.

There are always two sides to any coin, however.

Beware: If you happen to be your VMI class’ agent and you rely on Jake’s fantastic contributions for your quarterly-submitted and published class notes, you just might have to watch a VMI lacrosse game at University of Richmond with him. And, if you find yourself at UR Spider Stadium watching a VMI lacrosse game with Señor Spivey, you will probably get into a lover’s spat with him over an official’s errant penalty call.

And, if you watch a VMI lacrosse game with Jake at UR and there is a ridiculous penalty call against VMI that you understandably argue about with him, you will undoubtedly do that right in front of another BR whose son who is thinking about going to VMI and playing lacrosse and is standing right there, soaking it all up. To wrap this little vignette up: There is no way – no earthly possibility – that the spat could have been your class agent’s fault. No way at all. I blame Spivey.

Staying on the lacrosse train briefly:

Class of 1985: Roy Creasey and wife Mollie welcomed the birth of their first granddaughter, Scarlet Mae Osborne, Jan. 29, 2017.

2017-Issue 3

At a previous game, late in February, early in the “spring” season, we enjoyed a tailgate in the parking lot of Drill Field No. 2 (the VMI lacrosse practice and game field). At that tailgate were Meade and Leslie King; Mike and Robin Johnson; safari meister Spivey; and your agent and his lovely bride, Cathy. At the game, we enjoyed an ad hoc mini reunion with all the above, plus Joe and Cindy Irby and J.J. Wranek. John Eckenrode was in town and on post but decided to stay up on the hill while he attended a cyber-computer event. And at the previously mentioned VMI at UR game were the Spiveys, Spencer and Eleanor Williamson (and their son, Thomas) and Wayne Fuller ’86 and his son, plus a bunch of other VMI fans screaming their heads off.

Moving along, Chuck “Rockhead” Rogerson has apparently come out from under his self-imposed cone of silence (cue the “Get Smart” theme music). I hear he has a new lady friend and has been frequenting BR Tayloe and Susie Dameron’s establishment, Upper Shirley Vineyards. Somehow, Rockhead must have developed a taste for white wine spritzers recently. Odd, I seem to remember Rockhead being a Zima-drinker back in the day, just like Mark Bornhorst, Pat Donahue, Paul Marsenison and ring-leader Mark Jackson.

And speaking of Tayloe Dameron, he was recently seen over Easter weekend, where he was in need of a much sharper razor and hasn’t seen the inside of a barbershop in quite some time. He’s got the Upper Shirley mullet going on. That’s a thing now, a new hairstyle promoted in Hopewell, Virginia: the Upper Shirley mullet. Really. Look it up. His face is on the wall of all the barber shops across the river in Hopewell. But if you get him dapperly dressed, he looks well-suited to be on the campus of the University of California - Berkley teaching political science. But, he is versatile. He appears to be pulling it off well in the commonwealth, schmoozing with his and Susie’s patrons.

Mike Johnson has departed Big Lick (Roanoke, Virginia) and relocated to Bourbontown USA (Louisville, Kentucky) courtesy of General Electric, or “Generally Eclectic” as we used to say when I worked for Honeywell.

Hugh Hill (by the time you’re reading these AR notes) has left Bourbontown USA and moved to the volunteer state (Tennessee), where bourbon distilleries irrationally and irresponsibly add a step to their production of whiskey by filtering young bourbon through stacks of sugar maple timbers.

Jake sends that he ran into John Whitty and his

wife, Kathy, in Lowes in April. Both on honey-do errands, they had time for a nice chat and a few back slaps. John has been promoted to the vice president for engineering and specialty services at Industrial TurnAround Corporation. Way to go, John!

Brother Rat W.G. Rowlett returned from Afghanistan in March. That is all I have to say about that.

Pete Sniffin has left the U.S. Army’s Chaplain School (Fort Jackson, South Carolina) and is now at the Army War College (Carlisle, Pennsylvania).

Kyle Winter sends (paraphrased): “Since corresponding in 2015, our lives remain as hectic. We are awaiting the bureaucratic wheels to turn on the adoption of the three boys we started fostering in 2015, even as we get ready for another child’s wedding and are trying to get time with our four granddaughters (three by our oldest daughter, the last by our son). I had coached all five of our birth children in soccer and am back on the sideline in order to get the two younger boys to sleep better at night (their older brother runs cross-country and track).

“My work at DEQ continues to be interesting as we come to grips with the consequences of the 2016 presidential election and try to figure how the 2017 gubernatorial election may affect things for our industry and business. I hope you’re having a stellar year. Maintain the sense of humor.”

Hugh Happy Hill sends that he caught up with Mike Milligan in Lexington, Kentucky (the other LexVegas), in March. He is well but has still not finished his civil engineering hiatus. He’s working with fellow vets at the local Department of Veterans Affairs and doing great work with and for them. Hopefully, he’ll join us for the safari or some other ’85 gala!

Hugh had a nice long chat with Bill Engelson recently. He and wife Julie are still in Arizona. Bill is back with United Airlines now flying the 737 out of LAX. Bill had been on active duty since Sept.

11, 2001, and is enjoying the good life! His two oldest are in the Air Force. Amy is an officer with Space Command in Colorado, and Drew is flying the F-15 out of Mountain Home, Idaho. Colin, the younger yet taller of the three (!), is attending Arizona State. We are trying to goad Bill into coming to the safari, as well.

Hugh and his lovely and gracious Alycia Hill are moving to Tennessee to enjoy the mountains, rivers and fish. They are excited for the move, but good pal Spivey refuses to speak to them now; the pipeline to delicious Kentucky bourbon is gone.

But Hugh passes that no one should fret, Mike Johnson has moved back to the bluegrass state

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Class Notes and has offered to keep any or all in good spirits!

Hugh says, “If any of you are in east Tennessee, give us a call. Except for Steve Medeiros. Tell him we are still in Kentucky!” (Agent: Hap Hill neglected to provide a phone number. Accidently on purpose, I’m certain.)

(Doctor) Roy Creasey sent a nice note and sends that he was prompted by the safari note to reach out and fill us in. Roy has earned his Ph.D., which he shares was like enduring a second, but more academically rigorous, five-year Rat Line. Brother Rat Creasey lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and works for (still) Patricio Enterprises as their systems engineering SME. At Patricio, Roy works with program offices across the Department of Defense, focusing on program engineering management. Recently, he has been assigned to several proposal teams because of his Col. Gentryencouraged writing abilities. (Those two semesters of English composition really paid off!) He says that occasionally he gets to practice some “fun” engineering work in modeling and simulation.

In January 2016, Roy said he finally got it right and married his best friend: Mollie (Raymond).

He, they (and us all, I fear), have been hit with the “50s crunch” over the past year – both of their fathers died. Mollie’s brother died, as well. They are taking care of Mollie’s mother and are still “launching” children. One of their recent blessings has been the birth of their first granddaughter, Scarlet Mae Osborne, Jan. 29.

That’s it for the notes this quarter. I expect we will have hilarity, skullduggery and general buffoonery to report on as a direct result of August’s annual Charlie Company Golf Safari. With any luck, we can share some photos, as well.

Please send your life happenings and photos.

And as always, check your six(es), brother rats.

RVM, Matt D.

1986

Clint Hubbard

It is almost mid-May as I write these notes and the anniversary of one of VMI’s high holy days – the Battle of New Market. A few weeks ago, I was riding on I-81 North and stopped by the New Market Battlefield to soak in the atmosphere and

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restore my soul a bit. It was a gorgeous April afternoon and just what the doctor ordered. Amid the peace and tranquility there, it is somewhat difficult for me to imagine the chaos and carnage that preceded the order to, “Put the boys in.” If you’re ever up that way, I highly recommend taking 15 and making the stop; you’ll be glad you did.

In mid-April, my cellphone started going nuts one night with texts and pictures from a BR event in Boston. It seems that Scott Harbula and Henry Tabur had made a wager on the recent NFL season where the loser of the AFC championship game had to visit the victor’s city. Since the New England Patriots dispatched the Pittsburgh Steelers, BR Harbula had to visit BR Tabur in Boston.

If that seems like an elaborate ruse to get together with your BRs and drink, that’s about what it was.

Just to come full circle, they even included – wait for it; get out the 1986 Bomb and turn to page 236 – Rob Nentwig. According to the photos and some accompanying texts from Henry’s legal-age daughter who somehow got roped into babysitting this trio of over-the-hill drunks, our boys did the town in Beantown and made several stops.

First, at Cheers, where everybody now knows their names and then to the Oyster House, where they sat in John F. Kennedy’s favorite booth and drank like Ted Kennedy. It sure looked like they had a good time that evening, but I’m guessing the next morning was hard on those old dogs.

Brother Rat Harbula traveled to Boston via airplane, which caused him to reminisce about all the air travel he did in his earlier years and how much he missed some of the customer-focused airlines that have since gone under. Today’s airlines don’t have the same attention to the traveler and the open beverage cart like they used to have.

On another late Friday night, I got a call from Dave Grimm and the members of the 83+3 band who were having a weekend bender/rally/ rehearsal at Dave Miller’s hacienda near Waynesboro. The group included Ralph Frye, Dave Grimm, Tony Hirtz, Steve Grzeszczak, Marty Mason, Rob Mason and Dave Miller.

They issued a challenge for your class agent to come up that Saturday and hang out with them.

So, I did. My in-laws were visiting that weekend, so I packed up my father-in-law and two sons, and we made the trek. My oldest son, Bob, is an aspiring guitar player, so he joined in with the band, and they played several hours. No surprise, but our BRs threw out the welcome mat for my son, and he had the time of his life playing along and

trying out all the other equipment there. I can’t say enough to tell them how much I appreciate their hospitality. My father-in-law did a hitch in the Navy as an enlisted man in the early 1960s and was very thrilled to meet these commissioned officers and find out they were (his words) “just regular guys.” He referred to all of them by their rank for the remainder of his visit. Brother Rat Miller has some million-dollar views of the Blue Ridge Mountains from his backyard, and Dave “Papa G” Grimm stepped up to handle the grilling duties. I’m sure the feedbag was strapped on.

Let the record show that Ralph Frye can make a mean batch of homemade salsa. I’m not kidding; that stuff was good. Ralph is an electrical engineer by trade but also plays some music and has a side business being a disc jockey. Ralph said he has upgraded his equipment so that he can do the sound in a 20,000 seat stadium.

You read it here first: At the next reunion, when we are gathering at Preston Library for the class picture, from somewhere on post will be BR Frye’s system playing, “The Boys Are Back in Town,” and temporarily drowning out the official VMI PA system. Catch us if you think you can.

As for the band, many of you may recall that BR Dave Miller’s uncle played in a band back in our VMI days called Johnny Sportcoat and the Casuals. Dave’s uncle was Johnny Sportcoat.

Given that and since BR Miller (and Marty Mason) are the ramrods behind 83+3, I offered a new

Class of 1986: Class Agent Clint Hubbard said of this photo, “Scott Harbula, Henry Tabur and Rob Nentwig made sure the Institute was heard from in a stop at Cheers.”

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes He refurbished the building and boasts name as a tribute if they ever need it: one of the largest Jeld-Wen (one of his Johnny Strange and the Sentinels. premier lines) window showrooms in Now that Steve Grzeszczak has the U.S. Custom View recently held an wound up his Navy career, he anticiopen house with beer and barbecue, so pates accepting a new civilian position most of the VMI boys came early and in a corollary outfit in the Carolinas. stayed late. As Botts Smith might say, He mentioned a great story of inter“BR Wagner, thanks for the Prim.” viewing prospective candidates in his A few loose ends: Eddie Talbott old career field in the Navy – many placed second overall in a 5K earlier of them Naval Academy graduates. this spring; he’s making those young He would always ask them what is the bucks earn their way – no free rides toughest military school in the country and they would answer, “The Naval Class of 1986: Class Agent Clint Hubbard said of this photo, “At past that old dog. Larry Watson was Academy.” Steve said he would just the Oyster House Bar and Grill, Tabur, Harbula and Nentwig sat on TDY to south Florida where he wore the colors well – red trunks and stare them down and say, “We both in John F. Kennedy’s favorite booth.” a yellow surf guard shirt. Jamie Inknow that’s not true. Want to make anman’s son, Eric ’17, will have graduother guess?” On the second try, they ated from VMI by the time you read would always say “VMI?” And Steve this; I believe all the other ’86 progeny would reply, “And don’t forget it.”

Speaking of Canoe U in Annapolis, are underclassmen but will correct that Rob Mason has one son graduated in a future edition if that is incorrect. and the other son is a current third Jeff Smiley is still doing yeoman work classman – I believe they call them in supporting the craft brew industry. youngsters at USNA. Brother Rat Stew Barnes’ daughter, Annie, gradMason said Carl Gitchell has been uated from the College of William & the local adopted family for his boys Mary. The family celebrated with a while at the academy, as Carl lives in dinner at The Fat Canary in WilliamsAnnapolis. I mentioned to Rob that burg, where they offered BR Barnes a only by the grace of God, that affiliation hasn’t in Stuttgart, Germany. Dave Furness ’87 is a brigweekend gig as their mascot. All that high living brought disaster. I mean, really; can’t you see adier general in the U.S. Marine Corps, and he just has caught up with the old boy, as he is now pricMidshipman Mason getting ready to go study took Command of Combined Joint Task Force ing Sansabelt slacks. for the night and then he gets a message from his Horn of Africa, otherwise known as CJTF-HOA. OK, that’s a wrap for this quarter. Send me adopted family: “Hey, it’s $3 dollar draft night at Brother Rat Lakos is planning a road trip with his some news and reach out to a BR or two. We ________ Bar and Grill. They have a band and daughter this summer, and they hope to make a need to make plans for some get-togethers since some chicks from _______ College.” Because we stop in Lexington so she gets to see the “I” up close the next official reunion is a way off. Take care, all know if there is a bar serving, a band playing and personal like her two older brothers did many brother rats! and chicks to be ogled, then our BR Carl “Let’s years ago when Michael was stationed at the Run the Block and Go to Mary Baldwin” GitchPentagon. Lakos’ middle son, Logan, is going to ell is right in the middle of that. Hopefully he intern in Sen. Ted Cruz’s office this summer, and doesn’t take the Mason boys off their appointed that’s why they’re making the trip to Washing- Gerry Tertychny track with his hijinks. ton, D.C./Virginia. Mike closed with an invite: Michael Lakos checked in from San Antonio, “If any of you all are ever in the Austin or San where he works as a civilian employee at RanAntonio area, drop me an email so we can get dolph Air Force Base. He reports that “things are together. I’ll even try to drag out Ax and Gray.” well down in the lone star state.” Brother Rat LaBrother Rats, I believe BR Gray has some teenaged daughters, I trust everyone has had an enjoyable summer kos enjoyed seeing the Corps in the president’s so he is undoubtedly fending off potential suitors and has been able to spend time with family and inaugural parade. Mike says he hasn’t run in to and/or burying the bodies of teenaged boys.

Steve Gray or Jeff Ax in a while, but both are Scott Wagner shared some big news. Through friends, though I imagine many of us are still restill working on Randolph Air Force Base, too. good, old-fashioned, hard work and sheer detercovering from our 30th Reunion. Many thanks Brother Rat Lakos offered that Mark Hicks is a mination, his window and door business, Custom again to Ashley Abernathy, who graciously volmajor general in the U.S. Air Force and is headView, is going gangbusters and recently relocated unteered to head up the reunion committee and ed to be the Commander of Special Operations to a new and much larger facility. Scott is happy to our brother rats who worked very hard to pull Command Africa, otherwise known as SOCAF, to be buying a building rather than renting now. off a fantastic and memorable weekend – Adrian

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Class of 1987: Present at the reunion were Claude A. Abernathy Jr., Scott R. Armstrong, Todd E. Arris, Kevin D. Barker, Dean A. Barr, Mark A. Barth, William A. Berneski, Hugh J. Bettendorf, James W. Bierman Jr., John R. Blackwell Jr., Thomas B. Bones, Bowlman T. Bowles III, Earl F. Braunlich, James M. Bright, Bradley A. Brzozinski, James C. Bunn III, Louis M. Buonpane, Todd E. Burdette, Dennis E. Butts, Harold B. Byrne, Steven G. Cade, William E. Callahan, Andrew C. Campi, Bradford Chandler III, David C. Cochran, Keith S. Coffey, Craig H. Covert, R. Alan Cowan, J. Mark Cranford, Owen J. Curley, Eric J. Davis, Raymond J. Davis Jr., William J. Davis, Michael K. Dawson, Edward P. Devens, Charles D. Early, Robert A. Eaton, Charles E. Edgar IV, Jonathan T. Eubank, Michael R. Evans, Carl A. Feddeler III, David G. Ferguson, John R. Ferguson, Monte C. Ferguson, Edward A. Fishback, Lapthe C. Flora, William T. Fuller, Adrian A. Garcia, Reid A. Garst II, Robert B. Goodwin Jr., James R. Greene, Stuart F. Halasz, Daniel S. Hall, William P. Hancock, Carl L. Hardee, Kurt W. Hauk, Rick C. Heine, Robert L. Hinson III, Michael E. Hooper, Matthew C. Howard, Ralph R. Hudson Jr., Randy K. Janey, C. Scott Jewell, Derrick A. Johnson, William B. Johnson, Perry E. Jones, Scott T. Jones, Denis J. Kiely III, Robert B. Kinn, John F. Lightner, Mark E. Lund, Kenneth L. Marsh, Michael W. Maxwell, John T. McCarthy, William J. McCarthy, Michael D. McDaniel, Jonathan M. McLean, Robert C. Merkel Jr., Douglas R. Messner, Russell L. Mitchell Jr., Thomas J. Mitchell, Matthew H. Morgan, Paul E. Munson, Tom R. Murray III, Neal J. Naff, Samuel F. Nelson, John H. Nolan, Kyle U. Oliver, Gregory S. Otey, Thomas C. Peer, Nathaniel W. Pendleton III, James C. Pennington Jr., John S. Phillips, Robert E. Phillips, John R. Pilloni, Tracy M. Porter, Kevin T. Price, Kevin P. Reardon, Vernie L. Reichling Jr., Aaron N. Robinson, Paul D. Russo, Ernest J. Sacco Jr., Jon E. Sachrison, Gregory A. Scott, William O. Seiferth, Jason W. Shepherd, Kevin P. Sincavage, Gary D. Smith, Macon S. Snowden III, Kent P. Sparks, George C. Spence, Christopher M. Stathis, Terrence P. Sutherland, Robert D. Sweaney, John H. Taylor, Jeffery A. Temple, Gerard P. Tertychny, Scott A. Toler, George A. Tolley, Wilfrid C. Trammell, Michael B. Upton, H. Craig Walker Jr., William J. Wanovich, Keith D. Washington, Michael D. Williamson, Donald T. Wood Jr., M. Gray Wooten Jr. and Andrew C. Zolper.

The Class of 1987

30th Reunion – April 28-29, 2017 Class Notes

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes who work under me. Not to menGarcia, Doug Messner, John Philtion that it cut my commute from lips, Mark Barth, Paul Munson, Paul Gloucester Point in half. In March, Russo, Carl Hardee, Scott Jones, Bill Wanovich and Bob Phillips. MeanI found out that Chris Hall and John while, in East Africa, Brig. Gen. Dave Parrot are both here at Fort Eustis, Furness took command of the Comtoo. My daughter, Macy, graduates high school in a couple of weeks and bined Joint Task Force – Horn of will be attending William & Mary Africa in a ceremony in April. Dave’s this fall. Last year, BR Eric Woodcommand, which is headquartered at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, is orienthouse introduced us to his lovely ed on countering violent extremism in daughter who was a senior there East Africa, fostering regional security and gave Macy a wonderful tour of the campus. My son, Donald (III), cooperation, strengthening partner nawill be a high school junior next year tion defense capability, and building and maintaining U.S. strategic access Class of 1987: United States Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Dave Fur- but wants to attend VMI, so we hit ness, right, assumed command of Combined Joint Task ForceVMI Legacy Day a few weeks ago, in the region.

Horn of Africa from U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Kurt Sonntag. where I ran into BRs Kirk Dewyea, The CJTF-HOA area of operations is nearly half the size of the continental United commissioned in the Army (field artillery, States and includes the countries of Burundi, branch detail from military intelligence) in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, SeyMay. Congratulations on the next batch of legchelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. In addiacy cadets as well. Spencer Chaszar and Maire tion, CJTF-HOA personnel conduct operations in Shrimpton are planning to enter the Rat Line as the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, the this is going to the editor. All the best to them Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Maufrom their dad and uncle’s class: VMI 88! ritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Sudan, South Updates from our brother rats: Sudan and Yemen. With responsibilities like these, Earlier in the spring, Don Calder and John Dave gets a pass for missing the reunion.

Parrot enjoyed a VMI versus the College of WilFinally, as I turn over the duties of class agent, liam & Mary baseball game. They joined each please know what a great honor it has been for other in the sky box with the Williamsburg VMI me to represent our class to the Institute and the Alumni Chapter at William & Mary March 22, Institute to our class. I was able to meet and work 2017. Don reported that “VMI lost 7-0, but we with some truly impressive and dedicated folks at had a great time catching up! John shared some the Alumni Association, the Foundation and the great baseball stories from when he was in VMI’s Class of 1988: Don Calder and John ParKeydet Club who do their very best every day to starting lineup. (As a rat!) Chris Hall, John and rot at the VMI versus the College of William & Mary baseball game. make our relationship with the Institute a strong I are all working at Fort Eustis right now, and one. Curt Schoonmaker will be taking over as our we plan to meet for lunch next Tuesday at the class agent in September, and we all thank you, Fort Eustis golf course!” In a separate note, Don Curt, for volunteering to be the link between the said, “My mom and dad in Virginia Beach died Class of 1987 and the Institute. within two weeks of each other (end of DecemIn the spirit, ber 2016/beginning of January 2017). I didn’t Gerry spread much word about it, but I still got a few nice notes from BRs saying how fondly they remembered my parents and crashing at our house during all those trips to Virginia Beach while we Sam Tate were cadets. After 25 years as a Department of Defense civilian on the Headquarters Air Combat Command environmental staff, our organization was dissolved due to some major Air Force reorganizations, and I was transferred to Brother Rats, Fort Eustis as chief of their environmental ofCongratulations to our legacy cadets on gradu- fice in January 2016. I can’t believe I’ve been Class of 1988: Colonel Ted Wagner with U.S. Rep. Brat discussing cyber issues ating to the next step in their VMI adventure. here over a year now; time has flown by, and I in Washington, D.C. This included Aidan McGraw ’17, who was love it – both the people I work for and the folks

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Class Notes Mike Bryant and Joe Swider with their family prospects. Lastly, thanks to the emails from John Keppeler’s monthly BR lunch group, I was finally able to reconnect with John MacMichael (who I hadn’t heard from since we graduated)! Turns out he’s living in Alexandria, and his wife is from Gloucester Point near Wendy and me. I’m looking forward to staying with him in August when I have a trip to Washington, D.C.!”

Karen and Mike McGraw included the following update in their annual letter: “Michael completed more than three years on Army staff at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and then was assigned to the U.S. Embassy, Thailand, to be the force protection detachment chief/attaché. Wasn’t as easy as it sounds; we were first slotted for Vicenza, Italy. (This was such a certain thing that Michael went TDY there, and I joined him to look at the unit/school/houses/etc.); but that fell through, and we were diverted to Paraguay. Well, then the Bangkok slot suddenly opened, and we took that instead (much better job and place for the family). Michael loves his job, as it is very busy with some travel and has a diverse mission. Embassy life does have some political drawbacks for us Department of Defense folks, but overall, it is a fantastic assignment. Although getting to where we are now was complex and hard, it’s so totally worth it! We live in what could be best described as a vacation or retirement community. Other than getting the kids settled, I have several friend groups, clubs and volunteering that I can meet up with and do throughout the week. I am taking advantage of the many gyms and pools and getting into better shape. (And have I mentioned that the weather is always summer here?) Also, I have been playing tour guide to visitors, as well. Really getting to know my way around the Bangkok and Nonthaburi areas.”

Todd Friewald and several other

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Class of 1988: Pictured at a northern Virginia luncheon were, from left, back row, John Keppeler, Jim Florio, Hugh Brien, Derek McFarland, Wayne Sinclair and Sam Tate. Front row: Cadet Cici Keppeler ’19, Tom Kennedy, Kirk Dewyea and Rich Stone.

Class of 1988: Pete and Claire McCrary with Sam, Grace and Max in New York City for spring break.

Class of 1988: Lieutenant Col. David Omstead and Col. Paul Brotzen with Mike and Monica Simmers at the Knights of Columbus annual dinner in Myerstown, Pennsylvania, April 29.

BRs sponsored the annual VMI/ U.S. Marine Corps Machine Gun Shoot this past April. “As ever, it was wonderful to get the band back together, but I must tell you that my proudest moment was when a 1st Class cadet came up to shoot the Polish AK74. He greeted me like an old friend, and I asked him if he had ever shot this weapon before. He proudly told me that he had on the two previous weapons shoots. He then proceeded to run that gun like he owned it! Then I realized that the only reason he could do that is because of us – you, me, all of us. This was his fourth weapons shoot. These future VMI Marines will be way ahead of their peers in confidence, ability and knowledge. The time, travel sacrifice, stiff knees and aching backs are worth it. I want to personally thank you all again. This is truly a team effort if there ever was one. A great and glorious day; thousands of rounds down range and not a single BandAid issued.”

Al Cuellar recently reached out to contact Jim Florio for housing advice for his daughter’s internship in Massachusetts this summer.

Ted Wagner wrote that he “recently met Congressman Brat in his D.C. office and bent his ear on cyber issues.

That resulted in a one-on-one meeting with him to further discuss cyber issues.”

Pete McCrary checked in via email with the following: “I’ve been appraising commercial real estate in Norfolk, Virginia, for the last 25 years. Claire and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary last December and have three kids (Sam, 16; Grace, 15; Max, 13). The kids keep us busy, and I spend my free time riding my Harley around the country. I try and take one or two trips a year on the bike. Just a few weeks ago, Claire and I took the family to New York City for spring break. Sam, my oldest, plans to attend VMI (Class of 2023) and hopes to be a Marine.

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes My youngest, Max, is sure he’s going to play major league baseball, and Grace just wants to be around horses. The short of it is the family is healthy, happy and busy. I always enjoy checking out the latest Alumni Review, so thanks.”

Sam and Amy Tate got the band back together, literally. On their way to pick up their son in Vicksburg, Mississippi, they enjoyed an overnight visit with Greg and Stephanie Rollins outside Montgomery, Alabama. Greg and Stephanie rolled out the best southern and BR hospitality and shared stories long into a wonderful evening.

Brother rats, it was a pleasure compiling these notes. It is great to see the spirit of ’88 encouraging you all to keep in touch with each other.

Keep sending me your notes and recollections so that we can keep the spirit of ’88 alive. Even if you don’t think it is noteworthy, based on my experience, your BRs enjoy reading about their classmates. As always, you can reach me at the following: VMI 88 Facebook page (join 284 BRs and family and growing) 571-659-0904 (home) 703-772-0854 (cell) samtate88va@gmail.com

1989

Steve Chiles David A. Martin

Happy New Market Day! You guys are making it tough on us class agents – very little news to report, although I think the class Facebook page is the latest example of digital dethroning print.

Dave and I received a great update from Brian Duffy. His note follows: “Gents, I wanted to check in and give you guys a quick update.

I think I last checked in as we last left Alaska, following me giving up command of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and the 673rd Air Base Wing. In July 2014, we relocated to Annandale,

2017-Issue 3

Virginia, as I was asked to assist the Air Force in standing up its new Installation and Mission Support Center (an AF version of Army Installation Management Command, Navy Commander Installations Command and Marine Corps Installations Command) – in essence, our version of centralized installation management. I served there as the vice commander from July 2015July 2016, following which I deployed back to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, to serve as chief of staff for U.S. Air Forces Central Command until July 2016. As the Air Force reviewed plans for my follow-on assignment, Mary and I decided it was likely time to begin the transition (an inevitable event for all of us); further, we wanted to come back up to Alaska. So, in mid-August 2016, we sold the house in Annandale and began the 4,300-plus mile drive to Anchorage. A pickup with a U-Haul trailer, me and one of the dogs were followed by Mary and Connor in the Subaru with our other dog. Nine days later, we pulled into Anchorage and have since bought a house on the south side of town overlooking the Cook Inlet and the north edge of the Kenai Peninsula. “[I] was able to get on board with the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs as their administrative services director. We take care of the department’s human resources, budget, finance/accounting, procurement and information technology needs. Transition seems to be going fine, although it’s really different from life in uniform – will take some getting used to.

If you guys find yourself up this way, door’s always open. All the best! Duffy.”

We also heard from Derek Harris, who shared the announcement that his son, Dylan W. Harris, graduated from Parris Island Feb. 24, 2017.

Congrats on the new Marine, D.W.! Welcome to the club of ’89 dads with jarhead offspring!

Seriously, boys, consider the remainder of this update as a giant finger-wag for not getting Dave or me your meaty updates. We know you’re not sitting around sipping VG on the rocks ...

OK, maybe some of you might be doing that, in which case we’ll all live vicariously through your amazing updates. I’ve been authorized by our former, beloved class agent Nat Cross to create my own fake news if this drought continues!

Wishing everyone a great summer with friends and family!

In the bonds, Steve

1990

Daren Payne

Brother Rats, Unfortunately, I have to start out this class notes doing something I hoped I’d never have to do as your class agent. That would be passing along the news of the death of Brother Rat Tom Cotman.

For those who haven’t heard, Tom died Feb. 17, 2017, following complications from surgery. Tom was living and working in the Hampton Roads area at the time. Tom was laid to eternal rest on the 23rd, and a viewing was held the day before.

Many thanks go to Kelly Musick, Travis Mabrey, Ramil Ibanez and Tony Baker for representing the class at the services; Paul Kricorian for being the first to find out and quickly notifying the rest of the class; and Chip Chenery for taking care of flowers on behalf of our class. If there is a bright spot in any of this, it is the outpouring of concern and support I saw from our class over the course of the week leading up to Tom’s home-going celebration. There were messages, guest book signings, calls, emails and texts from nearly 100 of our classmates. Through social media, we were able to notify a huge portion of our class almost immediately, and the outpouring of prayers, wishes and remembrances of Tom was overwhelming. Tom’s memory was definitely honored in the way our class stepped up and represented during this difficult time. I received a very nice note from Tom’s brother, Kevin, on behalf of the family expressing their gratitude for the support shown to them throughout the time surrounding this tragedy.

I hope everyone has their summer well underway. Congrats to all those with kids graduating and moving on to bigger things this summer.

When this hits the streets, I should be back in big Lexington for the Keydet Club Leadership Outing and will give you guys a full report via email. Once again, if you are not on my email distribution list, please call me or send me your contact information. Now, on with the news: Started off this reporting period at the VMI versus The Citadel basketball game. Cameron Hall was rocking with a near-sellout crowd that included BRs Garrett Thompson, Arturo “A.J.” Johnson, Barry Johnson, Matt Schwarzmann,

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Class Notes strong! I’ve been on the president’s detail for seven Fred Minnegerode, Ken Kovacs and Ramon turned a corner in the fall in a good way. Boys are Williams. Barry, Fred and A.J. were visiting sons well – two in college and one learning to drive. years, and my roommate, former Secret Service in the Corps, and Ken was showing his son around Anne is as wonderful as ever. Definitely loving veteran Pablo Martinez, is now with Fidelity. PabVMI on a rare weekend off from the Secret Ser- being back in the commonwealth. I’m with the lo and I are still great friends, and we get together vice presidential detail. Fred and Barry’s sons were 329th Regional Support Group, a combat service often with Mike Naifeh ’91 – obviously to make on cloud nine, having just received rings and bro- support battalion, a transportation battalion and Mike strain!” Thanks for all your hard work, and ken out of the Rat Line, respectively, while A.J. an engineer battalion. Fantastic group of soldiers stay safe, BR! I was able to link up with BRs Sam Stocks, Matt reports his son is “enjoying” 3rd Class year near- from all over Virginia.” Thanks for all you do, and Hemenez and A.J. Johnson during the class agent ly as much as we did. Garrett recently finished congratulations on the command! and Alumni Association Board of Inspector General School at Fort Directors meeting. It was great to see Belvoir and will serve as the inspector those guys again and share more than general for a special operations unit a few laughs from the past. Even funout of Fort Bragg. He is also coaching a college rugby team in Roanoke nier was when Sam and Matt paid this in his spare time. old, nearsighted gentlemen to tell me Shortly after that weekend of The I looked like a Kim Jung Un imperCitadel game, we celebrated the 30th sonator. That is what happens when anniversary of our Breakout March you use a new barber the day before a 18, 1987. Big thanks go to Sal Bora, visit to VMI because you are in a hurBrad Steverson, Brian McCormack, ry. Sam, Matt and A.J. all sit on the Paul Holland, Foster Taliaferro, Matt board of directors when not executing Henning, Steve Fitton, Matt Schwartheir day jobs in Richmond, Califorzmann and Fred Minnegerode for all nia and Norfolk, respectively. It’s a big the great, priceless photos they dug up time commitment, lots of travel and and shared from that day. For those Class of 1990: Charlie Lin, Yuh-Huei “Peter” Wang, Col. Chin- we should all be grateful for the yeowho might still have throwback tech- Yuan Liu and Jay G. (now Jaywell) Li from the Taiwan Class of man work these guys and other BRs on the various boards and councils do nology, BR Dennis Fogler actually ’90 outpost celebrating Jaywell Li’s birthday in Taipei. for the Institute. found his Breakout video (not sure if Judging by that oracle of all truth, those were beta or VHS, but it would Facebook, we had quite a few classbe nice if we could convert it to CD).

I had a great email from Thad Tegtmates traveling for spring break this year. Beau Quattrone went to Las meyer who really summed it up well: Vegas and overcame an apparent fear “I remember that day well. It’s pretty of heights by visiting the Hoover Dam cool that we went through that toand one of the higher sky bars on the gether. The vast majority of people strip. Sal Bora spent his break taking around us will never have an experisailing lessons and passing his capence even close to Breakout. I did pass out at the end, and I was in incredible tains’ exam with a 98 out of 100 on the physical condition. I can’t imagine gofinal test. Also sailing was Rob Gudz, who just returned home from a week ing through Breakout today!” I think Class of 1990: Terrence Kerner hosted Barry Johnson, Sam we can all relate to those sentiments. Stocks, Mike Doczi and Tony Baker for the VMI versus Virginia on a 60-foot Ketch sailing around the Thanks to all who shared thoughts Commonwealth University game at the Diamond in Richmond. Sea of Abaco in the Bahamas with seven scouts and four adults aboard, and photos on such a milestone anniI also got a nice note from Kenny Kovacs. “Here fishing, sailing, swimming, snorkeling and explorversary for our class. is the story. I am on the president’s detail and was ing the barrier island settlements. Dave Kaulfers Citizen-soldier Col. Weedon Gallagher checked in with the following update: “Things are fine the lead agent for a presidential visit to Fayetteville, was also leading scouts over spring break, as he here; rolling forward. I’m still in the Virginia North Carolina. Colonel Kelly Holbert ’93 (who took 11 young men on a trek up Castle Peak in Guard in Virginia Beach and enjoying command was the dyke of my roommate, Pablo Martinez, the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Mara lot. We have a great array over Virginia, so I’ve so he was my co-dyke) is the commander of the shall Simpson took to the waters of Isle of Palms, been fortunate to travel from Gate City to Cedar 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group Pope Air- South Carolina, and boated a beautiful bull RedBluff to Manassas to Onancock and lots of places field. We took a quick picture as the president was fish on fly tackle – no easy feat. Also in the Caroin between. Work is moving along, as well. I pur- departing via Air Force One. Kelly and I worked linas, Sean Carty and the family spent time at the chased the company about two years ago, and we together for a successful visit of the president. VMI Sea Trails Golf Resort in Sunset Beach, North

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes Carolina, in April while Paul Holland apparently had the family out on an airboat ride around the marshes of the low country. Jay Whittington traveled back to Virginia from Georgia for a week of fishing and spring turkey hunting on the Northern Neck. Meanwhile, Paul Hartigan traveled from Colorado to Kansas for his turkey hunting trip and bagged a nice gobbler. Sean Hoover and Paul Kricorian ran into each other in Huntsville, Alabama, of all places. Paul was there for a flying job, and Sean was there for explosives training for his job with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Sean is still in the Dallas area and in the process of building a house and preparing for an empty nest. Some ventured overseas this year, as Bryan Haslam traveled to Mexico from Asheville to visit the Dzibanche Mayan ruins, among many other sites. Dave West apparently spent a good part of his spring traveling around the Far East for his son’s lacrosse games from his home base in Singapore. Jeff Rawes took a work related “field trip” in April to Switzerland and Germany. Perhaps most exotic of all was Mitch Stockwell’s trip from Atlanta to India, where he reported, “Sightseeing in Mumbai is a full contact sport. The traffic is a free-for-all, and the horn is an integral part of the driving experience. The crowds define the word ‘teeming.’” Glad everyone had safe travels and hope all enjoyed their various vacations.

I recently traded messages with New York Yankees’ hitting instructor, Tom Slater. He lives in Tampa during the offseason and spends a good bit of time on the road during the season.

Tom was preparing for spring training to begin at George Steinbrenner Field. Best of luck with the season, BR! Tim Feagans also checked in with a great update from Texas: “Regarding class notes, as you know, keep Bill Ator and family in your prayers (Bill lost both parents in the past three months). My immediate family is doing well. Hunter is now 22 and a senior at Southern Methodist University; Pearson is 20 and a junior-to-be at Villanova University; Cooper is 15 and a rising high school sophomore; my bride, Sally, continues to carefully manage me; and me, personally, I am busy with finance and development. Andrew McCaig and I are teammates in our club’s golf version of March Madness. We are a four seed. We handily beat our first round opponent and move on to the round of 32. I’m in touch with Mark Dick, Jeff Moushegian, Bill Ator and Jeff Paul on a regular basis. Everyone

2017-Issue 3

is in the almost empty nest stage of life and making the most of it. This summer will mark the 16th year of our annual Outer Banks trip. The kids used to go to bed at 9 p.m., and the adults stayed up late.

Now the adults are going to bed at 9 p.m. and the kids are staying up late. Where has time gone?”

Charlie Lin checked in again from the Far East Taiwan outpost with the following update: “I recently caught up with BRs Yuh-Huei (Peter) Wang, Chin-Yuan Liu and Jay G. (now Jaywell) Li in Taipei, Taiwan, to celebrate Jaywell’s birthday. Mary and I also took the opportunity to say farewell, as we’re moving to Shanghai, China, for my new endeavor. We had a blast with endless laughter as we reflected back on our VMI days.

Colonel Liu still remains in active duty with the Taiwanese Army, and we hope to see a star on his shoulder soon. Meanwhile, Wang, Li and I have been keeping busy in the private sector. We’d like to send our warmest regards to ’90 BRs and hope to reunite together in Lexington someday.”

Just before deadline, I got a LinkedIn message from Lenny Stellitano. Lenny got a Master of Business Administration degree from Duquesne University, did some military time and is now going on 10 years with Bechtel. He works in the Marine Propulsion Corporation as an employee relations specialist in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area. Great to hear from you again, BR! Also recently, Andy Schaff, Carlos Fernandes and Ramon Williams got together in Tysons Corner, Virginia, while on the opposite side of the country, Brian Albro and Barry Maxon were able to link up for some good times.

I had several emails from Dave Amsden up in Boston. Dave’s been in touch with Todd Eckloff, who is working in the Pentagon and was recently married to his high school sweetheart. Congrats, Todd! I was also in touch John Hahn, who reported in from Legacy Day at VMI. John continues to work from home near Smith Mountain Lake three days a week and commutes to Washington, D.C., the other two for his job with the Coast Guard. John passed along that Terrence Kerner, A.J. Johnson, Andy Kvasnicka and Sam Stocks were also at Legacy Day, and there was also an unconfirmed report of Mark Cager being in town for the event. The following week, BR Stocks was also good enough to pass along a note and photo of himself; Mike Doczi and his handler, Barry Johnson; Terrence Kerner; and Tony Baker at the Diamond in Richmond for the VMI versus Virginia Commonwealth University game. A great

looking bunch, and not a single one was arrested that night.

The long-lost BRs section for this edition includes pleas for Mike Pilley, Mo Greene, Mike Ober, Jake Schmoyer, Rob Ondrick, Doug Dillon, Andy Weening, Shane Walters and Vinny Diprofio to come out of hiding, get back on the grid and let us know what you’ve been up to. Been way too long, my friends.

Finally, if you are not getting my regular email updates, please email me at the payner06@yahoo. com email address, and I’ll add you to our growing distribution list or give me a call/text at 540287-1252. Until next time – go Keydets!

Daren Payne

1991

Chuck Story

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 1991.

1992

William Woodward

Andy Tate

BRs, Here are the latest updates from our classmates.

Please keep sending me your updates and pictures, as I am sure our BRs would like to know what is going on with all of us.

Received an email and picture from Dan Gaskell from his assumption of command for 2nd Battalion, eighth Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 16, 2017. Mike Starling was able to make it, and three other VMI graduates were there who are currently serving in the battalion.

I also received an email and photo from Tim Rodriquez. He was recently in Cuba with his son, Desmond, who is a sophomore at Washington,

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Class Notes D.C.’s Public School Without Walls in Foggy Bottom. Desmond’s choir was invited by the Cuban Ministry of Culture to participate in a musical and cultural exchange at the Ernesto Lecouna Conservatory of Music in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. The School Without Walls choir was accompanied and led by four professional teaching artists (opera singers) from the Kennedy Center. Tim sent a picture of him and Desmond (age 16), just before a performance at the Historical Teatro Milanes, which was built by the Spanish in 1845. Tim reported that the performance was amazing. Congrats to Desmond!

Jeff Galon reports that he and wife Karen flew out to visit family in Charlotte for spring break in April. They also drove through Chapel Hill and Raleigh. Jeff said, “After 20 years of burning our candles from both ends, we are seriously contemplating a move out of Silicon Valley, California, and closer to family in North and South Carolina.” Jeff met up with John Ward and Dave Moody for a beer, which was the first time they had seen each other since the day we graduated in 1992. Jeff reported that “it was great to catch up! John was gracious enough to take my family around Raleigh (humble thanks, BR) for the day, and our families had dinner that evening. It was a great, productive trip getting to know both the Charlotte and Raleigh areas. So I’ll be sure to keep you posted on the job search and eventual uproot from the left(ist) coast and resettling back in America again.”

Todd Pegg sent in an update from the Middle East where he was on deployment. He ran into Gary Wright, who is in Bahrain with the Navy. Todd hopes to return from deployment in time for our reunion in September or shortly thereafter.

Adam Gregory sent me a picture of him and Trent Dudley enjoying some cold beverages at a watering hole in Carytown, Richmond, Virginia, in December 2016.

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Class of 1992: From left, Jordan Iida ’12, Mike Starling, Dan Gaskell, Dan Spanu ’05 and Caleb Clubb ’13 at Gaskell’s assumption of command in March 2017.

Class of 1992: Pictured in Richmond, Virginia, in March 2017 were, from left, Dick Richardson, Adam Gregory, Jim Maiocco and Doug Yeabower ’91.

Class of 1992: Adam Gregory and Trent Dudley in Carytown, Richmond, Virginia, in December 2016.

George Ross sent in an update from Italy where he reports that he and his family have been for the past three years. George is working for U.S. Army Africa. George says, “Because all good things come to an end, we are returning to the states (Fort Leavenworth, Kansas) in June for my final assignment as a Command and General Staff College instructor. I cannot complain, having spent 10 years in Europe during my career. We are looking forward to getting back to my Midwest roots and reconnecting with some family. Otherwise, my wife and I are looking at options to attend the 25th Reunion while grandparents watch our three kids. Since I haven’t attended a reunion since our 10th, I figure it’s about time.”

Neil Hennigan sent in a picture of him and Tony Sexton meeting for drinks and cigars in Washington, D.C., in May. Neil said that Mike Starling was inbound to meet them but got diverted and had to cancel at the last minute.

Jay Frey reported he will turn over command of Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Atlantic, July 14 in Little Creek, Virginia, after which he is reporting to Headquarters Marine Corps Aviation at the Pentagon.

Brian “Mac” McCarthy reports that “since Keith Peloquin’s VMI Class of 1992 Facebook post in May, I have been looking for Frank Harrar as I bop around the Middle East, but no joy. Highlights from Team Mac are that Adhana and I welcomed our new son, Lenox Ellis, into the world Feb. 3.

I had about three weeks at home with them before deploying my battalion (3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment) to Camp Buehring, Kuwait, as part of Operation Spartan Shield. I have missed BR Todd Pegg as, fortunately, my troops have been fully committed to multinational exercises, and we have gotten to get off Camp Buehring and have bounced around Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Jordan. Insha’Allah, we will all be

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

Class of 1992: Tony Sexton and Neil Hennigan in Washington, D.C., in May 2017.

wonderful evening out at the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant with him, daughter Carissa and wife Sharon. In May, I was again down in Little Creek, Virginia, for a Navy Reserve course and got to spend a few minutes with Marc Orgain, as I did back in January as reported in the last issue.

That is all for now. Please let me know of any major life events such as marriages, births, deaths and advanced degrees so that I can inform the Alumni Review. If you have a change of address, let the Alumni Association and I know so that we can make sure you get all VMI correspondence.

In the bonds, Woody

1993

Class of 1993: From left, Brian Melvin and wife Jean with Scott Davis and wife Nurten.

Jim Sharp

“Reaper” Grim, who lives minutes from him, and Kevin Smith, who is at the Pentagon these days.

Fellow Company G BR Scott Davis checked in. “I live in Huntsville, Alabama. Been here for I hope these notes find everyone in good spirits. almost six years now. I’m running corporate opNot too much volume in these notes, but here erations with a Department of Defense/federal it goes! contractor. My wife (Nurten) and I have one Bryan Van Deun was promoted to the FBI boy in college at Auburn studying architecture Senior Executive Service, serving as the Counand another boy a sophomore in high school. terintelligence Division senior detailee to a sister Soon we will be ‘empty nesters’ ... hard to beagency as of May 1. This is equivalent to brigalieve. Our home is on a Robert Trent Jones golf dier general or rear admiral and is a humbling course (Highlands), so if any BRs want to hit honor. This means he will be in the Washing‘the trail’ down here, please let me know when Class of 1992: Tim and Desmond Roton, D.C., area another 12-18 months. He said you are in the area. I see Brian Melvin every driquez in Cuba. for any BRs coming through to please reach out! year or so, and we recently got together for dinBryan also mentioned he recently saw Steve ner in Maryland (where he lives with his famback in Texas for Thanksgiving!”

Jim Maiocco sent in a photo of him, ily). Below is a picture of Brian, his Dick Richardson, Adam Gregory and wife, Jean; my wife, Nurten; and me.

Doug Yeabower ’91 playing golf in It really was good seeing Brian and Richmond in March. They also visited his family.”

Jon Thibodeaux after golfing. Jim said J. Sills O’Keefe accepted a summer that the “golf was lousy, but the beer internship at the State Attorney Genwas cold!” Although everyone will eral’s Office in Richmond. Sounds likely read this after our 25th Reunion, like a great start to a political career, I would like to take this opportunity to but Sills remains defiant that his road thank Jim for all of his hard work in does not lead in that direction. leading our Social Committee for the Since the last posting of notes, our 25th Reunion. Jim was also greatly asclass sent an artist proof No. 93 to the sisted by Chuck Weatherman, Dean parents of Tom Miller. This was anCase and Scott Blackburn. other print drawn by one of our dykes, In April, I went with my wife, Leslie, Michael P. Solovey ’96. I do want to down to Atlanta for a few days as she thank all the classmates that pitched in was getting a nursing certification from to cover the cost of the print, framing Class of 1993: “Resolve” print by Michael P. Solovey ’96 sent Emory University. While there, we to Tom Miller’s family by the class. and shipping. You guys make this job linked up with Will Harris and had a easier. Attached is a photo of the print

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Class Notes that was sent. (Editor’s Note: Please see page 6 of the Review for an article about Solovey ’96.)

As always, thank you to our BRs that are serving our country in uniform.

Jim

1994

Clay Campbell

baby boy, Finn Marshall Miller, May 5, 2017. I also want to wish congrats to James Anastas and his wife, Kirsten, as they welcomed Chloe Drew Anastas into this world May 4, 2017.

Always, Class of ’94 Pig

1995

Thomas A. Brashears

Dear Brother Rats, I hope all is well. Another class has transitioned Greetings on this beautiful New Market Day, back into the real world, another group of fine as I have successfully waited until the last possible young men and women have received commisClass of 1994: Brett Wilkinson at Legamoment to write these notes and get them submitsions and the cycle continues. cy Day in April 2017. ted. Working in the Alumni Association has reI recently had a chance to catch up with John ally opened my eyes to truly how busy Rider when I was down in Fredericksthe spring is. Whether it’s welcoming burg. We caught up over lunch and nine reunion classes in a span of six then went to John’s house to hang out days or hosting three different board for a while. John is currently stationed meetings – or even hosting the largest around northern Virginia and just finVMI Legacy Day on record – there is ished a nice covered back porch with a ton happening here on post. Today is fireplace. I’m looking forward to being commissioning and New Market Day able to go back and hang out when and then tomorrow is graduation. By Candice is home; she is a lot nicer than the time you read these notes, we’ll be Easy. I also had the chance to set up a welcoming in the rat mass of 2018+3, meeting with Curt Crowder at his denand this August will represent the 26th tist office in Warrenton. I didn’t want anniversary of our matriculation. We to put myself in his chair, so I took my are getting old, guys; accept it. son to him for a checkup. Spanky did a Nonetheless, I have actually heard great job, and it was good to catch up. Class of 1994: Jason Cincilla performing the renewal of vows from some brother rats over the last I spoke to Paul Curley recently; he is for Marc Phillips. few weeks. Terrin Tucker wrote back going into private practice and is doing in mid-April and relayed a good bit of well in Richmond. information. He said that Pat Maiden I recently heard from Marc Phillips. came through Winston-Salem on his He is living in Delaware and is a partway back from the Greensboro area ner with Jason Cincilla at a law firm where he had a job interview. Jeff up there. Marc runs the firm’s bankHubbard and Terrin joined Pat for ruptcy litigation practice, and Jason lunch where they chatted about VMI runs the firm’s Delaware office and life, shared some Old Corps stories, management committee. Anyway, other BRs they’d heard from and a Marc wrote to tell me that he and his little politics. Apparently, they joked wife were going to renew their 20 year about how their old VMI football wedding vows, and he asked Jason to coaches would have them playing officiate the service. Jason, in classic as linemen today given their current fashion, showed up in a minister’s cassizes. I talk to Pat quite regularly and sock and performed the service in true hope he can finish the job hunt soon.

Cincilla form.

Class of 1994: Class Agent Clay Campbell said of this photo, By the way, he coaches a travel volleyI would like to say congrats to Kevin “Curt Crowder doing his thing.”

Miller and his wife, Amy, who had a ball team that is doing quite well.

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

Class of 1995: From left, Chris Wills, Joe Doyle, Rob Davis, Thom Brashears and Arie Richards outside Moody Hall before the New Market Parade.

Jeff Hubbard said that he talks to Eric Mattocks pretty regularly, and Eric traveled up to Bath County to see Tim Williams and his brothers get inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bath County High School. The Williams brothers are well known around those parts, and Tim put up some pretty impressive numbers of his own while apparently only playing portions of football games.

Jeff also heard from Eric that John Mayo and his wife, Nicole, welcomed their second child, a beautiful baby girl. Apparently, this was an unexpected home birth, and John had to play doctor. (I think he may have mentioned this on Facebook.)

Apparently, running an existing company, a restaurant and starting a new business venture is not enough to keep him busy. Now he’s unofficially delivering babies.

Terrin relayed that he is preparing for his son to graduate high school and then head off to East Carolina University in the fall. Terrin will also be pretty busy this summer with his daughter’s final AAU basketball season. The travel ball scene will include Raleigh in April and Atlanta, Louisville and Washington, D.C., in July, along with a family vacation in Pigeon Forge somewhere in between.

Brian Kellner sent me a note recently. He said that life for the Kellner family is about to have some big changes. Brian will be retiring from the Marine Corps this summer, and he will be relocating to Maryland. In February, Brian was fortunate to be selected to become an owner/operator for a Chick-fil-A restaurant, which is presently being built in Reisterstown, Maryland (30 mins northwest of Baltimore). The restaurant is scheduled to open in October. The whole family is excited to get back East and hopefully participate a little more at VMI. Rob Davis, Todd Glasser, Chris Wills and Arie

2017-Issue 3

Richards were scheduled to stop by at some point for the New Market parade; it will be good to see them. I’m sure there will be a few more BRs floating around, and I’ll try to catch up with them as well. By the way, I did see Kurt Polk a few weeks ago when he was in town for the Foundation Board of Trustees meeting.

Finally, Joe Doyle has graciously agreed to take over the reigns as class agent. I will continue to assist as much as I can, especially as we ramp up and begin the preparations for our 25th Reunion! God bless to all of you and your families. ’95, ’95, ’95!

1996

Tom Danielsen

Brother Rats, As I write these notes on New Market Day, it’s hard not to reflect on the 21 years that have passed since our class graduated and all we’ve accomplished. We have at least three medical doctors, many successful lawyers, multiple Ph.D.s, several doing great things for our local and federal government, and several senior leaders in corporate America. Our very own John Adams is currently the Republican nominee for Virginia attorney general. Pete Ehlers and Steve Johnson have both been selected for promotion to Navy captain, bringing us to seven BRs who are or will be O-6s in the Armed Forces.

We’ve also had many brother rats complete over 20 years of service and retire from the military.

Jesse Janay is the latest to retire after 21 years flying attack helicopters in the Marine Corps. Jesse

and his family are now in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Jesse is flying for STAT MedEvac.

Jesse reports that he’s with the same company as Greg Bamford, who is doing the same job two hours north in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Also recently retired is Jared McCormick, who not only retired from over 20 years in the Army, he also got married in January to Marie McCormick. Jared says he’s enjoying retired life and the joys of three grandchildren he can spoil and send back to their parents. Jared is still outside of Fort Lee and has no plans to move anytime in the near future.

Chris Noe, who is one of many brother rats still on active duty, recently checked in and let me know that the Noe family is wrapping three very successful years in South Korea. They are coming back to the U.S., and will head to Newport, Rhode Island, where Chris will attend the Naval War College. Chris also said that his oldest son had elected to attend the University of Alabama and not the “I.” He is, however, following in his dad’s footsteps, as he received an Army ROTC scholarship and will commission in the Army upon graduation. A big congratulations to the Noe family.

Jim Tinguely traveled through my area on business again, and we were able to catch up over dinner. He said he recently caught up with Dr. Chris Gorman in Richmond, and they were able to catch the VMI versus Virginia Commonwealth University baseball game. Jim said that Chris and family are doing well, and it was great to catch up. Jim mentioned that Jethro Piland was also at the game, but they were unable to connect as he was there in an official capacity to observe his

Class of 1996: From left, Dr. Chris Gorman, Hunter Seal and Jamal Thomas met for breakfast in early May to reminisce about old times.

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Class Notes Hannover County Fire and EMS color guard present the colors to kick off the game. Jim and his family are doing great. His oldest daughter, Emily, is starting college this fall, and he’s still busy with many backyard projects, including the construction of a teardrop camping trailer.

A thank you goes out to Matt Holland, who filled in for me at the VMI class agent meeting in April. Matt represented our class at the meeting and made sure our voice was heard over the course of the weekend.

It’s hard to believe how fast 21 years have flown by. We’ve accomplished a lot as a class and have a lot to be celebrated. Sadly, we’ve also lost two brother rats over these 21 years. Jamie Edge and Shane Sposito will always be in our thoughts and will never be forgotten.

All the best to you and your families, Tom Danielsen

3.

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1997

Tim O. Moore David M. Hudock

Gentlemen of the Old Corps!

Since 1997’s last entry to the Alumni Review we have, most notably and quite unbelievably, celebrated and survived our 20th Reunion. We have also located the elusive 20th Reunion tumblers, which many of you ordered but none of you received during the reunion weekend. Unbelievably, and I am not making this up, they were delivered to the hotel the same day as our check-in, but no one at the hotel nor the vendor saw fit to let us know!

A minor setback, but one gladly accepted in lieu of other things that could have gone wrong considering O.J. Johnson’s Technicolor sport coat, Hobbs’ gym dyke shirt and the mere presence of Kenny Pierce (all trees on post were, in fact, accounted for). Did I mention no one in our class got in trouble with the law over the course of the whole weekend? And, to the best of my knowledge, we are allowed back to the

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Class of 1997 1. Class Agent David Hudock said of this photo, “Richard Dixon and his wife, Amanda, enjoying public display of affection on Letcher Avenue without fear of a bone.”

2. Jeff Matthew and Kenny Pierce getting reacquainted.

3. Hudock said of this photo, “Dan Rippy and his girlfriend, Patty Kalkanis, expressing their joy when they realize today’s Keydets suffer just as much as he did in Crozet Hall.”

4. The class was led toward Washington Arch by Shannon Ferguson, flanked by Donnie Hasseltine and Phil Zoffuto.

5. O.J. Johnson, Don Crook, Andy Clark, Jeremy King and Dan Rippy golfing at the Lexington Golf and Country Club.

6. Hudock said of this photo, “Matt Smith, Dave Harback and Elk Richardson relived some Rat Line moments on the fourth stoop after Old Yells.”

VMI Alumni Review

The Class of 1997

Class of 1997: Present at the reunion were Joseph B. Adams, John E. Ash, Kevin D. Ash, Charles E. Ayers III, Michael F. Belenky, Paul R. Bickford III, Lawrence A. Bobb, Edward T. Bonham V, Keith P. Braxton, Andrew K. Clark, Gary H. Compton Jr., Ralph L. Costen III, Don T. Crook II, Richard M. Dixon Jr., Matthew S. Donald, John N. Duckworth, Maurice R. Edgington, Andrew N. Elliott, Shannon W. Ferguson, Derek R. Fix, George E. Gaulding III, Jason K. Gruse, Michael M. Guarin, J. Addison Hagan IV, William D. Hall, David P. Harback, Joel W. Harding, George D. Hasseltine, Jeffrey N. Henderson, Richard F. Hezel II, Jacob T. Hickman, Christopher J. Hobbs, Joseph S. Howard III, David M. Hudock, Oliver R. Johnson Jr., Steven W. Jones, Jeremy S. King, Joseph V. Kmiecinski, Joel A. Kusterer, Jeffrey P. Matthew, Jason B. McCoy, Robert C. Michael, Ralph T. Minor, William M. Moody, Allen D. Moore, Troy Mosby, Chad G. Neely, Brett M. Ogletree, Matthew J. Perry, Keith A. Peterson, Kenneth L. Pierce Jr., Raymond H. Porter III, Edward F. Ramatowski, Gregory M. Reynolds, Brian E. Richardson, Jonathan L. Riggs, Daniel D. Rippy, Daniel A. Roach, Jason C. Roberts, Michael D. Russell, Scott M. Saunders, William J. Scott, Nathan C. Shepperson, Joseph R. Shy, Noah S. Slemp, Bryan Todd Smith, Matthew A. Smith, Anthony J. Spevak, G. Jason St. Clair, William S. Stagg, Andrew L. Staich, Jeffrey A. Staub, Steven A. Strain, Brett B. Thompson, Kevin J. Vallerie, Thomas R. Wagner, Richard J. White, David T. Witherspoon, Eric W. Woolley, Michael C. Zirkle and Phillip H. Zoffuto.

20th Reunion – April 28-29, 2017 Class Notes

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Class Notes

Class of 1997: Class Agent David Hudock said of this photo, “[Me] looking worried about what Chris Hobbs is about to do with that cheese cube.”

Class of 1997: Class Agent David Hudock said of this photo, “Mike Belenky and Chad Neely are all smiles and oblivious to the Jim Wrenn photobomb.”

Class of 1997: Brett Thompson and his family enjoying the VMI Museum reception.

Institute for our 25th Reunion. Success!

It truly was great to see so many of our classmates there, despite leading what are undoubtedly busy and demanding lives and, in some cases, living in extremely remote locations. The prize for furthest distance traveled goes to either Jason Roberts from Okinawa or Tony Bobb from Guam – I’d have to consult Google Maps to be certain – but they absolutely deserve a shoutout for coming all that way for a weekend.

Maybe at the next reunion we can even drag Dan Evilsizer out of the Far East for a couple of days? That might be a tall order!

Another well-earned and much-deserved shoutout goes to Addison Hagan, Tom Wagner and Mike Belenky for providing essential

planning and logistics support leading up to and during the reunion weekend. Tom’s on-site presence in Lexington was a lifesaver for us, and Addison’s leadership was key to the entire event’s success. Mike fell victim to line-of-sight tasking on day one, but as expected, his unending generosity became instrumental in keeping the reunion juggernaut rolling throughout the weekend. Thank you all for your time and dedication to the class!

Dave Harback deserves a thank you for his contributions on the photography side of things.

Many of the photos in this entry are credited to him. It seems a 19-year marriage, two kids, a recent promotion at CenturyLink, a Master of Business Administration degree and a leadership

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position at his local Civil Air Patrol unit are not enough to keep him from earning a few bucks on the side as a photographer. Fortunately for us, he provided his camera skills pro bono, and we have much to thank him for. Appreciate the contributions, brother!

While I’m shamelessly singling out brother rats for reunion contributions, I certainly cannot forget Donnie Hasseltine and Andy Staich for sharing with us a portion of what can only be described as the next Hollywood blockbuster in the form of a script reading. Thanks for changing the names to protect the innocent (and guilty), gents, and thanks for sharing it with the class. We look forward to seeing your names on the big screen in the very near future!

And if all of this good news and festivity wasn’t enough to celebrate the best class in barracks, I returned home from the reunion to hear news of Keith “Bubba” Braxton’s hiring by Patrick Henry High School as its latest head varsity football coach. It was great to see Bubba at the reunion, but it was even better to hear the Patriots chose one of their own alumni to coach its varsity team. Truly good news, and an exciting development for Bubba and his family. Best of luck to you, Bubba, and we look forward to many winning Patriot seasons!

Stay tuned for the next issue of 1997’s class notes, which will reveal the secret location of Brother Rat Kao, provide an expose into Slemp’s status as a deity inside barracks today and offer confirmation that Jim Wrenn did, in fact, participate in the 20th Reunion for approximately 12 minutes on the steps of Preston Library. You can’t pay for this type of entertainment! Seriously, you can’t!

1998

Joseph Bates Jr.

Hamel Reinmiller

I hope that this update finds each of you doing well wherever life may have taken you in our journey since the days at the “I,” which I

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

Class of 1998: Bobby Heely and his brother, Teddy, prior to Bobby deploying off the shores of Korea.

Class of 1998: Hamel Reinmiller and Lauren Corbut.

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personally seem to grow to cherish more each year – the road less traveled was actually a pretty damn good time. As I write this on New Market Day, I am enjoying the class pictures and posts on Facebook by the Class of ’97, which means three things: 1) We graduated 20 years ago tomorrow, 2) Our 20th Reunion is next spring, so be looking for a date and 3) we may just be getting old ... which beats the alternative.

I want to start out my first edition by thanking John Strock for doing a great job at coordinating these updates for quite some time and providing our class with information that you cannot read on Facebook, which is rather hard if very little content is received. I must say that I considered going through the comments made on our class FB page and using them to provide more information for this update, but I will leave that as a topic of discussion before the next submission.

Hamel Reinmiller checked in. He has a new special lady in his life (Lauren Corbut), and he is looking forward to bringing her back to the “I” next year for our 20th Reunion. He submitted some pictures, but I am late submitting these notes this time, so I am not sure if they made it to press; sorry, Ham! Hamel needs a few good men and is taking names of anyone interested in helping out with the reunion planning. Please email him at HBRVMI98@vmialumni.org if you are interested in serving. Ham has been working in land management for various oil and gas companies since 2000. He is currently serving as the vice president of land and business development for Dallas Based Titanium Exploration Partners and heads up their Tulsa based land team. He is also serving as the secretary (Executive Committee) for the Fort Worth-based American Association of Professional Landmen this year, which will create a lot of travel around the country in Washington, Texas, California and Pennsylvania this year, and he hopes to connect with anyone he can. Big shoutout to Ham for continuing to serve our class with the reunion work, etc., which is something he seems to have been doing for us since we matriculated!

I received this update from Bobby Heely care of his younger brother, Teddy. Bobby is deployed right now as the commanding officer of the Michael Murphy, which is protecting the Carl Vinson off the coast of Korea. Thanks, Teddy; I feel much better now that I know one of ’98’s finest is protecting us off the shores of Korea, and I am sure that the rest of you do, too!

Chad Novacek is on his second furlough with the BNSF Railway in Nebraska as a conductor but should be returning to work soon, most likely in South Dakota or California. He just picked up a side gig as an online political writer with the media company, Democratize US, and is grateful for the opportunity to hone his writing skills.

Thanks for checking in, Chad, and be sure not to violate GR 14 in front of your trainmaster ... sorry, I could not resist having spent a year in transportation at Norfolk Southern.

Charles Houk is living in Texas with his wife and three boys (ages 13, 10 and 7). They are getting ready to open their second location of Southern Junction Nightclub and Steakhouse, which will be in Irving, Texas, near the airport, so there is an open door for anyone wanting to stop by. Charles reports that he met up with Ryan Landmann at the Monday practice round of The Masters, which was the first trip for each of them to Augusta.

Tyler Shelbert got out of the Army a couple of years ago and works as an associate director of global marketing for Zimmer Biomet, a medical device company. He lives with his wife in Canton, Ohio, and they have three boys. Tyler saw Josh Brown last summer and reports that Josh is a commander in the Navy and is stationed in Norfolk. Thanks for checking in, Tyler!

As for me, I live in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and I am the director of grocery, dairy and frozen foods merchandising at Harris Teeter. I also moonlight as a director on the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association Board, and I am sure that somewhere in the United States Tom Warburton, Brett McGinley and Dave Benedick are making some smart comment about BV or similar right about now. Tori and I restored a 1920 home that sat empty for 15 years (it was a true HGTV-type remodel) and we have been living here for about 17 months. We close on a duplex that was part of the property in two weeks and will start rehabbing it, as well, which should be fun. My son, Cole, is five and says he is going to VMI after attending the Founders Day parade last year. My daughter, Morgan, is three and wants Little Sorrell for her own from the museum.

I wish I had more updates to provide this time, but stay tuned for more in a few months. If anyone wants to link up in Charlotte or is passing through Buena Vista and wants to see about getting a sauce burger, shoot me a note. ’98, ’98, ’98.

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Class Notes

1999

William Steinbach

Brother Rats, Happy New Market Day! Well, it is New Market Day as I type this, but it will be the dead of summer before you guys read it. Hope this round finds everyone well. Notes are a little short, as I only heard from two people. Remember, if you have something significant (or even insignificant) to pass along, don’t wait until the deadline for submission. Send it to me right away, and I can start these things early instead of the day they are due to the editor.

Van Carson tells me he is in northern Poland still managing construction for Naval Facilities Engineering Command. He is working with the Army Corps of Engineers supporting the Defense Missile Agency. He says he is only there for six months, but he is there with two other alumni, Bill Crone ’89 and Chris Menia ’89.

John Wilcox passed along the following: “Some exciting news over the last two months for the Class of ’99 on the Army side. I was proud to watch our Brother Rat Dave Kaczmarek take command of the 91st Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne). And this May, I took command of 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne). Both

Class of 1999: Lieutenant Cols. Dave Kaczmarek, left, and John Wilcox.

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commands are part of United States Army Special Operations Command here at Fort Bragg. Dave’s battalion has the responsibility for SOF civil affairs support to the United States Africa Command area. The 3rd Battalion is the generating force for all civil affairs to include assessment, selection and qualification for all the civil affairs officers and noncommissioned officers for the active component. Thankfully, we were both able to attend each other’s change of command ceremonies, and I managed to get one picture while we stood out in the unseasonably (for Fort Bragg) cold, misty morning.

“Hope this note finds everyone well; I have genuinely appreciated all the messages of congratulations and support our BRs have sent me on phone, email and social media over the last year while I’ve been getting ready to take command. The bonds of the brotherhood remain very strong, indeed!”

That it does, John. Congrats to both of you on the awesome responsibility of command. Your paratroopers are lucky to have you. If anyone else has taken command or been promoted either in the military or in your civilian jobs and it hasn’t been in here, please let me know so you can get the recognition you deserve.

In the bonds, Bill

2000

Jim Boatright

Brother Rats, As I write this update, spring is winding down and summer vacations are gearing up. I hope family, life and work are going well for everyone; please keep the updates coming. Please remember you can always send any contact information updates, degrees earned, marriages, births, etc. to our class email address, and I will be sure it gets to the Alumni Association.

About a week after I submitted the last set of notes, I got a great letter from Christian Arllen and his family. Christian and wife Kelley have two daughters, Sydney and Reagan. Christian is working hard at Amazon Web Services and enjoying family life in northern Virginia.

A few weeks later, I heard from Matt Keller.

Matt is an attorney in Washington, D.C. He and

his wife had a baby girl in April named Juliette Ryan Keller. Her middle name was given in honor of the life and memory of our fallen hero, Brother Rat Ryan Doltz.

I was at the doctor’s office here in Atlanta and ran into Alex Hill. Alex owns a commercial construction company, HillStone, and is enjoying life with his family. Alex just released his third self-produced record called, “Espy.” All songs are written and played by Alex, and it is great music. Please visit https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/alexhill3 and buy a copy of Alex’s record. Hopefully we can convince Alex to share his talents with us at the 20th Reunion.

Worth Burns checked in and says he is doing well and is living in Greenville, South Carolina, and he travels a lot through South Carolina, Georgia and Florida for work.

John Downs, M.D., updated that he is still a physician in the Army and practices both internal and occupational medicine. John was recently deployed again to Afghanistan as the senior medical officer for a joint special operations task force headquarters, and he will be there for most of 2017.

Jeff Berwell ’06 is also at the same post. Following the deployment, John will start fellowship training in medical toxicology at a civilian institution and is hoping for either the University of Virginia or Virginia Commonwealth University.

John sends his congratulations to our brother rats who were selected for Army Battalion Command: Colin Mahle, Jon Hartsock, Bubba Massie and Jason Cole. If we missed anyone on this list, please let me know. John says he also exchanged emails with Matt McKee a couple of weeks ago, and he is still in the Army in special operations at Fort Bragg. Colin Mahle is in Denver currently and will likely be taking battalion command at Fort Bliss next summer. Jason Cole is completing a more than two-year exchange tour in Australia and should be back home to take battalion command at Fort Lewis soon.

Brent Kennedy checked in from Vicenza, Italy, where he is stationed with the Army. He just played in a golf tournament in East Burwick, Scotland, called The International Hackers Tournament.

Mike Mulé and his family just moved into a new house in the Midlothian, Virginia, area. Armando Gonzales and his sons helped them with the move and getting settled.

Tony Cerella updated that he and his family are

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes He also traded a few emails with Beau doing well and enjoying their posting Mason who is working as brigade in Germany. Bethany continues to combat team S-3, 116th Brigade Comhome and travel school their eightyear-old twins. Tony also shared that bat Team. he sees Jared Snawder every month Whit Johnston, Scott Johnson, or so. Jared and Harold Caples visited Matt Vordermark, Jay Kearney, Jim the Cerellas in December of last year, Boatright and good friend Danny and Tony included a great picture from Jones all met up in Brookneal, Virginthe visit. Harold and Jared, please send ia, for our first annual mini reunion. an update for the next set of notes.

We fished, told stories and likely set a Next to check in was Justin Cole. record for number of beers consumed Justin and Maggie and their five kids by middle-aged men in one weekend. are settled in Gurley, Alabama, which After all, it was a Saturday night. The is just 20 miles outside of Huntsville. highlight of the weekend was SunJustin is still serving in the Army Reday lunch with Whit’s parents, “The Judge & Mrs. Liz” and meeting Whit’s serve and just had his battalion change of command in early May. He will per- Class of 2000: Harold Caples, Tony Cerella and Jared Snawder twins, Sam and Scarlett. Will Warthen joined us in spirit, and we hope he can form drill in Charlottesville, Virginia, in Germany. make the trip next year. Speaking of while working at Redstone Arsenal as Will, Jay Kearney and wife Josette visited Will a Department of Defense contractor. He also upand his family in London earlier this year. Jay dated that his brother, Jason Cole, just graduated included a picture of the two of them at the top from Intermediate Level Education at Redstone, of St. Peter’s Cathedral. As we close out, I want and he was able to link up with Pat Haddock at to send a special thank you to Pat Haddock, who drill. Jason and his family will be moving from is always a great help at sending out a last-minute Australia to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washnotification on our class Facebook page reminding ington this summer where he will be taking bateveryone when notes are coming due. We had a talion command. great response in the last few days, and it great to Conrad “SPAMR” Bicknell updates he is still hear from so many BRs. Please continue to send working for American Airlines, but he has been updates to our email address at classnotes2000von military leave since summer 2015 when he was mobilized by the Navy Reserve on one-year orders mi@gmail.com. Finally, to all of our brother rats to work for Special Operations Command Africa who have served or are currently serving our great in Stuttgart, Germany. During his time at SOCAF, country; be safe, and thank you!

Class of 2000: Whit Johnston with a catfish caught during a mini reunion he had the opportunity to work with Paul Webber in Brookneal, Virginia. for about six months and met a lot of VMI alumni coming and going through his station. Following Rich Groen his SOCAF orders, Conrad was given another set of one-year orders working at U.S. Africa Command, which is also in Stuttgart, Germany. Conrad knows Tony Cerella is close by and hopes to be able to connect soon. He also keeps up with Chuck Minski and Pat Haddock as often as he Brother Rats of the Class of 2001, can. Conrad, the world is a safer place with you in I hope this note finds you well! Over the last the sky. Thank you for your service. couple of months, Jeff Rhodes ’00 and I had Bubba Massie sent an update and says that Scott the opportunity to travel and train alongside McInnis, “the old man he is,” recently celebrated some tremendous U.S. Army units and fellow his 40th birthday, which was planned and coordialumni. Notably, we crossed paths with Wade Germann ’98 in Scholfield Barracks, Hawaii. nated wonderfully by his superb wife, Alli. Chad He is performing the duties as the 25th InfanWelch was also in attendance. Bubba says Worth Burns, Chris Boswell and Matt Williams could try Division’s fires coordinator and soon to not attend but were all there in spirit. Bubba is take command of a field artillery battalion. We Class of 2000: Will Warthen and Jay looking forward to Wilson Mustian ’01 returning wish you well, Wade, and proud to see memKearney in London. from deployment and playing golf in Richmond. bers of our dykes’ class doing so well.

2001

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Class Notes

Class of 2001: Wilson Mustian, Randy Hager and Will Alley in Kuwait.

Class of 2001: Wilson Mustian and Christopher Kavanaugh ’96 at Camp Manion in Taqqadum, Iraq.

Class of 2001: Jared Kuhnhenn and Oscar Alfaro linked up in West Point, New York, in April 2017.

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Class of 2001: Kim Herbert with the Team RWB Boston and the Boylston Marathon Sports Boston ran in honor and memory of Maj. Charles Ransom April 26, 2017.

Over the last few months, other members of our class were able to congregate stateside and abroad. Oscar Alfaro was able to visit with Jared Kuhnhenn, who is currently at West Point, New York. Jared’s wife just gave birth to their first child in April, which Oscar noted Jared’s “life has changed forever.” Oscar is doing well and representing VMI during new cadet recruiting at events such as the National College Fair held at the Meadowland Exposition Center. We are glad to see you are well, Oscar, and thank you for the note!

In addition to congregating stateside, some of our brother rats were able to link up overseas during deployments. Wilson Mustian wrote to say that he, Randy Hager and John Parson deployed with the 29th Infantry Division. During their travels, Wilson met up with Will Alley, the 2/82nd Airborne Brigade chaplain in Kuwait, and Christopher Kavanaugh ’96 in Camp Manion (at Taqqadum, Iraq). Thanks for the note, Wilson. Stay safe, and remember to square away that Capt. Hager!

As we congregate, we are able to reflect on some of our fallen brother rats, like Tony Conway and Charles Ransom. Amanda Conway writes, “We raised more than $6,000 at the sixth annual Conway Cup and had several donations from ’01 alumni. The current VMI men’s soccer coach and two former coaches were there to celebrate Tony. An alumni team he coached won one of the brackets. All proceeds will go to ALS families and charities.” Thank you all for

the support, and remember that Tony’s men’s soccer scholarship is up and running.

Amanda also noted that, with the support of Jonathan Hadra ’04, she threw out the first pitch at the VMI versus the University of North Carolina – Greensboro game during the Southern Conference ALS awareness weekend May 5. Thank you so much for the note, Amanda.

Please keep us informed on how we can support the Conway Cup and Tony’s scholarship!

Kim Herbert wrote that Team RWB Boston and the Boylston Marathon Sports Boston ran in honor and memory of Major Charles Ransom April 26. Kim, thanks so much for showing your support and posting it on Facebook.

Looking back allows us to appreciate our blessings. Congratulations to Rich Hodge on the birth of his son, Callum Hodge! It was great to see pictures of him with a lacrosse stick already in his hand!

Additionally, congrats to Ben Griffith on the birth of his daughter, Emersyn Cecelia Griffith.

In addition to a new family member, Ben is preparing the planting of a vineyard in Montana in the beginning of June. Ben writes, “Hopefully, we’ll have some wine ready for the next reunion. If everything goes as planned, we will be the largest producer of Crimson Pearl in the state of Montana. This is the newest of cold, hardy grape varieties available. Please follow us at watchdogwinery.com.” It’s great to hear you are doing well, Ben! It’s amazing to see the strong bonds that our

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Class Notes class displays despite distances. It was great to hear from all of you, and please stay connected! ’01, ’01, ’01!

2002

Salmaan Khawaja

Brother Rats, I hope that this edition of the Review finds you and yours well. As I write these notes, today is New Market Day, and many of us were able to watch the parade live via VMI’s webcast. If you haven’t seen it, it is available on the VMI website for review.

Can you believe it has been 15 years since we marched our last parade at the Institute? By the time you read these notes, Matriculation for the Class of 2018+3 will be nearing and the fall semester almost underway at the “Mother I.” Along those lines, our 15th Reunion is fast approaching, and I cannot wait to see as many of you as possible in October in Lexington. I want to especially thank

Jason Breeding, Matt Thompson and others as the reunion plans are finalized. J.M. Nemish has offered to help with the class notes, and I am very excited to have him as a part of our class agent team here moving forward.

James Howard has been doing an amazing amount of work, and he specifically declined my hounding him to recognize his individual achievements in his physical rehabilitation efforts. He did, however, approve raising awareness for the two allvolunteer nonprofits he founded that help “people a lot worse off than I am.” Information regarding these nonprofits are available at: www.REACHcycles.org and www.VetsAU.com. Please visit these sites and familiarize yourself with the incredible work James and his team are doing.

John Leon wrote in to relay the good news that, after four months of job searching, he has landed an excellent position. John was hired as a deputy program manager supporting Headquarters, Department of the Army chief information officer/G-6 at Fort Belvoir. His role includes modernizing the Army’s information technology infrastructure/capabilities with a focus on meeting the expectations of what the world will be like in 2040. There, John will be part of the executive administration tasking, with a focus on keeping the various Architectures, Operations, Networks & Space projects on course and well-supported.

Congrats, John.

I encourage you all to consider joining the 2002 Facebook page, as it contains information regarding our reunion, with more information to come.

Can’t wait to see you all and your families in October! I will be inundating you all with more notes after that! ’02! ’02! ‘02!

In the spirit, Salmaan

Class of 2003: Jared and Julie Swanson with their daughter, Verona Mae, born April 9, 2017.

Class of 2003: John and Rachel Noonan’s daughter, Alexandra Marie, born March 13, 2017.

2003

William Talley V

Class of 2002: Class Agent Salmaan Khawaja said of this photo, “James Howard was able to give his mother a Mother’s Day hug standing up. What an amazing gift!”

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Brother Rats, As I type up this set of notes, the final hours of New Market Day 2017 are ticking by. Facebook has been filled with posts from our class and other alumni noting where our heritage really began on that fateful day in 1864. Tomorrow, the Class of 2017 will graduate, and the words that are located

Class of 2003: Jason and Theresa Annis and their daughters, Kiersten, Kourtney and Piper Marie, who was born March 17, 2017.

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Class Notes on the Parapet will ring true once again.

The only update I got for this set is from Jared Swanson. Jared, you do Band Company proud.

Without fail, you send in updates each quarter, regardless of how much or how little has occurred.

Thank you! Jared and his wife, Julie, welcomed their second child, a daughter, Verona Mae, into the world April 9, 2017. Joining Verona Mae is her big brother, Eli, who I’m sure is enjoying his new role.

John Noonan and his wife, Rachel, welcomed their first child, a daughter, Alexandra Marie, into the world March 13, 2017. I haven’t talked to John personally in a while, but I’m sure he’s enjoying being a father, and I can only imagine has some good stories to share.

I also understand that Steve Nakazawa is now leading the team that manages all capital planning and investment control for the Department of the Treasury. Go ahead, Steve!

Jason Annis and his wife, Theresa, welcomed their third daughter, Piper Marie, into the world March 17, 2017. Jason and Theresa have two other daughters, Kiersten and Kourtney. Jason, good luck!

Brandon Matthews and his wife, Audrey, welcomed their second child, a daughter, Ava Cecilia, into the world March 17, 2017, as well. I’m sure Brandon’s already teaching his son, Wyatt, how to properly “protect” his sister.

I need to make a correction to an error that was in the last set of notes. I incorrectly labeled Trey Guy’s son, Caerwyn, as a girl rather than a boy in the caption of their picture. Trey, my apologies,

Class of 2004: Chris Richman and girlfriend Leslie along with Heart and William on a hike through Devil’s Bridge in Sedona, Arizona.

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and thank you for making me aware.

Lastly, I’d ask that everyone please keep Rollin Steele and his wife, Alexis, and their son, Slade, in your prayers. Rollin and Alexis tragically lost their little girl, Leilani (17 months), March 31. As many of us are parents ourselves, our hearts go out to your entire family, Rollin.

Until next time, brother rats.

2004

Scott E. Campbell

C. Justin Roberts

Slava Kirillov has surfaced. He’s married to Ira Kirillov. They met in film school and have a son, Herman Kirillov, born Dec. 8, 2016. “Tom’s Cross,” Slava’s most recent film, is awaiting production. Keep an eye out!

David Yaman completed his Master of Business Administration degree at American University in December. He and his wife, Jessica, welcomed the birth of their second child, Silas David Yaman, March 16. Alya is excited about being a big sister!

Justin Greer and his wife, Jenn, welcomed their third son, Jaxen David Greer, May 7.

From Andrew Hardin: “Megan and I are doing

well, as are the kiddos. I finished Ironman Texas in April with an 11:41:29. I’m looking forward to improving on that. I’ve about got John Ginder talked into doing the Ironman Austin (70.3) with me in October; if anyone else in the class is interested, they would be welcome to stay with me.”

Chris Richman is back from another tour in Afghanistan. He took some time off and moved to Phoenix to spend time with his girlfriend, Leslie.

Currently, they are living in Dayton, Ohio, with Heart and William, their Chihuahuas. Leslie will continue her work as a nurse, and Chris is back to “the Special Forces thing of training, training, training and preparing for some upcoming overseas deployments.” He wrote from the SF sniper course passing the time while waiting on the hiring process with several federal law enforcement agencies. “They’re just taking their sweet time. I

Class of 2004: Drew Hardin during lap two of the IronMan Texas run April 22, 2017, on his way to an 11:41:29 finish.

Class of 2004: Pictured at a New Market Day luncheon May 15, 2017, at Camp Arifan in Kuwait were, from left, Capt. Scott Campbell, 1st Lt. Matthew Mawyer ’10, Capt. Randy Hager ’01, Nicholas Hassell ’15, Denver Reese ’13, Lt. Col. Doug Stransky ’93, Lt. Col. Todd Pegg ’92, Maj. Wilson Mustain ’01 and Warrant Officer 1 William Johnson ’03.

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes heard the FBI needs a new director. Maybe I can interview for that. Other than that, nothing new.

Just trying to figure out what I wanna be when I grow up,” said Richman.

I’m pretty sure we’re all still trying to figure that out. I considered the directorship while I’ve been sitting here typing out these notes. In the meantime, I’ll keep applying for jobs back in Richmond.

Ross Garnett and the family are heading to Japan in July for a 3-year tour. He also reported: “Rod James has visited northern Virginia several times to brief senators/congressman from his position over in Europe. Josh Montero and I have had several family barbecues/events. He’ll be heading to School of Advanced Warfighting in July and hopefully coming out to Japan next summer. Joe Montagna will finish up Command & Staff College in June (same as me), and I think he’s heading to North Carolina or South Carolina.”

Sergeant 1st Class Ryan Koniak is in Afghanistan with Special Operation Detachment OTAN/ NATO doing good things in an advise and assist role with Afghan Special Forces.

I’m finishing out a tour with the 29th Infantry Division here in Kuwait. A small group of Keydets celebrated New Market Day on Camp Arifjan earlier today. Lieutenant Col. Todd Pegg ’92, Lt. Col. Doug Stransky ’93, Maj. Wilson Mustain ’01, Capt. Randy Hager ’01, Warrant Officer 1 William Johnson ’03, 1st Lt. Matthew Mawyer ’10, Denver Reese ’13 and Nicholas Hassell ’15 and I were able to have lunch together.

Take care! Be safe, and keep in touch!

Scott Campbell

2005

Tom Hardinge

Timothy Johnson

Brother Rats, I hope this installment finds you well as summer comes to a close and the fall season starts to gear up in earnest. Hopefully those beach tans haven’t faded and the grills are ready for another Saturday morning tailgate in the shadow of Moody Hall.

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Andy Karnes writes in after what sounds like an amazing mini reunion golf outing held at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina: “The second annual Keydet Pinehurst golf trip was held this year, April 21-23. In attendance were Ryan King, Jay Coleman, Henry Lynch, John Baber, Rich Litwin, Will Paulette, Tom Innes, Duke Acors, Jeff Smith, Jimmer Kingsley and Lawton Way. Team Stonewall, dressed in white, declared victory over Team Keydets, dressed in red, for the second year in a row. A good time was had by all, though perhaps not the staff of Dugan’s Pub on Saturday evening for the champion’s dinner.

“Highlights of the trip included John Baber’s shirtless display on the Thistle Dhu putting green at the Pinehurst resort and Lawton Way’s early exit from the field due to a freak accident during Friday’s round, which resulted in eight stitches in his left hand.

“The group plans to make escaping from wives and children for the purpose of excessive drinking and lackluster golf an annual tradition.”

Shore Stokes checked in: “I’m still working in New York City and living in Brooklyn with my wife, Tara, and son, Greyson. He was born Nov. 12, so we’re having fun being new parents. Kirk is still living in Singapore but spends a lot of his time in Indonesia. I’ve recently been in touch with Travis Hord and Matt Kurz. Both of them are doing well.”

Speaking of Kirk Stokes, he and Adam Rouse have been spotted on a rooftop patio in Singapore sharing beers and old memories from Keydet life as Adam recently traveled throughout Southeast Asia. As reported in the last Review, Adam married Halah Touryalai Nov. 11, 2016, and they have since moved to the Baltimore area. Brother Rat Logan Manning was in attendance for the ceremony, and Chris Alderman ’08 was the officiant.

Adam wishes he could have invited more BRs to be there and relive some of the old days at the “I.” Other than being genuinely awesome (his words, but no disagreement from this author), Sam Johnson has assumed the role of executive officer of 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines in Philadelphia. He also accepted a promotion to project manager at Duke Energy Transmission this past March.

Derek Rankin had a recent run-in this past February with Geoff Goldsmith ’04 at the Air Force Personnel Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Ian Foley has recently changed jobs to stop traveling as much and was promptly sent to Boston for training. While there, he was able to catch up with

Class of 2005: Kirk Stokes and Adam Rouse caught up in Singapore.

Class of 2005: Pictured at a golf outing were, from left, back row, Ryan King, Jay Coleman, Henry Lynch, John Baber, Rich Litwin, Will Paulette and Tom Innes.

Front row: Andy Karnes, Duke Acors, Jeff Smith, Jimmer Kingsley and Lawton Way.

Class of 2005: Derek Rankin with Geoff Goldsmith ’04 at Joint Base San Antonio Air Force Personnel Center in February.

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Class Notes Eric DeAvilla, who is doing very well for himself.

Ian’s new job is with American Tower, through which he was able to meet another fellow Keydet, who unfortunately won’t interact with him too much, as he’s based out of their California office.

That’s all for this quarter, brother rats. I’m sure there is much more to tell, so please continue to keep those updates rolling in. Obviously, it’s hard for me to personally stay in touch with everyone, so don’t be afraid to reach out with any new and exciting life events that I can relay to the rest of the class.

Rah Virginia Mil, Tom Hardinge

2006

Class of 2006: Elijah William Yannetti, born March 21, 2017.

Andrew Upshaw

Brother Rats, I hope all of you are doing well! It’s an honor to take over as class agent, and I will do my best to meet the high standard set by Shawn Driver!

I’m finishing my tour at the George C. Marshall Center in Germany and soon will begin the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Keep me posted on everything that’s going on, and let me know if you have any ideas of how we can organize events and get together between now and the next reunion!

Nate Parsons is about to jump ship from active duty. They have a baby boy due Aug. 8. He

Class of 2006: Shelly (Mackall) Pauling receiving her Ph.D. at Capella University.

Class of 2006: Nate Parsons at Southwest Airlines.

Class of 2006: Mark Searles with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.

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Class of 2006: Clark Dudley and his wife, Kate, with their son, Luke Avery Dudley. got hired by Southwest and plans to start training at the end of August in Dallas. They also plan to move to Dallas so he can be in “domicile” or “home base.” He’s hoping to rush some guard or reserve units, but nothing solid at the moment – maybe Texas Army National Guard at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.

Shelly (Mackall) Pauling graduated from Capella University last month. She obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in psychology with a concentration in sport psychology.

John Diehl is recently back from Afghanistan and working at the family lumber business. He is expecting a child in September and is eager to enjoy his last summer without major responsibilities!

Brian Yanetti’s third child was born March 21, Elijah William Yannetti.

Mike Child graduated from business school at the University of Virginia in 2015 and has been working as a consultant with McKinsey & Company for two years, currently working on a research project looking into income inequality and falling wages.

Mark Searles is currently the special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff working as a speechwriter this summer – switching over to work for the Secretary of the Army. Clark Dudley and his wife, Kate, welcomed their second boy in April 2017, Luke Avery Dudley. He is looking forward to attending VMI when his big brother, Jack, will be a 1st.

Contact me anytime at: vmi2006classagent@ gmail.com.

Thanks!

Andrew

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

2007

Sally Bushore

Another New Market Day is drawing to a close as I write these notes. Is there any other time of the year that quite matches the pride an alumnus feels every May 15? I admit, I’m not always the most spirited, but New Market Day still gets to me. With no small degree of fondness in my heart for the “Mother I,” I would like to take this time to announce I will be stepping down from my role of class agent in the aftermath of our reunion. The job of class agent is surprisingly time consuming and really requires a certain amount of dedication and effort. I have gone back to school with intentions to graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and when not actively pursuing that goal, I am also a mother to two young children, with more, hopefully, in the future. That being said, I simply do not have the time to put into this job anymore, and I do believe that the class deserves only the best possible effort from a class agent. I know there has been interest in the role, so if anyone is interested, please let Jamaal or me know. It has been a decade for

Class of 2007: Nick Engle and Grayson Ernst in California this year.

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me, and to put it simply, I’m done. On a happier note, our 10th Reunion is fast approaching, and I’m looking forward to seeing you and your families there.

Matthew Saccone sent me a nice note with several updates. On March 30, he and his wife welcomed their second child, Giovanni Saccone. Congrats, Matt! He said that he also met up with Tom Pepka and his family earlier this year. According to Matt, Tom and his wife are staying busy, but they have four kids, so that’s very understandable! They are living in Dayton, Ohio.

Mike Peranski is newly engaged to his fiancée, Amber. They are planning a wedding for 2018.

Matt Hopchak and his family moved to California, and Matt is still in the Army. James Sandman and his family live near Cleveland, where James has a high-intensity job!

I also heard from Grayson Ernst who is graduating with a doctorate of chiropractic and is marrying the woman of his dreams in December 2017. He has lived in southern California for more than two years now, and his path has crossed with several BRs. He says he has run into Tyler Freeman, Evan Hanks and Nick Engle all within the last year. Tyler left active duty and is beginning dentist school at Virginia Commonwealth University soon. Evan is still in the Air Force and is doing quite well for himself. Grayson says he is “God’s gift to mechanical engineering.” Nick was recently promoted to major in the Air Force.

Dustin Schultz just finished his first department head tour on USS Kearsarge LHD 3. He says that he was able to host spring the Field Training Exercise for VMI NROTC onboard ship, and it was a great chance to talk with 200 VMI cadet/midshipmen. He will be starting his second department head tour as combat systems officer on USS McCampbell DDG 85 out of Yokosuka, Japan. He says his wife and kids will not be joining him on this tour. Dustin wrote that he made it to the VMI versus The Citadel game this year and saw Justin Chetney there. He also got to see Rob Russman when his ship stopped in Australia, where Rob is working right now for the State Department.

Thank you everyone who sent me updates! I hear from many BRs that they always enjoy reading the notes to see what everyone is up to, so thank you for taking the time to send me an email, no matter how small. It is appreciated by the class!

2008

Robert Hill

I hope everyone is doing well. I apologize for the short notice on asking for class notes in May. Lauren and I received a pleasant surprise, as we welcomed Addyson Elizabeth April 5, 2017. While arriving six weeks early, she was still 19 inches and 5 pounds. After spending two weeks in the NICU, we were able to bring Addyson home. We appreciate all the good wishes and prayers that were sent our way. Just a couple of weeks before Addyson was born, Lauren and I were able to visit Washington, D.C., to celebrate the first birthday of Matthew Mitchell’s and wife Arlene-Raquel’s daughter, Ava Victoria. We were joined by Jared Siebnaler. A week later, the Mitchells joined us in Hershey for Lauren’s baby shower.

Will Flathers and wife Sara welcomed George William Flathers IV (Liam) eight weeks early on May 1. Liam, who weighed 5 pounds 1 ounce at birth, is in the NICU but doing well, as are Will and Sara. Just before Liam was born, Will and Sara moved to McMinnville, Oregon. While Sara is working in

Class of 2008: Will Flathers’ son, George William “Liam” Flathers IV, pictured cuddling mother Sara. Liam was born in Oregon May 1, 2017.

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Class Notes in northern Virginia. Jason, along with Dan Williams ’11 and Carter Kunz ’10, welcomed VMI’s Air Force ROTC April 3-4 at Joint Base Andrews. The group of roughly 175 from VMI was led by Zach Cline ’11, who works at VMI in the Air Force Department. The stay was capped by a visit from Gen. Darren McDew ’82, commander of U.S. Transportation Command.

As I mentioned previously, we are quickly approaching our 10th Reunion. Be on the lookout for emails and letters regarding the celebration.

The final date won’t be set until late 2017 when the 2018 football schedule is released. Typically, the second reunion will occur in mid- to late October.

2009

Bradley Simpson

Brother Rats: I hope this edition of the Review finds you and your families well. I have had a great time catching up with all of you from the emails and Class of 2008: Alex Lamb and Noah Scribmessages I have gotten. From everything I have ner ’09, along with their wives, Amber and gotten, we are out doing amazing things across Megan, were able to catch up at the Keuthe country. kenhof Tulip Festival in Holland in May. Becky Harris was named Teacher of the Portland, Will is still flying Chinooks Year this past year, along with that for the Army National Guard out of great news, her horse was high point Joint Base Lewis McChord. Congrand champion for the entire show grats, Will and Sara! season.

Joining the Hills and the FlathBrad Cooper is doing huge things erses with expanding the family were in the craft beer scene in Richmond the families of Clinton Adams and since opening Steam Bell. Steam Bell Adam Barr. Clinton and wife Chrisis acquiring another 3,000 square feet tine welcomed Alexander Reese April of space early next year to expand 25. Alex tipped the scales at 7 pounds, their production at the brewery. They 12 ounces and 21-and-a-half inches are also launching a line of craft solong. Adam Barr and wife Megan das called Trussings Craft Fizz. Iniwelcomed Cole Galahad Barr May tially, this will only be available in 12, 2017. Cole weighed 9 pounds, 3 the tasting room, but as soon as they ounces and measured 21-and-a-half acquire the extra floor space, they inches. Congrats to the Barrs and Adwill be installing a bottling line that Class of 2008: Matt Mitchell and wife Arlene-Raquel visited Robert amses. will be used for both the beer and and Lauren Hill in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Alex Lamb and wife Amber were the soda. If that wasn’t enough to able to rendezvous with Noah Scribkeep him busy, they are also openner ’09 and his wife, Megan, in Holing a second brewery and tasting land at the Keukenhof Tulip Festival. room in Richmond’s Fan District at Alex is currently working at the Su1527 West Main Street. This brewpreme Headquarters Allied Powers ery will be called Canon & Draw Europe, and Noah’s assignment is in Brewing Company. Canon & Draw Vilseck, Germany. should be opening mid- to late sumKyle Adams and wife Ashley have mer 2017. moved to Binghamton, New York.

My wife and I had the opportunity Kyle was promoted within Norfolk to meet up with Michael Harvey, Southern this past February and along with his wife, Erin, and kids, moved for work. They are welcoming Christopher and Claire, at the Instivisitors, if anyone is in or around tute in late April to catch up before the area. Kyle was able to make the Mike heads down to Marine Corps alumni rugby game in late April Base Lejeune. We spent a wonderful alongside Chris Alderman. day hanging out and remembering Jason Pettengill is still working at Class of 2008: Lauren and Robbie Hill prepared to take Addyson the good old days when the Rat Line Elizabeth home from the neonatal intensive care unit. Addyson Joint Base Andrews. He lives with was born six weeks early April 5, 2017. was hard and all those things alumni wife Sarah and daughter Rosely do when you go back to VMI.

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

2010

Cody Hennelly

Garland Gray III

Class of 2009: Christopher Harvey, Claire Harvey and Payton Simpson at VMI for a Friday afternoon parade.

It’s hard to believe, but our last parade at VMI was seven years ago to the day as I write this. I hope everybody is enjoying the spring and summer weather.

Special thanks to Dominik Wermus, who sent me a note with updates from several brother rats: “My wife, Rui, and I are living in Alexandria, Virginia. I transitioned to the National Nuclear Security Administration as a project manager.

I am also continuing to do submarine-related work with the Navy Reserve and am completing an information systems master’s degree with Johns Hopkins University. My wife was recently promoted to human resources business partner at her company in McLean, Virginia.

“Lieutenants Fletcher Wasson ’09, Travis

Travis and Scott MacDonald all attended the Navy’s Seahawk Weapons and Tactics Instructor course, where they were taught by Lieutenant Garth Willard ’09. Travis is now an instructor flying the MH-60S at the Naval Air Warfare Development Center in Fallon, Nevada, and Scott is an instructor flying the MH60R at the Helicopter Maritime Strike Weapons School Atlantic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Class of 2010: Matt Mawyer and Mitch Messick caught up at Camp Arijfan in Kuwait in April.

Class of 2009: Daniel Stanislawski and Ania with their new baby, Emilia.

In late April, Trent Blackman was able to make his 65th jump, which marked his last requirement to earn his master jump wings.

Daniel Stanislawski and wife Ania welcomed their first baby to their family Feb. 15 in Baltimore, Maryland. Ania Stanislawski and Emilia are doing well.

Well, that about does it for this edition of the notes. As summer is approaching, it was great to catch up with everyone and hear what great things we are all up to. Until next time, stay classy, 2009!

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Class of 2010: Garland Gray, Bobby Morris, Tanner Sewell and Mitch Gardner attended the wedding of Mike Hozik and Brittany Cureton.

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Class Notes “Jorge Tellez and his wife, Salomé, are preparing for their transition from Washington, D.C., to Berkeley, California. Jorge was accepted to several prestigious Master of Business Administration degree programs and chose the Haas School of Business, which he’ll be starting this fall. This is Jorge’s next step after active duty Navy. Meanwhile, his wife will shift from her work as a registered nurse and adjunct professor to beginning her doctoral of nursing practice degree at Johns Hopkins University.

Good luck to you both!

“Barker Squire announced his engagement to Molly Duncan of Greensboro, North Carolina, last fall. They’re set to marry after they both graduate from University of Virginia Darden School of Business this spring. They plan on relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina, where they will immediately begin putting those MBAs to good use. Molly will start out working as a consultant with McKinsey, and Barker will be diving straight into business acquisition.

“Aaron McKeen has been enjoying life in Yokosuka, Japan, working at CTF-74 as a submarine watch officer. He’s just shifted from their watch floor into a new role as the submarine scheduler for the entire Pacific fleet. This means he’s been traveling all over the world to brief Combatant Command leadership on all the sneaky stuff that submarines do – normally an O-6 job! He’s clearly enjoying life in Japan

Class of 2010: Captains Cody Hennelly, Marcus Sutter ’13 and Mitch Messick in Baghdad.

Class of 2010: Brandon Stratz, Knox Witcher and Jack Wright with Chris Zarycki and Shelby Hadfield at their wedding.

Class of 2010: Chris Zarycki and Chris Mendillo at Christmas in New Jersey.

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with his girlfriend, Asami, as they go on all kinds of scuba and hiking adventures together!

Well done!

“Ben Popko recently married the former Amy Dederich of Syracuse, New York, in a small ceremony in Savannah, Georgia. He’s stationed at Fort Stewart continuing to work as a Military Intelligence officer in 3rd Infantry Division. In preparation for duties as an electrical engineering Instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2019, the Army is sending him to a grad school of his choice.

He’s been accepted to several top Electrical Engineering programs, and is leaning toward

Georgia Tech beginning this fall. Meanwhile, his new wife Amy is also continuing school at Lynchburg College for a master’s degree in physician assistant medicine. A happy marriage to you both, as well!

“Justin Aya-ay has just graduated The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, before moving on to the six month Navy/Marine Intel Officer School in Dam Neck. After that, he’ll return to Okinawa, where he previously served in intel positions as a Marine Corps staff non-commissioned officer.”

Thanks for reaching out, Dominik, and it’s great to hear all the great work and accomplishments of our class.

Chris Zarycki reached out to let me know he got married, and thankfully, he attached photographic proof or else I wouldn’t have believed it. The lucky lady is Shelby Hadfield, and witnesses included Jack Wright, Knox Witcher and Brandon Stratz. The couple got married in New Jersey. Congratulations to you both!

I had the honor of attending Mike Hozik’s marriage to Brittany Cureton in Charleston, South Carolina. Brittany is a medical student at the Medical University of South Carolina, and Mike is set to graduate from Georgetown Law in the spring. Congratulations! Also in the wedding party were Mitch Gardner, Bobby Morris and Tanner Sewell.

Owen Trotman tells me he is still single but manages to keep busy between surfing, snowboarding and motorcycling. Shawn Fox, on the other hand, got a puppy to keep busy.

Matt Mawyer caught up with Mitch Messick at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in April. Matt has been stationed at Camp Arifjan since April, and Mitch was passing through. Mitch also caught up with our absentee class agent, Cody Hennelly, and newly promoted Capt. Marcus Sutter ’13 in Baghdad.

That’s all for now. I hope to hear from you all soon.

2011

Allen McCown

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 2011.

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

2012

Bruce Howard

Brother Rats, I hope this edition of the Review finds you and your families well.

Congratulations to Graham Neal, who married Samantha Courrier over Easter weekend.

It was great seeing several BRs at the wedding.

Shaun Ruark recently got out of the Marine Corps and moved to Evansville, Indiana. He is now working for Toyota Boshoku managing a line that makes seats for Toyota Siennas.

Richard Luck is engaged to his fiancée, Jenna Chenault. The happy couple is planning on getting married next summer. I wish the two of you a happy engagement.

Alex Mason just passed 3,000 hours of flight time and is now involved with pilot hiring with the airlines. He is also a fleet manager and a maintenance functional check pilot. Alex has expressed his interest to help find any alumni looking for new jobs a position with the airlines if they are searching in that field. Thanks for offering to help, Alex.

Drew Stahling and his wife, Sarah Kathryn, recently bought a home in Richmond. They used the VMI connection and had the Boyer Group, also based in Richmond, help them find their future home. It’s great to see the VMI connection strong at work.

Ben Howard returned from a tour in Iraq in May, where he commanded a Tactical Unmanned Aerial System. This platoon helped support a Marine Corps company with reconnaissance and surveillance. Ben was awarded a Bronze Star and promoted to captain in January. He is now at Captains Career Course at Fort Leonard in Missouri.

Also, Andrew Deal won a kayak at a Ducks Unlimited event; I thought it was noteworthy.

Thank you all for the updates. Our 5th Reunion will take place Oct. 20-22, 2017. I will continue to update the Facebook page and will also be sending out emails soon. Please spread the word to any members of our class who do not currently receive the Alumni Review or social media updates. I also want to encourage

2017-Issue 3

each of you to please log on to vmialumni. org and set up a profile. This way, you will be able to update your own information so that I can send out class-wide emails. I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing from you soon.

In the bonds, Bruce

2013

Charles P. Jones

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 2013.

2014

Samuel Guidry

Taylor Floyd

Editor’s Note: We did not receive notes for the Class of 2014.

2015

Johnny McDonald

Brother Rats, I had two interesting experiences recently. As many of you know, I live down in Tallahassee, Florida. I have not run across many Keydets and rarely see VMI swag. There are several alumni in town, but I have yet to run into more than one or two of them. I was recently leaving my house to go grab a book and some dinner before catching an early flight to Charlottesville the next morning. I was riding down the road, and at the same time, my wife and I yell, “VMI!” Crossing the road was a guy wearing a VMI T-shirt.

Being the shy, reserved guy I am, I rolled down the window and shouted at him, soon to realize it was Dic Donohue ’02. As you all know, Dic was the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority police officer shot by the one of the Boston bombers, as well as the speaker at our Ring Figure dinner. It did not take long for us to realize that we were holding up traffic and should catch up over pizza and a beer. After a couple of slices of pizza and an undisclosed amount of beer, my wife dropped Dic off at his hotel so he could be up early for a business meeting and got me home so I could sleep it off before catching our flight the next morning.

That’s not all! While traveling back to Tallahassee from Charlottesville, I was sitting in the airport reading a book when some old guy with a beard tried to strain me. It turns out, Col. Trumps ’79, our esteemed commandant during most of our tenure in barracks, was catching the same flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. We had time to catch up over a beer in the airport before we parted ways, and I tried to ask him if it was our class or the Class of 2014 that drove him into retirement, but he wouldn’t come clean one way or another. He did assure me that he is doing well and enjoying his new endeavor working at the Army JAG School in Charlottesville.

Two chance encounters with VMI alumni reminded me of that special bond we all share and was just what I needed. Being so removed from the Lexington area, I often find myself missing that brotherhood that those who did not attend VMI never understand.

We have some updates from the members of the class, but before we dive into that, I wanted to relay a message from BR Greg Hempt: “Fellow alumni, the future unicorn firm known as Keydet Ventures, consisting of Chap Michie, Alex Lin, Ricky Siewers and Greg Hempt are competing in the D10 Decathlon June 10 at Columbia University to raise money for pediatric cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The decathlon itself is a high-profile athletic competition designed to test athleticism across 10 events: 400-meter run, football throw, pullups, 40-yard dash, dips, 500-meter row, vertical jump, 20yard shuttle sprint, bench press and 800-meter run. Since its inception in 2009, the decathlon has raised close to $8 million in total contributions. Please let me know if you would like to

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Class Notes hear more about the competition or the cause.

Your support is greatly appreciated. ​ Whole damn team! Keydet Ventures.”

This is an awesome event these guys are taking on to support a great cause. It is encouraging to see members of the class out there having fun and raising funds for pediatric cancer research. I am not sure if donations will still be accepted by time this publishes, but please take a minute to check out their event website, donate and check out their scores: https://nyc. thed10.com/teams/108.

Additionally, Brandon Campbell received his master’s degree in mechanical and nuclear engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University May 12. Mitchell and Tessa White celebrated their first anniversary April 30 while visiting family in Virginia. Alex Hastings is currently deployed to Germany as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve along with Kurt Schommer, Heather Magill and Charlie Gough. They are all spread out, but they’ve kept in contact in case their units cross paths. He didn’t have long to talk, but Spencer Buettner sent me a picture of his platoon after training on amphibious raids with amphibious assault vehicles.

We have had some marriages and engagements in the class since the last notes: Josh Ford got married to Morgan Ferguson, the daughter of Monte Ferguson ’87. At the wedding, Josh was able to catch up with Kyle

Class of 2015: Johnny McDonald and Col. Thomas Trumps ’79 in the Charlottesville airport.

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Rios, Colin Wilson and Josh Farry, as well as his rats. They ended the night with an Old Yell and honeymooned in Kauai, where they bumped into Mitch Sikes who was also on his honeymoon. The Fords are now living a little bit north of Dallas.

Tyler Brickles proposed to Brittany Alm in Marietta, Georgia, and they plan to be married in June 2018. Also, he was commissioned into the Army Medical Service through a direct commission May 22 and will attend Basic Officer Leaders Course after he completes his master’s degree in September. Tyler has been a busy man!

Dakota Nicely married Katie Clevenger, a graduate of Texas Christian University, July 1, 2017. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas, and does financial consulting for Strategic Legacy Partners.

Congratulations to you all!

That is all I have for this set of class notes.

Keep doing good things, and keep me updated!

Whole damn team, Johnny

2016

Jacob Norris Patrick Hine

BRs, It is hard to believe that is has officially been one year since we left VMI. I can’t say I am missing those arches just yet, but the people and the memories are definitely missed. Enough with the nostalgia. Big congratulations are in order for Nic and Sami Ortiz, as they just announced that they have their first child on the way. We wish them the best of luck and could not be happier. T.J. Eddy is on his way to Afghanistan for his first deployment with 1st Brigade of the 1st Armored Division. Keep him in your thoughts as we hope for a safe deployment downrange.

As always, if there is anything you want included in the class notes, please don’t hesitate to ask me. Take care, 2016.

Rah Virginia Mil.

2017

Benjamin Stewart

Brother Rats, By the time each of you will be reading this, we will have graduated, and more importantly, many of the below goals will already be in progress. I hope each of you will remain safe and stay in touch. Our rats, the Class of 2020, will be nearing their 3rd Class year, and I have no doubt they will make us proud.

Dakoda Lane’s Army National Guard unit will be activated and sent to Tajikistan to train soldiers there on convoy maneuvering and maintenance.

Tyson McClellant will be attending Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, this summer.

Hamp A. Beddoes is currently applying for the Coast Guard through the DCSS Program. If accepted, he will commission as an ensign in January 2018. Regardless, he will be spending roughly two-and-a-half months this summer on a purse seiner catching salmon out of Cordova, Alaska.

Austin R. States will be working as an operations research analyst for a small contracting company that specializes in maritime warfare for the Department of Defense. The company is Systems Planning and Analysis.

Evan M. Reineman will commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and will be attending The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, in the fall.

Conrad Frawley will be reporting to Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Benning May 26 and has orders to Ranger School immediately after. He hopes to be stationed at either Fort Bragg or Fort Lewis.

Matthew Hill will commission in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. He will report to IBOLC May 25 with hopes to go to Ranger School after.

Will Johnston will be going to the Air Force Institute of Technology to get his master’s in nuclear physics for his first duty station. (He will be active duty during this time.) Will will be stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Erik Stein will be working in Kilbourne Hall

VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes for the NROTC Unit as an ensign until the end of May. He will then be leaving for Pensacola, Florida, to begin Navy Flight School.

Matt Outland will be working for the town of Cape Charles as an assistant harbormaster while pursuing a commission in the Coast Guard.

Joe Bobay will be working at Pricewaterhouse Coopers public sector as an associate doing data analytics.

Matt Arnold will be working at a microbrewery near his hometown for about eight months.

He hopes to travel outside the country a couple of times until reporting to the Armor Basic Officer Leadership Course. After ABOLC, he will be looking for a job somewhere in Virginia.

Matthew Saunders will be working for American Electric Power upon graduation in Roanoke, Virginia, as an associate engineer. Primarily, his focus will be on transmission line engineering.

In the near future, he plans on getting his professional engineering license.

Brandon Conley will be going to Navy Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, South Carolina, upon graduation and joining the Navy’s submarine force. Within the near future, he plans on trying to attend Navy Diving and Salvage Training and becoming a submarine warfare qualified officer.

Olivia Emery will be working to obtain her EMT license, while working clinical hours throughout the metropolitan area over the

summer. This opportunity will prepare her for a one year post-baccalaureate program in biochemistry. From there, Olivia hopes to attend medical school, where she plans on becoming a surgeon in the Navy.

Kristopher C. Richardson will commission in the U.S. Air Force as a cyberspace operations officer and reporting to Keesler Air Force Base in September.

William K. Thomas will report to Marine Officer Candidate School in June aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico. Upon completion, he hopes to attend Artillery MOS school at Fort Sill.

Riley Morgan will be working for Townes Site Engineering in Chesterfield. He will be getting married in June and living in Old Town, Petersburg.

Joey Steinbach will to report to Quantico, Virginia, for The Basic School for the Marine Corps, after which he hopes to attend Infantry Officers Course in Quantico.

Zachary Lafreniere will be attending the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry July 31, 2017, and will be commissioning into the United States Navy Dental Corps Aug. 1, 2017.

Timothy Davison will report to IBOLC in July at Fort Benning, and Timmy hopes to report to Fort Bragg to serve in the 82nd Airborne.

Jason M. Bass will be working in Richmond, Virginia, for a civil engineering consulting firm with a focus on roadway construction.

Brian W. Kiddy will be commissioning in the United States Navy and will be stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, for 18 months beginning in August 2017 while completing Nuclear Power School. Upon completion, Brian will be assigned to one of any submarine or port on either the Pacific or Atlantic coast.

Nicolette A. Huntley will be commissioning in the United States Navy and will be attending Electrical Engineering DIVO School in Rhode Island, followed by Basic Division Officer Course in Norfolk, Virginia, after which she will be stationed in Jacksonville, Florida, on the USS Iwo Jima LHD7.

Daniel M. Bowen will be commissioning in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, and will be pursuing a career as a civil engineer. He also intends to attain his master’s and doctorate degrees in civil engineering.

Devon J. Kirk will be commissioning in the United States Air Force and will be attending school to learn to fly drones.

Austin Hartness will be commissioning into the Army Reserve, branching military intelligence.

After graduation, he will be working for a private contracting company, CACI. He further plans to attend MI BOLC one year from graduation after getting a firm start in the civilian world.

Jake Hyde has been accepted into dental school at VCU. After completing dental school, he will serve as a dentist in the Air Force.

VMI photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.

Congratulations, Class of 2017!

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VMI Alumni Review

Class Notes

Baby Keydets GREER – a son, Jaxen David, to Jenn and Justin D. Greer ’04, May 7, 2017.

KIRILLOV – a son, Herman, to Ira and Slava Kirillov ’04, Dec. 8, 2016.

Save the Date: Career Development Forum

YAMAN – a son, Silas David, to to Jessica and M. David Yaman ’04, March 16, 2017.

Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017

ADAMS – a son, Alexander Reese, to Christine and Clinton R. Adams ’08, April 25, 2017.

Northern Virginia

BARR – a son, Cole Galahad, to Megan and Adam J. Barr ’08, May 12, 2017.

FLATHERS – a son, George William, to Sarah and Will Flathers ’08, May 1, 2017.

Learn from Industry Experts:

HILL – a daughter, Addyson Elizabeth, to Lauren and Robert P. Hill Jr. ’08, April 5, 2017.

-Business/sales/marketing -Government/government contracting -Engineering/technical

degrees Eric Hammersen ’72 Human and Organizational Learning George Washington University May 2017

Ed.D.

M. David Yaman ’04 American University December 2016

MBA

For more information about the upcoming event, please contact Eric Hunter ’08, career networking officer, at ehunter@vmiaa.org.

VMI’s 10 Most Senior Alumni According to the records of the VMI Alumni Association, the people listed below constitute the 10 senior alumni of the Institute.

Please contact the Alumni Review staff if any errors are noted.

2017-Issue 3

James C. Sherman ’35 Henry B. Johnson ’38 Ira N. Saxe ’39 B.H. Hardaway III ’40 Sol W. Rawls Jr. ’40 Robert P. Smith ’40 Lloyd L. Leech Jr. ’42 Harry J. Siebert ’42 C.W. Abbitt ’41

March 31, 1914 Aug. 9, 1915 Feb. 9, 1918 Sept. 28, 1919 Oct. 25, 1919 Nov. 1, 1919 Dec. 12, 1919 Jan. 25, 1920 May 25, 1920

Gordon A. Smith ’43

June 10, 1920

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Message from the Agencies CEO

by CDR Stephen M. Maconi Earlier this year when I was informed that I had been chosen to be the inaugural chief executive officer of the combined VMI Alumni Agencies, I considered myself at once honored and privileged. As a Navy officer, I had served with many VMI alumni, all of whom impressed me favorably. I was aware, too, of VMI’s reputation for producing leaders in other career fields besides the military. Also, during the many years I spent working in advancement for the U.S. Naval Academy, I became familiar with the legendary reputation VMI alumni have for their intense devotion to the Institute and the remarkable generosity they show toward it.

Since late March, I have made the rounds on post, meeting faculty, staff and coaches and talking with them in order to gain insight to them and their jobs. I also have been working daily with the staffs of the VMI Alumni Association, the VMI Foundation and the VMI Keydet Club, as well as their volunteer leaders and the alumni and friends who serve on their respective boards. I also have encountered Maconi numerous volunteers, such as class agents and chapter representatives.

Coming in, I knew they would be outstanding. And I have not been disappointed. Our faculty, staff and coaches, for example, are an extraordinary group of men and women who are dedicated to the Institute and who realize the important roles they play in cadets’ lives. I have been impressed with their steadfast commitment to VMI, as well as their passion and enthusiasm for their work and the Institute.

This experience has served to deepen my admiration for VMI and strengthen my respect for the VMI family.

It also has made me feel even more honored and privileged to have been chosen for this position.

I cannot let pass an opportunity to mention An Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: The Campaign for VMI. A little more than a month ago, this effort concluded its work on behalf of VMI in extraordinary style. All told, campaign commitments exceeded $340 million from more than 15,000 alumni, faculty, parents, staff and friends. This success is reflective of VMI’s glorious past and certainly a precursor to its brilliant future.

The campaign’s chairman, Donald Wilkinson ’61, and other members of the Campaign Cabinet – John Jumper ’66, Tom Slater ’66, Walt Perrin ’62, Bill Paulette ’69, Jim Rogers ’67 and Conrad Hall ’65 – also deserve to be commended for their leadership which was a driving force behind this extraordinary outcome. The leaders and staff of the VMI Foundation, the VMI Alumni Association and the VMI Keydet Club deserve high praise, as well, for coordinating their efforts in support of the campaign. Finally, let me express my deepest admiration of Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, and Brian Crockett, former CEO of the VMI Foundation, for what they did to ensure the campaign’s remarkable success.

The success of An Uncommon Purpose has positioned the Institute to face the future with increased confidence. However, we cannot let that confidence become complacency. The changing landscape of American higher education and the uncertainty of the country’s fiscal future are just two of the challenges VMI will face in the coming decades. Yet, I am confident that, as it has for more than 175 years, the Institute will adapt to any change and surmount any challenge. It will do so as it continues to focus on its core values of honor, integrity and service and its core mission of providing capable, active and honorable citizen-soldiers to the state and the country. It also will do so as the people who care deeply about VMI and believe in it and its mission band together to support it. I am looking forward to working with the VMI family on and off post in order to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that are ahead of us. Together, we can accomplish great things for VMI and ensure that VMI will continue to do great things for our country.

152

VMI Alumni Review

Provisional Appointments APPOINTEE’S NAME

ALUMNUS-CLASS

RELATIONSHIP

ALUMNUS-CLASS

RELATIONSHIP

2033

2021 Molly K. Meradith

APPOINTEE’S NAME

Michael J. Smith ’77

Step-father

Jack A. Mundy

Jack B. Mundy Jr. ’67

Grandfather

Jack B. Mundy ’37

Greatgrandfather

2022 Henry M. Bergstol

Christopher J. Bergstol ’92

Father

2035

Francesca M. Byrne

Gordon B. Byrne ’90

Father

Samantha R. Baldwin

Robert R. Baldwin ’63

Grandfather

Harold B. Byrne ’87

Uncle

Elliot S. Cook

Ronald S. Stultz ’68

Grandfather

Scott C. Hunter ’86

Father

Joshua B.T. Copes ’07

Father

Daniel R. Mason ’83

Great-uncle

John H. Gary III ’54

Great-

James C. Driggs Jr.

James C. Driggs Sr. ’05

Father

2036

2023 Hayden Hunter

James Copes

2025 Sofie Hunter

Scott C. Hunter ’86

Arielle I. Davlin-Liberti

Joseph C. Liberti ’63

Grandfather

Gordon B. Byrne ’90

Father

Vance M. Petrella

Vance J. Petrella ’69

Grandfather

Harold B. Byrne ’87

Uncle

Lillian K. Russell

William C. Collier ’06

Uncle

Rhett R. Cox ’93

Father

Katherine H. Stuart

Withers W. Moncure Jr. ’76

Father

Withers W. Moncure III ’02

Uncle

Withers W. Moncure Jr. ’76

Father

Withers W. Moncure III ’02

Uncle

Charles C. Roder Jr. ’71

Grandfather

Liev L. Anderson

Robert E. Wright ’78

Grandfather

Laurel E. Cochet

Anthony A. Cochet Jr. ’05

Father

2026 Dante B. Byrne Elizabeth C. Cox

Lillian M. Stuart

2027 W. Franklin Gilmore ’57

Grandfather

Landon S. Caldwell

Steven W. Stafford ’89

Uncle

Jackson T. Harless

Jack B. Mundy Jr. ’67

Grandfather

Jack B. Mundy ’37

Great-

Jackson W. Newman

2037

2029

grandfather 2030 Lucas G. Christiano Catharine B. Jordan Marcus Withers

great-uncle

Father

Daniel J. Dearhart 2038

Carl M. Jordan Jr. ’62

Grandfather

Alexander M. Davlin-Liberti Joseph C. Liberti ’63

Joseph T. Deal ’882

Cousin

Warren H. Martin

Carl M. Jordan Jr. ’62

Grandfather

Joseph T. Deal ’882

Cousin

Brian Withers ’99

Father

Grandfather

Donald C. Seay ’70

Grandfather

Joseph B. Seay ’932

Greatgrandfather

Joseph G. Seay ’892

Great-greatgrandfather

George H. Cameron ’864

2031 Andrew J. Mundy

Jack B. Mundy Jr. ’67

Grandfather

Jack B. Mundy ’37

Greatgrandfather

Reese D. Smith

Ronald S. Stultz ’68

Grandfather

Greatgreat-greatgrandfather

George C. Seay ’929

Great-great-uncle

William M. Seay ’36

Great-great-uncle

John H. Cameron ’857

Cousin

Frances J. Cameron ’886

Cousin

Rylen P. Cook

Ronald S. Stultz ’68

Grandfather

William T. Sherrard ’849

Cousin

Jackson R. Fisher

M. Sean Fisher ’93

Father

Joseph H. Sherrard IV ’37

Cousin

Martin C. Fisher ’55

Grandfather

Robert S. Sherrard ’44

Cousin

Stephen F. Fisher ’85

Uncle

Joseph H. Sherrard V ’64

Cousin

Robert S. Sherrard Jr. ’77

Cousin

2032

2017-Issue 3

153

Provisional Appointments APPOINTEE’S NAME

RELATIONSHIP

APPOINTEE’S NAME

Joseph X. Bell ’38

Cousin

Kennedy E. Palmer (cont.) T.O. Palmer Jr. ’930

Charles A. Brown ’73

Cousin

James Raser

David O. Raser Jr. ’06

Father

T.O. Palmer IV ’01

Uncle

Blaise W. Stotts-Berg

John N. Berg ’04

Father

Jack R. Palmer ’72

Great-uncle

Samuel A. Wright

John A. Wright ’88

Father

Taylor L. Palmer ’934

Great-great-uncle

John C. Palmer ’41

Great-great-uncle

David A. Bland ’90

Cousin

Harry C. Redd III ’63

Grandfather

John F. Twombly III ’38

Great-

Warren H. Martin (cont.)

ALUMNUS-CLASS

ALUMNUS-CLASS

RELATIONSHIP Greatgrandfather

2039 Marc L. Antonelli II

Marc L. Antonelli ’06

Father

Timothy J. Baldwin

Robert R. Baldwin ’63

Grandfather

Charlotte Bergren

Molly E. Bergren ’08

Mother

Kai R. Gause

Kevin A. Gause ’15

Uncle

Grover W. Russell

William C. Collier ’06

Uncle

Carson P. Hershberger

Kevin R. Hershberger ’95

Father

Wilhelm O. Skakandy

Stephen L. Skakandy ’01

Father

Oliver J. Lane

James D. Gearhart ’71

Grandfather

Hudson W. Tubbs

Robert H. Deaderick Jr. ’65

Grandfather

G. William Gearhart Jr. ’70

Great-uncle

Robert H. Deaderick ’40

Great-

C. Jesse Gearhart ’77

Cousin

Gregory A. Gearhart ’78

Cousin

Joseph W. Hutt III ’78

Cousin

Richard L. Palmer ’02

Father

Larry C. Wiese ’71

Grandfather

T.O. Palmer III ’69

Grandfather

Kennedy E. Palmer

154

Sterling C. Redd

grandfather

grandfather Theadora D. Wiese

VMI Alumni Review

Taps Fensky C. Terzia Jr. ’47 Fensky Conroe Terzia Jr. ’47 of Shreveport, Louisiana, died Feb. 14, 2017. He was 90.

Terzia matriculated from Monroe, Louisiana, and attended VMI for less than two years.

He is survived by his daughters, Martha Terzia Hannigan (Mike), Margaret Terzia Clausen and Amye Terzia Wilson (Steve); grandchildren, Ryan Hannigan (Ashlee), Austin Hannigan, Olivia Wilson, Gretchen Wren Clausen and Craig Clausen (Rachel); and great-grandchildren, Kamryn, Elijah and Isaiah Hannigan, Kelly Ann King, Ava Margaret Clausen, and Aubrey Elizabeth Clausen.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Jean Wren Fudickar.

John W. Hodnett Jr. ’48B John William Hodnett Jr. ’48B of Birmingham, Alabama, died March 4, 2017. He was 89.

Hodnett matriculated from Bluefield, Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He is survived by his daughters, Pat Hodnett Wilderman (Bill) and Mimi Hodnett Smith (Russell); grandchildren, Kristine Pieper, Jonathon Goforth (Joanie), Stephanie Haygood (Ryan), Sarah Goforth, Katie Sue Harris, Michael Smith and Mathew Smith; great-grandchildren, Sophia, Audrey, Miriam, Nora, Allyson, Carson, Cameron and Talon; and sister, Mary Alice Tunnell.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Anne Hodnett, and daughters, Cindy Goforth and Susan Harris.

Virginia, died April 26, 2017. He was 89.

Tucker matriculated from Amherst and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He is survived by his children, Mike and Beth Gamble, Bill and Claudia Tucker, Preston and Martha Tucker, Martha and Rick Dyke, Tom and Krista Tucker, Meredith Tucker Lindel, and Mark Gamble; 15 grandchildren; nine greatgrandchildren; sister, Alice Lewis Johnson; sisters-in-law, Henrietta Martin and Pat Pafford; and brother-in-law, Don Pafford.

He was preceded in death by his wives, Geraldine Martin Tucker and Mary Phipps Tucker, and brother, Walter Lowrie Tucker Jr.

Edwin D. Crane III ’49B Edwin Duff Crane III ’49B, M.D., of Atlanta, Georgia, died March 17, 2017. He was 89.

Crane matriculated from Atlanta and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medical from VMI. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory University.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy Love Crane; sons, Edwin Duff Crane IV (Michelle) and David L. Crane (Jessica); daughter, Carlisle Crane Payne (Robert); grandchildren, Will, Mark, Cannon, Jonathan, David, Bryson, Wells, Devyn and Claire; and sister, Lucy Jones.

Charles B. Upshaw Jr. ’49B

Charles Bell “Charlie” Upshaw Jr. ’49B, M.D., of Atlanta, Georgia, died Feb. 3, 2017.

He was 88.

Upshaw matriculated from Atlanta and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from VMI. He Malachi M. Mills ’48B earned his Doctor of Medicine degree Malachi Monroe Mills ’48B of from Emory University.

Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 26, He is survived by his children, 2017. He was 90.

Charles Bell Upshaw III (Connie), Mills matriculated from New A.L. Upshaw, James Andrew Upshaw, Orleans, Louisiana, and earned his Thomas Arthur Upshaw (Jana), Mary Bachelor of Science degree in civil Frances Upshaw, and Sarah Elizabeth engineering from VMI. Crittenden (Frank); and He is survived by his children, Mills ’48B Upshaw grandchildren, Charles Andrew UpKathleen Lee (Robert) and Malachi shaw ’06, Grace Elizabeth Upshaw, Mary M. Mills III ’83 (Kathleen); grandchildren, Amanda Lee Dove, Jessica Lee Sorensen, Mala- Katherine Upshaw, Carolina Joy Upshaw, chi IV and Brantley Mills; and great-grandson, Helena Grace Upshaw, Bradley Aaron Upshaw, Charles Bell Upshaw IV, Margaret Hope Jacob Dove.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ad- Crittenden and Alexander Greene Crittenden.

He was preceded in death by his wife, elaide Mills.

Laura; sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Sandy Pike; and daughter-in-law, Jill Greeson Thomas M. Tucker Sr. ’48B Thomas Mallory Tucker Sr. ’48B of Amherst, Glover Upshaw.

2017-Issue 3

John V. Berberich III ’50B John Valentine Berberich III ’50B of Charlottesville, Virginia, died Feb. 13, 2017. He was 88.

Berberich matriculated from Washington, D.C., and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He is survived by his wife, Rev. Gloria Kennedy Berberich; children, Jake IV ’76 (Dianne), Mary (Bob Miller) and David (Debra); and grandchildren, Madeline, Hannah (Paul McNulty), Arthur, Jack V and Michael.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Jane Spruell Berberich.

William J. Fedder ’50B William Jerry Fedder ’50B of Greer, South Carolina, died Sept. 19, 2016. He was 87.

Fedder matriculated from Easley, South Carolina, and attended VMI for less than one year.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy G. Fedder; daughter, Karen; son, Herbert (Josephine); and grandchildren, Leah Fuller and Jacob.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Ross, and sister-in-law, Helen.

Waldo E. Floyd Jr. ’50B Waldo Emerson Floyd Jr. ’50B, M.D., of Macon, Georgia, died April 20, 2017. He was 87.

Floyd matriculated from Statesboro, Georgia, and attended VMI for less than one year. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Johns Hopkins University.

He is survived by his daughters, Susan Lee Floyd Causey (Harold) and Joanna Marie Floyd Jones (Casey), and sons, Waldo Emerson Floyd III (Kathy) and John C.P. Floyd (Leigh Anne).

He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Joann Peterson, and sister, Virginia Lee Floyd Tillman.

John H. Parrott II ’50B John Henry Parrott II ’50B of Roanoke, Virginia, died Jan. 18, 2017. He was 89.

Parrott matriculated from Roanoke and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He is survived by his wife, Anne Nimmo Dixon Parrott; children, John Henry Parrott Jr. (Martha Field Parrott), Barton Cromwell Parrott (Maryann Altman) and Mary Brooke Parrott Sligh (Stuart Frederick Sligh); and grandchildren, John Henry Parrott III, Elizabeth Trout Parrott, William Buckner Parrott, Julia Buckner Parrott, Andrew Barton Parrott,

155

Taps Lila Blair Parrott and Brooke Wilkinson Sligh.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Brooke Morris Parrott; sister, Sarah Parrott Gwaltney; and grandson, Stuart Frederick Sligh Jr.

Richard D. Lawrence ’51 Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Richard Day “Dick” Lawrence ’51 of Tyler, Texas, died Dec. 9, 2016. He was 86.

Lawrence matriculated from Houston, Texas, and attended VMI for two years. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy, his Master of Science degree from the University of South Carolina and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Ohio State University.

He is survived by his wife, Pat; son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Scott and Starla Lawrence; son-in-law, Joe Roby; granddaughters, Alicia (Aaron), Heather (Robert), Hannah (Jay), Casey and Madi; and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Anne Hunter Roby.

and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He is survived by his children, David Stuart Jr. (Diana), Mary Leming and Faith McArdle; grandchildren, David and Christopher Stuart, Elizabeth, Sarah, John and David Leming, and Robert McArdle; and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Markley “Betsey” Stuart; sister, Agnes Stuart Yore; and brother, Alfred Wright Stuart.

James K. Dille ’54

Bachelor of Laws degree from George Washington University.

(Editor’s Note: We have no further information on Mr. Sutherland.)

Edward M. Whitlock Jr. ’55 Edward Madison “Ned” Whitlock Jr. ’55 of Port Arthur, Texas, died April 7, 2017. He was 84.

Whitlock matriculated from Farmville, Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He is survived by his daughter, Janice L. Brown (Sid); son, Edward Madison Whitlock III; grandson, Kyle Brown; and brother, James L. Whitlock.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Lucie Jane Allis Whitlock.

James Kirk Dille ’54 of Roanoke, Virginia, died Feb. 1, 2017. He was 86.

Dille matriculated from Roanoke and attended VMI for two years.

He is survived by his wife, Jennie Evans Dille; son, James Kirk Dille Jr. (Frances Day Dille); daughter, Emily Dille Schmedtje (John F. James N. Runyan ’56 Schmedtje Jr.); granddaughters, James Nelson “Jesse” Runyan ’56 of Sarah Bain McLaughlin (Kevin), Erin Zelienople, Pennsylvania, died March Dille Traylor (Matt), Evans Johanna 12, 2017. He was 82.

Schmedtje and Helen Kirk Schmedtje; Runyan matriculated from Ellwood and great-granddaughter, Eliza James Whitlock ’55 City, Pennsylvania, and earned his McLaughlin.

Bachelor of Science degree in civil Charles J. Hansrote Jr. ’52 He was preceded in death by his grandson, engineering from VMI. Charles Johnson “Charlie” Hansrote Jr. ’52, He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; son, Ph.D., of Lynchburg, Virginia, died Feb. 15, James Frederick Schmedtje, and siblings, Jane Dille Klise, Drucilla Dille McNiel and John John Runyan (Mindy); and daughter, Cynthia 2017. He was 86.

Adams Dille Jr. Obrosky (Richard).

Hansrote matriculated from CumHe was preceded in death by his son, James berland, Maryland, and earned his Wesley “Wes” Runyan.

Bachelor of Science degree in chemRichard B. Trumbo ’54 istry from VMI. He earned his Master Richard Bonner “Dick” Trumbo ’54, of Science degree from the University Ph.D., of Alexandria, Virginia, died Larry W. Armstrong ’57 of Richmond and his Doctor of PhiFeb. 18, 2017. He was 84.

Larry Wendell Armstrong ’57 of Williamslosophy degree from the University Trumbo matriculated from Norfolk, burg, Ohio, died Jan. 15, 2016. He was 82. of Virginia.

Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of Armstrong matriculated from Newport News, He is survived by his wife, Melva; Arts degree in biology from VMI. He Virginia, and attended VMI for less than two son, Charles III (Jill); grandchildren, earned his Master of Science degree years.

C.J. IV, Morgan Jon, Sarah Meredith and his Doctor of Philosophy degree (Editor’s Note: We have no further information Reece and Jody Charette; and great- Trumbo ’54 from the University of South Carolina. on Mr. Armstrong.) grandchildren, Taryn and Gage.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret “Peggy” Engle Trumbo; sons, R. Hunter Jose S. Chioco ’57 Trumbo ’90 (Stacy) and Raleigh B. Trumbo ’93 John E. Larson ’52 Jose Sideco Chioco ’57, M.D., of Oklahoma (Tina); grandchildren, Jacob, Jackson, Luke and City, Oklahoma, died April 6, 2017. He was 80.

John Edward “Swede” Larson ’52 of RoaChioco matriculated from Manila, Philipnoke, Virginia, died March 3, 2017. He was 86. Anna; and sister, Sunshine Trumbo Williams.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Susan pines, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree Larson matriculated from Chariton, Iowa, in biology from VMI. He earned his Doctor and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in his- Trumbo Meredith. of Medicine degree from the University of tory from VMI. the East.

He is survived by four children, seven grandRichard C. Sutherland II ’55 He is survived by his wife, Dr. Carmen Warchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Richard Clifton “Dick” Sutherland II ’55 of Grand Bay, Alabama, died March 16, 2017. ren Chioco; children, John Chioco, John and Carolyn Wilder, Tom and Cynthia Conroy, He was 85.

David B. Stuart Sr. ’53 Sutherland matriculated from St. Louis, Joey Chioco, Steve and Cecile Yager, and JaDavid Brakenridge Stuart Sr. ’53 of PortsMissouri, and earned his Bachelor of Science mie Chioco; grandchildren, Sidney and Sarah mouth, Virginia, died Feb. 28, 2017. He was 87.

Stuart matriculated from Roanoke, Virginia, degree in chemistry from VMI. He earned his Wilder, Chase and Dillon Fraser, Noah and

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VMI Alumni Review

Taps Grace Yager, and Camryn Conroy; and sister, Mathilde Chioco Ampil.

He was preceded in death by his sisters, Asuncion Chioco-Bacani, Esperanza Chioco-Perez and Divina Corazon Chioco.

and Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Virginia.

(Editor’s Note: We have no further information on Mr. Thompson.)

Theron A. Henry Jr. ’58

James Donald “Don” Johnson ’62 of Chester, Virginia, died March 16, 2017. He was 77.

Johnson matriculated from Prince George County, Virginia, and earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

He is survived by his wife, Jean King Johnson.

Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Theron Akin Henry Jr. ’58 of Anderson, South Carolina, died March 1, 2017. He was 80.

Henry matriculated from Berea, Ohio, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from VMI. He earned his Master of Science degree in chemistry from Florida State University.

He is survived by his wife, Becky Henry; daughters, Millie Henry Kittrell (Ben) and Noelle Henry Read (Denny); and grandchildren, Trey Kittrell, and Ethan, Emily, Benjamin and Daniel Read.

Rodriguez J.M. Garcia ’59 Rodriguez Julio Manuel Garcia ’59 of New York, New York, died March 19, 2010. He was 72.

Garcia matriculated from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from VMI. (Editor’s Note: We have no further information on Mr. Garcia.)

John B. Mackenzie ’59 John Bruce Mackenzie ’59 of Venice, Florida, died March 8, 2017. He was 79.

Mackenzie matriculated from Upper Montclair, New Jersey, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from VMI. He earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California Los Angeles.

He is survived by his wife, Norma Nuttall Mackenzie; children, Heather Mackenzie, Alexander Mackenzie and Alan Mackenzie; step-son, Dean Brown; grandchildren, Justin, Colin, and Rae Lynne Brown, and Ainsley and Claire Mackenzie; and sister, Jean Atherton.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Alexander Waters Mackenzie III.

Paul S. Thompson ’61 Paul Singer Thompson ’61, Ph.D., of South Africa, died in December 2016. He was 76.

Thompson matriculated from Bethesda, Maryland, and was a distinguished graduate of VMI, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He earned his Master of Arts degree

2017-Issue 3

James D. Johnson ’62

William R. Kohout ’62 William Roger “Bill” Kohout ’62 of Wyckoff, New Jersey, died Sept. 22, 2016. He was 76.

Kohout matriculated from Thornwood, New Jersey, and attended VMI for less than one year.

He is survived by his wife, Diane; daughters, Ginni Callahan (Henrick Lindstrom) and Donna Douglass (Sandi); grandchildren, Zoe, Matti and Gwendi; brother, John (Joan); and sister, Anne Bullock.

Carlyle M. Lowe II ’62 Carlyle Marsden Lowe II ’62 of Columbia, South Carolina, died Jan. 7, 2017. He was 76.

Lowe matriculated from Scarsdale, New York, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from VMI. (Editor’s Note: We have no further information on Mr. Lowe.)

John T. Campbell ’64 John Theodore Campbell ’64 of Phoenix, Arizona, died March 22, 2017. He was 74.

Campbell matriculated from Richmond, Virginia, and attended VMI for less than one year.

He is survived by his wife, Ellen Campbell; daughter, Stefanie Campbell; and grandson, Jonathan Campbell.

He was preceded in death by his son, Sean Andrew Campbell.

James D. Thompson ’65 James Davis “Dave” Thompson ’65 of Sumter, South Carolina, died March 23, 2017. He was 73.

Thompson matriculated from Franklin, Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from VMI. He earned his Master of Arts degree from Central Michigan University and his Associate of Science degree from Central Carolina Tech College.

He is survived by his daughters, Patricia Thompson and Wendy Thompson; brothers,

Virgil Martin Thompson (Faye) and Richard Livesay (Lori); and sister, Mary Livesay Duke.

John L. Beck ’66 John Leslie Beck ’66, M.D., of Corona, California, died Nov. 7, 2016. He was 72.

Beck matriculated from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from VMI. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

(Editor’s Note: We have no further information on Mr. Beck.)

Wayne D. McDermott ’67 Wayne Douglas McDermott ’67 of Hayes, Virginia, died April 1, 2017. He was 71.

McDermott matriculated from Wicomico, Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He earned his Master of Science degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara McDermott; daughter, Kathryn Garnier (Gill); sons, Scott McDermott (Rose) and John McDermott; step-daughter, Makalia Records (Charles); stepson, Jeremy Gleason; seven grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and sister, JoAnn McDermott Horsley.

Robert K. Williams ’67 Robert Keith “Bob” Williams ’67 of Rancho Mirage, California, died Aug. 8, 2015. He was 72.

Williams matriculated from Springfield, Virginia, and attended VMI for one year. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor University.

He is survived by his wife, Jeannette Fletcher Williams; daughters, Jeannine Williams Skarka, Juliann Williams Sheehan, Jessica Elizabeth Black and Jacquelyn Dianne Williams; grandsons, Mason Keith Skarka, Tyler John Skarka and Ryan Patrick Skarka; granddaughters, Avery Marie Skarka and Leighton Jeanette Sheehan; brothers, Stuart and John Rose; and sisters, Deborah Williams and Dabney Rose.

Kenneth W. Pennington ’68 Kenneth Wade Pennington ’68 of Amelia Island, Florida, died March 5, 2017. He was 70.

Pennington matriculated from Fairfax, Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI. He is survived by his wife, Barbara “Barb” Pennington; children, Kelly Dewyea (Victor),

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Taps Brynn Pennington and Amber Pennington; four grandchildren; and sister, Emily Upperman (Bob).

(Clinton); brother, Kevin L. Cotman (Keri); and sister, Pamela M. Baldwin.

Charles H. Marks III ’70

Lester Harris Hollans Jr. ’91 of Auburn, Alabama, died Feb. 4, 2017. He was 47.

Hollans matriculated from Birmingham, Alabama, and attended VMI for three years.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Auburn University.

He is survived by his parents, Lester and Anne Hollans; twin sister, Lawson Hollans; and special friend, Molly Payton.

Charles Harrison Marks III ’70 of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, died March 30, 2017. He was 69.

Marks matriculated from Claremont, Virginia, and attended VMI for three years.

He is survived by his wife, Annie Laraine Marks; daughter, Katherine Shannon Godby (Don); son, Robert Gray Marks; grandchildren, Anelia V. Rizzo and Corbin Talley; and sister, Carolyn Shields.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Susan Lee Marks; and father, Charles H. Marks Jr. ’44, who died March 7, 2003.

Charles J. Wielgus Jr. ’72 Charles Joseph “Chuck” Wielgus Jr. ’72 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died April 23, 2017. He was 67.

Wielgus matriculated from Mamaroneck, New York, and attended VMI for two years.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Providence College and his Master of Education degree from Springfield College.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; sons, Chip (Kim) and Tommy (Sarah Maguire); daughters, Savannah and Shelby; four grandchildren; brother, Pail (Cindy); sister, Martie Negri (Art Nazzaro); and mother, Irene.

Steven F. Woodis ’77 Steven Frederick Woodis ’77 of Anderson, South Carolina, died Feb. 15, 2017. He was 61.

Woodis matriculated from Purcellville, Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in modern languages from VMI. He is survived by his son, Bullet Woodis (Erin); daughter, Megan Greenbaum (Scott); grandson, Grant Emerson Woodis; brother, Mark Woodis (Lisa); and mother, Sally Ann Woodis.

He was preceded in death by his father, Elbert Emerson Woodis.

Thomas A. Cotman ’90 Thomas Alan Cotman ’90 of Yorktown, Virginia, died Feb. 17, 2017. He was 49.

Cotman matriculated from Hampton, Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from VMI. He is survived by his father, Thomas Henri Cotman; mother, Consuella T. Williams

158

Lester H. Hollans Jr. ’91

Shane M. Sposito ’96 Shane Michael Sposito ’96 of Kathleen, Georgia, died July 26, 2016. He was 42.

Sposito matriculated from San Diego, California, and attended VMI for two years.

(Editor’s Note: We have no further information on Mr. Sposito.)

VMI Family Nettie J. Carter Nettie J. Carter of Lexington, Virginia, died Feb. 20, 2017. She was 81.

Carter served as a nurse for 33 years at the VMI hospital.

She is survived by her son, William T. Carter III (Laura); daughter, Kimberly Dunn (Kirk); son-in-law, Doug Turner; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and sister, Elaine Jackson.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William T. Carter Jr.; daughter, Janice Turner; brothers, Ed and Clarence Craney; sisters, Connie Poindexter and Willa Mae Turner.

James J. Geary James Jewel Geary of Harrisonburg, Virginia, died Feb. 25, 2017. He was 102.

Geary earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.

He was appointed by VMI and served as the creator, designer and founding director of the New Market Battlefield Park and its museum, the Hall of Valor from 1966-82, when he retired.

Geary is survived by his wife, Patricia Little Geary; daughters, Anne Biswanger, Ellen Maupin, Martha Broughton (Paul), Laetitia Barnhill and Leslie Geary; step-son, Michael Martin; 10 grandchildren; two step-grandchildren;

four great-grandchildren; and two step-greatgrandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Iva “Tissie” Geary, and step-son, Frank Martin.

Edward L. Matheny Edward Lee Matheny of Buena Vista, Virginia, died March 4, 2017. He was 56.

Matheny served with the VMI Post Police for 37 years.

He is survived by his daughter, Abby Lee Rowsey (John); brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Steve and Suzanne Coleman; mother, Shirley M. Blackburn (fiancé James McCloud); and father-in-law, Walter Coleman.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Felicia.

William G. Saunders William Gordon Saunders of Lexington, Virginia, died Feb. 25, 2017. He was 90.

Saunders earned a bachelor’s degree from Randolph Macon College, his master’s degree from the University of Michigan and doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

He taught as part of the math department at VMI for 43 years until his retirement in 1992.

He is survived by his children, Gordon Saunders (Vicky), Cynthia Wilson (Eric) and Mark Saunders; and grandchildren, Alex Wilson, Collin Wilson, Melissa Wilson, Lyndsey Welsh and Kyle Saunders.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Geraldine G. Saunders, and brothers, Charles M. Saunders Jr. and Richard L. Saunders.

William A. Seaman William Arthur Seaman of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, died Feb. 22, 2017. He was 77.

Seaman was a former educator at VMI. He is survived by his wife, Pauline R. Seaman; son, Arthur Seaman; daughter, Martha “Marti” Willis; grandchildren, John William, Alison Ann and Ana Paulina; and sister, Barbara Taranto.

Henry G. Williams Jr. Henry Gordon Williams Jr. of Lexington, Virginia, died March 30, 2017. He was 83.

Williams retired from the mathematics department of VMI in 2001 after 41 years of service.

He is survived by his wife, Alice; daughters, Barbara Humpton (Dave) and Nancy Yoder (Monty); son, Skip Williams; granddaughters, Kate Brown (Bobby), Marie Van Damme, Sarah and Becca; grandsons, Charlie Humpton (Souror) and Paul; and great-grandson, Bobby III.

VMI Alumni Review

VMI Alumni Association Directory The VMI Alumni Agencies Chief Executive Officer Stephen M. Maconi

The VMI Foundation, Inc.

The VMI Alumni Association, Inc. President

First Vice President

Robert P. Louthan ’82 rlouthan1@gmail.com

Executive Vice President Thomas A. Brashears ’95 tbrashears@vmiaa.org

Asa H. Page III ’79 vmi79@verizon.net

Edgar J.T. Perrow Jr. ’96 tperrow@woodardcurran.com

Region I – Southwest Chapter Arizona Greater Los Angeles Inland Empire Nevada Northern California Rio Grande San Diego

Cleveland Detroit Kansas City, Missouri Southwest Ohio St. Louis

Region V – Southeast Augusta Atlanta Birmingham Coastal GA – South Carolina East TN – Knoxville Mobile Tennessee Valley

Region VI – Carolinas Crystal Coast/Jacksonville Cape Fear/Fayetteville Central North Carolina – Raleigh Charlotte Club of the Triad Coastal SC/Charleston Eastern North Carolina Midlands SC/Palmetto Upsate SC/Pisgah NC Wilmington, North Carolina

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Email: mrhemenez@cox.net Chapter Representative

lohrc08@gmail.com tdegray@gmail.com kenny@mpowermortgage.com Bradley.maak@yahoo.com brian.k.andrew@gmail.com

Christoph Lohr ’08 Matthew R. Hemenez ’90 Andre S. Gibson ’78 Lawrence M. Wood ’59 Todd E. Arris ’87

Max H. Hopkins ’97

max.h.hopkins@gmail.com

William R. Creekmur ’83

Director: William D.R. Waff ’76 Gregory McDearmon ’99 Daniel C. Young ’88 Molly M. Hastings ’13 Brian D. Skusa ’00 David C. Hagemann ’80 Jeffrey D. Vordermark ’79 J. Micah North ’00 David P. Loduca ’81

ggmcd34@earthlink.net dan.young@wfadvisors.com hastingsmm@mail.vmi.edu bskusa@kforce.com dhag80@aol.com vordermark@juno.com micah.north@resonantsciences.com loduca@pbworld.com

Director: Patrick J. Griffin ’80 A. Bruno Loefstedt III ’80 Christopher J. Brandriff ’06 Richard C. Wolffe ’78

Region IV – Mid Atlantic Appalachian Central Keystone Maryland Southeastern PA – Delaware Valley Stonewall Jackson Western PA – Pittsburgh

President’s Email

Chief Executive Officer

Gregory M. Cavallaro ’84

Christoph Lohr ’08 Terrence S. DeGray ’04 Kenny T. Stigler ’00 Bradley J. Maak ’87 Brian K. Andrew ’03

Region III – Northeast New England New York City – Long Island North Jersey

President

U. “Buzz” Birzenieks ’64

Director: Matthew R. Hemenez ’90 Chapter President

Region II – Midwest Bluegrass Chicago

The VMI Keydet Club, Inc.

Historian

J. Bolling Williamson ’60 bollingwmson@gmail.com

Warren J. Bryan ’70

T. Bryan Barton ’68

Samuel N. Stocks ’90 sstocks@kbsgc.com

Immediate Past President

Chief Executive Officer

President

Second Vice President

bruno.a.loefstedt@saint-gobain.com christopher.brandriff@jpmorgan.com rwolffe@tspcapitalmgt.com

Director: H. Larry Mays Jr. ’73

Thomas N. Daniel Jr. ’60 Robert P. Hill ’08 David R. Gleason ’80 Frederick J. Killmeyer IV ’95 Jason K. Gruse ’97 Alan R. Berenbrok ’80

tomdaniel60@charter.net rphill48@gmail.com gleason@umbc.edu rickkillmeyer@gmail.com jasongruse@hotmail.com aberenbrok@yahoo.com

Director: C. Patrick Haddock ’00 Terence L. Bowers ’68 David R. Nagel ’01 William H. Cather Jr. ’65 Mark P. Parton ’08 Christopher R. Jones ’96 Charles M. Rogers IV ’83 Herbert U. Fluhler ’77

terrybowers@vmialumni.org nageldr78@hotmail.com billcather@bellsouth.net partonmp@gmail.com crj2112@gmail.com max.rogers@mobileinfirmary.org huf2000@aol.com

Director: Michael A. Kelly ’73 Ian G. Dunlap ’05 Michael A. Ceroli ’85 Laurence B. Wilson Jr. ’62 Michael S. Anderson ’88 Ray S. Brooks ’76 George Troy Mosby ’97 Robert M. Kirby ’78 Carl B. Hammond ’00 Paul X. English III ’73 John P. Gangemi ’61

dunlapian@hotmail.com mceroli@thekratosgroup.net lbebwilson@aol.com vmi2army@gmail.com rsbr1111@gmail.com gmosby@liquidnet.com rmkirby@dekirby.com hammondcb@yahoo.com pxenglish@verizon.net jgangemi@ec.rr.com

Email: Hugh R. Hill ’85 Donald A. Noschese Jr. ’92 Stephen M. Chiles ’89 Mark A. Benvenuto ’83 Todd J. Jacobs ’90 J. Micah North ’00 Robert C. Polk ’61

Email: anchors80@comcast.net John R. Gibney Jr. ’80 Kevin P. Sincavage ’87

Email: hlarrymays@gmail.com Campbell C. Hyatt III ’65 H. Larry Mays Jr. ’73 Thomas M. Wirth ’98 John T. Pace IV ’77 Phillip L. Harris ’03 J. Mark Hennigan ’90

Email: vmitranspo@hotmail.com Raymond R. Lawson ’81 Charles C. Schoen IV ’86 William H. Cather Jr. ’65 Kevin L. Snell ’82 John H. Friend III ’82 Raymond J. Pietruszka ’77

Email: kellyvmi73@nc.rr.com Stephen L. Skakandy ’01 Charles L. Toomey ’74 Ronald R. Wall ’69 James A. Sharp ’93 T. Matthew Creech ’96 Eric L. Duncan ’99 George H. Ritko ’70 F. Grey Farthing III ’79 Henry Brown ’60

VMI Alumni Review

VMI Alumni Chapter Directory

Region VII – Florida Central Florida Northeast Florida – Jacksonville Northwest Florida Southern Florida Southwest Florida – Fort Meyer The Villages – Florida Treasure Coast West Coast Florida – Tampa

Director: Walter L. Chalkley ’72 John C. Nagle IV ’87 Jason M. Goldstein ’02 James D. Friskhorn ’81 Scott A. Houser ’98 Bradford T. Herrell ’01 Blake W. Thomas ’73 Donald D. Carson ’64 Robert M. Bailey ’72

Region VIII – Southwest VA Lynchburg New River Valley Roanoke Southside

Allegheny Highlands Blue Ridge Charlottesville North Shenandoah Valley Rockbridge County

James F. Dittrich ’76 Stephen J. Barcik III ’85 Michael M. Wallace ’93 William E. Kirby III ’96 Philip J. Altizer Jr. ’80

jfdinarkansas@aol.com steve.barcik@htds2.com michaelmwallace@mac.com ktkirby@comcast.net paltizer@bellsouth.net

S. Curtis Johnston ’82 Hamel B. Reinmiller ’98 Daniel J. Fitzgerald ’89 Steven P. Weiss ’86 Murray F. Hudson ’82

Chewy.Johnston@hdrinc.com hbrvmi98@vmialumni.org daniel.fitzgerald@hdrinc.com steve.weiss@libertyiu.com murfh@urbaneng.com

Director: Clifford A Crittsinger ’64 Trent L. Boggs ’83 Russell Shun Takata ’74 James R. Farmer ’68 Todd M. Baldwin ’06 Jeffrey B. Morrison ’99

Region XII – Central Virginia Richmond Tri Cities

Norfolk Peninsula Rappahannock Virginia Beach Western Tidewater Williamsburg

Fredericksburg - Quantico George C. Marshall Potomac River

twalton@general-assurance.com samuelmattocks762@gmail.com

Director: Michael S. Ogden ’79 Director: Sean P. Hingley ’07

Michael S. Ogden ’79 David G. Tyler IV ’86 Joshua P. Priest ’80 Edward M. Plucinski ’86 Henry W. Moncure ’74 Gary J. Haste ’77 John L. Rowe Jr. ’66 John J. Kokolis ’96

Region XIV – Metro D.C.

tboggs@gci.com russell.takata@yahoo.com seattlefarmer@comcast.net todd.baldwin1@gmail.com roo1999@gmail.com

Director: Anthony U. Moore ’78 Director: William R. Charlet ’01

Thomas H. Walton ’04 Samuel L. Mattocks ’74

Region XIII – Hampton Roads Eastern Shore

troy.barbour@hcahealthcare.com weastham@carrhyde.com jim@realcentralva.com wdtvmi65@comcast.net jarvistk@vmi.edu

Director: Jeffrey L. Minch ’73

Region XI – Northwest Alaska Hawaii Pacific Northwest Pikes Peak Rocky Mountain

shduerson@gmail.com bradburrus@yahoo.com reeldadx2@gmail.com

Director: T. Keith Jarvis ’82

T. Troy Barbour ’89 G. Wayne Eastham ’76 James E. Duncan ’98 W. Douglas Thomas ’65 T. Keith Jarvis ’82

Region X – South Arkansas Centex Greater New Orleans Middle TN – Nashville Midsouth/Memphis Mississippi North Texas – Dallas Oklahoma San Antonio Southeast Texas – Houston Third Coast (Corpus Christi)

Director: Dennis A. Hackemeyer ’80

Samuel H. Duerson III ’86 Gerald B. Burrus ’96 Andrew M. Reel ’03

Region IX – Shenandoah Valley

jay.nagle@parsons.com jmgoldstein@mactec.com vmi81@comcast.net housersa@yahoo.com vmigrad1@hotmail.com blaket606@aol.com dcarson678@bellsouth.net bobngracebailey@tampabay.rr.com

John C. Nagle IV ’87 Grafton D. Addison III ’82 Wayland H. Patterson ’80 Brett R. Martin ’00 Alan H. Vicory Jr. ’74 Robert M. Bailey ’72

Email: dennis@nanoseptic.com Joseph W. Hutt III ’78 Gerald B. Burrus ’96 Alan G. Soltis ’79

Email: jarvistk@vmi.edu Harrison L. Fridley Jr. ’61 R. Edward Duncan ’60 James E. Duncan ’98 Kevin J. Callanan ’78 Lewis V. Graybill ’62

Email: jminch2011@gmail.com Christopher J. Whittaker ’90 Charles S. Sanger ’82 S. Harrison Williams ’15 Garry C. Varney ’76 Thomas R. Shaw ’78 Steven P. Weiss ’86 M. Douglass Payne ’73

Email: crew7oar@yahoo.com Trent L. Boggs ’83 Russell Shun Takata ’74 James R. Farmer ’68 Robert L. Fricke ’78 William V. Trumpore ’89

Email: amor_78@comcast.net Email: wcharlet@gmail.com Thomas H. Walton ’04 Augustus Robbins III ’47

Email: vmi79classagent@aol.com Email: sean.p.hingley@wfadvisors.com

vmi79classagent@aol.com dtyler4@cox.net joshua.p.priest@navy.mil ed.plucinski@hanson.com

Thomas F. Wilson ’80

ghaste@associatedcontracting.com jrowe66@cox.net jjkokolis@cox.net

H. Ali Mahan ’80 Oliver D. Creekmore ’66 Jim E. Henry ’68

Director: Douglas B. Warner ’03 Director: John D. Kearney Jr. ’00

Carl J. DeBernard Jr. ’94 Matthew R. Keller ’00 A. James MacDonald ’83

Email: waltchalkley@aol.com

James A. Parsons ’80 David J. Trenholm ’70

Email: douglas.warner1@vmialumni.org Email: kearneyjd00@gmail.com

carl.debernard@dhs.gov matthew.keller@ofplaw.com macvmi83@yahoo.com

R.C. Thompson III ’74 L. Randolph Williams Jr. ’66 L. Randolph Williams Jr. ’66

chingpu@saturn.yzu.edu.tw

Ching-Pu Chen ’85 Vaipot Srinual ’72

Region XV – Pacific Rim Taiwan Thailand

2017-Issue 3

Ching-Pu Chen ’85 Vaipot Srinual ’72

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Alumni News law. The law firm is based in Virginia from Central Michigan University.

William H. Allison ’53, president Beach, Virginia, and centers its pracof the Virginia Gold Cup Association, Edgar F. Talbott III ’86 was named assistant tice on integrity and uncompromising was featured in an interview that aired professor of pharmacy practice at the Appalacommitment to their clients throughout during an episode of “60 Minutes” chian College of Pharmacy, located in Oakwood, the state.

April 23, 2017. The episode highlighted Virginia. This position comes to Talbott after Dolph matriculated from North, gold cup racing and the annual steeple having served five years in the U.S. Navy, working Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of chasing event of the Virginia Gold Cup, Arts degree in English from VMI. He as an engineer for Newport News Shipbuilding which according to the association’s and working in the computer and information sciearned his Master of Laws degree from website, draws an audience of over ences field. He also worked as a retail pharmacist Marshall-Wythe Law School and his 50,000 people each year.

Juris Doctor degree from the T.C. Wil- for seven years and at Rockcastle Regional HosAllison matriculated from Warrenpital in cardiac and pulmonary rehab counseling. ton, Virginia, and earned his Bachelor Dolph ’70 liams School of Law. Talbott matriculated from Grundy, Virginia, of Arts degree in biology from VMI. and graduated with distinction from VMI, earnBusiness Week Worldwide named Gerald He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree J. Acuff ’71 as the CEO of the Year in North ing his Bachelor of Science degree in physics. He from the Medical College of Virginia. earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the America for pharmaceuticals. Acuff is the Central Florida Health News featured an article founder and chief executive officer of Delta Point, Appalachian College of Pharmacy. about Donald L. Arey Jr. ’62, M.D., Dec. 29, Inc., a brand development, marketing and sales Michael P. Goldman ’00 was promoted in 2016. In the article, Arey’s career of 26 years as a strategy company. Delta Point focuses on bioApril 2017 to partner at Hunton & Wilgeneral and vascular surgeon was highlighted as pharmaceutical companies that need liams LLP. Goldman’s practice focuses well as his current volunteer work as an assistant services such as a new product launch, on corporate finance and mergers and professor of surgery at the University of South declining sales, competition within their acquisitions, including domestic and market, and overall underperformance.

Florida College of Medicine in Orlando, Florida. cross-border transactions for both pubDelta Point has successfully As an instructor, he teaches 12-16 times lic and private companies. helped over 100 biopharmaa year with four hour long sessions.

Goldman matriculated from Midloceutical brands.

Arey matriculated from Danville, thian, Virginia, and was a distinguished Acuff matriculated from Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of graduate of VMI, earning a Bachelor of Cocoa Beach, Florida, and Arts degree in biology from VMI. He Arts degree in economics. He earned earned his Bachelor of Arts earned his Doctor of Medicine degree degree in English from VMI. Goldman ’00 his Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia. degree and his Master of Science in The Leesburg Police Department in Financial Services degree from Boston College David S. Wilkinson ’67 was awarded Leesburg, Virginia, announced Feb. 7, Carroll School of Management and his Juris the 2017 Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Pathology Acuff ’71 2017, that Capt. James M. Daly Jr. ’86 Doctor degree from the University of Richmond. would be joining the LPD Executive Chairs Feb. 10, 2017, with a physical Aqua Virginia announced the appointment of presentation of the award given to him at the Command Team as the commander of the Field Daniel M. Hingley ’09 as director of operations 2017 APC Annual Meeting in Washington, Operations Division, with his duties officially in March 2017. In this position, Hingley is responD.C. This award is the highest honor within the beginning Feb. 27, 2017.

Daly began his career in law enforcement in sible for overseeing operations for Aqua’s water association and is given in recognition of lifetime achievement in academic pathology, representa- 1990 with the Arlington County Police Depart- and wastewater service areas throughout the state, tion of contributions at local and national levels in ment. He was served as a first responder to events which serves approximately 75,000 people. This undergraduate and graduate medical education, such as Pentagon on 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina position comes to Hingley after previously serving in New Orleans in 2005. He previously served in as an environmental engineer with HDR, Inc. research, and clinical service.

Wilkinson matriculated from Richmond, Vir- the U.S. Army, as well. Daly also has taught com- in Virginia Beach. He also is a licensed professional engineer in the commonwealth ginia, and is a distinguished graduate of VMI, munity policing and homeland security of Virginia and currently serves as earning a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. courses to officers throughout the U.S., the vice chair of the Virginia Water He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from served as the aide to the deputy chief Environment Association education the University of Miami and his Doctor of Phi- of operations and the chief of police committee. Hingley is also a member in Internal Affairs, and was a member losophy degree from the University of Wisconsin. of the Water Environment Federation. of the ACPD Response Team – Crisis Hingley was a distinguished graduate On Dec. 14, 2016, Cyrus A. Dolph IV ’70 was Negations Unit for 16 years. of VMI, earning a Bachelor of Science Daly matriculated from Arlington, recognized by Clarke, Dolph, Rapaport, Hull & degree in civil engineering. He earned Brunick as being one of three of their partners Virginia, and earned his Bachelor of his Master of Science degree in environArts degree in history from VMI. He to be selected as a member of the Virginia Legal mental engineering from Virginia Polyearned his Master of Science AdminisElite for 2016. Dolph was selected for the recogniHingley ’09 technic Institute and State University. tion in his field of taxes/estates/trust and elder tration degree in public administration

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Alumni News

ook An nou n c e m en ts ... Book Announcements . . . Bo o k An n o u n cement s ... B ook Announcements ... Book Announcements ... uncements ... Book Announcements ... Book The Swiss Bank Account of Baroness von Braunstein by G. Gray Garland ’46. Dorrance Publishing Co., 2016. ISBN: 9781480938267. eISBN: 9781480938496. Available via Dorrance Publishing Co. During World War II, as the Allied armies advanced into Germany, the very wealthy Baron von Braunstein believed Germany would lose the war. After his two sons were killed, he arranged to get his only remaining child, a daughter, out of Germany and into the United States where before the war, he had friends and business interests.

At the war’s end, Eastern Germany was occupied by a Russian satellite government, and the Baron remained a virtual prisoner on his East German estate. He managed to send his daughter a package, but East German agents, believing it contained information harmful to the communist regime, attempted to forcibly recover the information from her.

By chance, a young Pittsburgh lawyer saves her from the Stasi agents when he finds them trying to torture her in the woods near his home. He becomes her lawyer and friend. Together, they embark on adventures to Switzerland and to a diamond mine in Africa in an attempt to recover her father’s properties.

About the Author: Gray Garland entered VMI as a member of the Class of 1946. He attended VMI for one year before he enlisted in the Navy, serving as an ensign mostly in the Pacific Theatre.

After wartime service, he graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Harvard Business School with a Master of Business Administration degree and Duquesne Law School with a Juris Doctor degree. His career included active participation as a principal in a number of businesses in both the U.S. and other countries. “The Swiss Bank Account of Baroness von Braunstein” is his third novel.

Advanced Ultrawideband Radar: Signals, Targets and Applications edited by James D. Taylor ’63. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, 2017. ISBN: 9781466586574. eISBN: 9781466586604. Available at crcpress.com.

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“Advanced Ultrawideband Radar: Signals, Targets and Applications” is the fourth book coauthored and edited by James D. Taylor for CRC Press. Since 1995, his books have presented the latest theory and practical examples of radars using ultrawideband signals for short spatial resolution remote sensing. Unlike conventional radars, which treat the target as a point reflector, the small spatial resolution signal results in a series of returns from target parts at different ranges. This allows the radar to build an image of the target and to passively recognize objects by analyzing the reflected signal time and frequency components.

The next generation of ultrawideband radars could recognize specific target classes by analyzing the reflected signal spectrum. Ultrawideband radar will have many exciting future applications from imaging satellites to detecting human body tumors.

About the Author: Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. James D. Taylor graduated from VMI in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He earned a master’s degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1977.

His experiences as an Air Force research and development engineer sparked his interest in ultrawideband radar. When a colleague asked him to recommend a book on ultrawideband radar, James replied that none existed. His colleague suggested that he write one. His efforts to correct this paucity of information has produced four books including, “Introduction to Ultra-Wideband Radar Systems” (1995), “Ultra-Wideband Radar Technology” (2000) and “Ultrawideband Radar Applications of Design” (2012). He lives as a gentleman engineer in Ponte Vedra, Florida, and does technical consulting work.

Civilization At Risk: Seeds of War by Ron D. Petitte ’65. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016.

ISBN: 1443894397. Available at cambridgescholars.com.

The evil that permeates sex trafficking is not going to stop, but it can be discouraged and abated and people’s lives spared the incalculable damage such evil inflicts. Regardless, the scourge will continue, and tomorrow’s press will detail more tragedy for the victims of human trafficking. “Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” Tragically, this is the very situation and response all too many victims of human trafficking face in today’s world. The author has developed a series of core premises to frame and present the inexplicable evil manifest in human trafficking. Dealing with a subject matter as dark and aberrant as trafficking in people, the author offers glimpses of promise in this herculean war through a set of uplifting accounts, aptly described as “seeds of hope.” All of the author’s proceeds for the writing of this book go directly to the Justice & Mercy Initiative at Bryan College to fight human trafficking.

About the Author: Ron D. Petitte serves as dean of the Honors Institute at Bryan College, which institute includes the Center for Leadership and Justice and the Center for Undergraduate Research. Petitte is a tenured, full professor of politics and government at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee. A retired U.S. Army colonel and graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Petitte served as a technical adviser for 20th Century Fox on the academy award-winning film “Patton.” Petitte earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from VMI. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in management from Central Michigan University and a Doctor of Public Administration degree from Golden Gate University. Petitte is a recipient of the George Washington Honor Medal awarded by Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Selected as Teacher of the Year by Bryan College and recognized with dual awards for his teaching abilities by the American Political Science Association

VMI Alumni Review

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Alumni News and the National Political Science Honor Society, Petitte recently was chosen Scholar of the Year by Bryan College, for “Civilization at Risk: Seeds of Strife,” published

by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in England. Petitte’s doctoral dissertation, “One Hundred Years of Leadership in Administration,” was selected for inclusion in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library as well as the George C. Marshall Research Library. Petitte and his wife reside in Dayton, Tennessee. They have four daughters.

A Southern Soldier Boy: The Diary of Sergeant Beaufort Simpson Buzhardt 1838-1862 annotated and edited by H.V. Traywick Jr. ’67.

Dementi Milestone Publishing, 2016. ISBN: 9780998147109. Available at www.dementibooks.com.

“A Southern Soldier Boy: The Diary of Sergeant Beaufort Simpson Buzhardt 1838-1862”

is essentially a republication of the wartime diary of a Confederate infantryman who served from the outbreak of the War Between the States until he was killed in one of the Seven Days’ Battles near Richmond in 1862. The diary has been illuminated with pertinent maps and illustrations, and its day-to-day immediacy has been embellished throughout with lively and colorful excerpts from D. August Dickert’s “History of Kershaw’s Brigade” to put the diary into a broader context. The editor has broken down the text into chapters to further categorize the events as the war progressed.

Chapters include South Carolina’s secession, the call to arms and the march to Virginia, the first Battle of Manassas, winter quarters in Northern Virginia, the Peninsula Campaign, and the Seven Days’ Battles around Richmond. Taken as a whole, this work gives the reader a portrait of Southern hopes in the early days of the war and introduces to the reader the stormy birth

of General Lee’s legendary Army of Northern Virginia in the days before the stormy death of traditional agrarian civilization.

About the Author: H.V. Traywick Jr. is a native of Lynchburg, Virginia. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1967 with a degree in civil engineering and a regular commission in the U.S. Army. His service included qualification as an Airborne Ranger and command of an engineer company in Vietnam, where he received the Bronze Star. After his return, he resigned his commission and made a career as a tugboat captain. During this time, Traywick earned a Master of Liberal Arts degree from the University of Richmond, with an international focus on war and cultural revolution. He is a member of the Jamestowne Society, the Society of Cincinnati in the State of Virginia, the Sons of the Confederate Veterans and the Society of Independent Southern Historians. He currently lives in Richmond, where he writes, studies history, literature and cultural revolution, and occasionally commutes to Norfolk to serve as a tugboat pilot.

.. . Bo ok An n o u n c e m e nts ... Book Announcements . . . Bo o k An n o uncem ent s ...

Announcements ... Book Announcemen Announcements ... Book Announcements ... Book

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The Dirt on the New Clean: Hackemeyer ’80 Creates NanoSeptic Technology

by Elaine Wood, Editorial Assistant

Before you reach for a door handle into a public building or place your toothbrush on the Hackemeyer ’80 vanity counter at a hotel, does the thought ever cross your mind that what you’re about to touch is an unclean surface? Do you catch yourself wiping down the tray on an airplane before you place your drink on it or squirming at the idea of placing all your travel items into a plastic bin that thousands of people reuse at airport security every day?

Dennis A. Hackemeyer ’80 began observing the need for a technology that could contain and stop the transfer of harmful contaminants several years ago while sitting in a restaurant with his now business partner, Mark Sisson.

“We were at lunch one day,” explained Hackemeyer, “and the next three folks who came in were doing some kind of cleaning. A mom with a child was using wipes, a worker came out with one of those nasty white rags to clean the table, and then a patron entering the restaurant sneezed right on the door handle.” Witnessing these behaviors, Hackemeyer became interested in the idea of how quickly organic contaminants were spreading in that small area alone. Previously having owned a business that produced wall skins and stickers similar to Fatheads, the two men brainstormed a brilliant idea: What if you were able to put cleaning technology into the same sticker material as those wall decals?

“And we just kept talking about it,” elaborated Hackemeyer. “Then we both said we couldn’t do it, because we’d just be chasing this rabbit down the hole.” But the more time that elapsed,

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Hackemeyer just couldn’t shake the feeling that such a technology was truly needed and could serve a great purpose. So, Hackemeyer and Sisson dove into that rabbit hole headfirst and cofounded NanoSeptic, which produces the world’s first self-cleaning surfaces for touch points and rest areas.

The first few feet in that initial dive found Hackemeyer submerged in researching whether or not this kind of cleaning-capable technology already existed. He quickly hired a patent attorney, stating, “It took a couple of weeks, and [the attorney] came back and said he couldn’t find anything like it,” said Hackemeyer. Immediately, he felt validated [in pursuing] the technology development. In order to do so, Hackemeyer found an independent lab that was Federal Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency compliant and was capable of testing and confirming the efficacy of early NanoSeptic prototypes. He explained that by using the lab to explore the different technologies available, there was a great possibility of finding several they could then marry into something useful. The technology evolved through several generations or trials and elongated over a process that spanned roughly 12-18 months. The end result was NanoSeptic self-cleaning surfaces, a brand new category of product.

With the creation of the product, Hackemeyer then explained it became apparent that the most influential aspect of the product was its visibility.

“I can spit shine an entire building, I can clean it and disinfect it, but it only takes one touch to contaminate a surface again. Not to mention the fact that the cleaning I did is completely invisible,” he highlighted. “But what we began

to realize after installing the surfaces in some pilot facilities was that the self-cleaning wasn’t the only benefit. In fact, what we failed to understand early on was how important the visual nature of our products were in how they made people feel and how they changed behavior.

Think about it: With traditional cleaning products, the only person who knows a surface has been cleaned is the person who cleaned it. The visible nature of NanoSeptic surfaces makes people feel safer and more secure.”

The science behind the technology is huge, yet small. Even though the action of the nanotechnology isn’t observable by the human eye, Hackemeyer stressed, “The surface begins working immediately and works 24/7, powered by any visible light. We didn’t want our products to be like traditional cleaners which utilized heavy metals, chemicals and toxins. The cleaning action is oxidative rather than antibiotic, so it doesn’t contribute to antimicrobial resistance, either. The mineral nanocrystals, powered by visible light, create an oxidation reaction stronger than bleach.” Also, when the partners began to introduce NanoSeptic into society, they discovered their products had use in more markets than they ever could have imagined. “So, you would think the best markets would be acute care and hospitals, right?” asked Hackemeyer.

“Terrible strategy. Most hospitals are nonprofit, they are decision-by-committee and they require years of clinical trials to consider new technologies ... We saw that if we stayed with hospitals, we would quickly go out of business.” Instead, Hackemeyer and Sisson were approached by executives of a 400,000 square-foot building that stumbled upon NanoSeptic door handle skins at their local YMCA and were immediately

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Pictured are iODots, self-cleaning peel-and-stick bumper feet for phones and tablets.

Photos courtesy NanoSeptic.

intrigued. Suddenly, it was exposed to Hackemeyer that distribution centers such as these tend to outsource their cleaning to commercial janitorial firms. “We didn’t even consider these industries,” Hackemeyer stated. With such a profitable potential in the commercial cleaning market, Hackemeyer and Sisson entered into trade shows at locations such as Las Vegas, Orlando and Chicago in hopes of gaining exposure amongst the burgeoning crowd. There’s also a well-known association within this market called the ISSA, which is the largest association across the globe of commercial cleaners. Hackemeyer explained that these shows host roughly 700-800 exhibitors annually.

“Mark came back from a show in Las Vegas where there was an area set aside just for new, innovative products,” said Hackemeyer. “We rolled the dice and entered the innovation competition as well as booking the smallest exhibit space available. We were having dinner at the show when we found out we won the innovation award,” said Hackemeyer. “Our company, with its little 10-foot by 10-foot booth, beat out Clorox, S.C. Johnson, Purell and 3M, who had exhibits that would fill a city block ... we were thrilled!”

But NanoSeptic was championing outside the commercial cleaning market, as well, and it was being integrated overseas with them signing distributors in Romania, Kazakhstan and Canada. In summer 2013, NanoSeptic held a distributor in Saudi Arabia. It was around this time that the country’s health ministry was trying to combat an outbreak of the coronavirus, which held a devastating 50 percent mortality rate. Pushed by a desire to help, at the suggestion of their distributor in that country, Hackemeyer decided to test NanoSeptic’s ability to combat the coronavirus. This desire quickly led them back to their lab. “The virologist originally wanted to test it every four hours, eight hours, 12 hours and 24 hours. But we thought, well, what about 30 minutes? And the virologist didn’t think that was a good idea,” he laughed. Doubts aside, the guys insisted again that 30 minutes was the target time.

They’d also test at an hour, two hours and then complete the test at four hours maximum allotted time. The results were astounding when they received a phone call from the lab stating that their surface completely eradicated all contaminants in under 30 minutes.

Today, NanoSeptic products range just about any need that you can think of – snack mats for children, mouse pads, tissue box covers

Nanoseptic products range from mouse pads, snack mats, tissue box covers and more. and more – and they’re just getting started with what the technology can truly do. One huge avenue that is being explored exists in the TSA trays previously mentioned. Hackemeyer noted that custom fit mats were scheduled to be placed in all of the bins one night in June at Akron-Canton Airport. The next morning’s travelers put the ability of NanoSeptic to the test to prevent the transfer of bacteria from one person’s personal items to the next.

The company also will be unveiling its first straight-to-consumer product, iODots, which are essentially self-cleaning, peel-and-stick bumper feet that can be placed on the back of a phone or other electronic devices, causing you to no longer worry about what you’re picking up and carrying around every time you place your electronics on a surface. The potential for

the technology to adhere itself into everyday society is truly endless, and there is no doubt that it will continue to grow. Clearly, others recognize its significance, as NanoSeptic was announced to receive a $2 million grant from the Tobacco Commission to further assist in their research and development. But always keeping the humor, Hackemeyer highlighted, “Unfortunately, they don’t just wire you $2 million. They make it available for matching funds ... so if I go spend a buck, I show them the receipt, and then they match the next buck.”

Hackemeyer hopes to continue to expand NanoSeptic and its limitless possibilities. He concluded, “We’re going to try to become the thought leaders in self-cleaning in the commercial industry, so that’s kind of the direction we’re headed right now ... we’re very fortunate.”

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The Institute “Your Learning Has Only Started” 319 Receive Diplomas in 2017 Commencement Ceremonies In commencement exercises held May 16, 2017, in Cameron Hall, 319 graduates of Virginia Military Institute were exhorted to live lives of character, honor and service.

More than 300 members of the Class of 2017 received diplomas, with graduates who matriculated with other VMI classes making up the rest of those crossing the stage. By the end of the summer, 172 new graduates will have commissioned into the armed services, representing 54 percent of this year’s graduates.

General J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, Institute superintendent, told those graduating that they must keep learning as they enter a complex and rapidly changing world. “Stay informed,” said Peay. “Stay clear-headed.

Be inquisitive. Stay informed about the challenges facing whatever community that you live in.”

Peay also reminded this year’s graduates to hold on to the concept of honor that the Institute strives so hard to inculcate. “People will hold you to a higher standard because you are a VMI graduate,” he stated.

Hamp Beddoes ’17, class president, introduced this year’s graduation speaker, Gen. John P. Jumper ’66, chairman of the VMI Board of Visitors. Before ceding the floor to Jumper, Beddoes took a moment to reminisce about the hardships of VMI that have forged such a strong bond among the graduates.

“I’ve heard this saying my entire cadetship, but I’ve never really believed it until now: You spend all four years trying as hard as you can to get away from this place and the rest of your life trying to come back,” said Beddoes.

With this sentiment in mind, Beddoes advised the underclass cadets in attendance to remember that the people are what make a place, and that their time at VMI is fleeting.

“You’re never too busy to throw the football with your friends,” Beddoes stated. “In the end, it’s the relationships that you’ll remember the most.”

Jumper, who retired from the Air Force after a 39-year career that included a stint as Air Force chief of staff, told the graduates, “Your learning has only started.”

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In particular, Jumper urged those graduating to study and learn the lessons of history. He quoted the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough as saying, “We cannot know where we are going unless we understand where we have been.”

With that sentiment in mind, Jumper gave his listeners a brief historical review of the events of World War I and World War II, as well as the American Revolution. He encouraged the graduates to visit sites such as the Normandy beaches where the D-Day invasion took place, as a sense of history is palpable there. He also recommended that they read and appreciate documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

“Today when you cross the stage, recognize that it’s not a finish line,” said Jumper, who went on to become chairman and chief executive officer of the defense contractor SAIC after retiring from the military. “It’s a starting line.”

And as the new graduates move out into the world, Jumper encouraged them to carry the core values of VMI with them.

“The nation and the world are begging for the values you are equipped to deliver,”

he said. “Do not let us down ... Be selfless.

Look for the greater good. Strive to be part of something bigger than yourself.”

Three awards were presented during the commencement ceremony. The first Jackson-Hope Medal for the highest attainment in scholarship and the Cmdr. Harry Millard Mason Academic Proficiency Award were presented to Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Drew Borinstein ’17.

Borinstein, who maintained a 4.0 grade-point average, graduated with a major in applied mathematics and a minor in business.

The second Jackson-Hope Medal for second highest attainment in scholarship and the Col. Sterling Murray Heflin 1916 Academic Proficiency Award were presented to Army 2nd Lt. Austin Bajc ’17. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, a minor in Asian studies and a minor in national security.

The Society of the Cincinnati Medal for efficiency of service and excellence of character, along with the Richard J. Marshall and Sumter L. Lowry Awards, was presented to Army 2nd Lt. Luke Phillips ’17. Phillips, who double majored in biology and chemistry, was the top-ranked cadet in the nation in Army ROTC this year.

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VMI photos by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.

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Superintendent Meets with International Delegations General J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, met with several international delegations in April 2017. Princess Sheikha Haya AlThani from Qatar visited during her tour of several military colleges and high schools to learn how better to expand their own military education program. Major Gen. Yuan-Yeu Jing, superintendent of Chung-Cheng Institute of Technology, National Defense University, a military engineering school in Taiwan, and Peay signed an updated memorandum of understanding regarding the study exchange program between the two schools. Lieutenant Gen. Sittipon Chinsamran, superintendent of Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Thailand, visited to review the Institute’s training program. VMI photos by Kelly Nye and H. Lockwood McLaughlin.

Mullen ’76 Retires After 25 Years It’s been the lifelong mission of Col. Grigg Mullen Jr. ’76, professor of civil and environmental engineering, to reach what he calls the “2.0-and-go” cadet – one who struggles academically yet has gifts the world desperately needs.

“We get a lot of kids in civil engineering who are hands-on, visual learners,” said Mullen. “We lose too many good kids who don’t connect to the formal educational process.”

Over the years, Mullen, a fourth-generation VMI alumnus, has found a way to connect with those cadets in a way that involves neither extra study sessions nor formal tutoring. It’s as simple as taking the cadets outdoors and putting them to work on a wood framing project under the auspices of the VMI chapter of the Timber Framers Guild.

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This spring, Mullen will retire after 25 years on the VMI faculty and 20 as faculty adviser to the VMI Timber Framers. He’ll leave as a legacy more than two dozen wooden structures across the commonwealth, most built as gifts for nonprofit organizations.

Like many engineers, Mullen fell in love with building things at a young age. By his recollection, he’s been working with wood since he was 5 years old. However, his path to service learning with cadets on Timber Framers projects has been one of twists and turns.

In 1987, as he was beginning his work toward a doctorate in civil engineering at Virginia Tech, Mullen stumbled across a book, “Timber Frame Construction,” that would serve as a guide to his life’s work. “Here was a combination of

woodworking and my engineering, all in one package,” Mullen commented.

Soon, Mullen joined the Timber Framers Guild, a nonprofit educational association dedicated to the ancient craft of building with wood.

The VMI chapter, though, got its start not with a house, a shed or any other dwelling for humans or animals. Rather, it began in spring 1997 with the construction of a trebuchet, a medieval weapon used as a siege engine. A visiting professor in the history department had an interest in medieval weaponry, and he’d convinced Mullen to build the trebuchet. “That was the gestation of [the Timber Framers],” said Mullen.

Just one year later, the group transitioned to community service with the construction of a gazebo at Effinger Elementary School.

VMI Alumni Review

The Institute A year later, Mullen and the cadets built Lisa’s House, Lexington’s shelter for women suffering domestic violence, which was the start of a longstanding relationship with the dwelling’s owner, Project Horizon, an organization dedicated to combating domestic abuse and sexual violence in the Rockbridge area. Over the years, cadet members of the VMI Timber Framers have built sheds, play houses and even an English cottage frame to be auctioned off as fundraisers for Project Horizon.

Mullen’s favorite project, though, had family ties. In spring 2009, the VMI Timber Framers built a picnic shelter in Goshen Pass to replace a 1930s-era structure that had gotten run down as the years went by.

“My grandfather, as chief engineer for the highway department, got that [original] shelter built,” said Mullen. His grandfather was Claree Sutton Mullen ’903, the second of the family to attend VMI. Mullen’s great-greatuncle, Wesley Peyton Grigg ’863, graduated from the Institute in 1863. Mullen’s father is Wesley Grigg Mullen ’44.

Other memorable projects over the years have included the Rotary picnic shelter at Jordans Point in Lexington; the Great Oak Pavilion at Ferry Farm, George Washington’s birthplace; and a shade shelter at the Lexington City Pool.

The timber frame of Parry McCluer High School’s pavilion stands assembled at its location in Buena Vista. Photo courtesy Mullen.

The most recent project, completed April 1-4, 2017, during spring field training exercises, was a pavilion for Parry McCluer High School in Buena Vista, built by a crew of 130 people. The design, engineering calculations and organization of the project were the independent study of civil engineering Cadets Seth Hinton ’17, Bryan Wade ’17 and Joey Fuesting ’17. Approximately 40 other cadets

Colonel Grigg Mullen Jr. ’76 works to assemble a timber frame structure in November, which was auctioned to raise funds for Project Horizon. VMI photo by Kelly Nye.

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joined the project, as well as students from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, and the American College of Building Arts in Charleston, South Carolina, plus a bevy of Timber Framers Guild members from other communities and a dedicated corps of VMI alumni who once worked on Timber Framers projects themselves as cadets.

“They’ll come back and help teach the current cadets,” said Mullen of the alumni.

“That’s fun.”

While Mullen is stepping down from teaching responsibilities at VMI, he’s not necessarily stepping down from the Timber Framers. “I could be convinced to come back and adjunct [to keep leading the group],” Mullen admitted. He added that these days, much of the responsibility for leading the crews on job sites falls to his son, Grigg Mullen III ’08, who is a lab mechanic in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

For the elder Mullen, the Timber Framers may have started with a love of woodworking, but the group has always been about more than turning trees into structures.

“This is a chance to get the cadets out into the community,” he stated. “It’s a communitybuilding thing.”

Editor's Note: Unless otherwise noted, articles in the Institute section were originally published by Communications and Marketing.

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Perkins Speaks to ROTC Cadets General David Perkins, commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, spoke with Army ROTC cadets in Gillis Theater April 10, 2017, about the logistical tactics of running and maintaining the Army command. He touched on a number of leadership-based challenges including cross-domain synergy on the battlefield, mission control philosophy and commander tasks. VMI photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.

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Updates from the CLE During the 2016-17 academic year, the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics selected and sponsored cadets to represent the Institute at eight external leadership conferences and symposia. The center also recruited cadets to participate on a year-round ethics team that attended four ethics competitions. In addition, the center hosted five major conferences, welcomed our annual Leader-in-Residence and three H.B. Johnson Jr. ’26 Distinguished Speakers.

Annually, the center sponsors the CadetSuperintendent’s Advisory Board, an experiential leadership program. This cadet-selected group from the “Old Corps” is representative of the entire Corps of Cadets, including athletes, academic star-wearers, rankers and nonrankers. Cadets Zachary Chase ’17 and Vania Murcia ’17 provided leadership for CIC and ACIC, respectively, for this academic year.

The program’s goals are twofold. First, the program hones the cadets’ analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving and public

speaking skills by assigning them an issue or problem related to the cadet experience. Second, the group learns to apply a disciplined research and planning process to determine potential solutions. Last, the experience exposes them to higher level decision-making, as the group periodically briefs their project’s progress to the superintendent and other high ranking members of his staff.

This academic year, the CSAB researched key life skills that would enhance cadets’ ability to live independently and successfully following graduation. The CSAB gave its final out briefing to Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, and members of the VMI administration April 26, 2017, that included recommendations for how these life skills might be incorporated into the VMI leadership development model.

As part of the center’s Cadet Leadership Enrichment Program, the center sponsored 75 cadets’ trips to national and international leadership and ethics conferences/symposiums.

In February, Col. Patrick Looney, the center’s deputy director, accompanied 2nd Class Cadets Alex Warren ’18, Joseph Brown ’18, Atkins Corris ’18 and Eddie Stawowczyk ’18 to the 62nd Annual Student Conference on National Affairs, hosted by the Texas A&M Memorial Student Center. As a prelude to the conference, they participated in a two-day Homeland Defense Exercise orchestrated by the U.S. Army War College. Warren said, “By the end of the exercise, I learned a lot about the inner workings of the government. How long it really takes for information to get passed from agency to agency, as well as how long it takes to gather assets in case of an emergency. Also, the confusion that can occur when multiple parties are involved with asking for the same things.” Overall, the trip was a very positive experiential learning opportunity for the cadets, and facilitators were impressed with the leadership example and positive contributions from all four VMI cadets.

Cadets Makayla Diamond ’18, Hannah Gillan ’19, Riley Neary ’19 and Kailey Dixon ’18

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Oates met with cadet leaders during his two weeklong visits to post as VMI’s 2017 Leader-in-Residence and was the keynote speaker during the Superintendent’s Annual Leadership Dinner.

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The Institute and Capt. Weaver represented VMI at the Officer Women Leadership Symposium held at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. This annual event provides educational and professional development workshops, seminars and exhibits designed to enhance the professional knowledge of attendees while increasing overall awareness of issues affecting women in the military. The symposium offered an opportunity for female officers, midshipmen and senior enlisted to benefit from the open dialogue, career enhancing information and mentoring opportunities.

Other conferences attended by Keydets included the National Conference on Ethics in America at the U.S. Military Academy; the U.S. Naval Academy Leadership Conference; 2017 Law of Armed Conflict Competition in San Remo, Italy; The American Veteran’s Center Conference; and the U.S. Air Force Academy’s National Character and Leadership Symposium. According to Cadet Anthony Tarnowski ’18, who attended the West Point conference, “Hearing from other students from across the country with different backgrounds, political ideals and dreams helped me to expand my thoughts on leadership in general.” His comments reflect the positive feedback received from VMI cadets who attended the various conferences.

For the third year, the center has sponsored a competitive intercollegiate ethics team.

Cadets attended weekly meetings to prepare

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for upcoming events and competitions. The team traveled to five events and represented the Institute honorably. First Class Cadet Rori Stubbs ’17 served as the cadet-in-charge. Colonels Gray and Looney and Dr. Duncan Richter of English, rhetoric and humanistic studies provided mentorship of the group. In October, the West Point Society of Richmond invited the team to serve as student facilitators for a high school leadership and ethics conference.

The team’s first intellectual battle occurred at the mid-Atlantic Regional Ethics Competition at Clemson University, where they scored one victory and two losses in tough matches. The team also competed at the Naval Academy’s Military Ethics Competition – the only cadets from a public military college to do so. The cadets have expressed how these competitions provided “an excellent opportunity to get exposed to other schools’ moral ideas and to understand new ways of thinking about important ethical issues.” Rising 1st Class Cadet Anthony Tarnowski ’18 will lead the squad for the 2017-18 academic year.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Oates met with cadet leaders during his two weeklong visits to post as VMI’s 2017 Leader-inResidence. Oates, who served as the director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, familiarized himself with VMI by attending events across post, including the Cadet Advisory Board meeting and the economics and business banquet. During his second week, he spoke with Omicron Delta

Kappa members and Army ROTC cadets and met with cadet leaders for breakfast in Crozet Hall after attending breakfast roll call.

As this year’s keynote speaker during the Superintendent’s Annual Leadership Dinner, Oates shared leadership insights gleaned from his military and civilian careers. His presentation emphasized the qualities of humility, relationship-building and self-awareness as essential for successful leadership. He commented that the environment at VMI was “all the time conditioning you to be a leader.”

Thanks to this environment, Oates opined that VMI cadets were “going to do much better than a lot of your peers ... that I’ve seen in corporate America ... and in the military.”

For academic year 2017-18, the center will explore a variety of topics under the broad heading of “Leadership in an Uncertain World.”

Over the year, the focus will be on issues of civil discourse. The eighth annual Leadership and Ethics Conference will take place Oct. 30-31, 2017, and is titled, “Speaking Truth to Power: Candid and Courageous Civic Discourse.”

Alumni are encouraged to participate and attend many of the center’s events. Follow the center on social media to enjoy the latest happenings through posts, photos and videos shared year-round. The center’s theme for the 2017-18 academic year will explore “Principled Civic Discourse” to encourage free and courteous discussions of provocative ideas. For more information or to see a schedule of events and opportunities, please visit www.vmi.edu/cle.

VMI Alumni Review

Keydet Athletics Water Polo Recap With the unprecedented level of success the VMI water polo program has experienced in 2017, the Keydets received Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 25 votes for the first time in program history April 12, 2017, and earned a No. 25 ranking the following week.

The Keydets, in just their sixth season as an NCAA water polo program, are now 22-6 overall and 11-3 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference after going 2-0 April 15 in New York and clinching their first ever berth to the MAAC Tournament slated for April 29-30 in Poughkeepsie, New York.

VMI’s previous best season win total of 12 came from the 2013 campaign, as this year’s Keydets surpassed that benchmark. The resurgence of the program also comes just a year after struggling to an 8-19 record in 2016.

Other than qualifying for the MAAC Tournament, the Keydets have reached several other team and individual milestone moments, including Cadet Shelby Barkley ’18 breaking the all-time career goals mark of 191 set by Mackenzie Perkins ’15, as she now has 201 goals over the past three years.

For the first time in the program’s short history, VMI has also produced multiple MAAC Athlete of the Week nominations, including one for Barkley and four for goalkeeper Cadet Isabel French ’20.

Goalie Isabel French ’20 searches for an open teammate against George Washington University.

Shelby Barkley ’18 looks for a teammate to pass to against George Washington University.

Cecilya Lundy ’17 takes a shot against the Colonials of George Washington University.

Track Recap The VMI track and field teams had success in the first portions of their seasons. Indoors, the Keydet women finished fifth at the SoCon Championships and saw Cadets Kerisha Goode ’18 (60-meter dash), Yaa Agyepong-Wiafe ’18 (60-meter hurdles) and Julia Logan ’18 (pentathlon) set individual school records during that indoor campaign. The men’s indoor season was highlighted by a sixth-place finish in the distance medley relay at the IC4A Championships.

The other highlight for both programs was a dual meet victory over The Citadel that opened the Corps Physical Training Facility. In headto-head competition, the VMI men downed The Citadel 78-68 and the Keydet women prevailed over the Bulldogs 87-51 Jan. 28.

Meanwhile, the early portions of the outdoor season were highlighted by the women’s 4x100-meter relay – which included Goode and Agyepong-Wiafe, as well as Cadets Bria Anderson ’18 and Mia McClain ’18 – resetting the school record numerous times. One of those came at the Penn Relays, when they won the ECAC final. At press time, the teams were preparing for their championship seasons.

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Baseball Recap The Keydet baseball team sat at 18-25 at press time, despite missing outfielders Cadets Matthew Pita ’19 and William Malbon ’17 for a large portion of the season. The team has enjoyed notable seasons from several individuals, most of all, ace pitcher Cadet Joshua Winder ’19.

With three weeks left in the regular season, Winder already had the fourth-most strikeouts in VMI single-season history (90) and was among the Division I leaders in that category.

He also had two SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week awards to his credit, to go along with a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the

Week and SoCon Pitcher of the Week laurels.

In addition, Cadet Collin Fleischer ’18 moved in to the top 10 in school history in career home runs. The SoCon Baseball Championship took place after press time, in late May in Greenville, South Carolina. Go to VMIKeydets.com to see the final results for 2017 VMI baseball.

Final Spring Football Scrimmage Cadet Tyain Smith ’20, running back, takes a swing pass for yardage in VMI football’s final spring scrimmage held April 29, 2017, at Foster Stadium at Alumni Memorial Field.

VMI opens the 2017 football season at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

2017 VMI Women’s Soccer Schedule Date

Location Opponent Time Aug. 18 Lexington vs. UNC Asheville 5 p.m.

Aug. 21 Hampton, Virginia. at Hampton 4 p.m.

Aug. 24 Washington, D.C. at American 4 p.m.

Aug. 26 Lexington vs. Saint Peter’s 1 p.m.

Aug. 31 Lexington vs. Saint Francis (PA) 4 p.m.

Sept. 2 Farmville, Virginia. at Longwood TBA Sept. 8 Bronx, New York at Manhattan TBA Sept. 10 Emmitsburg, Maryland at Mount St. Mary’s TBA Sept. 15 Lexington vs. Radford 4 p.m.

Sept. 17 Richmond, Kentucky at Eastern Kentucky 1 p.m.

Sept. 22 Greenville, South Carolina at Furman 7 p.m.

Sept. 24 Spartanburg, South Carolina at Wofford 1 p.m.

Sept. 29 Lexington vs. Western Carolina 4 p.m.

Oct. 1 Lexington vs. ETSU 1 p.m.

Oct. 6 Chattanooga, Tennessee at Chattanooga 7 p.m.

Oct. 8 Birmingham, Alabama at Samford 1 p.m.

Oct. 15 Greensboro, North Carolina at UNCG 1 p.m.

Oct. 20 Lexington vs. The Citadel 4 p.m.

Oct. 22 Lexington vs. Mercer 1 p.m.

The schedule is subject to change. As always, an up-to-date version can be seen on VMIKeydets.com.

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VMI Foundation, Inc. VMI Foundation Hosts Annual Benefactors Luncheon Since 2002, the VMI Foundation has hosted a Benefactors Luncheon in conjunction with its spring trustees. Always a popular event with donors, cadets, and members of the faculty and staff, this year’s event was held April 21, 2017, and drew more than 100 donors who have established scholarships, professorships, chairs and other funds, or their representatives; more than 90 cadets; and many members of VMI’s leadership, faculty and staff, as well as the VMI Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

After lunch, Hugh M. Fain III ’80, president of the VMI Foundation, addressed the donors.

He stated that, while the Foundation hosts this event for many reasons, “primarily, we host this luncheon as a small but hopefully meaningful way to say thank you to the donors who make Guests at the luncheon were treated to moving remarks by Luke Phillips ’17. a VMI education possible for so many deserving cadets.”

He then spoke to what he described as Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, “deeper and more fundamental reasons” A Brilliant Future: The Campaign for for the event’s enduring popularity. “We VMI in terms of expanding scholarship are all here because we understand the support for the Corps of Cadets. “Of value and importance of a VMI educathe more than $319 million dollars the tion and how it profoundly transforms campaign has raised to date,” he said, young people. We are here because “our donors have directed more than we recognize that VMI cadets follow $100 million to expanding scholarship a far more challenging – and far more support to the Corps of Cadets and rewarding – path than most of their conestablished 102 new need- and merittemporaries. We are here because we all based scholarships.” He continued want to give our cadets the opportunity by acknowledging those in the audito follow that path. At base, we are here ence who “have helped the campaign because we know that our great nation achieve this amazing success” and will always need the capable and honorthanked them for “your vision and for able citizen-soldiers that VMI produces.” Warren J. Bryan ’71 , chief executive officer of the VMI Foundation. your remarkable generosity.”

He then recounted the success of An In his remarks, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey G. Smith Jr. ’79, deputy superintendent for academics and dean of faculty, described the vibrant and rich academic environment at VMI and how, by providing scholarship support, donors are helping young people come to VMI and take full advantage of it.

The event’s highlight was the remarks delivered by Luke Phillips ’17. The S-2 captain on the regimental staff, Phillips was named the top Army ROTC cadet in the country last fall.

He was also a double major in chemistry and biology with numerous minors, a participant in the Institute Honors Program and a captain of VMI’s cross-country, indoor track and field, and Hugh M. Fain III ’80, president of the VMI Foundation, welcomed the benefactors, cadets, outdoor track and field teams. He spoke on the faculty and staff to the event. theme of “Why We Give Thanks.”

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VMI Foundation, Inc. He began by recounting how his parents urged him to write thank you letters to people who had given him gifts and admitting that, in some cases, he neglected to do so. He said that he regretted not doing so, because “the people who support you in your endeavors don’t volunteer their time and efforts for any reward; they don’t need to hear a thank you or receive a letter. But, if you show them that you are truly thankful, you will have offered them a gift in return that is far more meaningful than you could imagine.”

He spoke warmly about Dr. Louis Gapenski ’59, who established the scholarship that he benefitted from during his 1st Class year, but who he was unable to thank because Gapenski died last year. “I was incredibly sad I missed the opportunity to thank him before he passed.” He then outlined Gapenski’s “two full, successful careers,” which included two decades of service as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, earning an advanced degree in physics at the Naval Postgraduate School, and after retiring from military service, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in finance and economics from the University of Florida.

Gapenski then embarked on an academic career at the University of Florida’s Department of Health Services Administration at the focusing in finance education in the field of health services administration and included authoring multiple best-selling textbooks. “Amidst all of this brilliant work,” Phillips said, “I did not forget VMI and

Brigadier Gen. Jeffrey G. Smith Jr. ’79, deputy superintendent for academics and dean of faculty. contributed generously to funding the education of cadets.”

He also paid tribute to all the people on and off post who had helped bring him to this point in his life and achieve success as a cadet and reminding his fellow cadets of “the instrumental role our donors play ... [by having] selflessly committed money and time to directly helping your education.”

He closed by saying, “Life is short, so take

advantage of every opportunity you have with those that support you: Your parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, community and donors.

Maybe one day, find a way to thank VMI for what it has done for you by donating back and supporting the education of a future cadet like yourself. Thank those, like Doctor Gapenski, who have contributed to building VMI’s glorious past and contribute to ensuring that VMI will have a brilliant future.”

The attendees were treated to a performance by VMI’s acapella singing group, Men in Gray. VMI photos by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.

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50th Reunion and 1st Class Campaign Checks Presented Below: At the graduation parade May 14, 2017, the Class of 2017 announced the outcome of its 1st Class Campaign. From left, Hamp Beddoes ’17, class president; Jimmy Callahan ’17, philanthropy club president; Timothy Davison ’17, regimental commander; and Andrew Hromoko ’17, class treasurer, made the presentation to Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, who accepted on behalf of VMI. Denise Koch, VMI Foundation assistant director of annual and reunion giving, accepted the gift on behalf of the VMI Alumni Agencies.

Above: At the reunion parade April 29, 2017, the Class of 1967 presented the initial proceeds of their 50th Reunion Campaign to the Institute. Presenting the check representing gifts and commitments totaling more than $22.5 million were Robert C. Randolph IV ’67, class president; George T. Richardson ’67, member of the Reunion Campaign Committee; James E. Rogers ’67, chairman of the Reunion Campaign Committee; and James S.C. Phlegar Jr. ’67, member of the Reunion Campaign Committee. General J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, superintendent, far right, and Robert P. Louthan ’82, president of the VMI Alumni Association, far left, accepted the check on behalf of the Institute and the VMI Alumni Agencies, respectively.

Bayliss Scholarship Presented

During a ceremony in Preston Library’s Turman Room March 23, 2017, Cadet Tristan L. Silverstorf ’18 received the Captain Paul M. Bayliss 1960 Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship honors Paul M. Bayliss ’60, an Air Force pilot who was killed in action in November 1966 while serving in Southeast Asia. It is presented annually to a cadet pursuing an Air Force commission who has been chosen to be a pilot or combat systems officer. This is the third awarding of the scholarship. Pictured with Cadet Silverstorf were, from left, first row, Patrick Bayliss, Paul’s son; Reba Bayliss, Paul’s widow; Tristan Silverstorf; Lucy Clay; Bob Clay ’60; and Ruth Smith. Second row: Mary Miller, Hap Miller ’60, Susan Moss, Howard Moss ’60, Herb Vaughan ’60 and Jimbo Smith ’60. Third row: Ed Tolley ’60, Bolling Williamson ’60; Jim Pittman ’60; Bud Frith ’60 and Jim O’ Dell ’60. Fourth row: Henry Brown ’60, Jeanne Frith and Peggy Frith Wade.

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“He was a Giant in Our Lives” Bust of Legendary Professor Dedicated

Pictured unveiling the bust were, from left, Richard Pumphrey, the sculptor; Col. James Turner Sr. ’65; Dr. Charles Hayes ’58; and Gen. Jeffrey Smith Jr. ’79.

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here is no better description of them than what they call themselves: “Doc’s boys.” These are the men who, from 1928 until 1968, were taught various subjects in biology by Col. Robert P. Carroll. Well, that was his proper name. Usually, he is referred to as Doc Carroll or just “Doc.” Throughout his four decades on the faculty, Carroll earned a reputation as a sound scholar, an effective teacher and a caring mentor. He is credited with launching hundreds of cadets into medical, dental and scientific careers. On April 25, more than 100 of Doc’s boys and their wives and family members as well as several members of Carroll’s family, including his son and daughter and three grandchildren gathered in MauryBrooke Hall. Their purpose was to dedicate a new bust of Carroll and to honor their beloved professor’s legacy.

This event concluded an effort that began last spring, when one of Doc’s boys, Dr. Charles B. Hayes ’58, learned that a painting of Carroll that had hung for years in Carroll Hall had disappeared. He was concerned that, unless Carroll was commemorated in some tangible way, his legacy would be forgotten. He took his concerns to his Brother Rat, Dr. William G. Harshaw Jr. ’58, who suggested that a bust be commissioned and placed in an appropriate

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place on post. Hayes agreed and, after receiving the Institute’s approval for the project, immediately began contacting hundreds of Doc’s Boys.

The reaction was enthusiastic and generous.

Before long it became evident that the cost of designing and executing the bust and its pedestal would be easily met. Warren J. Byran ’71, chief executive officer of the VMI Foundation; and Col. James E. Turner Sr. ’65, head of the biology department and one of Doc’s boys,

discussed with Hayes what could be done with any funds donated after the cost of the bust and its installation were met. They quickly agreed that any unused funds should be directed to the Robert P. Carroll Educational Fund, better known as the Carroll Fund.

Established in 1967 as Carroll began his last year on the faculty, the Carroll Fund is an endowment that provides money that can be used at the discretion of the biology department.

According to Turner, this support “ensures that Doc’s keenest interest – equipping cadets for successful careers in scientific endeavors – will be perpetuated.” According to Bryan, thanks to the support of alumni and their families, the Fund’s value now stands at approximately $1 million, making it one of the largest departmental discretionary funds.

Turner is forthright about the fund’s enduring value to the biology department. “It is the lifeblood of the department and allows us to continue to grow and flourish.” The expansion of the biology department over the past six years to more than 190 majors, according to Turner, put pressure on the Department’s funding. “Today, therefore, we use approximately 50 percent of the money generated by the Carroll Fund on basic operations. The remaining money is used to promote the growth and development of our students and faculty.

It goes toward providing cadets undergraduate research fellowships that allows them to work with our faculty during the summer and

Hayes led Doc’s boys in a salute to Carroll and his legacy.

VMI Alumni Review

VMI Foundation, Inc. upgrading our teaching and research programs that benefit both cadets and faculty. We use some of the money to fund the travel of cadets and faculty to scientific meetings at which they present their research.”

The ceremony began with remarks from Brig.

Gen. Jeffrey G. Smith Jr. ’79, dean of faculty and deputy superintendent for academics.

Colonel Turner followed, describing Carroll’s multifaceted career at VMI which included such things as developing a herbarium and leading the VMI Firefighters. Yet, he emphasized Carroll’s role as a mentor. “Doc taught me how to put aside all personal uncertainties and search for my strengths and use them maximally. At times he was gentle, and there were times he was not, but both approaches in their own way inspired me to work beyond my expectations. Doc taught me not be intimidated by the vast knowledge that confronted me but to consume it with an ever increasing appetite. Without these early foundational lessons, I would not have been able to succeed.”

Doc Carroll is renowned as one of the most colorful personalities in VMI history. It is not surprising that many alumni of a certain era

In a nod to Carroll’s well-known love of chewing tobacco, Hayes placed these items near the bust.

Turner described Carroll’s career at VMI and extolled his role as a mentor.

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Pictured in front of the bust were Pumphrey, left, and Hayes. have a “Doc Carroll story” – and Turner is no exception. “As a rat, I remember him looking down at me and remarking that if I didn’t get my academic engine started and in high gear, I would be cutting grass for the rest of my life.

Needless to say, I improved from that point forward.”

Besides offering his own Doc Carroll story, Warren J. “Buddy” Bryan ’71, VMI Foundation chief executive officer – another of Doc’s Boys – spoke of Carroll’s legacy. “I am struck by the outsized influence he had on the lives of so many alumni. I then thought about the work that these men had gone on to do – and how broad and deep this man’s influence truly is.” He also described how the Carroll Fund perpetuated Doc’s legacy of teaching and mentorship and announced that Doc’s boys had been so generous toward the effort to honor Carroll that they had added more than $75,000 to the Carroll Fund’s endowment.

It was apt that the man who had started this effort – Hayes – concluded the remarks. He said that whatever he or anyone else could say “it would not come close to all that he meant to us and to VMI.” He addressed Carroll’s legacy by describing the careers of two of Doc’s Boys – John J. Salley ’47 and Roby C. Thompson ’55 – who both excelled as educators and practitioners and that, through these two and others, Doc’s legacy of educating and inspiring generations of young men “to prevent a lot of pain and to save a lot of lives” would continue. He concluded with what undoubtedly has been a common sentiment among Doc’s boys for almost 90 years: “He was a giant in our lives.”

Warren J. “Buddy” Bryan ’71, VMI Foundation chief executive officer, spoke on the importance of the Carroll Fund to the biology department.

Visit Our New Website A new version of the website of An Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: The Campaign for VMI will be available Aug. 1, 2017. It’s the same address – www.vmi.edu/campaign – but the new version is focused on reporting about the campaign’s success and what it means for VMI. It will include messages from Institute leaders and stories about some of our donors.

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The Keydet Club 2017 Jeff “Pup” Morgan ’80 Leadership Outing The 2017 Jeff “Pup” Morgan ’80 Leadership Outing was held June 2, 2017, to show appreciation for the Keydet Club’s loyal annual leadership members who financially support VMI’s Divison I athletic programs. Following an afternoon of golf, tennis and sporting clays, everyone gathered at Moody Hall to enjoy delicious food catered by Southern Inn, cocktails, and heard from VMI coaches and staff. The event was a huge success and a great time was had by all! To find out more information about becoming a leadership member, please contact the Keydet Club.

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1. Ed Johnson ’79 was one of many proud sponsors of the 2017 Jeff "Pup" Morgan ’80 Leadership Outing. More than $24,000 was gifted this year, bringing the Morgan ’80 Football Scholarship total endowment to more than $275,000.

2. Pictured golfing were, from left, Steve Maconi, chief executive officer of the VMI Alumni Agencies; Ralph Costen ’70; Bill Paulette ’69; and John Jumper ’66.

3. Paul Bouis ’67 was announced as the second recipient of the Bill Paulette ’69 Board of Governors Award as Greg Cavallaro ’84, Keydet Club chief executive officer, and Bill Paulette ’69 looked on.

4. Moody Hall served as the perfect location for the crowd to gather.

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5. Brother rats Irwin McCumber ’65, Jeff Gausepohl ’65 and Gary Ross ’65 enjoyed an incredible spread.

6. All of Moody Hall was used to comfortably host the record crowd at this year’s appreciation outing.

7. Cavallaro, Pete Kokolis ’96, Cadet Johnny Daniel ’20 and John Kokolis ’96 enjoyed time together at Moody Hall.

8. Leadership members enjoyed sharing the spirit of VMI with one another.

9. Members of the Class of ’70 pictured enjoying time together were, from left, seated, Peel Dillard ’70, Hern Braun ’70, Steve Craddock ’70 and Warren Gratsy ’70. Standing: Gordon Williams ’70, Carl Strock ’70, Bill O’Conner ’70, Ralph Costen ’70, John Fleming ’70 and Russ Marshall ’70.

10. From left, Al Cowan ’87, Susan Cowan and Cal Murray ’83.

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The Keydet Club

Chapman ’84 Endows Athletic Scholarship Robert R. “Bob” Chapman III ’84 recently created The Chapman-Underwood & Robert R. Chapman III ’84 Family Athletic Scholarship in the VMI Keydet Club as a portion of his generous support of the Campaign for VMI. The scholarship Chapman ’84 recognizes his parents, Robert R. Chapman II and Barbara Underwood Chapman, both big fans of VMI. The endowment will provide grant-in-aid for a cadet-athlete with preference given to a cadet from Virginia.

A native of Suffolk, Virginia, Chapman

graduated from VMI with a bachelor’s degree in economics. While at VMI, he was a member of the tennis team and the Society of Young Economists. Following graduation, Chapman served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army and graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

He began his professional banking career in Suffolk, and was a vice president and branch manager in Franklin, Virginia. He served in Lexington, Virginia, in the early 1990s as a commercial account manager and moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1995 with Crestar Bank.

Chapman has been a resident of Lynchburg for the last 22 years and was a co-organizer of Bank of the James in 1999. He serves as the president of Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. and the president and chief executive officer for

Bank of the James, headquartered in Lynchburg.

Chapman was recently elected to serve on the VMI Keydet Club’s Board of Governors. He is a board member and past president of the Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation and also serves on the board of the Centra Foundation, Westminster Canterbury (Lynchburg) and is a member of First Presbyterian Church.

“We are very appreciative for this generous gift and commitment from my brother rat,” commented Greg Cavallaro ’84, Keydet Club chief executive officer. “Bob joins the growing number of benevolent benefactors who have created endowed scholarships in the Keydet Club, now numbering more than 170, in support of our cadet-athletes and the wonderful VMI education they receive.”

Erica Putney ’15 Joins Keydet Club First Alumna on Staff On May 1, 2017, Erica Putney ’15 joined the staff of the VMI Keydet Club, becoming the first alumna to serve on the staff of the Keydet Club.

In her new position as a gift officer, she’ll be raising financial support for VMI’s cadet-athletes and NCAA athletic program directly from alumni and friends. She is also only the second alumna to work full time at the VMI Alumni Agencies.

The first was Nichole Kramer ’03, who served several years as the VMI Alumni Association’s new cadet recruiting coordinator.

A biology major with a minor in exercise science and a dean’s list student as a cadet, Putney was also a member of the women’s soccer team throughout her cadetship. She became familiar with the work of the VMI Alumni Agencies when she was a cadet assistant at the VMI Alumni Review from January-May 2015. In September 2016, she became the program outreach coordinator for the VMI Alumni Association, helping to organize events across the nation for the association.

For Putney, her own experience as a cadetathlete who received grant-in-aid support led her to apply for the job at the Keydet Club when

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it opened this past spring. “Growing up, it was my dream to play soccer in college. Still, I never thought it would become a reality until I was offered an athletic scholarship by VMI my senior year in high school.”

She explained that being a part of the Keydet Club team would allow her to bring to bear her experiences as a woman at VMI and a cadet-athlete. “I share the experiences of every alumnus and alumna – the Rat Line, the academics, the military system – and every cadet-athlete – the early wake-ups, the long training sessions and the need to balance athletics with the rest of VMI life. As a woman, I will be able to reach out to alumnae in a way they haven’t encountered, and that might help motivate more alumnae to join the Keydet Club. My background also might help change a few minds among alumni about women at VMI in general and, more specifically, women’s sports at the Institute.”

“Erica was a dynamo as a cadet,” said Greg Cavallaro ’84, VMI Keydet Club chief executive officer, “and she did excellent work at the Alumni Association. I’m sure that by applying

the same traits that made her a success as a cadetathlete and in her work with alumni, she’ll be successful raising money on behalf of the young men and women who represent VMI in NCAA sports.”

When asked why this position at the Keydet Club appealed to her, Putney ’15 she cited her own experience. “I could not have done what I did at VMI, and I wouldn’t be where I am today, if it weren’t for someone’s gracious gift,” she answered. “That is why I want to be part of an organization that helps make young athletes’ dreams come true.”

Editor’s Note: Unless stated otherwise, the articles and photos in the Keydet Club section of the Alumni Review are provided by the Keydet Club.

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The Class of 1958 Football Scholarship Fund The Class of 1958 Football Scholarship Fund was the vision of class officers James W. Moore ’58, vice president and editor of The Bomb, of Tupelo, Mississippi; Stirling L. Williamson Jr. ’58, president, of Charlottesville, Virginia; and, A. Lee McCown ’58, class agent, of Richmond, Virginia.

The scholarship will serve to honor those brother rats who were members of the undefeated VMI football team of 1957 and who provided outstanding play and leadership. It is impossible to convey the

pride that the Class of 1958 took in the accomplishments of this team and the positive effect it had on the morale of the entire Corps of Cadets.

Just two years earlier, the VMI football team had won one game, defeating The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.

The entire Corps met the team bus when it arrived on post at 3 a.m. A year later, the team won only three games but showed the spark that was to lead to the 9-0-1 season of 1957. The Class of 1958 leaders of the

team were: Sam Woolwine, co-captain; Lou Farmer, co-captain; Duke Johnston; Bobby Jordan; Ron Swirk; Benny Day; Dave Martin; Harry Shepherd; Nick (Evanusich) Persin; Roland Tharp, manager; and Bob King, trainer.

Donnie Ross ’74, Keydet Club vice president, added, “Not only was the team Southern Conference champion, but Virginia state champion and ranked 13th nationally. The ’57 team is truly a source of pride for all who wear the red, white and yellow.”

This plaque, featuring a photo from the undeafeated 1957 season, was installed in the football locker room at Clarkson-McKenna Hall Feb. 11, 2017 during the ceremony establishing the scholarship.

The VMI Class of 1968 Football Scholarship A statement from the VMI Class of 1968: “This significant gift to VMI football is an indication of a commitment to excellence in athletics that goes back more than 50 years by members of VMI ’68. That commitment began with our first home football game in September 1964 against the College of William & Mary. As cadets, the commitment of the class and the football team

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continued through our 1st Class year with the winning 1967 football season, which included fantastic wins over the University of Virginia and Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

“We will celebrate our 50th Reunion in April 2018, and this generous donation, part of our Reunion Campaign, along with other brother rats’ donations to VMI athletics and academics,

are today’s examples of our devotion to VMI. Rah Virginia Mil!” Donnie Ross ’74, Keydet Club vice president, added, “Scholarship endowment provided by VMI reunion classes and individual alumni is the key to funding our athletic programs for success.

The Keydet Club is extremely grateful to ’68 for answering the call.”

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Alumni Support Water Polo For the first time in the program’s history, the VMI Keydets made an appearance in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Water Polo Championship in Poughkeepsie, New York, during the last weekend in April 2017. After a successful season with an 11-3 conference record, the team went into the championship tournament

as the No. 3 seed and ranked 25th in the country. Former players were elated about the success and decided to fly cross-country to support the team at the tournament.

After two hard-fought games against Marist College and Iona College, the Keydets ended up losing both, resulting in fourth place overall. Molly M. Andoe ’15, a former player who travelled from Oregon to attend, said, “Regardless of the outcome this weekend, I am still so proud of this team for making it this far. Since the program started, it was always a dream to make it to the MAAC Championship. I had so much fun cheering on the team and catching up with my teammates!”

Jay C. Wegrzyn ’66 and his wife, Cathie, came to support the team from California. Jay said, “I’m a scholarship donor to the women’s water polo team because I want to show my support for women at VMI.” The water polo team with former players at the MAAC Water Polo Championship in April 2017.

Women’s Soccer Alumnae Game On March 4, 2017, the women’s soccer team held an alumnae game where all former players were invited back to take on the current team.

About 20 alumnae, ranging from the Classes of 2002 to 2016, came back to post to play. They played two 30-minute halves, and the current team won 3-0. Although the score doesn’t show it, it was a very exciting game with many opportunities for both teams.

Following the game, the Keydet Club held a reception for the current/former players and coaches at Moody Hall. All of the players had a great time catching up and look forward to a rematch next year.

Erica Putney ’15, former player and current Keydet Club staff member, took charge of putting the event together. She said, “It was so much fun to play with everyone again. Everyone had a blast catching up and meeting the new players. We are all looking forward to the event again next year.”

Top Photo: Alumnae and cadets present at the reception were, from left, Sarah Putney ’15, Emma Quirk ’18, Myranda Tsetsilas ’15, Keniya Lee ’19, Blake Cashin ’19, Emily Marbury ’17, Amy Horney ’18 and Liz Nickerson ’17.

Bottom Photo: From left, Kristen Whitehust ’17, Lizzy Cotter ’17, Allie Segura ’15, Carolyn Kenaley ’11, Sarah Strand ’12, Megan Strand ’09, Alexa Tarbona ’09, Angela Redmond ’11 and Amber Levy ’19.

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