DAVE GERARD
8822 Harbor Circle
Terrell, North Carolina 28682
828-478-9813
[email protected]
www.west-point.org/class/usma/1968
A2/D2/G2/H2 Gathering and Preparing for Reunion
Almost as soon as the last Notes were published, Steve Shaw checked in to find out how
to contact Rich Witherspoon. Good question. If our class isn’t continuing to move, it certainly
continues to change email addresses – and keep them a secret. In our search for Rich, we
discovered that, while he and Pat still live in Northern Virginia, they have been in transition.
Rich retired from SAIC last year, but pulled an Ohle (can’t just retire-retire-retire) by taking
another job with a small business – still defense contracting work, but the commute is only to the
Dulles Airport area. But even that commute fuels the lure of retirement. Rich and Steve met in
Virginia for lunch to talk about reunion and other classmates. Spoon’s most recent classmate
contact was with John O’Neal who reports that he and Fran are pulling up stakes in Tuscaloosa
and moving to Bend, Oregon. They were sorry to hear that Peter Wallace and his Barbara and
Dick & Cathy Shipley will not be able to make it to the reunion.
Latest F2 Zoo Mini Reunion in New England
Dave Clemm reported that the F2 Zoo held a mini-reunion in York, Maine at the end of
June. This year, the Zoo inducted its newest honorary member – John Wing – and presented
him with a Zoo coin created a couple of decades ago by Doug Macfarlane. This induction began
around Firstie year when Bob Kelly was forced to depart the Zoo during the shuffle and
expansion program and found John as a roommate. Zooites discovered that Bob had sufficiently
corrupted John during and after their time together at West Point and that John was truly
deserving of membership in the Zoo. John reciprocated by hosting this latest mini-reunion at his
home in Maine with Resa Wing rising to the top as the “hostess with the most~est!”
Unfortunately, Bob Kelly was in China and unable to attend to properly induct John into the Zoo.
This year, the Zoo also decided to honor Frank Nader who had been absent from class
gatherings and circle of friends for many years. The mini-reunion began a little early when Frank
Nader & Connie Isles were able to catch a Boston Red Sox game with Resa Wing. The rest of
the Zoo gaggle made it to Maine the following day. In addition to Dave, Frank & Connie, and
John & Resa, schedules were shifted and moons and stars aligned for the following to attend:
Charlie & Deanne Beckwith, Tom & Mary Beierschmitt, Stan & Donna Burwell, Russ &
Marge Fuhrman, Ed & Kay Mendoza, Andy & Dee Silverthorn, and Jim & Lucille
Swinney. Not surprisingly, most of the Zoo arrived in a fog – but it WAS Maine. But the
weather did not dampen their spirits since the Wings kept the spirits and food coming to
supplement lots of tall tales. The Wings also arranged a trip into Boston to visit the Union
Oyster House for lunch, the Isabella Gardner Art Museum, and the famous Sam Adams Brewery.
As usual, the late ranks included Chuck Mahan who was able to have a late dinner and spend
some time with Frank, Connie, John, & Resa. As you might expect Chuck arrived with no
excuses but great stories. Thanks to the Wings, all hope of ever seeing boyish figures and
physiques are lost forever.
[Photo #1 – “John Wing hosting the latest F2 Zoo mini-reunion with Frank Nader, Ed Mendoza,
Andy Silverthorn, David Clemm, Charlie Beckwith, Russ Fuhrman, Tom Beierschmitt, Jim
Swinney, and Stan Burwell”]
Photo #2 –
“The Zoo setting the Samuel Adams Brewery back 200 years -- Front row: Dee Silverthorn,
Deanne Beckwith, Mary Beierschmitt, and Lucille Swinney; Back row: Ed Mendoza, Andy
Silverthorn, David Clemm, Russ Fuhrman, Jim Koch (Sam Adams Founder), Charlie Beckwith,
Tom Beierschmitt, Jim Swinney, Stan Burwell, Donna Burwell, and Connie Isles”]
Jim and Alvie Kimball – a Squad Leader’s Worst Nightmare
In July, Jim Kimball left Ronnie at home to work on his dental office in Chattanooga
while he traveled to Maine on a “family vacation” with their daughter, son-in-law, and three
grandchildren in Bar Harbor. Since he was in the neighborhood, he first stopped off in Orland
for a night to visit with his old Beast Barracks squad mate, Al Kimball at his and Cindi’s B&B.
Jim and Al had a great time talking about earlier adventures and exploits which never cease to
startle Cindi. Next month, Jim & Ronnie will travel to New York for our reunion with Bill &
Jerry Raines, who also live in Chattanooga where Bill heads up a commercial real estate firm.
[Photo #3 – “Beast Squad Mates Jim Kimball and Alvion
Kimball this summer in Orland, Maine”
Allan Crecelius Adds to Harem
Normally, when we hear from Allan Crecelius, he includes a picture with attractive
women hanging on and around him. This report is not too different. He and Sandy have
become first-time grandparents (finally). Daughter Casey gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on
July 12th. The picture he included was of him holding her on day two of her life and captures her
early intellect by using two positives that create a negative when she told him, “Yeah, right,”
after he suggested that she should call him Mister Grandfather, Sir.
[Photo #4 – “First time Grandpa Allan Crecelius losing his heart to
a new girl”]
Bruce Korda Sets the Record Straight – Memorial Gathering Redoux
Shortly after I reported on our spectacular class Vietnam gathering in June, Bruce Korda
dropped a note – and picture to set names and relationships straight. I apologize for getting
associations wrong, but I’m happy that it spurred Bruce on to give A2 proper billing and keeping
us posted with the news that he and the former Patricia Kennedy were married on 11 August in
Arlington VA with classmates Dick McClelland and Chuck Mahan in attendance.
[Photo #5 – “Standing: Jack & Meg Miller and Bruce
Korda; Seated Bruce Brown, Susan Budrys with Dick McClelland, and Patricia Kennedy”]
[Photo #6 – “In case you’re still wondering, Patricia
Kennedy was very much with Bruce Korda at the Congressional Country Club”]
[Photo #7 – “The Korda-Kennedy wedding on 11
August – Bruce’s daughters, Ellen (L) and Pamela(R) and granddaughter Julia flank the
newlyweds”]
Sandy Cohn Update
The Vietnam Memorial Ceremony gave a lot of us a chance to catch up. Unfortunately,
space limited my meeting with Sandy & Kathy Cohn. Sandy introduces himself to outsiders as
the longest retired member of our class (1970) and also the lowest ranking (CPT). Last year
Sandy & Kathy went to Austerlitz in the Czech Republic, where he is scheduled to give the
Keynote Address on the Battle of Austerlitz at the Napoleonic Historical Society. As a Plebe, a
Firstie asked Sandy at breakfast, "Cohn, tell me all you know about the Battle of Austerlitz.”
That’s when the Firsties discovered that Sandy had been reading the West Point Atlas of
American Wars since he was 12 and Napoleon since he was 14. Also, last year, Kathy and Sandy
met Brian Copley and his family in Inverness, where Sandy wore his kilt (Mother was a Shaw).
He has taped History Channel "An Officer and a Movie" interviews and biographies (Robert E.
Lee, Jefferson Davis, Teddy Roosevelt, Bobby Kennedy, and Dwight Eisenhower) for A&E's
Biographies. While his syndicated column continues to thrive, he keeps himself busy writing
Congress, Cliffs & Common Sense (on Amazon) and has two more books in the works – all while
he and Kathy travel to the West Coast to visit three grandchildren and Sandy’s father, plus two
grandkids in Virginia and one in New York.
Stunning and Sad Loss of John Calabro
Tony Ambrose and Dutch Hostler reported that John Calabro was laid to rest at West
Point on July 18 under clear, warm, sunny skies, not much different from those of 1 July 1964.
Other classmates and brides also in attendance were Dave Martin, Dale Hansen, Pat Toffler,
Bob Balog, Ray Puffer, and Dan & Catherine Kaufman, Megan Hostler, and Linda
Ambrose. John’s wake and funeral were heavily attended by the West Point community, the
AOG, the Long Gray Line, and the Cornwall-on-Hudson community. Angela was surrounded by
family and a great many friends. Both of John's sons, Tony and Jack, offered remembrances of
their Dad. Dan Kaufman did a terrific job as one of three of John's eulogists and has volunteered
to coordinate the writing of John’ Memorial Article – with your help. After John's service, he
mentioned to Dutch that when you are giving a eulogy to a mixed audience in a church, about
eighty percent of his material was inappropriate, so he couldn't use it. The Memorial Article
promises to be a must read.
[Photo #8 –
“Dutch & Megan Hostler, Tony & Linda Ambrose, Dave Martin, Dale Hansen, Ray Puffer, and
Dan & Catherine Kaufman at John Calabro’s interment at West Pont in July”]
For Those Who Has Not Recently Visited With Classmates
After the Zoo mini-reunion, David Clemm reflected that, as we get older, it is amazing
how much fun we have when we get together and how rapidly we can recall and regale one
another with tales from the past. While we are still agile and healthy enough, David encourages
all of us to try to schedule an event with our classmates to remember and appreciate our shared
sacrifices both at WP and in military service, and recognize that we were among an elite group of
people who, for the most part, have done great things for our nation, its military, and its
industries. For that, we should be grateful – and remember, YOU’RE ALL WE GOT!