Volume 6, Issue 1 219 Woodbury Trail, Satsuma, FL 32189 March 2003
From the Outgoing President ..Hermann Haertel
WE HAD A BALL! There we were, thirty some odd reunion members, aboard the Carnival ship "FANTASY" , cruising the blue waters to the Bahama islands. Four fun-filled days of leisurely pursuits, sharing experiences with our classmates.
There was so much to do and see that we probably didn't get to see it all. I remember glass-bottom boats in Nassau, watching the fish fight over bread tossed upon the waters. For all of me, it could have been warmer, temps ran in the sixties. The folks from Michigan and such enjoyed the sun and ran around in shorts and T-shirts. We all had fun!
When underway, there was non-stop eating, from the sit-down meals (we swapped tables to share stories, much to the confusion of our waiters), to the twenty-four hour Pizza shop and Midnight buffets. Room service anytime you wanted. If it hadn't been for the marathon walking, to get from one fun thing to another, I'm sure we all would have gained a few pounds.
On the last day out, we had a formal meeting, at which we elected the slate of officers Russ Pentz was kind enough to prepare. They are: Jim Fosse.,President; Bob Vinsant VP;
Russ Pentz 2nd V P; Dave Agniel Secretary; Pat Barnt Treasurer.
Congratulations to all, we're in good shape financially, and Dave has all the material to keep us in touch with each other. The members present agreed to another round of annual dues of $10.00. Mostly that will help to purify our rosters, with associate members casting their loyalties with their own classes. Cuts down on printing costs, too.
It's been a fun year for me as your prez, time to move on. Give Jim and the new (slightly used) officers your whole-hearted support and let's get together again!
Thanks.....Herm Haertel, ex prez OCS 57D Retirees
From the New President .James Fosse
Ever since receiving the telephone call from Herm Haertell telling me I was once again president of the association, I have been struggling to come up with some meaningful words that would adequately express my feeling about it all. It is not easy. My feelings have ranged from a high, like drinking from the saucer cause my cups running over, to a low of, why me Lord? My local newspaper runs a daily feature titled This day in history and with every issue includes the quote: Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Im not sure there is any relevance there but thought I would include it anyway. It may resonate with some.
It goes without saying that I feel honored to have been chosen once again to lead the association for another two years. It is an humbling experience and I greatly appreciate the confidence placed in my leadership. I must confess though, that having only 14 electors, out of a total of 60 plus, make the decision tends to dampen any thoughts of a mandate, which sort of lets me share a kindred spirit with President Bush. But, those 14 souls did you and me a great favor by electing David Agniel as secretary, Pat Barnt as Treasurer and Bob Vinsant and Russ Pentz as 1st and 2nd vice presidents. With all that talent, I feel the association is in good hands.
I am hopeful that we will have a location and date for our next reunion well before the end of the year. The sooner the better so as to give everyone ample time and opportunity to make plans. And, do plan to attend, if at all possible. Our ranks continue to dwindle. The words of Will Hargrove resonate with every notice of a member death: We are a dying breed. Dont miss what may be the last opportunity for all of us to once again renew the spirit of camaraderie that abounds at our reunions. I view the reunions as the lifeblood of the association and the bi-annual transfusion is essential to our success. In this vein, I ask that everyone seriously consider the possibility of hosting our next reunion. We may have a solution in hand but it would be great if we could have other possibilities in reserve.
While the reunion is our first order of business, it is not too early to be thinking about a slate of officers for the next election. I find it somewhat distressing that with all the leadership talent represented by our membership, we have difficulty coming up with nominees for the board of directors. I urge you to be thinking of those you might wish to see serve and convince them to step forward when the call is made for nominees. You might even convince yourself.
From the Treasurer
Pat Barnt
Current account balance is $2,060.77 after payment of all expense accountings received to date. Newsletter printing and mailing costs plus condolence cards and expenses have constituted the bulk of our costs to this time, with minimal amounts for reunion related items. Our financial status is good and we should continue to maintain an adequate but not excessive account balance, with the input of the reinstituted dues amounts.
At our reunion meeting, it was determined that after a substantial period during which we have had a moratorium on paying dues, it is time to reinstate dues payment. Our goal is to insure adequate funds to cover our minimal expenses but to avoid any large buildup. With that in mind, dues of $10 per year for members and associates (military) and $5 per year for auxiliary (surviving spousal) members were reinstated to be effective immediately. We will allocate on the calendar year to simplify the process. Therefore, dues payments made now will cover through the end of 2003. Since we have not been collecting for sometime, all members are considered paid up through 2002, with a few who are paid in advance. I have already received a couple of dues payments since our reunion meeting. I am contacting those members who are already paid beyond 2003, so if you have not sent a dues payment since the beginning of this year or received notification of being paid beyond 2003, your dues of $10 would be due as of now. In the future, I will try to work out with the Secretary so that your dues expiration date will be shown on either your mailing label or via the electronic mailings in some way.
From the Secretary .David Agniel
I can't say enough about the enthusiasm and camaraderie of our reunion cruise contingent. Ever mindful of our dwindling ranks, we gathered to renew old friendships. With 24 hour non-stop activity, we had to learn to pace ourselves. When we were not out joking in the halls, searching for the numerous dining facilities, selecting tours, finding the correct decks, dodging photographers, lining up things to do from the vast array, feeding the slot machines, going ashore for the numerous tours, catching the nightly floor show, or frequenting the 24 hour pizza bar, we congregated in the main deck fantail, or one of our array of rooms there, and did sensible things such as, well, umm, yes... making animals out of towels. Don't laugh. Lois &AJ's room became the menagerie where our best efforts were displayed, much to Lois'and Robbie's delight. What with monkeys, elephants, dogs and swans - all created with the help of our Croatian room stewardess, the champagne flowed and we partied into the night. At one point it was akin to seeing how many folks you could stuff into one room. There's nothing quite like a reunion at sea. This was the consensus of the attendees. I will always remember with fondness the way Hank Enriquez, with his white cane, was able to deftly negotiate the passageways and numerous decks of the ship single handedly, and find Marie, who had a special fondness for, and considerable luck at the slots. When Hank thought Marie was looking for him, he would tie a handkerchief to his extendable cane and fly it like a flag above the table. It made it easy to find him in the large dining rooms and theatre. Hank, away from his seeing eye dog for the first time in several years, is my candidate for winner of the Positive Mental Attitude Award.
The third official meeting of the association was held on the last day at sea. The minutes are included for your perusal. I hope you will take to heart the request for sending me a snippet of news about yourselves from time to time. In the same way you enjoy reading about classmates in the newsletter, your contribution will be equally enjoyed by others.
One thing is all too apparent, and that is that none of us is growing any younger. Many are fighting debilitating ailments, or have spouses with health problems. Each reunion finds more of us no longer "present for duty." In Frank Walczak's case, he had just returned from walking the dog and said he was tired and needed to sit down for a minute. He never got up, succumbing to a heart attack. It really makes you stop and think about your mortality and at once I realized how happy I was to have been able to visit with Frank at the Orlando reunion.
From Ray Bratcher's wife Marje came the following note, "I'm very sad to report that my husband, Ray Bratcher, died Jan 1 from a heart attack. He was feeling fine and this was very sudden. He very much enjoyed participating on this board. {OCS Message Board} He was especially good at and enjoyed trying to educate the Liberals. He is surely missed at home and I expect he will be missed on the board, too" Indeed he will be missed!
As for the next reunion, we will be working to establish a firm date and location as far in advance as possible and let you all know about it. We are all in this together, and it's good to enjoy the company of people with whom you shared a pivotal turning point in your career, and with whom you can share memories of times past. We promise to work hard to make it a memorable time for you. Your suggestions, ideas, contributions and participation are welcome and important as we go forward in planning the next get together. Please let one of us on the board know if you are willing to help out.
OCS CLASS 57-D ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
219 WOODBURY TRAIL
SATSUMA, FL 32189
MINUTES
President Hermann Haertel aboard the Canaveral Cruise Ship Fantasy called the third meeting of the association to order at 1400 hours, January 29, 2003. He introduced Maurice Hammack who offered the opening prayer and remembrance of deceased members. This was followed by the pledge of allegiance, led by President Haertel.
Reading of Minutes. After introductory remarks by Hermann Haertel, David Agniel was asked to present the minutes of the last meeting. This was done and motion to approve was made by Carl Fletcher, and seconded by Joseph Bates and approved by unanimous show of hands.
Treasurer's Report. Pat Barnt next presented the Treasurer's Report. A balance of $1950.18 is presently in the bank & all bills have been paid. Motion to approve was made by Maurice Hammack & seconded by Joseph Bates.
Secretary's Report. David Agniel presented his report. He commented on the problems experienced by Bud Kinney due to his wife's illness and his agreement to serve out Bud's remaining term. He commented on the recent deaths of classmates and the increasing numbers who due to illnesses are unable to attend the reunions. He mentioned that sympathy cards were being sent out to next of kin of recent deceased, and passed around get well cards to be signed for several members who were registered for but unable to attend due to health problems. He expressed the hope that, notwithstanding the problems of reductions in attendees due to these and other problems associated with advancing years, that we could continue to anticipate bigger & better reunions in the future.even if it means joint cooperative ventures between the three OCS Classes, perhaps with one class acting as lead host each time. Discussion followed concerning a suggestion made by Ted Goodwin to the effect we consider opening membership to all OC graduates. It was tabled for future consideration in that a change in the by-laws would be required. Agniel also opined that it might dilute the group camaraderie presently enjoyed by those attending reunions as presently composed, and actually cause a reduction in interest to attend reunions.
Statistics Presentation. Ted Goodwin gave an interesting account of statistical data on our class that he had collected by survey. He also displayed a large chart covering all initial entrants to OCS Class 57-D and the data collected on each member from which the statistics were compiled.
Dues. Pat Barnt led a discussion regarding the advisability and need to levy dues for the current year 2003. It was recognized that expenses are ongoing for newsletter printing & publication, miscellaneous administrative materials, and memorials for deceased members. In view of the declining balance and the desire to remain financially solvent for the future, an amount of dues equating to $10.00 per member or associate, and $5.00 per auxiliary member was proposed. Motion was made to approve by Glenn Fuller and seconded by Ted Goodwin. There were no dissenting votes and the annual dues were reestablished beginning with the current year (2003) following several years of a dues moratorium.
Newsletter. David Agniel discussed the newsletter from a standpoint of the difficulty of obtaining interesting news on classmates and the frequency of publication. Members were urged to contribute photos and special interest features whenever possible. Several intervals of publication were discussed and general agreement centered on a twice-annual publication, one in the spring and one in the fall. A motion was made by Hank Enriquez to publish in March and September with the proviso that if the need arose, a special edition could be done at other times as required. This was seconded by Carl Fletcher and approved by unanimous show of hands.
Next Reunion. Possible locations were presented and one suggestion by Gordon Schiefelbein attracted general interest. Gordon suggested consideration of Biloxi, MS due to the relatively low hotel rates in conjunction with the wide range of services offered by the casino hotels and the rather central location for access by a majority of our members. Gordon offered to investigate the possibilities during a planned visit to another reunion in the near future & report back to the Secretary as to his findings. This course of action was concurred in by the attendees by a unanimous show of hands.
Report by the Chairman of the Nominating Committee. Chairman Russell Pentz's report was presented in absentia by Hermann Haertel. (Russell was taken ill and unable to attend as planned) The proposed slate of officers who were previously contacted and had agreed to serve were as follows: President - James Fosse; 1st Vice President - Robert Vinsant; 2nd Vice President - Russell Pentz; Secretary - David Agniel; Treasurer - Pat Barnt. Nominations were solicited from the floor. When none were forthcoming a motion to approve the slate was made by Carl Fletcher and seconded by Gordon Schiefelbien. Approval by show of hands was unanimous.
Awards. President Haertel presented certificates of Appreciation to the current members who served on the board of directors.
There being no further business the meeting was adjourned. David B. Agniel, Secretary
**
Gordon Schiefelbein underwent surgery February 20th to repair a hole in his heart, plus having a quadruple by-pass. Gordy is reportedly doing well and hoping to attend a Air Rescue reunion at Biloxi in late April. Go Grody, go! Barbara joked that she thought seriously about having his mustache removed as well while he was under the anesthesia. Latest reports are that he retained the appendage!
Frances Goodall underwent a very difficult spinal surgery February 12th at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio to alleviate serious back and leg pain. On the 14th the following good news report arrived. "David, this is a final report subject to unexpected change. Frances is up and walking (3 times). She is off the morphine and has an appetite. She started eating last night. Today, she grumped at me, which is a really good sign. The Dr. thinks she may be able to be discharged Sunday or Monday. We are simply thanking God for good friends and for His goodness and mercies. Best Regards my good friends, Harry" On the 17th we heard, "We are at home now and the recovery process is underway. A friend from church brought us supper and visited for a while. Frances will be up and about for about half the day for the next couple of days. She is doing as expected with ups and downs; mainly ups, praise the Lord. Visitors are welcome. Thanks for your continued contact and for sure your prayers. Harry" We are delighted to share the good news and hope the prayers of our many classmates contributed to Frances' recovery. By the way, General, did she really grump at you?
Congratulations are in order! From James Hansard came the following on March 3rd: "Subject: MARRIAGE AND CHANGE OF ADDRESS. The deed was done 03-03-03 at approximately 3:00 PM today at Indian River County Courthouse and Georgianna became Mrs James E Hansard. We will have a very simple reception at the Newport Club in Vero Beach,Fl on 30 March, 2003 and please no gifts, just help us celebrate our happiness/////// Change of Address: 192 - Arbor Lane, Fairlane Harbor, Vero Beach, Fl. 32960 Telephone 772-770-4826 an E-Mail jasehansard@webtv.net."
Here's a letter from Charlie Nelson that's sure to delight.
Hi David, The reason Marian and I couldn't go on the reunion cruise, we were already committed to a cruise with members of our church. We arrived back in port at Galveston the same day you sailed. Anyway, I sent this to many of my friends telling them about the cruise. Thought you might enjoy it also. Peace, Charlie
Hi, Marian and I just got back from a cruise from Galveston, TX to Cozumel and Calica/Playa del Carmen Mexico. I have refused to get on an airplane anymore for several years so when this cruise, sponsored by our church, came up it seemed like an ideal situation. I not only didn't have to fly I didn't even have to drive since we were taken by bus from Austin to Galveston - no airplanes. There was security though just like the airlines and plenty of it at each port.
I was really worried about going on the bus instead of driving though. Like a lot of older gentlemen when I have to go to the bathroom it is NOW and URGENT. I was somewhat relieved when we were told we would stop for a break half way to Galveston which is a four hour drive from Austin. Well anyway that morning I didn't drink any water, juice, or coffee hoping that would enable me to get me to the half way point - dehydrated perhaps but dry. By the time we got there I was really in a panic and barely made it to the rest room. When I mentioned that to one of my male friends he said, "hell Charlie didn't you know there is a bathroom on the bus!!" Well, it has been a long time since I have been on a bus - who would have ever guessed? Why didn't someone tell me? So on the way back I didn't even worry and had my morning juice and coffee and was completely relaxed and not anxious at all. And would you believe I made it to the half way point with out even a urge to go - must be psychological right?
On the way down I related the following story to several of my friends about going to Korea on a troop ship. The Navy feed up navy beans and hard boiled eggs every Tuesday morning coming and going. I was laughing and saying hopefully the good ship Jubilee would not do the same. When we got on they had all of us go through a buffet line instead of the regular dining rooms. I noticed several of my friends ahead of me in the line really laughing and wondered why. Would you believe the first thing on the buffet line was navy beans - some things never change!!
But the food was marvelous on the trip. Like eating three meals a day at a five star hotel. I was somewhat concerned about that because my doctor wants me to lose 5 lbs. Well, you wouldn't think that would be hard, but I have been trying to lose that for several months and certainly didn't want to gain any more. So I weighed just before leaving to see if I would gain lbs on the trip. Sure enough when I got back and weighed I had gained 3 lbs - so now I must lose 8 lbs instead of 5 - Oh but the food was so good!! Now Marian weighed before going also, but refuses to weigh now that we are home - or if she did she if not telling.
There is an old soldiers tale that goes something like this - it says the rocking and rolling of the ship really affects a women's hormones - it in fact makes them very romantic!! Well I was thinking that might be true, because Marian certainly exhibited some erotic, but strange behavior. One evening we had a nice drink of Scotch before dinner and a glass of wine with dinner. Afterwards we joined some friends for a drink while waiting to see a Las Vegas type show. Then of course had a small sip of something during the show. When we got back to our cabin there was a bottle of bubbly - a gift from our travel agent. Marian insisted I uncork the bottle and she wanted to drink some bubbly and watch the moon out the window. Now that sounded like and invitation right out of an old soldiers fantasy. When I came out of the bathroom there was Marian drinking bubbly, bathed in the romantic moon light, and reading the Gideon Bible from the dresser drawer. The nuns from St. Mary's Catholic School had won again - Oh hell, guess those old soldiers had never been to an all girls Catholic School.
One of the couples we traveled with, Herbert and Beth, speak Spanish and Herbert is also an expert on diamonds. So Marian took advantage of that and finally bought the diamond earrings she has been promised by me for several years. I had actually thought she had forgotten!! The beauty of the whole thing was watching our friends bargaining for the
earrings. They had lived for some 20 years in South American and really knew the ropes. Marian ended up getting her earrings for 40% of the starting price. The biggest haggling came over the last $25. They even served us all good Mexican beer during the bargaining session. American entrepreneurs could lean something from those Mexican retailers!!
One night we went to a Karaoke bar on board to see what was happening along with several of the people from our group. That was my first experience with Karaoke and I was really wondering out loud why sane people wanted to get up in front of a big crowd and embarrass themselves. Then I remembered what my brother in-law Bobby said, "wonder what stupid people did before they had call-in radio talk shows?" Some time later in the evening , they announced Charlie is up next - OOps. My friends are all laughing and looking my way with tears in their eyes. My immediate thought was why are they setting me up and where is the nearest exit? Then much to my relief up walks this hillbilly to the stage and sings a country western song and does really quite well - what a relief.
One of the things that really amazed me was that the ship had a staff of 600 people, and not one of them was American as far as I could ascertain - and they all spoke good English. One of our table stewards was from Central America, and after a couple of days revealed that he had two wives - one in Central America and another in Houston!! The following day when he was not there the other steward told us that it was not only true that he not two wives but that he also had a boy friend on the ship - Oh my!! He was the one who talked me into trying Escargot - now how was a country boy from Kansas to know that was simply a fancy French name for slimy little snails!! Enough to make a lover of Tex-Mex food ill...
Well, you can see we had a great time, and really mixed it up with all those senior citizens on the ship. Peace, Charlie
Memories of our departed comrades:
"Frank Walczak was a real Tiger
. When he came down the walk in the mornings where we were lined up in First Squadron prior to getting in formation on the street, he always had "a few good morning words" for me. He had this flashlight he liked to search for his "favorite" underclassmen. I was one of them. He also had this partial plate he liked to remove to get us to laugh. Then, when we did, he loved to get one of our "white one delinquency forms" for the heinous violation, "Formation, laughing in."
I will never forget guys like Frank. I'm sorry we didn't get to visit in our reunion I attended for 57-D in San Antonio a few years back. If there is an opportunity, please see that this message might get to Frank's family. When we lose one of our classmates, this reminds me of why we always need to attend our reunions and recall the unique one-of-a-kind experiences we had at Officer Candidate School. Ed Johnson, Colonel, USAF (ret) of Granbury, Texas and of First Squadron, 58-A sends condolences and deepest sympathies to the family.
Dave: The label I would put on Frank, as I remember those days in 1957, would be "sober sincerity." He and I had several good talks in those days, and I am proud to have been a part of his environment ! A sad time, right now. Gil Whiteman, 57C
Till next time, wishing everyone the best of health and happiness,
David Agniel
Newsletter Editor
Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly. -- Robert Schuller
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