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OCS CLASS 57-D ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

Volume 6, Issue 2 219 Woodbury Trail, Satsuma, FL 32189 September 2003
[ Also on the web at: http://www.webspawner.com/users/dobber13/index.html ]

The Pres Opines………………………………………………………………………………..……..…James Fosse

Heavens to Betsey, the year is past half over. Can’t believe it. They say time passes fast when you’re having fun.
I won’t say that I have had all that much fun but it hasn’t been all that bad. Judith and I are new grandparents what with the arrival three weeks early of Ella through the auspices of son Charles and his bride Karen. Our garden has and is still providing us with some good veggies, hay is in the barn, Judith is back in her classroom for her last year, the kids are doing well and all we really need right now is a good rain to wash off the dust that has accumulated during the past month. All in all, we’re doing pretty good for the shape we’re in.

The Association is doing well too. You will recall that in the March newsletter I stated that we were going to make an effort to have our next reunion nailed down before the end of the year. Well, we did it. You will see the details further on in the newsletter. We owe Gordon Schiefelbein a debt of gratitude for taking on the onerous chore of getting the ball rolling. There is still much to do and we should all be willing to assist him in pulling all the ends together. My principle objective in getting the reunion nailed down early was to provide everyone as much lead time as possible to make arrangements to attend. So, with nearly two years to plan, unless there are major medical or physical impediments abounding, I would hope to see all your shining faces in Biloxi in April 2005. It should be a blast and I look forward to it with eager anticipation.

Before my two year stint as president is over, I will more than likely be accused of sounding like a broken record for harping on one theme. So be it. As I said in the March newsletter, it is never too early to be thinking about a slate of officers for the next election. I have now been involved with the issue three times and it is distressing to me that with all the leadership talent within the association, there is difficulty in coming up with nominees for the board of directors. In most organizations there are new and younger members constantly coming on board and this young blood can be tapped for the leadership positions. Such is not the case with us. We are all there is, but, there is still a goodly number of us. I will continue to urge everyone to be thinking of those you might wish to see serve and convince them to step forward when the call is made for nominees. Convincing yourself should be easy. Don’t hide your talent under a bushel.

While I’m opining I thought I may as well provide a bit of an update on our life. I think I closed my bio sketch with the location and occupation of our boys. They have moved along. The eldest is still with Lowe’s Home Improvement and he is now a district manager with 10 stores in Canton, Ohio. Our Coast Guardsman is stationed at Coast Guard Headquarters in D.C and was recently promoted to Lt. Commander. Judith is in her last year of teaching and looking forward to her follow on career in the quilt making business. She has purchased a “Longarm” quilting machine and is diligently practicing on it so that when retirement arrives she will be somewhat proficient in its operation. She still does a small business in Mary Kay cosmetics, loves flower gardening and her two horses. I still try to keep the horses supplied with hay and pasture as well as selling a few hundred bales of hay each summer. My big toy, the Cat bulldozer has set idle for much too long but I still see the need for a couple more lakes. Maybe next year. I still make the golf course on a regular basis and still stay busy keeping up the homestead, like laying a thousand or so bricks to finish a retaining wall. Physically, I’m still doing pretty well, I think. The prostate cancer still remains in remission and will know more about that in a month or so. The 10th anniversary of my heart surgery is next March and with that approaching my doctor had me undergo a full up stress test which, thankfully, I passed with flying colors. We haven’t done much traveling other than for family, although we did make it to the North Carolina outer banks a couple of times and I still make my annual sojourns to Florida for golf. We’re eagerly looking forward to the next reunion, with the anticipation that it will be the best one yet.

57-D Quiz. A few years before OCS Class 57-D commenced, this classmate cross-trained from Gunnery into the Administrative Field at Randolph AFB. His supervisor was a lady named Betty. Later she ended up working for him when he became NCOIC of the office. Then he upped and married her and as he says, "You guessed it---back where I started." Who was this gent? Answer on last page.

From the Reunion Chairman……………………………………………………………….Gordon Schiefelbein

We had a great 2003 reunion on the cruise: However, we all wished more had joined us. Maybe a landlocked hotel will bring you all out. The 2005 reunion is all set to go insofar as location and date. It will be April 11 to April 14, 2005 at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Biloxi Mississippi. The Palace is a 30 story hotel and casino with an adjoining 12 story covered garage. (With a pool on top.) For the record that's a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night. The anticipated rate is $49 per night for a standard king or two double beds.(plus tax) Because we locked in at this rate the hotel advised they may , may have a small (10%) increase, and maybe not. If anyone wants to come in a day early or stay a day later the rate's the same. (Friday and Saturday rates are higher.) The plan is for a get together pay as you go cocktail party early Monday evening. Note: we have to drink a certain amount or there will be a bartender fee. Don't worry about driving to dinner afterward. The hotel has a buffet and six dining rooms with tastes and $$ for all. Biloxi has, besides Keesler AFB, beaches, more casinos, tour boats in the gulf, Belingrath Gardens in Mobile (2 hours away), the home of Jeff Davis, and other tourist sights. The final night ( Wed.) we're planning on a sit down dinner. The estimated cost of the dinner at this time is approx. $33 per person. A bit more if we want wine with the dinner. The dinner served to us, the 57 ARRS, was great and we did opt for wine. Came to about $40 per with wine. Direct any questions or comments you might have on the planned activities to me at 815 Edgewood Dr, Lake St Louis, MO 63367, Ph: (636) 625-2695 or E-mail: GORDYLSL@aol.com On closing, all is a go!!!!!!! Plan on it. We hope for a full turnout this time. Details will follow as the time grows nearer.

Editors Note: Reunions are open to all OCS classmates without regard to 57-D Alumni Association membership status and all members of 57-C and 58-A as well as 57-D are cordially invited to attend. However if you are not current in your membership status, you will no longer be kept on our active mailing list; i.e.; this may be the final communication you will receive from us other than a reunion update in early 2005. In fairness to our dues paying members, we will be limiting our future electronic and postal mailings to association members only.
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The reunion aboard the Fantasy was the first that I have been able to attend and I enjoyed it very much. It was hard to believe that it had been 45 years since we graduated. Although we have aged in body our minds are young and vibrant and the same fun loving bunch that I remember from OCS. I'm sorry there were not more able to attend the reunion, but health and family have to come first. Hopefully our next reunion will find us all in good health and able to attend. I look forward to our next get together and I herewith volunteer my services wherever needed to make our next reunion the biggest and the best. Bob Vinsant

Notes from the Treasurer………………………………………………………………………………...Pat Barnt

All is well with our financial situation. Our latest bank statement shows a balance of $2093.77 after our $500 deposit on our Biloxi reunion in 2005. Our decision at our cruise reunion to start collecting minimal dues again has resulted in a streamlining of our membership. Through emails, letters, and phone calls, we have tried to contact all of our OCS57D members and all of the 57C and 58A who had been previously registered as paid members. The results are that our membership now consists of 62 57D members, 9 Associate members from 57C and 58A, and 6 Auxiliary members who are widows of former 57C, 57D, and 58A members. I am particularly gladdened by the loyalty shown by the 57C, 58A, and widows in maintaining their memberships. As of today, our core group of 57D graduates, who are our primary targets, reflect that of our 70 living members of 57D, all but 12 are now paid up members. The following have indicated that they want to continue membership, and I am expecting their payments as we go to press. Checks are in the mail for: Dave Connett, Hank Enriquez, Richard Mustico, and Joe Olivier.
It may be that some of those eight 57D non-members somehow thought I was a telemarketer when I called, thought my emails had a virus, or thought my land letters contained a WMD. If any of you have contact with any of these men, please urge them to join us, and if necessary, apologize for my failure to contact, convince or cajole them.
James Ammon (is a member of 57C Association)
Kenton R. Elley (no response to emails and phone messages)
Walter Hanson (no response to emails and phone number I had gave disconnect message)
Clyde Jacobs (no response to mail -no email or phone listed)
Maurice (Joe) L'Italien (no response to mail and phone messages)
Charles Lockwood (no response to mail and phone messages)
Billy Mansfield (no response to mail, wife said on phone that he was not interested)
John Pedersen (no response to mail, wife took message on phone)

Apparently we had a couple of snafus on people not getting their newsletters before, and thus not being aware of our reunion times, address changes, etc., which I found out when I finally remembered that I could call all of these people on the weekend with my unused cell phone weekend minutes. I really had a bonus weekend when I called several of our people and found that not only did they still love us but we had somehow or other gotten addresses, numbers, etc. messed up on our rosters. PLEASE make sure you keep Dave or I updated so that we can keep our rosters straight. It seems like such a long time between our biannual reunions, and when any of us are moved to contact others in the group, it is a shame to miss the blessing of a contact due to a wrong digit on the roster. Many of my contacts may only be via our joke lists, but I think about the ones on my list each time I send out the latest dumb joke!

TAPS
Samuel K. Alexander, 2/11/2003

Delroy Hill, 58-A, 6/21/2003

Gilbert L. (Gil) Whiteman, 1st Sqdn, 57-C, 7/25/2003

Anne Kinney 8/18/2003
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[I asked General Goodall for specific permission to publish his personal letter of sympathy to the Gil Whiteman family as it seemed to me to be a vital message for all of us still living as well as for the bereaved. He replied, "David - you can {publish} it if you think it appropriate. Please front-end it clarifying that I did not seek to have it circulated. It was simply an expression of my heart." It is copied below verbatim.]

Brian - I am so sorry to hear of your Dad's illness but pleased that he had the faith and is now with God. As I ponder the passing of so many classmates and wonder about when I will get my call to go "home", the thing that makes it all OK for me is that birth - living - death are part of the master-plan of our Creator. He gives us motivation, sometimes heeded and sometimes not, to make the best of the "living part" of the process . . . He has the rest well in hand. I keep hoping that I am doing OK with the "Living" part, but I thank God daily for clarity of faith and the security of eternity and it seems to me that your Dad had a good measure of the same belief.

May God bless you and your family at this special time of sadness, celebration of his life, and adjustment to a near-term future without your Dad.

Best Personal Regards to you, Jean, Jana, Kevin, Mark and Eric.

Harry A. Goodall (& Frances)
Lt. General, USAF (ret)
1st Squadron Commander
OCS Class 57D

From Orson (Bud) Kinney:
Dear Maurice & Classmates, The kindness expressed by your gift to the American Cancer Society has been received with heartfelt appreciation. Thanks for honoring Anne - it touched me deeply. Bud

From Odell Smith: "Dave: Thanks for the word (although sad) on Sam Alexander. That's a name that I will never forget! That's who my First Class Escort told me I was when I checked in (early) on my first day of OCS. I was quick to grasp the old "comply and conformance" thing, without question. There being just a few of us who had not gotten the word about what happen to folks who check in early, the first class "wolves" lined up, at times, two by two, to practice their new "authority and leadership skills" on us. I thought it was about as bad as it could get, being "Mr. Alexander" and having to grasp all that information and insure that it was passed on, in proper form, to all of my new class mates. But, after about three hours of this grilling, the REAL Mr. Alexander checked in. That was when the "fun" started! There was no way that they were going to fool me into changing from who the first guy told me I was. They had Sam and me stand face to face, introducing our
selves to each other as "Mr. Alexander" for at least 30 minutes. Then, some member of the first class was smart enough to ask me, "Who were you before you came here?". That was when I gave them my real name. On "Hell Night", every body had a belly laugh when the story was told; and I was sort of commended for my "conformance". I will be communicating with Mrs. Alexander. Odell"

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Just about now, one of our most accomplished Space A travel participants, Carl Fletcher and his new bride, Vicky are checking in at Charleston for - hopefully - a grand hop to Europe, where they plan on spending a month or so. Expect a run-down on how it went in our next newsletter. Carl tentatively agreed to give us the skinny on some of the subtleties of space A travel, as he has done a lot of it.

The following is a note from General Goodall in response to my query for an update regarding their status following Frances surgery:

" Frances had been almost a cripple with back pain and her legs going to sleep while walking short distances. She was diagnosed with severe spinal stenosis by MRI. We missed the cruise of course, and, on 12 February, 6 hours of spinal decompression laminectomy surgery went as expected by a great team at Wilford Hall Medical Center. She is one tough lady. The Dr. said that he had seen her condition mainly in people in wheel chairs. The MRIs and x-rays did not tell the whole story. She was about to get into serious neurological trouble. We spent 24 hours in San Antonio after Sunday discharge from WHMC; then went home to Waco. She had to hit the pain medicine pretty hard for the next 60 hours. Got her to walking after we arrived home. She continued to suffer nausea and other pains, mainly in her hips. She stopped the pain meds on day 10 and things began to turn very positive rapidly. Day 14, she was walking briskly, fairly erect; all suture tape had come off, the pencil lead sized incision healed over nicely. The symptoms that she had pre-op are COMPLETELY GONE! Thanks to all for the prayers. We have taken some trips and, just like it used to be, I am trying hard to keep up. We should make the next reunion easily.

As for me, I retired from AT&T as Senior Vice President and we moved to Texas in August 2000, as we had always planned. We live about 8 miles from George W. in a very big, fairly nice house to which all are welcome. We have had Al Lassard and Bride visit; that's it. On arrival in Texas, I took another position as CEO of Optimal Energy Systems Inc. in Torrance California and for about 2 years, I commuted spending about 3 days a week in California and working out of a virtual office in my home. I also did a lot of travel. I resigned from that position in March of 2002 and took a position as Director of Strategic Planning with Advanced Concepts and Technologies International here in Waco. I am still working and can't figure how to quit. I am also doing all the work restoring a 1940 Buick that I picked up in Washington State in 1964. It has more towing than real miles on it. I read every email that is sent to me and still hold you all in highest regards. I can't imagine anyone being interested in my old age, but David asked for it, so there you have it.
Best Personal Regards,
Harry (& Frances)"

Answer to the 57-D Quiz:
Col Jack Layton congratulating Bill Curtis (right) following his first flight in the YF-12 (Interceptor version of the Mach 3, SR71, aka Blackbird) Bill first met Jack at Hamilton AFB in 1960. Later Jack went on to do a tour with the CIA flying the F-12. When Bill and Jack ejected from the YF-12 in June of 1971, it was Jack's third time to leave a crippled aircraft. Bill says, "I should have known better that to be flying with him. In SEA I had a nickname of Magnet Ass; never had to eject before." Bill didn't elaborate but no doubt he earned that nickname as a result of riding numerous shot up/burning RF-4's back to Thailand and Danang from unfriendly territory. I asked and got some pictures of his shot up aircraft. On the left, a landing with severed hydraulics from a single shot (golden B-B)- tail hook extended. On the right, the remainder of the left aileron after being hit over N. Vietnam, May 18, 1970.

Bill and Betty reside in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. In addition to his many other activities, Bill is doing a super job of monitoring the OCS Message Board, dodging liberal bullets and helping to make it a lively place.

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As we now publish a newsletter only twice yearly, the next edition will be due out in March of next year. Here's wishing you all a very happy holiday season, good cheer and good health…. until we meet again. We seem to keep up better with our folks who have E-mail. It would really be nice to get a written update from you postal folks now and then. Let me know that you are still out there and what is happening in your lives. I'll circulate those notes via our next newsletter.

David Agniel, Newsletter Editor