| | |
USAF Officer Candidate School -- Class 1957C Newsletter: September 2003 Executive Committee: President . . . . . . . . . . Jack Fox Vice President. . . . . . . Dale Shipley Secretary. . . . . . . . . . Dave Harvey Treasurer. . . . . . . . . . Phil Meek Webmaster. . . . . . . . . Dick Nagel Photographer . . . . . . . Bobby Sims Golf Pro . . . . . . . . . Milt Jones Bar Tender . . . . . . . . . Frank Walls Gopher . . . . . . . . . Dennis Goudy |
|
|---|
Our Website:
WWW.Webspawner.com/user/ocsclass57c/index.html
Reunion Dates
October: . . . Cruise To Mexico
April 2004: . . In Las Vegas
JACK’S CORNER: (JACK FOX) Members without email probably are unaware that Gil Whiteman died of cancer on July 24. Gil’s passing came abruptly, just ten days after he and wife Jeannie hosted a reunion of 12 couples at their Connecticut home. The fact that the reunion occurred speaks volumes about Gil’s dedication and passion for our association, because reoccurring cancer was devastating his body for about a year leading up to his decision to hold one last gathering of 57-C brethren. The reunion was a memorable affair - lots of fun, laughter and emotion resulting from just being together again, reliving bygone days. Gil served as our vice president for two years, stepping down when Jeannie’s health became a priority concern. This was a difficult decision for Gil because he loved every minute of his tenure as a leader of our group. We corresponded daily, if only for small talk or concerns about family, friends or world events. Every few months Gil would write of his passion for our alumni association, expressing how much being a part of the group enriched his life and helped him in his daily struggle with cancer and related health problems. In our last conversation, Gil acknowledged that hosting the reunion was his last hurrah. One can only speculate, but planning, anticipating and hosting the reunion seemed therapeutic for Gil, easing the pain and suffering endured throughout the last year of his life. We all miss Gil and will always remember how generously he gave of himself in the true spirit of brotherhood.
Jack DALE’S Domain (DALE SHIPLEY) In the June Newsletter two names were listed as squadron representatives for the 2004 Reunion. We now have 2004 Reunion Promoters for all but one squadron. Here is the volunteer list: Dennis Goudy reports that early interest and registration is going smoothly. Thanks to Dennis and Dave (sic) Nagel, you can watch the attendance grow as it gets updated on our association web page:
1st Sq. Stan Lowry
2nd Sq. Dale Shipley
3rd Sq. Dave Harvey
4th Sq. Bill Weimer
5th Sq. Buzz Mallette and Sam Marks
6th Sq. Unfilled
7th Sq. Karin (Younger) Goudy
http://www.webspawner.com/users/ocsclass57c/announcements.html
Here’s a tip for all reunion promoters. Sometimes it only takes a slight nudge from a close classmate to get another classmate off dead center and send their registration to Dennis. It would be nice if everyone planning to attend would make at least one personal contact with a former member of their squadron. These personal touches are effective in overcoming inertia. I put a one line reminder about the reunion in a recent e-mail to a classmate and a few days later his name was on the attendance list.
October Cruise
Time is quickly slipping away and it is now less than two months until we go sailing. Michael Curley, the AAA guy that set up our cruise for October 13-17, reports that everyone going aboard has made their final payment in a timely manner. We did have two recent cancellations Tom and Barbara Gullick and Al Bettenhausen. Start your diets now so you can "pig out" three or four times a day while cruising.
Gil’s Mini Reunion
It could not have been better. The couples that made the trip to Connecticut gathered a lifetime of memories. Gil and Jeannie opened their hearts and their homes for those too few days in July. Food, friendship and good feelings were the order of each day. I was the last classmate to have a face-to-face talk with Gil. As others were reluctantly drifting away on Sunday afternoon to return home or continue their travels, Elaine and I stayed around a little longer to help put some coolers, chairs, etc away and to visit with Gil and Jeannie. Gil was the personification of "willing yourself to live" and he did just that right up to the last day of the mini reunion. I’m sure he knew that his next day doctor’s visit was probably going to be bad news. We reminisced about the similarity of our careers and our lives.
This is the saddest thing I have ever tried to write. We stopped at the house on Monday evening. Gil had been to the doctor and Jeannie told us that he was so weak he did not want to see any visitors. The sad news was overwhelming. I was the last OCS classmate to sit and visit with Gil before his death just a few days later. Our lives were parallel--some great power had brought us together. We were born only days apart. We enlisted about the same time and our enlisted jobs were the same, only at different bases. After retirement, we worked in college education and sadly we each had the tragedy of losing a son. Yes, our lives were parallel but we came together infrequently--OCS was the only time we were stationed together. I will miss him forever.
Til next time,
Dale
PHIL’S BILLS (Phil Meek)
The truth is that Phil has joined his wife and cat on an annual trip around the country in his motor home and has no report to send us. So….I will attempt to fill this space with what he really would have said. "We had money left over from last quarter, we got a few bucks more, we spent some, and we still have some left over.
Dave
GOUDY’S GROWL (Dennis Goudy)
Registration for the 3rd official biennial reunion is progressing nicely. It's still seven months away and we have 34 friends on the list, up from 20 three months ago. It would be nice to see some classmates that haven't been able to attend before (like Gloriana Johnson!) I will be keeping our web-guru Dick up on the registration status: (http://www.webspawner.com/users/ocsclass57c/announcements.html) and will start sending out frequent updates to all soon. If it is still too early to make definite plans for next April, let me know if you expect to attend--your friends will be encouraged to attend if they see your name on the list. (CONFIDENTIAL: I have learned that our editor plans to vote for Mary Carey on October 7. Don't anyone tell Jean!)
Registered: (19)
Al Bettenhausen and ?
Dick and Valerie Edwards
Jack and Bernice Fox
Dennis and Karin Goudy
Dave and Jean Harvey
Don Jones 57B
Milt and Sharon Jones
Dick and Betty Nagel
Dick and Nancy Rouse
Frank and Janet Walls
Planning to attend: (15)
Bob and Pat Cataldi 57B
Larry and Anna Dillon 57B
Gloriana Johnson
Irv and Bell Jorgenson 57B
Sam and Mary Marks
Phil and Beth Meek
Dave and Cathy Ogilvie
Dale and Elaine Shipley
Your ever friendly Registrar,
Dennis
MILT’S PUTTER (Milt Jones)
A golf tournement will be held during the coming reunion in April of 2004. All the details will be forthcoming in time for the event.
Milt
DAVE’s DEPOSITIONS
OBITUARY
Dr. Gilbert L. Whiteman, 71, of 280 Durham Road, Guilford, died on July 25, 2003 at St. Raphael's Hospital, New Haven, CT after a brief illness.
A life-long resident of Guilford, he was born in New Haven, Connecticut on December 17, 1931, son of the late Dorothy Swift Bartman of Madison and the late Thomas Clifford Whiteman of Eastlake, Ohio. Dr. Whiteman attended Guilford High School and graduated from Los Angeles Valley College, The University of Nebraska, The University of Oklahoma, and Michigan State University, earning his Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Communication in 1971.
He served a full active duty military career in the United States Air Force, entering in 1949 and retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1974. Whiteman served two tours on the staff of the Air Force Secretary in the Pentagon, and was the senior United States spokesman for all U.S. military activity in Vietnam during our nation's last year of involvement in that war. He flew night combat missions with the Vietnamese Air Force on C-119 gunships, and earned the Air Medal, the Bronze Star, the Vietnam Honor Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the China Department of Defense Honor Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Meritorious Service Medal with several Oak Leaf Clusters, and many other military awards and citations.
Following his military career, Dr. Whiteman served on the faculty of the University of New Haven, first as Chairman of the Communication Department and then as Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Director of the Executive Master of Business Administration Program.
He retired from that position in 1981, and founded Interdependence Associates Inc., an international management development business, and conducted more than two thousand management seminars in forty of the United States and seven foreign countries. He authored four books on management, and developed and presented both audio and video programs on management and supervision.
He was a frequent speaker at national conventions and corporate management meetings, and was listed in Who's Who in Connecticut, Who's Who in The East, Who's Who Among American Business Executives, and Who's Who Registry of Global Business Leaders.
Active in the International Listening Association, National Communication Association, American Society for Training and Development, Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association, Air Force Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Society of Professional Consultants, Dr. Whiteman was the recipient of the American Biographical Society's Excellence in Supervisory Training and Development Award. In May 2002, he was honored with the Michigan State University Outstanding Alumni Award.
Dr. Whiteman is survived by his wife, Jean Thomas Whiteman of Guilford, Connecticut; a daughter, Jana L. Whiteman (Paul Kostrzewa) of Royal Oak, Michigan; and four sons, Brian L (Judith) Whiteman of Jacksonville, Florida; Kevin S. Pettes of Marblehead, Massachusetts; Eric L. (Stephanie) Pettes of Sterling, Massachusetts; and Mark B. (Kerry) Pettes of Killingworth, Connecticut. He was predeceased by a son, Jeffrey C. Whiteman, of Guilford, Connecticut.
In addition to his children, he is survived by eleven grandchildren, Rebecca Whiteman of Jacksonville, Florida; Jeffrey and Aubrey Whiteman of Melbourne, Florida; Danielle, Jake, Micah, and Halle Pettes of Sterling, Massachusetts; and Liam Poirier, Devin and Ciara Gregoli, and Lila Pettes of Killingworth, Connecticut.
Other survivors are eight brothers and sisters, Thomas (Lois) Whiteman of Sequim, Washington; Gordon (Andrea) Whiteman, Mary Abel, and Greggory (Charlene) Whiteman of Guilford, Connecticut; Wilma (Louis) Giampiccolo of Tarrytown, New York; Patricia Scully of Clinton, Connecticut; Dorothy (James) Smith of Branford, Connecticut; and Diane (Thomas) Schmidt of Mentor, Ohio, as well as by many nieces and nephews. He was a member of the First Congregational Church of Madison.
Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Memorial Gift Fund, Hospital of St. Raphael, 1450 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06511.
FUNERAL
Dick and Betty Nagel, and Stan and Nancy Lowry, sadly traveled back to Guilford, CT, to attend funeral services of our esteemed classmate Gil Whiteman. They offered condolences, on behalf of our classmates, to his gracious wife Jeannie. They were honored to meet Gil’s brothers and sisters, his children and grand children, and many of his hometown friends. During viewing hours at the Guilford Funeral Home on Tuesday, July 29th, an Honor Guard from the Veterans of Foreign Wars stood by Gil’s coffin. Gil was wearing his Air Force Blue Uniform. The funeral services were conducted Wednesday, July 30, 2003, just three weeks to the day following the start of our laid-back mini-reunion held at Gil’s and Jeannie’s home, July 9 through 13. The Reverend Dr. Charles Lewis, pastor of Gil’s church in Florida, who presided at the service recounted how a high school drop-out applied himself and became a huge success in many fields of activity. Dr. Lewis described his personal friendship with Gil, Gil’s very organized approach to his works, and cited many instances of Gil’s generosity to others. On a warm, sunny day military honors were rendered by a joint service group of veterans at the Alder Brook Cemetery in Guilford: a firing party composed of Navy and Marine veterans, a flag detail composed of Air Force veterans, a bugler, and other members of the VFW from all services were in attendance. The flag was presented to Jeannie by a former Army Lt Colonel. As many of you know, Gil and Stan were roommates on their first day of OCS, and have kept in touch over the ensuing years, crossing paths many times in the course of their careers, including tours in Europe, the Pentagon, Gil’s retirement luncheon in 1974, and of course, our several reunions. Gil and Jeannie became very close with Dick and Betty since our first reunion. Gil worked with Dick editing our class Website. Gil is sadly missed and fondly remembered.
(The reporting of this loss of one of our classmates is maybe the hardest thing I’ve done so far. I consider Gil to have been the very best friend I ever had, despite the very short time that he and I were close. He pleaded, even begged, for me to come to that last laid-back reunion, and I put my own concerns and care for my pocketbook ahead of that reunion. I shall never forgive myself for that! To poorly paraphrase Gale Sayers, "I loved that man.")
As ever
Dave
It's that time again! We're going back to the Gold Coast in Las Vegas for our biennial class reunion. Members, spouses and guests of OCS classes 57-B, 57-C and 57-D are invited to attend. Dates are firm: Sunday - Thursday, 18-22 April 2004. This event will be less structured than those in 2000 and 2002, with emphasis on just being together. Those who prefer nonstop action will find Las Vegas most accommodating. Highlights include the traditional banquet dinner on Wednesday evening, class meetings, a photo session and golf outing. A hospitality suite, complete with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage cash bar, will be open from 1500 to 2200 Sunday and 1000 to 2200 Monday-Wednesday, closing only for the class meeting, photo session and banquet dinner.
Committee members are: Dennis Goudy - registration, Milt Jones - golf, Bob Sims - photography, Frank Walls, Vice Chairman - Gold Coast/Las Vegas liaison, Jack Fox, Chairman, assisted by Dale Shipley, Dave Harvey and Phil Meek.
The Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, located at 4000 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103, is less than a mile west of the strip - an ideal location that avoids the congestion in that area. Major changes have occurred since our 2002 reunion; the recently completed 15 million dollar renovation is reflected in new lighting and sound systems, redesigned and redecorated meeting/banquet rooms, new fitness center, gift shop and liquor store.
The Las Vegas Visitor's and Convention Bureau furnishes official guides free of charge. Write to the bureau at 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Check their web site at: WWW.vegasfreedom.com for updated information. A copy of the guide can be obtained by phone: (702) 892-0711 (no toll-free line). Current entertainment listings, maps, etc. will be provided at reunion check-in also.
ROOM RESERVATION PROCEDURE: Registrants are responsible for room bookings and can secure reservations with a credit card. Cancellations are allowed up to 48 hours prior to booking date without charge and your card account will not be billed until check-out. Reservations can be made toll free anytime: (888) 402-6278, using the verbal reference code AF SPACE ZERO FOUR ONE EIGHT for the discounted rate of $42.00, plus 9% tax - $45.78 total for two persons. Add $5.00 for each additional guest. The cut-off date for the discount rate is 15 March 2004. We will not receive discounts for weekend bookings. The reference code for reservations made via the internet or letter is AF 0418. Check-in time is 1600 - guests will be housed earlier if rooms are available. For early arrivals, the bell desk will store luggage until check-in time.. Check-out time is 1200 - the hotel will store luggage for those checking out at noon but departing the hotel at a later hour. Reunion check-in will begin in the hospitality room at 1500 Sunday. The hotel check-in desk will provide directions.
WHAT TO WEAR: Las Vegas is dry and sunny in mid- April with daytime temperatures typically 70 - 85 degrees with humidity under 10 percent. Expect nights to be cool - a sweater or light jacket will suffice. Attire for the week will be casual; coat and tie are not required for the banquet, however, we expect attendees to reflect our usual exemplary dress standards.
TRANSPORTATION: McCarran International Airport is less than five miles from the Gold Coast and is best served by taxi. Rates are $12-$16 for up to 4 persons. A rental car is not required for reunion activities and a free shuttle loops to the strip on a twenty minute schedule. A bulletin board will be located in the hospitality suite for information on ride sharing, time changes, room numbers, messages, etc.
REGISTRATION FORM:
NAME_____________________________SPOUSE/GUEST NAME__________________________
ARRIVAL DATE__________________________DEPARTURE DATE_________________________
STAY AT GOLD COAST____________RV PARK____________OTHER______________________
INTERESTED IN GOLF OUTING________________HANDICAP____________________________
REGISTRATION FEE IS $45 PER PERSON * AMOUNT ENCLOSED _______________________
* Covers banquet dinner and reunion administrative expenses.
Return this form with check to Dennis Goudy, 580 Ridgecrest Dr, Kingman, AZ 86401-6914. If you plan to attend and will register later, notify Dennis either by regular mail, phone : (928) 757-8338 or email: dlg55@yahoo.com. A registration list will be published regularly.
We on the reunion planning committee hope you will join us next April. Feel free to contact any member of the committee at anytime. Frank Walls is your contact for emergencies in the Las Vegas area : (702) 616-3972. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Until 18 April 2004 - Dennis, Milt, Frank, Bob, Dave, Phil, Dale and Jack
 |  |  |
This page created using the webpage creation facilities of Webspawner.
Copyright © 2001 . All Rights Reserved.