It took some planning and lots of money
Decisions on what to wear or buy weren’t funny,
Was it shoes or a dress?
I’ll not digress,
We just dug in and went with our honey.  

How to get there might be a hard choice,
But the distance made this a binary choice.
If close enough, did drive,
If distant, flew to arrive.
Into a pool of memories with much to rejoice.  

The prep was hardest for the planners,
Hotels, food, check-in center, buses, schedules, registration,
Company reps, coordination with USNAAA,
Website, dinner cruise, coordination with the Alumni Assoc.,|
Memorial service, tailgate, but, … tracking reservations,
probably the biggest headache for the planners.

Gordo gave many thanks and splendid kudos
For the hard work of the planners that nobody knows.
Let’s add our thanks, yes, make a fuss,
Gordo and they did it for us.
Not for themselves, they meet often, heaven knows.

They succeeded and were ready to burst at the seams,
Because we responded beyond their wildest dreams.
So, thank you all
Who heard the call
To assemble with old  friends to enjoy many jubilant scenes.

Discussing matters national defense and military.
With similar jobs and histories, our talk is complimentary.
If sometimes we hear a different view,
It makes us sit up and think it through.
We rethink because it’s from one of whom we are not wary.  

While we missed those with illnesses importune,
And those who died so many years too soon,
Their voices were missing
Their laughs were missing,
We were thinking of them throughout our commune.

Among the many widows who old friendships would renew,
Peg Caldwell with one Marine Corps son (Andrew) who
Looked like Pooch,
Sounded like Pooch
Talked like Pooch
With the same sense of humor that nothing could subdue.

 Even Ellen McCandless appeared, creating some buzz;
She really said she had to come because
The class Bruce did so love
And this place he could not grow tired of.
Each meeting with a widow made our day better than it was.

From the looks of those who came to this milieu
We still have miles to go and much to do;
But, feeling renewed
And in a better mood.
We’re ready to take the next step and follow through.

Thanks again to Gordo, his team, and all who made the effort
                  to come
You know it meant so much for everyone.
Those who came
Upholding 58’s fame,
Was like make believe, returning to square one.