Shipmate 2021-2023
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
JANUARY-FEBRUARY
2023
■
65th REUNION NEWS – Registration for our 65th
Reunion will be different from past reunions.
This time we will be registering on-line.
As soon as the schedule and the prices for events are settled the Class
will be notified and registration will start (this will be when those computer
savvy grandkids will come in handy). In
addition to the All Hands notification all the information for registering will
be available on our Class of 1958 web site (1958.usnaclasses.com/default.htm).
■
HOME IS THE SAILOR, HOME FROM THE SEA – Jim Clement, 19th
Company, may very well have logged more sea time than anyone in our Class.
For 20 years he has been giving lectures on board cruise ships. 200
cruises so far including 45 to Alaska, 31 Panama Canal transits, 12 cruises
around Cape Horn, 10 summer cruises to Norway and about 3 per year to the
Caribbean to mention a few. Tough
duty but someone has to do it. Pictured
below are Jim and his buddy Goofy on a Disney cruise.
Bill Fohrman,
11th Company died on 23 September 2022
Marty Donahoe,
21st Company, passed away on 21 August 2022
David Wier, 13th
Company, passed on 26 July 2022
Stanley
Chiocchio, 2nd Company died on 6 November 2022
Wayne Pulling,
13th Company died on 26 March 2022
Terry Magrath,
24th Company passed on 20 October 2022
Pete
Jokanovich, 12th Company, died on 6 November 2022
Jim Kenney, 6th
Company, died on 1 October 2022
Jim Higgins 17th
Company died on 7 November 2022
Pauline Grocki,
wife of Chet Grochi, 6th Company died on 27 September 2022
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
2022
■
BIRDS HAVE TO FLY, FISH HAVE TO SWIM – One of
life's mysteries is why Gordon Gerson, our Class President, went into the Air
Force instead of the Navy given that water is his natural habitat.
I say that because Gordo continues to amaze with his swimming prowess.
At the 2022 National Masters Swimming meet he was the National Champion
in the 100 Meter Breast Stroke. And
he had 3 seconds and a third in other events in the 85-89 age group.
“Gordo
with more medals for his collection”
There were 1211 new
admissions in the Class of 1958, 7 ex-midshipmen readmitted with our class, 3
turned back from the Class of 1957, 9 more subsequently turned back (whatever
that means), 6 ex-midshipmen readmitted with the class of 1959 and advanced to
our class and 3 ex-midshipmen readmitted with the Class of 1960 and advanced to
our class. That is a total of 1239,
but 2 of those ex-midshipmen readmitted with our class were then advanced to the
class of 1957 so the “input” in
our class after all that moving around was 1237.
■
STATISTICAL DATA FOR THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 1958 (part II) -
So what happened to the 899 of us who graduated?
Turns out 13 were physically disqualified for commission and were
honorably discharged and 1 was in Bethesda Hospital pending commission at a
later date. 5 of the Class were
foreign nationals and were commissioned later in their own Navies.
The rest of us were commissioned as Officers and Gentlemen on June 4th
as follows:
Ensigns (line)
587
Ensigns (CEC) 10
Ensigns
(Supply)
28
2nd
Lt. Marines
70
2nd Lt. Air Force
185
■
CLOSING RANKS
Ron Johnson,
23rd Company, passed away on 2 September 2022
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
SEPTEMBER
2022
■
YOUNG AND INNOCENT – Gary Minar, 20th, sent
this story. It was the spring of
1958 and Bruce McCandless, 19th, told Gary he had learned about a
training flight a couple of the Navy pilots stationed at the Academy were going
to take to Bermuda in one of those UF amphibians they flew us in around the
Annapolis area. And the pilots were
willing to take along a couple of Mids so Gary and Bruce flew to Bermuda for the
weekend. When they got to the plane
for the return trip the big “boat” hull was being filled up with boxes.
With the extra weight it took a long run for the plane to get up on the
step and into the air, but it did and in due course arrived in Norfolk to clear
customs. The customs inspector was
an older guy who had his problems getting up the ladder and into the plane and
never really did a search. So when
the plane returned to Annapolis there were a lot of happy folks waiting for
their boxes. Gary and Bruce never
knew what was in the boxes, but Bermuda was a duty free port and the booze there
was very cheap so???
“Bruce
McCandless in Bermuda circa 1958”
“Bud
Manazir and Tom Jacobs (with the hair)”
■
MORE FROM THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY – Far, far from
Honolulu our Classmates in the Washington DC area gathered for a luncheon.
Our Class President Gordon Gerson serves on the Alumni Association of
Class Presidents and represents the Classes from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. As
a result he is very up to date regarding what is happening at the Academy and
with the Alumni Association He shared his insights at the luncheon about the new
Terwilliger Center for Student-Athletes at the Academy, the proposed expansion
of the columbarium, and the construction of the new Alumni Headquarters for the
Alumni Association. Attending the
luncheon were Buff and Jean Walter, Bev Smedberg, Taylor and Lynn Keith, Pete
and Julie Russell, Kay Powell, Jess Hernandez, Mike and Eileen Giglio, Gordon
and Jane Gerson, Linda Gamboa, Dan Bellay and Jack and Ann Adams.
“The
Hillsmans and the McMichaels”
“58
is Great”
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
JULY
– AUGUST 2022
■
65TH REUNION NEWS – In the Class column in the June issue of Shipmate I
suggested that it is time to make your reservations for the reunion.
The dates are 13-16 April 2023 and our Reunion Hotel is the Westin
Annapolis. The phone number for
reservations is 888 627-8994 and the online reservation address for reservations
is: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1651531010237&key=GRP&app=resvlink
For questions about the Westin Annapolis or about making reservations
contact Mike Giglio, 10th Company, at giglio3936@aol.com
or 703-751-7956.
■
MORE REUNION NEWS - Now for those who may have forgotten let me comment
on the weather in Annapolis in April. The
average daily high temperature is 65-68 degrees F and the average daily low is
48-45 degrees F so think cool and breezy.
April is also the wettest month in Annapolis with a 36% chance of rain on
any given day. So, next April when you come to the 65th Reunion,
bring a sweater and/or jacket and don't forget the rain gear.
■
COST PER GRADUATE – In an earlier class column I reported on how much a
Midshipman is paid these days which is about 10 times what we were paid.
But that amount is only a small part of what it costs the taxpayers for a
brand new Navy/Marine Officer after 4 years at Annapolis.
According to the Academy PAO the cost for the Class of 2020 was $438,740
per graduate.
■
JUNE 4TH, A DATE TO REMEMBER – Byron Brooks was an enlisted naval
aviator (NAP) in the Navy prior to WWII. He
was in Torpedo Squadron Five (VT-5) aboard USS Yorktown.
On a flight over the Atlantic his plane went down and he was lost at sea.
The date was June 4th 1941.
William Lawe was also an enlisted man in the Navy.
He was assigned to Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8) on board USS Hornet as a
gunner on a TBF Avenger. During the
battle of Midway his plane was shot down and he was killed.
The date was June 4th 1942.
Their sons, Paul Brooks and Dick Lawe both attended the Naval Academy
with the Class of 1958. Moreover
both were together in the 22nd Company and both graduated with our
Class. The date was June 4th
1958. Paul and Dick both went on
to become aviators. Paul in the Navy
and Dick in the Marines. Four men,
separated by years yet united by love of Country, by fate and by a date to
remember; June 4th.
■
WASHINGTON CHAPTER LUNCHEON – Once again Classmates and spouses in the
Washington area gathered for an enjoyable luncheon.
The speaker for the event was Professor Claude Berube who is the Director
of the USNA Museum. Besides managing
the museum the Professor teaches classes in history and elective courses such as
hands on war gaming, the War of 1812 Naval Tactics (which includes a sailing
event), courses about naval battles using ship replicas, etc.
If you attend our 65th you might find a visit to the museum
very interesting and worth the time. Attending
the luncheon were Jack and Ann Adams, Dan Bellay, John Carty, Whitey and Lois
Edwards, Linda Gamboa, Gorden and Jane Gerson, Mike and Eileen Giglio, Kay
Powell and Bev Smedberg.
“JACK
ADAMS AND PROFESSOR BERUBE”
■ WHEN DID WE BECOME
MIDSHIPMEN? - Most of us, if asked that question, would say 28 June 1954, but in
fact only 923 of the 1221 in our Class were sworn in on that day.
There were 24 more “swearing in ceremonies” for the other 298 members
of our class before our final Classmate took the oath on 17 August.
Sometimes it was only a ceremony for 1, but sometimes it was a
significant number such as on 6 July when the number was 83.
Anybody out there among the 298 who can explain why they missed the big
day on 28 June?
■
CLOSING
RANKS
Jim
Hocker, 5th Company, died on 26 February 2022
Jay
Taylor, 1st Company, died on 14 April
2022
Dick
Keefe, 4th Company, died on 22 April 2022
Dave
Ault 10th Company, died on 8 May 2022
Alex
Martella, 13th Company, died on 1 May 2022
Kent
Lawrence, 16th Company, died on 12 May 2022
Richard
McKelvey, non-grad, died on 5 April 2022
Becky
Caldwell, widow of Bob Caldwell 18th Company, passed away on 31 March
2022
Sarah
Withers, wife of Bill Withers 19th Company, passed away on 27 April
2022
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
JUNE
2022
■
LOST BUT FOUND – It was 1982 and George McNulty, 21st
Company, was in Dublin, Ireland to attend a business meeting (he was a civilian
by then). He had taken off his Class
ring to get cleaned up for dinner and forgot to put it back on.
Later when he went to look for the ring it was no where to be found.
Fast forward to 2020 and I received an email asking me for George's
contact information. I forwarded the
request to George and it turned out the inquiry came from a man who was a 15
year old boy back in 1982. He had
come across the ring back then and gave it to his mother who put it aside where
it remained forgotten until the mother died.
The family came across the ring going thru the mother's things and
decided to try to find the owner which was how they came to contact our Class
Secretary (me). George's daughter
contacted the young man, who was now over 50, in Ireland and in due time the
ring was sent to George. Our rings
don't change size, but sometimes our fingers do so George sent the ring off to
Jostens where they resized and polished the ring and replaced the stone which
had been damaged in the process. So
40 years after it was lost the ring is back on George's finger where it belongs.
A
RING TO REMEMBER
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
MAY
2022
■
REUNION – Just a reminder. Our
65th reunion is less than a year away.
It will be 13-16 April 2023 to be exact so start your planning.
“Reunion
Time”
■
CHAPTER NEWS – We often get reports from the Washington DC Class of '58
Chapter and sometimes we also hear from the San Francisco area Chapter, but we
don't often hear from the New Zealand Chapter.
I'm referring to Art Bass, 2nd Company who has been living in
NZ since 1980. After graduation Art
served on two DDs and then had a tour as the Chief Engineer on an ice breaker
which led to a visit to NZ which led to Art meeting his wife to be Gaynor (Art
recalls that 85% of the bachelors on board applied for marriage licenses in NZ).
Following that tour Art resigned his Regular Commission and started a
second career working for the Navy as a civilian and also serving in the
Reserves. In 1980 he retired and
moved to New Zealand where life has been an exciting adventure.
Presently Art and Gaynor live on the North Island overlooking the sea.
Next time you are in NZ drop in and say hello.
■
SUPER SPREADER – Pete Gatje, 24th Company, hosted a family
reunion over the holidays. Isn't it
nice to see smiling faces instead of a bunch of masks?
“The
Gatje family”
■
CLOSING RANKS
Leroy
Haenz, 20th Company, died on 21 September 2021
Stephen
Guthman, 13th Company, died on 24 January 2022
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
MARCH
– APRIL 2022
As 2021
came to an end our Classmates in the Washington DC area participated in a three-
part celebration. The common theme
was the Army-Navy football game.
■Before
the game – The Washington DC 58ers gathered with USMA class of 58 grads
for the annual Army-Navy Classes of 1958 luncheon.
The luncheon was held at the ANCC on the 2nd of December in
advance of the Army-Navy game. Brad
Johnson USMA '58 and Bob Orlosky USNA '64 presented information on the two
teams. At that time Army was listed
as a 9-point favorite, but both Brad and Bob declared the game would be closer.
Attending from the USNA class of 1958 were Buff Walter and his son, Fred
and Jackie Victor, Phil Taylor and his daughter and son-in-law, Taylor and Lynn
Keith, Mike and Eileen Giglio, Linda Gamboa, Whitey and Lois Edwards, Paul and
Carolyn Brown, Dan Bellay and Jack and Ann Adams.
“Brad Johnson and Bob Orlosky”
“Christmas comes early in Arlington”
“Polly Mitchell and Dan Bellay”
■Closing Ranks:
Les Troolin, 20th
Company, died on 1 December 2021
Leroy Haenze, 20th
Company, died on 12 September 2021
Frank Herrin, 11th
Company, passed away on November 10th
John Goolsby 12th
Company, passed away on November 25th
James Hoerle 20th
company died on December 24th.
Jan Cook 15th
Company died on November 25th
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
JANUARY-FEBRUARY
2022
■
10TH COMPANY STRONG
“10th
Company Reunion”
If any of our
Classmates has made the American Loop trip or a similar adventure please send me
your story to share.
“Jack
Adams with Joan and Rupe MacLean”
“Madelyn
Fenick with Lance Massey, John Davis, Chuck Smith and Mike Chapple”
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
2021
■
MOLLIE HEMINGWAY – Bill Hemingway, 18th
Company, wrote to report that his daughter-in-law, Mollie Hemingway, was a 2021
winner of the Bradley Prize which is awarded in recognition of her extraordinary
talent and dedication to restore, strengthen and protect the principles and
institutions of American exceptionalism. Mollie is a senior editor of the Federalist
(an online magazine), a senior journalism fellow at Hillsdale College and a
Fox News contributor. She is also
the author of the national best-seller Justice on Trial: The Kavanaugh
Confirmation and the Future of the Supreme Court. Her latest book Rigged:
How the Media, Big Tech and the Democrats Seized our Elections went on sale
in October.
Mollie
Hemingway
The
Secretary of the Navy and our Class President
The
Poindexter Clan
Captain
Donald Kennedy and Jack Adams
■
MORE HEMINGWAY NEWS – Bill and his wife Kathy
celebrated their 58th wedding Anniversary on 6 July.
He noted that he and Bill Bauer, who also celebrated his 58th
wedding Anniversary this last summer, were both in the 18th Company
and both went into the Marines. SEMPER
FIDELIS
Marty
and Gene
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
OCTOBER
2021
■
CLASS ATHLETIC LEGENDS
* Wrestling Team (co-Captain)
* Undefeated in wrestling
meets
* Football Team
* Most Valuable Lineman, 1958
Cotton Bowl
* 2nd Team All
American
* 7 Ns, 6 N stars
■
CLASS ATHLETIC LEGEND (2021 VERSION)
Gordon
Gerson, 11th Company, our Class President participated in the 2021
National Short Course Masters Swimming Championships.
The meet was held in Greensboro, North Carolina from 21 to 25 July.
Gordo came in first in both the 100 Backstroke and the 200 Backstroke,
and third in the 50 Backstroke. He
also finished 5th in 100 Breaststroke and 200 Breaststroke and 6th
in the 50 Breaststroke. WAY TO GO
GORDO!!!
“National
Swimming Champion”
"Bill
and Judy Bauer”
“E1s in Formation”
■
CLOSING RANKS
CLASS
OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
SEPTEMBER
2021
■
IN THE LINE OF DUTY
* Starting pitcher for the Academy Baseball team
for 3 years
* Captain of the Baseball team 1st Class
year
* Three N's, two N-stars
* Retired Rear Admiral
* Served on the Academy Board of Visitors for 5
years including 2 years as Chairman
* Selected in 2008 by the USNA Alumni Association
as a Distinguished Graduate
* Captain of the Academy Football team
* Starting midfielder for the Lacrosse team
* Scored all 14 points against Army in 14-0 victory
in 1957
* Halfback on offense, safety on defense
* Selected for 3rd team All American in
Football
* Honorable mention All American in Lacrosse
RADM
Ben Montoya USN
Bud
and Paula Jane Manazir
The DC Chapter
of the Class of 1958 gathered on 28 May for the first get together in over a
year and over 30 Classmates, spouses and friends were present.
The guest speaker was RADM Samuel Cox, USN (ret), Class of '80, who is
the Director of the Naval Historical and Heritage Command and Director of Navy
History and Curator of the Navy. He
gave an inspiring presentation explaining how history can provide real lessons
for current policy makers. In his
talk he linked Classmates from the Class of '58 and parents of Classmates to
historic events and noted how our Class's continuing supportive efforts for the
USNA Museum is so important.
Jack
Adams and RADM Samuel Cox
Pete
B., George, Pete W., Bill and Lee from the left
■
CLOSING RANKS
JULY-AUGUST
2021
■
THEN AND NOW
THEN – In 1970 the Class of '58 participated in
the Annual Homecoming activities at the Academy.
On Friday the 9th of October we joined other Alumni for a
reception in Dahlgren Hall and dinner in the Mess Hall and on Saturday attended
the football game. Then on that
Saturday night we had our annual Class Homecoming dinner party.
The party was held at the Royal restaurant on West Street with drinks and
light hors d'oeuvres followed by a roast beef dinner.
The cost was $10 and that was for a couple, but did not include drinks.
NOW – Our Class leadership is starting to think
about our next Class reunion which will be our 65th and will be held
in the spring of 2023. It just takes
a bit longer to organize things these days.
Oh, and don't expect dinner to pay $10 (per couple) for dinner this time.
LCDR Guy (Sam)
Houston USN, 12th Company, died in November 1969 serving with Carrier
Air Wing 3 on board the USS Saratoga while deployed in the Mediterranean.
Sam was participating in flight maneuvers at the time of the accident.
In the
January-February 2021 Class column I reported on the death of LT Bruce Wilhelmy
in 1966. Dick Buss, a Companymate of
Bruce from the 20th Company, sent in some additional information
regarding Bruce and the fatal accident.
At the time of his accident in 1966 Bruce was doing an acceleration run
at 28,000 feet when the wings came off the plane.
Investigators determined that an exhaust leak had caused Bruce to lose
consciousness from carbon monoxide fumes and the plane went out of control at
high speed.
* Plebe football, basketball and baseball
* Varsity football
* 3 N's, 2 N stars
* AP back of the week for gaining 137 yards on 9
carries for 2 touchdowns against William and
Mary
* Set Navy record for three touchdown receptions in
one game. Never broken in 62 years.
* 1958 Cotton Bowl Championship team (leading
ground gainer and all-purpose yard gainer)
Played both offense (halfback) and defense (safety)
* Honorable mention All-American
* Varsity Tennis and Squash, Captain of both teams
* Squash
All American twice
* Never
lost a match to a Cadet
* 6
N's, 5 N stars
* In
1957 Navy won the National Intercollegiate Squash Racquets Association
Championship
and John
played #1 for Navy. He was ranked #4
in the Nation and voted All American.
* In
1958 John won the Maryland State Men's singles Championship and was invited to
play in the
National Men's championship
■
CLOSING RANKS
Ronald Kirk, 9th
Company. Died on 17 September 2020
Kenneth
Gebhart, 14th Company. Died
on 29 April 2021
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
JUNE
2021
IN THE LINE OF DUTY
In 1969 we lost two more Classmates in aircraft accidents. In both theses cases they were victims of circumstances outside their control.
LCDR Alan Hospes, USN, (2nd
Company), died on the 31st of July 1969.
At the time Al was assigned to VA-36 and stationed at NAS Cecil Field.
On the 31st he was flying an A-4C on a training flight when
fate intervened. During a practice
bombing run the engine flamed out and Al ejected however the chute did not open.
CAPT Wilbur Wright, USAF, (18th
Company), died on October 9th 1969.
At the time Will was an electronics warfare officer with the 93rd
Bombing Wing stationed at Castle AFB. He
was a crew member on B-52Fs and at the time of his death he was on a training
flight. The plane was conducting
night time practice touch and go landings and overran the runway, crashed and
exploded on impact. All 6 crew
members perished in the crash.
■
CLASS OF '58 WEBSITE
If you haven't checked lately
I recommend you visit our Class Website. It
is full of information of interest. The
Website was created by Poj Walters and Fred Victor around the time of our 45th
reunion and is now maintained by Fred Victor, 11th Company, and he
does an outstanding job. The Home
page has current information such as the names of recently deceased Classmates
and wives. You can click on a name
there and access an obituary for that person.
At the left of the Home page is a list of other sections of the
Website you can visit. News/Events
is especially useful in the run up to reunions for example.
Also in this section is a link to the comprehensive guidelines for
preparing and administering obituaries that Terry Cooper put together a couple
of years ago and is still relevant today. Shipmate
has our Class of '58 columns from Shipmate.
Photo Gallery has pictures (surprise).
Roster has an up to date Class roster.
Binnacle List has reports of Classmates who are ill.
Last Call has obits for deceased Classmates and wives.
Board of Trustees lists your Class Officers and Company Reps lists
the Company Representatives and Assistant Company Representatives.
Links for '58ers and Fleet Link have links to other
websites of interest. One important
note about the website. Fred does a
great job and deserves a lot of credit, but he depends on all of us to provide
him with the information that goes into the website.
For example, if you move, change your phone number or email address be
sure to let Fred know. Also, any info and/or pictures from trips or special
events in your lives that you would like to share would be welcome.
Our Class of
'58 Website address is http://1958,usnaclasses.com/default.htm.
■
THE ONLY THING THAT IS CONSTANT IS CHANGE
That observation was made by
an ancient Greek philosopher by the name of Heraclitus.
Another example of how right he was is June Week at the Naval Academy.
Only now it is called Commissioning Week and it takes place in May.
So let me ask for an opinion poll. Can
you think of a good reason for the changes?
Does there need to be a good reason for changing a tradition?
Is tradition a good thing in the military?
Send your opinions to w_schramm@comcast.net.
■
CLOSING RANKS
Arthur Ridley,
4th Company, died on 5 March 2021
Patricia
Gladin, widow of Jack Gladin, 23rd Company, passed away on 25
February 2021
Mary Sue
Jones, widow of Bob Jones 3rd Company, died on 22 February 2021
Juanita Medlock, widow of Chuck Medlock, 7th Company, died on 5 December 2020
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
MAR-APR
2021
■
HHI LUNCHEON
“Hudson's
on the Docks at HHI”
“The
Naval Academy Hospital that we knew”
■
IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Phil McNall, 15th Company, was another of our Classmates who rose to
Flag rank. Phil's first tour was on
the USS Estes (AGC-12). He then went
to the Supply Corps School and transferred from surface line to the Supply
Corps. Later he would go to the
Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey and earn a Masters degree in operations
analysis. That was followed by a
tour as the aide to the Commander of the Naval Supply Systems Command.
Then back to sea on the USS New Orleans (LPH-11).
His first command was the Fleet Materials Supply Office, then Naval War
College and duty as the Supply Officer on USS Nimitz (CVN-68).
He served as Commanding Officer of the Supply Center in San Diego,
followed by a tour as Supply Officer for the 7th Fleet.
His final tour was as Commanding Officer of the Aviation Supply Office.
Phil retired in 1988 and dropped his anchor in San Ramon California.
In his retirement Phil worked as a professional golf instructor (does
that count as work?) and as a defense industry consultant.
RADM Phillip McNall USN (ret) passed away on 28 November 2020.
RADM Richard Pittenger USN (ret), 17th Company, grew up with a love
for the sea which was a bit strange for someone born in Nebraska.
But Dick's family moved to Washington State when he was young and he
smelled salt air. As a school boy he
was a Sea Scout/Sea Cadet and when he graduated from High School he joined the
Navy Reserve. In the Reserves he
applied for an appointment to the Academy and was accepted.
During his career in the Navy Dick had a lot of sea duty and loved every
minute. His first ship was the USS
Dupont DD-941. His other seagoing
tours were USS Norfolk, DL-1, USS Farragut, DLG-6, USS Pledge, MSO-492 as
Commanding Officer, USS Perry, DD-944 as XO, USS Connole, FF-1056 as Commanding
Officer and DESRON 26 as Commander. During
his career Dick became one of the Navy's leading experts in ASW.
That focus started with his earliest shipboard assignments and continued
during his career. At the Naval
Postgraduate School he earned a Masters degree in underwater acoustics.
Later during duty with the staff of COMCRUDESLANT he was the ASW officer
on the staff and developed the concept of an “ASW Squadron”.
The USS Connole was a part of that Squadron which won several Fleet
awards during Dick's tour as CO. During
his final years on active duty Dick served as the Director of ASW programs for
the CNO and as the Oceanographer of the Navy.
After retiring from the Navy Dick went to work for Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution where he was in charge of the WHOI fleet of research
vessels, both surface and sub-surface, and served in that capacity for 14 years.
“RADM
Richard Pittenger”
■
THE REST OF THE STORY
■
CLOSING RANKS
CLASS
OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
JAN
– FEB 2021
■
WASHINGTON DC NEWS FLASH – The Class of '58 DC Chapter held a luncheon
on 29 October. Attending were Buff
Walter, Ted and Bev Smedberg, Pete and Julie Russell, Paul and Barb Polski,
Taylor Keith, Gordon and Jane Gerson, Frank and Linda Gamboa, Whitey and Lois
Edwards, Dan and Pat Belay and Jack and Ann Adams.
The guest speaker was Dr. Marcus Hedahl an Associate Professor and the
current Stockdale fellow at the USNA Stockdale Leadership and Ethics Center.
Dr. Hedahl spoke about today's leadership precepts and how they are
presented to the Brigade of Midshipmen.
“Dr.
Hedahl and Jack Adams”
“Ms.
Sarah White receiving the Admiral Charles Larson Award
for
Ethical Leadership”
It would be almost 2 years
before we lost another Classmate and that was Lt. Christopher “Bruce”
Wlhelmy, USN from the 20th Company.
Bruce went Navy Air after graduation and in 1962 he was flying RF-8
Crusaders with VFP-62. When the
Cuban missile crises happened Bruce distinguished himself as one of the pilots
flying high speed, low level missions over Cuba.
On 17 February 1966 Bruce was assigned to the Navy test pilot program at
Pax River and fate intervened. He
died while he was flying a T-28 and during an extreme test the plane crashed.
■
FLAG OFFICERS – I suspect that if someone checked they would find that
the person whose picture has appeared in the most issues of Shipmate would be
none other than RADM John (Jack) Adams USN (ret), Class of 1958.
Jack Adams, 4th Company, is the President of the Class of '58
Washington DC Chapter of the Class and in almost every Class column I report on
luncheons of the very active DC Chapter and those reports include pictures of
Jack with the guest speaker du jour. So
now that you know what he looks like, let me highlight his distinguished career.
Jack went Navy Air and earned his Wings of Gold in December of 1959.
He was assigned to VS-32 where he flew the S2.
Shore duty followed at NPS Monterey and in Washington DC including duty
as an Aide to an Admiral which is always exciting.
Then sea duty on USS Randolph CVS-15 for two years, shore duty at the
Naval War College and back to sea with VS-24 on USS Intrepid.
Jack's first command was VS-22 where he flew the S-3A.
That tour was followed by a tour as Chief Staff Officer at VS-WING ONE,
then duty at NAVOP05 in Washington before returning to VS-WING ONE as Commander.
In 1981 he was given Command of the USS Sylvania AFS-05.
In 1983 he served as Commander of Service Squadron Two and was promoted
to Flag Rank. As a RADM Jack served
as the 81st commandant of the Washington Naval District, had a tour
with the Joint Chiefs and then served as Commander ASW Wings Pacific.
His final active duty tour was as Commander Naval Bases, San Diego.
During his active duty career Jack flew 50 different types of military
aircraft and made arrested landings on 16 different aircraft carriers.
He also traveled to all seven continents during his Naval career and, in
his words, “had an absolutely splendid time”.
As you might expect Jack followed his distinguished Naval career with a
distinguished career in the private sector.
In his spare time he served on the Naval Academy Alumni Association Board
of Trustees, on our Class of 58 Board of Directors, as Vice President of both
the Navy League and the Association of Naval Aviation, and as a Director of the
Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard Residence Foundation and the list goes on.
RADM
Jack Adams, USN (ret)
■
CLOSING RANKS -
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
2020
■
CLASS LUNCHEON??
IN WASHINGTON DC??
The
Washington Chapter of the USNA Class of 1958 was able to resume luncheons in
August.
Deciding that if one guest presentation is good then two must be better,
the leadership scheduled a double header.
First up was our Classmate Harry Hurst.
He discussed the talent on the Navy football team and was articulate,
witty, and entertaining as usual.
Harry gave an optimistic forecast for the upcoming season (note: this was
before the BYU game).
On a more serious note, our Classmate Taylor Keith gave a scholastic
report on the history of Hatuey Beer.
(Hatuey was brewed in Cuba and served to us in Gitmo on our Midshipman
cruises.)
Taylor reported that once there was a native Chief in the Caribbean named
Hatuey who fought the Spanish in the 16th Century.
He ended up being caught by the Spanish on the island of Cuba and was
burned at the stake in 1512.
History does not report if he was caught because he had been drinking too
much beer, but for some reason Bacardi named a beer in his honor and made Hatuey
Beer from 1927 until the late 1950's.
(Craft beer and ale with the name Hatuey are still being brewed and are
available in the U.S.)
The
following Classmates and guests attended the luncheon:
Buff Walter, Phil Taylor and son, Ted and Bev Smedberg, Pete and Julie
Russell, Paul and Barbara Polski, George Ojalehto, Rupe and Joan MacLean, Sally
Larson, Taylor and Lynn Keith, Alice Weidmann, Harry and Peg Hurst, Mike and
Eileen Giglio, Gordon and Jane Gerson, Frank and Linda Gamboa, Whitey and Lois
Edwards, Charlie and Peggy Brooks, Dan and Pat Bellay and Jack and Ann Adams.
The Master of Ceremonies and the two speakers are pictured in a Class of
'58 version of “The Masked Singer”.
“Taylor
Keith, Jack Adams and Harry Hurst”
In this column I would
like to highlight two of our Classmates who both became Naval Aviators and rose
to Flag Rank through the Patrol Squadron (VP) community. I refer to Jesse
Hernandez and Bill Pendley. Something else they share was that they both had
been in the 3rd Company.
“RADM Jesse Hernandez, USN”
RADM William Pendley, 3rd
Company, received his Wings in February 1960 and reported to VP-45 at NAS
Bermuda. He then attended American
University and earned a Masters in International Relations and was a PhD
Candidate (ABD). Bill's next
tours were on the USS Essex as Assistant Navigator, Armed Forces Staff College,
and back to VP-45. Then OPNAV in
Strategic Plans and Policy followed by yet another tour with VP-45 as XO then
CO. Next was a tour as
COMPATWING 11 Operations Officer then back to Washington as Executive Secretary
to the CNO. After being promoted to
Captain, Bill had a tour as Commander Patrol Wing 11.
Next was Washington at OPNAV followed by a tour on the Staff of
CINCPACFLT. After promotion to
Flag rank he was Commander Patrol Wings Atlantic Fleet from 1983 to 1985.
After another Washington tour at OpNav Bill was sent to Korea as
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea and Senior Member United Nations Military
Armistice Commission. His final tour
was as Director Strategic Planning and Policy at CINCPAC.
BZ!
“RADM William Pendley, USN”
Note:
In the July-August of Shipmate I reported the death of Charles Bowne, but
misspelled his name as Browne.
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
OCTOBER
2020
■
IN THE LINE OF DUTY - In our
Class column in the September issue of Shipmate I wrote about the loss of two
Classmates, James Moore and John Paul Price, in 1961.
Both were flying F8U Crusaders at the time of their deaths and sadly that
pattern continued the next year. FIRST
LT Alexander Longdon USMC, 7th Company, was killed on 14 September
1962 when his F8U Crusader collided in mid-air with an Air National Guard F86
near Dallas Texas.
In 1962 the Navy introduced
the P3A Orion into the fleet. The
first Squadron to get their Orions was VP-8 and they took delivery of their
first P3A in August of 1962. Just a
few months later LT Theodore White, 16th Company, was lost at sea,
along with 13 other crewmates, when his VP-8 P3A crashed on 30 January 1963.
The accident happened at night, about 500 miles from land in the Atlantic
when the plane was operating at about 500 ft altitude during a training
exercise.
■
FLAG OFFICERS AND GENERAL OFFICERS – Referring back to the September
2020 Class column again you will/may/perhaps recall I wrote about the careers of
General JB Davis USAF, 14th Company, and LTGEN Terry Cooper USMC, 24th
Company. Terry passed on an
interesting bit of history that took place in 1990.
Then LTGEN JB Davis was Commander of US Forces Japan and then MAJGEN
Terry Cooper served as JB's Deputy Commander.
At the same time ADM Chuck Larson, 8th Company, was CINCPAC
and RADM Bill Pendley, 3rd Company, was on his staff.
And RADM Jesse Hernandez, 3rd Company was in Command of Patrol
Planes in the Pacific and RADM Jack Adams, 4th Company, Commanded
Naval Bases San Diego and was dual hatted as Commander Maritime Defense Zone,
Sector California. Simply put the
Class of 1958 was pretty much in charge of the Pacific for that brief period in
time. The photo shows JB and Carol
Davis, Chuck and Sally Larson and Terry and Bettie Cooper at JB's quarters at
Yokoda AFB during a visit by Chuck and Sally to Japan.
“Class
of '58 Flag Officers and their Ladies”
“2008
GOP Convention”
■
CLOSING RANKS
Daniel Leonard, 24th Company, passed away on June 27th
2020.
Joseph Hutchinson, 8th Company,
died on 30 June 2020.
William Newt Moore, 1st Company, died on 30 June 2020.
Eric Thacher, 16th Company, passed away on 1 July 2020.
Russell Vreeland, 2nd Company, died on 1 July 2020.
Barry Howard, 4th Company, died on July 17th 2020.
SEPTEMBER
2020
■
IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Looking back at the list of
Classmates who died “in the line of duty” there were two who died in 1961.
Both were Naval Aviators flying F8U Crusaders and both were flying from
the USS Independence at the time of their accidents.
LTJG James Moore USN, (3rd
Company) died on April 6th 1961.
Jim was assigned to VFP-62, a Photographic Recon Squadron and was flying
the F8U-1P Crusader. At the time of
his death he was engaged in a night carrier qualification exercise on board the
USS Independence. His plane crashed
into the sea following launch from the carrier when one of the wings on his
aircraft folded.
LTJG John Paul Price USN, (6th
Company) died on 22 August 1961. John
was assigned to Fighter Squadron VF-84 and was also flying the F8U Crusader.
At the time of his accident John was deployed to the Med on board the USS
Independence and crashed while attempting to land on the carrier.
■
FLAG OFFICERS AND GENERAL OFFICERS
In the July-August 2020 issue
I introduced a segment in our Class of '58 column celebrating our Classmates who
achieved Flag rank. In this
issue I would like to briefly highlight the careers of two General Officers from
the Class of 1958. One in the
Marines and one in the Air Force.
LtGen Matthew T. Cooper, USMC
(24th Company) served on active duty for 35 years.
During his career Terry had 20 years in Command tours.
He served two combat tours in Vietnam, Commanded two Marine Corps
Divisions, was Commanding Officer of Camp Pendleton and also Commanding Officer
of the Marine Corps Officers School at Quantico.
After his retirement in 1993 he became the President and CEO of the
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and served in that role for 15 years.
The Headquarters for Toys for Tots is named the Cooper Building in his
honor. He has also served as a
Trustee of the Naval Academy Alumni Association and on the Board of Directors of
the Naval Mutual Aid Association. In
2011 Terry was selected as a Naval Academy Distinguished Graduate.
Semper Fi.
“LtGen
Matthew Cooper, USMC (ret)”
General James Davis USAF (14th
Company) was one of our Classmates who earned 4 Stars.
After graduation JB obtained his Air Force wings and was assigned as a
KC-97 pilot. He yearned, however, to
fly something faster and in 1967 underwent F4 Phantom training.
In January of 1968 he was assigned to the 13th Tactical
Fighter Squadron based in Thailand and by September of that year he had flown
100 combat missions over North Vietnam. That
tour was followed by duty at SHAPE in Europe then back to the States to attend
the Armed Forces Staff College. In
1979 he was given Command of the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing.
By 1988 he was Commander of U.S. Forces in Japan and concurrently served
as Commander Pacific Air Forces. His
final duty was as Chief of Staff for SHAPE.
JB retired from the Air Force in 1993. A great career in the Wild Blue
Yonder.
“General
James Davis, USAF (ret)
■
COMPANY OFFICERS REDUX
Pete Westphal (1st
Company) passed on some information about one of our more well known Company
Officers. I refer to Captain Perrich,
USMC, known to our Class as Bonzo, the Company Officer of the 3rd
Company. Pete went into the Marines
after Graduation and in 1966 he was the CO of B Company, 3rd Engineer
Battalion with the 4th Marines in Chulai.
LtCol Perrich was the CO of the 1st Battalion, 4th
Marines and Pete's engineers supported the 1st Battalion in their
combat operations. Pete saw LtCol
Perrich many times at his Command Post and went along on a number of the combat
operations. By this time Bonzo had
mellowed and when Pete told him he had been considered a terror at the Academy
he admitted that he had worked at it. Bosco,
as his friends called him, made full Colonel and was considered a good Marine
recognized for his intellect.
■
REFLECTIONS
In 1983 the Ledger-Star was
the afternoon paper in Norfolk Va. In
October of that year they published a 3 part series about the USNA Class of 1958
written by Pete Rowe a staff writer on the paper.
It was 25 years since our graduation, a time to reflect on both the past
and the future. Mr. Rowe interviewed
13 of our Classmates for his article.
One of those Classmates was
Hollis Holthaus (4th Company), the son of a pharmacist in Nebraska.
Hollis went Navy Line, but as he neared 20 years service he found himself
with repeated tours in communications billets and that was not what he wanted.
As he told Mr. Rowe, “My interest in the Navy was in ships.
I wasn't interested in boondoggle communications.”
At the same time a tumultuous personal life had left him divorced and
shattered. As an Officer he never
held command at sea and drifted from destroyer to diesel sub to spy ships to
communications. In a communications
billet at the White House he said that he had “dealt with Christian
telecommunications people and found most were very naive”.
So Hollis retired in 1978 as a Commander and recognizing his calling
elsewhere he moved to Los Angeles and helped establish the U.S. Center for World
Missions, streamlined fund raising for World Vision, a relief organization and
became the executive director of the Union Rescue Mission which feeds and houses
hundreds of the poor and homeless. And
that was where he was in 1983. Later
he would go on to become the executive director for the Chicago Christian
League, another large rescue mission. Hollis
found satisfaction in serving the homeless and needy and said “But for the
grace of God I could have been one of those men”.
He died in 1993.
“
Hollis Holthaus, LA Skid Row, 1983”
Pete Gatje (24th
Company) was another of those interviewed in 1983.
At the time he was a Captain and told Mr. Rowe that he had hopes to
attain Flag rank, but that would not come to be.
Pete had earned his Navy Wings after graduation and later became a
Restricted Line Officer with a specialty in oceanography and meteorology.
He retired in 1986 following a tour as Commanding Officer of the Naval
Oceanography Center in Norfolk VA. After
retirement he worked for ST Systems as a Systems Engineer.
Like many of our Classmates he had found a new career with a Company that
had links to the Navy. He also
became a Park Ranger for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and as a
Supervisor had responsibility for maintaining over 1000 miles of trails, but
hiking the trails of the Appalachians was a hobby for Pete and keeping the
trails open was his way of saying thank you.
899 of us graduated on the 4th
of June in 1958 and in our careers and personal lives there have been 899
different stories.
■
CLOSING RANKS
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
JULY-AUGUST
2020 ISSUE
■
FLAG OFFICERS AND GENERAL OFFICERS – The Class of 1958 had 25 graduates
achieve Flag rank during their careers. These
include 18 U.S. Navy Flag Officers and 2 Flag Officers in the Navies of other
countries, 2 General Officers in the Marine Corps and 3 General Officers in the
U.S. Air Force. One of those
Classmates is VADM Ron Eytchison USN (ret) 1st Company.
After graduation Ron served on a Destroyer prior to attending nuclear
power and submarine training which was common in those days.
After duty on both an SSN and an SSBN he was selected for graduate school
which was not so common among Submarine Officers.
And to make it even more unusual, as an Olmsted Scholar, two years of the
graduate education was spent at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
After that it was a series of tours ashore and at sea including Command
of the USS Skate (SSN 578). Subsequent
tours included Command of Submarine Squadron Six, and a multi-hatted tour as
Commander Submarine Group Eight, NATO Commander Submarines Mediterranean,
Commander Submarine Force U.S. Sixth Fleet and Commander Area ASW Forces U.S.
Sixth Fleet. His final active duty tour was as the Director of Strategic Target
Planning where he was responsible for targeting all strategic nuclear weapons.
Following his retirement Ron worked 13 years as an executive and
consultant in the civilian nuclear power industry.
Well done Ron. There is one
more achievement that Ron can take great pride in.
He can still wear his uniform! In
the attached photo Ron is administering a virtual swearing in oath to new
Ensigns who graduated from Georgia Tech.
VADM
Ron Eytchison in his Dress Whites
■
THE REST OF THE STORY - At
the Academy Pat Hanavan, 24th Company, received the Marine Corps
Association Prize. So he went into
the Corps, right? Well, actually
not. Instead he joined the Air Force
and became a pilot. In the Air Force
Pat had some very interesting assignments including flying the C-7A Caribou in
Vietnam. The C-7A is a twin engine
STOL cargo plane capable of landing on unimproved runways on the order of 1000
ft which is about the length of an aircraft carrier.
During his career in the USAF Pat received a PhD in Engineering from UCLA
and became a registered Professional Engineer (PE).
When he retired in 1978 he joined the faculty at the University of Texas
in San Antonio. Pat's
expertise as a PE was in Software Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering.
As an engineer his work took him to many countries that I am sure were
more enjoyable than Vietnam. Pat
also found the time to earn a Master of Arts degree in Theology along the way.
C-7A
Caribou
■
IN THE LINE OF DUTY
LTJG James
Wood USN, 24th Company, died on September 12th 1960.
Woodie was flying an AD-5 from Moffet Field in California on a night
flight and went missing off the coast.
LTJG William
Flynn USN, 21st Company, died on 21 December 1960.
Bill was 3rd pilot/navigator on the crew of a P2V from Patrol
Squadron Seven. The Squadron was
deployed to NAS Argentia, Newfoundland and Bill's plane went missing on a night
flight while participating in a Fleet training exercise.
■ WHERE THERE IS THE WILL THERE IS A WAY – Mike Cunningham, 18th Company, and Dorothy Hanners, his friend and companion of 10+ years were enjoying each other's company when along came the COVID-19 situation and talk of quarantine, stay at home, etc. So Mike took action and asked Dottie to marry him and she said yes. This was in early February and the wedding was set for 17 March. The location would be the old Court House in Orange Virginia. At 10:30 the morning of the 17th Mike received a call from the Magistrate who told him the Court House had been closed because of the virus. Time for Plan B! After a discussion the Magistrate offered the parlor in their home. Offer accepted and it is now Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham. Congratulations to the bride and groom.
“Mike
and Dottie Cunningham”
■
CLOSING RANKS
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
JUNE
2020 ISSUE
■
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY – The Washington DC/Annapolis Chapter of the
Class of 1958 celebrated cupid's day with a luncheon.
Present were Buff Walter, Jackie and Fred Victor, Julie and Pete Russell,
John Rohrbough, Paul Polski, George Ojalehto, Rupe MacLane, Jean LeBer, Marty
Hill, Eileen and Mike Giglio, Jane and Gordon Gerson, Linda and Frank Gamboa,
Lois and Whitey Edwards, Terry Cooper, Pat and Dan Bellay and Ann and Jack
Adams. The speaker was Dr. Joe
Thomas the Director of the USNA Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership and he
spoke about the means used to impart ethical leadership principals to today's
Midshipmen.
“Dr.
Thomas and Jack Adams”
■
WHEN EVER TWO OR MORE. . . - Two members of the 17th Company
were able to rendezvous for lunch and fellowship.
Eric and Barbara Mansfield and Charlie and Peggy Brooks got together in
Vero Beach while vacationing in Florida. Peggy
is from Vero Beach and she and Charlie visit there almost every year.
Eric and Barbara have a condo a couple of hours south of Vero Beach and
so it came to pass.
“Charlie
and Eric”
“Denver
Colorado Honor Flight”
William
Graham, 12th Company, died on 8 March 2020
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
APRIL-MAY
2020 ISSUE
“Bill Hemingway, Jake the 1078 lb Blue Marlin
and Bill Bauer”
MERRY CHRISTMAS – I know some of us are still sending out our Christmas
Cards so it should be no surprise that I am still reporting on Class Holiday
festivities. Our Class Washington DC Chapter had a Holiday luncheon (latitude
unknown) with 52 folks present. Dan
Bellay and Polly Mitchell provided the music and there were reports of singing
and dancing and a good time enjoyed by all.
“Dan Bellay and Polly Mitchell”
“Tom and Kay Powell in Key West”
“58ers at the Harbor Light Restaurant”
■
CLOSING RANKS
George Jenkins, 10th
Company, passed away on 7 February 2020
Myron Kandra, 22nd
Company died on 23 January 2020
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
MARCH 2020 ISSUE
■
ARMY-NAVY DC LUNCHEON – Every year graduates from the USMA and USNA
Classes of 1958, who live in the Washington DC area, gather prior to the
Army-Navy football game to enjoy a nice lunch, renew old friendships and harass
each other with claims how THEIR team is going to win THE game.
The luncheon is held, of course, at the Army Navy Country Club and so it
was on 5 December. After lunch Harry
Hurst presented the case for the Naval Academy.
He described the changes in Navy's coaching staff and the resulting
impact on the Navy team. He
described the strengths and weaknesses of our team and cautioned that Army was a
5 win and 7 loss team and therefore would be highly motivated because a win
would allow them the keep the Commander in Chief trophy, go to a bowl game and
chalk up a 4th straight win over Navy.
Brad Johnson presented Army's case. He
noted their problems with injuries to key positions and how close most of their
losses have been, but also pointed out that season records do not matter much
when it comes to the Army-Navy game. Since
Navy was the host at this luncheon they ended the day by serenading the USMA
crowd with a rendition of “The Goat is Old and Gnarly”.
Navy was well represented by Jack and Ann Adams, Dan and Pat Bellay, Paul
and Carolyn Brown, Whitey and Lois Edwards, Frank Gamboa, Gordon and Jane Gerson,
Mike and Eileen Giglio, Harry and Peg Hurst, Taylor Keith, Jean LeBer, George
Ojalehto, Paul and Barbara Polski, Tom and Kay Powell, John Rohrbough, Pete and
Julie Russell, Phil Taylor, Fred and Jackie Victor, Buff Walter and Bruce
Wilcox.
So, what happened on December 14th? ***NAVY 31 – ARMY 7***
■
WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR COMPANY OFFICERS?
The most distinguished of our Company Officers turned out to be a U.S. Army Officer and a West Point graduate. I am referring to Alexander Haig who was the Company Officer for the 11th Company. He went on to become a 4 star General, served as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, was Secretary of State for President Reagan and White House Chief of Staff for Presidents Nixon and Ford.
“Watching Army-Navy in San Diego”
■ IN THE LINE OF DUTY – In the January-February 2020 issue I wrote that 28 of our Classmates had died “in the line of duty” following graduation. In that column I detailed what happened to Ensign George Fennell and Captain Paul Klinedinst, the first and last of our Classmates to die in the line of duty. In this column I would like to look back at what happened to 3 Classmates who were killed in action (KIA). One was a Marine Officer, one a Navy Line Officer and one an Air Force pilot. All three were killed during the Vietnam conflict.
“George Fennell honored in Pensacola Walk of Honor”
CLOSING RANKS
Tony Stremic, 20th Company passed away on 19 November 2019
USNA
CLASS OF 1958 SHIPMATE COLUMN
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE
■
IN THE LINE OF DUTY - In the
years after graduation we had 28 Classmates die “In the line of duty”.
In upcoming issues of Shipmate I will be looking back at those who died
in service of their Country.
■ HERE A BEAR, THERE A BEAR, EVERYWHERE A POLAR BEAR - Pat Hanavan, 24th Company, and his daughter Cindy travelled to the Hudson Bay in October to see for themselves what is happening with the polar bears. Out they went in a Tundra Rover, or the “food truck” as the bears think of it. On their outing they saw about FIFTY polar bears so I think Al Gore can relax. The picture shows Pat and Cindy in the Tundra Rover. Look close and you will note one of the polar bears admiring the “58 is Great” flag.
“Pat Hanavan, daughter Cindy and unnamed polar bear”
“Dr. Berube and Jack Adams”
■ COMPANY OFFICERS? - Whatever happened to our Company Officers? I thought that would be an interesting subject to report on, but turns out it is not an easy subject to find information about. The Academy does not even have a record of who the Company Officers were back in our days at USNA. The subject came up when Glen Smiley, 5th Company, wrote with a story about an experience he had with Capt. Parrish, USMC during 1st Class year. Turns out Glen and his roommate Cleve Puckette were relaxing in their room when there was a knock and in walked Capt. Parrish, the Officer of the Day. During his inspection of the room he notices a coffee cup on the desk with coffee residue in the cup and it was against regulations to have coffee in your room. The Captain then announced “somebodys been drinking coffee!”, but does not ask Glen or Cleve who. Instead he starts to really check for the source of the coffee. He looked in the lockers, behind the books, in the shower, under the sink, under caps and hats, within folded uniforms, in the pockets of b-robes, in the shoe rack, etc. Glen is in a panic because not only is there coffee supplies, but also an electric grill for grilled cheese sandwiches another no no. The Captain felt under the pillows and the mattresses, looked behind the radiator and out the window and finally gave up and left the room. A minute later he came back and said “Mister Smiley, after graduation I want you to tell me where you hid your coffee” and left. So my question is, what happened to Capt. Parrish and his fellow Company Officers in the years after we graduated? If you know please let me know and where did you hide the coffee Glen?
■ ARMY? NAVY? - Bob Adams grew up in a military family. Two of his great grandfathers went to West Point. His father and a grandfather graduated from the Naval Academy. And that grandfather was Vice Admiral William Smedberg, the Supe when we were at USNA and the father of Ted Smedberg '58 which makes Bob Adams Ted's nephew. So Bob goes to the Naval Academy and graduates with the Class of 1973 and then goes on to become a SEAL. But the story doesn't end there. In 1987 Bob accepts a commission in the Army and a scholarship to medical school and becomes a doctor. In 2006 he retired from the Army as a Colonel. The unanswered question is, does he cheer for Army or Navy??
William Brown,
22nd Company died on 13 October 2019
Stan Dargis, 4th Company died on 9 October 2019