INTRODUCTION: Once again it’s been a pleasure putting out the Class News; every quarter it’s fun to re-learn that both as individuals and as a group we’re hugely successful.
SQUADRON NOTES: John Foreman sent a terrific summary of his CS-39 Campus Radical classmates…where, what they’re doing, wives, etc. John retired from the Reserves, lives in Pittsburgh with wife, Storm, where he works at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon. Son Scott (’00) is stationed at Tinker AFB, OK. John Payne and Lela have a son, John, with the class of 2008; John Sr. teaches T-37 sims at Columbus AFB. Dale Birch (Barbara) lives in Colorado Springs and works for the International Bible Society. Bob Decker asks companies tough questions as an analyst for Harris Investment Management in Chicago. Commercial pilots: Terry Lakin (Anna) commutes from his La Grange KY home to fly for UPS out of Louisville; Skip Evans is a USAir Captain on the Airbus out of Pacific Palisades CA; Paul Stuckey (Meredeth) is celebrating his 16th year with Southwest out of their Phoenix hub; Gary VanDrie (KD) splits time as a USAir A320 Captain and Owner/Partner/VP for Development of Fidelity Flight Simulation, Inc., which produces high fidelity, low cost simulators. Paul Motley is retired from Delta and a happy newlywed to Jana; his first wife Sharon (Mike Kimberling’s sister) passed away after a long illness.
Paul Motley flies his final Delta flight with
Stalker Reed last September. As first assignment KC-135 pilots at Altus AFB
Stalker used his Cherokee 140 to train Paul for his single engine check ride
with the FAA in 1977.
Mike Kimberling retired after 30 years service and, with wife Sioux, lives in Leesburg VA. New neighbors Mike and Kathleen Turner are in Waterford VA where he’s Senior Vice President for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, the oldest credit counseling and debt management service in the US. Craig MacPherson (Pat) lives in Exeter NH where he works for the Boy Scouts of America. Al Maurer (Sandy) works for Agilent Technologies and regularly joins the Colorado ’73 Bunch for Lunch group. Kelly McCullar left the city of Huntsville where he was director of finance to become Associate Vice President and Controller of Texas Women’s University; he’s engaged to Thuan Phan. Bill McKinnis (Sandy) is a project manager for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and lives outside of Anchorage. Dan Pierre (Denise) retired as an O6 and went to work for Jacobs-Sverdrup Engineering as a Corporate Director responsible for business development and GSA contract sales and services. Mark Prill works modeling and simulation efforts for NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center, while Susan’s job for the Army takes her to Alaska on occasion. Out of a USAFA class replete with animals, Dr. Mark Romain (Clare) was drawn to veterinary medicine. He practices ‘companion’ animal medicine and has experience working with birds. His practice, which he has owned since '84, sees referrals for dentistry and exotic pets, as well as the usual cats and dogs in the Kansas City metro area. Bruce Wright and Kerri have returned to Japan; he’s now Commander US Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force Commander at Yokota. よい運 , dude.
GENERAL OFFICER NEWS: New BGen Dan OHollaren expects to succeed the current Commander of the Oregon ANG around May-June: “I retired from Boeing on 31 December in order to devote more time to 1) the Air Guard & 2) our new Beach House recently completed down on the Oregon Coast. Tough choice!” Ex-scribe Dan provided updates on quite a few classmates in the paragraph below.
ClassNews scribe experience is promotable: Newly pinned BGen OHollaren accepts a new laptop from son Paul, daughter Ashley and wife Diane.
ODDS AND SODS: Long lost ‘Rebeleven’ Mike ‘Charlie’ Farr (Patsy) is consulting in Waco TX, putting his Operations Management PhD to good use. Pat Rooney is now in Lancaster OH and still (methinks) flying with Delta. John Park & Lynda are still in the DC area where he works in the AF Personnel arena as a civilian. Bruce Bennett (Nancy) is also back in the DC area as a civilian working for DIA. Bill Diffley (Pamela) flies USAir, living in Great Falls, VA and celebrating daughter Caitlin's Notre Dame graduation. Ernie Maravilla (Kathy) is in Houston but looking for retirement property in Arizona. Ned Kintzing (Judy) is in Pleasanton, CA flying for Southwest. Ned broke his back working around the house but fully recovered now. Ed Hawkins retired out of Hickam, is living the good life in and pitched back as a consultant supporting PACAF. In separate notes both Dan OHollaren and Steve Harman mentioned Ed’s skill on the golf course. Steve, another Hawaii retiree, went on to say [edited for PC, reluctantly, because Steve is so expressive]: “Mary and I will be leaving the wonderful Island of Hawaii around October…I graduate from the Golf Academy of Hawaii next month and am hoping to snag a job in the golf industry.” Another grad living the dream.
Don Ramm knows I hate these types of notes: “Got a new T-34 to go flying in if you are ever out this way.” He’s in the process of teaching wife Tracy to fly formation in the skies over San Diego. Geoff Michael sent a nice note and photo (below) delivering his 1978 all-original Mazda RX-7 to a museum in NH. He regrets selling his 1972 Corvette LT-1: “Will I ever forget the trip to Williams Chevrolet and seeing 300 Vettes on their lot waiting for our classmates to pick them up?” I hear you, dude; I watched an LT-1 auctioned on TV for $750K. Warren and Peggy Smith walked in Colorado Springs to raise money for friend Fisher DeBerry’s Foundation to help athletes that are growing up in single parent households. Mike Nishimuta tells me our class website gets about 860 hits/month. Quick check-ins: Daryl Hower flies for FEDEX out of Tennessee, Bruce Adriance is with L3 Communications at Robins AFB, Johann Radcliffe is with Project Management Solutions in Greenville SC, and Lee Gilmer lists himself as self-employed still in Katy TX.
CLASS LEADERSHIP NEWS: I had many nice responses to the National Character and Leadership Symposium report sent out via email (I’ve got 473 addresses). Al Dunlap recalled that Gen Fogleman taught history when we were cadets; Steve Dalrymple added that Fogleman was his academic advisor. There were many offers to participate in leadership-type events, timely because the AOG offered each class five invitations to the upcoming Graduate Leadership Conference, 23-25 July, hosted by our own Johnny Whitaker. We used our class’ demonstrated leadership to score an extra seven invitations. Events will include USAFA senior staff presentations, cadet panel discussions and an AOG Town Hall meeting with open forum. Invitations went out to Mitch Mitchell, John Muse, Bill Harris, Jim Callard, John Kuconis, Rowe Stayton, Rich Comer, Ron Scott, Bruce Meyer, Mike Mosier, and Chaplain Thomas Blase. By the time you read this, the AOG may open up for more invitations if other classes haven’t responded. Contact me ASAP if you’re interested.
CS-28 Residue Roaders gather for Greg Renko: Top: Mike Tillman, John Regni, Duncan Keirnes; middle: Harry Walker, Tony DeRosa; bottom: Dan Handlin, Dave Buse, Jack Hower; not pictured: Joe Peluso, John Thompson, Mike Harmon