Class of ’73, please continue to send pictures and stories about your lives … families, careers, retirements, etc. VR, Joe Kahoe, CS-07
We lost a great Classmate and friend over the holidays, Steve “Bubba” Yestness. His memorial service at USAFA was overflowing with friends and family. The Air Force honored Steve with a UH-1 flyby at the service, which was conducted in the new Memorial Pavilion at the Academy cemetery in cold but clear weather. Please read his “Gone, But Not Forgotten” tribute written from the heart by Mike Arnett.
Donna Felton was able to attend Steve’s viewing at the funeral home. “I was totally amazed and so happy to see the Yestness family in force and full of love and laughter despite the sadness. Brenda and her girls were wonderful...full of stories and happy times with Steve. Since Charlie was flying, I attended for the both of us. This was such a happy time for the family to gather together and remember their love for Steve and for each other. I took so much of that love with me when I left and am happy to know this family.”
Mike Mosier wrote: We're thrilled to have our son Drew returning from his third combat tour (two previous tours were in Iraq, this one was in Afghanistan) in early Feb. He's in the Marine Special Operations Command, so this deployment has been an "interesting" one (in the Chinese sense). Drew's wife, Nicki, is expecting their second child in late-March, so he's coming home at a great time. Needless to say, we're grateful that he'll be back for the birth of his second daughter. This will be our second grandchild -- our first, Gracie, is just over a year old. What a trip...and I've got two more kids who are unmarried and waiting in the wings. By the way, I saw Nort Schwartz on the State of the Union broadcast last night. Wow--it never ceases to amaze me how much our class has accomplished. We've come a long way since First Beast.
From Ron Scott: Our recent class experience in supporting the Academy's National Character and Leadership Symposium provided some of the inspiration to form Leading-Edge Research Institute. Leading-Edge advances the notion that so much more can be done to improve international development through the private sector. Of all the US dollars that leave our nation to support some form of international development, 83 percent flows from the private sector. As a nonprofit, we use research and analysis to identify opportunities for investment or action. Our classmates Mike Mosier and Bob Munson as well as Robert "Rod" Bishop from the class of 74 are charter board members. Perhaps the Class of '73 motto, "pax in tempore nostro," has some meaningful potential.
Kenneth Vargas has published three very technical articles in the Oil & Gas Journal. Ken has been publishing articles that his company has been doing to help get more work in as things are slow in the oil patch. All his articles are about sequestering CO2 by injecting the gas into oil reservoirs to enhance crude oil production. Check out Ken’s publications on their new Falcon website www.falcon-edf.com.
Jack Anthony, Class of ’78, and close friend of Bubba, received email notes from two former Director of Requirements whom Steve looked after when he served under them: From Lt Gen Brian Arnold, USAF, ret (AFSPC/DR (1998-99): “So sad to hear this news of Bubba Yestness passing away. Please pass along to Brenda that Tina and I send our thoughts and prayers in this time of loss. We all lost a good friend in Bubba for sure. God bless" His email is brian.arnold@cox.ne. From Lt Gen Mike Hamel, USAF, ret (AFSPC/DR 1999-2000): "I am very sorry to hear this and have the deepest sympathy for the family in this time of terrible loss and sorrow. Please give our most sincere condolences and sympathies to the family." hamel.michael1@gmail.com. Dan Beatty, USAFA 76: "Thanks for the note about Steve Yestness. He was one of my BCT upperclassmen and a fellow rotorhead. We served sometime together at Kirtland. He was at AFSPC prior to my arrival and we interfaced a few times locally after he retired. He was a good person and will be missed."
Bill Swan CS0-12 (bnswan@TaosNet.com) wrote: Sold our third business in Taos (optical and sunglass shop on the Plaza). First one was a B&B, second one a Dot-Com. Now finally able to slow down a bit. New owner hired me back part-time To show them the ropes. Doing more travel, still playing competitive duplicate bridge (now Bronze Life Master … no big deal really) ... 4 grandchilden, wife Nancy and 3 kids all doing well.
From Tom Kennedy, word comes that Fil Thorn underwent a bone marrow transplant in late Nov and is still healing. Track Opie’s progress at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/filthorn and send him your prayers.
Rowe Stayton is retiring in April after two lengthy tours in combat as an Army enlisted leader of men. Congrats Rowe, and thank you for your service to America!
Steve McDavid (CS-13) is enjoying life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast as a Wound Care/ Hyperbaric Medicine Doc. Retired from Keesler in 2002 and after 5-1/2 years in a busy family medicine practice when he realized it didn't feel much like retirement. So he gave up nights on call and weekend rounds for the cushy semi-retired routine of four days a week with no call. His three daugters are all single (the youngest a junior in high school!), but Jennifer (25) is engaged to a blues musician. Winters are wonderful on the Coast...not a bad place to visit!
Chris Flynn reports: CS-24 Phantoms (’73) are purchasing an AOG memorial paver in memory of our first squadron classmate to pass away, Chris Nicholas. Chris died of complications of lymphoma last August and was buried at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery with military honors. He was a great friend, classmate, and leader. We will miss him.
Now, for a few items of a less serious nature: After 1917 hours of construction effort spread over 3 years and 26 days, I flew my RV-8A experimental aircraft for the first time on November 4, 2009. It flies beautifully and performs pretty much as the factory advertizes -- think of it as a poor man's T-37 without the jet engines. I've logged over 50 hours in it since November and if I can stand to stop flying it for about 3 weeks, I'll get it painted and call the project complete.
More from Chris Flynn: George Rampulla stopped through Austin a few months ago to check up on my construction progress. He is still flying for UPS and had a 24 hour layover in Houston when he dropped by. He is now the proud owner of a Cessna 172, which he flies on the weekends just for fun. Mike Smith and George volunteered for this year's National Character and Leadership Symposium. Mike participated last year and found the experience to be tremendously rewarding.
Charlie Felton: “Good news!!! We are expecting our third (3rd) grand-daughter. Donna has always wanted a house full of girls, and she got it! She told me a long time ago that this is what happens to every man who ever kept a daughter out late at night or past her curfew...he will be blessed with daughters and grand-daughters. Life does not get better than this!!!” From Monnie Gore: Theresa and I were married in August and then spent three weeks in Italy during October. We spent a week in Positano in an incredible villa and then travelled to Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and the Cinque Terra. We also spent a few days in Aviano visiting friends. (I was the BCE at Aviano from 89-92.) We even managed to squeeze in a couple of days in France to visit my daughter who is studying this year in Aix-en-Provence. While waiting to catch our flight home in the duty free shop at the Venice airport, we bumped into John and Debbie Regni. (John was at Aviano in the seventies.) Great trip! We are now back in Manitou Springs and welcomed my first grandchild this summer … busy summer and fall for us.
Diane surprised Ed also on his 60th birthday with a New Years celebration at the Ft Worth Symphony! High class indeed!
Bill Gillin: Friends and fellow patriots, for our new monthly paper here in Colorado Springs, which will be out Feb.1, this is my lead editorial. Once the paper is published, it will be duplicated online, and you can read it at: www.theconstitutionalisttoday.com From Devin Stilson (CS-01): “My youngest son Matthew was promoted to Gunnery Sgt, USMC effective 3 Nov 09. He is Marine Infantry, participated in the invasion of Iraq and did a second tour at Al Anbahr province after a stint as an SOI instructor at Camp Pendleton. Now in his eleventh year in the Corps, he is currently attending Norwich Academy in Vermont and will be commissioned upon graduation.” Congrats Devin!
Mike Farrell has entered the ’73 “last man serving” challenge; he returned to active duty and is now stationed at Hickam AFB as Senior Director of the ALCC. Apparently the pressure of retired life proved too much.
Correction from Eric Vogel for the caption for CS-18 photo in the December Checkpoints: (L to R: Ted Kammire, Rick Vandam, Mike Hay, Kirk Lilly Jay Beard
Jack Hudson: “Am very excited about the new job (Deputy Director of the National Museum of the USAF, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH). The Museum is awesome, with 1.2M+ visitors thru the door each year, lots of public interface, educational outreach, and more.” All of you are always welcome to visit, and if you come this way, your '73 classmate will take care of you!”
New Deputy Director Announced for National Museum of the USAF
Posted 12/11/2009 Updated 12/11/2009 Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs Report
12/11/2009 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio -- Air Force officials announced Dec. 10 that Lt. Gen. (retired) John L. Hudson will become the new Deputy Director of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. The position of Deputy Director is newly established, and Gen. Hudson is the first to fill the position. The establishment of a Deputy Director position reflects the continuing growth of the Museum and its inestimable value to the Air Force. Attendance at the museum is at an all-time high, drawing about 1.3 million visitors annually. Gen. Hudson was born in New York state. He was commissioned in 1973 as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has served as a T-38 instructor pilot; an A-10 pilot, instructor pilot and flight examiner; and as a test pilot at Edwards AFB, Calif. The general has also served on the Air Staff and as the director of several Air Force and joint system program offices, as the senior military assistant to the Under Secretary for Defense for Acquisition and Technology, and as Program Executive Officer and Program Director, Joint Strike Fighter Program, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.
He was Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs prior to assuming command at the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, in 2005. Gen Hudson retired from active military duty in October. As the Deputy Director, Gen. Hudson will assist with planning, organizing, and directing not only the operation of the NMUSAF, but the entire Air Force museum system. Duties include the responsibility, delegated by the Secretary of the Air Force, for the preservation of the material culture of the USAF. Don Rightmyer reports that Sully Sullenberger has a book out, currently #6 on the New York Time bestseller list, called Highest Duty, and “I’m really enjoying it. I really enjoyed his chapter on our time at the Academy, and, of course, I’m enjoying Sully talking about how he came to want to fly, etc.”