CLASS OF '40 - NEWS PAGE!!

Col (Ret) Francis R Sullivan
2662 SE Gowin Dr
Port St Lucie, FL 34952-5576
800-GRAND40(Recorder)
My home phone: (561) 337-1626
e-mail: franksul@aol.com
Class e-mail address: classof40@aog.usma.edu
Class Home Page on the web: http://www.aogusma.org/class/1940

As mentioned before my greatest source material for these Notes is gleaned from the substantial traffic generated by the class e-mailers. A few letters photos and phone messages kind of round out the take. A letter from Dick Kent reports on this years Feb week end get-to-gether at Sanibel Island of a lot of classmates who spend the winter months in Florida. More than 15 were there as that number was captured on the nice photo Dick sent to me. Nightly dinners afforded ample opportunity for visiting and the days were available for golf, shopping and more chances for visiting. Kent's photo shows L to R, top row - Scott Case, Ray Renola, Frank Devlin, Kerm Dyke, Bert &Jean Lane, Fran Noelle, Dick Abbey, Criss&Bid Moore - seated - Bobbie Dyke, Priscilla Case, Marnie&Dick Kent, Eleanor Abbey and Lucille Renola. Not pictured were John &Alleen Burfening who left earlier for their home in AZ? (Insert Photo #l here.)

Now for news from the class e-mail "net". Bob Warren reports to the class "net" from his winter abode in FL, expressing appreciation for Steve Morrissey's efforts as our webfoot in stirring interest in the class "net". Bob also mentions with justified pride his granddaughter's graduation from USAFA as had his son Robert Jr had done in '67.The last week in April Steve had to use his special persuasion to get AOG clasof40 e-mailing list straightened out for those of us the list who used America-on-line as an access to the Internet., Let's hope his persistence is successful or your scribe will be out of news for the next issue of Notes!

Carey O'Bryan reports from Albuquerque his wedding Jan 30 99 to Winnifred P Byrnes, widow of an FBI Special Agent. Since the wedding Carey and his bride have planned some stateside and European travel. Carey and Obie O'Brien expect to attend the special memorial Kiki Goodwin has arranged for May 22 at Crossed Sabers Ranch in honor of Sam Goodwin. Carey also expects to attend the Cape Cod Mini in Oct where he will join Ed&Sarah Hoover. Incidentally, I heard indirectly from Scotty Case that 56 persons plan to attend the Cape Cod Mini with another 51 maybe's. Scotty will be sending out sign-up letters to those who said yes or maybe on the post card responses due in to Scotty Mar 21. Others interested in attending should get in touch with Scotty ASAP.

The peripatetic Sam&Jean Pattens report more travel - this time again to Florida where he picked a bit of news on classmates and widows living there like widows Bettye Graf and Raye Wynne. Bettye has to use crutches now but manages to meet her needs all on her own - as service wives typically do! Raye is pretty much her lively self and also handles her living on her own, too. The Pattens' other travels include Spain and Arkansas. When they are home they keep busy , too, with bird watching and other such wholesome activity. Sam is also one of the classes' most active participant in the class net contributing a lot of creative in put for all of us to share. Sam is just an active person who seems to have no end of energy and ideas.

Heard from Jack Dibble shortly after the Space Coast WPS Founder's day dinner. Apparently, the Dibbles and Cases were the only cl 40 in attendance. He missed not seeing Frank Devlin there. Frank's absence was due to a car crash which totaled his car but fortunately left Frank with some painful bruises from the air bag deployment! I know Frank is all right as I talked to him shortly after learning of the accident. This photo taken at the FD dinner shows the Cases and the Dibbles. (Insert photo # 2 here.) Received a letter from Chas Balthis in Longmont, CO where he moved from Atlanta after his wife's death in '97. He reports he is doing OK after a recent prostate surgery. He says the first three days after surgery were a terrible experience, but after that he was soon up and about and life took on a better meaning! Hang in there Charlie, you have plenty of company in the cl'40!

Those of you on the "net" are aware of the query by Kevin Dunham, the grandson of our class mate Leo Dunham, for information on the service and other particulars in the life of his grand father. Typically, Steve Morrissey, jumped to provide sources of answers for Kevin. But there may be some classmates not on the net who served with Leo who might want to contribute more definitively to the need Kevin has expressed.

Dale Epley reports from he Norfolk Va area that attendees at the Ft Monroe Founders Day dinner Mar 19 99 included the Belts, Marshes, Wohners and Epleys, Those there missed Mac&Sally Lemley who have been perennial among those in attendance for the past several years. An E from Kerm Dyke announces the 32d consecutive annual Spring Luncheon for the DC contingent of '40 to be held at the Belle Haven Country Club, Alex VA 18 Apr. Invitees include USNA '40 in the DC area as well as any classmates who may be in the area about 18 Apr. Geo Mayo continues his role as the genial host. Subjects which may get an airing could include the Cape Cod Mini, the 6oth Reunion and possibilities for the 6oth Reunion class gift. Kerm's E and Thad Nosek's letter reports on the luncheon came to my hand Apr 26. 26 of our class and 36 Navy '40 attended. Door prizes were bags of Pistachio Nuts sent by Sam Webster from his spread out in Palo Alto, CA. Incidentally, Sam Webster was recently awarded the title of Citizen of the Year for his many years of outstanding civic service mostly on behalf of senior citizens in the community of Palo Alto. Dean&Jeanne Vanderhoef almost won a door prize for having come the longest way - from Charlottesville, VA - to attend the luncheon. Eleanor Abbey was congratulated for having again achieved her 39th birthday on the date of the luncheon! Betty Parker was announced as the distaff coordinator to promote attendance of class widows at DC class events. USNA '40 had 8 widow in attendance this time so Betty has a target for her efforts already!

On Apr 16 I got a call from Bill Porte out in CA expressing concern for us residents of Port St Lucie, FL a location for a major "wild" fire which consumed 48 residences over the night of Apr 15-16! Fortunately, for us, our location was 10 miles east of the fire storm where the vegetation is a little less subject to ignition. Guess it was just not our turn. Bill and Kathy plan a trip to Hawaii in May the first traveling they've done this year. They get a chance to visit with Jack Wright who lives in Air Force Village West in relatively closeby Riverside, CA. Bill and Kathy expect to attend the Cape Cod Mini.

At long last we have heard directly by an E to the class net from Harry&Lillah Miley asking for inclusion in the class net. Steve Morrissey has already taken steps to add his name and e-mail addresses to our net. Harry's addresses in the '95 class roster apparently are still valid. Harry uses two e-mail addresses - one for Tampa Fl , his winter residence and another for Lusby MD. They are respectively: b1523@gte.net and ourcharbo@erols.com. In addition to the Mileys, Steve was able get Cay Chamberlain with her new server and e-mail address reestablished on the class net: her new address is cayc@gis.net (Mrs Thomas C Chamberlain) Walt Winton wrote from Great Barrington MA with some sad news about the J B Bonhams who live in the DC area. Walt passed on copy of JB's daughter Sally Bonham Mohle's letter informing friends of the JBs that in Feb JB moved to a retirement home, "The Virginian", at 9229 Arlington Blvd, Apt 525, Fairfax, VA 22031. JB's wife Bobbie has been in a nursing home Manor Care in Arlington VA since Oct 98, but they are working to have her moved to the nursing section of the Virginian to be closer to JB. Sally's work phone is 703-993-2937 and her e-mail is smohle@gmu.edu. The JBs would welcome cards and letters, but telephone contact would be best through Sally.

Other than a brief note expressing warm regards, we can only assume that Walt and his spouse, Alice, are doing OK. A copy of a letter Morris Shoss sent to some of his friends shows the turmoil the Shosses endured in the last year of his beloved Flora's life.. Morris can be truly proud of the accomplishments of the children and grandchildren resulting from his and Flora's 58 year union Despite the stress of Flora's illness Morry has not dropped out of his many year participation in swimming events in Senior Olympics. In that endeavor according to Ed Verner. Morry in recent matches won seven medals bringing his total over the years to 69. That's a significant record!

Got a call Apr 22 from Harriet wife of Ted Davis, now seriously ill at the West Palm Beach Veterans hospital nursing facility. He suffering primarily from brittle(sp?) diabetes and numerous other organ problems. He has to be fed through a stomach tube and is generally in bad shape. Poor Harriet visits him daily and does her best to cheer Ted up Bob Bradley, '65 was kind enough to send me a photo of himself, his classmates, the McElieces and his parents, Frank and Mae, Bradley. taken at the San Diego Yacht Club in Feb 99. The senior Bradley served with such a number of "forties" in the 50s at AWC and elsewhere that he was known informally as an "honorary" cl '40 member! Some of cl '40 in this association were Page Smith, Dick Cassidy, Dixie Lederman and Ralph Ross to name the few

Bob Bradley mentioned. (insert photo 3, here) ADDRESS CHANGES: JB Bonham, The Virginian, 9229ArlingtonBlvd, Fairfax, VA 22031 703-993-2937 (daughter Sally Mohle's work phone) Since time and place of classmates' deaths are reported in the ""Last Recall " page of Assembly I will cite here only the death of widows and other next of kin when I get such information. Sadly I must advise of the death of Hazel Saunders, widow of Bill in El Paso TX Mar 11 99; she was buried in the same plot with Bill at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Flora Shoss, beloved wife of Morry died at San Antonio, TX Feb 15 99; burial at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery . For the class I express our condolences to the survivors of the 16 classmates who joined the Long Gray Line in '98 and the 7 who have joined it thus far in '99. Hope to see many of you at the Cape Cod Mini!

Best from your Scribe.

If you have something to be placed on this page, please send an E-mail message to Steve Morrissey

Class '40 Home Page