CLASS OF '40 - NEWS PAGE!!

CLASS NOTES for the November/December '99 Issue of ASSEMBLY Magazine

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/

      . 1 Jul was a great day because the mailman brought a letter from Casti Castillo from whom most of us had not heard since graduation. ! Casti, his wife, Amorita, a son and two daughters with their families now live in CA permanently: two other daughters remain in PI. Altogether the Castillos have a son, four daughters, 12 grandsons and two granddaughters! The Castillos will be returning temporarily to :PI in Dec hopefully to return here in May in time for our 60th Reunion at WP. In the short time here Casti hosted and Wing Jung coordinated a small reunion of SF area classmates at Fort Mason Officers Club 28 May. They plan to repeat such get-togethers every four months or so. Classmates attending as shown in the photo were : top row, Mark Klunk, Wing Jung, GD Green, Donald Bierman, Jim Maedler and Casti Castillo; bottom row, Marjorie Bierman, Helen Green, Barbara Maedler and Amorita Castillo. Presumably, the Maedlers were just visiting from NJ! (If not please advise.) (Insert photo 1 here.)

Had a nice letter from Jim Walters in Huntsville, AL., where Jim and his wheel chair bound wife Edith are living quietly. They can not travel as they used to in the years 87-90 when they often visited the Scotty Greenes (both now deceased) in Dunedin, FL Jim mentioned that occasionally he sees Bill & Terry Clay who also live in Huntsville at a similar slow pace. Another letter from Larry Forbes in Tucson AZ where he has lived since 1969. Sadly his wife Phyllis died in 96; she was buried at WP. Naturally he misses her terribly but keeps busy in volunteer work for his local Elks Lodge. He's been on a couple of Caribbean cruises and probably will take others in the future. He keeps in touch with his daughter Lissa in CO and his son Gordon in NJ by phone and visits. His daughter recently introduced him to e-mail and he may become a regular member of the class e-mail net Larry's e-mail address is lgordonf@aol.com

Allan Crockett shared by E a letter he received from Jack East in San Marcos TX. It seems that Jack's son Brian, an attorney in Austin, gave him an elaborate computer and commissioned his ten year old daughter to teach Jack all about computers. So we can look forward to Jack's soon being on the class net or maybe sooner his granddaughter! Meanwhile the Crocketts keep busy down Mexico way, in small animal husbandry, golf, tennis, croquet and contributing creatively to the class E net.

Our class E net has revealed the talents of a lot of spouses and widows. . Among them regularly on our net are: Connie Hughes, Betty Parker, Fran Brewer, Cay Chamberlain, Kiki Goodwin, Nancy Francisco, Janet Bavaro, Jeanne Crockett and Jeanne Ann Vanderhoef to name a few.

By courtesy of Ed Verner, we learn of another joiner of our class E net: Pete Kramer whose E address is petekramerfa@aol.com. I tried it; Pete's reply said that he and Vi took a fall together which pretty well immobilized Vi for some time. Vi has now graduated to a walker and is becoming more ambulant

It's been interesting to read the contributions to our E traffic by many of a number of our most senior contributors on strategy, tactics and national politics. Bob Williams' response to Es by Harry Miley and Ross Milton he titled Giving the Finger. Maybe in a future issue of Notes there will be space! We read often from Tom Monroe out in Eureka CA. His responses are terse and to the point, but you know he is paying attention! Tom has offered to make available copies of the diary his Dad kept while he was a cadet in the period 1910-14. Bob & Fran Brewer were much impressed with their reading of the diary.

Got a nice letter from JR Knight written at his dwelling - Walnut Lane Farm. Hopkinsville, KY. He has raised a family of a son and two daughters. Sadly, his son , USNA '71 in two Vietnam tours in destroyers became a fatal victim of lymphoma from agent orange.. One of JR's two daughters was married for a time to a movie actor, but now makes her own living as a licensed Landscape Architect in CA. The other is an artist but is also on her own. JR attended this years WPFD at Fort Campbell, KY where he was enthusiastically welcomed as the oldest grad. He enjoyed being with the younger members of the LGL. He plans to attend our 60th reunion at WP.

Our ever energetic Webfoot Steve Morrissey has turned up a number of candidates for the class E net. He also located an address of an associate of Hank Adams through whom e-mail for Hank can be passed. That address is grant@benheinrich.com. or hanka@benheinrich.com. At this time I am not sure Hank is a subscriber to the class E list. Steve has also reinstated Bob Knapp and added Dean & Jeanne Ann Vanderhoef, the Don Biermans and Fred White to the list.

The adjacent photo shows the group of F Co files and spouses who gathered for a reunion of sorts incidental to Mark Klunk's 65th? high school graduation reunion in York, PA. Those in the photo left to right are: Walt & Dotty Swank, Mark's high school friend, Andy & Marianne D'Elia, Mark Klunk and Dot & Russ Manzolillo. (Insert photo 2 here)

Highlights from Thad Nosek on Cl Offs Meeting 5 Aug 99 at Ft Myer Off Club: Present: Donohue, Dyke, Mayo, McKenney, McLean, Nosek & White; Target for new class roster is Spring 2000; Number of living classmates(for the '99 Register) is 177; Thad Nosek will be chief honcho for our 60th Reunion; Some if not all will stay at Thayer Hotel for 60th; answer, Jan2000; Reunion dates 21-23 May; departure from WP 24 May.2000; Committee Chairmen appointed: Nomination for Cl offs 2000-2005, Thad Nosek; Fund Committee, John McLean, for 60th Reunion Gift; Next meeting: early date in Nov 99 in Knight's Room, Ft Myer Off Club. Attendees at the class off meeting plus Abbey, Aubrey, Brewer, Kent, and Munson attended the Luncheon, USNA '40 (Sponsor) & USMA '40 held 11 Aug at Army Navy CC.

A nice letter from Rolland Hamelin came 12 Aug with an interesting story of his last years of active duty two years as Def Att in Kabul, Afghanistan, and two years with MAAG, Ethiopia. After military retirement the Hamelins spent about ten years in traveling Africa and Asia mostly driving their own vehicle. Some of the travel was less modern like a two week horseback trek across the Hindu Kush The remarkable start of this saga was in a 4 wheel drive Chevy Carryall from Naples , Italy to Kabul, for his tour as Def Attache! After Kabul, the Hamelins again drove themselves to Ethiopia. Rollie has written a book (not yet published) about their adventures with the help of his late wife Helen's diaries and his own memories.

FINAL ROLL CALL and other Sad News: A note from Luther Arnold tells of his travels to the Fort Sill area and includes a newspaper obit on Lois T Cullen, widow of Paul, who died (no date given) in Watertown Nursing Center and was buried in nearby New Cumberland Cemetery, WVA. She was survived by two sons, a daughter-in-law, two daughters, a son-in-law and seven grand children. Sally Bonham Mohle, JB Bonham's daughter advises that her stepmother Bobbie died 9 Apr 99 of lung cancer. Those wishing to communicate with JB at the Virginian (retirement residence) in Fairfax VA should do so by e-mail to Sally at smohle@gmu.edu.In a telephone call 27 Jul Ed Fitzpatrick in Tyler TX advised that his wife of 55 years, Marjorie, had died there 11 Jul. after a long siege with cancer. Joe Hardin died 28 Jun 99 at his home and was buried with his predeceased wife Mary at Restland Cemetery in Dallas. Joe was survived by a brother, a sister, a son Joseph Hardin Jr '67, two daughters and eight grandchildren. From Stew McKenney 8 Aug we learn indirectly from Ruth Larkin, that husband George is seriously ill and unlikely to live much longer.Bill Wright reports spouse Dee is home recovering from a major operation (12 inch incision) .Stan Smith at his Colorado Springs residence is suffering from terminal leukemia; classmates may write or phone to the address in the '95 class roster.Dean Vanderhoef advises Ralph & Greg Osborn suffering with emphysema and a fractured hip, respectively; are in process of moving into an assisted living residence in the Salt Lake City area. The latest(14 Aug) on Ted Davis's health from his devoted wife Harriet is over the past few months Ted has lost several toes and most recently his right leg. . Anyone wishing to call Harriet should do so in the evening as she spends her days at the hospital with her Ted. Her phone # is 561 547-9231. Lou Mendez had a severe stroke about five years ago but has had a fairly successful recovery and is at home in Falls Church, VA, Jean & Lou would enjoy hearing from classmates. Stub Oseth reported to be (!5 Aug) at home recovering well from a heart operation at Fairfax VA hospital; expects to be back at golf in six months; He ought to know having had a multiple by-pass at Walter Reed 15 years ago!

ADDRESS CHANGE: Casti & Amorita Castillo, 1428 Cabrillo Ave, Burlingame, CA 94010 :


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