Greetings once again from Chicago! Hope all is well at your end of the Long Gray Line! Please note that your Scribe has moved. Lots to report but first, I thought you might be interested in hearing what our alma mater was like for two football game weekends shortly after the Sep 11th terrorist attacks which killed about 5,000 people. As per DoD directive, the Academy was essentially shut down immediately following the attacks. About 30 days later, in early Oct, the post was still on high alert. All cars were thoroughly checked inside and out. For the Saturday games, security was pulled back from the gates and was tightened around the cadet area and Michie Stadium. Large Army trucks blocked all roads, the railroad tracks, etc. The WP MP's were overwhelmed, so the academicians pitched in. My rental car was searched by an O-5, a Sosh O-6 and Navy Tac O-3. I understand the Comm and Dean also took their shifts. But the sign of the times was the armed MP's (with live ammo and M-16's) patrolling the playing field as well as snipers with scopes on the roof of the dressing rooms. People were calm, the cadets were proud and the opposition players looked on in amazement, fear or awe!

Seen at the game were (1) Jack & Marilyn Jannarone, Bill & (a vivacious) Betty Zadel and Denny Lewis. Bill now runs Mykrolis in Bedford, MA, which was formerly the microelectronics division of Millipore Corp. Jack is still flying for united and lives in Highland Falls, and Denny is still doing real estate in Warren, OH. I also observed classmate (2) Pat Donovan pointing out the Chief's cadet picture in the Ike Hall reception room to his guests, all suitably attired in Army gear.

S & D survived the attacks on both the WTC and Pentagon, but with one close call. Frank Probst, who works on the Pentagon Renovation Project team, was walking near the heliport when he heard a loud noise coming at him. It was the airplane on its way to crashing into the nearby Pentagon. Frank hit the dirt until the plane passed close overhead, then arose and ran faster than he ever has to escape the fireball. Herb Smith's wife Carole was working in the SecDef's office at the time and was able to escape unharmed. Another classmate who escaped unharmed was Joe Barkley, whose first person account of watching the disaster from a vantage point some eight blocks from the WTC complex, was recounted in his local PA newspaper. After watching the entire tragedy, Joe began the 4.5 mile walk to Grand Central Station, where he had to wait until the trains were restarted. He arrived home at about 6PM that night.

Our first thoughts, as a Class, were for the Chief and John Pickler, who, we were afraid, might have been in the part of the builidng that sustained the direct hit (early reports indicated heavy Army casualties). Fortunately, Ric was travelling and John was uninjured. The Class rallied and sent a compendium of 76 short, heartfelt email messages to Ric and John, in essence telling them to carry on and that we were solidly behind them!  Both were unbelievably touched and grateful. As we sometimes forget, in times of great need, it is often the little things that are the most meaningful. Thanx to all in S&D who responded so quickly to our email alert.Speaking of John Pickler, the DC contingent hosted a great party in mid-October for he and Karen and then Ric gave him the official send-off at a Retirement Parade at the end of the month. More on both functions next issue when I will have all the pictures.

Our Class Memorial outside the Library is getting good use. Dan Christman received a report from one of his former charges that he observed a cadet company commander discussing the company’s semester goals with his troops all seated in the 65 area. By the way, we will probably lose our Class Tree (a few feet west of the Memorial near the Patton statue) when the Library expansion begins. The new Library will essentially take most of the area where Lt. Arthur Ashe practiced his trade during the mid-60's.

I somehow was placed on Jerry Merges email forwarding list. I normally de-list myself from these forwarded emails, but Jerry gets some really funny ones. Latest was You're family might be too Hooah if: You go to a barbecue and order your family to eat tactically, or Your kids call their mother Household. Oh well, we need some humor from time to time. Kurt & Sherry Brown still doing well in Boise, ID where they welcomed their first grandchild in 2001. Chuck Shaw is looking for leads/contacts in the VA and/or Army hositals for his software company which is the leading company in certified cardiac care software.

Good news in that Jim McEliece finally wrote the Scribe and even enclosed a picture. Jim scaled Mt.Holy Cross, one of 55 fourteen thousand footers in CO, to show us all what old deputy deans can still do. Bad news is that his picture-taking skills need help (the picture looks like it was taken from the next state and as such, won't reprint very well.) The thought was appreciated tho, Jimbo. Vernon (Scrappy) Matthews (ex 65) just retired as the chief photographer for his local newspaper and has fond memories of his classmates, especially Dave Jones. Dave apparently found an extra 65 yearbook just before our graduation and got every remaining classmate from Plebe and Yuk year F-1 to autograph it for Scrappy. Not sure were Matthews lives now.

Speaking of yearbooks, Karl Savatiel has come into possession of 4-5 of our old books and is willing to give them to classmates who may have lost theirs (for the price of mailing-first come, first served). Call Karl directly. Dave LaRochelle is alive and well in CA where he is an orthopaedic surgeon with six daughters, two married and four on the way to college. Dave, having one daughter, I can only tell you that there definitely is a place in Heaven for those of you with more than two! Good housekeeping has selected Marcella Gnau as one of its Top 100 Women in America, according to Dave. Preston Hughes decided to make an effort to better race relations in his home town of Kosciusko, MS. In 1995, he started  a club for locals of all colors, who meet every month to discuss all sorts of topics, all on an equal footing. It has been very successful and is now spreading to other communities. John Alger reports that he is still working a full schedule and even has time to back
some (USMA grad) political candidates.

Carole Maimone is carrying on Manny's memory by walking in a "Walk to Defeat
ALS".  Send contributions to Carole payable to "Defeat ALS"? Tom Borkowski
is still in the auto business as GM for the J.C. Lewis Motor Co. in Savannah,
GA. He & Robin just bought a place at Tybee Island on the Atlantic. Their
son Matt will be married in August, while daughters Lauren (junior at UAB) and
Katherine (College of Charleston frosh) keep Boris hopping.

Bob Radcliffe has been appointed CinC/65 Golf of our next outing at Hilton
Head scheduled for 21-24 Feb. Contact him for details. They are still talking about the first outing at Williamsburg! Some sad news to report. Tom Sheckells' son Riley interrupted a burglar late at night while housesitting for his parents last october. Riley was seriously wounded and critical for a time. He is now out of danger and expected to recover, although there may be a need for some rehab therapy.

That's it folks. Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers, and kiss your kids, and their kids. The world is changing. Let's commit, as a Class, to do our part to make it for the better, so that those 5,000 did not die in vain!

God bless America!
 

Denny Coll