USNA Class of 1978

VADM Rodney P. Rempt, USN would like to thank the Class of 1978 and its donors who graciously donated admissions videos and leadership curriculum to the incoming 2011 and 2012 Midshipmen. Click here to read the letter sent by VADM Rempt.

11/29/2006: Passing of William Sleeth Countryman

William Sleeth Countryman, 51, of Graham, North Carolina, a beloved and
devoted husband and father, passed away Monday, Nov. 20, 2006. Bill was born
in Kokomo, Indiana. He was the son of the late Anna Lou and Highley H.
Countryman. He was raised in Palatine, Illinois where he attended Palatine
High School. He was a member of the National Honor Society and the football,
wrestling and track teams. He received two military appointments and
selected the U.S. Naval Academy where he graduated with a Bachelor of
Science in Systems Engineering. He was then commissioned into the U.S.
Marine Corps where he received his pilot's training at Pensacola Naval Air
Station. He served with distinction in Grenada, Beirut, Lebanon and many
other overseas locations flying Cobra helicopters, frequently off of
aircraft carriers. Bill finished his service at Camp LeJeune, N.C. at the
rank of Captain as an Air Officer, Second Battalion, Sixth Marines. He was
passionately involved in ministry with his fellow marines through the
Navigators Military Ministry. Since moving to N.C., Bill and his family have
been members of Antioch Community Church in Elon. Bill loved the Lord Jesus
Christ with all of his heart. He demonstrated this by serving all of those
around him. Bill was employed by AW North Carolina in Durham as a production
planner and was greatly respected by his fellow employees. He will be
remembered by all those who knew him for his love of family, his generosity
of spirit, his caring for others and his devotion to God. He is survived by
his beloved wife Phyllis, sons, John, Christopher and Michael; daughter,
Caroline, all of the home; brother and sister-in-law, Andrew and Antoinette
Countryman and nieces, Cecilia and Rachel, all of Chicago; mother-in-law,
Grace T. White of Burlington; aunts, uncles and cousins. His many friends,
co-workers, fellow church members and his family greatly miss him. A
memorial service will be held on Sunday, November 26 at Antioch Community
Church in Elon at 2 p.m. with Pastor J. Mark Fox officiating. The graveside
service will follow at Alamance Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations
are being made to Antioch Community Church, 1600 Powerline Drive, Elon, N.C.
27244 for the Countryman family. Condolences may be sent to the family at
info@lowefuneralhome.com

11/8/2006: CAPT Bruce Latta, '78, USN (Ret.) New USNA Dean of Admissions

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Retired Navy Captain and former Vice Dean of Admissions Bruce Latta has been selected as the Naval Academy's new Dean of Admissions. Latta will assume his duties sometime this month.

Latta is a 1978 graduate of the Naval Academy and served as a Naval Aviator in the anti-submarine and maritime surveillance community flying the P-3 "Orion" aircraft. He retired from active service on Oct. 1, 2006.

In addition to also initially serving as the Director of Admissions during his final active duty assignment here at the Naval Academy, Latta commanded Patrol Squadron Four, was Chief of Staff to Commander, Maritime and Surveillance Forces, U.S. Sixth Fleet and served as Commander of Training Air Wing Four in Corpus Christi, Texas.

During his tenure with the Admissions directorate, Latta oversaw the admission of nearly 5,000 candidates as midshipmen in the classes 2007 to 2010. During that time, he also oversaw the establishment of our electronic admissions process and other key initiatives aimed at improving the overall effectiveness and efficiency of Naval Academy admissions.

"Admissions is our window to the American public and touch point for attracting the best qualified candidates to the Naval Academy," said Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Rempt. "The admissions process is vitally important to the overall success of our mission, and I have full confidence in Capt. Latta's ability to lead this critical function within the Naval Academy organization."

11/8/2006: RDML Mark Fox heading to the Sand Box

Friends and Family -

I depart Dulles this Friday, 10 November, to assume a new job as
a member of the Multi National Force - Iraq, living in the 'Green Zone'
in Baghdad, working on 'Strategic Effects' - Iraqi reconciliation,
reconstruction, economic recovery, etc. for the next year. (Having spent
a good portion of my earlier career blowing things up in Iraq, it's only
appropriate that I now work on rebuilding it!)

The 40 months at the White House Military Office have simply
flown by, and I continue to pinch myself that I was given the
opportunity to serve there. It has been the honor of a lifetime, and
I'll always look at our tremendous nation more fondly and with more
affection and appreciation than I did before this remarkable tour in the
White House.

Psalm 37 is the portion of Scripture I'm claiming for the
upcoming year in Iraq. Your prayers for the Nation and for of all who
serve this country are coveted?and in my opinion, those prayers, more
than any of us can know, are the key factor in how this struggle will be
resolved.

Please keep Priscilla in your thoughts and prayers - my being an individual
augmentee assigned to MNF-I means there is no natural squadron or
organizational support infrastructure in place back home. She's doing
great, as one would naturally expect a resourceful and resilient Navy
wife of 28 years, but this deployment will present it's own unique
challenges.

My contact information is below: (I'll get there 13 November)
RDML M.I. Fox, USN
MNF-I
STRATEFF
Embassy Annex
APO AE 09316
mark.fox@iraq.centcom.mil

10/16/2006: Navy Rear Adm. Melvin G. Williams Jr. promoted to Vice Admiral

BZ to Mel - Navy Rear Adm. Melvin G. Williams Jr. for appointment to the grade of
vice admiral and assignment as deputy commander, U.S. Fleet Forces
Command, Norfolk, Va. Williams is currently serving as director, global
operations, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

10/16/2006: Another Admiral

If you have not heard, Kurt Tidd was promoted to Admiral Tidd on July 14... BZ Kurt!

10/16/2006: Capt. Bruce Latta retiring...

Our friend and Classmate Bruce Latta has asked me to forward on the
below message invitation for Bruce's retirement ceremony, which is
scheduled for Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 1600 / 4:00 PM in Memorial
Hall at the Naval Academy. Please RSVP to LT Joseph Pasco at phone:
410-293-1850; or e-mail: pasco@usna.edu.

10/16/2006: News Flash - John Semcken Getting Old!

From John - Recently my wife surprised me with a 50th birthday party, that did not
make me feel old, but this video and audio story of the final F-14 flight did? Over 30 years of active service to the US Navy, flies off into history. Check out the story at:
http://www.navytimes.com/static.php?f=lastF14flight080206.php

7/8/2006: New Flag Officers for '78

This is a bit belated, but we can now add two more flag officers to our ranks - BZ Gentlemen!

SUBJ: FY07 ACTIVE REAR ADMIRAL (LOWER HALF) LINE SELECTIONS PASS TO OFFICE CODES:
FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
TO ALNAV
UNCLAS
ALNAV 046/06
MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/MAY//
SUBJ/FY07 ACTIVE REAR ADMIRAL (LOWER HALF) LINE SELECTIONS//
RMKS/
1. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAS APPROVED THE REPORTS OF THE SELECTION BOARDS WHICH RECOMMENDED THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS IN THE LINE ON THE ACTIVE LIST FOR PROMOTION TO THE PERMANENT GRADE OF REAR ADMIRAL (LOWER HALF). SELECTEES ARE LISTED WITH DESIGNATOR AND PRESENT DUTY.

2. FROCKING TO REAR ADMIRAL (LOWER HALF) IS NOT AUTHORIZED EXCEPT ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS BY THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.

BUSS, DAVID H. 1320 COMMANDING OFFICER, USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74), SAN DIEGO, CA
TIDD, KURT W. 1110 DIRECTOR, COMBATING TERRORISM, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, WASHINGTON, DC

And, Blues Baker made it earlier this year! Congrats Blues!

7/8/2006: NY Times article - Sean Coffey and Max W. Berger of Bernstein Litowitz

Here is an article on Sean Coffey and Max Berger that you may find of interest...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/07/business/07legal.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

7/8/2006: New updates posted...

Hi folks. I have put a number of updates here today, so please be sure and scroll down to catch some old news - some going back to April...

7/5/2006: 30 Years of Women at USNA

The Naval Academy has asked that the following announcement be sent to class/chapter presidents and corresponding secretaries for the widest distribution.

30 Years of Women at USNA
Honoring the history, forging the future

The U. S. Naval Academy is proud to announce a conference scheduled for September 7-10 to commemorate 30 years of men and women successfully training together as the Brigade of Midshipmen.

On July 6, 1976, 81 women reported to Annapolis as members of the Class of 1980 and the Naval Academy?s first female Midshipmen. Since that historic date, more than 2,700 women have graduated from the Academy and gone on to serve our Nation with distinction as uniformed and civilian leaders. These women have commanded ships, squadrons, and major shore commands. Many have attained the rank of Captain and one woman graduate has recently been selected for promotion to Rear Admiral.

These accomplishments are not only the result of talent and determination, but also the result of the support and guidance obtained from countless male and female peers, mentors and superiors. The courage, dedication and successful service of these early women graduates opened doors of opportunity for future generations of women naval officers. As a result, today?s women midshipmen and young officers have virtually limitless opportunities to serve our Nation. Many graduates of those first gender integrated classes - men and women alike - continue to serve today as role models to younger generations of naval leaders.

This conference will commemorate ?30 Years of Women at USNA? by honoring the history of our women graduates, and by forging the future through lectures and discussions focusing on professional development and character issues that affect today?s officer corps and Brigade of Midshipmen. The conference will also include a Memorial Service and a walk/run event, and attendees are invited to watch Navy football take on the Minutemen from the University of Massachusetts as part of the festivities. This conference is open to all Alumni, their guests and the Brigade of Midshipmen.

Detailed conference registration information will be promulgated in the near future, but save the date and make your travel reservations now. Please join us as we honor and celebrate the accomplishments of 30 Years of Women at USNA.

4/3/2006: Heinz Lenz passes

Retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Heinz Walter Lenz, 80, a resident of Annapolis
for 50 years, died March 27 at Sunrise Assisted Living of Severna Park.
He had Parkinson's disease.

The son of the late Amalie and Frederick Walter Lenz, Lt. Cmdr. Lenz was
born March 31, 1925, in Berlin, Germany, and came to the United States
when he was age 15. He served in the Navy in World War II as an enlisted
sailor and landed at Normandy in France on D-Day Plus 2. He joined the
Naval Reserve and retired as a lieutenant commander.

He graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts degree
in modern languages in 1948 and earned a master of arts degree in
physical education in 1949 at Columbia University.

He taught at St. Mark's College, a preparatory school in Dallas, Texas,
before joining the faculty at the Naval Academy in 1957. In 1968, as a
member of the physical education department, "Coach" Lenz developed
"PEP," a daily exercise program for the incoming class of plebes. He
continued to lead "PEP" until 1992 and retired from the academy in 1994.

He co-authored a book, "Fit for Life: The Annapolis Way." In 1992 he was
selected as one of the nation's 10 Healthy American Fitness Leaders by
the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce.

Lt. Cmdr. Lenz was a member of Colonial Players of Annapolis for a
number of years and served on the board of directors. He was active with
the Maryland Senior Olympics as a commission member. His interests
included travel, theater and sports.

Surviving are his wife, Bette Lenz, whom he married in 1973; one
daughter, Mali Bunce of Arvada, Colo.; three sons, Alan Lenz of Vista,
Calif., Mark LaBuda of Edgewater and Steve LaBuda of Laurel; and seven
grandchildren. He was the brother of the late Steven G. Lenz.

Private services were held. Arrangements are by Kalas Funeral Home in
Edgewater. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the
Chesapeake, 445 Defense Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401

4/1/2006: Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris assumed command

New Commander Takes Charge of Task Force Guantanamo
Story Number: NNS060401-04
4/1/2006

By Army Sgt. Sara Wood, American Forces Press Service

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- A Navy admiral assumed command April 1 of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, the force responsible for detainee operations and intelligence gathering here.

Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris assumed command from Army Maj. Gen. Jay Hood, who has commanded the task force since March 2004.

Harris, who most recently had been the director of the information, plans and security division for Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael G. Mullen at the Pentagon, said he is honored to take command of a force that plays such an important role in the war on terror.

"I'm very impressed by the people that work here," Harris said in an interview yesterday. "The dedication that I've seen with the military folks and the civilians that are here - I think they're doing a great job. I think their country is lucky to have them down here, and I'm very lucky and fortunate to be asked to take charge."

The mission of Joint Task Force Guantanamo is complex and challenging, but Harris is extraordinarily qualified, Army Gen. John Craddock, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said at the change of command ceremony. The Chief of Naval Operations personally chose Harris, Craddock said, and the members of the task force are lucky to have him.

Hood, the outgoing commander, also expressed confidence in Harris' leadership. Harris' talents, coupled with the dedication of the service members and civilians of the task force, will ensure the task force's mission continues at a high standard, Hood said.

"Our mission here at the joint task force is about protecting America from terrorists," Hood said to the task force members assembled at the ceremony. "(The terrorists) have underestimated your courage, your character, and your commitment to do what's right."

Harris said his goal is to maintain focus on the mission of providing safe and humane custody to detainees and continuing to gather intelligence valuable to the war on terror. The work of the task force is heavily scrutinized, he acknowledged, but he said he welcomes the scrutiny.

"The light of day is a useful thing," he said. "I hope that the American people will be given a chance to understand just how fortunate they are that young men and women in the armed services and the civilian agencies that are down here - that they're working their butts off in support of the American people."

Joint Task Force Guantanamo is vitally important to the war on terror, Harris said. To protect national security, America's enemies captured on the battlefield need to be detained somewhere, he noted.

"What we're about here on Guantanamo, is we are about defending our nation," he said. "We're doing it here in Guantanamo, because that's where our nation has called us to serve."

Hood moves on to be a special assistant to the commander of U.S. Forces Command at Fort Meade, Md.

3/16/2006: Memorial Service & Funeral Info for Larry Whitmeyer

Our dear friend and classmate, Larry Whitmeyer, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday morning. He hadn't been feeling well recently and went in to the hospital on Monday for tests and never left. An autopsy was conducted on We and the cause of his death is still unknown. We are saddened and shocked by his passing. He leaves behind his wife Toni and two sons, Alec and Kevin.

There is a memorial service tomorrow in Bethesda for Larry. Details are below. He will be buried with honors in his hometown of Bucyrus, OH.

Memorial Service Friday 3/17/2006 at 1100 hours at:

Saint Jane DeChantal
9701 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD

Larry will be placed to rest in Bucyrus, Ohio on Monday 3/20/2006 there will be a viewing there and another service, followed by Grave side service, time not established yet. Funeral Home, Church and Cemetery
info follows:

Wise Funeral Home
129 West Warren Street
Bucyrus, OH 44820
419-562-6811

Epworth United Methodist Church
216 Hopley Avenue
Bucyrus, OH 44820

Oakwood Cemetery
835 Kaler Avenue
Bucyrus, OH 44820
419-562-1336

Please keep Toni, Alec and Kevin in your prayers. Please send any donations to the US Naval Academy Alumni Association in lieu of flowers. Personal notes may be sent to:

Toni Whitmeyer
8714 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817

2/7/2006: News Update

Here it is! Our new and improved class site! We have hired a young man to add the new features, and I just have to add content. This is great. Check out the new classmates page - it is now database driven. You can search the entire database. And, you can update your own information. How cool is that? Please keep your information current. We are working on doing the same for the command page. Let me know what you think.

2/6/2006: I am saddened to bring you the news on the passing of a classmate of ours...

Frederick Jay Townsend, 49 of Middleboro died on Thursday January 26, 2006 at Jordan Hospital, Plymouth unexpectedly. He was born in Boston the son of Murray L. and Evelyn R. (Reid) Townsend of Middleboro. He was a graduate of Middleboro High School class of 1974, and received a Bachelors Degree from Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA. in 1984. He attended the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD and served in the United States Navy. Two years he served on the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Mediterranean Cruise and two years on the Shake Down Cruise. A member of the Central Baptist Church, Middleboro being baptized on July 17, 1966 and also did missionary work in the Dominican Republic as a teenager. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity in Atlanta, Ga. He was a computer technician and worked with Immediate Connections in Boston for over 20 years. And a member of the V.F.W. Post #2188, Middleboro. Survivors include his parents, a sister Rev. Dr. Cheryl L. (Townsend) Gilkes of Waterville, ME a professor at Colby College and a brother Murray L. Townsend III of Norton. Funeral service will be held in the Central Baptist Church, Nickerson Ave., Middleboro on Wednesday, February 1 at 11 A.M. Burial wil be in the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne. Visiting hours will be in the Egger Funeral Home, 61 Pearl St., Middleboro. Massachusetts, on Tuesday 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M.

12/28/2005: News Update

Ok, I have been MIA... last year of a Ph.D. program, while still working full time has been a bear. But, I have kept all your emails, and did the updates today - yes, I know some date back to last year - No Excuse Sir! But they are now done. Thanks for your patience. We are closing in on some help to upgrade the website so each of you can update your own info and I do not become a bottleneck.

Ok, posted updates for Rich Link, Paul Wierdorn, George DeMarco, Lloyd Prince, Mike Holden, Larry Galvin, George Tyree, Tim Rose, Mike White, Tommy Bond, David "Deke" Philman, Marty Drake, and Kevin Carmody. Welcome aboard to Larry Galvin, Miguel Becerril and Robert "Edge" Gillett - their info is now posted too.

1/1/2005: Academy Grad Chosen To Lead U.S. Generation Company

John F. Young, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, was named president of one of the country's largest generation companies.

Young, who grew up in Milton, Fla., was named president of Exelon Generation and executive vice president of Exelon Corporation.

Young, 47, is a 1978 mechanical engineering graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and has developed a reputation for leadership and innovation in various companies in the U.S. energy industry.

In his new role, Young will have overall responsibility for Exelon Nuclear, which operates the nation's largest nuclear generation fleet; Exelon Power, which owns and operates fossil and hydro generation stations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois and Texas; and Power Team, Exelon's power marketing operation.

The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity at 38,300 megawatts (MW), with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

Young, came to Exelon Power as chief operating officer in March of 2003 and was promoted to president of Exelon Power two months later. He is assuming one of the positions currently held by Oliver D. Kingsley Jr., who serves as Exelon president and chief operating officer, in addition to leading Exelon Generation as its president. Kingsley will retire Nov. 1.

?I have great confidence in John,? said Kingsley. ?He brings to this job a unique combination of operating experience and business savvy, and knowledge of all aspects of generation and marketing. I know that, with the support of the Exelon Generation team, he will be successful."

Young came to Exelon from Sierra Pacific Resources Corporation, where he was senior vice president. Sierra Pacific is an investor-owned utility that provides electricity to nearly one million customers in Nevada and the Lake Tahoe region of California. Young was responsible for the operation of the company's fossil and hydro facilities, and was heavily involved in developing trading and resource planning strategies.

From 1983 until 2000, Young held a series of steadily more responsible positions with the Southern Company. He began his career as a commercial sales representative at Gulf Power. Subsequently, Young worked in marketing, fuel planning and procurement, and headed Southern Company's investor relations office in New York

He concluded his service at Southern as executive vice president of Southern Generation, responsible for power generation and marketing for the largest wholesale energy provider in the Southeast.

Young served five years in the U.S. Navy after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, including a tour as engineering officer of the guided missile cruiser USS Ticonderoga.

He was recently appointed by Pennsylvania Congressman Joseph Pitts to serve on Pitts' Service Academy Selection Committee, which is responsible for reviewing all applicants from the 16th Congressional District to the U.S. Service Academies.

In addition, Young serves on the Board of Directors of The First Tee of Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania. First Tee is a national junior golf program that provides disadvantaged youth with access to the game of golf through instruction combined with life skill training.

Young, his wife Julie, and their young son Jack live in Kennett Square, Pa.

Exelon Corporation is one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.1 million customers and more than $15 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.1 million customers in northern Illinois and Pennsylvania and gas to more than 460,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.

7/6/2004: 15 Miles Offshore, Safeguarding Iraq's Oil Lifeline

Kurt Tidd

15 Miles Offshore, Safeguarding Iraq's Oil Lifeline

July 6, 2004
By JAMES GLANZ

KHOR AL AMAYA OIL TERMINAL, Iraq, July 1 - The oil wealth that Iraq is counting on as its best hope for a stable future flows through rattling pipelines to lonely, rusting depots 15 miles offshore, so isolated that an armada of American, British and Australian warships is circling them to prevent the threat of waterborne suicide attackers.

Even little fishing dhows that ply the waters of the Persian Gulf have been guarded against, since attackers in three boats sped toward Khor al Amaya and its larger sister terminal, Al Basra, and blew themselves up on April 24.

The vulnerable site is crucial to Iraq's economic future, and an attack could be catastrophic to the environment as well as the Iraqi oil industry, American military and industry officials say.

"Every day I tell them - I say, look, guys, in the grand scheme of things there may be no other place where our armed forces are deployed that has a greater strategic importance," said Capt. Kurt Tidd, commander of the Fifth Fleet task force that is protecting the terminals, as he bounced over the waves on a small rigid-hulled inflatable boat toward the Khor terminal's platform.

"We can't win the war here, but we can lose it in a flash,"
Captain Tidd said.

The April attacks cost the lives of two American sailors and a coast guardsman but did not cause extensive damage to the terminals. The coordinated attacks served notice that someone with deep knowledge of the Iraqi oil industry has cast a malignant eye on its jugular.

Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said recently that sabotage attacks on pipelines crisscrossing Iraq's desert mainland had already cost the nation $200 million in lost revenue.

For a country with Iraq's profound social and political needs and devastated civil infrastructure, that cost is formidable. But a broken pipeline can be fixed in a few days - quite unlike any severe damage to the giant, isolated oil terminals, which are already in a state of seedy disrepair.

[Workers struggled Monday to repair a crucial pipeline shut down after sabotage over the weekend by looters, The Associated Press reported. Exports were cut nearly in half because of damage to the pipeline, which feeds the Basra and Khor al Amaya terminals.]

Since the two terminals reopened in March 2003 after the American-led invasion, 287 tankers had been filled in the deep waters at the two terminals as of late June. That accounted for 65.6 million metric tons of crude oil and revenue of more than $12 billion, according to figures provided by the Fifth Fleet, which is operating in the Persian Gulf.

This strangely disconnected place on the glittering waters of the gulf may in the end tell as much about the course of the war as the grim battles on the desert mainland.

The scale of the security effort indicates the American commitment. Captain Tidd can call into play some 20 ships and 2,000 sailors and other personnel, not to mention helicopters, advanced surveillance equipment and weaponry aboard the platforms themselves.

The task force tries to enforce "exclusion zones" of 2,000 meters, or more than a mile, around the terminals where traffic is no longer allowed.

"We kind of form a band of steel right around the exclusion zone," said Cmdr. Steven A. Mucklow of the Cushing, an American destroyer that is part of the task force.

Yet vessels from swarms of a hundred or more fishing and cargo boats still intrude. About once a week, some boat ignores the klaxons and radioed warnings from the patrolling ships, which then fire flares and warning shots across the vessel's bow.

Since April 24 no boat has motored directly at the platforms, and sailors say they are unsure whether the boats are testing the new defenses or just looking for a prime fishing spot.

"One of the challenges is to try to decide what is innocent behavior and what is potentially criminal or worse," said Capt. Adrian Cassar, commander of the Grafton, a British frigate in the task force.

Hanging over the entire effort is uncertainty about the wishes of the new Iraqi government. No high-ranking officials have visited the area, and Captain Tidd said his main Iraqi contacts were the local managers of the platforms.

"Our direction from our bosses," he said, referring to the Fifth Fleet's commanders, was, `Keep doing as you're doing until you're told otherwise.' "

A visit to the Khor al Amaya terminal begins with a 50-foot climb up from the water on an old rope ladder that is missing one of its wooden rungs.

Up top is a scene that could have come from the movie

"Waterworld": misshapen catwalks with pieces of scrap metal tossed over gaping holes, heaps of parts from broken pumps and cranes; bullet holes and shell damage from the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war and the 1991 Persian Gulf war; a row of big pressure gauges on a series of pipes that read dead zero. A humbled Manitowoc 3900 crane looks as if it has not been painted in 30 years. It was once red.

The southern section of the platform is not used at all, because it was heavily damaged in one conflict or another.
But elsewhere a black and red Indian tanker called the Gandhar is riding high in the water, taking on oil, patrolled by a lone man in a blue hard hat way up on the deck.

Amid the wrecked equipment and the welter of useless piping on the oil platform, it is hard to find the live pipeline that is feeding the tanker.

But finally, there it is: a dirty gray pipe sporting a pressure gauge that reads 40 pounds per square inch rather than zero. An ear to the pipe turns up a groaning, knocking noise, as if this great artery of wealth were in need of an angioplasty.

Followed backward, the pipe arches downward and plunges into the water around the barnacle-choked underbelly of the platform with no more ceremony or protection than a big sewage conduit might have.

"This is the Iraqi future trying to get on its feet,"
Captain Tidd said hopefully.

Nearby, one of just two Iraqi oil workers seen during the roughly two-hour visit was fishing off the side of one of the catwalks. But Iraqi security workers stopped two of the three boats involved in the April attack with a hail of gunfire and caused them to explode prematurely, and now there is plenty of American security visible here as well.

Joel Miranda, a 19-year-old sailor from Orlando, Fla., with a fresh white toothbrush emerging from a pocket in his flak jacket, can see bits of wrecked ships poking up from Iranian territorial waters from where he stands at a gun emplacement on the northern edge of the platform.

Just the week before, he said, he watched as a dhow crept inside the exclusion zone and did not turn back until a patrol boat fired 10 warning shots over its bow.

"To me it looked like someone testing us," he said, "to see how far we'd let him go."

The boat never got close enough for him to be authorized to fire his gun. "At 500 yards is where we take 'em out," he said.

Elsewhere on the platform, in an air-conditioned room jammed with electronics, two technicians keep track of 40 to 50 nearby boats simultaneously with radar, optical imagery and other equipment.

The sophistication and scale of the operation raises the question of when, or whether, the Iraqis can safely take over the job from the United States and its allies. A Fifth Fleet spokesman said the Iraqi navy effectively consisted of five Chinese-made patrol boats.

Two Iraqi officers were aboard the Cushing recently for training, and a fact sheet made available by United States Naval Forces Central Command said 200 Iraqis received training earlier this year for the newly formed Iraqi Coastal Defense Force.

The Iraqis have "an embryonic patrol capability," said Captain Cassar of the Grafton.

For now, said Sgt. Fergy Gask of the Royal Marines, who leads one of the teams that carries out boarding operations, the maritime operation reminds him of nothing more than Britain's struggle with the Irish Republican Army.

"We were doing a very similar job in Northern Ireland before we came out here," Sergeant Gask said. "Obviously it's going to be a very prolonged operation. But what isn't these days""

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/06/international/middleeast/06OIL.html"ex=1090218255&ei=1&en=8bfcbdfcf8ad2160

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

12/11/2003: Marty Zimmerman publishes book on Role Models!

Marty tells us: I authored a recently published book, In Their Presence: Best Practices and Stories of Role Models. You can access a two page preview by clicking http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/18500 After individually meeting over 1,600 diverse business leaders and executives in North/South America, Europe and Australia, as their 360 degree performance feedback coach, I noticed patterns of similar behaviors from those rated as role models.

This book chronicles these practical and repeatable patterns across a spectrum of management competencies -- leadership, integrity, risk taking, decisiveness, strategic thinking/visionary, resolving conflict, motivation, people care, coaching, business acumen, and more.

In Their Presence benefits the beginner, the veteran leader, all levels of managers and the university/college business students. Mack Gaston, Rear Admiral, Retired, as one of the book's endorsers, states: "Zimmerman captures the essences of exemplary leadership...He gives dynamic examples of real-life business practice that spell real leadership! This gives the reader at all levels genuine examples to live by. I am impressed."

The book EXPANDS our thinking and practice of leadership so others are privileged to be in our presence too. Enjoy the read and pass the word to both your practitioners and students of leadership. Thank you for your support. Best wishes! Hope this finds you and family doing well.
-- Marty

Martin Zimmerman
LtCol. USMC (Ret.)
martyz17@aol.com
(248) 625-3826
author/speaker

12/10/2003: Stennis Changes Commanding Officers - Capt. David H. Buss

By Journalist 3rd Class Ryan M. Hill, USS John C. Stennis Public Affair

ABOARD USS JOHN C. STENNIS (NNS) -- Capt. David H. Buss assumed command of USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Dec. 10, in a change of command ceremony in the hangar bay before distinguished visitors, officers and crew.

Buss comes to Stennis from Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander, Naval Air Forces, where he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Readiness and Requirements.

"When I was asked if I had my choice on which carrier I went to for command, I said Stennis without a doubt," said Buss. "I'm thrilled to be coming back to sea. Being onboard an aircraft carrier at sea is where it's at these days."

Buss says he has been impressed with the Sailors aboard Stennis throughout the past month, as he arrived aboard during a recent underway period to begin the turnover process.

"I really feel like the luckiest Sailor in the Navy to be joining this team. The quality of the Sailors that I've had to work with (throughout my career) had been phenomenal. It gets better each time I come back to sea duty, and I've seen that in the short time I've been aboard Stennis," said Buss. "As I arrived on board Stennis about a month ago, I was walking three feet off the ground. After spending a month here, I'm six feet off the ground."

Buss has served as executive officer of Attack Squadron (VA) 34, executive officer aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and commander of USS Sacramento (AOE 1). His personal awards include the Legion of Merit with one gold star, Distinguished Flying Cross with Combat "V" and Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

He relieved Capt. James A. McDonell, who took command of Stennis in 2001. McDonell will continue his career working on future carrier requirements on the OPNAV staff at the Pentagon.

For related news, visit the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cvn74.

8/27/2003: Joe Leidig to become Commandant of Midshipmen!

This email is being sent to Class/Chapter Presidents and scribes, BOT and BOD members, Parents Clubs Presidents, and Presidents Circle for widest dissemination.

We are very pleased to pass on that the new Commandant of Midshipmen will be Captain C. Joseph Leidig, Jr., USN, Class of 1978. He is scheduled to relieve BGen (Sel) John R. Allen, USMC. Class of 1976, on September 17, 2003.

George P. Watt, Jr.
President and CEO
USNA Alumni Association and Foundation
Leidig Bio attached
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biography of:
Captain Charles J. Leidig, Jr., U. S. Navy
Deputy Commandant, United States Naval Academy
(Soon to be Commandant on September 17, 2003)

Captain Leidig, from Baltimore, Maryland, graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.

His operational tours include service in both attack and ballistic missile submarines. He served as Reactor Controls Assistant and Communications Officer on USS HENRY L. STIMSON (SSBN 655), as Engineer Officer on USS SAM RAYBURN (SSBN 635), as Navigation and Operations Officer on USS STONEWALL JACKSON (SSBN 634), and as Executive Officer on USS POGY (SSN 647).

His command tours include service as Commanding Officer of USS CAVALLA (SSN 684) from 1994-1997, where he led the Navy's first unclassified science mission to the Arctic Ocean, and twice deployed to the Western Pacific. Under his command USS CAVALLA set the Pacific Fleet endurance record of 63 consecutive days of Arctic under-ice operations, earned two Meritorious Unit Commendations and in 1996 was awarded the Navy Battle Efficiency 'E', Engineering Excellence 'E', and Tactical Operations Excellence 'T'. He subsequently served as Commander, Submarine Development Squadron Five from 1999-2001 where he was the operational commander for the Navy's Deep Submergence Program and the Tactical Development Authority for the Submarine Force's off-hull sensors, Arctic warfare and submarine rescue and escape programs.

Captain Leidig's staff assignments include service as an

instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy, as Material Officer on the staff of Submarine Squadron Eleven, as Senior Member of the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board for Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet and on the Joint Staff as Assistant Deputy Director for Regional Operations in the Operations Directorate and as Executive Assistant to the Director of the Joint Staff. He assumed the position of Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen in June 2003.

Captain Leidig received the David Lloyd Leadership Award and the L.Y. Spear Award upon completion of the Submarine Officer Advanced Course in 1985. He earned a Master's Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, graduating with distinction in 1994, and subsequently completed the National Security Management Program at the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in

2001.

Captain Leidig has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal (four awards), and the Navy Achievement Medal along with other unit and service awards.

6/1/2003: Life Membership Rate Increase

The United States Naval Academy Alumni Association's Board of Trustees, on the recommendation of the Membership Committee, has approved a 20% increase of Life Membership dues effective August 1, 2003.

This increase is effective for all classes beginning with the incoming Class of 2007. The Alumni Association has worked very diligently to keep the Life Membership rates constant over the years. Alumni have not seen an increase in the Life Membership rates since 1994.

The Alumni Association continues to provide enhanced services to its members through usna.com such as the Lifetime Email Forwarding service called Classmail, which is only available to lifemembers. Online Access to the Naval Academy Store and Online registration for reunions and events are other services provided to Alumni through the web. Now is the time to upgrade to Life Membership and beat the increase.

For more information on the benefits of becoming a Life Member or the ability to join / upgrade online please go to the membership section of usna.com.

Here is the link under "What's New": http://usna.com/Redirect"URL=211

5/30/2003: After-Action Report: Joint USNA '78-'81 Luncheon at Fort Myer

Just a quick note to say that we had a modest turnout of six Classmates at today's joint USNA '78 and '81 luncheon at Fort Meyer -- Steve Petri, Bob Destafney, Ben Richter, Paul Russo, Larry Whitmeyer and myself -- but it was a terrific time nonetheless. CDR Kirk Lippold, USNA '81, who was CO of USS COLE (DDG-67) at the time of the October 2000 terrorist attack in Yemen, gave a riveting account of the events immediately leading up to, during and after the attack, which took the lives of 17 sailors. Although Kirk would never characterize himself in this way, I came away persuaded that he is a modern-day Naval hero -- equal in stature to any of his predecessors in command who saved their vessels in combat. Thanks go again to my good friend Jim Ahlgrimm, '81 for once again including us.

Our next Class of '78 luncheon will most likely not take place until after the 25th reunion in September -- probably in late October in early November. Until then, keep those e-mail addresses coming.

Godspeed '78
Fred
butterfield.fred@epa.gov

5/16/2003: USNA Superintendent Steps Down

It is my unfortunate responsibility to inform all of you that effective today, VADM Richard J. Naughton has resigned as Superintendent of the Naval Academy. The attached MEMORANDUM FOR CORRESPONDENTS was prepared by the Navy's Office of Information (CHINFO) and released this afternoon. Unfortunately, the CHINFO release is in Adobe format and may not be readable by all. Additionally, it may be far more than you want to know. However, it lays out in some detail what led to VADM Naughton's resignation.

In short, VADM Naughton's decision to resign " . . . comes after an investigation by the Navy's Inspector General (IG) into an allegation that he improperly interfered with a Marine sentry at the Naval Academy by grabbing the sentry's wrist."

The Navy goes on to state that " . . . the IG also investigated a number of alleged interactions between Vice Adm. Naughton and Academy faculty and staff, which were purportedly overly confrontational or demeaning in nature. The IG substantiated both the allegation of improper contact with the sentry and a general failure to promote good morale."

Additionally, the CNO and the Acting Secretary of the Navy have approved VADM Naughton's request to retire from active duty. Vice Admiral Charles W. "Willie" Moore, Jr., '68 will be assigned temporary duty as the Acting Superintendent until a successor can be nominated and confirmed. Skid Heyworth will provide Vice-Admiral Moore's biography on our website (www.usna.com).

VADM Naughton sent me a personal note this afternoon and requested that I share it with all of you:

"The Naval Academy is a wonderful institution with superb Midshipmen, staff and faculty. Its mission is training the warriors of the 21st Century. Over the past few months, too much attention has been focused by media and others on the Superintendent. Because of this attention, I have asked the CNO to reassign me elsewhere and to bring in new leadership that can take the Academy where it needs to go. It has been a privilege to be the Superintendent this past year."

As I told our combined staff this afternoon, we will now press on at the Alumni Association and Foundation. Our focus must be on our collective mission, which is effectively all about the Naval Academy. We will continue to work with, and provide support for, the Navy and the Academy while keeping our alumni, our many friends and parents informed during transition.

We are referring any queries on this matter to CHINFO. As always, our point of contact is Skid Heyworth, Vice President, Communications at extension 104 (skid@usna.com).

gpw

George P. Watt, Jr.
President and CEO
USNA '73

5/14/2003: 12th Annual Peter G. Callas Memorial Golf Day for MDA

This charity golf outing benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association. It will be held at Andrews Air Force Base on June 25, 2003. Event details and sponsor opportunities can be found on our website: http://www.golfdayformda.com - Over the years the class has been very supportive and the tournament has turned into a mini reunion. We have had as many as 25 classmates take part. As with most charity events there is a personal connection. My brother has been battling neuromuscular disease for 31 years. When he was diagnosed in 1972 my dad immediately started raising funds for the MDA. When my dad passed away, the tournament I was running changed its name to keep my dad's spirit, goodwill and hope for a cure alive. The 12th annual Golf Day will represent 31 years that our family has been raising money for the MDA. To date we have raised over $600,000 for the MDA and that is due in large part to our family and friends that have provided dedicated support of our efforts. Unfortunately the battle to find cures is elusive and we will continue to help this organization because it has been so helpful to my brother. If anyone would like to play, sponsor or make a donation to the tournament it would be very much appreciated. Once again details are available at http://www.golfdayformda.com or you can contact me at 703-416-9516 or email at cf18ac@erols.com

Many Thanks, Alex "Dog" Callas ' 78

5/13/2003: Jocko Maloney attends Waldo Memorial Bench Dedication

Shipmates:

I attended the Waldo Memorial Bench Dedication this weekend in Methuen, MA with Craig Diffie, Glen Ives, Bill Yeager, Vince Balderamma, John Kovalcik, John Ehlers, and Brian Kirk. I was a beautiful day, and Vince Balderama orchestrated the presentation and speechs like a professional conductor. Glen Ives speech certainly reflected our feelings and was magnificent - I pasted it below. John Ehlers had to perform some last minute micromanagement which actually caused him a sunburn, but his efforts, the contributions of the Class and John Semcken and the assistance of Carol Waldie and the Mayor - produced a Memorial that certainly befits Waldo.

The Memorial bench has Waldo's name on the face and in front of the bench inlaid on a granite slab is the following: "DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF KENNETH E. WALDIE" "A native of Pittsbugh, PA, a veteran and a 1978 graduate of the US Naval Academy, Ken settled in Methuen in 1984 to raise his family and pursue his career at the Raytheon Corporation. A devoted husband to Carol and father to Andrew, Jeff, Meredith and JT; Ken was also an avid sportsman and sports fan, especially of his beloved Pittsburgh professional teams and Penn State University. He was a fixture cheering for his children and coaching at virtually every youth sports venue in the greater Methuen area.

Ken was a passenger on AA Flight 11 on September 11, 2001 when he was lost in the senseless acts of violence that day at the World Trade Center.

This bench is dedicated to Ken's memory by his Naval Academy classmates in cooperation with his loving family and the city of Methuen."

Glen Ives speech.............
Carol, Andrew, Jeff, Meredith and JT -- Mayor Pollard, family and friends -- and my Naval Academy classmates - good afternoon. I am grateful to be here - in fact - there is no place else I'd rather be than right here, right now, with each of you - you represent those I care very deeply for and those with whom I share an unbreakable and perpetual bond - that bond is why we are all here this afternoon - that bond is my friend and my classmate - Ken Waldie.

I'm not surprised that even now - today - Ken continues to demonstrate his special talent - one that has always distinguished him - that very special talent - that natural gift - of bringing people together - bringing us together.

We dedicate this memorial in Kenny's honor - we the United States Naval Academy Class of 1978. Because 1978 was so long ago - too long ago - a reasonable question you might ask is - why" How many classmates from "normal" colleges - 25 years later - desire and feel compelled to remember and memorialize a fallen classmate - a classmate that they had seen - maybe just a few times since graduation day"

I'd like to answer that question and share with you briefly - why we - Kenny's classmates - are here today - what today - this event - and this memorial means to us.

I mentioned "normal colleges" earlier - and in the context that I used - one might infer that the Naval Academy is an "abnormal" college. Webster defines abnormal - not surprisingly - as: not normal - not average - not typical - not usual - irregular to a considerable degree. Well - in many ways - those of us who went there - know that Webster is pretty close to the mark.

The Naval Academy is abnormal - because we wear uniforms - we march in parades - we stand at attention in formations - we even sit at attention at the dining table - besides the normal academic subjects - we have to take courses on how to be a good leader - how to drive a boat - how to navigate at sea - we learn Morse code, signal flags and flashing light signals - we learn how to shoot a rifle and a pistol - how to fight fires - how to sleep instantly - even standing up - anywhere in any circumstances - how to buy a Corvette on Midshipman and Ensign pay.

It's a place where haircuts are free and take less than 2 minutes - a place where if you want to go for a swim - you have to wear the most unsightly and unbecoming pair of blue and gold Speedos - at least 3 sizes too small - that you've ever seen. I think you would all agree with me - that that's abnormal.

But it's abnormal in other ways too. You're tested and challenged there at the Naval Academy - from the day you arrive until the day you graduate - you are tested and challenged every day - academically, physically, mentally, emotionally.

For some of us we take it in stride - for others of us - it's tough - so tough you aren't sure whether you can do it - or even whether you want to do it.

I wish I could tell you that when it does get tough - when it gets to be too much - that it's something very noble that keeps you there - keeps you going - something like your sense of duty - your commitment to serve our country.

When you're 17 or 18 years old and fresh out of high school - that commitment - those sentiments - are there and strong in your heart - but they surely aren't the ones that carry you.

It's something more -- it's your classmates - they carry you - they help you - to not only make it through - but to make it a life experience you can never ever forget - an experience that inspires you even 25 years later - an experience that blesses you with the greatest gift of all - the gift of enduring friendship with the truest, most wonderful guys you'll ever know.

What that abnormal environment does - is what every tough and challenging life situation does - it brings you together in a very special and indescribable way - because shared adventure - shared adversity - strengthen trust and a sense of commitment to one another - like nothing else --- especially as young men growing up together for 4 unforgettable years at Annapolis - which at the time for us - represented a lifetime together.

When you are 17 or 18 years old - to share an experience that very few people understand - that experience we call the United States Naval Academy - well - it forges friendships - a brotherhood - and a determined confidence that carry you through those 4 years there - and forever.

Ken Waldie was our leader - he drew us together as a team - a company - a class - as friends. On the court, on the field, as a friend, as a professional - in every aspect of life that really matters - Ken Waldie represents the very best - the most compassionate - the most loyal - the most committed.

I am a Captain in the United States Navy today - and I've been privileged to command - lead some of the finest young Americans our country has ever known - with aircraft and weapons more technologically advanced and capable than ever before.

I truly believe we have become the strongest and most capable Navy in the history of our world.

And we are blessed to be in a position to help ensure not only the freedom and security of our countrymen - but the freedom of our fellow human beings around the world as well. Our strength is a blessing - and Ken Waldie has been part of our strength.

Many of our leaders serving in the Navy and in our communities today - were touched and inspired by Ken - by his uncompromising integrity - his iron will and determination - his tremendous energy, moral strength and confidence -- his plain goodness and sense of humor.

Many of our classmates he inspired years ago - today lead businesses, companies and government institutions - they command our ships, aircraft carriers and air wings - they lead our communities and they lead our Navy - and they have made a real difference in our just fight against terrorism and those who try to harm innocent human beings.

They are what they are - and if they are like me - Ken Waldie's example and friendship made a difference - makes a difference.

This all began when we were just wide-eyed youngsters. He set the pace and the example for all of us - he worked hard at academics (usually) and he worked hard on the athletic field (always).

He didn't win trophies or big personal recognition - what he did win was enduring respect and genuine admiration from every classmate and athlete he ever served with at USNA - it didn't matter whether it was varsity swimming, brigade boxing, company intramurals or a pickup game of basketball at the multipurpose gym.

You just knew that if Kenny was on your team - you were going to hustle - you were going to win. If he was on the other team - you knew you had a real fight on your hands.

In all my years of playing and being a part of sports and those who play and compete - in all my years of flying Navy aircraft off Navy warships at sea - there has been no one more tenacious - no one more reliable and rock solid when things looked really tough - no one who hustled harder - than Ken Waldie.

He was never the fastest, the quickest or the most talented - that just didn't matter - he was the strongest of heart - strongest of will - he was always the leader on the floor, in the pool, on the field or in the ring. He was a champion - in a much more significant and meaningful way than anyone else I have ever known.

He awakened in me an inner strength I didn't know I had - he did that for many of us - that strength has carried me through all of my tours in the Navy - as a Navy pilot and as a Naval Officer.

Ken Waldie started me down a road that has been a wonderful dream come true - filled with the finest people God ever made and exciting, rewarding experiences I'll forever cherish.
I'm grateful to Ken for blessing me with a true and special friendship so early in my life that continues to inspire me 29 years later - and will inspire me forever.

According to Webster - one more time - the purpose of a memorial is to help people remember a person or event.

I don't think most of us need anything to help us remember Ken - the energy and goodness from his life and now his memory are blessings that will never diminish - only grow stronger.

So I don't look at this beautiful marble bench as something to ensure that we remember Ken - I look at it as a tribute - a small but meaningful way to let everyone know what Ken Waldie means to us - and that he's always in our hearts - I can hear him right now - "come on Glenny - let's hustle - we can do it!" And when Kenny says it - I know we can.

Johnny Ehlers told me earlier when he tried to describe where we were going to place this memorial - that it was the perfect place for Ken - next to a ball field - and surely it is - because any place where there are boys and girls playing hard at a sport they love - any place with Kenny's name on it - I know is a place that is home to true champions - champions of heart and champions of selfless service.

That's what this special place - this perfect place - will always represent to me - the home of a champion - the home of my friend.

Mayor Pollard, Mr. Difiore, Mr. Russo, and Mr. Byron - who designed and placed this beautiful memorial bench - and my classmate Johnny Ehlers - who was the love, energy and drive behind it all. Thank you - thank you sincerely - from all of us and particularly from the Class of '78 - for helping to make today as beautiful as it has been - for providing for us another wonderful and enduring memory of Ken.

Carol, Andrew, Jeff, Meredith and JT - you can bet that we're standing tall and we're standing proud - to be a Waldie - or a friend of a Waldie - or a classmate of a Waldie - is special - it's a forever kind of special.

To the United States Naval Academy Class of 1978 - you represent our best friend and classmate Ken Waldie - and everything we love and respect about him.

We hope that this memorial serves the purpose - of not helping you to remember your husband and dad - because again - you don't need any help there -

But more to remember that you always have us - his classmates - in your corner ----- and as he was committed to us - we are committed to you - just like this beautiful marble bench - rock solid and always.

And in closing - I have to say this ----- to perpetuate the great Waldo's notorious penchant for inspirational catch phrases - "If I don't see you in the future - I'll see you in the pasture."

God bless you always Waldie family - God bless Ken - God bless all of us who love him.

Thank you.

An afterthought - I'd like to share one last thought that I briefly touched upon earlier - one that occurred to me as I flew into Logan International yesterday - a cool, blustery and overcast Boston late afternoon --- a contrast to the blue, sunny skies Ken reserved for us today.

Ken was always the catalyst back at school - we all seemed to naturally draw together around him - and good things - wonderful things - always happened.

It struck me that once again - he brings us together and good things - wonderful things happen. Last night and today have been a magical time for me - just to be with some of my classmates - here - with a common purpose once again.

29 years ago it was to just make it through plebe summer - today it is to honor Ken and his family. We went to the Red Sox game and froze together last night - we camped in the same hotel room - all of us jammed in one room - talking and catching up and watching the 1 AM version of Sportscenter together.
We didn't even have to "shake off " to see who would get the floor - Jocko being the tough Marine volunteered.

We played some hoops together on an outdoor court at our hotel this morning - and now we're together again - here at Ken's Memorial.

I can't help but think that Kenny's smiling - maybe even laughing - particularly as he watched us try and play hoop this morning - the game he loved to play with us.

I feel as though I've gone back 29 years and recaptured some of the wonderful magic of those tough but wonderful times at USNA. It reminds me - that today - just like back then - it's all and always - about your classmates.

Jocko

5/11/2003: Moving or have moved"

As you can guess, we are going through a massive effort trying to reach all of our classmates. We are using email list that are floating around, the Alumni Association database, our website, and old data. It is a massive undertaking. If you have moved, please contact the Alumni Association, and drop us a note with updated information. Check out your personal information on the Classmates page too. If it is out of date, please let us know at webmaster@usna1978.org

5/10/2003: A note from Alex Callas:

Had an opportunity this weekend that put me in Tampa Florida. I stayed at the same hotel as the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe. I bumped into Coach Rick Lantz of USNA fame (now an asst. coach with the Dragons) and we chatted for quite some time. We spoke about Navy football and tossed names back and forth. He said a few very telling things about our class and more importantly Arch. He said our class was special not just to him but all his buddies he coached with...to paraphrase it was not just a great group of guys to coach, but a great group of guys to be associated with as friends. He went on to say Arch was one of the reasons why our class was/is special....He spoke highly of our friend and also about his family. It was very apparent that the loss of Arch affected him deeply. As we all know, Arch touched so many in such a positive way and it was great to hear someone from outside of '78 speak so highly of him and USNA '78. It left me feeling honored to call Arch a friend and equally as honored to be associated with '78.

The added touch to all this is that Coach was speaking to me in a group of players from other Colleges and he said the most telling thing of all....."These guys will never understand the bond that you have with your classmates. It is something that they will never experince and share". Thanks guys for who you are and all that you do.

Dog

P.S. He had some great stories about our Football playing 78ers too....That can be the subject of another email.

5/5/2003: Ken Bowersox (USNA '78) and crew land safely, the hard way!

From an Associated Press article, May 4, 2003

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (May 4) - A Russian capsule safely returned two astronauts and a cosmonaut from the international space station on Sunday, but the landing, nearly 300 miles off target, triggered a nerve-racking two-hour search in the steppes of central Asia.

The three men were finally spotted in the vast, brown, barren stretch of Kazakhstan by a recovery plane and waved to show they were fine. Helicopters arrived for them an hour or two later.

''I was just happy we were down, that everything was safe,'' astronaut Kenneth Bowersox told The Associated Press while flying back to cosmonaut headquarters at Star City outside Moscow. ''It was the most beautiful dirt I've ever seen.''

It was a dramatic end to a 5 1/2-month space station mission for Bowersox, who served as the commander, astronaut Donald Pettit and cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin.

Because it was the first manned space landing since the Columbia disaster and the first touchdown by NASA astronauts in a foreign spacecraft in a foreign land, tension was running high. It shot up when nothing was heard from the crew following its last radio call 16 minutes before touchdown. By coincidence, that was the same time communication ceased with the Columbia astronauts over Texas on Feb. 1.

What kept NASA officials from becoming too frightened was the fact that the Soyuz crew had just reported the main parachute opened normally and the most brutal part of atmospheric re-entry was over. Columbia was ripped apart after the scorching heat of re-entry penetrated its damaged left wing; all seven astronauts were killed.

Because of that accident and the indefinite grounding of NASA's shuttle fleet, the space station residents had no choice but to return on the Soyuz that had been docked as a lifeboat for six months. They rocketed into orbit last November aboard Endeavour and were supposed to return on Atlantis in March.

Bowersox, Pettit and Budarin knew during re-entry that they were coming in steep and faced high gravity forces, or G loads. When they saw the computer indicate they would miss their landing target, ''our eyes kind of went like this,'' Bowersox said, pretending to widen his eyes with his hands.

''But honestly it wasn't frightening,'' he said. ''It was just, I'll call it an interesting test flight experience.''

This latest Soyuz model had never descended from orbit before - until Sunday.

The spacemen experienced more than 8 G's on the way down, twice the usual amount, but were not injured. A half-hour after landing, they popped open the hatch and crawled out of the capsule, which had dragged 40 feet and ended up on its side, its antennas smashed into the ground. Pettit had a bad case of motion sickness, common among astronauts returning from their first spaceflight, especially a long one.

No one was there to greet them. But after 161 days in space, they did not mind a little time to themselves to get their land legs back - and to savor the scenery.

''We could smell the dirt. We could smell the grass,'' Bowersox said. ''It was fantastic, and also the smell of the pyrotechnic bolts that open the parachute cover and open the antennas, that smoke came in. It was a gorgeous smell.''

They waited two hours until the recovery plane passed overhead and another two hours before two helicopters arrived from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the Russian Space Agency's main launch site. Two more hours passed before any NASA personnel got to them - eight had been en route, but six were sent back in helicopters to the Kazakh capital of Astana because they were running low on fuel.

NASA's lead flight surgeon and an astronaut assigned to a space station crew this fall were the only Americans who made it to the landing site.

Dr. Mike Duncan was enthralled by the sight of a capsule surrounded by drooped parachutes. It was the first time in 28 years that NASA astronauts returned to Earth in a capsule and the first time ever that NASA astronauts landed in a capsule on the ground - they'd always touched down at sea before that.

''I would have loved to have been able to spend more time just absorbing the moment and seeing the vehicle, but there wasn't time,'' Duncan said. ''You can't be a tourist,'' he added with a laugh.

By the time the former station residents were flown by helicopter to Astana, about 50 U.S. and Russian space officials and Kazakh dignitaries were waiting for them. Three girls dressed in green and violet traditional Kazakh costumes handed a bouquet of red roses to Bowersox and Budarin as they climbed the steps into the plane for the ride to Star City - the last leg of their full-day journey. Pettit had to be helped on board.

Each spaceman was applauded as he entered the plane, and was embraced by almost everyone on board. Bob Cabana, director of flight crew operations for NASA, was moved to tears when he saw the crew. He had sweated through the two hours of uncertainty, and was disappointed he was not able to reach the landing site.

Cabana said the Russian Space Agency was determined to learn why the capsule undershot its landing target. A commission was immediately established to investigate the matter, Russian space agency chief Yuri Koptev said.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe noted that without the Russians and their Soyuz spacecraft, the station would have had to be abandoned until shuttle flights resumed.

''At the time we needed them most, Russia, our partners, have excelled,'' O'Keefe said. ''The international space station goes on because of their commitment.

O'Keefe and Koptev gathered at Star City for the crew's homecoming, along with the wives of all three spacemen.

Micki Pettit rushed into the plane to embrace her husband, feeling a little better but still shaky. Their 2 1/2-year-old twin boys got to see their dad soon afterward.

Bowersox's wife, Annie, left their three sons at home in Houston because of school. He and Pettit will remain in Star City for two weeks to recuperate from the lingering effects of weightlessness, mostly weakened muscles and bones and imbalance.

Throughout the day, Bowersox said he managed to ''choke back the tears.''

''But I know when I'm going to cry is when I hug my kids.''

AP-NY-05-04-03 1910EDT

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

5/4/2003: DC-Area (and other) USNA '78 Classmates:

"ARE YOU OUT THERE, SEVENTY-EIGHT"..."

Our next luncheon for USNA '78 Classmates located in the Washington, D.C. area (National Capital Region) is another joint '78 and '81 event. to be held on Friday, May 30, 2003, at the Fort Myer Officer's Club (Campaign Room). The cost for the buffet is approximately $15.00.

The guest speaker will be CDR Kirk Lippold, USNA '81. Kirk was CO of the USS COLE (DDG-67) at the time of the terrorist attack on 12 October 2000 while the ship was refueling in the port of Aden, Yemen, during which seventeen sailors were killed. Thanks go to my good friend (and former DOE colleague), '81 Class President Jim Ahlgrimm, who has once again invited his beloved Firsties to "break bread" with their Plebers. As Jim says, "If you can make the lunch, bring a box of Kleenex, as I'm sure [Kirk] will have us teary-eyed with stories of heroism."

Per our prior custom, we'll gather at the O'Club at 11:30 AM, and will start to go through the (prodigious) buffet line around 11:50. I expect Kirk will begin his talk around 12:15 PM, with break-up time at 1:00 PM. In order for Jim to get an accurate headcount for the Fort Myer O'Club staff, I'd ask that anyone who is planning to attend this luncheon please send a reply e-mail to both me and Jim (Jim.Ahlgrimm@ee.doe.gov) no later than Friday, May 23. We'll resume our Class of '78 gatherings at Pentagon City Mall in the Fall -- probably in October (rather than our normal September rotation) since the 25th Reunion (!) will take place 9/19-21.

As I've said countless times before, these quarterly gatherings have grown over the past three+ years into a very enjoyable break in the work day to see old friends and talk about those things that matter most. We had an excellent turnout of eighteen Classmates at our last informal lunch at Pentagon City in March, and I hope many of you will be able to make it out next month. This will be our fourth or fifth time getting together with '81, and it's always been terrific. For those of you who remember, our first joint gathering, circa 1997, was with Art Athens, who was then Executive Director of the Officers' Christian Fellowship. Speaking of Art (who I've copied on this message), I've heard that he is leaving (or has already left) his position as Commandant of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and is taking the position as endowed chair as Professor of Ethics and Leadership at the Naval Academy. I'm hopeful we can convince Art to come out again and speak to '81 and us in the near future.

Finally, please pass this on to Classmate(s) in the area whom I might have missed. Once again, I apologize if this message is reaching you somewhere outside of the National Capital Region. If you wish to be dropped from my list, just indicate that to me in a reply e-mail. As always, if you have any suggestions as to how we might improve upon this forum, please don't hesitate to offer any suggestions.

Godspeed '78

Fred Butterfield
Designated Federal Officer
Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and
Executive Committee Reorganization Sub-Committee
EPA Science Advisory Board
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Phone: (202) 564-4561
Cell: (703) 915-9799
Fax: (202) 501-0323/0582
E-mail: butterfield.fred@epa.gov
SAB Home page: www.epa.gov/sab

5/1/2003: Williamsburg Golf Outing

Drew and Cheri and Mulhare will again host Classmates and their Families at a golf outing and barbeque at their lovely home at Ford's Colony in Williamsburg, VA. Scratch, occasional and novice golfers and their families are all welcome. The format is usually Captain's Choice, so anyone can participate and enjoy. This outing and Lex Callas' Golf Day for MDA are often the only times I play each year, so you won't be high score!

Tee time is 11:00 am; barbeque is 4:00ish. Your assistance in spreading the word would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to call or write with any questions.

Please RSVP to Drew at mailto:dmulhare@fordscolony.com, (w) 757-258-4230 or (h) 757-258-3995. Best regards,

USNA 78 golf outing planned for May 10, 2003. Check in by 1030. The first tee time is 1100. Please start the RSVP as soon as possible. I have a sense that there will be more folks joining us this year. I will set up a preferred room rate at the Holiday Inn Patriot on Route 60: 757-565-2600. More on room rates later. The family BBQ is at 4pm. In the past, we have had singles golfers, golfers with families attending the BBQ, and classmates just joining us at the BBQ. Cost for a golfer & BBQ is $78. BBQ only is $15. As always kids eat free...since we are getting older than dirt, we should change that to anyone under the age of 21 eats free! The attached file is in Rich Text Format for best distribution. Let me know if you need a fax.

Directions to the Ford's Colony Country Club from I-95 south from Washington

Ford's Colony Country Club
240 Ford's Colony Drive
Williamsburg, Va
757-258-4100 pro shop 258-4130

I- 95 South toward Richmond
After the exit for Ashland, Va move to the left for the exit for Rt. 295 (Virginia Beach / Williamsburg).
Take Rt. 295 to the exit for Rt. 64 East (Virginia Beach / Williamsburg).
Take I-64 eastbound to the Lightfoot / Rt. 199 exit. This is exit # 234. Turn right onto Rt 199. Take the exit for Longhill Road which is approx 4 and ? miles from I-64.
Take a right onto Longhill Road (rt 612). The entrance to Ford's Colony is on the left about 2.0 miles. The Ford's Colony Country Club is straight ahead on Ford's Colony Drive about 1 mile.

To Drew and Cheri Mulhare's House:

Enter Ford's Colony and turn left at the first intersection. The security guard will provide a pass to enter the residential section. Continue on this road (John Pott Drive), pass the lake on right side, and turn right onto Henry Tyler Drive. Our home is at the end of Henry Tyler Drive on the right side #124.

Dennis

Dennis J. Reilly
Senior Director, North American Sales
BackWeb Technologies
8000 Towers Crescent Drive, Suite 1350
Vienna, VA 22182
703-760-7854
www.backweb.com

4/15/2003: More news on Williamsburg Golf outing from Drew

I have attached directions to Ford's Colony and the Mulhares for the USNA 78 golf outing planned for May 10, 2003. Check in by 1030. The first tee timeis 1100. Please start the RSVP as soon as possible. I have a sense that there will be more folks joining us this year. I will set up a preferred room rate at the Holiday Inn Patriot on Route 60: 757-565-2600. More on room rates later. The family BBQ is at 4pm. In the past, we have had singles golfers, golfers with families attending the BBQ, and classmates just joining us at the BBQ. Cost for a golfer & BBQ is $78. BBQ only is $15. As always kids eat free...since we are getting older than dirt, we should change that to anyone under the age of 21 eats free! The attached file is in Rich Text Format for best distribution. Let me know if you need a fax.

Drew

4/10/2003: Change of Command

Friends & Family -

Realizing none of you will be able to make the Change of Command Ceremony here aboard Constellation next week, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for your support and prayers. This has been an epic time for the Constellation/Air Wing 2 team, and I'm humbled to have had this opportunity to serve as 'Broadsword One'. Like they say in West Texas, "If they don't buck, it ain't a rodeo"... well, we've had a rodeo... and it's still not over!

I don't have orders yet; am headed back to Washington, DC to interview for a job the week of the 21st of April. Priscilla is planning on meeting me back east that week. Regardless of the outcome of the job interview, we expect to move to the Northern Virginia area this summer.

Mason graduated from Lemoore High School on 5 June, and has Plebe induction day at the Naval Academy on 1 July - and we'll be moving sometime in between. The next few months are going to be a blur (as if the past 36 months have not...)

Anyway - thanks for faithfulness in lifting me and the Constellation/Air Wing 2 team in your thoughts and prayers. It has unquestionably made a difference. My best to you all,

Mark

4/9/2003: Ken Waldie Memorial Bench Dedication

The event is a go for 3 pm on Saturday May 3 at Veteran's Memorial Park in Methuen Mass. Directions to the park:
The park is easily accessed from Route 213 which runs between I-93 and I-495.

From I-93:
Take Exit 47 (if Northbound) or Exit 48 (if Southbound) to route 213 East, then take Exit 4 off of Route 213.
At the bottom of the exit ramp take a right onto Pleasant Valley Street.
Take the first Left off Pleasant Valley onto Milk Street. (Burger King on the left)
Go down Milk Street abt 1/2 mile, look for a small sign on the right side of the street with a LEFT arrow for Veteran's Park, identifies a small access road on the left, take that road into the parking lot. The dedication site will be directly ahead of you to the left of a concession stand along an outfield fence.

From I-495 (North or South)
Take Exit 48 onto Route 213 (Westbound) and take exit 4 for Pleasant Valley Street. You will be on the same exit ramp as described above so:
At the bottom of the exit ramp take a right onto Pleasant Valley Street.
Take the first Left off Pleasant Valley onto Milk Street. (Burger King on the left)
Go down Milk Street abt 1/2 mile, look for a small sign on the right side of the street with a LEFT arrow for Veteran's Park, identifies a small access road on the left, take that road into the parking lot. The dedication site will be directly ahead of you to the left of a concession stand along an outfield fence.

Hope to see you all there.