Contact Information:
Norman I. (Skip) Lee
Tel: Cell: (520)241-3498
E-Mail: 54wrs@msn.com
Address: 63119 E. Cat Claw Lane
Tucson, AZ 85739-2056

Class News:  1963

November 13, 2006

 

Lots of news so we need to get started:  first, let us recognize the passing of BGen Robert F. McDermott, Dean of Faculty during our time at the Academy.  MacD had a significant impact on our collective lives both academically and during our post graduate careers through his leadership of USAA.  He is a legend and he will not be forgotten.

Did you know the AOG now has a Class Advisory Senate?  The AOG underwent a number of significant changes with the by-law amendments last May including the creation of a Class Senate.  Article V of the by-laws says “The Senate shall meet at least annually, pursuant to procedures established by the Board. They shall act as an outreach arm of AOG leadership, seeking members’ views and attempting to resolve differences among those views. The Senate will be consulted by the Board, and will inform the Board on relevant issues.” After some consultation, our Class President, Jim Diffendorfer, appointed our Class VP Denny King to be the initial Class Senator.

The mini-class reunion in October was a resounding success—many thanks to Bob Hayes and his Team.  Bob reported over 60 classmates, family members and friends attended the post-game dinner and cup ceremony for Ken Har.  The only blemish on the day was the way  Navy gave the Falcons a lesson in the “Triple Option.”  Navy totally dominated the Falcons in the 3rd Quarter by holding the ball for all but 90 seconds on the clock.

Front Row L to R:  Rod Johnson, Gary Bender, Jack Martines, Stinky Steinbrink, Skip Lee, Jerry McClellan, Bob Mazet, Jim Winzell; Back Row L to R: Jim Gaston, Gordon Bredvik, Bob Hayes, Art Johnson, Jimmie Butler, Dave Boeck, Barney Bartlett, Pat Caruana, Ed Reisdorf, Randy Reynolds, Drue Deberry, Dave Nuss

 

Not in the picture but in attendance were Bill Simpson, Bill Wecker, Greg Fox, Wayne LeFors, Denny King, John Helinski and Bryan Cary.  Several folks were kind enough to send me copies of the group picture.  Credit for this photo goes to Barney Bartlett’s son C3C Austin Bartlett.  As you can readily see, weather for the event was outstanding. 

Because the early November weather is always iffy, Bob plans to poll those folks on his mini-reunion e-mail list about a potential late September or early October date vs. the Army game.  Once the 2007 Football Schedule is announced he will make contact with game options for the reunion.  If you are interested in being in on mini-reunion planning, please let Bob know via e-mail or phone (bcahayes@adelphia.net or 1-719-481-9693).  You may also give me the information and I will pass it on to Bob.

Randy Reynolds is involved in the mentoring sessions held by the USAFA Center for Character Development. The sessions are opportunities to work with the Cadets on matters of character, especially the Honor Code and the concepts of Integrity.  He believes it is important to link ourselves with these new generation Cadets and to let them see how dedicated we have been to those values and principles that we hold as important.  Randy said the Lead Facilitator encourages him to get the word out to other AOG members and grads.  If you are interested, the Center for Character Development (Kathryn.Lentz@USAFA.af.mil) can tie you in to the program as a facilitator.

Steve Dotson alerted us to a “heated” discussion being conducted on www.USAFAToday.com about the AOG Board considering a plan to “cleave” the AOG in half by establishing a foundation to control all finances of the AOG and fundraising.  You can get to the web site either direct or through the AOG web site.

Jim Diffendorfer sent along this photo taken at Loch Awe in Scotland.  Jim and Megan rented a car, toured all over Scotland for 40 days, mostly on one lane roads under 30 mph, stayed in 26 different B&Bs and took 20 hikes (“probably 100 miles”).   He added that NO Haggis was eaten!!

Dif and Megan (aka Marcia) on Loch Awe

 

George Frederick reports he has retired for the second time but still does some consulting work for his old company.  He just returned from China (Tibet) helping their civil aviation agency instrument new airports with special meteorological equipment--many at high altitude in the mountains.  One such airport, Lin Zhi, is about 3,000 meters above sea level in a river valley that is about 5 km wide.  He says the attached picture was taken in one of the canyons nearby.  George and Sharon have moved back to Austin after a four year stint in Boulder.  They liked Colorado and the chance to reconnect with USAFA but Texas is home for them now.

 

 

Dick Troy sent a photo of a mini-Fighting Fourth reunion at Scott and Gail Seward’s Birch Shores Resort (http://www.glenlakevacations.com/) on Little Glen Lake near Glen Arbor, MI.  Bobbie and Phil Maywald joined them flying in with their Piper Pacer.  Dick and Carol drove the long way around, from Harrisburg via Fort Riley and Duluth.  They dropped by Fort Riley to visit daughter Shannon and new husband Army Major James Ervin.  Dick said he and Carol “got hitched in Duluth,” but couldn’t visit the chapel this time: it’s now part of the Federal Prison!  Birch Shores is near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Lake Michigan.  It’s an idyllic location, with as much or as little to do as you want.

 

 

Scott, Dick and Phil

 

 

Bill Flynn has been having a fine time as a professional actor and member of the Screen Actors Guild.  Nearly twenty years ago, he went back on stage in Norway, then Germany and the States.  For the past six years he concentrated on film and TV spending three weeks this summer in Santa Fe working on a CBS/Paramount miniseries "Comanche Moon" which will probably air after the first of the year.  This is Larry McMurtry's prequel to "Lonesome Dove." You can find more details at his agent's website, www.mcalistertalent.com/headbook/Flynn,_Bill.htm.  By the way, if you click on the link to his IMDB site, be sure to check out who wrote Bill's mini-bio.

 

At the mini-reunion there was some discussion about a plan for our Class Cups after the bottle of Cognac is drunk.  In an e-mail to a number of our classmates I committed to being there to help finish the bottle.  Turns out quite a few of us are planning to be there.  John Nehring wrote “Glad you plan to be there to finish the bottle of cognac.  I can't think of anyone else in the class I'd rather share it with!”  Then Larry McLaughlin said “I plan to be the other person, so I hope I remember who you are;” and Jeff Heal added:  “Skip....sorry to inform you that Doug Hardgrave and I will be the last two guys......why don't you just let us decide what to do with the cups?”    About the cups, Wayne LeFors, Dick Sula, et al, proposed some options:  (1)we insist on keeping the cup display in the AOG CEO’s office (the Class of 1963 paid for the office); (2)send them to the AF Museum at Wright-Patt or the Smithsonian; (3)place them in the new Academy Cemetery Memorial Pavilion now under construction: or (4)frame the cup belonging to the last member of the Class to pass away, mount it on a wall at the AOG and inter the rest of the cups with the said last member of the class (who would of course have to agree to be buried at the Academy Cemetery).

One final note:  take a look at the PBS Television show “Secrets of the Dead: Dogfight over Guadalcanal.”  Our own Indian Jones Wetterhahn is listed as “Lead Detective.”  The web site is http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_dogfight/about.html.

Many thanks for all the great inputs.  That’s it for this time.  Take care and let’s hope 2007 will be kind to all of us.