Contact
Information: Norman I. (Skip) Lee 63119 E Cat Claw Ln Tucson, AZ 85739-2058 Home: (520) 825-7980 Cell: (520) 241-3498 E-Mail: 54wrs@msn.com Class News: 1963 June 2009
Well gang, by the time you read this we will be close to the 50th anniversary of the beginning of our experience together.
My schedule for the last week of June includes daily push ups and practicing chins in the front of a mirror.
Push ups are questionable but the chins will not take much effort. The AOG recently learned of the death of Lt Col (Ret) Melroy Borland, CS-19 class of 1963 who passed away on the 3rd of December 2008 in Midland TX as the result of cancer. Services were held in Midland on December 6th. He was interred at Pyron Cemetery in Pyron, TX. Condolences may be sent to his family in care of is wife, Ann: Mrs. Ann Borland, 8600 E County Road 120, Midland, TX 79706-5106 Your will recall last time we discussed the Chromolithograph Gyr Falcon given to the Academy by John Borling during our 35th reunion. John affirms that “. . . recognition and thanks should go to the many classmates at the 35th reunion who chipped in to offset the cost of purchase and saved his marriage at the same time." Bob Hayes polled the regular mini-reunion crowd for desired game dates: thirteen answered, two with preferences for the San Diego game; seven prefer the Wyoming game; and the rest liked either. Based on the results Bob said he will go with the Wyoming game and work with the AOG to reserve Doolittle Hall for October 17th for our traditional get-together dinner and cup turning ceremony after the game. Again we'll plan a pre-game tailgate. If you are interested put that weekend on your calendar and let Bob know as soon as you can if you are going to be there. Scribe’s note: come early and we can get some golf in. Bob also asked if any of us were interested in celebrating the 50th year of the start of our basic training (26 June 1959) but he only had five replies with mixed results. Over the past few weeks I have been having an e-mail conversation with Mike Curley, 1963 and Class Scribe from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI)--his official title is “Class Agent.” Mike was asking for help him from any classmates who served with the 15th or 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons (TRS) and might know any details about the incident that took the life of our classmate, Paul Drucker. Paul’s widow, Claire, to whom he was married for six months prior to the accident, has been seeking more information on the accident for many years now. If you have any information to share with Claire you may contact me and I can get you in touch with Mike. The conversation also reminded me that we as a class invites the widows of those classmates that have gone before to our 5 year get-togethers and what with the 50th coming up hopefully the reunion committee, when it is selected, will make an extra effort to include those ladies in the celebration. Denny King sent an e-mail with a letter attached from the Superintendent during our first year at the Academy. Denny wrote “I just discovered a four page letter that was sent to our parents (Dear Parents) 19 Nov 1959 by Major General Stone, USAFA Superintendent, and thought you might like to have it for your records.” The letter is very interesting and in many ways adds to our history as a Class. It talks about the new chapel design, the construction of a hospital, a new Astronautics Department and our class’s up-coming Christmas at the Academy. Denny scanned the letter to a .pdf file and if you want a copy please let me or Denny know and we’ll send it to you. Denny also said Gil Merkle agreed to post it on the Class Web page so you should be able to go there as well (www.usafa63.org). Did you vote? I used the AOG electronic voting process to make my selections for the AOG Board. Hope you got to make your picks as well. All AOG members need to stay involved in our Association. Jim and Sandy Johnston organized a week’s worth of activities in Hawaii for 36 friends from the mainland. Six of the participants are shown in the following photograph perched on the Hickam AFB monument which greets every Navy ship entering Pearl Harbor. L-R: Jim Bogaert, Dan Dietz, Jim Johnston, Pres Davis, Bob Hall, and Johnnie Hall
From Jim Thyng: Ron Fogleman and Miss Jane came to New Hampshire to be the principal speaker on Veteran's Day, November 11th.
He spoke at the New Hampshire Veteran's Cemetery, the site of the newly constructed New Hampshire Air Force Memorial.
Jim reports that Ron did double duty: following the Veteran's Day ceremony, he dedicated the memorial. As usual, reports Jim,
Ron spoke eloquently and everyone was impressed especially the veterans. After the ceremonies, the Foglemans and the Thyngs
took a day off and toured a bit of New Hampshire and Maine. Jim and Ron in front of Nubble Light off the coast of Maine
There is increasing interest in creating a class history for the 50th reunion. This history might include a chronology of
events, stories, statistics, facts, photos, etc. of cadet days and beyond. I recall we had a similar effort back around the 35th,
but I have been unable to find my copy. Can anyone remember who the point man for that effort was? I do have a booklet prepared
by Jimmie Butler for the 30th Reunion, a copy of the Ad Novos Mundos, the First Thirty Years DVD/VHS tape presented by Ron Fogleman
for the same reunion, and the CD Toward More New Worlds done by Jim Gaston for the 35th. If anyone is interested in collecting
and compiling stories for '63, we could advertise and push the idea in this column. I think stories should be relatively short
(maybe less than 500 words?). The collector could review, with help of course, and we would build an email file; then,
as preparations for 50th shape up, it probably would not be too costly to print a handout for attendees or online for others. Speaking of the 50th Reunion, I looked at the Class of 59’s plans for their reunion. They will be at USAFA in April (14-19) no football! Remember when we did a reunion about that time of the year? Don’t recall exactly but it must have been the 25th in 1988. We did see the Falcons’ Spring Training football game.
To close, I feel obligated to report on the bi-annual Al Adams, Forty-Niner, Memorial Golf Match. Al made up the rules,
Don Neff gave everyone lots of strokes and this time Ray Fuller won the match. Reason why?
No hole-in-one this year by Al on the 18th hole. Don Neff, Al Adams, Skip Lee and the winner, Ray Fuller Thanks for all the inputs. This is your column and it couldn’t done without your help. You all take care out there and let us hear from you now and then. |