“Feature Currently Disabled”. Believe we’ll see that’s descriptive of both the AOG send-an-e-mail-to-the-whole-class option and the Scribe wit-and-wisdom capabilities. Don’t know what’s up with the AOG website but can attribute my general incapacitation to a long day of planting trees and shrubs in the backyard and a hellish convergence of work and USAFR activity. So I’m not really too disappointed that, without a reminder note to the masses, inputs for this column were scant – sit back and relax, this won’t take long.
Consolidation. Bentley Rayburn began his late February letter with the greeting “Happy/Merry Christmas New Years Martin Luther King Groundhog Valentines Presidents Day!” He was quick to point out that there was a very good reason for his tardiness – birth of first grandchild. And asserted that this event does not mean he nor Debra are old, only that they’re now “seasoned”. The two of them are enjoying a third year at Maxwell while looking forward to a probably PCS this Summer.
Speaking of stars, Duane Lodrige got one and Perry Lamy got a second. As Commander of the District of Columbia ANG, Duane was bound to get promoted to BG and by-golly that’s just what happened at the end of February. All accounts were that it was a first-class ceremony and one that eight of our classmates (left to right in photo; Don Henney, Al Colley, Bud Calloway, Dean Cox, Dave Wallace, Bill Lyerly, Jim Carlson, and John Charlton) attended. I don’t have any of the gory details on Perry’s promotion (yet?) only saw the MG announcement with his name on it and identifying him as AFMC/DO.
Having Fun Here and There. Seems many of you are traveling / enjoying life and getting pictures to prove it. Didn’t get many details with this first picture, but I think we get the idea that being a FedEx 1st Officer allows you to fly to some interesting places. Wayne Willis sent along a picture from Blackjack 21’s Mini-Reunion and Ski weekend. Left to right in this picture we find Dennis Fornash (American MD-80 Captain), Wayne (Delta 737 out of Salt Lake), Scott Hammond (Georgia ANG General and Northwest Safety Chief) and Steve Hussey, (head of a large Consulting firm near San Francisco). Jim Burling sent along several news items and pictures, but the best photo was this one taken during Falcon Football Alumni weekend; that’s Jim, Larry Fariss, Terry Young, and Bruce Fritzsche on the field after the annual “Geezer Game”! “It was a great time interacting with past and present coaches and players...plus no pulled muscles! We also enjoyed a tour of the new Falcon Sports Hall of Fame, football locker room/offices, and the new beautiful weight room. This is a fantastic, state of the art facility!”
Jim also attended Change of Command Ceremony where BG Dick Webber took over as new 21st Space Wing Commander. Col Gary Shugart was Commander of troops for the ceremony and BG Doug Fraser (AFSPC/XO), Bruce Fritzsche, Bruce Mitchell, and Scott Hente (representing the City of Colorado Springs), were also on hand.
Familiar Name. While breezing through e-mail at work last month I came across company (Orbital Sciences) press release announcing that David Anhalt had joined the company as Senior Director of Special Programs in our Advanced Programs Group (Dulles, VA). Dave officially retired in February. We’ve exchanged e-mails and look forward to his trip West or me getting back there – hopefully another photo op.
And then there was this unfamiliar acronym – I got a not from Chuck Nystrom saying that he had, “enjoyed my short six-week retirement from 1 Jul to 14 Aug 03 backpacking and canoeing in Alaska and returned back to active duty on 15 Aug 03 for three additional years through 2006 in the Retired Aviator Return Program (RARP). Still assigned to SOUTHAF in Tucson but currently TDY for 90 days with AEF 7/8 at Al Udeid, Qatar as the Chief, Master Air Attack Planning for OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan.”
Finally, Jim Carlson wrote to fill us in on the 50th USAFA Founders Day Celebration that was held at Tyson's Corner on Saturday, 27 March. Scott Smith, Bill Lyerly, Kevin Lanzit, Al Bready, Phil Benjamin, Gene Schempp, and John Quattrocki (non-graduate classmate) were also in attendance (we fell one short of being the most represented class at the festivities).
My Time is Up. We’ll have to get together and do this again not-too-soon! In case the AOG web mail thing is still honked up, set your alarm clock for June 21st or so and make me write a longer column (at just over 800 words, I don’t feel like I really earned my pay this time). Be careful out there – it’s later than you think!
