50th Reunion News: Jeff Hackett and Dick Dye have been selected as the chairman and local class representative respectively for our 50th reunion. Their management and leadership skills were deeply vetted during the selection process, but the major determining factor was that they didn’t try to flee the country on false passports when President-for-Life Jim Carlson told them they could have the thankless jobs only if they were willing to do them for no pay. They jumped at the opportunity, which means Jim overestimated their awareness of what the jobs entail and should have asked them to pay for the privilege of being abashed and abased. Expect to hear more from the Jeff and Dick show via your squadron POCs in the near future.
Where is… President-in-Hiding Carlson, will be moving back to the mainland at the end of the summer. At some point during the last four years, he stumbled upon the realization that paradise isn’t an island, it’s a state of mind. He also figured out that following a wife who is bringing in the big bucks and still climbing the ladder is good for one’s retirement portfolio.
Jeff Chappell took his 3rd Annual Snowbird Odyssey to Arizona and spent time with Sandy Terry, Dave Keene, Jerry Cooke, Bruce Hopkin, and Jeff Hackett. None of the people he visited have asked me to warn other classmates of his future travel plans, which means Jeff probably isn’t making unpleasant noises at the dinner table anymore.
Dennis Brooks makes his way around the Robson Ranch Seniors Community in Denton, TX in a legally “motorized wheelchair” that looks, smells, and drives just like a golf cart. He mentors owners of flying camera drones, and his cart is called Drone Control Central.
Steve Wojcicki retired on Merritt Island on the Space Coast of Florida. His genetic makeup must have a need for speed because a few years ago he bought a 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS that he drives only on the Sebring Raceway (3.74 miles with 17 turns). The track requires each car to pass a technical inspection before it’s allowed on the track, and drivers must attend classroom instruction and drive with an instructor until cleared solo. Steve has passed all of the requirements and now drives number “75” solo every chance he gets.
Tony and Cyndy Mahoney have already been to Antarctica and the South Caribbean within the first quarter of 2024, and they hope to beat their current record of traveling 190 days in a calendar year.
General Sandy Vandenberg and his wife, Anne, are living in Tucson, AZ. In late March, Chris Goetsch, Rick Layman, Dale Meyerrose, Ken Nease, and Bentley Rayburn traveled to Tucson to pay the General a visit. Dale reports that at age 95, “General Vandenberg remains engaged, as sharp as ever, and much as we remember him.” He added that the General remains one of our biggest supporters and is extremely proud of the Class of 75.
Significant Events: Sam Ryals will be commemorated in the Colonel Sam K. Ryals Annual Program Management Excellence Award, which will be given annually to the WPAFB Program Manager that best exemplifies the integrity, knowledge, values and leadership qualities of Colonel Ryals. Column space doesn’t allow a detailed listing of the criteria for the award, but it’s obvious that Sam left an indelible mark on the acquisition and program management community at WPAFB. After he retired, Rick Pyatt snagged him to work at Goodrich Corporation as the Director of Air Force R&D and Acquisition Programs. In Rick’s words, Sam was “THE PERFECT hire…and was THE smartest guy in our company on all acquisition matters and program management/contracting issues.”
Mike “Goody” Gudmundson was involved in an aircraft mishap on January 12th while landing at Mesquite Municipal Airport. His Harmon Rocket II, a high-performance taildragger with a bubble canopy, flipped over on landing, pinning Goody in the cockpit. The first responder at the scene, a trauma surgeon station at Nellis AFB, could not detect any vital signs when he reached Goody, so a trio of responders removed him from the aircraft and started chest compressions until Emergency Medical Services arrived and transported him to a hospital in Las Vegas. Goody was in a coma for 44 days, but in true Goody style, one of the first things he asked for upon regaining consciousness was a bowl of strawberry ice cream. His neck was broken in the mishap, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down, but he remains in high spirits, often bantering with the hospital staff. After you read this, feel free to have a bowl of strawberry ice cream in Goody’s honor, and if you have a couple of extra prayers in your pocket, it wouldn’t hurt to include him in them. His plan is to attend our 50th reunion, and with a little help from his friends, that is very doable.
GBNF: Tom “Pete” Peterson. Details can be found at 75bestalive.org.
There were a lot of great inputs with photos this quarter. You can see the ones that couldn’t be squeezed into this column by going to 75bestalive.org. Click on the Checkpoints button, scroll to the bottom of the page, select June 2024, then scroll down to the Checkpoints Plus section.
Steve Wojcicki & his Number "75"
Steve Wojcicki behind the Wheel
