June 2025          Foster Bitton

Reunion Updates: From Jeff Hackett, Grand Poobah of the Reunion Committee: Our 50th Reunion planning is currently ON GLIDEPATH and ON CENTERLINE! We are expecting approximately 400 fellow graduates to be on hand for the festivities at Hotel Polaris, the Cadet Area, and Falcon Stadium (Wed 29 Oct – Sat 1 Nov). As a BEST ALIVE guy, you owe it to yourself and your Classmates to come renew those friendships, retell those stories, and walk those hallowed halls again together. For further information and to register, go to reunions.usafagroups.org/class-of-1975. 

Rich Chanick is one of the underlings on the reunion committee who, when Jeff says “Jump,” replies, “I don’t think so on account of my knees sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies when I walk, and I have a well-documented aversion to symbols of authority.” However, Rich jumped at the chance to head up the class program to provide financial assistance to any classmate that wants to attend the reunion but for whom the cost would be a hardship. He reports several classmates have already contacted him. The program is completely confidential and has minimal hoops to jump through, so if anyone needs a “boost” to make the trip happen, contact Rich at Rchanick@gmail.com.

Wanderers: Stan “Chumley” and Mary Collins dropped in on Stan “Sluggo” and Wanda Siefke (apparently the Stans of the world are adept at acquiring dubious nicknames) in Niceville, FL, where they were treated to a pod of dolphins, a nine-foot alligator, and Sluggo’s model railroad that takes up half of the Siefke garage. Wanda has laid down a “blue line of death” in the garage, and any rails or railroad cars that cross the line are subject to certain and utter destruction.

Tony and Cyndy Mahoney probably sewed up the class nomads title years ago, but if they’re sitting on their laurels, they’re doing it in another country. They put in 180 days of travel in 2024, and this year they’ve already spent three weeks in Madrid and two weeks in Egypt cruising the Nile. Tony says everyone should see Egypt, but once is enough.

On 4 June 2025, approximately 75 classmates and spouses met at the Pinery on the Hill in Colorado Springs and commemorated the 50th anniversary of no longer waking up in the dorms. Embellished stories of life at USAFA didn’t seem to matter as everyone was too old to remember the real events anyway.

Bill Estelle has added a Prep School section to 75bestalive.org. It includes yearbook and personal photos, staff members, a memories section, reunions, and other areas of interest. If you can name the guy in the green hat with a stern face and hands balled up into fists in the memories section, let Bill know so the dude won’t have to be remembered only as “The Angry Prepper.”

Things to Ask at the Reunion: A few inputs came in this month that deserve a lot of coverage, but they’re not going to get it because a) the CP word-limit is sacrosanct, b) the Scribe you unknowingly voted for can’t do them justice, and c) you can get the full stories firsthand from these and other classmates at the reunion.

Dave White is called Grandpa Ice Cream by his 10 grandkids. When he’s not buying their adulation with frozen dairy products, he’s playing the role of Director and Treasurer of the Honourable (the “u” is intentional) Company of Air Pilots Aerospace Scholarship Foundation, going on cruises, and flying sailplanes, light aircraft, and a Citation XLS for a charter company. He also recently received the FAA Wright Brothers Award.

Raise your hand if you have a 14-year-old son who will be graduating from high school in 2026 with a straight-A average. Needless to say, having a teenage son knocked most of us out of the running, and topping that with a son that’s graduating several years ahead of his peers eliminated everyone but JP Cody. JP’s son, Alexander, hopes to attend UT Austin after graduation to study computer science, robotics, AI, and business. He earned his third black belt in Taekwondo at the age of 10, is teaching younger students, and has competed in a couple of national Taekwondo tournaments. According to JP though, his greatest attributes are that he’s genuinely nice and unassuming.

While many of us were feeling good about ourselves for not elbowing an octogenarian woman aside at Costco to get the last bottle of ibuprofen on the shelf, Duane Lodrige was providing non-lethal aid to Ukrainian pilots in the form of new, viable survival vests through Volunteers for Ukraine (VfU). The initial goal was to supply 30 vests at a cost of $2,000 each, but by using some ingenuity in the design and production process, the group was able to deliver 80 vests to the pilots earlier this year. Duane’s story is a tale of trains and buses from Warsaw to Kyiv, lots of borscht, and an on-site report of a proud nation that has shown incredible bravery, perseverance, and defiance in a war with a neighboring aggressor. His firsthand account of the tools of warfare and the resiliency of the people is a must-hear at the reunion. (See Plus Below)

GBNF recently notified to AOG: Dave Stinson, CS-25; Gregory White, CS-01; John Stults, CS-40; Fred Nickel, CS-36.


Sluggo Siefke (left) with Chumley Collins

 


Sluggo Siefke with his namesake
AC-130J Ghostrider gunship

 


Cyndy & Tony Mahoney on the Nile

 


JP & Alexander Cody




Duane Lodrige (far right) in Ukraine

Checkpoints Plus

Duane Lodrige's Mission to Ukraine

For my 70th birthday last January, I decided that I needed to undertake a special “give back” to the community that represented something that I was passionate about. My search led me to Volunteers for Ukraine (VfU). I have an obvious compassion for Ukraine and its fight against unprovoked Russian aggression.

I sponsored an effort to raise money to equip an Ukraine Air Force fighter brigade with non-lethal aid. They desperately needed survival vests and automatic deploying life vests. The “soviet era” flight gear is woefully inadequate. The requirement was for 30 vests which cost $2000 each. Thru friends, family, and a number of our classmates, I was able to raise almost $50,000. We purchased the first batch of vests for delivery in January 2024.

It is not easy to access Ukraine since there are many limitations due to the war. I flew into Warsaw and took a 4-hour train to Krakow. From there, I rode a bus for 9 hours, crossing the border to arrive in Lviv, Ukraine. From there Kviv is another 8-hour train ride.

We arranged a visit to the 7th Air Brigade which flies the SU-24 Fencer, a very old fighter similar to our F-111. They welcomed our small group of four Americans like royalty. As the leader of our small delegation, they presented me with the tail fin of a Shahed drone that destroyed their operations building just two weeks before we arrived. It now hangs in my office. The base is frequently targeted by the Russians as they operate the only aircraft able to deliver the Storm Shadow/Scalp EG cruise missiles. We only delivered 4 vests last year as we quickly realized there were many more aviation units which also needed survival vests. At $2000/vest, our donated funds would not go very far. We used our ingenuity to reverse engineer the vest and get them produced in Vietnam for less than $500/vest.

The remainder of my 2024 trip was spent visiting other Ukraine organizations that were receiving aid from VfU. In just a short time, I was able to see the value of VfU’s aid to these non-government organizations. One of the highlights of my trip was visiting Bucha just outside Kviv where the Russians committed heinous crimes against Ukraine citizens in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion February 2022. You can read more on Wikipedia.

It took us most of 2024 to get the vests produced and delivery thru the various customs wasn’t easy. In all, we returned in January 2025 with 80 survival vests. We made stops at the 7th Brigade again to deliver them 26 additional vests. We almost didn’t get into the base that day as they were evacuated early that morning but the base air defense was able to neutralize the inbound cruise missiles. I was able to write several nice messages to Putin and other Russians on a Scalp EG cruise missile that targeted Russian infrastructure later that evening. One message was on behalf of our class. Next, we made deliveries of the remaining 74 vests to two helicopter units and a MIG-29 Fulcrum unit. At each base, the commanders and crew members were humble and appreciative. I was amazed with their ingenuity to make these older weapons system so effective. However, they are still woefully under resourced.

Jeff Chappell: Here are some photos from our 1 May visit with Mike Gudmundson. Mike picked Chick-fil-A for lunch, then we took a stroll by the Renton airport (I didn’t know that’s where 737s are built!) to Lake Washington. Glad we had Paul Kent as our tour guide! Also in the photo is Mike’s daughter Juli, or as Pablo dubbed her, Saint Juli, because she has been a rock star in caring for Mike. I’m getting some good responses toward Mike’s attendance at our reunion in Oct. Still much to do, but many hands make light work.


Mike Gudmundson with Paul Kent,
Jeff Chappell, & daughter Juli

Dick Dye: Firstie Departure Day is an event for the Class of 2025 to learn about life post-graduation. There were representatives from USAA talking about insurance, realtors talking about the pros and cons of buying vs renting, and multiple others offering insights into post-grad life decisions. The five in the picture represented the Legacy Class of '75. We provided our own insights into post-grad life.


Mark Volcheff, Dick Dye, Greg (Yumper) Black, Scott Hente, & Bentley Rayburn

Jeff Hackett would like everyone to relive the glory days of 1970s music by perusing his personal choice in tunes from 1971-1975 HERE.


Checkpoints Extras

Class of 2025 Swearing-In Ceremonies

Dick Dye: 34 members of the Class of ’75 participated in the commissioning ceremonies for the Class of 2025. Remember, we are their Legacy Class because we graduated 50 years before them. The commissioning ceremonies are larger and more formal than any of us remembered our ceremonies. (25th squadron assembled in the Squadron Assembly Room (SAR) at 12:01 4 June 1975. We couldn’t be sworn in until the day of graduation.) All the graduates/2Lts were in Mess Dress. All the women were in dresses that would have looked right in style for a Ring Dance. Some of the ceremonies had 250 attendees. Members of the 2nd class in each squadron served as emcee. Each ceremony had a keynote speaker. Each grad/2Lt was sworn in by someone of their choice. Then, others pinned on the new 2Lt Bars. Next, there was the first salute and hand-off of silver dollars – again from someone of their choice. Finally, we, members of the Best Alive Class, presented the new 2Lts with a set of engraved 2Lt Bars. The engraving has “USAFA” on the back of one bar and “75-25” on the back of the other.

To the Class of 2025
Welcome to the Long Blue Line

Congratulations on graduating from the United States Air Force Academy! You, as a member of the Class of 2025, will be integral to the defense of our country for decades to come. Members of the Class of 1975 were honored to know and support you these past four years. We are extremely proud of your accomplishments, which are the first of many great things you will achieve. You have proven you are ready to assume greater responsibilities. Now it is up to each of you to make a positive impact EVERY DAY and carve out a continuing legacy for those who will follow in your footsteps.

The Class of 1975, the Best Alive, will ALWAYS be with you!

 
1. Dale Meyerrose     2. Dave Anhalt     3. Lee Colburn & Dave Beatty     4. Greg Black

 
5. Jim Dearien     6. Kent Traylor     7. Mike O'Shea     8. Paul Williams

 

 
 
9. Steve Haas     10. Terry Kemp

Cozy Inn USAFA

Once again, our court composer has penned another paen to pester, persuade, prompt, and provoke you to contribute to his quarterly column and to attend the 50-year reunion in October.

(To the tune of Hotel California by The Eagles)

At the base of a dark ramp, cool wind in our hair,
The date was July fifth, we were all standing there.
All the firsties were circling, like vultures hungry to feed,
Gray glass and metal were surrounding us, oh what a thrill this would be!
Cadre welcomed us warmly, kept it up for a spell,
And we were thinking to ourselves, “This could be heaven or this could be hell.”
On the third day a cannon, shot a hole in our day,
The cadre turned into raging beasts, and we all heard them say,

Welcome to our cozy Inn USAFA
Get your chin in, smack (Get your chin in, smack)
Straighten up that back
We’re living it up at our cozy Inn USAFA
We will make you men (We will make you men)
Drop and give me ten.

Four years full of G-Rs, tours to walk for our sins,
The truth was, SAMIs were a lifestyle where we took buffers for spins,
No one slept in a bed there, t’was too hard to remake,
See yourself in your shoe’s toe, get in step for Pete’s sake.
Frozen toes in November, in the stands if you please,
Run and run, then pass and punt, doolies won’t be at ease,
And still those nightmares call, and you wake in a sweat,
And still those nightmares call, and you wake in a sweat,
Sprinting hard to make a class in time, you haven’t made it yet.

Living in our cozy Inn USAFA
There’s a C-D-B (There’s a C-D-B)
Behind every tree
We’re tearing it up at our cozy Inn USAFA
Life is so sublime (Life is so sublime)
Once you serve your time.

Half a century later, no wind in our hair
It’s just that, the air is whipping around but, no hair is there,
As the years keep on passing, to just add to our woes,
It’s been more than thirteen years now, since we could see our own toes,
Coming this October, we’ll be going back once more,
Bringing back some old memories, in a place we’ve been before.
“Relax,” says Jeff Hackett, “We have seen to all your needs,”
“We have rooms and games yet best of all, gastronomical feeds.”

 

Association of Graduates Class Advisory Senate          Bruce Mitchell


Minutes

A month prior to the April CAS meeting, all the class senators polled their classmates to forage for inputs to the new AOG BOD regarding 'what are the most important USAFA issues of concern to the graduate community?'

Class of '75 was polled via our squadron contact representatives, and here is a summary of the resulting class responses received by your CAS Rep. These were relayed via CAS President to the AOG board for use as a "graduate priorities" sampling to be discussed at the May BOD meeting. (note several repeated inputs on the same topic/same basic theme were received from different classmates)

Summary of ’75 Responses Received:

– My concern is for continued vigilance and training regarding harassment of any nature, and non-tolerance for such offences.
– I think introducing NCO's into the squadron is a wonderful idea, and that the right NCO's can provide cadets a better appreciation for enlisted and NCOs prior to entering the ranks.
– I do not agree with the "woke" direction of military leadership, including blatant approval of homosexual or lesbian relationships and curriculum that improperly promotes critical race theory, affirmative action, and DEI.
 – I can only hope with the many new career paths available to graduates, such as Space, that bias (favoring flight qualified cadets) has changed not only at USAFA but in the USAF as well.
– I understand that USAFA had a recent widespread honor code investigation. I agree with USAFA having some flexibility with respect to honor violations, and that the honor code should be used as a learning and value building tool. I realize that introducing any form of tolerance has its challenges for consistency and enforceability. Cadets entering USAFA come from many backgrounds and familial value systems, and freshmen should be provided time to embrace and live by our high standards. But violations by seniors are a great concern to me.
– I’m most concerned about influence of DEI and CRT on cadets at USAFA.
– I believe we need a higher percentage of active duty academic instructors at USAFA to help reinforce warrior ethos and the goals/merits of career service in uniform thru the Dean’s shop.
– I want the Academy staff to keep DEI out of USAFA and focus on warrior skills, knowledge, and leadership.
– An Administrative issue for grads. As it stands now, grads that do not possess a retired USAF/Military ID card have a difficult time getting a USAFA Alumni ID that allows for access on campus. One of our grads has gone through the process and has to repeat it every year. Would it be possible to allow a 5 or maybe 10 year effectivity for USAFA Alumni ID? Understood that if access to an event is attempted with this grad ID during heightened security, of course entry could be denied.
 – I believe the AOG could improve timely communications/notice in advance of various special events. For instance, the revamp of the fountains with a dedication ceremony was open to all. The announcement of the ceremony was issued with a very short timeline. Some folks would have flown in for the event, but the late notice prevented them from making timely reservations, etc. Also, a similar issue was noted for the ring meltdown or commitment dinner for our legacy class.
– The AOG needs to ensure that the USAFA environment emphasizes the training necessary to develop the skills necessary to WIN and then instills those skills in the cadets.
– The AOG is primarily a fund-raising arm of USAFA focused on building buildings to house institutes for which the AOG raises money. The name needs to be changed to the Association of Graduate Donors. For example, if you moved to Santa Fe, NM and wanted to join the local chapter of the AOG, good luck; there is no resource (web page, directory, etc) to give you a name and number. I futilely looked on our website. BINGO!! I figured it out. "Who is the AOG’s customer base?" Does not appear to be graduates. Appears to be USAFA. But now, here are my suggestions for improvement:
a. Change or enhance the mission of the AOG from one of “receiving (aka taking) from grads” to one of “giving (aka serving) grads”. How can the AOG assist grads be successful during “active duty” and then during “post active duty” and then “retirement” INCLUDING their civilian years.
b. Hire a professional web designer company (not your brother-in-law) to revamp the AOG website. It’s full of “inside baseball” lingo. If you are inside the AOG HQ, it makes sense. If you are outside the HQ, it’s opaque or not intuitive to get information that is posted.
c. Embrace that there are likely more USAFA graduates who are civilians than are serving the USAF.
d. Also, and I may be wrong here, public facing motivator for gaining graduate support of USAFA programs is to highlight preparing leaders to fight our nations wars. Realize not all will agree with this, but likely not all agree on many things.

April CAS Meeting;

The April CAS regular business meeting was devoted to open discussion of these inputs from all classes. The classic USAFA value-related subjects arose as common themes from classes across the decades, like honor, warfighter ethos and warfighter preparation, leadership skills, and (collectively) avoiding various forms of social engineering that seemingly erode many traditional USAFA values. Needless to say, there was not time for everyone to speak, but there was a lot of passion involved in most speakers' feedback/inputs.

I do not have a report yet from the CAS president on how the May BOD meeting went, during which these inputs were scheduled to be on the agenda. The BOD meeting minutes are not yet posted at usafa.org. Will update the class on that, as possible.

Bruce
 

Graduation 50th Anniversary
 

 

 

Album

 

1. Dave and Patti Ruddock celebrating Patti's brother's birthday. (April 2025)

2. Bill Murray: So great to get together with Bill Buchta (Doctor, and one of the smartest people in our class without a doubt!). Bill Buchta replies: As usual, Bill is too kind. I really appreciated him hopping on a 6 am flight back from Palm Springs for our meet-up. Bill is the most gregarious member of the Class of ‘75 and has been a blessing to so many people. I learned that he will forego golf at our reunion in October due to all of his social commitments; you go, Bill! (April 2025)

3. Don Byers with Bubba B taking in his first East Clovis volleyball game. (Jennifer Lawton, April 2025)

4. Jim & Ardis Hartney: Quick getaway to our favorite hotel in Tampa Bay as we wind down our time before heading north. The Vinoy's renovation is impressive! Several weddings here made people watching even better. (April 2025)

 

 

 

5. Mark Risi after his cervical disc surgery: Spending holidays with family at home is much better than in a hospital bed. Appreciate Alaska regional hospital sending me home today. (April 2025)

6. Don Cunningham: My new Labrador Retriever, Jake, and an old favorite–Kelly's Great Dane, Bentley, in Austin, TX. That's Jake on the drive home to Henderson from Austin. He's now 5 months old, 45 pounds, and a wonderful pup. (April 2025)

7. Gerry & Judith Buckley Conticchio celebrating Easter with family. (Judith Buckley Conticchio, April 2025)

8. Gary & Karen Exelby: Appreciate the recognition from Crowley's Ridge Christian Homeschool of our efforts in presenting History in what we hope is an interesting format. (April 2025)

 

 

 

9. Eric & Elizabeth Rosborg DRRTM in Balestrate, Northwest Sicily. (April 2025)

10. Eric Rosborg: Deci Air Base. Many days spent here flying over the instrumented range. Sadly, we were not granted access. The world has changed. (April 2025)

11. Dave & Janet Middleton Wallace DRRTM : Paris, part deux. Forecast rain matched my jet-lag mood, but it's Paris. First, a trip to the Market of Red Children (look it up). Today, rested, we dealt with the Louvre. Lotsa peeps, but the history, the setting, the statuary and the 500-year-old masterpieces are well worth it. Food available everywhere here is amazing and affordable! (April 2025)

12. Oleh & Veronika Nemeth Stefaniuk celebrating their 35th anniversary on Treasure Island, Florida. (Veronika Nemeth Stefaniuk, April 2025)

 

 

 

13. Sandy Terry taking a break from hiking with family. (Valeria Monnett Rieben, April 2025)

14. John Charlton with grandson Dylan at his confirmation. (Colleen Charlton, April 2025)

15. Steve Duresky: Emerald Coast Easter Joy. (April 2025)

16. An anonymous classmate cycling in Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona. (Bill Estelle, April 2025)

 

 

 

17. Bob Walden: Pilots from our Falcon RV Squadron gave rides to members of the Auburn "Ninety-Nines" on Friday. These are women who love to fly! The Auburn University Ninety-Nines, is a group of female pilots enrolled in the Aviation Department at Auburn University who promote women in the aviation industry through educational programs, scholarships, and mutual support. All of their participants are actively pursuing careers in aviation. We used the opportunity to support two national anthem flyovers at local high school sporting events. One of these was the annual "Battle for the Troops" that honors military servicemen and first responders. It also raised funds to support a local charity that provides service animals at no charge to those in need. Thanks to JR Pigg and Ben Lache who organized the event, and to our pilots who supported the flyovers. (April 2025)

18. Mark Volcheff & Dean BG Letendre at the opening of the Madera Cyber Innovation Center, located east of Fairchild Hall at the edge of the parade grounds. (USAFA, April 2025)

19. Paul Kent DRRTM : Being a Grandpa doesn't really get more fun than this. (May 2025)

20. Barry Abbott: Watching the St Louis Blues with son. Will, and Paulette. Game 7. Let's Go Blues! (May 2025)

 

 

 

21. Perry Lamy with sister Robin, visiting in Texas from Alaska. (Linda Bauer Lamy, May 2025)

22. Steve Blackburn & family. (May 2025)

23. Wecker Hall, adjacent to Doolittle Hall and new headquarters for the Association of Graduates and the Air Force Academy Foundation. (Bill Estelle, May 2025)

24. Stand Jones: Nuggets Thunder game 6 for Cara’s Birthday! (May 2025)

 

 

 

25. Bob Hickcox starting his latest walk with brother Ray from Shepardsville, WV to the Eastern Continental Divide via the C & O Canal and Great Allegheny Passage trails. (May 2025)

26. Bob Hickcox on the last day on the trail, at the Eastern Continental Divide. Total miles walked in 10 days, 153 and some change. (May 2025)

27. Tom Calhoun with son Dillon: Just got me a lawyer! Now Mom’s gonna turn him into an attorney! (May 2025)

28. Mike Heil: Attending the Critical Infrastructure Modernization Conference at the MAPS Air Museum in Canton. I recommend this excellent museum. (May 2025)

 

 

 

29. Bill Buchta enjoying some of the delicacies of New York: Lori and I are taking a whirlwind tour of NYC (25k steps yesterday) with 3 Broadway shows, then Acela to DC for grandson Will’s second Bday. All good! (May 2025)

30. Paul Desisto: In front of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo with my girls, before seeing Richard Strauss’s opera “Salome.” (May 2025)

31. Jim & Ardis Hartney: Out and about in Seattle with Mo…weather is fabulous! Mariners hit so many balls to the warning track that didn’t quite make it over…(June 2025)

32. Bob Hickcox & Marge Terhaar DRRTM : Margarita time on the porch in the rain. (June 2025)

 

 

 
 

33-34. Perry & Linda Lamy: So happy to spend time with Ken Katz the author of The Supersonic Bone. He told me that he so appreciated Perry for sharing his test pilot experience and knowledge with him and for being a part of his book. Ken said that he considers Perry as Edwards AF Base "royalty" and I couldn't be more proud. We then headed to the B1 flight simulator (cameras not allowed) where I got to see Perry fly the B1. It was so real that I got air sick! I have never seen that many gauges, buttons, and switches in my life! Perry was definitely at home at the stick. Then out to the flightline where we saw the B1 up close. (Linda Bauer Lamy, June 2025)

 

 

 

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