A River in Egypt: The call that went out for inputs for this edition of Checkpoints covered the timeframe of the 50th anniversary of our graduation, which meant it also covered the 50th anniversary of numerous weddings that took place shortly after graduation. Needless to say, I expected my inbox to be inundated with proclamations from classmates describing in vivid and grandiose details the happy celebrations of 50 years of wedded bliss. Uhhh, only five guys fessed up that they were in one way or another even involved in a golden wedding anniversary. My son is a clinical psychologist, so I took this poser to him and asked for his professional opinion on the matter. Without batting an eye, he said, “Denial.” “Look,” I said, “I know these guys and what they’ve been through, and there’s no way they’re in a state of denial.” “I wasn’t talking about them,” he responded, and then it suddenly became clear. I imagine the conversations that occurred after the call for inputs went something like this:
Hubby: “Hey hon, I got another request for a Checkpoints input from that pesky scribe who tends to create incredulous stories for seemingly no reason. I normally don’t have anything for him, but this quarter I can smother him with glorious details of our 50th wedding anniversary celebration.”
Wife: “Oh babe, uh, that might not be a good idea. You remember the guy in med school, the one I dropped when you came along and swept me off my feet? You know, the one that came up with a cure for halitosis and now has houses on four continents, a private jet, and a yacht?"
Hubby: “Yeah, I remember him. What a loser. I never could figure out what you saw in that guy.”
Wife: “Well, the thing is, I kind of forgot to tell my folks and my sisters that I married you instead of him, and I’d hate for them to read it in Checkpoints before I get a chance to clear up that oversight in person. Okay, sweetie?”
Hubby: “Wow, hon, that’s pretty hard to believe. Your family actually reads Checkpoints?”
Wife: “I know! Right?”
The Confessors: The couples that remembered, celebrated, and made mention of their anniversaries are Larry and Melinda Bryant (Alaskan cruise), Mark and Cindy Fry (Maui and Oahu), Frank and Jan Dressel (celebrated with the Frys), Rich and Mary Chanick (San Diego), and Wayne and Amy Willis (Hawaii). Congratulations to them and to all the other couples who recently celebrated 50 years of a contractually binding merger recognized by the state. It’s intuitively obvious to the casual observer that it was no small feat and a tremendous team effort.
Tom Calhoun reported that his son, Dillon, graduated from the University of Idaho Law School and is now cramming for the bar. Anyone who has been to Idaho is probably surprised to hear the state has laws, much less a law school, but Dillon is living proof that lawyers hide out even in the most unlikely places. After he passes the bar, Dillon plans to join the Idaho Guard as a JAG.
Several classmates took part in the Class of 2025 commissioning ceremonies on May 28th. As the legacy class of the graduating class, our class representatives gave short presentations and welcomed the new Second Lieutenants to the Long Blue Line as they handed them gold bars with “USAFA” and “75-25” etched on the backs. Dick Dye coordinated the undertaking, which involved more than 20 classmates from the local area, and some from other parts of the country. The Class of 2025 “Psychos” is a worthy addition to the growing list of USAFA graduating classes, and we can expect great things from them in the future.
Rod Hennek hosted the Hacker Classic at his lake house in South Carolina this year. The group used to play at seven rounds of golf in four days, but they can’t take enough ibuprofen or Geritol to sustain that pace anymore, so now they play four rounds in four days. In the evenings they sit out on the deck, sipping their favorite beverages laced with Miralax, and discuss their most recent visits to the urologist. The joints may be a bit rustier than in the past, but they still have memories of past classics, or at least the ones they can remember. The attendees this year were Rod, Bo Montgomery, Larry “Fairway Frankie” Fariss, Dave Pratt (top honors), Jim Corrigan, Tom Popp, Tug McGraw, Craig Matt (most opportunity for improvement), Wayne Willis, Roy Rice, and Jim Burling. “Fairway Frankie” achieved a personal best by scoring two rounds in double digits, which normally would have raised calls from his fellow players for a urine test, but instead they all asked him to email them the name of the supplements he was using.
If the photo you sent in isn’t here, go to the Checkpoints page on 75bestalive.org to access it and numerous other recent pictures of 75ers in action. While you’re there, check out the Index to Checkpoints Extras, which makes a plethora of entries that span our 50+ years of discipline and occasional buffoonery much easier to locate.
