Thomas H. Miller died on 21 April. He had been predeceased by his wife, Roz. Tom's son, Ward Miller, can be contacted at 83 Caledonia Road, Asheville, NC 28803.

        Robert W. Lyons passed away on 4 May. Bob's widow, Sharon, can be contacted at 7051 Kirby Crescent, Norfolk, VA 23505.

        Crawford W. Scott died on 11 May. Rick was predeceased by his wife, Jackie. We do not have contact information for his next of kin.

        William H. Oatway passed away on 28 May. Bill's widow, Jane, can be contacted at 5324 Vista Club Run, Sanford, FL 32771.

        Remarking on the death of his companymate Rick Scott, John Dolby made this comment which applies to all our lost classmates: "While we may not have seen or heard from them recently, our time at Mother B with them is always full of good and sometimes bad memories. There is always that kinship that makes the loss hard."

       Bill Naiva's widow, Sandra Naiva, passed away on 25 March. We do not have contact information for her next of kin.

     On a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, April 24th, our Classmate Glenn Laury was laid to rest in the Naval Academy Columbarium in a ceremony witnessed by twelve classmates, their ladies, and several Laury family members, friends, and neighbors. Turning out to honor Glenn's inurnment were Dick and Helen Anderson, Spencer and Andrea Johnson, Charlie and Carol Minter, David and Judi Puckett, Bob Forster, Perry Miles, Mal Wright, John Aucella, Mario Fiori, Bob Harper, Jim Ring, and Joe Bustamante. Glenn's widow, Debbie, is seated at the right front in this photo next to Mal Wright who, with Bob Forster, helped with arrangements for the event.

At Glenn Laury's inurnment

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        In April and early May, three '63 companies held Zoom meetings to share news, conversation, and sea stories and to enjoy being together. I hope that reading about their meetings will inspire other companies to hold their own Zoom sessions and spend some time with their companymates.

        On 17 April, members of the 4th Company engaged in a lively and jolly virtual reunion. This screen shot shows the participants. Left to right, top to bottom, are Pat Wright, Mike Shelley, Tom Meyer, Ken Sanger, Harry Salmon, Craig Barton, Mike Blackledge, Ron Saqui, Doug Tozour, Steve Duncan, Jack Carroll, and Dick Wyttenbach-Santos.

4TH Company Zoom group

       Steve Leisge reported that the 23rd Company held its latest Zoom event on 24 April.

     We spent nearly 90 minutes in active conversation about our living arrangements, what we do to keep busy and, of course, told of our latest medical procedures. Unfortunately, we did not get a picture of the eight guys who participated in our gathering: Zimm Zimmerman, Steve Hoy, Flack Logan, Bill Palafox, Mike Krause, Steve Leisge, Harry Hirsch, and Rod Allen. We're already looking ahead to our next Zoom session this summer.

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        Our class Vice President Jim Ring is this month's top contributor, sending four(!) news items for us to enjoy. He sent this image showing participants in the 16th Company's Zoom meeting on 2 May. Included in the picture is their Company Officer from First Class Year, General Paul Slack USMC '55. Left to right, top to bottom, are Paul Revere, Lee Cargill, Pete Rollosson, Paul Slack, Dave Konold, Rick Weidman, and Jim.

16th Company Zoom meeting

       He also sent a photo from a luncheon of DC-area classmates at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington late this winter. Shown, counterclockwise from the left, are Eli Dabich, Bill Earner, Dan Koczur, Steve Leisge, Kent Maxfield, Phil Rooney, Bob Forster, and Forrest Siburt.

Lunch group in Arlington

       Jim's third submission is a trip into Navy lacrosse history. He had seen a story about Navy's 1961 national champion lacrosse team written by T.P. Manning '61 and was struck by the number of our '63 classmates appearing in a photo of that team. (You may recall that Army and Navy had identical season records and were designated national co-champions for the year.) Jim supplied a copy of the photo, which appears here. Shown are Tom Reemelin 2, George Tracy 22, Don MacLaughlin 12, Sonny Glassner 19, Bill Oatway 43, Ted Willandt 41, Joe Fossela 45, Dud Hendrick 16, and John Newton 38. Bill Sheehan was one of the managers, second from right.

Navy's 1961 National Champion Lacrosse Team

       Lastly, Jim shared this story and photo from his companymate Jud Pearson.

     Betsy and I were fortunate to be among the alumni who attended a special showing of the movie "Apollo 13" in Northbrook, IL, on May 19. We were joined by the Apollo 13 Mission Commander, Astronaut CAPT Jim Lovell (Class of '52), portrayed by Actor Tom Hanks in the movie. We were able to spend a few minutes with him and another alum got a photo of us with him as we spoke.

Betsy Pearson, Jim Lovell '52, and Jud Pearson

As an aside, I was in Vietnam with the Seabees of NMCB 5 at the time of the actual mission, so I missed all of the TV coverage during that whole ordeal. We've watched the movie several times. When asked if the Hollywood version of events departed from the actual events, Captain Lovell responded, "Well, for starters, there was no profanity aboard Apollo 13!"

    On April 15th, Jim and Pat Fontana sponsored our Class luncheon at Falcon's Landing, a Life Care Community in Northern Virginia. The luncheon provided us a snapshot into the environment there. After a wonderful meal, Jim led us on a tour of the facility. The attendees, L-R, were Spencer Johnson, Andrea Johnson, Bob Forster, Pat Fontana, Dan Kozur, Sharon Forster, Jim Fontana, Steve Leisge, Mary Ann Nichols, Sandra Reynolds, Keith Reynolds, Marianne Williams, and Dick Williams. Guests not pictured included Polly and Wilson Harris, Ceci and John Kelly, Bob Harper, and Dirck Praeger.

'63 Group at Falcon's Landing

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        Daryl Rabert sent a note with this fine photo taken on a springtime day at a golf course in Hilton Head, SC.

Doug Tozour and Daryl Rabert at Hilton Head

     I went up from my home in St. Simons Island, GA, to Hilton Head to stay with Doug Tozour and play in a charity golf tournament on April 22. The tournament was to benefit the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes. This Foundation has raised, over 14 years, nearly two million dollars. I learned that Doug had generously purchased a service dog and had it trained for a wounded warrior through this foundation. He and I were in the senior foursome and we held our own, scoring an even par for the scramble against "flatbellies." It was great to spend time with Doug and talk about our USNA and Marine Corps days.
Semper Fi and Beat Army!

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        Four of our classmates residing in southern Arizona appear in this post-lunch photo submitted by Dick Augur. Left to right are Art Weidner, Len Eaton, John Truesdell, and Dick.

Southern Arizona classmates

     In early May, my wife Lynn and I flew to Tampa, FL, to visit my 10th company roommate Miller Detrick and his wife Connie. The highlight of the trip was meeting up with our company mate Ian Sargent and his wife Fern who were just returning from Switzerland where their daughter and family live.     May 2 was Ian and Fern's 60th wedding anniversary and since we were all in each other's weddings (over a half century ago!) we felt a proper celebration was in order. I am happy to report that a proper celebration was held and proved well worth the next day's lingering headaches. The photo shows me, Miller, and Ian still in reasonable condition.

10th Company roommates Lew Blackwell, Miller Detrick, and Ian Sargent

     Beginning in March of this year, I took a series of medical tests which resulted in triple bypass heart surgery on May 7. My recovery is progressing well.
    Last year, I learned that Charlie and Carol Minter had recently moved to Franklin, TN, where Carol Ann and I have lived since 1973, and we reconnected. Not only are we USNA classmates but also DASH School classmates. It was great to visit with them and swap USNA, active duty, and post-service experiences. He and Carol were missionaries to Papua New Guinea, and I worked for a Christian publisher in Nashville. They will be moving to Springfield, MO, in June to be near children and grandchildren.
    Here are two photos from our 60th Reunion. One includes Dana Simmons, Derek's wife, at the game with Carol Ann, me, and Bill. The other one shows Carol Ann and me at the class banquet. We are looking forward to the Navy/UAB game on September 28 with our Birmingham son and his family!

At the 60th reunion

Jim and Carol Ann Shull

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        Bob Harper sent this photo taken when Jerry when Betty Mulholland dropped by Bob and Anne's home in Frederick, MD, as they were returning home from their grandson's High School graduation.

Jerry Mulholland and Bob Harper

     These are two pictures of our "blended" 17th Company from the reunion. The first one is from the Thursday night get-together at Bob Harper's community clubhouse in the Providence community next to the Annapolis Naval Station. We had a blended group that included the son and grandson of our late companymate Carl Kolon. Also included was Link-in-the-Chain Major Toni Paruso Dominguez, USMC '13, whom we had inducted as an Honorary Member of the 17th Company. Our companymate Capt. Wyatt "Butch" Whitworth, USMC had donated his Marine Officer's Mameluke sword to Toni after her graduation. She and Butch kept in touch and when he passed away in 2021, she voluntarily attended his funeral in full Marine dress and presented the official burial flag to Butch's family. As a result of that expression of respect and continued contact with Butch, the 17th Company members invited Toni to become an Honorary Class of 1963 17th Company Member, with the OK of Spencer Johnson, our Class President. In the picture, L-R, are Ralph Kimberlin, Anne Harper, Larissa Ryapolova-Webb, Matt Kolon (son of our late companymate Carl Kolon), Major Toni Paruso Dominguez '13, Bernie Conatser, Phil Gubbins, Bob Harper, MaryAnn Richards, Bruce Webb, Jim Richards, and LT Carl Kolon, USN '18 (Carl's grandson).

17th Company at the 60th reunion

    The second picture was taken at the reunion tailgate on Saturday afternoon. Shown are MIDN 2/c Phillip Singh '25 (Phil Gubbins' grandson), Phil Gubbins, Major Toni Paruso Dominguez '13, Bruce Webb, LT Carl Kolon '18, Bernie Conatser, Bob Harper, and Ralph Kimberlin.

At the 60th reunion tailgate party

     This morning I went to historic Sonoma, CA, to see their Memorial Day observance. It was small town America at its best and my best Memorial Day ever. The keynote speaker was Sonoma County native Capt. Brett Crozier, former CO of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). Hundreds were in attendance including just about every veterans group, an Air Force Color Guard, lots of American Scouts (formerly Boy Scouts), and a fly-over by two A-10 Warthogs from Arizona. And I bumped into Bo Kearns. We had first met last Veterans Day when he recognized my USNA shirt, but I was too busy organizing the parade vehicles in my 55-plus community to have a long conversation. Bo has been living in Sonoma Valley for 12 years and I have been here for three years. We live about 10 miles apart among the grapes and wineries. Strangely, last night I was perusing the class website and discovered Austin Seay's story of the great 1962 Army Mule Theft Caper which included Bo.

Dave Moore and Bo Kearns

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        PLEASE NOTE THIS CALL TO ACTION. The Seventh of July 2024 will be the 65th anniversary of the formation of the Class of 1963 and the birth of the bonds of brotherhood that have linked us so tightly through all the years since that day. I propose that at 5:00 local time on 7 July, wherever you are, you drink a toast to the Honor and Service of the Class of 1963 and to our classmates who are no longer with us. Try to be in the company of other classmates if you can. Maybe have a Zoom meeting. Raise a glass!

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