CLASS OF 1963
Pres:  Stephen M. Duncan
Sec'y: Michael H. Shelley
25 Sweetwater Lane, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
h: 828-862-4245  e: Class.Secretary@USNA63.org
Web site: www.USNA63.org

     At a luncheon meeting of our classmates in the Fall, the group thought that in addition to our periodic get-togethers for lunch, we ought to do something that included our wives.  We focused on a dinner dance in the Dark Ages time frame when we would all appreciate something to get out and do.  Bob Forster and I agreed to look into the possibilities and decided to propose a dinner dance at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, where I am the treasurer.  Phil Rooney joined the planning group and volunteered to get the band, a group of great musicians led by a  federal Special Prosecutor (this one charged with the Espy case) with whom Phil works.  The date was set for the Saturday after Valentine's Day, an appropriate occasion.  In order to increase the number of attendees and to help fill the ballroom at the club, it was agreed to invite our '63 contemporaries from the other Service Academies to share the evening with us.  Jan Rooney volunteered to keep track of reservations and the books for the event.  Flyers were mailed to all classmates resident within 100 miles of Washington. E-mail and our class web page further advertised the event.
 

Service Academies' Classes of 1963 party in Washington

Jennifer Earner     Denny Vaughan        Ann and Tom O'Brien	Bob Hall (USAFA 63)     Guest        Phil Rooney      Guest

    We had 53 attendees from USNA (Merle and Art Clark got caught in an airport snafu and didn't make the event, but were missed nonetheless), 18 from USMA, and 28 from USAFA.  Jennifer and Bill Earner offered to help with the decorations, Jennifer having great insights and supplies as a result of her work for the Navy Relief Ball held annually in Washington.  The tables were resplendent with center pieces featuring a stylistic American flag and ribbons with each Service Academy's colors.  We also had banners with each Academy's insignia prominently featured.  Initial contacts by Jim Ring with the Coast Guard Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy didn't get any nibbles, but they remain possibilities for future events of a similar nature.
 

Service Academies' Classes of 1963 party in Washington

Dave Robinson            Bill Earner           Bob Forster	Jim Ring behind Jackie and Mike Cronin      Tom O'Brien

    The event began with a cocktail hour where everyone mingled and traded tales with old acquaintances and new ones.  At dinner, each Academy sat in a cluster of tables marked with their banner.  Before the dance music started, a few short remarks were exchanged.  Spencer Johnson welcomed everyone on behalf of USNA 63 and remarked on the four years that we shared in common at our respective Academies and on the various athletic fields of competition.  Following graduation our classes shared two wars and countless contingencies over our collective thirty years of service to the nation.  We paused a moment to remember classmates who had given their all to the nation and could not be with us on this or other occasions, but were alive and with us in our thoughts and memories.  Col. Barry Walruth, USAFA 63, spoke on behalf of his assembled classmates and their ladies, and was followed by  USMA 63 president MGEN William M. "Bill" Boice, USA (Ret), who, in noting that theirs was the smallest turnout, said that unlike USNA, West Point was never known to be a party school.  This humorous observation was answered by a Navy wife who said, "If you Army fellows disappeared for six months at a time, you would live for a party too!"
 

Service Academies' Classes of 1963 party in Washington

Jan and Phil Rooney      Dave Robinson     Carla and Jeff Miles

Jennifer and Bill Earner     Gene Robinson

    Each of the Academy speakers remarked on the unique bonds that we all share as a result of our shared period of time, our common experiences, and our common service to the nation.  None of us could recall a similar event where all three Academies had done something like this together, and it was agreed that we should do it again with undoubtedly even larger numbers of classmates in attendance.  The evening ended after midnight when tired feet and an exhausted band packed up to head for home.  Everyone left with the words "Next year" on their lips.  It was a great time.  Soon, plans will begin to emerge for a follow-on 63 event, perhaps a dinner dance that like the one proved so successful this year.  It would be planned for around Valentine's Day, but not to interfere with the Army-Navy wrestling meet so that our wrestlers can exhibit their knowledge of holds on the dance floor rather than on the mat.
(As an aside, the inter-academy notion goes back to graduate school in Boston.  Andrea and I were invited to attend a West Point Night at the Boston Pops.  As part of the reply form, we were asked to state any requests we would like to hear the orchestra play.  I put down Victory At Sea.  On the designated night, I was more than surprised to see Victory At Sea on the program for West Point Night at the Pops.  There's always more than one way to Beat Army!)

     The USNA attendees included Gayle and Satch Baumgart, Merle and Art Clarke (in spirit), Noriko and Denny Conley, Jackie and Mike Cronin, Jennifer and Bill Earner, Sharon and BobForster, Sami and Roger Glaes, Mary Ann and Jay Gowens, Lois and Bernie Grabowski, Candy and Bill Graham, Polly and Wilson Harris, Andrea and Spencer Johnson, Betty and KentMaxfield, Carla and Jeff Miles, Judy and Tom Morgan, Ann and Tom OÆBrien, Fran and Tom Reemelin, Kate and Jim Ring, Gene and Dave Robinson, Jan and Phil Rooney, Sarah and Malcolm Schantz, Arlene and Forrest Siburt, Lynn and Paul Tobin, Joan and Tony Trabandt, Kay and George Tracy, Denny Vaughan, Linda and Rick Wakefield.

Service Academies' Classes of 1963 party in Washington

Linda Wakefield     Fran and Tom Reemelin      Rick Wakefield	Ann and Tom O'Brien              Jim Ring         Mike Cronin
Mary Ann and Jay Gowens	Mal Schantz            Gene Robinson            Sarah Schantz

    Harry had quite a summer, as evidenced by this note from Mike Rubel:

      Five of our classmates will be coming together to travel via motoryacht from Seattle to Annapolis through the Panama Canal.   Participants will be Steve Leisge, Sherwood Zimmerman, Harry Hirsch (his boat, otherwise we wouldn't let him go!), Reed Farrington (part way), and yours truly.  We will depart on 22 June.  It should be a great adventure, and a life experience for all of us.  Annapolis will be the final resting place for the boat and the Hirsch's sometime in August.  Have the band ready!  A good bottle of port and a cigar might be nice also.

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      I've been reading each issue of "Shipmate" as I've received it and I really enjoy catching up on what's happening with our classmates.  Even though I don't have a lot of great accomplishments to talk about, since I've enjoyed hearing about everyone else, I have to assume that others would enjoy hearing about this classmate.  Besides, I am very proud of having gone to Navy and what we all learned there, and it has carried with me all of my life.
I was fortunate to sail with the Italian Navy on the Amerigo Vespucci for our First Class Cruise.  Along with me were Walt Breede, Tony DeSantis and Mike Mara.  We had a great cruise which ended in Oslo, Norway, where the ship let us off and we had to figure out how to get home.  We had a total of $2.00 among the four of us and there we were in Oslo, so we went to the US Embassy where they arranged for a PanAm flight for us to get back home.  The flight was practically empty so the stewardesses gave most of their attention to us Midshipmen, and since drinks were $2.00 each they managed to give us one "big" drink which we all split.  I'd like to hear from Walt, Tony and Mike if they get a chance.

    After the Academy, I went to Flight Training and served in Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 11 along with Russ Berry, Jake Dennis, Alex Daunis and Joel Heine.  I don't know what the typical makeup of Academy Grads in Navy Squadrons was but it seemed to me that five classmates in the same squadron was more than normal.  Anyway we had a good tour, the highlight of which was the Gemini Astronaut pickups, for which they used our Squadron.
After my HS tour, I wound up in HT-8 in the Training Command.  I was dubbed the SIO (Senior Italian Officer) of the squadron and to press the point home I was assigned four Italian Navy Pilots as my last four students before leaving the Navy.  It was very interesting to say the least, but I did thoroughly enjoy training them.

    I got out of the Navy in 1969 and went to work for Pacific Telephone for 11 years.  After that, I got adventurous, quit the phone company, and went to work for a telephone interconnect company.  The next 13 years were interesting and trying, as the interconnect business at that time was just getting on its feet and there was a lot of turmoil with companies going in and out of business.  I went through a period of time where jobs were hard to get, but I have to say that the "frustration tolerance" which we all learned at Navy held me up and enabled me to survive with a sane sense of humor.  Like all of us I started to age and developed a few medical problems which I luckily got through.  I am now working at Stanford University in the Clinical Cancer Research Center in Administration Support where I've been since 1994.

    I am married to Ethel, the same girl in the full-page Ring Dance photo on page 177 of our Lucky Bag.  We have two sons and one daughter: Chuck, Joey, and Nikki.  Chuck and Nikki are living near us in Fremont, California, and Joey is in Rancho Santa Marguerita in Orange County in Southern California.  All are doing very well.

    I was very distressed to hear about Ron Testa's death.  I remember the "runs" he and I used to have over the "rocks" on the sea wall behind Bancroft Hall.  I will also always remember his two consecutive 15-yard quarterback sacks in the Army-Navy game.

    I recently heard from Don Jacobs and Jim DeFrancia and I am very happy to hear that both  are doing well.  A side note:  Do you remember when during mealtime in Bancroft Hall we used to hear over the PA system about our "green eggs," etc.?  I always was very certain that it was Jim DeFrancia who was the "voice behind the mike".  I was surprised when I recently read Bill Kennedy's recent "confession" in "Shipmate" that he was the one who "did the deed".  Sorry, Jim!  Good show, Bill!

    Oh, - if Beast (Vern Von Sydow) reads this, please return my copy of the "Weight Watcher's Recipe Book", which you borrowed from me when we were in Flight Training.  Because I haven't had that book to refer to, I've had a weight problem all these years!

    I've been kind of "sitting in the background" these past few years, reading Shipmate.  While I haven't been proactive in communicating, my memories of NAVY are always with me and I very much look forward to my monthly copy of Shipmate.  I would thoroughly enjoy hearing from anyone who remembers me.  My mailing address is 39421 Seascape Road, Fremont, CA 94539; e-mail cdibari@hotmail.com or cdibari@leland.stanford.edu; phones 510-657-1270 (H) and 650-498-4073 (W).

      My oldest boy, Chris, has only one year of high school left.  Both of my boys are going to the same one I did, Gonzaga High in D. C.  At a recent Gonzaga party, I was telling a woman that seven Gonzaga grads were in our class at USNA.  I found out that four from the Class of 2000 at Gonzaga were starting USNA this summer with two more going to prep school before entering.  At least one other was scheduled to enter this year from NAPS.  This woman's son was one of the four and she asked what class at Gonzaga I was.  When I said '58, I saw her gulp.  I said you don't have to be so shocked, then she told me why.  She was born in 1959.  Are we getting old or what?  I think we are just getting better!

    Seven Gonzaga grads started with '63 and seven finished.  Three from Gonzaga '58 and four from Gonzaga '59.  From '58 -- Tom Buckley, Sonny Langley, and me.  From '59 -- Lionel Banda, Jimmy Carter, Bill Hughes, and Steve Richter.  Also, Pete Deutermann went to Gonzaga for two years before moving away.  Bill Kirvan USNA '62 was Gonzaga '58.  Lionel's brother, Phil, was #1 in my Gonzaga class.

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     I've been so negligent in updating you on our life but the piece in the May Shipmate about John Newton forced me to take keyboard in hand.   In early April I had a total hip replacement after much urging from Craig Barton who had similar surgery sometime prior to the 35th reunion. Craig kept telling me how much improved his life was with the implant, and my discomfort kept increasing, which forced me to give up my daily three-mile runs and was substantially hurting my golf game.

    To continue the story, in March Craig, John, and I initiated an effort to have a class dinner with those living in the Bay area.   Unfortunately, the dinner has not happened due to scheduling and other logistics issues but John and I had a number of conversations about a wide range of topics, including the personal challenges that he's faced over the past years. During my recovery in the hospital I was pleasantly surprised to have John again make his presence known by visiting me on the spur of the moment.  Here I was lying down and having a minor bit of discomfort and one of our classmates took the time to visit a guy he hardly knows; and when I read of him in the latest column I was even more impressed based on what he has had to endure. The Class of '63 guys are great!

    To end the thought, I'm back to about 98 percent with only a very slight limp and have even tried out the golf course again. For anyone even remotely contemplating a hip replacement my advice is to find the best surgeon possible and get it done -- the technology is amazing and the results are truly life changing.  I also owe Craig a load of thanks for urging me to have the operation.

in the process of completing my second house on the Island.  The main house, Mystic Ridge Villa, is primarily for short term rentals (www.island-getaways.net/mystic-ridge.html).  The new villa will be my primary residence except for the 2-3 months each year when I visit the mainland for various reasons --- the least of which is that I still have season tickets for the Cincinnati Bengals, just in case they ever start to win again!

This page is  Shipmate:     September 2000   posted on:  1 July 2000

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