First Company had its 50th Reunion Company Party at the Annapolis home of Van and Marilyn
Nield. In attendance were Walt and Chris Baskin, George and Maryellen Brainerd, Steve and
Joan Burgess, Jimmy and Caroline Brown, Fred and Duval Lee Carter, Dick and Claire Laton-Taylor,
Dick and Myrna Cudlipp, Bob and Brenda Currie, Jim and Nylah Hanford, Bill McGowen,
Jerry Mac and Cathy McMurry, Bob and Lucy Morgan, Matt Roberts, Ralph Tuggle and Jan Keyes ,
widow of Brad Keyes. This was the first time that Bill, Jerry Mac and Ralph had attended a
Reunion since graduation in '59.
Marilyn, Van and team did a wonderful job of preparing and serving drinks, hors d'oeuvres,
an excellent dinner and dessert. They had also arranged a beautiful outdoor garden setting.
Three tables of 10 were set up under subdued lighting... most pleasant surroundings
for renewing friendships. A grand time was had by all.
In the place that they log the Lore of Reunion Company parties, this story should probably be recorded.
"All who know Jerry 'Mac' McMurry know that he is irrepressibly adventuresome, bold and highly
inquisitive. Toward the end of the party, Jerry decided to explore Van's back '40 which has
large bushes and low hanging trees. Without reservation he plunged into near darkness.
He had gone no more than a few steps when he fell full body, face first into Van's pool which
had been covered over. When Jerry hit the water, he said his first thought was that he might
drown. After splashing about and scrambling for his footing he realized he wasn't hurt. Then
his major concern was, "this is going to be very embarrassing"! Jerry had brought along a jacket
so he circumvented the gathering, put on his jacket, quietly said good by in the darkness to
a few of the classmates and proceeded toward the car. Jerry then realized that he was going to
have to explain to his carpool group why he felt bad about getting into Jim Brown's freshly
detailed car with soppy wet clothes. He decided that he had to 'tell all' to those riding in the car.
We all had a wonderful laugh over the situation. Jerry decided to wait until the next day to explain
to Van in case an explanation was needed. However, the next day before Jerry could explain, Van
presented him with his 50th Reunion Name Tag which he had found at the site of the "great floundering".
Although we missed the 50th Reunion celebration, I can say with all honesty that Linda and I were "tipping a few" during that weekend in honor
of all '59 Classmates present and passed on. We love you guys! Our trip to Egypt and Jordan, the reason we missed the reunion, with Viking Tours was
a fabulous experience that has us in a state of disbelief at what we witnessed. Of course we saw the Sphinx, pyramids, and the gold mask of Tutankhamen!
All these are, stereotypically, seen when reading or referring to Egypt. But, that is only the "tip of the iceberg" of a civilization, culture, history,
and landscape that is mind-boggling in its antiquity, proportions, complexity, expanse, and wealth. For a starter, they see any rain once every 10 to 20
years! There are adults that have never experienced rain! The climate is so dry (desert everywhere except along the Nile River and the Delta) there is no
moisture, therefore, there is a total and complete absence of any cloud anywhere, even when we were flying at 20 to 30,000 feet! As far as the eye can see,
there is a menacing, immense beige-colored sand, limestone mountainous, volcanic ash, gravel, and clay-ridden, oppressive landscape. Nothing green anywhere
except where man has irrigated by canals from the Nile or a rare oasis fed by underground moisture or a well. We are overwhelmed by the monumental scale of
their engineering, architectural, and scientific accomplishments as long ago as over 6,000 years. In all my readings, hearing the experts, and watching
documentaries explaining "how" some of their feats were accomplished, I am now convinced they are all theories that do not truly explain the facts. For
example, at Luxor we saw a 90-foot tall obelisk sitting on a pedestal (photos attached). It was carved from a single piece of granite! The quarry it came
from is 300 kilometers down the Nile from where it was elevated onto its platform without breaking it! The immense block of stone for the obelisk was
quarried, then loaded on a wooden sail boat floated to Luxor, and off-loaded at the water's edge! How did they do this? Needless to say, we were thrilled
by a very unique experience.
Best regards, Angy SF
The cap has traveled with Les and I, all this time, displayed at Army / Navy gatherings and even among items at our 50th wedding anniversary celebration. Each time my souvenir would be set out, I’d retell my brief encounter and “No, I’ve never met Joe Casasanto”. No, not until Les and I joined the Class of ’59 at the 45th reunion tailgate party. I was on one side of the long buffet table and overheard two male voices exchanging greetings and referring to each other by their last names. Without skipping a beat I looked across and pointed, “You’re Joe Casasanto? I caught your midshipman’s cap at graduation”. His reply was “No, you didn’t”. My return “Yes, I did. Why would I make up something like that?” (Of course, I had interrupted and ruined whatever conversation was going on and eventually the other man disappeared.)
Les and I met Joe and his wife Sue at the 45th dinner dance. I could tell he was still skeptical, so I promised a photo of the cap soon after we got home. We exchanged Christmas cards for the next few years and while our plans for the 50th reunion were being made, Les and I decided this cap that brought us good luck was going home with Joe and Sue at last.
October 1st, 2009 – Busy week ahead! We spoke with Frank Donovan early on and he agreed that we could have a brief moment on Sunday evening to present the cap to Joe. When that moment came, Jim “Shorty” Wilson introduced us. Les turned right to Joe’s table to escort him up front while I and my precious cargo – “The Cap” – went to the podium. The four sentences I’d rehearsed a million times came out just fine, but I wondered, “Where did that big voice come from”? What a wonderful, happy moment. Out from all that tissue paper came the cap. Joe was all smiles and visibly thrilled. Everyone coaxed him to try it on – it fit like a charm. The good luck is now Joe and Sue’s too.
What a wonderful week. There were great moments from start to finish. Thanks to all who made the 50th celebration the best! Sincerely, Les and Rosemary Sellers.
. Our wives particularly loved the Naval Academy brooch especially designed for our Class by Ann Hand. Charlie Dobbs contracted for this optional, beautiful piece of memorable jewelry and managed the ordering process to have them delivered on time.
Thursday evening was a free night for the early arrivals, spent dining with old company-mates, teammates, and wives talking over old stories, which went on for the rest of the weekend (we mean the stories).
Some of us kept the bar in the Westin open until we ran out of stories and started to repeat ourselves. Many guys arranged to gather with old company-mates, teammates and wives for dinner and drinks at various restaurants where they shared good times and sea stories. One such event was a pre-golf dinner out in town hosted by our newly elected Summit New Jersey councilman Rich and Paula Madden for his foursome of Hank and Peggy Mauz, Bob and Sandy Reifsnyder, and Buddy Wellborn.
Friday morning, Art drafted Liza Bray, Dolores Lukish, and Sandy Reifsnyder for his registration staff to help Eileen and him complete the registration task. That was a formidable staff for a tough job that somebody had to do.
Elsewhere on Friday morning was our Class golf outing at the Naval Academy Golf Course, with 70 ladies and guys thoroughly enjoying playing. We are pleased to mention that the Naval Academy Course golf record is still intact. Thanks to Norm Bednarek for again organizing this so well, and to Bob Reifsnyder for collecting the fees for our early morning snacks as well as to pay for a keg of beer for a junior reunion class which yielded the course to us.
Singles and couples tennis matches, coordinated by Ray Art, also took place on Friday morning, with most players agreeing the ladies were better tennis players than the guys.
Thanks go to Bill Garrett for organizing the day’s Yard events highlighted by a YP Cruise and Yard tour. The YP outing was about an hour and a half and cruised down the Severn and into Chesapeake Bay. The weather was nice and the sea was calm, so there were no reports of sea sickness. John Bray, however, expressed a collective concern for all of us that it is becoming very hard to climb the ladders aboard YP’s these days- after all those ladders have at least two steps and are vertical. [Are escalators a possibility for seniors in new naval warships?]
The Yard tour included the new Wesley Brown Field House, new Levi Center, and the USNA Visitors Center and Gift Shop where a viewing of a video about the Naval Academy was seen. All participants had a really enjoyable time, and were extremely moved by the visit to the Levi Center. The Center’s stones have been imported from Israel and it houses several accounts of the contributions our Jewish graduates have made, in war and peace, to our Country’s safety and our personal freedoms.
Next up on Friday was the Superintendent’s Briefing in Alumni Hall for all who could attend. Ron Denney provided the following on-scene comments: VADM Fowler spoke of the importance of the Naval Academy’s diversity program. The Class of 2013 exceeded 15,000 applications. Of these applicants, 1251 were admitted, 998 males and 253 females. The Class is 35% female and minorities. There are 50 sons and 16 daughters of Academy graduates. The Supe emphasized the significance of the modification to the Academy’s Mission Statement where the objective “graduating leaders” has been added. The Supe paid special recognition to Frank Donovan, our Class President, and Dan Branch, newly elected national President of the Navy League.
After the Supe’s briefing it was time to view the Dress Parade on Worden Field. Ted Alexander provided these personal observations: Our Class was seated in a special area on Worden Field. We were proud to see Doug Volgenau, our Color Company Commander, and his wife Sue, our Color Girl, honored as special guests of the Superintendent in the VIP section along with Martha and Frank Donovan. As always, Classmates came away impressed with the splendor of the Brigade on display.
Friday evening was devoted to our company parties at various restaurants, hotels and homes of some of very gracious Classmates. All the comments we heard were enthusiastic, enjoyable and memorable. These affairs always seem to be a reunion highlight. BRAVO ZULU to all the company representatives for organizing these events and to Dave Rogers, our overall coordinator, for his hard work in pulling all of this together. It was another late night.
The recipient of ‘59’s “Dad of the Month” award is our Thompson Trophy winner, Buddy Wellborn. After the golf match in a “uniform race” he showered, changed into civilian service dress, and drove 200 miles north to Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania to attend his son’s, R. Burke Wellborn, USNA ’85, induction into the Wyoming Seminary’s Athletic Hall of Fame for having won the national prep-school wrestling championship at 159-pounds in 1981. He stayed the night there in a dorm, and the next morning drove his son’s family to the airport in Philadelphia. He and his son then drove back to Annapolis in time to make the kickoff. After the game they attended Tom and Dolores Lukish’s reception. The next morning he took his son to the cargo facilities at BWI to fly for FedEx at 0500—and, then returned to write his report on “The Air Force Game.” As his son said, “That’s my Dad.”
Saturday was football game day, Navy vs. Air Force, and the weather was ideal. Our tailgate before the game was held in the ’53 Pavilion and large tents at the north end of the stadium. There were lots of tables and seating, and the food was plentiful and close to gourmet. Tailgating started two and a half hours before kickoff and went on until after the game.
Those of us who arrived early were kept under control while the Security Teams insured the vendors were all legitimate and that it was safe for us to enter. This was a tremendous undertaking and the right guy was in charge. A special thanks to Frank “Pip” Pipkin and Ray LaVan who coordinated this event; it was fantastic.
A flyover was provided by Navy F/A-18 Hornets from the Gladiators squadron based at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach. The march on of the Mids was splendid and they gave a rousing welcome to the Air Force Academy and its fans.
The game was hard fought and went into overtime. Navy’s defense did not give up an AFA offensive touchdown. AFA’s only touchdown came via a 67-yard interception return. Navy won in the first overtime period with a 38-yard field goal when AFA missed a 32-yard field goal in OT that would have tied the game and forced another overtime period. So, it was Game Over: Navy 16, Air Force 13! This was a very big win on our way to another Commander-in- Chief Trophy. One down with one to go-- Beat Army!
It was a long day, and we all returned to our various hotels and homes to unwind and relax. There were several private gatherings at hotels and homes where we were able to review quietly the day’s activities. The Marines of the Class gathered at the Alumni House. Stan Legro made all the arrangements to have the Tap Room open and laid on all the refreshments, including a Marine Corps cake.
Sunday was a very special day in that it was the last day of our 50th reunion. The 1959 Reunion Committee organized for us a very solemn day that we can cherish and remember until we meet again in 2014 for our 55th. Sunday started with religious services, albeit the Jewish Service was Friday evening. Catholic and Protestant Services were in the Naval Academy Chapel. For those attendees it was a moving experience to pray in the new Levi Chapel and the recently renovated Main Chapel, both of which are absolutely beautiful. After religious services we enjoyed Sunday Brunch together in the Westin Hotel, planned by Hayden Leon.
One of the highlights of the weekend took place Sunday afternoon at the Naval Academy Columbarium. We gathered there for the presentation of our Class gift to the Academy, an oversized check representing our contribution of the appropriately round figure of $1,959,000 to fund enhancement of the Columbarium (construction of the granite Class of 1959 Oratory and Worship site). Frank Donovan made the presentation to the Superintendent. Our Chairman of the Class Executive Committee, Jerry Garbacz, made remarks covering the evolution of the project since it was selected eight years ago to be our Class gift. Thirteen Classmates are currently inurned at this site. As Jerry concluded “Our gift will make their and future ‘59ers rest more peaceful.” (Note: the full text of Jerry’s remarks is on the Class website.)
From the Columbarium we either walked or rode to the Naval Academy Chapel to honor and solemnly remember our Classmates who have passed away. It is hard to describe our feelings as we sat together and among the family and widows of our deceased Classmates. Dan Truax organized and planned this special service.
It was special because Dan’s feelings went into making it so. The hymns were beautiful and we recited the Midshipman Prayer together, which helped us to personally remember our Classmates, all dear to us, as the names of our 177 deceased were read aloud, and a bell was struck for each one of them.
Bob Beaton read from Exodus 20:1-17 and Matthew 25: 31-46, both of which were deeply meaningful. Dave Bottorff was superb as he delivered the special words as “Reflections on our 50th.” Joe Flynn was our Bell Striker and Chaplain John Owen delivered a beautiful Invocation.
We add this final word excerpted from a small booklet that we all received as we entered the Chapel: “This memorial service is dedicated to God who watches over and sustains us day to day and who brings us to this moment of remembrance. Some of our Classmates have departed this life as we all will, but their passing has not disrupted the bond among us, and we and our loved ones remain the Class of 1959.” As we left the service, the bell strike seemed to follow us.
Sunday evening was our formal dinner dance expertly planned in every detail by Gary Smith. It was held in the pleasant surroundings of the USNA Alumni Hall, which was beautifully decorated and comfortably arranged for us. It began at 1830 with an open bar service located on the mezzanine level, from where we had a wonderful view of the banquet floor with our tables dressed in our favorite colors of Navy blue and gold. Scrumptious hors d’oeuvres were served as we gathered to talk about the reunion events and the wonderful time we shared together during the past four days.
For dinner we sat at tables with our company-mates, wives and guests. The meal was excellent. Filet mignon, and what else but Maryland crab cake, was the entree. Bottles of Merlot and Chardonnay were at each table and were replenished the entire evening.
Throughout the dinner we were entertained on a huge screen by Greg Nolan’s CD. Photos of the past 50 years showing some of our antics and happenings as Midshipmen were on continuous display. An after dinner program was superbly emceed by Jim “Shorty” Wilson. He opened his remarks by honoring our wives and sweethearts for all their support to us and our Class.
Shorty then introduced Jerry Garbacz, who recognized John Butterfield, Frank Donovan, Joe Flynn, Dave Osburn, and Dave Sullivan for their long and dedicated service to our Class. Each was presented with a plaque as a deep token of appreciation for this service.
Bob “Reif” Reifsnyder led the Class with an impromptu rendition of his favorite Navy song, “The Goat is Old and Gnarly.” Frank Donovan followed with a very nice speech reflecting on our Class history. Steve Burgess spoke of our Columbarium Class Project, emphasizing the need for our continued support.
One of the more memorable presentations was made by Les and Rosemary Sellers to Joe Casasanto. It seems that Rosemary caught Joe’s graduation cap (with a note “I wore it-you caught it-good luck”) at our graduation ceremony, and she has carried it with her all these years. The cap, well preserved by Rosemary, was returned to Joe followed by our loud cheers and applause.
It was a long and wonderful night that ended at 2330. Tired and filled with pride, we returned to our homes and hotels to call it a night.
We can’t end without recognizing those other members of the Class Reunion Committee that we did not previously mention. Their hard work and tireless effort made our 50th Reunion a memorable and wonderful event. We cannot thank them enough; they are: Ted Alexander-Executive Committee Oversight, Joe Flynn-Reunion Coordinator, Walt Szczypinski-Transportation, Dave Osburn-Finances, Dave Sullivan-Registration Roster on Class Website, Tim Tinsley- Correspondence, and Rick Johnson-Printing. BRAVO ZULU, guys!
Rise and Shine with ’59! Tom Lukish and Buddy Wellborn