It is a beautiful, sunny post-Christmas Day here in No. VA. I have a stack of Christmas cards with lots of news, but first there are a few other things of interest. I will keep pictures to a few in order to save space. I’ll send the Christmas photos to Sandy Sanderson to post on the web page.

Unfortunately between my submission and the proof of the column in August, the names of the Quarsteins’ two daughters were omitted from those surviving Mary’s death. They are Pamela Gumpert and Marianne Riding. My apologies to all the Quarsteins.

Happy Holidays! Hard to realize that another year is gone.

For those of you who may not have heard, the HI cruise originally planned has been dropped for financial reasons. However, Sandy Sanderson and Segale Travel are working on a replacement Mini. Probably when you get this, the word will be out, but just wanted to reach any who may not have heard.

Summer is ending and Fall is fast upon us. Time to get ready for the next Class mini in HI. The mailing should have reached you long before this, so if you did not get the word, then contact Sandy Sanderson at sandy82@gotnet.net.

One of the great infantrymen in our class has now been recognized for his contributions to the American soldier. Paul Gorman on 13 June at Ft. Benning was presented with the 2001 Doughboy Award by Maj. Gen. John LeMoyne. He joins such other recipients as Bob Hope, Bob Dole, Colin Powell and Fred Weyand. You can berely see Paul behind the plaque with the chrome-plated helmet.

Sixty four of us had a grand time steamboating up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The weather was great, the company delightful, the food excellent, but you can have the Kentucky Derby. We sat for 4 hours in the hot sun to see the horses for twenty seconds. Still it was a fun time and well worth while.

Just got word from Sandy Sanderson that the Class mini in HI is now scheduled to start on 21 Sept 02. We will be on the SS Patriot. That sounds like it will be a popular party, so make your plans early. More will be forthcoming.

It is spring and we are getting ready for the Class mini on the Mississippi next week. Just hope the floods do not interfere. Those on the last Mississippi cruise will remember the week after our trip floods marooned the American Queen.

Great news from Skip & Sally Scott. Their son, WW III ‘74, has been selected for BG in the USAF. Young Skip selected the Air Force at his graduation. Though he will not be promoted for 6 to 10 months, he is now the IG of the Mobility Command, giving up his command of pilot training wing at Laughlin AFB.

We have a couple of new honors for Classmates. First Charlie Gabriel has been selected as one of five to be recognized as a Distinguished Graduate this year. Dick Leavitt spearheaded the effort for the Class, highlighting not only Charlie’s accomplishments as AF C/S but also all that he did in his other assignments and after retirement.

  Second was the naming of the new Electronic Proving Ground building at Ft. Huachuca for Grady Banister. Grady served there as a company commander and operations officer and then returned there in 1978 as a civilian employee to be Technical Director. His imagination, technical background and initiative greatly improved the capabilities of EPG, but even after retirement he was very active both at the Fort and in Sierra Vista. 

As I start this column, it is Christmas Eve and there is even some snow on the ground here in Northern Virginia. So here are my best wishes to all of you for a wonderful New Year!

As we end the year 2000, it is nice to report that Joe Griffin was named Veteran of the Year for Dillon County, SC for his service on active duty and his accomplishments in retirement.