With nine months until our reunion, the RSVPs are rolling in. So far, over 30 classmates are attending accompanied by close to 60 family, friends, and spouses.
The reunion will be Sunday, May 17 to Wednesday, May 20, 2020. More details about the reunion can be found at https://www.usma1950.com/2020-reunion
Please let Clyde Spence, our Reunion Chairman, know of your tentative plans regarding attendance.
There are 289 day til our 70th Reunion begins, and we renew old ties, see old friends, and honor the Academy for its inculcation of "Duty, Honor, Country" in all of us, and for preparing us to serve this great nation!
The celebration of our 70th Reunion will take place 17-20 May 2020, and we hope to see all classmates and their families there to pass on the legacy that our class has embraced so successfully. It is recognized that age has touched us all and helped many of us to make friends with canes, crutches, walkers, and wheel chairs, but we can rejoice in taking one more step than we once thought possible. Life marches on-and so must we.
To facilitate our reunion, the AOG will do all the detailed coordination and planning necessary, starting early next year. We will have a coordinating committee to work out details with the AOG. We have 40 rooms reserved for our class at the Thayer, and buses and cadet aides will be provided to take us to all events. We would like to gather data on expected attendance to assist us in anticipating and planning details once the coordinating begins.
It is recognized that plans for actual attendance will not be firm until next year, but place the dates on your calendar, invite your family members NOW, and prepare to get on board!
As requested in our June class letter, let Clyde Spence, our Reunion Chairman, know of your tentative plans regarding attendance. So far, we have 81 planning to attend (but, only 40 have responded!)
Go '50-70
We just received the annual report of the chair for academic year 18-19. This was the first year of Dr. Aaron St. Leger's three year appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He is an Associate Professor and Electrical Engineering Program Director. He is the first civilian faculty member to lead the electrical engineering program.
Our funding has supported two research projects and supported acquisition of software and equipment, and some cadet travel to technical conferences. Dr. St. Leger has mentored fifteen cadets in three capstone design projects . Dr St. Leger has also given lectures for other EE&CS faculty members.
Dr. St. Leger and some of his students are expected to participate in some of our Seventieth Reunion activities. If anyone would like a copy of the report, contact Jack Wagner at johnewagner@msn.com
Dr. Aaron St. Leger
At our reunion in 1980 the class decided to sponsor an academic chair at USMA to be funded by gifts and bequests. The fund pays salary and other expenses for the Chair. The incumbent of the chair teachers cadets, conducts research and mentors both cadets and faculty members and research projects. On 7-8 February 2019, Dr. Aaron St. Leger and four cadets attended the IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference at Texas A&M University to report results of their research. The cadets were among 300 presenters making poster presentations on their research. Two of the cadets took home awards. Cadet Jared Fritz was awarded third place and Cadet Birgitta Anderson took first place overall. More information can be obtained from Jack Wagner (johnewagner@msn.com)
June Elliot's son Chuck and her granddaughter Reagan helped with Wreaths Across American at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia.
After nearly 50 years the Class has approved a new governing document to replace the one which was approved at our 50th Reunion. It reflects the fact that we have lost more than 500 of our classmates and our Class activities are greatly reduced. It provides for the governance until such time as the remaining Class members elect to dissolve the document.
A new Executive Board is being formed, replacing the Board of Governors that has done the Class business for the past 50 years.
The new Articles of Governance can be downloaded here or viewed below.
Read MoreThe members of the Class of 1950 will be asked to vote on a proposal to "retire" the present Constitution and By-laws and replace them with the BOG approved "Articles for Governance --".
The Articles of Governance can be downloaded here or viewed below.
Read MoreKarin and I recently returned from Russia on a Viking river boat, beginning in St Petersburg, ending in Moscow. Worth doing before we get too old! Having been to both major cities some years back, we were struck by the greatly increased number of cars on the city streets and by the cleanliness of the cities. Difficult to tell if the people are happy or sad, or just placid, but the impact of sanctions is not readily apparent. The Hermitage is as splendid as ever as is the Kremlin with a great deal of construction activity everywhere. We weren't bothered by any "politicking" anywhere. Viking takes great care of its passengers. All in all, a very enjoyable trip.
Bill heard that we are just past the half way mark for the $10K to fund the Class Bench at the new Army National Museum.
Now we need to get the other half, so please join in and send a check, made to The National Army Museum Fund. Write WP50 Bench Fund on the check and sent it to:
The Army Historical Foundation
Attn: Katie Holt
2425 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
Or donate online at https://armyhistory.givingfuel.com/west-point-class-of-1950-exterior-bench
To make a donation over the phone, our contact Katie can be reached at 703-562-4174.
The bench will be seen by great crowds when it opens and we will be right there to tell the world of the Class of 1950.
Bill is working with the US Army National Museum to have a permanent memorial to the Class at the Museum in the form of a bench outside of the Museum buildings. Our goal is to raise $10,000.
They have set up an account for the Class in their database so that they can keep track of the donations that come in, much the same as we did for the Korean Memorial in San Francisco. That way the donations would be tax deductible.
Individuals who want to send donations via mail should make checks out to the National Army Museum Fund and write WP50 Bench Fund in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to:
The Army Historical Foundation
Attn: Katie Holt
2425 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
If individuals prefer to contribute online, this will be the page that they will use to contribute to the group's donation: https://armyhistory.givingfuel.com/west-point-class-of-1950-exterior-bench
If anyone would like to make a donation over the phone, our contact Katie can be reached at 703-562-4174.
I hope you will support the effort as you did the Korean Memorial, as another chance to memorialize the Class of 1950. With Memorial Day coming up this would be a fine way to remember.
You can find more information about the National Museum of the United States Army at https://thenmusa.org/