Col. William B. DeGraf
September 2007
Sitting here on a hot August day, I look forward to the cooler Autumn and football weekends.
Although he died three and a half years ago Lou Genuario has been honored by the Fairfax County, VA, Board of Supervisors for his efforts to ensure buildings, facilities and programs in the county were free of physical barriers, which made access hard for the handicapped. The picture shows Supervisor Hyland presenting the plaque to be installed in the Board Auditorium to Lou's widow Rose. Four of their six children attended the ceremony: Marina and Rick on Rose's right, Louis and Donna Hart on her left.
By the way Donna's son Jason (who edits our class web page) and his wife Laurie on 24 July presented Rose with a new great granddaughter Abigal Marie Hart.
Another person we can be proud of is the first Class of 1950 daughter graduate Debbie Lewis, daughter of Ben & Malvene Lewis. Debbie has finished her third tour as a Dist. Engr., this time in Baghdad, Iraq. In addition to all the usual engineer tasks, she worked a lot with the locals, particularly the women of the area, including a women's center and a girls' high school. Malvene sent along a picture of her in battle gear and also this shot of Sandy Oliver and Ben, taken in TX.
Back to great grandchildren: Bob & Marion Whiting report that they have added four new ones to the one in 2002. With another expected in Oct. they will number six. In May Bob & Marion visited several cities to see all their children. One of the stops was Nashville, TN where Bob found his cow roommate Sid Wright living in a retirement condo. Then in June, Marion gave Bob a surprise 80th birthday party with 55 guests including Blackie & Mary Bolduc and Mike & Mary Walsh.
The Whitings were not the only travelers. Bill & Beverly Miller in June headed for San Antonio TX for a WWII and Korea reunion of the 58th Fighter Wing. Enroute they stopped in Phoenix, AZ to visit with Bob & Valerie McCutchen and in Austin TX to see John & Angela Vanston. Bill sent along pictures of the groups.
An email from Tom Strider told of his marriage to Kathleen on 14 May; they moved into a nice home on the lagoon only four houses from Dave Pettit. (He used to be five houses away).
Larry & Betty Wray Lodewick were very happy to have grandson Robert '04 return to Ft. Sill OK after Field Artillery duty in Iraq. He also got to pin on captain's bars on 1 July. Several of the class were there when he proposed to Kim, now his wife, during a party at the Lodewicks' home shortly after he graduated from the Academy.
Just to show we are an equal opportunity class, Lou Dixon tells me that his grandson Jonathan will graduate from USNA in 2011.
As an honorary director of the MacArthur Foundation in Norfolk, VA, Eddie Ramos is able to visit there at least once a year. This year he found time to play a round of golf with Lyman Hammond, though Lyman says the rules were so complicated that he still does not know if he won or lost. Still it was fun and great to see Eddie.
Macon Fooshe Austin called me to report that her daughter Carter Fooshe Weeber had a girl Lucy Carter Weeber on Monday 13 August.
In July Roy & Betty Easley got a call from Pamplona, Spain, to say that their 6'4", 200+ pound son Steven had celebrated his 50th birthday running with the bulls without a scratch.
We still have authors in the class. Ken Moll wrote a very interesting article for Graybeards magazine on Tom Casserly and his death in Korea in 1952.
Then a note from Chuck Friedlander told me that his article on grads who became astronauts was accepted by The Assembly, probably for Sept/Oct but it may even be in this issue.
Pat Zabel came to the DC area the end of August to attend the promotion ceremony to Colonel for his daughter Sarah. My how time flies by.
In Montgomery AL Will Hill Tankersley has set up an endowment in his local St. John's Episcopal Church for flowers annually in memory of West Pointers who gave their lives for their country. Of Will Hill's five roommates, three died in Korea: Bill Slade, John McAlpine, and Bob Cox. In addition a boyhood friend was Carter Hagler, who also died there. We continue to lose classmates and wives.
On 6 July Frank Thompson died in Charleston, SC with his wife Fran at his side. In addition to Fran he is survived by their daughter Terri and son Stuart '78. Fran lives at 2869 Palmer Dr., Charleston, SC 29414-7018.
Then on 31 July Warde Wheaton died suddenly in his sleep at home. He is survived by his wife Dode, four daughters, Cheryl, Susan, Elizabeth, and Anne - and by four sons, David, John, Jim, and Paul. Dode lives at 19275 Walden Trail, Deephaven, MN 55391-3546