Col. William B. DeGraf
December 2001
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.
The class still gathers honors. You know of Bill Yeoman’sselection to the College Football Hall of Fame. At the Houston game Army honored Bill on the field. Several of the class were there to celebrate in addition to Bill & AJ: Bob & Lou Lunn, Jim & June Irons, Wally & Jane Nutting, and, of course, Morris & Faith Herbert. The picture shows Bill between his two guards: Jim and Bob.
Then over at the American Battle Monuments Commission, among those recently named by President Bush was Will Hill Tankersley. In addition to 24 American military cemeteries and 27 memorials, the Commission will oversee the new WWII Memorial to be created on the Mall.
On 27 Oct. the U/TX at Arlington recognized its Distinguished Graduates for 2001, one of whom was our own Buzz Baxter. Nice to see other schools making such honors.
We have another author in the class - Kent Cooley. He nicely sent me a copy to read and I found it most interesting. He wrote a text book on management, but he did it as a novel with characters making the management decisions. The name is Uncommon Vision, Creating a Management System for the New Millennium.I understand Amazon.com carries the book. He is still lecturing and consulting. Barbara continues with her painting and Garden Club. Both are enjoying Cleveland.
Just heard that we have out in Southern CA John Best running the West Point selection system for the local West Point Society and several congresspersons (How’s that for being politically correct?). He has been active in that area since Manley Rogerswas Dir. of Admissions and places about a dozen cadets each year.
At the August men’s lunch in No. VA Jack Wagner, representing himself and Laurie Eek, presented etchings of Washington Hall and the Chapel to Jane Fox and Mary Ann Reed to thank them for their many hours of dedicated typing support to the 50-50 Reunion Book and its predecessors. Jack managed to get both families to come down to the lunch without spilling the beans on the gifts.
In what has become an annual event Dunc Joy and Harvey Prosser were again in the La Jolla Annual Rough Water Swim. In their age group Harvey came in 4th and Dunc 9th. The Joys’ son David was married in Canada in June. More details on that in another column. Dunc and Patty also had a couple of good visits with Jack & Gen Hendry. The picture shows Patty on the left, then Jack, Dunc and Gen.
In the DC area Jake & Ann Jacobson hosted a class party at their farm near Leesburg, VA on 7 Sept. Adding to the locals were several “out-of-towners” some staying with the Jacobsons. Jake sent a picture of the classmates: seated are Hank Singleton andJake, standing Bob Hughes, Tom Lobe, and John Rutledge.
A smaller reunion took place out in Des Moines, WA when some D-1 files got together. That’s Tom Fife on the left, then Clark Duncan, Denny Roush, and Otto Kuckhahn. Otto and Trudy spent two months in the Seattle area before going to Mantowoc, WI to celebrate the wedding of their granddaughter Kathleen Kehl on 2 Sept. (She is Karen’s daughter.)
While on children’s children, I should mention that John & Eileen Jones were in Atlanta for the birth of daughter Victoria’s second child: Matthew James McKenna on 19 Oct. That brings the Jones’ total to five grandkids.
Another proud set of grandparents is Phil & Bette Jane Pennington, whose daughter Patricia White had a son Jonathon Alexander White on 7 Sept.
In July Frank Howard sent me a card saying that he and Angie were leaving for Rumania for an indefinite stay. Will just have to await word on their return.
In August Jim & Karin Thompson made their first trip to St. Petersburg, Russia and the Baltic after a couple of days with family in London. They are looking forward to having Christopher, Dicky and the two grandchildren fly in for skiing later.
Another set of European tourists were Stan & Sally Reinhart andHelen & Hooper Adams. The picture shows them enjoying German “culture” during their cruise from Vienna to Amsterdam. They reported that the beer and wine were still excellent and in good supply.
Not to be outdone in cruising after a fun week in Bermuda withPhil & Helene Barger, Bill & Sue Davis took the QE II to England in early Sept, so they were in York when 11 Sept. occurred. All over England there was an outpouring of support for the US with American flags everywhere. Bill, by the way, is now the Treasurer for the West Point Sailing Foundation.
Also in the British Isles were Len & Muriel Wegner. They were in Scotland with a church group led by their minister, who came from Fife. Len managed to get in a golf game at St. Andrews, though he was not able to get the old course and had to settle for the Jubilee, hitting only one ball into the gorse.
Rosalie Lange is back in Indianapolis, IN after spending three busy months at Walloon Lake, enjoying family and friends, reading seventeen books and selling 5 paintings.
At homecoming Ty & Mimi Tandler took their grandson Win and daughter-in-law Anne to West Point to take a look at our Alma Mater. Win came away very impressed, so we hope there will be another Tandler joining the Long Gray Line.
By the way Dick Newton tells me that his son has just been named Dep. Dir. for CSAF Developing Aerospace Leaders Program in DC.
In the sad news department we have five deaths to report:
Bob Weber died 24 May of cancer. He is survived by his wife Sue, sons Robert, Jr., William and Kurt, daughter Beth Lesko, stepdaughters Randi and Terri Schuyler, and stepson Mark Schuyler. Sue lives at 568 Forest Highlands, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.
Bill Daugherty died 6 June, also of cancer. He is survived by his wife Lu Ann, son Bill, and daughters Patricia, Ann, and Sharon. Lu Ann lives at 11216 Greenbriar Way, Auburn, CA 95603.
Frank Pierson died 10 Sept. of pneumonia. He is survived by his wife Joyce and daughters Carolyn and Virginia. Joyce lives at607 Meadowlawn, La Porte, TX 77571.
Art McGee died 30 Sept. of a sudden heart attack. He is survived by his wife Lorette, daughters Ann Marie, Kathleen, and Noreene, and by sons James and Joseph (‘90). Lorette lives at 439 Stockbridge Ave., Atherton, CA 94027.
Al Jennings died 13 Oct. of renal failure. His wife Mary died in 1990. He is survived by his daughter Katherine Tix of Sugar Land, TX.
Our sympathies go to all these families.
With a new year just around the corner, I know you join me in hoping all of our troops overseas will soon be successful!