Have you taken down the Christmas lights yet?  I’ve placed myself on report.  I missed one of the most important items in the December Class Notes.  While I contemplate the appropriate judicial sanction, the Court will come to order.

In late September, RALPH LEWIS submitted the following serious “get your attention” update: “I had a mild heart attack last Saturday while pulling up fence posts in the back yard.  Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to take a couple of aspirins and get to the emergency room quickly (I drove myself).  I went to the local VA hospital urgent care facility.  They ran an EKG, which was normal, and blood tests, which showed an elevated level of an enzyme that occurs with heart attacks.  I stayed over night in their ICU, and was transferred by ambulance to the cardiac intensive care unit at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio on Sunday.  On Monday, I had an angiogram, which yielded relatively good news. There was no significant damage to my heart, however there was one vessel that had a 40-50% obstruction.  The blood flow was adequate, so no intervention such as angioplasty (balloon) or stent was required.  They released me Tuesday afternoon.  Deborah came home on emergency leave from her active duty reserve assignment in Tampa to be at my side through most of this.  I returned to work teaching on Wednesday and was delighted to be back on my feet.  Deb returned to Tampa yesterday.  I feel fine and am back to my regular activities (but not pulling any more fence posts!... I will hire someone to do the rest of that.) The doctors changed my high blood pressure medication, which seems to be working very well, and increased the dosage on my cholesterol medication.  It would also be advisable for me to lose some weight, which I knew, but apparently failed to heed the call!  Anyway, just wanted y’all to get the details from the horse’s mouth so to speak so that if you heard any wild rumors, you would know that I am doing just fine.”  I’d kept RALPH’s note separate until I could talk to him, but then missed it when collating the December notes.  I’m happy to report that RALPH sounded great when I spoke with him.  

TERRY ROBERTSON failed to notify the Court of a changed address.  Offered a waiver on a Court appearance, he submitted this quick update: “BRIDGET was offered a promotion with her company and was regionalized in the VA/MD/DC area, so we moved to Richmond in May.  I'm working as the Interim Pastor at Blackstone Presbyterian Church in--you guessed it--Blackstone, VA.  It's a small community about 65 miles southwest of Richmond.  It's a temporary job, while the church is looking for a full-time permanent pastor.  I'm looking for work closer to home and hope to have a permanent pastoral job before next summer.  For a week around Labor Day, Bridget and I took a dive trip to Cozumel, Mexico and dove several times a day for the entire week.  The diving was fantastic and the food was great!  My daughter, Tiffany, graduated from UNC in May and in June headed to Los Angeles to attend classes at Fuller Theological Seminary.  She's training to be a campus minister and will be working exclusively with athletes.  Guess the ministry stuff runs in the family.  That's really all the news.  Good enough for the waiver?”  Granted, but make sure you keep us posted on the permanent pastor position!  

BARNEY got an electronic birthday greeting in October and acknowledged in style: “ With my prematurely graying beard/hair, I can get a lot of discounts ... except for the one that counts!   JOKA'S (the local beer store) doesn't buy into it, so it is all for naught.  The day before my birthday, I got a call to do a radio show from 10 am to noon on OCT 24th, my birthday.  COOL 'present!'  By the way, my son and his bride got a big kick out of seeing my write-up about their wedding in the BULLETIN.  They requested copies to send to the other groomsmen from the wedding.  One of the groomsmen even mentioned (during the rehearsal dinner last June) that he would like to have his wedding all over again just so he could have me as HIS best man, too!   For some reason, he thought I was quite humorous.  "Nuts" may have been the exact term he used.... not sure.... memory fades at this advanced age.”  Fades?  What were we talking about?

After ignoring repeated subpoenas, and apparently a number of ‘suggestions’ from Mom, ED MURPHY finally reported around with an update and a photo.  Taken last September, the photo shows the musically talented MURPHY Clan with ED standing next to Nate (keyboard and upright bass), Peter (drums), Jason Rogers (vocals...and with grandson Ethan) and David (violin).  Sitting below ED is Rebekah (keyboard and clarinet...with Daisy on her lap), Elisabeth (flute...with a standing granddaughter Hannah), JULIE (trying mightily to keep herself from grabbing the grands!), and Catherine (vocals and piano...with grandson Evan).  ED fills us in: “Catherine married Jason Rogers in 1997 and has brought forth Ethan, Evan, and Hannah.  They live nearby and we get to see them often and squeeze the three munchkins.  Catherine and Jason met at Old Dominion University in Norfolk and received music degrees, thought Jason is now an expert in “extreme programming.”  Nathanael is a civil engineer with URS.  Elisabeth is graduating mid December with a degree in nursing from Eastern Michigan University.  Rebekah graduates December 3rd with an elementary education degree, also from EMU.  Son Peter is two years into an engineering degree and David attends tenth grade at the Christian school where I taught math the last three years.  Elisabeth has already accepted a job at the University of Michigan hospital (she had 3 offers before graduation...nurses are in demand!)  JULIE is a wonderful mother and grandmother to all.  She is the real Communicator that keeps us all tied together – the virtuous woman of Proverbs.  I am taking some time off from teaching, so I try and help out as Julie makes lunches (legendary, known to all our kids’ friends and teachers!) and I maintain the vehicle fleet.  After retirement in ‘97 I went through the Career Transition program at Old Dominion designed to place ex-military folks into the teaching profession, a very generous program that AL SGANGA called to my attention two years earlier.  AL was one of my instructors and I was glad to read that he returned to the Chesapeake area.  We moved to Ann Arbor in ‘99 to be near the church pastored by a man we met when the Coast Guard sent us here in the late ‘70s.  Our family of six grew together with his six children, spending the holidays together over the years.  They all make music together: vocal in the Ann Arbor Gospel Choir and instrumentals in their own band.  The most significant event of JULIE’s and my life occurred in ‘75 when the Lord began a transformation that continues today.  We believe these are the last hours of time as we now know it, and that Jesus’ death and resurrection secured a way for “whosoever will” to escape this world’s system into a glorious Kingdom.  Without this vision, we believe life holds no lasting hope, and is like some hybrid fruit – plump, beautiful, and flavorful, but without Life.  We would love to hear from others also seeking the “narrow gate.”  Thanks for keeping up the column.  My Mom has also been after me to send you a note.  She is a Bulletin reader too...Hi Mom!”  Good job Mom...your influence obviously carried the day!

Thanks to Harvey Knuth, '66, one of our Missing in Action Classmates has been found.  Harvey sent me a snail mail address and in short order JOHN WOOD provided a concise update:  “OK, synopsis: Chincoteague, Taney, Flight School, Cape Cod got married (TRISH) adopted two kids (Eddie, Becky), Sitka Alaska, Arcata California.  Sat for my mates license.  Resigned, started with Alaska Marine Highway.  Moved to Whidbey Island, Washington.  Bought ten acres, built a log house.  Had another daughter, now 19 and a senior at Western Washington University.  Four grand children.  Still with TRISH.  Still with AMHS.  Been sailing as Captain for five years.  Work two weeks on two weeks off most of the year.  Get seven weeks a year vacation on top of that and do a lot of motorcycling.”  I guess concise...I’ve got a request out for a little more beef.

DAN SHOTWELL also dropped off line for a period of time.  I tracked him down at the Chatham Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, where he and MIDGE work to intervene whenever a wild animal is injured or orphaned as a result of the actions of humans.  DAN reports on his new employment: “I left Wellman several months ago after accepting a position with the newly formed Transportation Security Administration.  Yes, I'm now slopping from the same trough as we all did in the Coast Guard.  Our uniforms have TSA embroidered on the back below the collar.  A Continental pilot told me the TSA was soon to become the Federal Administration for Transportation Airport Security Screening and, of course, our uniforms will read FATASS on the back.  I met Admiral Loy several weeks ago and he told me some THADMIRAL stories.  MIDGE, Becky and I went into Cleveland for a performance of the Coast Guard Band and sat with RON SILVA.  MIDGE and I are going to the Admiral's quarters this Saturday for a Christmas reception.  Would you rather have photos or silverware ... or would that be Silvaware?”  DAN, eBay the Silvaware for Penny Possom’s Place <http://www.oocities.org/pennypossum/> and send me the photos!

Attention grabbing news on RALPH...how’s he really doing?  Glad you asked.  “On 8 November, DEB finished her extended active duty tour of 16 months.  Within two weeks she had gotten several calls from CG Headquarters and USTRANSCOM trying to get her to come back on active duty for various projects ranging from a few weeks to a few months duration.  She asked them to give her a break since she had only been home a few days.  Her new Reserve assignment is as CGD14 Reserve Chief of Staff.  So, she has to do a “hardship” tour going out to Honolulu from time to time for arduous duty.  In fact she left today for a week trip, with a stop at PACAREA first for some sort of conference, then out to the Islands.  She will be back well before Christmas, which we will spend in St. Louis with her mother and sister.  As for me, my health is great.  No more cardiac episodes.  I have lost 20 pounds since my heart attack in August.  Blood pressure is under much better control than it was prior to the event.  Teaching is going great, as usual.  I love the job and the kids.  I’m still teaching chemistry and physics at Comfort High School.  I am, as previously reported, involved in our drama department.  I am assistant director and technical advisor for our One-Act play competition.  This year we will perform “The Crucible”.  Many schools choose that play, but what is unique for us is that we were able to get permission to use the screenplay from the recent movie with Daniel Day Lewis and Wynona Ryder  (got a signature from Arthur Miller himself!).  There are some details in that version that are different from the more usual stage production.  Anyway, I have discovered an artistic flair within myself and very much enjoy the involvement.  A few weeks ago DEB and I went to Connecticut to see my daughter & her fiancé, as well as my son, Brent and my granddaughter, Kaylee (2 yrs old).  Daughter, Jennifer, who is getting married next summer, lives in Uncasville, so we were able to make a quick exchange run to the Academy.  They have a very nice bookstore annex in Chase Hall, which is worth seeing.  We also stopped by the admissions office to pick up some literature.  One of my goals before I retire from teaching in 5 or so years, is to recruit someone to go to CGA.  I almost made that goal last year, but the girl decided to go to Smith College instead … go figure!”  Maybe a bigger signing bonus?

Writing from his desk as the new Deputy Director at the National Conservation Training Center, J.B. finally reported around with the promised photo from his recall assignment in Yemen.  “I promised picture/s, but never got them to you.  Many of the class remember my 'Academy' sweetheart and might enjoy this picture.  KIM met me in Egypt last winter while I took a brief vacation from my CG assignment in Yemen.  We did all the tourist stuff, including the Pyramids in the background.  KIM is doing well and currently working on her doctorate in Organizational Leadership.”  

Check those Christmas card lists...we’ve still got MIA Classmates.  And so you can finish taking down those lights, we’re adjourned!