The docket is full ... the doctor is in the house ... the Court will come to order!

The doctor is in the house?  Doctor MOONERS that is!  TOM MAWHINNEY reports on his notable achievement: “I am writing to let you and my classmates know that finally I am going to attend a graduation ceremony.  As most know, I was not invited to our CGA graduation and I elected not to attend commencement exercises for my Masters at Westfield State College or for my Professional Diploma at the University of Massachusetts.  But for the first time since 1967, I will be receiving a diploma.   On January 20th, I will be awarded a doctorate from St. John's University.  My dissertation was about my creating an instrument to diagnose teachers' teaching styles and beliefs and then doing some correlational analysis and an experiment trying to produce some change in their beliefs and practice. It won't win any awards, but I will get a couple of articles published from it.   I am sorry that my parents won't be around to see it - my mother spent my four years at the Academy with her fingers crossed. But SALLY and my two kids, Kate & Dan will be on hand.   It took over 34 years, but I am looking forward to the experience.”  CONGRATULATIONS DOCTOR MOONERS!  The Court would request photos before the next session!

DON ESTES sent in a short note with his post excite@home address confirmation.  “Sorry I missed you all at the reunion....just too many things going on.  Not much has changed.  The small company I joined in April is growing quickly and has been a great place to be.  Just came back from Virginia where my son Matt and his wife KATHLEEN are awaiting the birth of our second grandchild in July.  We had an outstanding three days.  We've almost completed our long dreamed about cabin/home on the lake. We'll be fishin’ there by March.”

Looks like another recently retired classmate has found gainful employment.  AL GRACEWSKI reports: “I got a job with Northrop Grumman.  I work in the Electronics Sensors & Systems Sector (ES3 if you are hip) in the Advanced Naval Platforms section located near the Baltimore Washington Airport.  I'm in the barrel for Deepwater IF Boeing wins.  Northrop Grumman is a sub to Avondale who is a sub to Boeing.   I am packing for a quick trip to New Orleans....going to visit Avondale Shipyard, and plan to visit with GORDY MARSH who has a job there....probably good material for an article.”  Wonder how many Classmates have fingers in the Deepwater project?

Who else found gainful employment?  Well, J.B. reports in Yemen...yes, Yemen!  “I was recalled to Active Duty in November (I volunteered) for a 90 Day assignment in Yemen.  I've been over here for over 70 days now, so my time is getting short.  My mission is to help the Yemeni Gov't establish a Coast Guard.  I'm assigned to G-CI for PCS purposes and then further assigned TDY to Yemen.  Here I work for the US Ambassador in Yemen and I have an office in the Embassy and an office provided by the Ministry of Interior (the ministry who will run the CG when established).  I'll have quite a story to tell when I get back.  For now, let's just say that Yemen is like the Wild West on Steroids.  Everyone carries a gun, but it's an AK 47, not a six-shooter.  But, I love the Yemeni people.  They are kind and generous and fun-loving people.  I am confident that this country is headed in the right direction and will become a must-go tourist attraction within the next decade.  They have a two-thousand year old village on every mountaintop, beautiful unspoiled coral reefs on the Red Sea, and an island in the Arabian Sea on which one third of the plant life exists nowhere else in the world.  On top of that, it is believed that the journey of the three wise men began on the coast of Yemen (at Al Mukalla).  Yemen was the only place that Frankincense and Myrrh grew in biblical times!  The old spice (read camel) trail to the Mediterranean begins in Yemen and winds through ancient, historic riverbeds (Wadi's) until it hits the 'real' desert near the Saudi border.  While I'm here, Kim is holding down the fort in Noank and having fun being near her Dad.  Embassy spouses are not allowed in Yemen (yet).”  J.B., stay safe, watch your 6, and send photos!

RALPH LEWIS remembered his promise and did send a better than passport photo.  “I remember that I had told you I would send you an update following my trip to Germany for Christmas.  As you recall, DEB was activated after 9/11 at her CG reserve unit with US Transportation Command “the FedEx of the armed forces” at Scott AFB, IL.  Right around Thanksgiving, she was sent to Headquarters, US European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.  She ended up staying over there for about 7 weeks.  Fortunately, it worked out for me to get my passport renewed and get a great air fare to spend the week of Christmas over there with her.  We spent Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day in a little medieval town “Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber”, which is where we were for the attached photo.  We are imbibing in a traditional Christmas Market drink called Glühwein, basically hot, slightly spiced wine.  It went down real good on a very cold day.  We had a great time.  DEB is back at Scott, and I am back teaching.  Don’t know yet when she will be done, probably no earlier than 9/30/02.  The separation isn’t the greatest thing, but I sure am proud of the contribution she is making.”  As are we RALPH...hope you’re able to spend at least a little time together in the coming months. 

BARNEY sends in some proud grandparent news: “Another Turlo has arrived.  We have our THIRD grand-child, our first grand-SON.  Jacob Patrick was launched January 18th, 2002 in New Hampshire, five weeks early but still weighing in at 7 pounds plus.  So WMHB's CAP’N BARNEY has another little one to 'spoil' and teach what five-year-old grand-daughter Leah calls Grampy "magic" ("Pull Grampy's finger!").  My son Eric is getting married in June in Ohio.  He's living in the Toledo area, so the wedding trip hopefully will include a side-trip to the "Club" in Cleveland, and maybe a race at Mid-Ohio race course.  Are there any breweries between Maine and Ohio?  Other than Town Office work in the big Town of Benton, Maine, and the volunteer DJ work (er, I mean "fun") at WMHB <http://www.colby.edu/wmhb> , drive-way shoveling is the ongoing event in Maine.   We still haven't hit the slopes yet, but I have a new pair of ski boots waiting to be broken in.  But spring will be here before we know it (June 23rd is spring in Maine).”  

New gainful employment for PUBA.  “After a 20 year run in the wholesale financial services world, my small group here in Atlanta was unceremoniously "downsized" and "right-sized" (really laid off).  They finally caught up with me by tallying up my T & E reports vs. actual sales and found I was too expensive for the production.  I did contemplate asking Arthur Anderson to audit my production, but they were busy!   The good news came right before Thanksgiving and I did contemplate going "postal" but then I'd be doing that incarcerated thing you spoke about and the honey-do list at home was too long.  The list was also good motivation to stay employed. The good news is that I was able to connect with UBS PaineWebber (not the USS PaineWebber) to develop their insurance capabilities and to expand further into investment products.  I really had been thinking about a career direction change for some time, but there is nothing like a forced sense of urgency to actually make it happen. How's that for a rationalization??  Oh by the way, since I have no clients yet.....want to be the first??? I'll put your picture up in my office kind of like the first dollar bill at the corner store.   I'll be sure to contact you after I can spell SHORT SALE.”  But PUBA, what kind of freebies are you offering for client referrals?  “We're giving away prizes that are better than a toaster for plugs anywhere....local bars, jails, indentured servants..... etc.  I have chosen to specialize in Enron stock and know where to get a lot of it on the cheap.  Can you say...."trust me?”  A true financial advisor...you notice BOB never did say what freebies he’ll give, but you can reach him via our Classmates page <http://www.oocities.org/CollegePark/Campus/7184/classmates.html> if you’re in the market...or want to be!

MIKE CONWAY sent in a Clan Conway photo taken over the Christmas holidays.  “We were having a party for Rob (23) who had graduated from Iowa State University in December (finance) when we took this photo.  Left to right, that’s Rob, Melanie (30), David (19), Heather (26), Matt (29), Christy, & yours truly.  Rob will be playing his second season of minor league baseball this summer for the Frontier (Independent) League Cook County (South Chicago) Cheetahs.  Melanie is the mother of our three grand kids, David is cutting a solo album right now, Heather is the family fitness expert, and Matt is a 3-D animator working in the Seattle area and also doing stand-up comedy.”  MIKE...where are the comped tickets?

DOUG KROLL also has new employment.   “This past August I became an Asst. Professor of History at College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA.  I'm really enjoying teaching American history full-time.  Also, an article I authored about Coast Guard Port Security during the Cold War is published in the current (February 2000) issue of Naval History magazine.  "Security Isn't Free" is title of the article.”  Great article DOUG ... everyone can read it at <http://www.usni.org/NavalHistory/Articles02/NHkroll02.htm#tx30>.

RAY and PATRICIA COYE took a trip to South Africa...here’s the story:  “Most of the interesting events in our lives during the past year focus on our son Travis.  After spending 6 months during 2000 working as a bush guide at Equus Horse Safaris in the Lapalala Wilderness of South Africa, Travis returned to Western Washington University to finish his degree in economics.  The plan was to get in one more season of pole vaulting, but Africa was calling so he rushed to finish up by March.  He had fallen in love with both the African bush and a young woman with whom he had worked.   PATRICIA and I have recently returned from a 3 week visit to South Africa during which we attended his wedding to Linda Pascoe.  Our journey to South Africa included a week in Johannesburg and two weeks in the bush country.  Christmas at an isolated bush camp, no electricity,  phone, email, FAX  - warm and sunny – was certainly different from Chicago!!  Riding horses alongside zebra, giraffe and rhino was quite an adventure.  Travis has applied for permanent residence status in SA so it looks like we’ll be racking up the flyer miles.  If anyone is interested in SA,  I can give you some local contacts.  The rest of our energies are taken up with play and  work – I’m still at DePaul and PATRICIA is taking some time away from consulting and horse training to teach some classes for us.  My collection of nautical books and ocean liner postcards continues to grow but I’m stuck at only one tractor.  Despite three horses, four cats and two dogs there is still plenty of room for company at our rural corner 75 miles from Chicago, so if any of you are ever in the area just give us a call.”  Our Congratulations to Travis and Linda and the new Father & Mother-in-Law...but where are the photos?

DAN and MIDGE SHOTWELL are still working at rescuing wildlife.  “This is Midge's and my web site <http://www.oocities.org/pennypossum/> for our wildlife rehabilitation activities at the Chatham Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.  As I may have mentioned before, we take in orphaned baby wild animals, raise them and release them.  This past year we cared for over 70 baby animals, actually I think it may have been 71.  We don't turn down donations and there's a wish list of supplies and other items posted on our site.”

Guess who’s finally reportin’ around?  HAL BOHAN checks in from Battle Creek: “I really have not been lost.  I dropped out of the Fraternity in July 1981,  and went to work for the private sector  (a Major Insurance Co.) for about five and 1/2 years.  I realized that they were more fouled up than working for the Government.  In 1987, I went to work for the General Services Administration.  I am currently a Property Manager for the Michigan Property Management Center's, Battle Creek Team.  Our Office manages about 1.5 million sq. ft. of Government Owned and Leased Property.  On a more personal note, my wife ROSEMARY (Connecticut College/SpringArbor College) and I have 7 children,  most of whom have gone on to college and some of whom have actually graduated and moved out.  Two of my sons have gone to Michigan State, 2 daughters to St. Mary's College (Notre Dame, IN) and one son is currently attending Aquinas College (Grand Rapids, MI).   We still have 2 in college, and 2 in HS.  ROSEMARY works for St. Philip Parish as Director of Formation here in Battle Creek.  I am currently studying to become a Deacon in the Catholic Church and will be ordained in September 2002.  We occasionally go to Grand Haven for Coast Guard Day and enjoy going to Lake Michigan whenever we can.  Would have liked to connected for the 30th, but I started to late.  Hopefully, 35 will find things more on time.”  OK HAL, I counted 3 sons and 2 daughters...how ‘bout more details?  “David (30), an MSU graduate, lives in the area.  Catherine (26), a St. Mary's graduate, lives in the Denver area.  Barbara (25), a St. Mary's graduate, lives at home which pleases Mom no end, as the only other female in the house, but irritates Dad.  Stephen (22), is a senior at Michigan State, and lives in East Lansing most of the time.  Matthew (20), as a sophomore at Aquinas College, living in Grand Rapids.  Mark (17), is a junior at Battle Creek Central HS, and always has one or two friends over all the time.  Rounding out the clan, Benjamin (14) is a freshman at Battle Creek Central, and hangs out Mark and friends.”

BRUCE PLATZ also updated his post excite@home address and sent a short note, referring to his computer as “this crazy communications tool - I always get lost somewhere or the machine crashes.  Christine goes to UVA or VATECH this fall.  Michael is making a fortune working for Exxon in Texas - there's irony for you.  And Billy is trying-out for A-League Soccer Teams after graduating from William and Mary in December.  Other than that PATTY and I are both working for the Chesapeake Public Schools - getting ready for the "empty-nest" phase of our lives.”

STAN NORMAN has been studying Greek and Hebrew...I’ll let him explain: “SUE and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary last year by cruising to Alaska from Seattle.  Our oldest son, Derek, was married in Las Vegas in October to a wonderful young woman named Carrie.  SUE and I have a daughter at last.  Our other son, Patrick, is engaged to another beautiful young woman named Cristy.  He attends college, works at Red Lobster, and lives at home for the time being.  We traveled to Florida in January to celebrate my parents 60th wedding anniversary.  As some classmates know, I'm attending seminary while I continue to work full time for the Washington Department of Ecology.  I'm about one-third of the way through.  If all goes according to plan, in June 2005, I'll graduate from Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree, SUE and I will sell our home, and I'll report to the Bishop for orders.  Sounds a little like being back in the Coast Guard, but I hear pastors are not transferred as often as Coast Guard people.  Boy, learning Greek and Hebrew is like taking calculus again.”  STAN, maybe you should compare notes with HAL?  And as with RAY, Congratulations to Derek and Carrie and the new Father & Mother-in-Law...but where are the photos?

Last issue JAY TALYOR was in Australia.  This edition...Korea!  “Greetings to all from Ch'onan, South Korea about an hour south from Seoul via train.  I am staying with the uncle, aunt, cousins, and grandmother of 2 of my adopted Korean daughters, Karen and Kim.  They are all doing quite well despite the economic crisis that struck Korea a few years ago.  Over the last few days my hosts have taken me to local areas of interest including a memorial to Admiral Yi who fought off some of the many Japanese invasions of Korea, a Buddhist temple and huge statue of Buddha (reported to be the largest in Asia by Lonely Planet), and the Independence Hall of Korea which details among other subjects, the atrocities during Japanese occupation of Korea.  As you probably can imagine, the Koreans don't have a great affection for Japanese.  The fact that Japanese textbooks for school students revises history and fails to mention any of the invasions and atrocities against Koreans further infuriates the locals.  Did our politically correct crowd learn from the Japanese?   I hope to set the stage to bring Karen, her family, and perhaps Kim back to Korea on a future visit.  Kim met her biological Mom for the first time in 17 years and her 1/2 brother and sister for the first time ever on a visit to Korea with me when she was 20.  I hope to do the same for Karen and family when Delta or a code share partner provides non-rev benefits to Seoul.”

OK, one final employment story.  I also found a month’s worth of gainful employment...or more correctly, it found me.  I got a call from Holland America a couple weeks before Christmas asking if I was interested in being an Antarctic Ice Pilot for a pair of two week Antarctic cruises.  I checked my busy retiree ‘honey do’ list and said “Throw me in that briar patch!”  I joined the RYNDAM (720’, 55K tons, 32K HP, 22 knots) in Montevideo, Uruguay on 8 January.  A quick steam overnight and I enjoyed a couple days in Buenos Aires before heading south to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.  Lawson Brigham ‘70 joined the ship in Buenos Aires for the first cruise as the expedition leader and lecturer.  It was our hope that we’d skip across the notorious Drake Passage between low pressure systems and we almost made it.  Approaching Elephant Island, where Shackleton left his ENDURANCE crew when he made his historic voyage to South Georgia, we encountered 60+ knot winds and 20+ foot seas.  Lawson and I were both amazed at how well RYNDAM road in comparison to what we would have experienced in POLAR STAR or POLAR SEA...a little pitching but no rolling and we still had stemmed wine and water glasses in the restaurant.  Antarctic weather changes quickly and 12 hours later we enjoyed calm waters and sunny skies as we scenic cruised Iceberg Alley off Hope Bay on the Antarctic Peninsula.  We spent a couple days scenic cruising trough Gerlache Strait and Neumayer and Lemaire Channels before stopping at Palmer Station.  TOM CLARKE, BERT KINGHORN, RAND LYMANGROVER, and I were there 29 years ago in NORTHWIND.  Station personnel provided a program to RYNDAM’s passengers on the United States’ research efforts in Antarctica before we headed north to the Chilean fjords.  We rounded Cape Horn and proceeded to Ushuaia, Argentina via the Beagle Channel before stopping in Punta Arenas on the Straits of Magellan.  Lawson had to depart in Punta Arenas, forced to return to his position as Deputy Executive Director of the U. S. Arctic Research Commission.  We then spent four days transiting the Chilean fjords, stopping in Puerto Montt en route Valparaiso, Chile...and then the fun really started.  MARY JANE was able to join me for the second cruise!  She had to fly into Santiago, Chile and faced a couple hour bus ride to Valpo with visions of the bus in ‘Romancing the Stone’ in her mind.  But RYNDAM’s Captain arranged for the ship’s agent to drive her to Valpo...absolutely first class service!  We sailed that evening, reversing our northbound transit of the Chilean fjords en route Antarctica.  We enjoyed a great day trip to the Lake District outside Puerto Montt and trip to a Magellanic penguin rookery while in Punta Arenas.  After another brief stop in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, we enjoyed the view from the balcony of our mini-suite as we rounded Cape Horn.  MARY JANE brought along great luck because this southbound Drake Passage transit was absolutely unbelievable...FAC!  Conditions were so good that we were able to gain about a half day more of scenic cruising.  Now this isn’t a sea story nor does it begin once upon a time...ask Jerry and Gail Mohlenbrok ‘58 and Ed and Ellie Margeson ‘60.  Both couples were on the second cruise and imagine their excitement on sitting in on lectures from an odd year class graduate on ‘Ice’ , ‘Icebreaking’, and Shackleton’s ENDURANCE expedition.  After a day of scenic cruising through Schollaert and Neumayer Channels, we again stopped at Palmer Station and then spent  two more days enjoying beautiful scenic cruising weather along the Antarctic peninsula.  We observed lots of humpback whales, hundreds of seals as we transited the Errara Channel, and completed a successful Antarctic cruise for MARY JANE by seeing a pod of killer whales as we transited north in the Gerlache Strait en route Deception Island.  We again had a magnificent sunny day off Hope Bay before passing Elephant Island.   MARY JANE’S luck held and we enjoyed another smooth Drake Passage transit passage en route the Falklands, where on a  beautiful sunny and windy day, we traveled about 2 hours overland by Land Rover to Volunteer Point, rookeries for King, Gentoo and Magellanic penguins.  We enjoyed two more sea days with 5 star meals at our window table for two before reluctantly ending a wonderful two week experience when we moored in Buenos Aires.  Trust me, going to Antarctica via Holland America <http://www.hollandamerica.com> and particularly being able to enjoy it with your much better half, beats a Polar deployment hands down!  Wonder if MARY JANE would have brought the same luck to POLAR STAR?  Only one complaint...didn’t get to break any ice!  A most demanding boondog...I mean, job.  In fact, I’m still recovering from those stressful hours on the bridge, so we’re adjourned!