| HELLO ’68!! With the Government shutdown
impacting everything from closing our national parks and war memorials
to last minute decisions on whether our Falcons and the USNA Squids would
play each other in football, it was rewarding to be able to write this
column with some assurance that the Checkpoints editor and his staff would
not be sitting home on furlough. For the “leaders” who brought
us to this current state of affairs, we offer a heartfelt reprise that
is expressed so eloquently and simply in our unofficial USAFA Postgame
cheer! SCRIBE REQUEST FOR 45TH REUNION ATTENDEES: To all classmates, spouses, progeny, and significant others out there in Checkpoints Land who were able to attend and participate in the Class of 1968’s 45th Reunion, please send photos (with names of those in the photos), stories of events, incidents, police blotter activity, good jokes, etc. to your humble scribe and our webmaster (Pat Russell) for use in future class columns and articles on the class website. This will make much better up-to-date reading and viewing than the “news” I have been sending you from 2012 holiday correspondence. And, while I’m in the requesting mode, your 2013 holiday correspondence and photos would be appreciated, too! Thank you for your kind consideration of this public service announcement. FOOD FOR THOUGHT COURTESY OF FOUR TROLLS: In a short note from Pat Russell, I received word that a brain-child of former 20th Squadron Trolls Mike Parkinson and Mark Wise led to a finding and gathering of information by Steve McPhail and Ken Stewart who, in-turn, were able to convince nearly all of their CS20 classmates to submit a short biography and current photo of themselves that would be available for viewing at our 45th reunion. Participants in this endeavor include: Bill Buford, Rock Buraglio, Mike Chapman, Charles Duncan, Mike Evans, Dick Ewers, Jim Farley, David Helgevold, Pat Hurley, Derek Iverson, Vern McGraw, Steve McPhail, Don Mrosla, Mike Parkinson, Wayne Rowell, Dick Ruffing, Karl Smith, Ken Stewart, and Don Windham. As suggested by Pat, this would seem to be a great way to capture some fleeting personal data about the character and accomplishments of our class over the years and would provide us with a more recent rendition of classmates’ appearances than the photos contained in our graduation yearbook. So, for those with some time on their hands, I extend a challenge on behalf of the Tough 20 Trolls 45 years later to make similar efforts from the other graduating squadrons for purposes of a more complete history of our class. If you would like to view the Trolls’ work, go to the following link on our class website: http://usafa68.org/Reunions/45Reunion/re23.htm. COLD BEER AND GOOD SEAFOOD ARE WHAT
THE DOCTOR ORDERED: Coming within two days of being cancelled by
the Government shutdown in October, the USAFA-USNA football game took
place on a clear October morning with bright sunshine and temperatures
in the mid-80s. As has been our custom for the past six years, Brooke
and Cathy Bailey and Bob and Thuy Johnston drove up from
their homes in North Carolina and stayed with me at Chez Davidson for
the weekend of the game. Brooke did the driving from Northern Virginia
to Annapolis, while the rest of us played “Name That Tune”
as we listened Brooke’s IPod playlist on the congested highway
of game day. When we arrived, we were greeted by Judi and Steve McPhail,
Dan and Wendy Hites, Buck and Linda McCants, and Jim Seevers.
There was even a Mike Wagner sighting near one of the refreshment
booths, but we did not get to spend much time with him while at the
stadium. |
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