HELLO ’68! I want you to know that I was raised as a middle-class kid and my mother patched my dungarees and darned the holes in my socks. Now, I humbly ask for your vote to be your leader. Is this a great country, or what?!

                               “Fore! From Left to Right: Dick Ewers, Pat Hurley, Steve McPhail, and Steve Marlier”

20TH SQUADRON GOLFING TRADITION: I received an email from Steve McPhail about a golf tournament held every year at his house in Vermont. Steve writes, “Been doing SHAFT (Stone House Annual Fall Tournament) for 17 years. Several Troll squadron-mates make it from all over the country and we usually have 16 golfers. We play golf for four days in Vermont and vary the games every day. Only two golfers have to stay in a local B&B. We do most of our own cooking (two nights catered) and spend a lot of time sitting outside by the firepit drinking cognac and smoking cigars. The same old war stories are told over and over, but always seem to be enjoyed.” (Scribe Note: Traditions like this with lifelong friends are priceless moments in time!)

AUTHOR! AUTHOR!: My thanks to Bill Maywhort for his endorsement of Denny Busch’s latest book. Bill writes, “For the benefit of our Classmates who may be WWII history buffs, I’d like to extend a plug for a new book authored by our fellow ‘68er, Denny Busch. Denny's book (The Real Heroes of Omaha Beach: Soldiers Lost to History) is the first of a trilogy that will cover the American landings on Omaha and Utah Beaches and Pointe du Hoc, as well as the often-overlooked contributions of the combat engineers.

Like myself prior to reading Denny’s book, I know what most folks are probably thinking: “What more is there to know? I’ve seen Saving Private Ryan; I’ve seen and read The Longest Day and Band of Brothers; and I’ve read D-Day, The First Wave, When the Sea Came Alive, etc., etc.” I can assure you, however, that there is a lot more to know, and Denny’s unique approach to the subject provides an account that is both fresh in its telling and gripping in its realism.

Instead of taking the traditional 25,000-foot aerial view of the battle and, then, bouncing from one disparate location to another (an approach that Denny describes as a “parallel” narrative), he takes a “linear” approach, which follows individual soldiers and small units from their points of disembarkation through achievement of their respective D-Day objectives. In essence, he brings the reader “along for the ride,” which is always harrowing, but (spoiler alert!) ultimately successful. At the same time, however, he does not mince words over the patently obvious planning errors and occasionally timid execution of those plans that undoubtedly led to unnecessarily high casualties on the beach. Denny’s “linear” approach to storytelling succeeds in making each of the six accounts related in his book – from beginning to end – appear to be in “real time,” versus 80 years after-the-fact.

Finally, I'd also commend Denny’s conversational writing style. Admittedly, you won’t find Cornelius Ryan or Stephen Ambrose in these pages, but you will find what Denny describes as “telling war stories in a bar.” Please believe me when I say that it’s a bar you ought to visit!”


                                                        “Bill Eckert Surveying Giant Heads on Easter Island ”

‘68ER DOES EASTER ISLAND: You may recall from previous articles, our classmate, Bill Eckert, enjoys trips to historic and often far-off places. In his latest 36-day cruise adventure from New York City to Sydney, he had the opportunity to visit Easter Island. Bill writes, “Luckily, we were among the 60% of cruise passengers who could actually get ashore, as the tiny little harbor on Easter Island faces into the prevailing wind and waves. Boat crew did a great job getting our average-age 72 pax (1,700 on the ship) in and out safely.” Thanks for sharing your travelogue with us, Bill!

                                                                   “Tony Marshall Receives Prestigious Award”

'68ER HONORED FOR HELPING OTHERS: One of my former roommates, Tony Marshall sent a brief note about his recent activities. Tony writes, “All is going great out West. I am still keeping busy mentoring local youth and guiding them to aviation careers when I am not “entertaining” the grandkids. I was recently in D.C. for a Black Astronaut Reunion at the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum and was among the guests presented with the President’s Volunteer Service Award. While I was in town, I had the opportunity to hang out with old roommate, Charlie Coolidge,” Congratulations and thanks for your service, Tony!

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS: We were saddened by loss of our classmate Paul Alexander Cousins on 5 July in Oklahoma City. Paul was a good friend and in a number of my Poli Sci classes at USAFA. He was really bright and had a great sense of humor. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. Prayers are also requested for those affected by personal health issues and the many fellow countrymen and women who are dealing with the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

THAT’S A WRAP: Mind the flak; keep ‘em flying, and keep those cards, letters, e-mails, and photos coming in to Pat Russell and me. Reunion photos and news are most welcome! Ciao for now. Tim