57•58 CLASS NEWS winter the Fishermen were hard at it down in Georgia, showing everyone else how it’s done. Local legend Jimmy Paulk provided the boat and directions to several nearby honey holes and visiting expert Charlie Hall provided a clinic with his fly rod. The bass Charlie boated below weighed in at a whopping nine pounds seven ounces!
Charlie and THE fish
of Staff, and four other Marine Corps Generals. It was a very real pleasure for me, personally, to be able to work on this very meaningful project with Fritz. n The next announcement is from Steve Powers: n I wanted to let all of you know that the small guide book, The D-Day Assault, which I collaborated on, is finally out.You can find it on Amazon, Kobe, Goodreads and at Barnes and Noble in both ebook and a printed versions. Matters were a bit rushed at the end because we wanted it out by the first of the year, in plenty of time before the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. Obviously, we didn’t make it. It’s quite a tour as many of you know, and a sobering one. If you know of anyone who is thinking of traveling to Normandy this summer, give them a heads-up about our guide. n And, in case you’re not going to France, or have nothing much else going on this summer, how about the prospect of moving across country to fill a few idle moments? Well that’s what youngsters HelenAnn and Bob Phillips (until recently of Arlington,VA) are up to, as reported herewith:
The Meat Fishermen
A couple of great new books are available through the skill and industry of several of your Classmates and we’re pretty sure you’d want to know about them straightway. Here are the details directly from the prime-movers, starting with Bob Rositzke: n In December R. H. Rositzke & Associates published the illustrated book One Magnificent Bastard: BGEN William Weise, USMC (Ret.) which is now available at AMAZON in book and Kindle formats. The undertaking was sponsored by our Classmate Fritz Warren with technical assistance from Classmate Bill Hamel. It is the very moving life story of Bill Weise, an incredible warrior and human being. Fritz served as XO to Bill Weise in Vietnam when Bill commanded the 2nd Battalion, Fourth Marines, known as “The Magnificent Bastards” during the bloody battle of Dai-Do. This book has received very positive endorsements from former Senator Jim Webb, General Peter Pace, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
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SHIPMATE
n Still trying to get settled out here in Santa Fe. The movers seemed to delight in mislabeling the 285 boxes of stuff. The remodeling contractor is finally finished with the main house and we now need to turn our attention to the dilapidated guest house and the non-existent landscaping. Have already had several visitors, though none from ’57 yet. A couple of weeks ago a fellow Pork Chop from ’56 stopped by for a delightful afternoon of catching up on family and old sea stories. It turns out that over our careers we had served together in four different tours which, in retrospect, seems quite unusual. In any event, here is a photo of HelenAnn and me with Barbara and Robert Harmon. n
Home in NM, (l. to r.) Phillips and Harmons
And lastly, from the Coronado organizers, the June reminder of what’s in store for October - a very short four months down the pike:
n Summer is here and our Reunion 57 is not far behind. The folks in San Diego/Coronado are ready (almost) to start the end of summer and the start of a grand time on October 13th. By now you should have your Reunion 57 reservation in the mail and your Coronado Island Marriott Resort reservation confirmed. If you still need a Reunion 57 reservation form, contact our able chairman Dick Madouse dickmadouse@msn.com or 619-319-5844. The Marriott numbers are 800-627-7468 or directly to the resort at 619-437-3000 to reserve the special reunion rate of $ 169.00 per night. It is never too late to register, but the earlier you let the committee know, the easier is the planning. See you soon. n Soon...indeed. Almost time for packing your socks. If you’re not signed up, this is the day to do it. Carpe Diem. —FNH
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ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP: 3% LIFE MEMBERSHIP: 61%
PRES: LtCol Gordon M. Gerson, USAF (Ret.) E: gordon.gerson@1958.usna.com CORR SEC’Y: CAPT Bill Schramm, USN (Ret.) 17 Calera Canyon, Salinas, CA 93908 P: 831-484-9058; E: w_schramm@comcast.net WEBSITE: www.usna.com/Classes/1958/ WEBMASTER: CAPT Fred Victor, USN (Ret.) E: avictor@erols.com
As I write this I am thinking of the month of June and the many memories associated with that month. In June of 54 we arrived at USNA to begin our adventure, in 55 we embarked on 3/c cruise to experience the real Navy, in 57 we became 1/c Midshipmen, one of the best ranks in the Navy, and in 58 we left the USNA as Officers and Gentlemen. For many of us that June was also important because we wed the loves of our lives. Good memories and each a block in the foundation upon which we built our lives. Ralph Carestia reports from the wilds of PA: Ralph sent in the following report and picture. The date was about the 1st of February and the place was the mountains of Pennsylvania (CS comment: I never knew they had real mountains in Pennsylvania). n “I was informed by my daughter that 10 Midshipmen had rented an apartment at her ski chalet at Blue Knob for the weekend. Her custom is to invite her renters up to her apartment for refreshments and to answer any questions they may have about the mountain. Since I was very interested in talking to them about the changes at the Academy since 1958 I