98•01 CLASS NEWS Jason Birch ’99 at the USNA chapel. At the reception we got to see Bill Gallagher ’97, Paul Vidal ’99, Beth Regoli ’99, Maurice Uenuma ’99 (who had an awesome toast by the way), Meghan (Filson) Latcovich ’99, Simon Latcovich, and Brent Biniek ’99. For those of you who know my brother, Rich “Snap” Brophy ’91, he and Kara are now back in Lemoore, CA where he is DCAG for CAG-9. His oldest daughter is currently a freshman at UT (Texas) on a Navy ROTC scholarship. Their second daughter currently lives with us in DC so she can complete her senior year at the same high school. She’ll be going to UVA also on a Navy ROTC scholarship. Overall, the Brophi are doing great. If you ever find yourself in Oklahoma over the next three years look me up and I’ll show you my tornado shelter…yup, got one installed! Oh…I almost forgot the most amazing part of my update…give a me call and I’ll tell you all about it…” n I was about to email him to ask what he meant by the last line. Never said I was smart. Broph also sent three pictures. The first is Mark with his wife Nicole. The second is Uncle Sumner and Mark’s son Kurt—he says Uncle Sumner was teaching Kurt how to make cannonballs, and the third is Mark with his sons Kurt and Hunter. Thanks for sending…
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Second update is from Derrick Clark: n “Greetings again from Florida. It’s been a little over five years since I commented on “pay me now or pay me later” and since we were living in Maryland I just knew I’d interact more with alumni in the area and make the 15th year reunion; well my last command had other plans. When last I wrote in I was just getting to USSOUTHCOM. Despite the exoticness of Miami, it was a very frustrating threeyear tour of geographic bachelorship, getting bounced around to five positions, and responding to the Haiti earthquake and aftermath. One of our classmates, whose name now escapes me, worked in Operations and Marcus Starks ’96 worked nearby as the Maritime Liaison Office. From Miami we reconsolidated the family for 2.5 years of sea duty at KENNEDY Irregular Warfare Center (KIWC) at the Office of Naval Intelligence in Maryland. I was the N2 Department Deputy while also OIC for a tactical intel support team during training and deployment with ST-4 as Joint Intelligence Support Element Director. Following a short return to the states to R/R, rehat as a Deputy Division Officer, and refresher training I deployed with JSOC as a Deputy N2. I’m sure I’ll never have training or operational experiences like those again in my career. Two days after my last deployment the family and I survived a serious single-car accident. I can graciously say we are extremely blessed and doing well after the entire trauma, one highly successful neck surgery, and follow-ups. KIWC was full of active and civilian alumni during my tenure; Curt Copley ’88, John Sullivan ’96, Shawn Moyer ’97, Nick Panos ’00 (and fellow Cell Block 24 survivor), Dave Savery ’02, Isaac Simerly ’03, Andy Michalowicz ’04, Paul Wood ’04, Jamie Wrona ’04, Jeff Vanak ’05, Kurt Lobaugh ’07, and Lori Simerly ’07. I was back at KIWC for a month before we PCS’d back to USCENTCOM and I hear I’ll be working for Curt Copley ’88 again when he assumes
command of JICCENT. Hopefully we’ll hear good news in May about a promotion, but if not; Carla, Cayla-16, TaNia-13, Jordan-12 and I have each other, a brand new home, sun, and sand to enjoy going forward. The Navy has been very good to us. I’ll close with a “small Navy” story. Before one of my KIWC deployments, I went to the Navy Yard in DC for a POA. I saw a familiar face in a desktop photo but kept quiet about it until the attorney eventually discovered his wife, CAPT Mery Angela Katson, was my former Company Officer. He asked me if she would remember my name, I said, “Maybe, I was one of her repeat offenders.” Then he asks, “did they really call her the Black Widow?” –D. Clark n That. Was. Awesome. (Chris is reading this and nodding his head in agreement) Nothing I can add can make that a better closing to this submission, so on that note… Take care and stay classy, ’98.
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ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP: 0% LIFE MEMBERSHIP: 93%
PRES: Capt Chris “Buster” O’Brien, USMC E: busterobrien@gmail.com VICE PRES: Ben Adeyemi TREAS: Jason Mendenhall E: GLandJason@aol.com SEC’Y: Minh-tu Nguyen 1123 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850 E: 1999USNA@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.usna99.com
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ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP: 0% LIFE MEMBERSHIP: 97%
PRES: J.V. “Murph” McCarthy VICE PRES: Art Terry TREAS: Nick Lalota SEC’Y: Tim O’Connor 317 N. Pleasant Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450 E: Shipmate00@yahoo.com
Shippies, Nil in the inbox this month. Chip Kelleher was in town this month, he was without his lady but had the two kids with him. If you would have told me this was legal for him to do when we were Napsters, I would have contested. At the annual Army Navy Wrestling Match, I bumped into Jason Ford who basically said “Hello” to me and then started making fun of my haircut. He did not beat me up or take my lunch money which usually happens when I see Jason. I saw Craig McDermott at the same match and met his wife who is lovely and somehow got into a discussion of firearms and even ammunition with her. I can’t make this up.