CLASS NOTES success is also notable. Steve’s company, FireFly W.G. Rowlett and Col. Ralph Tremaglio, (plus, I confirmed was one Brad Gerstbrein. It was great LED Lighting (WWW.FireflyLedLight.com) has think) Col. Mike Dittamo (he could be home by to see Brad. Between his sets of biceps curls, he received a $3MM grant from the State of Texas spring), Lt. Col. Charles Chappell, Lt. Col. Mick told me that I reminded him of a co-worker who for research and commercialization of an LED Chang and Lt. Col. JJ Wranek. For the Corps, Col. sported a pony-tail and an earring. That was the lighting technology that he invented. FireFly LED Rob Gardner and Col. Jay Malik.” forcing function I needed to cut my hair. Hanging is going strong and is growing fast. As if that were Jake also sends that he “still has more than a dozen on to my Teva’s though. Brad is working as a connot enough, BR Barcik also recently founded and a half canvas bags left over from the reunion. tractor on the USMC Command and Staff College Caliber Partners. Caliber invests in technology, These are perfect for the beach, the river, tailgating curriculum. Our Marine officers are consistently aerospace and life sciences companies using a at lacrosse games, etc. Only a very few ball caps getting smarter because of BR Gerstbrein, and combination of American and Chinese funding. and a mixed bag remains WRT t-shirts and golf now I look like a Marine, not an Elvis impersonSteve sends, “if you make it to Texas come on by shirts. Anybody who still wants a spare shirt (or 2) ator. for a Margarita on the lake.” should send me an e-mail. No promises I’ll have Col. Steve Medeiros (USMC) and I had a Jake Spivey sends some great information, here the requested size.” meeting at Quantico. Steve is doing very well as goes, almost unedited: Great additions, Jake! Thank you for keeping us the Ops O of the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab “I checked in with my roomie, Dave Campbell, connected. (MCWL). Wait – did I mention that in the last around New Year’s. Dave’s dad passed away Palmer Hamilton and Rat Roommate Dave notes? Well, we had another meeting. Also in shortly after our reunion. I wanted to see how his Tingley had a visit during the big February snow. our meeting was Maj. Tom “Brain” Heffern ’91. mom was doing. She is doing fine and is going to Palmer was on a 20-hour trip pulling a horse They call him Brain for a reason. Brilliant guy. stay in VA (friends around her, etc.). Dave lives in trailer from Charlotte, NC up to a race track in Mark “Action” Jackson had a scare recently Panama City, FL. My other roomies, Woo Kirtley, PA to “rescue” a Thoroughbred race horse. Dave when his son, Trevor (11), took a nasty spill on is doing fine in Fort Worth, TX, and Tim Martin offered a chance for a stay at his 100-year-old his moto-cross bike. Mark recounts the story in is enjoying his ministry in Roanoke. Here is his farmhouse in Western Maryland. Palmer arrived typical Jackson-style: fascinating. The long and church website: http://www.gcrva.org/. at midnight on a Saturday, and our BRs caught short of the incident is that while Action was “Bonus, for those who want to sleep in on up with each other for hours. “What a sight,” said convinced that his son had badly injured his arm, Sundays but don’t want to miss church services, Palmer, “to have my Rat roommate appear in subfocused praying, soul-searching, positive expectaTim does podcasts of his sermons. (Boom notes: freezing conditions to guide my horse through the tions and more hard praying kept Trevor clear of awesome! I’m going to check that out on lazy, snow-covered pastures.” Among the topics covserious injury. I was uplifted, moved and schooled non-Church Sunday mornings.) ered were a begrudging appreciation for the effort by Mark’s story. And I was so happy to hear that “Was at a funeral last month for a high school given by their cadre corporals when they where Trevor was left almost uninjured. friend and sat adjacent to Mark and Alston WilRats, (Staiano, Sample, Karafa and Seaver). In February, the VMI Lacrosse team traveled liams. Also there was Spencer Williamson. Also, both agreed that they have a fond appreciato Annapolis to play the venerable Midshipmen “Had lunch back in December with Jim Begley tion all things equine, and they must really love of the USNA. VMI made a good showing. The and Father Kevin (Cubby) Fimian. I have traded their wives for both to find themselves living on Keydets drew first blood and went into half-time e-mails with Matt Hamilton. He is well, but very horse farms. Thanks for the assist, PHam! knotted at six goals apiece. The second half bebusy (work and family). I was recently at the MCAS Quantico gym (nice longed to Middies, but the Keydets held their own “By the time this gets published John Adams gym, incidentally), when in strolls, nay, struts a but fell to the Middies in the end. My son, Johnny, will be soon be heading back from his tour in bearded intellectual giant of a man who looked and I joined Mark Utke and his son, Jack, Mark Afghanistan. He extended until June 2011 with an very familiar. I slunk (wd?) over closer to whom I Carroll and his son, Tom, and Tom Greenspon R&R break to the States scheduled and his son, Stuart, in cheering for the for April. He is serving chief, EngiKeydets. Cold day. Good lacrosse. neering and Construction Division, Great brotherhood! U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, A special hello to these gents: Gary Afghanistan District – South. He Klein, Steve Wynn, Shawn Oliver, sent me an e-mail and said, ‘I’ve Eric Enslen, Tucker Maloney, John been having fun with Lt. Col. Mick Dixon, Kurt Minne, Steve MotylChang, who is deployed here and inski, Scottie Vaughn, Warren “H” saw Col. Marvin Smith last week Shindle, Henry “the Chez” Sanchez, (2/7/2011) as he rolled through here and Tab Warlitner! This is an with Maj. Gen. Tim Byers. Mick unabashed plug for these Keydets to has not aged in 26 years. I have also send me some life-data, info, scoop. been working closely with Tom And photos, we’d love to publish phoIngram ’82. Tom serves as the Distos of your smiling faces. Send them trict Counsel. I have been enjoying in jpg or tif format and with a resoluthe 80-hour work weeks and dusty tion of 300 dots per inch or greater. runs around the airfield.’ Include the date taken and the people Class of 1985: Cheering for the Keydets’ lacrosse team “Navy Reserve Capt. Bill Warand situation the photo depicts. as they played the Midshipmen, U.S. Naval Academy, on nock should be back from his tour as Anyone know if Mrs. Sandy is still Feb. 12, 2010, were, from left, front row, Johnny and the officer-in-charge Naval Forces teaching Spanish? Matt Daniel and Jack and Mark Utke. Back row: Mark Central Command (Forward) Camp Ways to connect: We have a pretty and Tom Carroll. Attending but not pictured were Tom Arifjan, Kuwait. good concentration of ’85ers on Faceand Stuart Greenspon. “Still overseas will be (Army) Col. book. Check out the VMI ’85 group
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