CLASS NOTES
Class of 1992: U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Andy Tate, second from left, with three royal Marines who were corporals during the Falklands War. He met them at the annual Army Navy Match, the annual rugby match between the Royal Army and the British Navy, in Twickenham, England.
Class of 1992: Flip Robles, Jabba Andricos, Mike Perfetti and Neil Hennigan circled up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 16, 2014. a football tailgate or two. Jon “Sponge” Greenspon is still instructing at Fork Union Military Academy. His wife, Melissa, also works at the academy. Son Jack is in the eighth grade and stays busy playing lacrosse. Jon coaches the team. Daughter Shannon is learning to drive. Evan and Mac Brown have moved the family to Europe. If your official travels take you that way, get him a message on Facebook and have a visit. Mike Martin is back on the Waynesboro, Virginia, police force after several years of leave for active duty work with the Virginia National Guard. Mike and I hope to spend more lunches together at the Ming Garden in the food district of Waynesboro. Tom Heffern reports: “Shannon and I took our kids (Caleb, Joe, Noah, Daniel and Lacey) out to see the Fuller family (Charles, Tessa, Lexi and Skyla) during spring break. Charles and Tessa live in San Diego, California, near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, so one of our activities was a visit to the Marine Corps Aviation Museum there. We all took a picture in front of the venerable CH-46E Battle Phrog (definitely the best aircraft ever built). This particular bird carried the last passengers out of Saigon during the Vietnam War. After our museum visit, we had lunch at Kansas
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City BBQ in downtown, where some of the movie ‘Top Gun’ was filmed. Of course, we took in Disneyland and the beach. It was great reconnecting with the Fuller family. I wish San Diego wasn’t so dang far from Virginia. Life is good in Stafford. I have many, many projects. I’m trying hard to get my garden as good as yours, but I don’t think it gets enough sun, and I’m constantly battling the deer and rabbits.” Tom included a picture, but since I was clueless and did not realize everyone was not named in the picture, it will have to wait until the November issue to be printed. Dean and Susan Bailey went to VMI for the New Market parade. The parade was canceled for inclement weather. Not to downplay the serious threat of lightening on massed formations, but wasn’t that scrimmage between Siegel’s and Breckenridge’s forces that included the Corps of Cadets 150 years ago played out in inclement weather, direct artillery fire and direct musketry? Spike Watson wrote from Khandahar, Afghanistan, to say his time there is winding down. This will be his last tour there. Get some rest and spend time with the young’uns, BR. Yet another colonel is Chip McLean who pinned the bird August 2013. He is in Jordan until November as the U.S. Central Command forward J5.
George Inge and I spoke on the phone yesterday. He has moved to Crozet and sees Kevin Rumsey. Kevin coaches George’s daughter in some sport thing. Sorry, George and Kevin, I can’t recall. Consider it an opportunity to reach out again. Scott Smith, yet another Navy captain, messaged me to announce his plans to attend the graduation ceremony at VMI May 16. There have been more cracked, dinged and stolen class rings. Please get an insurance rider on your home insurance to cover the ring. The replacement cost for a 10 carat ring is still more than $3,000. Yes, Art Carved is supposed to replace it free, but you must have all the original paperwork and receipts. If you do, get notarized copies and put them in a fire safe. If you do not, get the insurance. I am charged a whopping $2 per month by USAA. In closing, I want to post again the instructions for dealing with Art Carved, now Balfour. Resizing your ring is covered free for lifetime. 1. Go to a jeweler, and size your finger. 2. Make a detailed note of why you are sending the ring to Balfour. Include your name, return mailing address and telephone number. 3. Include a check for $14.95 made to Balfour Company (return shipping fee). 4. Put all of the above into a padded envelope and ship UPS or FedEx to Balfour Company ATTN: Repairs, 7211 Circle S Road, Austin, Texas, 78745. 5. I would highly suggest inquiring for extra insurance. Ring replacement for 10 carat gold is now around $3,000. 6. If you need to speak with someone, call 1-800531-5055, choose option three and ask for Martha Noriega in the college special ring section. 7. You should receive your ring back in two to four weeks. To get a replacement ring, begin by contacting Lisla Cowles at the Alumni Association, email lcowles@vmiaa.org, or call 1-800-444-1839, extension 228.
William Woodward
’92
5930 Westchester Street Alexandria, VA 22310 703/924-1844
woodyandleslie@verizon.net
Andy Tate
7 Warwick Way Stafford, VA 22554 910/554-1762 mars92@aol.com
Gentlemen, Straight to the updates, here’s the latest from your BRs: Bob Burgess writes that he “retired from the Marine Corps in December after 21 years
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