Not Pictured
Schmoll, George F.
Mather, George W.
Geary, Robert W.
Aymar, Michael A.
Kislia, Jerome D.
Sharritt, Thomas D.
Normand, Andrew L.
Batten Jr., Hugh N.
Smida Jr., William J.
Posey, Charles F.
Bingham, Everett C.
Ledbetter III, Robert L.
Chafee, Michael A.
Quandel, Charles H.
Burcal, Dennis B.
Lees, Robert B.
Rieth Jr., Joseph C.
Colin, Dennis F.
Second Regiment
Reading, Leslie J.
Company
Sixth Battalion
Diddlemeyer, Lawrence
Adams, John H.
Maclver, Robert D.
Tolmie Jr., John S.
Clontz, James H.
Carlin, Stanley E.
th
35
Mackey Jr., William A.
Dolan Jr., James E.
Willis Jr., Russell L.
Fitzgibbons, Peter J.
Kuppe, Stephen J.
35
Marshall, John R.
Drew, David O.
Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatis vestibulum. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor.
Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatis vestibulum. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor.
Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatis vestibulum. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermentum. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor.
35
Caption Left for Photo Right
1970
Barbara & John Adams, Meridian, Mississippi, 1971
Caption Right
Caption Left
Date of Death: Month 00, 2055
Caption Right for Photo Left
Cras justo odio, dapibus ac facilisis in, egestas eget quam. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Donec id elit non mi porta gravida at eget metus. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Donec sed odio dui. Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis. Praesent commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et.
Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Praesent commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et.
Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula, eget lacinia odio sem nec elit. Cras justo odio, dapibus ac facilisis in, egestas eget quam. Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. nisi erat porttitor ligula, eget lacinia odio sem nec elit.
John Howard Adams
Russell Langdon Willis Jr.
Lang and Cheryl, Ring Dance 1968
Perry Dunn’s family
Date of Death: July 17, 1998
Lang aboard USS Lucid (MSO 458), Long Beach, California, 1970
John Stratton Tolmie Jr.
My next deployment took us to Hawaii, which we still call home. I was assigned to FMFPAC (Fleet Marine Force Pacific) at Camp Smith, working in special services and was promoted to Captain.
Much of my time was spent on the courts, playing basketball for the Marine Corps. I was invited to try out for the USA Pan American basketball team at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.
I also played on a State Department team that traveled to South America. Returning to Hawaii, I began taking classes at Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station for my MBA from Pepperdine University. It was a busy year: I received my MBA, our daughter Erin was born and I resigned my commission.
When I graduated and received my commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps, I married my high school sweetheart, Linda Bailey, and we took up residence in Annapolis. There I worked for the USNA athletic department.
Prior to graduation, I had been drafted by the Atlanta Hawks basketball team, but my service obligation prevented me from playing for them.
During our summer in Annapolis, the USA basketball team practiced at navy’s facilities and invited me to work out with them. I was invited to play for their team as they traveled to Europe, but my joining them was denied by the athletic director.
At the end of the summer, I began basic training at Quantico, VA.
Following the birth of our son, John III, I deployed to Okinawa where I was assigned to First Battalion, Ninth Marines as a platoon commander.
During my tour, I traveled back to Camp Lejeune, NC, to participate in the Marine Corps basketball championships. I then returned to Okinawa to complete my tour.
William James Smida Jr.
Date of Death: February 14, 2016
Thomas Dean Sharritt
Date of Death: June 19, 2014
Help
Classmates
Contents
35th Company
My interest in the Naval Academy began in 1957 while watching the television show “Men of Annapolis.” I told my parents, “That’s the school I want to attend,” and that became my only goal.
I had earlier experienced polio that resulted in total paralysis. Over the years I worked hard to regain mobility.
My father warned that I didn’t have the strength or endurance to survive the rigors of the Academy, which motivated me to begin running and exercising.
I joined the Navy reserve as a back-up plan and looked for other ways to obtain a commission. I wrote to U.S. Representative Donald Rumsfeld, interviewed with his staff, and received an alternate nomination number around 200. My hope was that many young men would not accept their appointments.
I proceeded with the Navy reserve and qualified as a radio operator on the P-2 Neptune with VP (Patrol Squadron)-722. Another member of my squadron, Nile Kraft (’69, 22nd Company), had also applied and been accepted to the Academy, and as a result we became close friends.
I received a second nomination from Representative Rumsfeld and ultimately my acceptance.
Events
Companies
George Frederick Schmoll III
One afternoon in August 1964, I was asked to be a radio operator on a flight. I grabbed my gear and headed off to the airplane, where I met Midshipman 2/c Berkebile.
After my plebe summer when the Brigade returned, I receive a message to report to a room in Bancroft Hall. When I arrived at the room, I was greeted by then Midshipman 1/c Berkebile who spooned me on the spot.
I met a third future Academy acquaintance, Andy Scott (’69, 3rd Company), during my junior year in high school. He had been on the track team with me in Illinois and then moved to California. Imagine my amazement when I saw him at the bonfire before the Army-Navy game.
My time at the Academy was shorter than I had hoped. I woke up one morning with blindness in one eye. I reported to sick bay and was sent to Bethesda Naval Hospital for further testing. The diagnosis was demyelization of the optic nerve.
The recommendation was for separation from the military. My dreams were shattered. I needed to re-group and decide what to do with the rest of my life.
My background and experience in the enlisted Navy helped me find a technician position with Technology Incorporated in Dayton, Ohio.
The Legacy of the Class of 1969
Joseph Charles Rieth Jr.
Leslie James Reading
Charles Harry Quandel
Chuck Quandel, John Adams, Andy Normand, Bob Lees, Denny Colin,
and George Mather, February 2018
(Chuck)
Charles Fredric Posey
Vietnam 1070 Bravo Company/1st Battalion/1st Marines/1st MarDiv (L to R): Sgt. Grundsby, Platoon Guide;
1st Lt. Andrew Normand, Platoon Commander; SSgt. Cherry, Platoon Sergeant
Andrew Leon Normand Jr.
George William Mather
John Rex Marshall
Westinghouse laid me off, but the Navy came through! I was put back on active duty and served on an admiral’s staff in England during the first war in Iraq so that another aviator could be released to join the fray. Upon returning, I got down to my life’s work as a consultant on human error and quality management. Even after retirement, I was asked to consult, and I enjoyed those opportunities.
Marty and I settled in Frisco, Texas, where her daughter, Megan’s family lived, and I became a doting Grandpa.
Unfortunately, life was short, and I passed away while at the gym in June of 2016. (I always knew that working out wasn’t good for me.)
I leave behind the love of my life, Marty, my Meghan and her Megan, their families and our grandchildren.
I will miss my Naval Academy family of the 11th/35th Company and only wish that I could have been there with them for the 50th Reunion. So drink a toast to those of us who have gone before: Fred, Tom, Bob, Lang, Jerry and me.
[John’s narrative was compiled with the approval of his family by his 35th Company classmate, John Adams.]
My wife, Marty, always said I was “scary smart.” I had little trouble with the academics at the Naval Academy, and I kept a fairly low profile.
Consequently, life was pretty good and I stayed on the Dean’s List.
After graduation, however, I found that the best at the Naval Academy didn’t always get treated the best in the Fleet.
After I arrived at Flight School in Pensacola, I was absorbed into the 1969 cut-back.
It turned out that those who started flight school earlier (many with a lower class standing than mine) were already in the pipeline and were not affected.
So, one of my options was to become a Naval Flight Officer, and I rode P-3s instead of becoming a fighter pilot. Though I found it rewarding, it was not what I wanted to do, so I left active duty for the Reserves and tried my hand in the corporate world.
Marty and I were blessed with a beautiful little girl, Meghan, for whom I lived and breathed. I went to work at Westinghouse and became a die-hard Steeler fan in Pittsburgh until another curveball came my way.
Robert Duncan Maclver
(Bill)
The post-USNA odyssey of Bill and Sue began minutes after graduation. I had second choice for a chapel wedding and took the 3:00 PM time slot. We had less than 2 hours to get to the chapel. Somehow all this came to pass and the happy couple departed Annapolis before sunset.
Awaiting nuclear power training, I served temporarily on USS Volador (SS-490) and USS Sculpin (SSN-590). I finished nuclear power training in October 1970 with a new skill (nuclear engineering), a larger family (Sally Kimberly Mackey joined the crew), and a new church. Sue and I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) while in Idaho and have been active members ever since.
My first ship was USS James Madison (SSBN-627) and I made the first Poseidon deterrent patrol. William Alexander Mackey, III, was born while I was on my 3rd patrol. After 2 years and 4 patrols, I transferred to the Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631) also out of Charleston/Holy Loch.
I qualified as engineer on the Grant. Since I was pretty much doomed to perpetual sea duty as a Nuc, I resigned and joined the rapidly expanding commercial nuclear power work force. I spent the next 40 years working at about a dozen plants around the country. During this time, we had two more girls, Torrey Elizabeth Mackey and Brantly Sue Mackey.
William Alexander Mackey Jr.
I became ill in 2000 but pretty much ignored it until August 2002 when I finally went to see the doctors at the Mayo Clinic.
I learned that I had terminal liver disease and probably wouldn’t last a year unless I got a liver transplant. I was near death when I received my transplant on January 8, 2003.
Recovery took over a year. During that year, Sue and I started a business we called “Watch Me Draw.” It quickly grew to where we had teachers teaching over 500 children a week after school. Coordinating a dozen or more classes every day proved to be too much work. It did however support us for the recovery period.
We sold the Minnesota operation and my son took over the Los Angeles area. Both businesses are still in operation and have evolved and expanded considerably.
I went back to engineering and completed my working career with 4 projects. We retired in April 2014 to Lakeland, Florida, and spend our summers in Rochester, Minnesota.
After retirement, Sue and I relaxed for a season and then served a mission for our church doing genealogical and historical research. We became somewhat competent in doing genealogical research, and we are pursuing that now in our spare time.
Robert Bennett Lees
I returned to the West Coast and served as a Training Officer/Guard Officer, and eventually Executive Officer of Marine Barracks, Fallbrook (Camp Pendleton, CA).
That was followed by tours with the Casual Section of Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, and Company Officer of Infantry Training School.
Then it was off to Ft Knox again for Armor Officer Advanced Course before landing in Tallahassee, FL as an Inspector and Instructor to a Reserve Unit.
The adoption of our first son gave me pause as to what the future would bring, and I gave up my regular commission to join the Reserves.
I spent the next 13 years in Logistics, with roles as Mobile Detachment Commander and G-4 Staff of 4th Force Service Support Group (Logistics) and 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
(Weezer)
Hailing from Tulsa, OK, I came to the Naval Academy quite green, happy-go-lucky and on the wrong side as an Army rooter. (My dad served in the Army Air Corps.)
That all changed quite quickly, however. Majoring in Chemistry, I had about 3 or 4 free periods a week, so not a lot of shut-eye time either. The four years passed too quickly from my perspective now.
Upon graduation, the 60-day basket leave beckoned, so Andy Normand and I got summer jobs with the Penn Central Railroad. After working ourselves out of a job, we spent the rest of our leave touring the country in our “new” cars.
We finally checked in to Company C, Class 3-70, for Marine Training at The Basic School, Quantico, VA. While at Quantico and awaiting tank training at Ft Knox, KY, I met Charlotte Stuart Settle of Lawrenceville, VA, who was then an undergraduate at Mary Washington College.
I married her three months later. Taking her on a “honeymoon” to wonderful Ft Knox, I completed training and filled orders to the Western Pacific with 3rd Tank Battalion. We did get a real honeymoon when we got together in Hawaii a year later.
Robert Lee Ledbetter III
Upon leaving active duty, the Officers’ Christian Fellowship (OCF) recruited Bob to serve at Maranatha Mansion in Annapolis.
Two years later, he began his studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton MA. He also served on weekends as OCF staff representative at the US Coast Guard Academy.
Following graduation, Bob and Patsy moved to New London CT, where Bob served two years as full-time staff representative. During these years, they adopted two children, Corrie and Karen.
Bob gained much respect while with OCF. A member of the class of 1970 said of Bob, “I admired Bob’s leadership style….[H]e seemed to listen carefully until there was a time for him to speak, but when he had something to say, it was always spot on, clearly and authoritatively presented, and with no further need for persuasion, he let his words stand. I appreciated that, and have tried to apply his communication skill to my own leadership style.”
The Lord was then calling Bob back into the Navy as a chaplain. Needing two more years of seminary to be ordained, Bob enrolled at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary near Philadelphia.
Date of Death: October 15, 1985
Regrettably, Bob died in an operational accident on October 15, 1985. This narrative was compiled as a memorial for him by several of his classmates with the assistance of his wife.
Bob was so kind and gentle that on first blush he would seem like the plebe least likely to survive an 11th Company “tiger” plebe year.
What would have been missed at first blush was his core of steel and his rock-solid faith in his Lord Jesus Christ. He calmly withstood the rigors of the infamous 11th Company experience and emerged an admired and respected survivor.
The son of a member of the Class of 1946, Bob very well might have been the most gung-ho surface line member of our class, spending four years with the Yard Patrol Craft (YP) squadron.
He married Patsy Kelly on graduation day at Trinity Methodist Church on West Street.
He served initially on an ocean-going minesweeper (MSO) out of Charleston. He transferred to USS Luce (DLG-7) when the MSO was retired. He was next assigned to the Navy Race Relations Program in Washington DC and then to the Pentagon as Assistant Director of the Pentagon Gym.
.
Stephen James Kuppe
Date of Death: February 21, 2018
The following is taken from Jerry’s obituary which appeared in the June 2018 issue of Shipmate:
Jerry Kislia passed away on 21 February 2018 at the age of 72. He was born on 22 January 1946 in Mason City, IA, to Henry and Catherine Kislia.
Following graduation from the Naval Academy with the Class of 1969, Jerry was proud to serve his country as a Line Officer on USS Sarsfield (DD-837). He traveled the world with the Navy, including Africa, the Middle East, Mozambique, India and Italy.
Jerry left active duty as a lieutenant in Key West, FL, where the next fun-filled chapter of his life began. There, he became an avid diver and fisherman and started his family.
He went on to open Flagship Financial Services (Mortgage Company) in 1989, a successful company of 28 years. During his career, he served as the president of the Mortgage Bankers Association for more than a decade. As a leader, he had excellent vision and poise.
He was calm and logical with a keen ability to always keep Flagship and the Flagship family on an even keel. He was a mentor to many in the company and the industry and had a positive impact on many people’s careers and lives.
Jerry Kislia
Jerome Dean Kislia
Robert William Geary
Peter James Fitzgibbons
David Otis Drew
I remember thinking at the time that this was like something out of the middle ages. I was surprised that people in this day and age could treat other people the way we were treated. I decided this wasn’t for me and I was going to quit.
When I told this to the only other person there from my high school, he had a peculiar response. He asked if I had ever seen a college football game. When I said no, he suggested I stay through the weekend and watch the game. I could quit next week. Again, I said “Ok.”
To shorten the story, by the time football season was over, I decided I might as well stay.
So, while I owe it to my high school guidance counselor for getting me into the Naval Academy, I owe it to the Navy football team for the fact that I stayed. To this day, I maintain a strong relationship with the football team. I have had season tickets for the last 34 years, and I have no plans to give them up.
While at the Academy, I was exposed to many things I might never have experienced elsewhere. For instance, if you add my travels during second-class and first-class summers, I had been on both sides of both oceans in the period of 14 months. Where else could I have done that? “Join the Navy to see the world,” and I did.
My relationship with the Naval Academy began in 1962 with a required 10-minute visit to my guidance counselor during my sophomore year in high school. He had a form to fill out. One of the blanks on the form was for “college preference.” I was the oldest child from a family with no college backgrounds so that question had never come up. The counselor, knowing my father had been in the Navy, suggested the U. S. Naval Academy and I said, “Ok.” That gave me an answer any time someone would ask my college preference. People would then suggest I take certain courses, and I’d simply say, “Ok.”
During my junior year of high school, my response to that question elicited a very interesting suggestion, that I join the Naval Reserve, and again I said, ‘Ok.” My application to the Naval Academy amounted to a stop in the reserve center personnel office where I filled out a 5” by 7” card. After that, I simply completed forms that were sent to me and went to appointments that were scheduled for me. My admission to the Naval Academy came from the “List of Qualified Alternates and Competitors.”
Plebe summer seemed unremarkable and was not unlike the boot camp I had attended between my junior and senior years of high school. The academic year was another story entirely. With the Brigade back and the plebes outnumbered 3-to-1, life became very difficult.
James Edward Dolan Jr.
Good times and good friends remembered: George Mather, Fred Posey (deceased),
Jerry Kislia (deceased), and Jim Dolan, June Week 1969
(Larry)
Lawrence Florian Diddlemeyer
Joanne and I spent my leave time after graduation searching for a house in Virginia to be near my first assignment.
I had been ordered to a destroyer that ended up on the decommissioning list, and new orders were issued for a ship in Yokosuka, Japan.
So off I went while my wife returned to Boston. Following this tour, I spent a year in language school prior to reporting to Chau Doc, Vietnam, as the riverine maintenance advisor.
After suffering a leg injury in a firefight, I was evacuated to the Chelsea Naval Hospital and six months of limited duty.
The orders that followed my return to full duty sent me to another destroyer, two fleet oilers, a squadron Chief Staff Officer job, new construction XO, group Chief of Staff and, finally, an Oiler Commanding Officer tour.
The CO tour was a distinct pleasure as I was selected to command the first combat ship in the Navy to have female sailors as one third of my permanent crew.
A successful trip to Guantanamo for refresher training and a Mediterranean tour made for a very satisfying assignment.
Larry Diddlemeyer: What I do since leaving the Navy
Maureen and I have been together going on 56 years, starting when I was in 10th grade. We have three married children and seven grandchildren who are the love of our lives.
After graduation, we moved to Athens, GA for Supply Corps School. Upon completion I was assigned to the USS Courtney (DE-1021) in Newport, RI. We arrived in January, 1970, and were told we were going into the shipyard to be fitted with a towed array and space for a Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) crew.
Upon completion our homeport would be Naples, Italy, where we would be tracking Russian Yankee class submarines. We moved four times in the space of one year.
As the Supply Officer, I had responsibility for supplying parts and provisions, feeding the crew, disbursing salaries and funds in four different currencies, and running the ship’s store.
I had about 36 men in my department. I also was a qualified OOD underway and stood the midnight watch every night. Our classmate Chuck McKeldin was also on board, which helped, and because we spent a lot of time at sea, all the officers and their spouses became very close.
Dennis Francis Colin
The Naval Academy gave me a leg up on my peers from OCS and ROTC in managing a diverse group in a hectic environment, but they all came up to speed quickly.
After two years in the Mediterranean, I was transferred to Naval Ship Systems Command (NAVSHIPS) in Washington DC to work on contracts for the 688-class and Trident Submarines.
I worked with a number of very senior submarine officers who were neither patient nor understanding. It was kind of like being a plebe again, but I gained their confidence relatively quickly. This was my last tour in the active Navy, and I joined IBM Federal Systems in June 1974.
After I became a civilian, we established roots in northern Virginia. I coached a number of sports, became active in my church and started networking with a number of classmates and fellow USNA graduates.
With three young children, Maureen became active with educating them and caring for their needs.
We always kept our relationships with our classmates very close, and often had the likes of Tom McKeon and Jack Gantley over for weekends.
James Herman Clontz
Michael Arthur Chafee
Mike Chafee working on his “guns”
(Mike)
My senior year in high school I applied to my local congressman, Honorable Sam Devine, for an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Some weeks later, with about 50 others, I took a Civil Service exam. Many weeks later, the Congressman’s office called to say that I would be a third-alternate for appointment to the Air Force Academy but he could offer me a primary appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.
I knew from “Men of Annapolis” that the Naval Academy had a reputation for academic excellence. A third-alternate sounded like a stressful way to end my high school career, so I chose the appointment to the Naval Academy.
I had absolutely no idea what the Navy was all about, other than as portrayed in World War II history books. I had read Guadalcanal Diary, so I was familiar with the Japanese Navy as it bombarded Henderson Field.
Many years later I learned that my father, Earl V. Carlin, had been there during some of those bombardments. I knew from seeing his photo albums while growing up that he had served in New Caledonia and Bougainville, and that he was an Army Ordnance Officer.
I had for years thought that the “Canal” was entirely a Marine Corps show.
Stanley Earl Carlin
First Lieutenants Vic and Stan Carlin, USMC
Hill 34, DaNang, South Vietnam, 1970-1971
(Stan)
Dennis Bruce Burcal
Everett Curtis Bingham
Hugh Nash Batten Jr.
I then took my new wife to Lemoore Naval Air Station, CA, for training. I first received instrument training in the TA-4, followed by the A-7 Corsair II with Attack Squadron (VA)-122. It was an incredible airplane. Admittedly, the A-7 is neither the most beautiful nor the fastest plane in the Navy’s arsenal, but its cutting-edge technology was impressive.
Next, I reported to USS Constellation (CVA-64). I was ordered to join the VA-147 Argonauts on Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. Shortly I found myself overnight in Danang, waiting to catch the Carrier Onboard Delivery to the Constellation. There I was exposed first hand to this new world that I would be immersed in for the next few years. Randy “Duke” Cunningham and “Drifty” Driscoll, from my new air-wing, had just become the 1st pure Vietnam Aces before they were shot down. The reality of my mission and the risks involved were now clear.
On my second day aboard, my Commanding Officer was shot down and fortunately was rescued. The third day I flew my first mission (an Alfa Strike). I subsequently had two more combat deployments with over 240 carrier landings including 90 during nighttime. My tour included an assignment as the Squadron Safety Officer and I enjoyed my stint as a Landing Signal Officer. The Squadron, the Ship, and the Navy forever molded me into the man I am today.
We had recently moved from San Diego to Montgomery County after my father’s return from the Gulf of Tonkin in the summer of 1964. He was a career naval officer whose service began as a fighter pilot in the Pacific theater during World War II. My mother was a WAVE during the War, and my grandfather had enlisted in the Navy at 14, joining the Great China Fleet.
My father and I were returning from running some errands that fall when I asked him if he thought I could get into the Naval Academy. So surprised that I would ask, he almost drove off the road. I was fortunate to get an appointment and joined my fellow 11th Company Tigers to start the incredible odyssey the next four years provided all of us. We were Tiger Company and we were tuff (and proud of it).
I grew up loving the idea of flying. I built every model plane I could get my hands on. Upon graduating from Navy, I was fortunate to be sent to Pensacola for flight school. When I got my Wings of Gold, my orders were to join the Pacific fleet to fly the A-7E, Corsair II.
Before formally joining my squadron, I went to Seattle Washington for a 3-week stint recruiting for Naval Air at the University of Washington. I didn’t recruit any future pilots, but I did manage to recruit my future wife (Cathleen). Three months later we were married.
Michael Arthur Aymar
I arrived at Navy thinking that it would be a challenge, but after the summer was over, I was totally unprepared for the unrelenting assault on my body and mind.
Believe it or not, I had a come around with a Firstie on Graduation Day. Who would think that a person graduating on that very day would still be intent upon making the life of a Plebe miserable? The only reason I survived Plebe Year academically was because I was in the hospital with a baseball injury during final exams. There is no way I would have passed the Chemistry exam.
I have read the things that my classmates have written about all the good times they had in and around Bancroft Hall during Plebe Year and said to myself, “What school did they attend?”
Subsequent years were better. I formed an unbreakable bond with classmates in my company, and I became a very average and invisible member of the Brigade.
I graduated in the lower third of the class and chose Naval Air, flying the A-6 off the USS Ranger during the final years of the Vietnam conflict.
Upon ejecting from two different aircraft, I figured Someone was trying to tell me that carrier aviation wasn’t healthy.
After I left active duty, I served in several capacities in the reserves. Most of those had to do with an A-6 Intermediate Maintenance Unit at Whidbey Island, WA where I was eventually the XO.
There was also an interesting stint with the Intelligence community in Monterey, CA, and for the last few years I drilled full time with the Blue and Gold until retirement.
Concurrently, I obtained my MBA in Management from the University of Portland, and served as a Mechanical Engineer, Engineering Manager, Major Project Manager and Division Manager in the pulp and paper industry.
I left the paper industry to join a consulting firm specializing in the analysis of human error and found that the selling business was not my forte. I looked for “real work” for about a year, and drove long haul truck while I was searching.
My final job before fully retiring was working at the pleasure of the Governor of New Mexico building public schools on the Navajo and Zuni Indian Reservations.
Other than flying high-performance jets, that was the most satisfying work I ever performed. “Good things come to those who wait.”
My classmates in my company and I did not have a plebe year with many good memories, and it haunted many of us until graduation.
All we had was one another, and some of the time, that was not enough. Our genius classmates had enough time to deal with it. Those of us who struggled academically had all we could do to keep our heads above water.
I am proud to have graduated from the Naval Academy. I think it is one of my greatest accomplishments.
The discipline and tenacity I learned allowed me to be successful and retire early, travel the world and live comfortably.
I will always be thankful for that, but I will always feel I missed so much that academy life had to offer.
Barbara and I met when I was a 2nd Classman.
Since the destroyer to which I was assigned during 1st Class cruise got into a collision at sea the third day out, I spent that summer in the Baltimore Dry Docks and she just happened to live in Baltimore!
We were married after she graduated from Towson State University in January of 1970, and we have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and six grandkids.
I couldn’t get my sons or any of the grandchildren interested in the Naval Academy, therefore we are part owners of the University of Washington, and that is where the grandkids have their sights set as well.
We retired in 2009 and have traveled extensively, cruising on oceans and rivers, trekking through South America, the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, and totally relaxing in Hawaii.
The bucket list includes South Africa, Greece, China, and most anywhere else that the ugly American is welcomed.
There is not a day that goes by without me thinking about the Naval Academy.
Barbara and John Adams, Sacred Valley, Peru, 2017
The John & Barbara Adams Family, at the Hale Koa, Oahu HI, June 2018
At the end of my assignment to VA-147 (the Argonauts), I faced perhaps one of the most difficult decisions of my life. I had orders to Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey CA, for a Masters in Operations Research.
I really wanted this program, but I knew this was a decision that would commit me to a career in the Navy. I had been away and in combat during the vast majority of my first three-and-a-half years of marriage. After much soul-searching, I decided to join the civilian world. (I felt like I’d spent “all me bloomin’ life” in the Navy, first as a Navy Junior, then at USNA and finally as an Officer and Gentlemen.)
Cathleen and I had scripted my first job—a Fortune 50 Company involved in manufacturing and consumer products located in a town of 50,000, with a university. In satisfaction of all these requirements, I joined Procter and Gamble as a Manager/Engineer in Cape Girardeau MO. My experience at P&G was all I had hoped for.
I got my first taste of consulting, managed the start-up of a new product, and gained great experience. My tenure at P & G also whetted my appetite for a possible career in consulting.
During our time in Cape Girardeau, Cathy and I had 3 children, 2 boys and a girl, and I picked up my MBA.
Cathy and Hugh Batten, while Hugh was with Attack Squadron (VA)-147
Our next adventure started with joining KSA, an international consulting firm. (The interview in the Empire State Building sold me on the position.)
Our family spent the next ten years in the consulting business and I became a partner in the firm. After many projects and a number of moves, we ended up back in my “true” home, Southern California, where I served as a general manager with one of my former clients. After that, I enjoyed a 10-year tour as a senior exec with 1,000 employees and 5 factories. I loved it.
My last 11 years working before retirement were some of the most rewarding. I accepted a position teaching physics at the local high school, coached the Academic Decathlon Team, and later coached Swimming and Water Polo teams.
Our three children all benefited tremendously from my knowledge and experiences accumulated while in the Navy.
All three went to great schools, played college sports and graduated in 4 years. We now have an attorney, a USNA Class-of-2000 graduate, and a Civil Engineer. Cathy and I also have 7 wonderful grandchildren and have now been married for 47 wonderful years. All this, I believe to be truly based upon a Navy Foundation.
USS Constellation
John Adams, Bob Lees, Stan Carlin, Meghan Marshall, Chuck Quandel, Marty Marshall, Hugh Batten, Barbara Adams, and Bill Mackey gather at a memorial service for John Marshall, 2016
35th Company classmates at 35th Reunion in 2004: (seated, L to R) Bob Lees, Steve Kuppe, Pete Rieth, Hugh Batten, Dave Drew, Stan Carlin, Denny Colin; (standing) John Marshall, John Tolmie, John Adams, Larry Diddlemeyer, Andy Normand and Chuck Quandel
My five years in the U.S Marine Corps proved to be some of the best years of my life. They didn’t promise a Rose Garden, and they lived up to their word. My significant shortcoming was sticking an M-48A3 tank in a rice paddy in Vietnam. We bellied down with one track lower than the other, so gravity pulled the back of my turret around until my 90-mm cannon was pointing at the moon. We spent the night, with a platoon of cooks as security.
After the war and stints at Marine Barracks, Panama, and 2nd Air/Naval Gunfire Liaison Company at Camp Lejeune, NC, I made another monumental choice with huge consequences.
I threw nine years down the drain and resigned from the Corps because I wanted to “be my own boss.” I quickly discovered that selling hospital supplies had about the same satisfaction as Youngster Year at the Academy, with no graduation in sight.
In search of fulfillment, I opted to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Both of my grandparents were farmers and raised sheep, cows, and pigs, so it seemed a good fit. Some ghosts from the Academy came back to haunt me, however. Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine was not impressed with my “D” in Thermodynamics at the Academy. I
In June of 1965, some arbitrary stack of IBM punch cards assigned me to be an Eleventh Company Tiger. Oh my goodness, the dire consequences of selecting the Naval Academy became rapidly apparent! I immediately held the Navy responsible for this 11th Company madness.
I floundered for the first two years at the Academy, calling home about once a week and telling my Dad that I was quitting. He always firmly replied that “quitting is not an option,” and he meant it! I only survived those first two years due to my Dad’s strong will, which he somehow transmitted to me over the phone lines.
As for Plebe Year academics, I knew I was in trouble when I answered a Firsty’s question about grades that I was getting C’s. He told me that was too high and proved it in subsequent months. Again, I blamed my circumstances on the Navy instead of my choices.
Second Class Summer found all of us taking two-week visits to see various areas of the Navy, such as Destroyers, Naval Aviation, Submarines, and Amphibious ships. The visit to the Amphibious Navy re-introduced me to the U.S. Marine Corps. The future all of a sudden looked bright again. My new goal was to become a Marine. This led to three weeks of training at the U.S. Army Parachute School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Neat stuff!
I launched a 3-year career as an “irregular graduate student,” starting with Biology 101 and the goal of getting as many “A’s” as possible to bring my GPA up to veterinary college standards. After 3 years of applying, I was accepted to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.
What a day that was! I was exuberant and patted myself on the back, never thanking my parents for their steadfast support or the Lord Jesus for giving me the skills required for entrance.
Four quick years later, I became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and the sky became the limit, but I again didn’t thank the Lord Jesus for blessing my life. Now, I daily recognize Jesus (Yeshua) as my Lord and Savior!
It turns out that our classmate Bob Ledbetter was a light shining for Jesus all those years ago. Speaking of blessings, our Lord has graciously shared with me my wonderful wife of 26 years, Tricia, and our daughter Miriam (aka MiMi). The only missing blessings are grandchildren! We are envious of you classmates who started families sooner. Tricia had a long, productive career in the Foreign Language Department at the University of Central Arkansas, and she recently has joined ICP (Didache Institutes) and participates with them in Missions to Ecuador.
I believe that a close personal relationship with Jesus is possible for all of us. I have made a decision for Jesus, and others can too. Our eternal future depends upon making a decision for Jesus!
Pride and fame, money and real estate, all that this world offers, will not be of service to our Creator. He asks that we come before Him humbly, fall down at His feet, and acknowledge Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. His death on a Roman cross paid God for all of our sins and for all those years of running our lives our own way. His resurrection to life proves that Jesus is our Messiah, our Creator, and our God! I recommend reading Lee Strobel’s The Case for Easter, a Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection.
May our Lord bless you as His Holy Spirit gives you the wherewithal to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Make your choice today! Remember, choices have consequences, and a decision for Jesus will be the best choice you will ever make!
(Standing) Stan’s mother, Mim Carlin; Stan; parents-in-law, Emma Lou and Bill Hamilton; Tricia Hamilton Carlin (blue jacket); (Seated) Stan’s father, Earl Carlin, with dog Freckles and Stan and Tricia’s daughter, Mimi
Stan’s daughter MiMi, wife Tricia, Stan Carlin, mother Mim Carlin, father Earl Carlin,
sister-in-law Sofia Carlin, and twin brother Vic Carlin
As I sit here contemplating the last five decades, I realize that my main goal in life was and is to be a well-respected man. As I now enter my last decade or so, I achieved that goal. My Academy experience was a double-edged sword. We had the misfortune of landing in a company with a brutally sadistic group of first classmen. This was totally at odds with the honorable image portrayed by the Naval Academy, and it has haunted me and many of my company mates to this day. But boy did we have some fun. Who could be enthused about marching in 100-degree heat?
At the Academy I spread myself thin, devoting as much time as possible to promoting the popular music opportunities available to the Brigade. God gave me an extreme dose of musical talent and appreciation, and those gifts have been the major contributor in my life.
This destiny became evident early during plebe year. We marched everywhere as a platoon and sang marching songs to keep cadence. After a few days of this, when we had all learned the songs (Whiskey, Whiskey…), I became bored with just the melody and started adding a harmony part. Some guys around me joined the harmony. Before long, the middle of the platoon was singing harmony to all the songs. Pretty soon the second-classmen in charge of us, Garth Van Sickle and Elmer Halley, noticed we were sounding good.
They asked me if I could improvise a 2nd harmony for each song. I said yes, so they moved me to the back. Once again those around me picked up the new part. Soon we sounded like a glee club singing all our marching songs in three-part harmony.
One day we were marching when the Academy Superintendent drove by in his convertible. As we approached him, he slowed down and started grinning. He stopped the platoon and congratulated us for the great sound.
Academy-originated rock-and-roll bands in 1965 were limited to the “Spiffies.” It took a lot of persuasion, but Fred Posey, Bennie Hicks, Gary Fishman, Charlie O’Neill and I managed to challenge the powers that be and were able to start a brand-new band.
When “The Bitter Ends,” took the stage they could not be denied. And by the time 1st Class year rolled around, I was asked to manage all 4 rock-and-roll bands.
In the end, I wound up spreading myself too thin by fifteen-thousandths of a QPR point, resulting in a 1.985 QPR, and did not graduate. This was certainly a big hit to my self-respect. Ironically, if it weren’t for this serendipitous event, I would not have achieved my true destiny.
However, the beat went on. I settled in Dayton, Ohio, moving in with Tom Sharritt and began working in corporate America. I also joined a band with classmate Jim Todd’s brother, Billy.
I subsequently became a full-time musician and fronted bands. While this was fun and exciting for a young single guy, it had no future and I knew this.
I decided to do something with more of a future to it. I got a job as a manufacturer’s rep. I had little money, but a lot of ambition and energy.
My friend Mark Fraze gave me a band station wagon, my dad gave me a sleeping bag, and my grandparents gave me $200! I went on the road on the east coast representing top of the line electro-acoustical manufacturers.
This was a great time to be in the electro-acoustical business since the digital revolution was exploding everywhere.
It was particularly profound in the acoustic world. Despite my low QPR, I had been exposed to more technology at the boat school than any other musician I knew, and I had exceptionally good hearing for identifying problems with sound systems.
The most important event of my life occurred while I was making a sales call. I met my future wife Carole Lancer while doing business at her father’s music store. We both knew we were meeting our future. She was beautiful, witty, strong-willed, smart, and she made it plain that she wanted me. We had a wonderful ride for 40 years; our love and commitment pulled us through when times got tough. She died in my arms two years ago. I will never get over it, but I am healing.
People were good to me in business. The basic morality and business sense my parents taught me, along with my complex experiences at the Academy, stood me in good stead. I am known by many as “The Legend.” I became one of the most sought after acoustic engineers for those who wanted the ultimate acoustical experience. I tuned the audio and acoustic designs of concert halls all over the country. My little company in Florida had more work than it could handle. I was never an empire builder but had a rewarding career. I always had a tremendous staff working with me, and still do. This work paid the bills and provided for a good retirement.
What did I get from the Academy? The ability to multitask with dogged persistence; the Navy Hymn; the True Gentlemen; the crypt of John Paul Jones (“Give me a fast ship, for I intend to sail in harm's way”); and most importantly, my friends.
Mike Chafee surrounded by some friends
We now have a college professor, a lawyer, and a genetic counselor in the family, and their spouses are equally successful.
Many of our closest friends from the Academy have similar stories, and I believe that duty, honor, and commitment shaped much of what our children learned through example from us.
My career with IBM progressed and I started managing large Submarine Programs, ultimately taking over responsibility for all Anti-Submarine Warfare programs and all Navy Programs.
I spent a lot of time at various bases and networked with a good number of graduates, many of whom became very close friends.
I can’t overestimate the effect that networking with Academy graduates (including from West Point and Air Force) had on my career. IBM Federal Systems was acquired by Loral Corporation, and Loral by Lockheed Martin. I retired in 2004 after 30 years, and went to work for a small consulting company.
I fully retired in 2016.
As our children were growing up, Maureen and I were very much involved in their activities. I coached 14 years of lacrosse, soccer, and wrestling.
Jim Niehus (’68) and Dick Scott (’67) coached with me and a number of my players went on to the Naval Academy. We were involved in all aspects of managing these teams, and Maureen often car-pooled our youngest to 5 a.m. swimming practice.
Working closely with civilian firms, I was hired by USAA insurance company two days after retiring and given the task of establishing a USAA military affairs department for the eastern US and Europe.
Additionally, I volunteered to work for the USAA Educational Foundation and taught financial management at more than sixty ROTC colleges and at West Point and the Naval Academy.
I retired after fifteen years with USAA and am happily pursuing a life of travel and fishing with my bride of 49 years. With 3 houses on the water, maintenance and repairs keep me busy and out of trouble while enjoying life!
--Larry Diddlemeyer, Captain, USN (Ret)
The follow-on job was a major command at the Military Sealift Command Far East in Yokohama, Japan. It proved to be my best job ever, and it was followed by my worst job: Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Naval Base Norfolk/Navy Mid Atlantic Region.
Long hours were the norm, but while at the Naval Base I was often tasked with meet-and-greets and official Navy representation at numerous official government and military functions.
The job in Norfolk closed with my retirement after thirty years of active duty. All was not lost in Norfolk, however. As I struggled through hurricane sorties and sailors in jail, our only child, Lisa, graduated from college. She is currently the Senior Director of Operations for all the USOs in the United States.
I chose to go to Navy for all the wrong reasons. I wanted a scholarship and to participate in Division 1 athletics. Service to country was not on my radar at age 17, but that soon changed.
What I learned at USNA was Non Sibi (not for self), personal honor, perseverance, the importance of lifelong friends and along the way a few academic subjects.
I cannot say I realized on graduation what I learned at Navy would have lifelong impact, but it certainly has. I am very happy that, like so many midshipmen, I only contemplated withdrawing but stayed with it.
USNA provided the foundation, but the Navy, and in particular surface warfare, taught me the difference between leadership and management, the value of a human life and the dignity of all associates, no matter the pay grade.
The Navy also showed me that hard work and persistence will be rewarded.
Since leaving the Navy in 1977, I worked for a series of large and medium sized companies. The most recent is Schramm Inc., a Pennsylvania manufacturing company, from which I have retired twice and hopefully will a third time in 2018.
Along the way I found that what I loved about the Navy, working with people to get a job done and being held accountable for my actions, is what I enjoy in civilian life.
I believe the lessons learned at USNA and in the military provided a base from which to build, helping me to assume ever increasing leadership roles.
I often remind my co-workers that timely decisions are crucial to leadership and now realize how easy a business decision can be after having to place another person in harm’s way.
I have also observed that the Naval Academy is a great place to be graduated from, opening doors along the way.
On the personal side, after 30 years of marriage to Jane, my closest friend and partner, I hope that we can continue to learn and provide our four children and nine grandchildren a good example of how to conduct their lives.
More than slightly used, but still functional, Jane & Jim Dolan, Machu Pichu 2017
David Drew in his favorite Navy uniform
before leaving USNA
Sandra and our only worldly possession, the car,
as we began life after the Academy
The midshipmen we sponsored have come from all walks of life and from all over the U.S.
Although they were all midshipmen, they were also all unique individuals. Likewise, our relationships with them and their families have all been unique. Many remain close and stop by whenever they are in town.
We have been to winging ceremonies, changes of command and weddings. They continue to keep us engaged and involved.
We have tried to retire from sponsoring midshipmen, but when asked by families if we would sponsor a specific midshipman, we continue to say, “Ok.” The relationship continues.
The next chapter in my relationship with the Naval Academy began in 1985, when my detailer sent me back to USNA as an instructor.
It was what they call a “payback tour.” Since the Navy put me through graduate school in Monterey, CA, I owed them a tour requiring the use of my degree. As an aside, going to graduate school on the Navy’s nickel while earning my Navy salary is probably the best deal I’ve ever gotten.
The degree from Monterey is largely responsible for the size of the pension check I get from Northrop Grumman every month. But, that’s another career and another story.
During that second career, my wife Sandra and I remained in our home in Annapolis. Over the years, we have sponsored nearly 50 midshipmen. And while our direct sponsorship totaled almost 50, they all had friends and roommates. We have had the entire wrestling team in our home, as well as the entire brigade staff.
Sandra and our only worldly possession, the car, as we began life after the Academy
Our daughter Donielle, her husband James Borghardt, and their children Addalyn, MacCallum,
Emerson and Gareth; next, the tall one is Thadeus Triandos, then Sandra and Davd Drew,
Ari Triandos, our daughter Dominique and her husband Nick Triandos
As a friend, Jerry was quick-witted and generally the life of the party. To him, life was a celebration. Many of us experienced this through his love of rock and roll.
Anyone who knew Jerry can recall a spirited music moment including, but not limited to, rushing the stage, air guitar, boogying down or belting out his favorite lyrics at full volume.
He always loved a crowd and could often be found inciting a joyous riot in Section 101 of Dolphin Stadium. The wild waiving of his arms orchestrated many a “wave” at the games.
Jerry had a passion for adventure and love of nature. Family vacations consisted of setting sail with a compass, fishing rods and a Hawaiian sling (spear).
He navigated the Islands of the Bahamas with his family, living off the sea and enjoying the beauty of the ocean.
He always said his greatest joy was his family.
This was evident in the way he lived. He was a loving husband and father. Most of his free time was spent
with his wife, three daughters and his seven grandkids. He will be truly missed.
Jerry and Chris Kislia in 2017
Jerry Kislia and his “girls,” circa 2000
Everyone was secured to the berthing, so the ship’s crew could respond and head counts could be made. There was a long silence and a large dismay when company CO broke the news.…
-Respectfully, Robert Knight.”
One of the men in the Battalion had woken up ill that morning and at the last minute the Lieutenant asked Bob if he wanted to go. Of course he hopped right in.
The helicopter sank in 50 feet of ocean. He drowned on the way to the surface. The details of Bob’s death are as important as a life lived in consistent devotion to God. He studied God’s word and put into practice the things that he learned. He obeyed God’s calling in big and little things.
Bob was willing to lay down his life for his friends knowing that his life is always in God’s hands.
His funeral took place at his parents’ church in Norfolk, and he is buried in the Veterans’ Cemetery in Hampton VA. He was a great classmate who faced many trials with grace, fortitude and character. He is a credit to his family, his Class, the Navy, the Chaplain Corps, his faith and his country. By such men our country has been sustained.
His time as a chaplain was short but impactful. An unsolicited e-mail regarding Chaplain Bob said this about him:
“[In October, 1985,] I was a young Lance Corporal on the USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7)…. [E]veryone in my company had huge respect for [Chaplain Ledbetter]. He never wanted to be left out…. [E]ven the worst situation, or the hardest training, he was there for us.
He could do 15 miles with a pack ... [and] he would go to the field to be with us. I believe he was every ounce a Marine as we were. Our battalion was training to be the first Special Operations Capable Marine Amphibious Unit. To put that in perspective, [the training involved] armored beach assaults, with AMTRACS [amphibious tracked vehicles], Helicopter Fast rope assaults, rubber raft insertions, urban warfare, forced marches, [and] night fighting, some of the hardest training Marines do….
The morning of the crash was no different.
There was a training predawn assault. Our Chaplain wanted to be with us, I’m not sure if he originally planned to go, or not. He changed helicopter sticks to be on the stick with the lay leader…. My fire team was bumped off the stick. We were discussing the newer landing spot when we heard the noise and alarms.
As a civilian, a job with the DuPont Company came first, then running a wood lamination plant in Orlando, FL.
I next spent ten years with Merrill Lynch in the Private Client Group, during which time Charlotte gave birth to our second son before I got called up for Desert Storm.
A few years later I found opportunities in the entrepreneurial realm ranging from public relations to several startups. All were unsuccessful, but “we learned a lot, comm sucked, and air was late.”
The time spent at the Academy, although hard and demanding (particularly as an 11th Company Tiger for plebe and youngster years), gave me a strong sense of pride and camaraderie.
These stood me in good stead throughout all facets of life’s journey. I’m currently trying to be retired but startups still beckon.
I spend a goodly amount of time with my church (where Charlotte works), on mission trips, and looking after my Mom.
We still live in Delray Beach, FL, and have one son living in Jacksonville with his wife and daughter, and the other, still single, in Anchorage, AK.
I also hope that the remarkable graduation rates (82.3% for the class of 2015 versus our 66.2%) are a good thing and not a reflection of lower standards.
Navy Seals don’t tout their training program’s high retention rate.
When I reflect on my 8 deterrent patrols and one Special Operation, I can remember only one lapse in professionalism. That lapse was dealt with immediately and strictly at 5 different levels of command and administration. Nothing like it ever happened again.
I have often said that there is no greater example of teamwork than an aircraft carrier conducting flight ops or a submarine crew doing a passive sonar attack on another submerged target.
Each involves a team of dozens of folks who know exactly what to do and what is expected of them. They also know that any momentary lapses can result in death or loss of the ship. When I read about collisions being caused by people not understanding how to use radar, I am staggered. This isn’t the Navy I was a part of. Nevertheless, no matter what the causes, I know the Navy will find and correct them.
Sue and I raised our family all over the country from one project to another. We have 15 grandchildren, ranging in age from a year-and-a-half to 27 years old.
Hopefully, great-grandchildren are not too far down the road. We have one grandson at the (sigh) Air Force Academy who will graduate in 2019, 50 years after my graduation.
Looking back over 50 years, it is obvious that the Naval Academy has been an important influence in my life, my parents and wife being the most important.
Plebe year harshly taught me how to get along with various personality types and could not have happened any other way for me. The bond between my company classmates is remarkable. The bond with my classmates is similar, but different due to the different degree of intimacy. The bond with fellow grads and non-grads is also striking.
I watch with concern as the Navy undergoes changes. I hope that the highly publicized recent lapses in professionalism and seamanship in the fleet are more due to fiscal strains than to fundamental deficiencies in selection, indoctrination, motivation, training and leadership at the base level.
A partial gathering of the Mackey family, Lakeland Florida, 2016:
(Standing) daughter Brantly Mackey Seawright; Bill Mackey; granddaughter Amaya Seawright; wife Sue Mackey; daughter-in-law Janice Mackey; son William A. Mackey, III; and son-in-law Jabbar Seawright: (Seated) daughter Torrey Mackey Olsen; grandsons, Nathan Olsen, Parker Seawright, William A. Mackey, IV, and Spencer Mackey
John’s daughter Meghan and John Marshall in 2009
John Marshall, wife Marty and granddaughter Vivian, 2013
The Marshall family in 2006: daughter Meghan, John and Marty, Marty’s daughter Megan Saucedo,
and Megan’s husband Angelo (standing)
I spent the next eight years moving from Quantico to Pendleton to Norfolk and back to Quantico where I resigned my commission and became a civilian on 1 April 1981, April Fool’s Day!
On my first short tour at Camp Pendleton I met Cassandra, the lady who was to eventually become my wife a few years later.
We had two beautiful children together who somehow managed to be born on the same date three years apart, which is quite convenient for scheduling the birthday parties. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last.
My first job in the civilian sector was as Project Manager on a contract with the Department of State upgrading electronic security systems in all American Embassies.
Having graduated with a General Engineering degree, I crafted my resume to read Electrical Engineer (what the position required), so I stretched the truth a bit.
I learned enough engineering at the Academy and had the “I can do anything” attitude from the Marine Corps to allow me to impress my boss and keep my job.
Thus I started my career in the electronic security field.
I was introduced to the Naval Academy when I was 6 years old. When I entered first grade, my brother entered the Academy. At that impressionable age, I saw blue uniforms and brass buttons and decided I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
Twelve years later on 30 June 1965, I reported to the Academy and began my struggle toward graduation. I barely made it. The rigors of the 11th Company interfered with my academic endeavors and I was actually dismissed by the Academic Board at the end of plebe year.
Lieutenant Lou Thames, 11th Company Officer, went to bat for me, and I was reinstated. I don’t know what he said, but he was able to convince the board that I was salvageable.
After graduation, I took the oath of office and became a 2nd Lieutenant in the USMC as an infantry officer. As was the career path at the time, I reported to Quantico for Basic School before being sent to Camp Pendleton for staging prior to going to Vietnam.
After humping the hills and wading through the rice paddies for 10 months, Camp Pendleton was again my home for a brief period before reporting to…you guessed it, Quantico, Virginia.
I recall writing home during plebe summer expressing my amazement at how much we accomplished in a given day. Organization is one thing that began at the Academy and was emphasized in the Marine Corps.
To this day, my hanging locker is organized with short sleeved shirts, then long sleeved shirts, then trousers, all on hangers a finger width apart and all facing the same direction. My skivvies and t-shirts are folded dress edge out, same with my sheets and towels.
The importance of being on time was also drilled into us. If we were a few seconds late, we were placed on report.
In any aspect of service life, if you are not at the appointed place on time, your team suffers. After 16 years of being on or ahead of time, I find it difficult to let my teammates down, whoever they may be. I am always early.
An unfortunate aspect of Academy life, however, during our time there was that leadership was through punishment for doing something wrong instead of providing guidance in how to do things correctly. I feel we could have learned much more through more positive leadership role models.
Do I regret having gone through it? Not one minute.
I spent the rest of my working days designing, installing and managing projects and programs at sites like the Pentagon; US Army Group in Stuttgart, Germany; US Air Forces Europe in Ramstein; nuclear weapons storage site at Kings Bay, Georgia; New London Sub Base; and Special Ops Training Facility in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
In 2000 and for five years, I supported the Defense Threat Reduction Center as a contractor assisting the Former Soviet Union secure and destroy its weapons of mass destruction, a very interesting and rewarding experience.
I visited Russia 32 times during that period and got to see sights from Moscow to Siberia. February is not the best time of year to visit Siberia! The math and engineering curriculum at USNA taught me a logical thinking process which was essential in the field I chose to enter after the Marine Corps
What do I recall about the Academy? Being assigned to 11th Company gave us the opportunity to face the harshest plebe year (which extended into June Week), and it certainly made us a tight knit group. During the remainder of the four years, I was so busy trying to keep my head above water that I didn’t see much beyond what was immediately in front of me.
Salzburg Austria, New Years Eve 2006-2007: Pam Ramberg, Andy Normand
Paul Perra and Andy Normand aboard the USS Constitution for the Vietnam Veterans Appreciation Cruise 2018
In the 1960’s, the Naval Academy recruited many football players from the hard coal region of Eastern Pennsylvania. In fact, Rip Miller, the famed Athletic Director at the time, stayed several weeks in Pottsville, PA, during the year to personally recruit players, getting them to enlist in the Naval Reserve. He also facilitated enrollment at either Bullis Prep or the Navy Preparatory School for a “red shirt” year prior to entering the Academy. I was pleased that I was recruited from Minersville High School as a quarterback to lead Navy to a national championship. I joined the Naval Reserve and went to Bullis for one year. Once at the Academy, I found that I was one of several hundred football recruits and one of fourteen quarterbacks recruited into the Class of 1969! Bring back the years of unlimited football recruiting for Navy!
Our plebe quarterback coach was none other than Roger Staubach. All of us who had the privilege of being coached by Roger during our plebe year learned how to improve our passing skills. More importantly, he also taught us how to be deeply competitive, and at the same time, respectful to each other. Roger was a great teacher. Since the training table for the football team was open to the top four quarterbacks, all of us worked our tails off to make the training table and stay assigned to it. Who would want to return for an evening “come around” in the 11th Company? Not me!
At USNA, we were exposed to various academic tracks leading to a Bachelor’s degree in “General” Engineering after four years of study. The academic courses offered at the Academy covered a wide range of topics to ensure that we were well-educated to serve as Naval or Marine officers upon graduation. After the first two years, I learned that my passion in academics tended toward the engineering courses.
Two weeks after graduation, Susan and I were married in Schuylkill Haven, Pa. Several members of the 35th company joined in our celebration. Susan and I drove to Pensacola, Florida where I was scheduled to begin flight school on July 5, 1969.
After one week, flight training was delayed due to the “Vietnamization” program that was initiated in June 1969 by President Nixon. In January, 1970 I was reassigned as a line officer to the USS Lawrence (DDG-4) in the Mediterranean Sea.
I was soon to learn the value of having a diploma from the United States Naval Academy.
The exposure to the engineering field at USNA served me well when I was issued a medical discharge at the Norfolk Naval Base hospital in September 1970.
After one year of enlisted service in the reserves, 4 years at USNA, and 15 months of service after graduation, I knew that I needed an advanced degree to compete in the engineering field.
USNA provided a base in general engineering courses but without specialization. I knew of two engineering schools near my home: Penn State and Lehigh University. I drove to Lehigh, met with the Chair of the Civil and Structural Engineering Department and explained my dilemma.
I was immediately accepted into the graduate program largely because I was a graduate of USNA. Fortunately, my service earned me 24 months on the GI Bill. In June 1972, I received a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University.
Within four years of receiving my Masters, I started an engineering firm. I soon learned about the “brotherhood” that exists among Navy, Army, and Air Force Academy graduates. The toughest part of starting a small engineering firm is competing against well established and bigger firms. To win an assignment, engineering firms had to submit a statement of interest, get shortlisted for a project and then selected. I met with the Corp of Engineers in Baltimore and the Facilities Department at USNA.
Both were staffed by career Army and Navy officers. I was able to win assignments, such as the storm water engineering design along Maryland Avenue (yes it still works); engineering design of the tarmac extension at Dover Air Force Base; bridge design at Fort Benning; facilities design at the Letterkenny Naval Depot; and others.
Having the ring really helped as an introduction for civil engineering assignments.
In the last ten or fifteen years, Susan and I have had the opportunity to attend home football games in Annapolis. We fly from Chicago and stay two or three days near USNA.
We always look forward to visiting with our classmates the evening prior to the game, the class festivities at the “69 Mighty Fine” tent, attending special class events, and keeping in touch with everyone. Friendships gained while at the Academy will never be forgotten! We are a brotherhood!
Shortly after taking the new position, the office moved to Deerfield, Illinois. This was an even longer commute than when I worked for Northrop. The excessive stress resulted in a divorce.
Next, I was recruited to design a personal computer and take it public. While developing the accounting team, a new opportunity presented itself, and I became the International Marketing Manager of Sperry Univac. I also remarried.
Headaches that I had suffered from the onset of blindness forced me to leave Sperry Univac.
I also wrote numerous articles using neural networks for trading markets and was approached to sell my programs, which I did for several years.
My wife suffered a subdural hematoma in 1995 and was hospitalized. As her health deteriorated, I cared for her full time. Eventually she became a quadriplegic and passed away in 2007.
I married a wonderful woman in 2009, Anita Lewis.
I have been president of Market Modeling, LLC, since 2011. I develop programs to analyze markets using evolutionary computational techniques.
This was better than I could have imagined in that I was now working on state-of-the-art equipment: high power lasers, aerial reconnaissance, side scan radar, and hypersonic studies.
When I reported to the academy, my memory skills were somewhat lacking, but by the end of plebe summer, my memory skills were excellent. To this day my memory skills are amazing.
My first year at Navy, I discovered that computers were not as capable as I had hoped and began to formulate ways of improving them. I went on to later earn a Bachelor of Science in engineering in 1977, and a Master of Business Administration in management in 1979.
I next found an engineering position with Northrop, working with infrared counter-measures. While working at Northrop, I got married, a big mistake.
I lived on the south side of Chicago and my job required hours of daily commuting, besides working late into the evenings. My wife kept complaining, so I found a job with CBS Inc. closer to home.
Eventually, I was promoted to Manager of Advance Technology and became instrumental in forming the Advance Coordinating Council of CBS.
I attribute my success in life to having been pushed by people I admired, including astronaut Jim Lovell. I also strive to live up to the example of my hero, Nikola Tesla.
Throughout my career, I have received numerous awards and honors for my achievements, including having been named Navy Leaguer of the Year.
I hold numerous patents and have served on the USS Illinois Commissioning Committee as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since 2014. I am also a member of the Association of Computer Machinery and am particularly proud of my status as a senior life member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
George and Anita Schmoll preparing to board the USS ILLINOIS (SSN-786)
George Schmoll with Captain Jim Lovell (’52) and Anita Schmoll
Anita and George Schmoll enjoy the Armed Forces Ball at the Union League Club of Chicago
Our family enjoyed Hawaii, so I took a job with the Xerox Corporation as a salesman. A promotion brought us to the Big Island of Hawaii. In my second year I was named the number one salesman in the Pacific region.
There, I became interested in real estate, so I left Xerox, worked for a small company and eventually opened my own firm, Tolmie Properties, Ltd. I received my CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) and focused on land development and investment.
I served as president of both the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce and the Hawaii Island Board of Realtors. I also served on the board of the Hawaii Association of Realtors and the finance committee for the Catholic Diocese of Hawaii.
Linda and I both took active roles in our local church, as well as in the community, and we enjoyed our years in Hilo.
We moved back to Oahu in 2009 where we enjoy retirement and watching rainbows appear from our perch on the 47th floor of our condo.
I have one wife, two children and seven brilliant grandchildren.
He had just gotten off his summer training cruise with roommate John Tolmie.
Following active duty, Lang and Cheryl settled in Hingham, MA, where they raised their family. Lang’s civilian career was centered in sales for semiconductor high tech companies, including Texas Instruments and AT&T.
He also served as a coach, volunteer and fundraiser for Youth Sports and was a past president of Hingham High School Booster Club.
Lang was inducted into the North Quincy High School (Quincy, MA) Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the North Quincy High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Cheryl and Lang were blessed with three children, who are now an elementary school teacher, a college professor and lawyer, and a contract administrator.
There are also nine grandchildren and a great grandchild.
Lang would be very proud of all of them. Cheryl continues to reside in Hingham, MA.
Lang died on July 17, 1998. He is buried at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.
After graduation from the Naval Academy, Lang was an assistant football coach for the Plebe football team working under Coach Dick Duden. He also did some recruiting.
In February, 1970, he had a short stay in Pensacola FL but decided flying was not for him. He was assigned in May of 1970 to a minesweeper, USS Lucid, based in Long Beach, CA, joining the ship in Vietnam.
When Lucid arrived back in the U.S., she was decommissioned. Lang then went aboard the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD-850) as its Combat Information Center officer. The Kennedy is now a national monument at Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA.
Lang’s final active duty tour was as Director of Instructor Training School, Naval Education and Training Center, Newport, RI. He transferred to the Reserves in June 1974, serving until 1988 when he retired as a Lieutenant Commander.
Lang and his wife Cheryl were together for 32 years, having met in July 1966 at a college mixer in Scituate, Massachusetts.
Lang with Courtney, Cynthia and Russell, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
Lang and Cheryl in Bermuda
Lang and Cheryl