Look alive with Seventy-Five!
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Look alive with Seventy-Five!
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Dear ’mates: As you probably know, the compromise on the number of hard copy issues of Shipmate is eight per year (down from ten). For some class scribes this is undoubtedly good news (fewer deadlines, less scrambling to fill columns). For the great class of ’75, however, it means that a lot of good gouge doesn’t make it into the glossy paper version. Never fear Flower Children! Class webmaster Andy Howard has posted all the columns on our web page – including a couple that never made it to hard copy. So why don’t I just shut up and get on with the news? <photo 75#1: Dave and Mary Gray and MaryLou and Ray Wassel on board TRUMAN> Let’s start with a note from Dave Gray: Mary and I have been living in Clifton, VA for the last 12 years. We finally decided commuting 50 miles to work each way was not worth it, and since my job with Lockheed Martin was not going to move closer, we had to move. It was well worth it. Dropped my commute down to 30 minutes and made it much easier to do things with the family, especially school activities. We have two daughters, Corey, 22, and Chelsea, 18. Corey just graduated from Radford University and Chelsea is getting ready to start freshman year at the University of Mary Washington. I'm with Lockheed for 25 years, doing business development for their Intelligence group. Mary manages an International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and just started full time as the Manager of the Clay Mineral Society. After I retired from the Reserves in 2005, we decided to get season tickets to Navy, so we get to see Steve Hubbard, Steve Curlee, Mark Miliken, Charlie Floyd and Nancy Burd on a regular basis during the season at the ’75 tailgate spot. We went to the Plaque ceremony on the USS HARRY S TRUMAN (CVN-75) in April. Thanks to Jon Greenert, Mary and I were able to fly out to the TRUMAN a few weeks later as guests of RDML Mark Fox '78 and CAPT Joseph Clarkson. We spent a fantastic weekend at sea with the crew. It’s hard to believe we were that young once. Beat Army! <photo 75#2: The Grays, ready for a cat shot> Debbie and Tom Donaldson attended I-Day where their son Alex became a member of the Class of 2013. One of Alex’s classmates is Claire Fletcher (niece of Pat Connally and daughter of Jeff Fletcher ’83. Debbie says Alex is counting the days until he can take off the BCGs and get back to contacts. <photo 75#3: Connally, Fletcher, and Donaldson flanking two new plebes> Jon Greenert left U.S. Fleet Forces Command in July and reported to his new job as Vice CNO. The Change of Command ceremony was held on board CVN-75 in Norfolk. 14th Company sent a strong contingent to join with many other classmates at the ceremony. See the class webpage for pictures and more details. <photo 75#4: “Classmates at Jon’s Change of Command”> Here’s a note from Larry Newcomer: I met up with Steve Turner last week for the first time since we left Annapolis. Our paths crossed due to a project we were both working for Fort Benning. His company has partnered with a contractor on the project and the company I represent is trying to get the Army Corps to accept our cleaning principles as an alternative. Steve is splitting his time between Savannah and Columbus. I attended a trade show at Callaway Gardens, which is very close to Columbus. This gave Beth and me an opportunity to meet up with him. I haven't seen too many classmates in the past two years. MS has taken its toll the past year or so. (I hope my zombie like appearance in the picture doesn't scare you too much.) I am going through some experimental chemo and steroid treatments that will hopefully get me out of this damn wheel chair. I will be at the 2010 reunion if the good Lord is willing. <photo 75#6: Three Mike Maranos and one Frank> From Frank Marano in sunny Florida: My son, my twin brother, and my nephew (all with the name Michael Marano) and I lined up at the December 2008 USMA graduation ceremony. Michael D. Marano III is wearing his full dress regimental commander uniform. The graduation and commissioning ceremony was held in the new Thomas Jefferson library the weekend prior to Christmas in the middle of a snowstorm. The guys in my battalion may remember my twin brother "Miami" Mike, the cool sax player, observing our formations while sporting his long mustache and hair. Well, this is his son, who during the 2002 Army-Navy football classic at Giants Stadium was watching the corps of cadets march-on, turned to me and uttered those famous words, "Uncle Frankie, now I know I want to go to West Point." So much for my Navy Recruiter badge with multiple gold wreaths! Who can explain these things?? You can imagine the rivalry over the past 4 years! I am proud to report my nephew selected Infantry and is currently doing very well demonstrating his natural leadership abilities at Fort Benning, GA in Infantry Officer School, which will be followed by Ranger school this summer. After this, he has orders to Germany and eventually on to Afghanistan later this year or early 2010. As an important and meaningful note, I never mentioned this much when at the academy, for I was too young to realize the magnitude of the ultimate sacrifice when in the service. He follows in the family infantry tradition of our uncle, Pvt. Nicholas J. DelGrosso, who as a soldier in the Third Infantry Division, was killed in action at the age of nineteen in February 1944 at the Anzio Beachhead in Italy. Studying that battle and interviewing WWII veterans has been my special mission for the past two decades. We remain a Navy-Army family all the way. Regards to all and I look forward to our 35th reunion in the near future." Looks like I’ve overstayed my welcome for this column. Check out the web page for more! --- ’75 Sir! Larry |
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