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HELLO '68!! From your holiday
greetings and recent e-mails, it is becoming more apparent that many
of you in “Checkpoints Land” are moving into more comfortable
environs or taking the concept of retirement more seriously. So, if
the “Golden Years” are upon you, congratulations on your first
seven decades and best wishes for even more enjoyable ones to come!
For those still involved in the daily grind, best wishes for work that
is truly fulfilling and continues to add meaning to your lives. For
those not involved in either of the two categories above, be advised
that recreational marijuana is legal in Colorado, Washington, and the
District of Columbia.
"68ers at 2015 East
Coast Reunion." L-R: Scribe, Tom O'Beirne, Tom McDaniel, David
Prevost, Ed Eberhart, Bob Pauli, Bob Mirabello, Bill Drennan, Roger
Sorensen, Al Dunkerley, Bill Hoge, Dan Bucchioni, Warren Lamont, Mike
Wagner, Lew Read, John Gonda, Ron Kerchner (wearing same USAFA shirt
as Scribe), Dennis McLain, Jim Seevers, and Doug Menarchik.2015 EAST COAST REUNION: Ed and Karen Eberhart hosted another splendid East Coast Reunion at their home in Arlington, Virginia on June 6th. This year’s crew arrived from Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia to catch up on the latest news about families, classmates, and world affairs. One of the more interesting discussions occurred between Bill Drennan and Doug Menarchik as they recounted their remembrances of their time as Military Aides to President Reagan and Vice President Bush in the 1980s. They quite literally sat in the catbird seat of this very interesting period in American history. Roger Sorensen and I talked about our days as roommates during the first semester of Doolie year and David and Alex Prevost lamented about the trials and perils of trying to get a movie deal for Alex’s geopolitical thriller book, The Right Guard. As with past East Coast Reunions, our time together seemed to flash by in a heartbeat with promises to do better about staying in touch. And, as with past reunions, we are indebted to Ed and Karen for their gracious hospitality and very fine vittles. 
"MUSTER IN SCOTTSDALE."
L-R: Marty Cole, Bill McKee, Brian O'Hara, Chuck Kavcsak, Bob Pohlman,
Buck McCants, Mike Cryer, Pat Hurley, Jack Frost, Mike Langley, and
Dick Covey.SCOTTSDALE REUNION: On March 29th, there was a gathering of the ’68 faithful in Scottsdale, Arizona. Buck McCants was kind enough to send along a photo and quick summary. Buck wrote, “Most of these guys live in Arizona, in and around Scottsdale. Marty and Claudia Cole live there for about six months each year, returning to Chicago in the warmer weather. Linda and I were there for the month of March, and enjoyed much better temps than we left here in South Carolina. Pat Hurley graciously hosted Mike Cryer and me for golf one day at the Paradise Valley Country Club and then for dinner that night. Marty and Claudia joined our wives and us guys for a fantastic dinner and wonderful evening. So, Thanks to Pat and Nancy! I played once more with Pat and twice more with Mike Cryer and got in 12 rounds during those four weeks. Fantastic golf courses all, and over 100 to choose from! Linda and I had numerous dinners and lunches with Marty and Claudia, and a couple with Mike and Evie Langley. Marty and I will conclude our Major League Baseball Stadium Quest in September when we visit San Francisco and Seattle; we'll have seen them all, after completing those three, and will resume when the new stadiums get built. Our two sons, Maj Matt (USAFA '04) and Capt Mike (USAFA '06) are both HC- 130J pilots at Davis-Monthan in Tucson. Matt is in the Test Squadron and Mike in the operational squadron. We planned the trip hoping to see a good bit of both guys, but Mike was unexpectedly deployed in late January. We enjoyed seeing Matt every weekend, and he treated a number of us, including Marty and Claudia and numerous other retired AF, Southwest, and Delta pilots to some great simulator time and tour of the aircraft. Linda and I will be back out there next winter and hope to see a good bit of both sons, as well as a number of the classmates and wives.” Thanks for your summary, photo, and keeping me in the loop, Buck 
"Scribe Promotes Son
and Daughter." L-R: Scribe, Col Melissa Cunningham and LTC
Scott Davidson.PASSING THE TORCH: On July 2nd at Hurlburt Field, Florida, I had the distinct honor and privilege to serve as the presiding official at the promotion ceremony for my son, Major Scott Davidson, to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army of the United States, and my daughter, Lieutenant Colonel Melissa Cunningham, to the rank of colonel in the United States Air Force. Scott and Melissa represent the third generation of military officers in the Davidson family. Their grandfathers, Thomas Linsert Davidson and Warren Herman, served in the Army Air Corps in WWII and in the Air Force during the Korean War. Both of them paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country while their mother and I were still small children. Their paternal grandmother, Laura Simon, served as a Navy Communications Officer during WWII, their great uncle Stephen Simon was one of the first Navy personnel to work in the newly built Pentagon, and their great great Uncle Ernest Linsert was the inventor of the Landing Ship Tank or “LST” ships that were used to land our troops on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. My years of service in the Air Force spanned from the 1960s to the mid-1990s with senior flying and staff experience in Air Force Special Operations and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. I administered Scott’s first oath of office as an enlisted soldier in the Army Reserves while he was still in high school in 1992 and Melissa took her first oath of office as a basic cadet at the AF Academy on June 29th of that same year. On September 11th, 2001, both Melissa and her husband Fred were serving as Air Force interns in the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building during the terrorist attack that changed the face of our nation. Scott just completed a remote tour of duty as a US Army Transportation and Logistics Liaison Officer to the Saudi Arabian Army and has been reassigned as a Logistics Officer to US Army Pacific at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Melissa recently completed a year as a student at the National War College and is now assigned as the Director of Communications for the National Capital Region portion of US Northern Command. My torch has been passed. THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS: Prayers for Geoff Gorsuch in the loss of his wife Diane to bone cancer on June 21st. THAT’S A WRAP: Mind the flak; keep ‘em flying, and keep those cards, letters, e-mails, and photos coming in to Pat Russell and me. Ciao for now. Tim |
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