Send Class Notes to Class Scribe – James Ryan at ryancqrt@msn.com
Visit the 1955 Class Notes Photo Album to see all the photos below full-size!
1955 Class Notes
News from Pete Fikaris and the Nominating Committee.
“The nominating committee has the following slate of class officers, thus far, for the
coming 2015 reunion:
President.................................as yet, no candidate
Vice-President.........................Jim Bergen
Secretary................................Tom Phillips
Treasurer................................Norm Blahuta
Historian.................................Dan Ludwig
Class Scribe.............................Jim Ryan
Information Systems Officer..Jack Campbell
If any Classmate is interested in the President's job please let me know. Pete”
The 60th Reunion, 2015 from Dave Wheeler. Dave tells us some of the details below
could be changed, but here is some tentative news about the Reunion:
“Jim, … I am note-taker for our teleconferences, the last of which was held on Dec
13th. The notes, including Draft Schedule below, are currently out for Committee
staffing, after which we have to work out the details with USMA, WPAOG and the
hotel. There are several changes to our prior May reunions, to include:
 The Sunday NYC trip signup is for bus transportation only. People buy
theater tickets on their own, or shop or sight-see.
 The Sunday light lunch on the Supe’s Boat can accommodate about 120
people. As with the NYC trip, we will have to get 50 passenger busses nearly
full to run these trips. They will be first signed up, first served options in the
registration packet.
 Somehow, more senior Classes aced us out of all the chapels for Monday
morning Memorial Service, so that was switched to Tuesday afternoon, and
the bus tour moved to Monday. This was a recent USMA-driven change. The
section of the Columbarium gifted by ’55 is immediately adjacent to the rear
of the Old Cadet Chapel.
 The Class Meeting in Ike Hall immediately after the Supe’s Command Brief
will save time, compared to stragglers back at the hotel.
Draft Reunion Schedule as of December 13, 2013
Please note: some changes have to be confirmed with USMA &/or WPAOG. Optional
breakfast May 20th depends on our having fulfilled our contract with the Park Ridge
Marriott.
Saturday, May 16
Sunday, May 17
Monday, May 18
Tuesday, May 19
Wed., May 20
12001800
1400
Reunion Registration at Park Ridge Marriott
1100
1200
Bus departs for NYC; returns to hotel 1800
Bus departs for WP Boat Dock; Supe’s Boat cruise; heavy hors
d’ourvres lunch, returns to hotel 1630
Reunion Registration at hotel
12002100
18001930
06300800
0830
10001030
1030
1100
1110
12001315
13301430
14451515
14451530
1800-??
06300800
0830
10001100
11001200
1200
12151345
14001530
15001530
18002200
07000930
Reunion Committee meeting at hotel
Welcoming Dutch Treat Cocktail Hour; dinner on your own
Breakfast Buffet at hotel
Buses depart for WP
Stop at WPAOG (Herbert Hall) for Gift Shop
Buses to ’55 Lichtenberg Tennis Center, 15 minute stop
Buses drive through ’55 Coaches Housing Area
Buses arrive USMA Prep School, 20 minute stop
Lunch in the Eisenhower Hall Ballroom
Academy Briefing in Eisenhower hall Theater
Class Meeting in Eisenhower Hall Theater
Buses depart for hotel as loaded
Informal Buffet Dinner at hotel
Breakfast Buffet at hotel
Buses depart for WP
Alumni Exercises on the Plain
Cadet Review on the Plain
There will be van assistance for those needing help to cross the
Plain
Lunch in Washington Hall; speeches and Class gift
presentations
Memorial Service in Old Cadet Chapel, visit ’55 gift section
of Columbarium, self-tour Cemetery
Buses depart for hotel as loaded
Banquet Dinner and Dancing (coat & tie)
Optional breakfast in hotel restaurant & departures
Photo: Dave Maurer Celebrates his 80th Birthday.
Dave and Martha [Sep 2013]
Photo: ’55 Panhandle Lunch Bunch, DeFuniak Springs, FL
L-R: Secord, Werner, Prater, Ryan, Pemberton [Oct 2013]
Photo: Charlie Johnson visits the Campbells at their daughter’s
home in CT. L-R: Charlie, Paula Campbell, Jack [Oct 2013]
Photo: Ellen Schick, Carol & Luddy Harrison ‘52, Hotel Thayer [Aug 2013]
Gratitude: To Family, Friends and Classmates, Poem
by Jim Eddins for his West Point Classmates. (Jim’s daughter Victoria read this poem in
her Eulogy for her father at his Memorial Service held in Virginia Dec 2013.)
“To see Mortality arise
Is, at our age no surprise.
But we recall, with some delight,
Classmates, friends and family who visit, call or write.
First the family had its run,
Then came classmates from D-1:
Ryan, Bergen and Bob Newton; followed on when it was best
By Drummond, Jim and Tommy West.
The Trobaughs and the Hinrichs too
From the west coast they flew.
Last to come was Ludwig, Dan.
All to help my dear wife, Ann.
Inspired by Ryan our great class scribe,
Your cards and letters encouraged me to imbibe
with you in celebration,
Of 50 years since Graduation.
But of the others I've discussed
Family, friends and classmates robust.
Most want no credit to accrue
to recognize the acts they do.
But as each of them must surely know,
They are to me a true hero.
There is no award I can impart,
But my God has given me a start,
By writing each name upon my heart.”
Attendees at the Washington, DC Area Annual Christmas Brunch. Norm Blahuta
reports on the 56 attendees at the Brunch held at the Army-Navy Country Club in
Arlington, VA on 1 Dec 2013: Blahuta, Norm & Barb; Burrus, Bill & Dorinda;
Carpenter, Bob & Marly; Cutchin, Jim; Deardorff, Bob; Doyle, Jack; Franklin, Joe
& Connie; Gay, Ted; Goldstein, Bud & Dorothy; Hilbert, Don & Carla; Ludwig,
Dan & Donna; Malone, Dan & Anne; Malooley, Lorna; McCulla, Bill and Joan;
McGuire, Marty; McJoynt, Durf & Barbara; McNair, Carl & Jo Ann-BG Myrna
Williamson (G); McNerney, Dave & Cyndy; Miller, Rich & Mary Ann; Newton,
Linda; Page, George & Patty; Rudzki, John & Anita; Schepps, Matt & Betty; Sloan,
John & Ruth; Strati, Bob & Pat; Troyan, Dan & Danielle (G); Wargowsky, Dick &
Sandy; West, Tom & Elaine.
Photo: Dan Ludwig & Durf McJoynt, DC Area Christmas Brunch [Dec 2013]
Central Texas Mini, reported by Jack Campbell. “Woody Black had a last minute
family issue come up and had to cancel, but Sharon caught a ride with the Coopers
driving down from Harker Heights. The Dinwiddies also drove in from Harker Heights,
and Maren Palmer joined us from Temple. The Diensts met up with the Fleegers and
drove in together from the Houston area. The VandenBosches came from San Antonio as
did the Blahutas who were visiting family there. Those from the Austin area included
Roberta Stone, the Bakers, the Kennebecks and the Campbells.”
Photo: Bakers, Roberta Stone, Kennebecks, Diensts, Dinwiddies, Blahutas, Maren
Palmer, Campbells, Vanden Bosches, Sharon Black, Coopers, Fleegers [ Jan 2014]
Photo: Marlowe Viney, Dianne Enslow, Donna Ludwig, Pat Vitty, Trudy Lichtenberg,
Phil Enslow Mississippi River Trip [Nov 2013]
Jack Campbell Sends the Following Notices: “Classmates, We are asking for your
answer to 3 important questions. When you pass on to the Ghostly Assemblage, do you
(1) want a wreath or a charitable contribution from the Class?, (2) what is your charity of
choice for those who would like to make a memorial contribution in your name?, and (3)
who would you suggest as the Local Class Assistant (LCA) for your family? If you have
already submitted the information, great. If you haven’t yet gotten around to it, please
submit the 3 answers to coljack@austin.rr.com. Lee McKinney reminds us to fill out and
email the TAPS Check List to him at leem55@charter.net if you have not already done
so. The Check List can be found on the Class Home Page http://www.westpoint.org/class/usma1955/D/TAPS/.htm. You are sure to save someone a lot of digging
if you can complete the form while you are still alert. The Class Historian (Dan Ludwig)
is putting together a booklet for the 60th Reunion titled ‘How I Got to West Point.’ If you
did not submit your story to the Class Forum, please write one up, and share it with all.
Send it to the Class Forum or directly to Dan at ludwig55@verizon.net.”
Class of 1955 Taps. It is a sad thing to report the passing of four classmates during the
period covered by these Notes: Perry Boyd (19 Nov 2013) in Chapel Hill, NC; Jim
Eddins (21 Nov 2013) in Charlottesville, VA; John Hamilton (20 Dec 2013) in Columbia,
MD; and Jerry Denman (23 Dec 2013) in Sardis, MS. A “Friend of the Class of 1955”
Carl Goldstein left us 19 Oct 2013 in New York City.
Photo: WILLIAM PERRY BOYD
Photo: WATHA JAMES EDDINS, JR.
Photo: JOHN MARK HAMILTON, JR.
Photo: JERRY LINWOOD DENMAN
Editor’s Note. My thanks go to Tom Sims for his unfailing attention to detail in producing high
quality photographs for the 1955 Class Notes.