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Class of 1956 March 2016

President’s Message

Our 60th Reunion is fast approaching. So far we have 28 classmates who have told us that they are planning to attend and 18 who are considering attending but have not yet made a final commitment to attend. In our December Newsletter it was mentioned that the Class of 1950 currently holds the 60th Reunion attendance record with 30 attendees. If you have not made a final decision to attend, I ask that you consider this matter in the next few weeks and make plans to join us. Reunion Weekend is scheduled for May 13-15, 2016. We want all of our classmates to join us, and hopefully we can beat the record just like we did for our 50th Reunion. A listing of attendees and “to be determined” is included in this newsletter.

It would be a treat to see the campus as many things have changed since many of you have been here. Also, Head of Schools John Buxton and his wife Pam will retire from Culver in June, following 17 years of service. Our 60th Reunion provides an opportunity to hear from John and to thank him and Pam for all that they have accomplished for our School.

Please review the list of classmates on the attendance list and those still considering attending the reunion. One of them might be a former roommate or a member of your unit, which provides you with a good opportunity to contact that classmate and catch up. You both just might decide to come back to campus and join in the fun. The Class of 1956 roster was included in the 60th Reunion registration information that all of us received from the Academy and includes contact information on file.

I also encourage you to consider a Culver Fund/60th Reunion gift to Culver. All Culver Fund gifts received by June 30, 2016 will count toward our 60th Reunion fundraising goal of $70,000. You may have heard me previously say that there many ways to give back to Culver and our Class. Please decide how you can accomplish this opportunity as we draw closer to our 60th. See you in May!

Sincerely, Join Classmates for our 60th Reunion MAY 13-15, 2016

William H. Hanning, Jr. Cell: (740) 815-0052 Click here to register online! Email: [email protected] Page 2

CLASS NEWS

And the Winner by Knock Out Is... John Roberts (Co C), a former CMA boxer who would have been in the picture himself had he beaten Tom Folsom, was the only one who responded to our “name that boxer” contest with more than one name. Actually I knew three, which got me second place. If any of the readership has contradictions to John’s answers, take it up with him at the reunion. If the issue becomes unreconcilable and/or non-negotiable, John says he will settle it in the ring. Right, John? Dissenters might be well advised to bring their own favorite gloves. Harry, Here is my latest response to the picture you state is the troop boxing team. It is in fact a picture of all the winners of the regimental championship bouts by weight. John

Left to right: Weight Name 100 lbs Sarabasa – Troop A 108 lbs Martinez, I, Troop A 115 lbs Martinez, A, Troop A 125 lbs Moreland, Bty A 135 lbs Parish, Troop A 145 lbs McNaughton, Bty B 155 lbs Barredo. Co B 165 lbs Culver, Co A 175 lbs Folsom, Troop B (beat me) Heavyweight May, Co A

By the way, John, it was not my picture. I don’t know who dropped it into the last edition. But, it is interesting to note that 50% of the guys in the picture are Troopers, 80% of which are Troop A. It’s no wonder our mystery submitter thought it was an all-Troop picture. Is there any correlation between boxing and Trooping? Harry

Bondy Checked In Ginny and I will be attending my 60th reunion this May. Over the years, I have lost track of many of my Culver buddies. I sure hope we get a good turnout, so I might reconnect with some of them. After our reunion, we are headed to Paris. I have always wanted to see Normandy, so that will be a side trip. After Paris, we go to Germany for a short visit with our daughter, son-in-law, and grand kids. After Germany, back to our home in Florida. Sure hope everyone will reconsider, and attend our 60th! Bob Bon Durant (Troop A)

Flood in Arizona I had a relaxing phone conversation with Jim Medland (Troop A). He is recuperating from prostate cancer surgery and is doing quite well in terms of his overall wellness. But, he is suffering from a nuisance, post-surgery reaction that keeps him close to home. His doctor cannot give him a prediction as to how long the problem will persist, albeit, it will. If the problem appropriately abates by reunion, Jim is definitely healthy enough to join us and will do so. Keep our collective fingers crossed. Page 3

The Troop is Dominating This Issue!

As you can see by the following announcement, our own Jay Turnbull (you guessed it -Troop A) has drawn a crowd again. Jay was the keynote speaker at the ONE Culver event (see below). Sorry the information is too late to allow those who might liked to have attended to have done so. But, all is not lost. I prevailed upon Jay to do a presentation for us at our 60th Reunion on high- lights of his work in architecture and preservation. (I must admit bias. I love history and beautiful things that keep it vibrant.) I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the Men of ’56 to thank him publicly for his gracious acceptance of my invitation. The program will only be for an hour on Saturday afternoon. Lock it into your memory and/or schedule. It’s mandatory! Jay assures me it will be appropriate for mixed audiences. Bring the ladies.

Tuesday, March 8, San Francisco ONE Culver (Club) Complimentary Reception at The Francisca Club Keynote Speaker: Jay Turnbull CMA '56 Architect and Historical Preservationist, Page & Turnbull Member of the Culver Arts and Letters Hall of Fame

Yet Another Trooper Speaks

Bob Peck (Not Troop A) sent me the following email about his attendance or not.

Dear Harry, Troop boxing team: second from the right is Tom Folsom, the champion. Tom will know who the others are, if you can reach him. I haven't been able to contact him for years.

Commander Roos: Roos does not sound like an English name, and I have never encountered it since leaving CMA. But in the Middle Ages the Roos family was one of the most distinguished of the aristocratic establishment. They were probably Normans who came over with William the Conqueror. I haven't actually studied them directly in the course of my research, but they keep cropping up everywhere. It is such an unusual name that the Commander was almost certainly a descendant, of which there can't be many.

Reunion: During all of April I will be traveling around Europe with one of my best friends from Culver, who would prefer to remain anonymous as he doesn't come to reunions. In May our son will be coming over from California, bringing with him his fiancée who we have never met. Also in May we will hosting my roommate from UCLA, who recently lost his wife to cancer. Also coming, to visit his grandson who has been posted to London, is a cousin from Virginia, now retired but formerly a colonel in the Judge Advocate's General corps.

A full summer, I'm afraid, so I can't be one of the six lucky men who will help you break the 1950 record, but I do look forward to seeing you guys again at our 70th.

All the best to Eleanor and yourself. Bob (Troop B) Page 4

Bob,

I see you are already discounting your attendance at the 65th. But, I love your optimism about the 70th. Secondly, your information regarding your ex-CMA traveling companion will not likely give him away. I suspect he is, unfortunately, among a large population of alums who do not come back to reunions. Lastly, you came in third (bonze) in the “name that boxer” contest. Harry

Jim Dunlap sent in the following article about Culver, family, and service, specifically, son Trevor, CMA 2005 (Troop)

Rightfully Proud Papa

When thinking about my 60th reunion, I take myself back to the time I first landed on the shores of Lake Maxinkuckee in 1949 to attend Woodcraft Camp at the mature camping age of twelve. It was a fabulous experience for me. My parents were generous enough to send me to Winter School in 1952. So in looking at this upcoming reunion in light of my tenure at Culver, I actually claim this, doing fuzzy math, as my 67th reunion.

That long association, however, is not my subject here. A broader history is my family’s story. First the facts: my two brothers attended Culver: Walter ’58 and Sam ’61, followed later by my sons Jim ’86 and Trevor ’05. One thing all five of us had in common was that we were all troopers and all polo players.

There is a story about each, but for this article, I will concentrate on the youngest among us, Trevor Dunlap, now almost 30 years old. Trevor excelled at polo and lacrosse at Culver. He even went on to play on the University of Virginia’s Polo Team, as did his brother Jim. Trevor had an important journey as part of his military service from Culver to Afghanistan, he was one of the last Marines out of Helmand Province in October of 2014. The first battalion of marines had come to Helmand 13 years earlier. It is not the sports that make this story, but rather the military.

First, a little Dunlap family history. My father was in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and rose to the rank of Colonel. He could have been a general but did not exactly ingratiate himself to his superiors. Unfortunately, he died before Trevor was born, and never had the chance to tell his hundreds of military stories to his grandson. My military service was solely confined to Culver and six years in the Marine Reserves (1956-62), rising to the august rank of Private First Class.

Trevor was also intrigued by the military, but took a road a little less traveled. His Culver military experience was dampened by his to relationship with the Commandant. For some unknown reason, Trevor, a 15-16-17 year old teenager and Captain Mike Kehoe, a former captain of nuclear submarines, did not hit it off. So when Trevor graduated, it was a joyous occasion. By then he was a well-rounded adult, and was off to the University of Virginia. Something unexpected happened near the end of his sophomore year at UVA. A military calling surfaced in Trevor’s life, much to my surprise. I thought Culver represented the end of saluting and polishing brass for Trevor. “No”, he said to me. He was thinking of joining the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidate program. “Why?” I asked. “I want to do something for my country”. It was that simple, like a guiding principle. Page 5

When Trevor graduated from OCS at Quantico, his commanding officer, Col. Jackson, said to the family members gathered, that their loved ones’ job in the Marine Corps was to “go to bad places and kill bad people”. He graduated in the top 3% of his class, receiving a regular Second Lieutenant’s commission.

His ambition went even further. He wanted to be a “grunt”; a ground-pounding infantry man at the epicenter of all combat doctrine. That meant he had to go on to infantry school. He said it was the hardest thing he had ever done physically and mentally. The class started with 100 Marines but ended with only 60 hungry, skinny, sunburned and worn-out Marines. He was again at the top of his class.

I would like to point out his advantage and disadvantage in the Marine Corps.

Trevor is 6’8” tall and 230 lbs., making him the biggest marine in his class and maybe the tallest in the Corp. The 180-pounders could out-run him but when fully loaded with 80 lbs. of gear, he could out-pace the fast light- weights. He just had more stamina.

He served his time at Quantico, Virginia and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina with two overseas assignments; one in Spain and one in Afghanistan.

The Spain deployment was in response to the 2012 Benghazi incident in Libya. You might recall our ambassador and three other Americans were killed, and ten were wounded. The attack occurred without the U.S. being able to respond in a timely basis. The Joint Chiefs of Staff asked the Marine Corps to form “A Crisis Response Force”, or more accurately, the Marine Corps sold the President on the force.

A unique organization resulted with more than 200 Marines and ten Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft with a special aerial refueler. The organization was sent to Spain where it headquartered on a U.S. Air Force base southeast of Seville. The first responders were 180 infantrymen in three platoons: two reconnaissance and one infantry. The largest platoon was the infantry with more than 50 men led by then First Lt. Trevor Dunlap.

Six months of standing ready at various alert levels 24/7 was broken only a very few times. Trevor took some of his Marines north to a Spanish base for a sharp-shooting competition between both forces, and even better, a football (soccer) match. I think Trevor said both resulted in a draw. For the members of the Crisis Response Force there was a great deal of disappointment since no combat resulted during the deployment, although nine of Trevor’s Marines did reinforce the U. S. Embassy in Tripoli for a few weeks. Three cheers for the parents and wives, but not from the Marines, since combat is their job.

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It was then back to Camp Lejeune for more training and a change of battalions. Trevor became a weapons platoon commander, leading 40 marines with ten MRAPs (mine resistant armored personnel carriers).

Orders came through and the battalion departed for Helmand Province, Afghanistan. At that time it was the U.S. Military on defense and not offense. In other words, they were not trying to fight the “bad men”, i.e., the Taliban. Theirs was just a holding position at that time, but someone had to defend the fenced perimeter of the base (over 5000 acres of Marine encampments and airfields). Trevor’s platoon was responsible for patrolling outside the huge base to deter any infiltrators from coming under or over the fence like happened two years earlier when a number of Marines were killed and aircraft destroyed.

To make a long 180-day story short, Trevor and his men went out on patrol about 90 times looking for the enemy. That meant patrolling around Camp Leatherneck about 25 miles out. Each patrol lasted from a few hours to multiple days. They did not come under fire and only had a tire blown out of an MRAP by an improvised explosive device, with no harm done to his Marines. Their rules of engagement were to fire only if fired upon and only if in harm’s way. This was not the way Marines were taught to fight, but that is a whole other story.

There have been many stories of Culver graduates in Afghanistan, and Trevor’s is just one. I am very proud of his service, just as I am proud of Culver’s generations of exemplary leadership training for young adults. Jim Dunlap (Troop B)

The Echavarria Globe Trotters

Arturo Echavarria (Co. A) sent the following email to express his regrets about not coming to the 60th. It doesn’t sound like he and Luce are planning retirement any time soon. More power to them!

Dear Bill H. (Hanning) and Bill S. (Slemmons):

I must apologize for not answering until now your many kind letters. 2015 proved to be a year of constant engagements to lecture abroad (sometimes involving many long flights), for me as well as for my wife. That was the year, also, that both of us were preparing the final proofs for two books (one mine, one hers) that were supposed to go into print before December. Too many deadlines, but, thank Heaven, we were able to comply on time. 2016 does not look any better. But I must admit, no complaints. We both love what we are doing, even when our bodies send, once in a while, red flag warnings.

Due to prior commitments, we will not be able to travel to Culver in May. I always remember you kindly, as good friends. The same could be said regarding others ––of whom I hold very pleasant memories–– who belong to the graduating class. Give my love to all of them.

And last, but not least, thank you both for doing so much for the class of 1956, and for keeping that spirit alive.

A big abrazo from Luce and Arturo Page 7

He Stands on Hallowed Ground

Speaking of the un-retired, I had a couple of lengthy phone calls with Dave Howell (Co. D). He is personally still managing his construction business. Seems the offspring have decided on other careers. Because of his work schedule, he cannot commit to attending the 60th but will do his best to keep the dates open on his schedule.

News from the Havana (or not) Flash (Co. B)

Hey Harry

How are you? The best to you and your family for 2016, specially a Healthy One.

Sorry I have not replied to your email, but have been traveling around during the holidays, visiting kids/grandkids and great grandkids. Can you believe that?

I also wanted to give me some time to make a decision about the reunion. As of right now I will not be attending. If by any chance we decide to go, I will inform you right away.

No I have not gone back to Cuba. Neither do I intend to go back while the Castros are still there.

On my side everybody is doing fine. My grandson who was in the Marines left the Corp as a sergeant about 2 years ago. His tour of duty in Iraq was safe.

I thank you for contacting me and hope one day will see each other again, even though we might not recognize each other (haha).

Best regards to you and family.

Luis (havanaflash) Galbis

ZEUS Has Spoken

Norman Sam Jezzeny (Co. B), a.k.a., Zeus, answered an email from me with the following response. He and Cookie will be missed.

Healthy and Blessed New Year, Harry and Eleanor!

Sincerely hope you guys are doing well. Due to health issues, we won’t be able to make the reunion. Such warm memories that I have of all of us at Culver. Warm regards to you folks, John, Bill, Tom, Peter, and everyone.

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Band Status

Tom Shumaker reported in to Cathy Zurbrugg at Culver: Dear Cathy, My apologies for not responding sooner to your letter of Dec 1. I have had some health issues that suddenly and unexpectedly sprang up last fall and have taken their toll since then -- as in seven weeks of daily radiation and seven weeks of weekly chemotherapy. Ugh! While I am uncertain as to my attendance at our 60th Reunion...

Chuck “Bear” McPherson is in the midst of watching over his very sick wife. Her condition near reunion time will necessarily dictate his attendance.

The Editor’s Blog Eleanor and I visited respective cousins in March, living in the Raleigh, NC area. These visits invariably spawn side trips to Civil War historic sites. This trip was no exception. Eleanor, the trooper that she is, stoically accompanies me on these jaunts. Of course, if shopping is nearby, she indulges while I Civil War. On this trip we visited Fort Fisher, fifteen or so miles south of Wilmington, NC, and Bennett Place in Durham.

The largest surrender of the Civil War occurred at Bennett Place (House) when Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered all 89,270 Confederate fighters still in the field in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida on April 26, 1865, to William Tecumseh Sherman. The event was seventeen days after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.

Bennett Place is a state, not Federal, historic site. It has a smallish but interesting visitors’ center and the docents are excellent, congenial conversationalists, who know their subject well. The original Bennett house burned to the ground in 1921, leaving the chimney and foundation stones, which were incorporated into the restoration of 1960. At that time a close replica of the original was moved to the Durham site from Raleigh. I highly recommend you visit the site, if in the area.

Fort Fisher, known as “the Gibraltar of the South”, was the largest earthen/sand fortress in the world. It is/was located on a slim peninsula of land known at the beginning of the war as Federal Point, but changed thereafter to Confederate Point. (Today it is known as Pleasure Island.) Due to natural geographic advantages afforded by the Cape Fear River basin, two effective entrances existed for blockade runners to reach Wilmington and return to the sea. Fort Fisher was positioned to allow it to protect ships entering and leaving what was called New Inlet. Forts Caswell and Holmes protected Old Inlet at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. For these reasons Wilmington was the best protected of all the Confederate seaports, leading to a remarkable 80% success rate for blockade runners. Page 9

In December of 1864 a huge Union naval and ground force combined in an attempt to subdue Fisher. As part of the operation the fleet delivered the largest naval bombardment of the war, 20,271 shells, the totality of which did little damage to the earthen fortress. The bombardment was followed by an initial amphibious landing of about one-third of 6,500 available Union infantry. Once its leader, the hapless and largely inept General Benjamin Butler, learned how little damage was done to the fortification and that Confederate reinforcements were possibly on the way, he abandoned his battle Harry visits Shepherd’s Battery plan, evacuated his ground forces already on the at Fort Fisher beach and sailed away with his army transports.

After Butler’s miserable showing, Grant had enough and sacked him. Then, in January 1865 Grant assembled another armada and ground force, the latter to be led by General Alfred Terry. In total the fleet consisted of nearly 60 ships and the land force, 9,600 men. The fort defenders numbered somewhere between 1,900-2,400. In addition, a Confederate division of 6,400 infantry under General Hoke was positioned only four and a half miles away at a place called Sugar Loaf.

After his aborted attempt to reduce Fort Fisher, Benjamin Butler declared the citadel impregnable. Terry proved him wrong. After another brutal naval bombardment, which, again, wreaked little damage, Terry positioned some of his forces to deflect any threat from Hoke’s division at Sugar Loaf. The job was made even easier, since General Braxton Bragg, The District of Cape Fear commander, was disastrously ambivalent about committing Hoke’s troops to the battle. When he did decide to commit, it was too little and too late. Terry then turned his attention to leading his troops against the thirty foot high ramparts of the fort. After five hours of some of the bloodiest hand-to-hand combat of the war, 2,000 exhausted defenders surrendered. At last, Lee’s supply line from Britain was cut off, denying his army desperately needed war supplies. He would surrender his diminished and starving Army of Northern Virginia in less than three months.

Only about ten percent of what was Ft. Fisher in 1865 remains. Mother Nature’s work in the past 151 years has reduced the place to a mere shadow of its former self. Wind, tides, hurricanes and commercial development have taken a huge toll over time. For example, the coastline on which the remains of Fisher sits has suffered 200 yards of erosion. So, if you walk the many trails that allow you to walk extensively through the remains, you have to use your imagination to envision the gargantuan fortress Fisher once was.

Now, this is lot of background to get to the point I want to make. In 1955 Company B, my company, graduated a two-year senior named Fred Terry. He was possibly the most militarily-oriented cadet I ever had the privilege to know. At any rate, I did some research to see, if Fred had any relationship to General Terry of Fort Fisher fame. It turns out that they shared no family linkage that I could detect. Page 10

During the process I dug up Fred’s bio and discovered that I might have tumbled onto one of the most decorated military figures that Culver ever produced. During three stints of service in Vietnam Major Terry earned a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, four Distinguished Flying Crosses and forty-five Air Medals. He was KIA in 1968 in a mid-air collision while trying to evacuate via his helicopter wounded soldiers while under fire. Fred was born in West Point, graduated from West Point in the class of 1960 and is buried at West Point. His father, grandfather and great- grandfather were all USMA graduates. Respectively their ranks were Lt. Colonel, Colonel and General. Certainly, the circle was not broken with Fred. To me it is a source of pride to have attended Culver with Fred. I hope this story gives us pause to reflect on the outstanding school we share. Our school is not a physical plant. It is people.

Fred Terry ’55 (By the way, you can read Frederick Terry’s brief bio by putting the following URL in your browser: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=14650766).

It Disseminates All the Culver News Have you signed up for the on-line Culver Academies newsletter? If you want to keep up with what’s happening at your alma mater in an easy, up-front and personal way, check it out. Lots of interesting articles out there. Just click on News.Culver.Org. When the page comes up, scroll down to the bottom and click on the box “SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER.” It is filled with surprises. Good reading over a pre-prandial beverage.

Dress Right! I assume all you attendees at the 60th that did not attend the 50th or 55th are preparing to bring or buy proper attire for making the commemorative pass through the iron gate. If this observation is puzzling you, I think you need to talk to Bill Hanning or me or Cathy Zurbrugg in the Development Office.

Larry Hoover I see Larry Hoover, Class of ’53, at church from time to time. If you, especially Battery men, have any words of greeting for him, pass them along to me and I’ll pass them along to Larry.

Keep All Those Cards and 60th Reunion Registrations Coming This is all the news I have for this edition, the final one before Reunion. Consequently, this is my final appeal for a record turnout. I know that some of you are battling the impact of aging that restricts your travels. But, if you have not come back in the last thirty years, I suggest this would be a great time. It would also be a peaceful break from the worrisome and blaring predictions of who is going to win the GOP nomination. It is damn difficult to predict how many of us will be attending with Bob Peck ten years from now. Get your registration in!

Regardless of who shows up, I always need news. Don’t forget me. Send those cards with news to the Alumni Office. I’ll eventually get them. Drop me an email. Phone me. But, don’t tweet me. That is beyond the scope of my technology. Same with Instagram, albeit my wife can pick those up on her iPad.

Thanks to all the lads from the Troop, who made this edition possible.

Harry Schoger (Co. B) Cell: (330) 307-1826; Email: [email protected] Page 11

Meet Our Newest Scholarship Recipient

Dear Members of the Class of 1956,

My name is Alec Stathakis and I am from Detroit, Michigan. I wanted to write this sincere letter to express my gratitude for the opportunity that you have given me here at Culver. I am able to attend such a prestigious school because of your generosity. Thank you for providing me with the Class of 1956 Memorial Scholarship Fund. My time here at Culver so far has been busy with learning the lifestyle of a new cadet. I have noticed how different Culver is from any other high school. To start off, the class sizes are great because you get more one on one time with the teacher. Also, the leadership program has al- ready started to teach me how to be a better man and how to listen to others as well. I am excited to develop and grow as a leader throughout the rest of my time here at Culver.

I come from a big family of six and all three siblings have been affiliated with Culver in some way. My oldest brother, Adam, graduated from the CMA in 2013 and is now settled in at Hillsdale College. Another sibling of mine, Aaron, attended Woodcraft Camp. Last but not least, my sister Ally attends Culver with me and will graduate in 2017. I am a member of the Class of 2019 and I am in Company A. I wanted to continue the family tradition because it is the same unit my brother was in. I am involved in three sports year-round, which include football, hockey, and lacrosse. At Culver, the balance between mind, body, and spirit gives me the ability to play all three sports while still keeping up my grades and still working on my spirit.

Being at Culver is truly an opportunity of a lifetime. I know that I am setting myself up to learn lifelong lessons, morals, and skills that I can use well past my Culver and collegiate years. In the future, I plan to graduate college with good grades and a degree in something that will be beneficial. At Culver, I am given an opportunity most people aren't given because of your help. Words can't describe how thankful I am. I will take on every challenge and opportunity that comes my way so that I can grow. Thank you for everything you have helped with so that I can attend Culver.

Sincerely, Alec Stathakis, CMA 2019

Thank you for your Culver Fund gifts that mean so much to today’s students and faculty!

Gifts to the Culver Fund, as well as the Class of 1956 Memorial Scholarship, benefit great students like Alec and provide them the opportunity to learn and to become effective leaders at Culver. The Class of 1956 has set 60th Reunion fundraising goals that include 55% of our classmates making a gift to the Culver Fund by the School’s June 30, 2016 fiscal-year-end. Page 12

Thank you to those who have made a gift thus far and are listed below. We hope that the rest of you will make a gift soon so that we can announce that we have reached our 55% participation goal at Reunion Weekend. Every gift matters and is important in providing the Culver experience for today’s students and sustaining Culver for future generations.

You may make a credit card gift online via Culver’s secure website at www.culver.org/makeagift or by calling Cathy Zurbrugg in the development office (574) 842-8312. If preferred, you may send a check made payable to “Culver Educational Foundation” via the enclosed envelope.

Bob Baer Pete Bikos Bob Bon Durant Tony Brannon Martin Brown Joe Cummings Bill Davidson Jim Dunlap Tom Folsom Richard Freeman Chuck Fulmer John Gourlay Bill Hanning Don Hochschulz Fred Ingham Miles McLennan Chuck McPherson Dick Moore John Newman Larry Parker Mickey Patrick Hugh Pease Bob Peck Rogers Pierson Skip Ross Harry Schoger Ward Schryver Tom Shumaker Bill Slemmons Chuck Sommer E.B. Vandiver Don Varenhorst George Willard Ron Yonover add your name here

Please make plans to attend our 60th Reunion, joining those listed below, who are scheduled to attend. Mike Bacon Bob Baer Bob Bon Durant Martin Brown Joe Cummings Jim Dunlap Allan Fork Richard Freeman Chuck Fulmer Bruce Gafill John Geller Tom Goodman John Gourlay Bill Hanning David Howell Randy Jones Jim Medland Dick Moore John Newman Mickey Patrick Rogers Pierson John Roberts Carl Russell Harry Schoger Bill Slemmons Chuck Sommer Jay Turnbull E.B. Vandiver

And, the “maybes” are listed below. We encourage your attendance in order for the Class of 1956 to reach 31 attendees that will break the 60th Reunion attendance record of 30 set by the Class of 1950. We can do it!

Tony Brannon Larry Cleaves Bruce DeYoung Joe Dressel Taylor Evans Bill Friedman Gabby Gabaldon David Hines Don Hochschulz Marshall Macomber Bill McLennan Chuck McPherson Jim Medland Tom Munroe Larry Parker Tom Shumaker Mark Stevens Neal Voltz Ron Yonover

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to those classmates born in the merry months of April, May, and June!

Ward Schryver Marshall Macomber Mickey Patrick Cobi Cobian Dick Moore Joaquim de Menezes Gabby Gabaldon Hugh Pease Carl Russell Bob Marek Dave Howell Scotty Robertson Philip Winsor John Day Richard Freeman John Roberts Tom Ridgway Neal Voltz Martin Brown Bob Baer Mark Stevens David Shively Fred Miller Frank Cox John Mueller Chuck Sommer Tony Brannon

The Culver Ring

Long after diplomas have been put aside or hang unnoticed on an office wall, the Culver Ring remains a talisman and one of the strongest links in the chain that has connected Academy graduates as far back as 1916.

To many alumni, the ring is more treasured than one from their college or university and its distinctive design and the carved initials make it unique according to Monte Reed, L.G. Balfour's Indiana representative.

Following his appointment as superintendent in 1910, Lt. Col. Gignilliat immediately organized The Culver Military Academy Alumni Association. He commissioned the C.D. Peacock Jewelers of Chicago to design an official Academy ring in 1915 and what emerged months later was indeed unique.

Gignilliat’s interests in all things military was so great that he insisted that each branch of service then at Culver be incorporated in the design and not until the end of World War II did the ring undergo hanges. Burdened with an unmanageable name, the CMAAA was abandoned in favor of the Culver Legion in 1916 and acquired title to the new ring and established the rules for its distribution and use.

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In the original design, the shanks of the ring were cast in gold and contained elements of Culver traditions, military insigne, and the state seal of Indiana. Gold was poured to form an oval at the top or table, after which the graduate’s monogram was hand-carved and the year of graduation stamped beneath. A twisted rope surrounding the monogram contained stars representing America’s four wars. The castle of the Corps of Engineers and the Infantry’s crossed rifles appeared on one shank while the crest of the Signal Corps and crossed-cannon of the Artillery was on the other. Superimposed across a globe of the world was the Culver logo held in the grasp of an eagle’s talons.

A year after World War II ended, modifications to the original design replaced the Signal Corps seal with that of the U.S. Marine Corps, and the castle of the Army Engineers with the Navy emblem. On one shank is a globe with a spread eagle on top, signifying the position of the United States and Culver in the world. The state seal of Indiana on the other shank demonstrates the school’s cooperation with the state and a fifth star, supposedly representing World War II, was added to the rope surrounding the signet. In 1972, the newly established Culver Academy for Girls adopted a ring of its own design. At the conclusion of the Vietnam War, the Culver Legion agreed that the number of stars would match the number of conflicts in which alumni had served.

According to Monte Reed, the Academies’ Balfour representative, Culver is its oldest high school class ring account and is considered Balfour’s most prestigious. It should come as no surprise that Culver’s per capita purchase rate is higher than any other high school in America.

The ring has, over the years, almost taken on a mythological aura and amazing stories abound. One ring was buried by its owner on Corregidor in 1942 rather than have the Japanese confiscate it. Another was lost by a ’42 graduate on a Pacific island and found months later by a ’43 alumnus. The ring has sparked conversations in airports, bars, on battlefields, and just about any venue where Culver alumni have gathered. Some are so worn that the designs have all but disappeared, but not the memories which it brings.

Editor’s note: With appreciation to Academies Historian Bob Hartman for excerpts previously published in his story, “Rings on Their Fingers.” Upcoming Events Join an upcoming alumni gathering in your area. Register for an opportunity below or visit the alumni events calendar.

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