76 Membership: 56% 77 Membership: 81% Pres., LCdr. Don Bringle USN Pres., Maj. Keith Tibbits USMC Sec'y, Maj. Joe Buranosky USMC Sec'y, Cdr. Bill Millward USN 3015 Greenwich St. 1288 Avenue H, Qtrs FE Charleston, S.C Carlsbad, Calif. 92008-7030 29408-1908 The time is passing quickly, when you read this our West Coast, LCdr. Dempsey Butler USN 15th reunion will be upon us; I hope that as many of Box 35, FPO Seattle, Wash 98767-2708 you as possible are making plans to attend. I've re­ Shipmates, the first thing that I would lUce to start ceived a few letters this month and had the chance to off with this month is a note of appreciation for my taUc widi some foUcs on the phone. The day after I wife, Jane, who carried the baimer of this column (by mailed the last column, I heard from Stephanie Pa- power of attomey) while I was deployed. She did a pak; she told me that Dave had just retumed from great job working with the various items of news that Southwest Asia. His Reserve unit was activated, and came m, which isn't as easy as one might expect if Dave spent five and a half months over there. They not stepped in Navy lingo. All this and great reading, were tasked with the organization, care and feeding too! of the Iraqi POWs. Stephanie also passed on that The summer months have traditionally been slow Randy Hutcherson was over there aboard USS as far as news is concemed, so I end up making a OKINAWA for nine months. bunch of stuff up which may or may not be of any I had the pleasure of speaking with Keith Cham­ Calvin H. Cobb congratulates John Krase on being named value. LUce the trip I just took to Ohio for the occa­ the winner of the 1991 Gen. Holland M. Smith Award pion and Pat Bole on the phone. Pat was in Hawaii sion of my wife's high school reunion. Well, as the doing some work with Keith's squadron, and they Gods usually decree when you take a trip lUce this gave me a call. Keith's squadron was due to deploy to (600 miles in 10 hrs), the car decides to blow a radia­ Iwakuni in August, and Pat has orders to be on the tor hose just past Fancy Gap, Vuginia. Yes, I was one staff at MAG-12 in Iwakuni right around the same of those idiots that you see backing up on the freeway time. Both just retumed from SWA a few months in order to take the missed off-ramp. But it was either earlier. that or go through the hassle of hUdng to a phone and I got a letter from Buddy Hingle just a few weeks artanging for a tow truck, etc. Anyway, there ago. At the time he wrote, he and his family were weren't any cars coming. As you might expect. enjoying leave in Louisiana. They had just spent Fancy Gap is not that big of a town. In fact, I didn't three years in Okinawa where, during the past year. see much of the town other than a Citgo gas station Buddy was the CO of Intelligence Company at 3d that had a small garage nearby where the mechanic SRI Group. Buddy was on his way to Washington, and I fashioned a temporary hose out of three differ­ D.C. for a tour at the Pentagon. ent pieces. While we were working on this hose, the I also heard from Lidija Ortioff this month; she and mechanic and I naturally started to shoot the breeze Ric are living in Westwood, Massachusetts with their about nothing in particular. He mentioned that the twin daughters, Kristina Lana and Alexandar Antun O'Hanlons, Kelley, more O'Hanlons, Ordoffs, and the town had had a great Fourth of July celebration the who were bom 11 November 1990. Ric left the Navy Mareshs '74 night before and that he had somewhat of a hangover. last January and is now the chief financial officer of a I commented how the family enjoyed the fireworks in battery manufacturing company in Boston; he is still Charleston and how great U was to be back home flyuig as a Reservist with HSL-74 in South Wey­ from the Gulf. This led us to the topic of Saddam mouth and is also a Blue and Gold Officer in the area. Hussein, how everyone thinks he's a lunatic and other Lidija said that last April they had a small reunion patriotic topics. By this time the car was ready to go. with some other 1st Company Classmates at Paula I packed up the wife, son and dog and then asked him and Jack Kelley's house in Washington; Jack is out of how much for the fix. He says, 'Five bucks for the die Navy but still driUing with the Reserves. Rich hose, nodiing for labor." I ask him if he is sure and he O'Hanlon and his wife Eileen were there with theu responds, "Yes, I'm sure . thanks for going over duee kids, Dara, Bryim, and Caitiin. Rich just took there and doing your part." That to me was worth command of an F-18 squadron in Jacksonville. John three months in the Gulf. Jolicuer and his wife Renee were supposed to attend, I could go on with a couple other stories like when but were unable to make it; John is out of the Navy, fourteen friends drive down from NorfoUc and sur­ and he and his family are living in Maryland. Also in prise me on the pier as the ship pulls in and say, attendance were Suzanne and Dave Maresh '74. Ric, Alexander, Kristina, and Lidija Ordoff "We're here for the weekend. Let's party!" or how we I spoke with William Brown on the phone a few rent a MWR tent to go camping, it rains and naturally weeks ago; Duke is the Protestant Chaplain at Naval Mike Prendergast, Blaine Pearsall, and Don Brin­ the tent has several holes in it . Enough! Maybe Postgraduate School in Monterey. He finished up his gle, and everything is falling into place for a great get next mondi there will be mail!! Don't forget the new tour in Hawau after spending several months in the together The bookings at Loew's are filled, but you address. Persian Gulf with his destroyer squadron. may still be able to arrange accommodations through 1288 Avenue H, Quarters FF I got a short note from John Drerup; he and Jill the Historic Inns of Annapolis; call 1-800-847-8882 Charleston, S.C. 29405 have moved to NorfoUc. John is on the staff at Com- for information. You should have received a second Take care, and until next mondi, happy trails, BUI. NavAirLant. flier with all of the details by the time this apears; if Just a few final notes from press releases that I you haven't, contact me or give Nancy Gorum a call received—Gary Stark recently retumed from the at the Alumni House, and we'll pass on the gouge. Middle East in support of Operation Desert Storm We have achieved our initial goal for the Class proj­ while serving with HS-3 out of NAS JacksonvUle. ect; however, there are still some outstanding 78 Membership: 83% Tom Zelibor also recently retumed from SWA; he pledges—keep up the good work! We are still look­ was over there with VF-32 out of NAS Oceana. Con­ ing for volunteers or nominations to run for Class Pres., Steve Maloney gratulations to John Kruse who was presented the office—please specify which office. Let me hear Sec'y, Vince Balderrama General Holland M. Smith award for Operational from you. Joe. 10 De Marchis Drive Competence. During Operation Desert Shield John Shelton, Conn. 06484 helped to prepare his battalion for combat operations Don't Miss an Issue September is here, another Ac year begins for our both in North Carolina before deployment and in Naval fledgelings, and we get closer to respectabiUty. Saudi Arabia. As Desert Storm began, his battalion of Shipmate! WeU, at least the first too issues are not in question. was instrumental in providing artillery support vital When we last left our good ship and crew I was just to liberating Kuwait. Keep the Alumni Association telling you about Marty Drake's letter. Marty is en­ I hope to see many of you at the Reunion 25-27 Current on Address Changes joying life as the CO of the PEGASUS, ported down in October I've spoken widi Nancy and Chuck Gorum, MargaritavUle (aka—Key West, Florida). As you'll 94 Shipmate, September 1991 recaU from Reef Pomts, dial's one of those Naval ves­ tags. During one of my authorized happy hours (Eliz­ sels that has an identity crisis and can't quite seem to \r^-.} abeth gives me my Uberty card once in a while for figure out if it is really a ship that tries to fly or is a good behavior, not to mention to get me out of the seaplane that can't quite get out of ground affect. (I house!) I happened to notice the name tag of the mean even Marty refers to a craise someplace as a Lounge Manager at the local Marriot. Anyway, I "flight"!) Bemg CO isn't wholly fiin as Marty was took a chance and asked her if she was any relation to sweating out whedier or not die ship was going to be the famous George the "K." After all, Koucheravy is nice and let them get through an inspection without about as common as Balderrama.