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 Front Row: Jim Maloney, Rich Wilhelm, Max Johnson, Jim Thompson, Matt Scheel, John OConnor, Craig ONeill 2nd Row: Cindi & Carter Harris, Larry Sander, Christine England-Holaday, Sharon Reep-Baldi, Catherine Brousseau, Judy Dramer-Honegger, Chuck Drdla, Claudia Thompson-Bessenger, Sid & Robyn Spain Back Row: Mark Schreiber, Bill Holaday, John Andrews, Don Rakestraw, Nancy Sander, Connie Coury-Watts, Gayle Russell-Mercurio & Vince, Jim Armstrong & Suzie Butterfield-Armstrong, Pam Scheel. |
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From: Catherine Brousseau (
cbrousseau@rcn.com ) date: Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 12:27 PM subject: 2011 Reunion Colorado Springs September 2011: The weather was lousy. The company was wonderful. There were 30 of us, with first-timers Connie Coury, Mark Schreiber, Carter Harris, John O'Connor, and Rich Wilhelm. Sid and Chris put together a simple booklet of those who responded to Sid's request for short bios. WOW, what a group we are! I marveled and smiled my way through it. Most of us went on a wonderful tour of the Air Force Academy. It was "up close and personal" because graduates Bill Holaday and Don Rakestraw helped gain entry into the Terrazzo area. Our guide was a fantastic retired Chief Master Sergeant who'd worked at the Academy for many years. Their combined stories inspired, but also made us laugh. What I loved about the site was the way the first floor of the buildings are mostly open space. Like an airplane taking off, the buildings seem to lift into the air. Mountains one side, plains the other. A truly gorgeous setting. Then in the rain, we visited the grave and memorial to classmates Bill George and John Cobb, respectively. Thanks, Sid, for your gentle reflection of these fine men and dear friends. The Cliff House Inn was intimate and lovely, perfect for our small group. The first evening when the weather cooperated, we had patio space with and outdoor fire. When the rains started, we commandeered the cozy bar. Buffet breakfast was an extended affair to share stories, questions, and what we've been up to. During free time, some took the train to Pikes Peak, some shopped or explored, some drove to Garden of the Gods, some visited The Broadmoor. One night we sat together to see the DVD "Brats: Our Journey Home". Lots of stories, laughter, and hugs. Shared history, shared memories, shared bonds. We are awesome: GO '64! |
From: John OConnor
(
motorrad4@yahoo.com ) Date: Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 10:32 PM subject: Re: Post - WHS Reunion Hello to everyone out there who either was or wasn't at the Manitou Springs re union. It was my first foray into the scene. Max Johnson met me at the Jet Blue gate at Logan and made sure I arrived. He was under strict orders. Dead or alive. Seriously though, 5 minutes after I walked into the hotel lobby and adjusted my deer-in-the-headlights retinae to the indoor lighting (the old rods and cones ain't what they used to be) I found myself actively renewing those "unfinished conversations" that Ms. Judy so eloquently referred to. That's all it took-walk into a room 47 years later and it all comes back to you. Groups of us chatted amicably through numerous divergences on into the dark, culminating in a complete sorting out of all the world's issues sometime after midnight on the hotel porch. Don't you all feel a whole lot better now? Now that we straightened this mess out? I sure do. Wednsday most of us carpooled over to the AF Academy for what turned out to be a whole lot more than a campus tour. Bill Holaday and Don Rakestraw gave us the inside dope. The Chief Master Sgt. (ret.) tour guide (who was brilliant and whose name I did not write down) regaled us with facts, stats, myths, legends, wit, sarcasm and heartfelt love of the place. Name, please!!! We concluded this truly grand tour by paying our respects to Bill George and John Cobb. Wednsday night resembled a cross between the Italia and Die Schwarze Katze. Well, the pepperoni may not have measured up to the Italia, but the raucous, rowdy, and rambunctious gathering sounded a lot like I remember. The aforementioned Ms. Dramer-Honegger had brought along a copy of the documentary film "Brats-Coming Home." The hotel barman plugged it into the widescreen and we proceeded to watch the likes of Stormin' Norman Schwartzkopf, and Kris Kristofferson among other less famous but no less compelling military brats delve into the psyche of us. I came away thinking that as long and strange as that trip has been, I would never in a million years trade it for hanging on the same corner in Worcester Ma with my homies for the first 18 years of my life. No way. Thursday saw a continuation of the record precipitation that had been falling on Colorado Springs since we walked out of lunch in the Hap Arnold Building at the Academy the day before. I heard a comment that it felt "just like Germany." Rakestraw volunteered to be the wheelman for a getaway run over the ridge and through the high plains out towards Breckenridge. Passengers included Craig O'Neal (shotgun), Jim Maloney (waist gunner), Yours truly (other waist gunner), and Jim Thompson (the biggest tailgunner ever). We disembarked at a BBQ shack in Fairplay (which somebody-Rakestraw? Maloney?) insited on pronouncing "Foreplay." Our hostess proved to have been born at Ruislip AFB (England), grown up a brat, and served in the USAF. She also was into ghosts. Madame Silverheels and The Cowboy will probably wake me up any night now. Ten miles up the road we stopped in Alma, which claims to be the highest incorporated municipality in the U.S.A. I think they mean altitude. After chatting with the haunted general store owner (the store, not the owner) we pulled a uie and headed back. Sweeping vistas. Snowcapped peaks concealing Maloney's birthplace off in the distance. Our Wild Weasel wheelman got us home right on time. After an hour or so worth of beauty rest (didn't work for me) we began to gather for the gala banquet, which featured Chicken, Beef, AND Salmon-all quite good. But really, it was all about the company. Sid Spain led off with an eloquent invocation. For those no longer with us, the names were intoned, and the bell was rung. Knowin' they wouldn't want us to stay somber too long-we partied on having invoked their spirits to join us. After the dinner, we reunion rookies had to get up and tell a Wiesbaden story. I'm saying this so that you future rookies out there can have enough time to properly edit your memory banks. It was all downhill from there. The only bad part of the reunion was saying adios at breakfast. Thanks to Bill and Chris Holaday, Sid Spain and Maloney-the Colorado Nexus. And to Max-Semper Fi brother. I never would have done it without you. Whether you've done 'em all, or none, doesn't matter. It's the big 50 in '14. Austin City Limits. Here we come Schreiber. Look out! ..................John O'Connor |
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