Distinctive The Class of 2025 heads to the Fleet. page 24
Breaking The historic journey to admit women to CGA. page 46
An alum’s algorithm eliminates days of manual labor. page 60 National Champions History was made when three cadets took home the gold. page 26
Volume 87, Number 3
A New Generation Takes the Watch ...................................................................... 24
With determination and distinction, USCGA’s latest graduates are prepared to protect America’s waters and advance its mission.
A Historic Season for Coast Guard Academy Athletics....................................... 26
For the first time ever, three cadets earned national titles in the same winter season, while women’s rugby brought home a national championship this spring.
Ask A Cadet ............................................................................................................... 34 The Power of Kindness
Cyber Team Claims Historic Victory at NetWars ................................................. 36
With first-place finishes against top academies and professionals, USCGA marks a milestone in cybersecurity competition.
Cadets Stand Out in High Stakes Business Simulation...................................... 40 Cadets blend academic knowledge and leadership under pressure in a transformative professional development experience.
Engineering a New Path ........................................................................................... 44 New Interdisciplinary Engineering (IDE) program empowers cadets to tailor their engineering education to their passions.
Breaking Barriers: The Historic Journey to Admit Women at CGA .................. 46 From legal pressure to visionary leadership, how Title IX, civil rights advocates, and Coast Guard trailblazers transformed the Academy – and the Service – forever.
Track Lines with LCDR Laura Delgado ’11 .......................................................... 54 Delgado shares her career journey that led her to the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer.
Where Training Meets Reality ................................................................................
A junior officer’s first year in the fleet reveals how Academy principles evolve into operational impact, from the Galapagos to the Southern Maritime Border. A Mission to
With a Python-based program, LCDR Luke Carani ’15 replaced days of manual billet matching with an instant, accurate algorithm.
Force Design 2028 Charts Bold New Course for the Coast Guard ..................... 64 Announced at the Coast Guard Academy commencement, the initiative calls for organizational overhaul, tech innovation, and a 15,000-member workforce expansion.
Last Word: The Other Eagle(s) .............................................................................. 119 From 18th-century battles to lunar landings, vessels named Eagle have shaped history, including this WWII loss off the coast of Maine.
Front Cover: For the first time ever, three cadets earned national titles in the same winter season, while women’s rugby brought home a national championship this spring. L-R: Allie Wildsmith ’26 – DIII National Champion in Indoor & Outdoor Track and Field, High Jump; Chase Randall ’25 – DIII National Champion in Wrestling, 133 lbs; and Colin Twiss ’25 – DIII National Champion in Swimming and Diving, 200m freestyle. Read the interview with all three on page 26. Photo by Brad Clift.
Opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policy, or attitude of the Coast Guard, the Alumni Association, its officers, or the editorial staff. The Association strives to provide a forum within The Bulletin that welcomes free and open expression of opinions; however, the Association reserves the right to publish or omit submissions at its discretion. The inclusion of advertisements in The Bulletin should not be construed as an endorsement of the advertiser by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, or the U.S. Coast Guard.
Next mailing of The Bulletin: August 13, 2025. The Bulletin (ISSN 0191-9814) is published bimonthly by the United States Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association, Inc., 47 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT 063208111. Periodical postage paid at New London, CT, and at additional offices.
Postmaster: Please forward if address change is due to official orders. Domestic Mail Manual, Section 159.223. Send address changes to The Bulletin, U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association, 47 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT 06320-8111.
Dates below subject to change. Visit www. cgaalumni.org/events for up-to-date information.
June 24
June 30
June 30
Career Lunch & Learn: Strategies to Avoid Medicare’s Hidden Fees, Zoom
Class of 2029 Day One, USCGA
Legacy Family Social, USCGA
July 30 1887 Speaker Series: Jim Bouchard, Zoom
July 31
July 31
Aug. 4
Aug. 6
Aug. 20
100-Ton Upgrade Course, Pathfinder Maritime Training, Virtual
Zero to 100-Ton Course Pathfinder Maritime Training, Virtual
Otto Graham Golf Classic, Arlington, VA
USCGA Alumni Social in Cape May, Rio Grande, NJ
USCGA Alumni Networking Social, San Diego, CA
Aug. 21 Convocation, USCGA
Aug. 21-22
Aug. 27
Sept. 2
Service Academy Career Conference, San Diego, CA
Bears Athletics Fund Day of Giving
Lunch & Learn: Drones at CGA, Zoom
Sept. 12-14 Family Weekend, USCGA
Sept. 12
Legacy Family Lunch, USCGA
Sept. 18-21 Homecoming, USCGA
USCG Band: For a complete list of streaming concerts visit http://www.uscg.mil/band and follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/uscoastguardband.
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association is a non-profit corporation which exists exclusively for educational and charitable purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Mission Statement: The Association shall provide services to and promote fellowship among its members. The organization shall raise funds to provide “margin of excellence” support for the Corps of Cadets to preserve traditions and enhance the reputation of the Academy.
Membership: Academy graduates and those who have attended the Academy are eligible for Regular membership; all others interested in the Academy and its Corps of Cadets are eligible for Associate membership. Annual Membership Fees: Regular members, $96; Associate members, $90.
CHAIR: CAPT Kirsten Martin (Ret) ‘88 VICE CHAIR: Mr. John DiLuna ’00
CAPT Steven Baynes ‘86
Mr. Earl Burns ’77
CAPT Donald Coffelt (Ret) ’85
Mrs. Olivia Cream ‘04
CDR Kyle Ensley ’06
LT William Glick ‘17
LCDR Kevin Keefe ’09
CAPT Jennifer Konon ‘02
Dr. Skip Langlois, Jr. ‘82
Mr. Lee Rosenbaum ’94
CAPT Gregory Sanial (Ret) ’88
CDR Stewart Sibert ’08
LCDR Xiaobin Tuo ’09
CAPT Larry White (Ret) ’80
CAPT Erin Williams ’98
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 860.442.2683 www.cgaalumni.org
CAPT ANDREA MARCILLE (RET) ’89 President Ext. 10; amarcille@cgaalumni.org
TAYLOR BURKE
Manager of Annual and Planned Giving Ext. 19; tburke@cgaalumni.org
AMANDA CIZEK Events & Engagement Manager Ext. 20; acizek@cgaalumni.org
EMILY HERBETTE
Vice President of Alumni Engagement Ext. 16; eherbette@cgaalumni.org
LCDR LAURA HOLVECK (RET) ’01
Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement & Career Services Ext. 14; lholveck@cgaalumni.org
ELIZABETH JENNERWEIN
Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement & Membership Ext. 27; ejennerwein@cgaalumni.org
SANGWOO KANG
Digital Engagement & Marketing Specialist Ext. 17; skang@cgaalumni.org
SUSAN KENYON
Senior Director of Development & Major Gifts Ext. 12; skenyon@cgaalumni.org
TARA KING CLARK Vice President of Communications & Marketing Ext. 21; tking@cgaalumni.org
KAREN LICITRA
Director of Business Operations Ext. 11; klicitra@cgaalumni.org
CAPT ROBERT MCKENNA (RET), ’89 Vice President of Development Ext. 13; rmckenna@cgaalumni.org
RYAN ROSLONEK ’96 Director of Partner Giving Ext. 15; rroslonek@cgaalumni.org
TRUESON TARINELLI
Director of Athletics Development & Brand Licensing Ext. 29; ttarinelli@cgaalumni.org
MICHELE THOMPSON
Manager of Database Operations Ext. 22; mthompson@cgaalumni.org
MELISSA YUHAS
Senior Director of Communications & Strategic Marketing Ext. 23; myuhas@cgaalumni.org
Rear Admiral Michael J. Johnston ’90
Dear Coast Guard Academy Family,
Warm greetings from New London! As we embrace the early signs of summer, our campus is still glowing with the vibrant days of spring—flowers in bloom, luscious fresh cut greens across our beautiful 103 acres, and the unmistakable energy that comes from another class stepping proudly into the fleet!
This past week, we honored the Class of 2025 in the 144th Commencement Exercises of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Grad week also brought along a rare May Nor’easter—with temperatures dipping into the 40s and making it one of the coldest graduation ceremonies on record—but nothing could diminish the pride and excitement that was felt as we commissioned 262 extraordinary young men and women, including six international cadets, into the United States Coast Guard and respective services.
These newest commissioned Ensigns are not just a testament to their own determination and growth—they are the embodiment of what the Academy stands for: honor, respect, and devotion to duty. Their success is shared by the faculty, staff, and the broader Academy family who have poured their hearts into preparing these future leaders. To each of them, I extend my deepest gratitude.
As we send the Class of 2025 out into the fleet, our work of shaping the future continues. The Classes of 2026 and 2028 are currently scattered around the world on Eagle, at a variety of operational units, or internships with fortune 500 companies, and the Class of 2027 is preparing for the pivotal responsibility of Cadre Summer. Soon, they will welcome the Class of 2029, a new generation ready to begin their own journey of transformation. I invite you to join us for “Day One” on June 30th to share in this powerful moment of transition and tradition!
This year’s Commencement speaker, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi
Noem, inspired us with her words and shared exciting news. She formally introduced our incoming senior leadership team, led by ADM Kevin Lunday ‘87, and offered insight into the Coast Guard’s bold new vision—Force Design 2028. This strategy reimagines how we carry out our duties and responsibilities while preserving our core values and statutory missions. It calls for the recapitalization of our aging fleet and infrastructure, the realignment of operational forces, and an ambitious growth of 15,000 personnel. [Learn more on page 64.] It’s a plan that demands vision, leadership, and resilience— qualities cultivated every day right here at the Academy.
In the last issue of this Bulletin, I introduced the CGA Installation Development Plan (IDP), a forwardthinking 25-year capital investment strategy that will transform the Academy into a modern, world-class institution capable of meeting the Coast Guard’s evolving needs. This plan is about more than buildings and facilities; it’s about building leaders. It is our commitment to ensure that the Academy remains a premier center of learning, character development, and professional excellence—not just within the military, but among the world’s top academic institutions.
Because the truth is this: the United States Coast Guard Academy Campus is the birthplace of leadership for our Service. From the moment a cadet, officer candidate, warrant officer, senior enlisted member, or command cadre steps onto this campus, they are immersed in a culture that challenges them to grow intellectually, ethically, and personally. Here, we do more than educate; we inspire. We forge a bond of purpose and integrity that lasts a lifetime and strengthens the Long Blue Line that connects us all.
While we celebrate our momentum, we must also stay clear-eyed about the challenges ahead. Our mission is strong, our people are capable, but our facility dates back nearly a century—and it is
not keeping pace with the demands of modern training and education. The risk is not that the Academy will fail, but that it may struggle to remain at the forefront unless we invest boldly in its future. That is why our IDP and Force Design 2028 are so essential. With aligned vision and action, we can ensure that CGA remains the wellspring of leadership the Coast Guard—and our nation—requires.
Fortunately, we are not alone in this work. Senior leadership at Coast Guard Headquarters has made it clear: they are fully committed to the Academy’s future and to the success of our cadets. Our Board of Trustees has never been more engaged, and the support from our Alumni Association—under the steadfast leadership of President Andrea Marcille—has been nothing short of extraordinary.
On a more personal note, before reporting to CGA, I experienced the profound loss of my father, which prompted me to reflect on my priorities. I accepted a two-year assignment to CGA, and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my career; surrounded by bright, passionate cadets committed to serving others. Every day was full and fulfilling. However, during a visit from my mother last fall, I was reminded just how quickly time passes. When the Commandant later shared that all orders were now in flux, I took the opportunity to visit her again, confirming what I had been feeling: it was time. A candid conversation with the Commandant reinforced this truth, “time is the one thing you can’t get back.” I made the decision to retire knowing that CGA is on a tremendous path and in good hands. The Coast Guard is full of exceptional people and will continue to thrive and if you have any doubt look at the Commencement Ceremony and listen to our Distinguished Cadet. We are surrounded by thousands of brilliant, driven, and service-minded young men and women, faculty, staff, coaches, and regional partners who believe in something bigger than themselves. We have the support of the Commandant, the Department, the Administration, Congress and our Alumni (all of you) and more importantly we have a plan - a plan to build out what we need to be Semper Paratus
This summer RDML Gregory Rothrock ’95 will assume command, and I have absolute confidence that he will lead the Academy with the vision, integrity, and dedication it so deeply deserves. It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to serve as Superintendent and walk alongside you on this extraordinary journey. I look forward to supporting RDML Rothrock as he carries forward our shared vision, mission and plan as he continues to strengthen the legacy of this remarkable institution.
Thank you for your continued belief in our mission, your support of our cadets, and your enduring pride in our shared Coast Guard legacy. It has been my greatest honor to serve alongside all of you in this Long Blue Line. Semper Paratus and Forever—Go Coast Guard!
To provide a range of views and voices, submissions must be 700 words or less to be considered for publication. Letters will be edited for accuracy, space, clarity, and civility. No personal attacks. Letters should be related to articles or letters from previous Bulletin issues. Occasionally, letters may be printed if the subject matter relates to the Academy or Alumni affairs. While all letters are reviewed, the Alumni Association reserves the right to publish submissions at its discretion as we strive for civility, balance, variety, and timeliness. Omissions may occur if a particular submission reiterates a stance, opinion, or discussion previously published or reflected in other submissions selected for publication. We confer with letter writers about edits to the extent that deadlines allow.
Re: “Remembering Captain Yeaton’s Exhumation” (Oct/Nov 2024, p. 58)
After writing the article, “Remembering Captain Hopley Yeaton,” for the Bulletin last year, a mystery has surfaced. In early November 1974, CDR Jimmie Woods ’55, returned to New London following Yeaton’s exhumation in North Lubec, Maine, with the original 6’8” long wooden coffin lid (see photo below). CDR Wood’s intent was to deliver it to the CGA Museum. I recently contacted Mrs. Woods who remembers the lid in the back of the station wagon parked at their home the evening of his return. The CGA Museum Curator has been unable to locate the lid. Perhaps the lid was placed in Yeaton’s crypt outside the chapel (although the above ground portion is not long enough). Maybe the lid is still in some dusty basement at the Academy. Then again, maybe someone took it home (as I’ve learned that many artifacts simply “walked away” over the years). Or, heaven forbid, the lid was tossed out. It’s been nearly 51 years since the lid was exhumed with Yeaton’s remains.
While it’s a long shot, my hope is that someone reading this will have some memory of the lid and its final disposition.
CAPT Bill Semrau, USCG (ret), ’79
Re: Letters to the Editor (April/May 2025, p. 8)
I have read with interest the letters in the April/May 2025 Bulletin from Bob Pokress ‘69, CAPT Fred Schmitt ‘69, and George G. Bond, II ‘69. First, let me say that I am proud to be a member of CGA Class of 1967, the class with the primary responsibility for training these three correspondents during their years as cadets, for whatever role we may have played in shaping them. It appears that we did well.
All three presented thoughtful criticism of the recent attack on the Academy curriculum and the administration’s capitulation to the shameful partisan dumbing down of that curriculum and to the demands of the President and DHS Secretary. I completely agree with the correspondents’ criticism.
I have also read the response by Dr. Amy Donahue, CGA provost, published on the Alumni Association website. I agree that she does not have the option of defying or ignoring the directives passed down to her. The members of the faculty do not have that luxury either. I don’t doubt that they would be fired for their failure to go along. Attempting to assert their independence would be to no avail.
There is a third option available for all involved. I hope that they give it serious consideration. Rather than acquiesce to unreasonable, intellectually dishonest demands, or ignore or defy what Dr. Donahue correctly characterizes as a lawful order, Dr. Donahue and affected faculty members should properly demonstrate objection to those demands by tendering their resignations, clearly stating the reason for their action. I recognize that this is a risky course of action. Livelihoods are at stake here. It is certainly easy for me, sitting at
home collecting my pension, to urge this response. However, I urge all involved to engage in serious self-examination. They will either be willing participants in this shameful dilution of truthful education or they will stand for intellectual integrity. The choice is theirs. I see no middle ground. If they possess the qualifications that we have been assured were the basis for their being hired other employment should be available to them. In the future, they need to be able to look back with pride at the stand they took today for academic freedom.
CAPT Roger Brunell, USCG (ret), ’67
That Which Can’t Be Named Re: Letters to the Editor (April/May 2025, p. 8)
I was pleased and worried to see the three letters regarding the Department of Homeland Security directive for the “elimination of climate change activities and terminology” at the Academy. Pleased because it shows our Association and its magazine, The Bulletin, do believe in free speech. Worried because of the dreadful actions being taken as described in the letters.
However, I would not expect active-duty officers to publicly criticize or visibly undermine the directive. They are in a position where they must follow orders unless those orders are obviously unconstitutional.
That does not mean retired alumni, family and friends can’t publicly criticize the directive. We all still have the right to write to our Congressional Representatives expressing our concerns about the directive.
I have done this sighting my engineering and Coast Guard experience. My approach avoided
“wokeness” and culture war terminology. I simply explained how I have seen how the climate is changing based my 25 years at King’s Cross Station, London. I explained how the causes of Climate Change are immaterial. What mattered was dealing with Victorian drainage systems that were incapable of coping with the now periodic tropical downpours that literally lift manhole covers on platforms. We now have to close platforms, disrupt passengers and spend thousands of pounds cleaning up afterwards and budget tens of millions to fix the problem. We all need to tell our representatives you can’t wish away engineering facts.
We need to tell our representatives this directive must be eliminated if Coast Guard officers of the future are going to protect America.
Engineers must be able to freely study how nature is changing and affecting our piers, harbors, ships, aircraft and buildings. They must then be allowed to freely look into solutions. Otherwise, lives will be lost, property destroyed and astronomical sums spent on repairs.
Re: Letters to the Editor (April/May 2025, p. 8)
I was shocked to learn from recent letters that political leaders are intruding on our academic curriculum and our standards of excellence at the Coast Guard Academy.
This action is unacceptable.
The Coast Guard has been tasked to build new ice breakers which will operate in the Arctic and Antarctic.
It is incomprehensible how a political leader can interfere and order the removal of climate change in CGA’s curriculum.
Politicians come and go, but the United States Coast Guard and our Academy that prepares officers for leadership have been in place for centuries.
As Alumni and citizens of the best country in the world, we should collectively stand up to those in political power that attempt and even order a modification to our standards
of leadership, academic excellence, and our future.
I urge our Coast Guard leadership team, our wonderful Superintendent, and the Corps not to fear reprisal by standing firm on what is simply the right thing to do.
Paul Kaufmann ’57
Re: Letters to the Editor (April/May 2025, p. 8)
Class of ’69 members (Pokress, Schmitt, Bond) offered spirited commentary regarding the Academy’s “acquiescence” to Secretary of Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) February 2025 directive for the “elimination of climate change activities and terminology” affecting the Academy’s curriculum. In response, the Alumni Association requested and posted online the Provost’s reply to the letters referenced above. After reading the response I am compelled to comment.
The Academy’s website states the Provost is “responsible for ensuring the quality of the Academy’s educational programs and maintaining the standards necessary to accomplish the Academy’s mission to develop leaders of character who serve as officers in the U.S. Coast Guard.” I note the emphasis on developing “leaders of character” in addition to providing a quality education. Institutions like the Coast Guard Academy impart lessons in moral and ethical development by the curriculum they teach and equally important by the actions of leaders who oversee them.
The Provost cites complying with a “lawful directive” as justification for modifying the educational curriculum. I am not an attorney but like most Coast Guard officers have been educated and trained in legal principles and the Uniform Code of Military Justice to perform and direct Coast Guard missions. I have done so while serving in both peacetime and wartime operational commands, often working jointly with Department of Defense (DOD) forces.
While determining whether an order or directive is “lawful” is a necessary first step in the decisionmaking process, it is not the only
step. An order or directive may be “lawful” and deemed unethical or immoral. If the latter, there is an obligation to seek clarification and if no remedy, respectfully refuse. The history of civil-military relations is replete with examples of “lawful” orders being administered without due regard for ‘downstream’ ethical or moral considerations – nationally, organizationally, and individually – with the effect of passing along a moral or ethical tax ultimately paid by others. That is, the individuals directly involved in the exchange are not fully bearing the consequences of their actions.
I assess the DHS directive to be both immoral and unethical. For the sake of brevity, core to both terms is a serious departure from expected norms of conduct, in our capacity as military professionals and also in creating an academic environment for effectively developing future leaders to honorably serve the American public.
Any Administration has the prerogative to advance their policy preferences regarding climate and the environment. However, “climate change” as a multi-disciplinary field of study has been recognized within the defense and national security communities for 30 years. A directive that intentionally disregards this fact and even prohibits use of an evidenced-based lexicon is intellectually dishonest and harmful. A worthy instance for ‘ignore or defy.’
Thus, consider the operating reality as stated in the Provost’s response where teaching “on particular scientific phenomena and the impacts” is acceptable but use of the term “climate change” and other associated terms is prohibited. Or, by analogy, to be complicit in creating an educational and leadership environment to develop future officers who can readily identify progressive flooding, reduced freeboard, and loss of buoyancy, but by leadership example reluctant to willingly and confidently declare the obvious: “Captain, your vessel is sinking.” An unlikely environment for forging “leaders of character.”
We are further informed that ‘scrubbing’ all mention of climate change and associated terms from the Academy educational curriculum still results in “good science” being taught. I question
that assertion. If the latest ‘scrubbing’ still results in “good science” being taught, were we teaching even ‘better science’ before? Or, is now really an instance of incomplete but ‘good enough’ science?
Developing “leaders of character” – a lofty ideal – requires acknowledgement that regardless of position held or orders received one is always at choice to act in accordance with their deeply held values. The caveat of course is this doesn’t preclude the possibility of punishment or other consequences in taking a stand.
In attempting to ‘satisfy all requirements’ of this directive the Academy has mistaken the chart for the compass and lost sight of their bearings. Feedback from Alumni stakeholders is a type of “aid to navigation” offered to support the Academy from running aground. Unfortunately, it requires recognition of operating beyond ‘good water.’ Now would be an opportune time to take another fix.
Daniel J. McClellan, PhD CAPT, USCG (ret), ’82
A “threat multiplier” no more?
Re: Letters to the Editor (April/May 2025, p. 8)
The three Class of ’69 letters to the editor were most insightful and thought provoking. They also brought to mind a few questions.
As Bob Pokress ‘69 detailed in his letter, the Presidents’ Executive Order required faculty to “scrub from academic courses and course materials any and all references, direct and indirect, to climate change…” Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), orders that violate the Constitution, U.S. law, or international law are unlawful and are not required to be followed. Did senior Coast Guard Officers and/or the Provost coordinate with the other Service Academies to determine the legality of the Presidential Order? Were military attorneys across the other five military services consulted? If so – could the Superintendent provide a summary in the Bulletin or the
consultation details be added to the Provost message?
As a concerned citizen I am aware of the increased hurricane intensity, frequency of lightning strikes, and intensified downpours that result from increased atmospheric and ocean temperatures - in short, the effect a changed hydrologic cycle will have on the world my children and grandchildren will experience.
In 2014 the Secretary of Defense stated climate change will likely lead to food and water shortages, pandemic disease, disputes over refugees and resources, and destruction by natural disasters in regions across the globe. He referred to climate change as a “threat multiplier” because it has the potential to exacerbate many of the challenges Department of Defense (DoD) deals with. It has similar implications for the Coast Guard; memory of District Seven Cuban and Haitian refugee operations (circa 1980) comes to mind. The Secretary then emphasized that politics or ideology must not get in the way of sound planning. I encourage the reader to view the DoD article in full: https://obamawhitehouse. archives.gov/blog/2014/10/13/defensedepartment-must-plan-nationalsecurity-implications-climatechange
Downplaying or inefficiently communicating about climate science and not readily preparing for the changed hydrologic cycle will put Coast Guard resources and personnel at increased risk. Captain Schmitt ’69 pointed out “as a nation we can never lose sight of that passion and willingness to sacrifice everything when our rights are threatened.” I would add that sacrifice is also necessary when the Coast Guard mission and personnel are threatened.
Is there an example in Coast Guard history when a senior officer(s) disobeyed an order and made a personal sacrifice for the good of the Coast Guard? What was the outcome? Was it futile or was progress made? Is now the time? Semper Paratus.
Jeffrey Steuer ’76
Letters to the Editor can be sent to editor@cgaalumni.org.
As you travel the world for business or pleasure or perhaps during your next staycation, snap a photo of yourself with the latest Bulletin and it may land here in a future issue. Send digital photos to editor@cgaalumni.org. Please note who is in the picture and where it was taken.
Larry Brooks ‘62 with grandson Tom Gahan, also grandson of the late Bill Baxley ‘63, visiting Dave Brostrom ‘63 at the Vietnam Wall, Washington, DC, on Saturday, April 24, while on Honor Flight from San Diego.
sitting in Sir Francis Drake’s cabin on the replica of the Golden Hind in England, which followed Drake’s voyage 400 years after his 1577 global circumnavigation.
With Cummins XPI fuel system and latest Cummins Electronic Control Module the QSL9 meets the world’s most stringent emissions requirements while maintainingthe performance, reliability and fueleconomy our customers expect.
by CAPT Andrea Marcille (Ret), ’89, President
Commencement is always a time for celebration and rejuvenation at CGA. Everybody here has a role to ensure the new ensigns, as well as the Academy grounds, shine on the third Wednesday each May. While mother nature did not help on this particularly blustery and cloudy May day, the energy, smiles - and shivers - from the graduates shone brightly on their own. Some of you may recall that the weekend before commencement the class gathers for rehearsal to practice lining up, marching in, walking across the stage, and smiling for the camera. During this year’s rehearsal, CAPT Joanne McCaffrey ’80 spoke to the class noting the historical significance of the year 2025 which marks 50 years since 1975 when Department of Transportation Secretary William Coleman met with ADM Owen Siler, then-Commandant of the Coast Guard, to discuss admitting women to the Academy. Though met with resistance, Secretary Coleman famously said, “Look Si, this would be a great move for the Coast Guard. You would be the first, leading the way for other academies. This is going to come. It’s inevitable. Why not be the first?” To honor this milestone, dozens of women alumni gifted a twilly scarf to each woman graduate—a symbol of pride, progress, and connection.
In this issue and as part of our strategy to recognize 50 years of women at the Academy, “Breaking Barriers: The Historic Journey to Admit Women at CGA” shares a historical glimpse at the impact of how one sentence in Title IX changed the landscape of higher education and the maritime and military academies [see page 46]. As I stood with the Link in the Chain representative Mr. Dennis Hardacker ’75 as he handed each graduate a coin, minted with the crests of 1975 and 2025, I reflected on my own commencement in 1989 when just 24 women crossed the stage. I was heartened as I watched almost one hundred more cross the stage this year!
If you read the Superintendent’s column you learned that RADM Mike Johnston is retiring this summer. While it saddens me to see Mike and Darlene depart the Academy, he accomplished much during his tenure, advancing the mission and the safe future of the Academy. Mike and his team worked tirelessly on the CGA Installation Development Plan (IDP). He offered, “This plan is about more than buildings and facilities; it’s about building leaders. It is our commitment to ensure that the Academy remains a premier center of learning, character development, and professional excellence-not
solely within the military, but among the world’s top academic institutions.”
As has been the case for the past few decades, your Alumni Association will play a role in advancing this effort by supporting margin of excellence projects that compliment and supplement the IDP. The next few decades have the real possibility of transforming our alma mater to actually be among the world’s top academic institutions.
As exciting as things are at the Academy, our alumni are having an amazing impact in the fleet - from ENS Robert DeLillo ’24 aboard the BENJAMIIN BOTTOMS, who shares a junior officer’s operational impact and leadership lessons [see page 56], to LCDR Luke Carani ’15 who developed a program to replace manual billet matching with an instant, accurate algorithm [see page 60]. We’d love to hear more about the impactful endeavors of our alumni. From every graduating class, your wide-ranging contributions in the fleet are a testament to the strong foundation built here at the Academy. We invite you to share your journey and achievements, strengthening the Long Blue Line of our remarkable alumni community.
by CAPT Robert McKenna (Ret), ’89, Vice President of Development
Greetings from your Alumni Association! It is such a great time of year as once again we celebrated the Coast Guard’s newest Ensigns when the Class of 2025 walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and commissions, topped off with the traditional “cap toss” marking the end of their 200week journey through the Academy. It was heartfelt to see the power of the Long Blue Line as the Class of 1975 passed their Class Coin to the Class of 2025 before they walked upon the commencement stage.
Speaking of the power of the Long Blue Line, we once again held our All Class Challenge to coincide with Commencement Week. Thank you for your overwhelming support of this effort, which is so critical in helping us execute our mission. There is so much to celebrate, and it all happens thanks to your support.
Nearly all classes were represented in the All Class Challenge (I won’t say which two were absent from the leaderboard) with 1,080 total donors! Leading the way in participation was the mighty class of 1967 with 67.99% participation (actually it was 68% but I couldn’t miss the opportunity). They were able to knock off the reigning champs from 1976 who came in at 62% participation and rounding the field was the ever-present Class of 1977 with 54%
participation. It is great to see this level of participation and we are thankful for the amazing generosity that resulted in $370,474 in gifts - including 76 new memberships! The Class of 1980 led the way with six new members followed by the Class of 1995 and 1976 who tied with five each. In addition, we saw $110,520 directed to the CGA Today Fund which helps us meet the emerging and highest priorities at CGA. See more stats on page 18.
Once again, we saw so many classes step up to show their spirit and support to CGA and a special shout out to the Class of 1995 for leading the ’90s in both overall participation and total giving as they look forward to their 30th Homecoming in September! Not to be outdone, our Cadet Parents and the CGA Parents Association had their best participation ever raising $33,000 in support of the Corps of Cadets with a goal to raise enough funds to support the purchase of new vehicles for cadet transportation needs. The Greater New York Chapter contributed $10,000 to that effort and the parents from the Class of 2028 earned the highest participation! Some notable individual callouts are also worthy:
Jay Butler ’79 made a generous $20,000 gift to Maritime Center of Excellence (MCOE) and added $50 to CGA Today.
Vince O’Shea ’73 contributed $16,000 to the Julie Babineau Fund.
David Van Patten ’76 pledged $20,000 to MCOE.
Terry Grant ’58 committed a planned gift of approximately $100,000—an incredible legacy.
Jack Dempsey, our oldest living alum from the Class of 1945, made a generous gift to represent his class—we are so appreciative for his dedication!
As always, your commitment is so tremendous, and we remain thankful as
As our most versatile fund, it supports every effort undertaken by the Alumni Association. Triple your impact - donate now to the CGA Today Fund and know you’re impacting the Academy , our Alumni and your Association for the better. See examples of that impact and make your gift today at
you allow us to fulfill our mission of supporting the Academy. One recent example played out in the weeks preceding commencement and highlighted your Alumni Association’s role in enhancing the Research Symposium and Capstone presentation process. We coordinated several engagements with external partners, including two in the artificial intelligence (AI) field - CEOs of Shield AI and Spear AI. Both leaders brought amazing perspectives to the campus, and it was great to see the amazing engagement from the cadets as they discussed this cutting-edge technology and how it is impacting all aspects of CG operations and beyond. These types of activities and programs are made possible with your support, so again THANK YOU!
Shield AI’s President and co-founder Brandon Tseng speaks to cadets at the Research and Capstone Presentation Luncheon at CGA. He proudly served in the Navy for seven years as a SEAL and Surface Warfare Officer aboard USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52). He founded Shield AI – with the mission to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems – driven by firsthand experiences during deployments to Afghanistan (x2), the Pacific Theater, and the Arabian Gulf.
From May 20-22, 2025, 1,080 alumni and parents and widows of alumni showed their CGA pride and pulled together to support the Academy, our Alumni and your Association. Take a look at their collective efforts:
1,080
Number of donors including alumni and parents and widows/ers of alumni
Total dollars donated $370,474
Congratulations to the Class Cup Winner!
Congratulations to the Membership Mission Winner
Secured 6 memberships 1980
Donors who made gifts over $1,000 during the Challenge 73 You pulled together!
Total memberships secured during the Challenge 1967 with the highest participation - 68%
by Elizabeth Jennerwein, Asst. Dir. of Alumni Engagement & Membership
Aswe dive into the warmer months, with the Cadets officially on their summer assignments, we begin to gear up for some fun events and look ahead to the next academic year! Throughout the past year, we have hosted dozens of events, bridged Cadets and alumni through the Link in the Chain program and kept our Long Blue Line community connected. While we are a mighty team of 15, our work would not be possible without the generosity and support of volunteers. Featured in 2024’s annual report, we had 1,100 volunteers who clocked in over 30,000 hours! Read more below on our highlighted programs, and how you can get involved.
The Class Notes, featured in every Bulletin, offer connection and community through stories and news. Class Correspondents, volunteers from each class, collect information from classmates, and share for inclusion in Class Notes, often including both notes and photos. Their contribution and support of their classmates through Class Notes plays a vital role in staying connected. With over 100 Class Correspondents, they represent the largest program of volunteers - with more than 2,500 hours logged for 2024.
The Link in the Chain (LITC) program provides a connection between classes spanning 50 years and links CGA alumni with current cadet classes. Link in the Chain members attend significant milestone events, such as the Ring Melting Ceremony and Dining In. The LITC program and the Class of 1979 are ready to kick off a new Swab Summer with support for the incoming 2029 class. Thanks to the Classes of 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979, we will have alumni stopping in at 3/c Eagle port calls, supporting swabs at the Mystic Flag Ceremony, leadership counsel for our Cadet Cadre during the summer months, and many
other meaningful engagements this summer. We will kick off the academic year with the Cadet Activity Fair, where cadets can engage with both the Alumni Association and LITC members. If you are a current link class, keep your eyes peeled for the quarterly newsletter, which features news and upcoming events!
Homecoming is our biggest annual premier event, with over 1,800 attendees in 2024. Welcoming back up to 13 classes takes planning, communication and dedication, and would not be possible without coordinators. Homecoming Coordinators plan class events, tailgates, and work with the Alumni Engagement Department to develop plans. One of the services we are proud to offer is Homecoming support, which begins in January of each year with a Homecoming coordinator kickoff meeting. While we have lessened some of the load by building out and handling registration on our website, coordinators handle a breadth of tasks to make sure their classmates come back for a fun and memorable reunion weekend. If you are interested in becoming a Homecoming coordinator for your class (many hands make light work!), please reach out to Emily (eherbette@cgaalumni.org).
Over the last 12 months, we have partnered with nearly a dozen alumni on “Host Your Own” (HYO) socials. These socials are a fun and meaningful way to reconnect with fellow alumni and friends in your area and celebrate your Coast Guard Academy pride! As a host, you will have the opportunity to plan the event at no cost to you — simply choose a local venue, such as a restaurant, brewery, or park that best fits the group. You will help promote the event using social media and email, while the Alumni Association manages registration and provides a list of nearby alumni. Light
refreshments will be provided to set the tone for an enjoyable evening of networking and reminiscing. We hope to host events in the following cities over the next two years: Phoenix, Los Angeles, Key West/Miami, Cleveland, Memphis. Currently living in one (or elswhere) and want to volunteer? Reach out to Amanda (acizek@cgaalumni. org) with any questions or to get started. While there is an abundance of reasons to give back, we appreciate our volunteers and the time and talent they offer and give back to the Corps of Cadets, fellow alumni and Association community. As we look ahead to the summer and upcoming academic year, we encourage anyone who has an interest in volunteering to head to our newly renovated volunteer page: www. cgaalumni.org/GetInvolved. If you have any questions, or unsure of what you may be interested in, feel free to reach out to me at ejennerwein@cgaalumni.org.
Alumni Travel Program
Explore Tuscany
October 7-15, 2025
Tropical Costa Rica
March 23-31, 2026
Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana
July 19 – August 2, 2026
Spotlight on the French Riviera October 15-23, 2026
Otto Graham Golf Classic
August 4
Family (formerly Parents) Weekend
2025 – September 12-14
2026 – September 25-27
Homecoming
2025 – September 18-21
2026 – October 1-4
“I
Sea, Air, and Space Networking Social - April 7 - Washington, DC
It is always a fabulous time when the Alumni Association gets to visit our nation’s capital. This year was no different when we held our annual social in the beautiful rooftop penthouse of Cornerstone. We hosted over 160 alumni, friends, and industry partners for delicious food, great drinks, and an evening of fantastic connections and conversation. Thanks to our event Premier Sponsors Cornerstone and R Power.
Service Academy Career Conference Networking Social - May 7 - Washington, DC
The Alumni Association’s very own Laura Holveck (’01) and Elizabeth Jennerwein hosted a fantastic turnout at Highline RxR in Crystal City, hosting an unforgettable evening of laughter, connection, and celebration with over 50 alumni and friends. The event buzzed with excitement, thanks in part to our incredible lead sponsors, General Dynamics/Electric Boat and Red Cat.
With determination and distinction, USCGA’s latest graduates are prepared to protect America’s waters and advance its mission.
By PA3 Leo Avila, USCGA Public Affairs
On May 21, after four challenging years, the Class of 2025 walked across the stage, departing from their roles as cadets to become ensigns in the U.S Coast Guard.
Approximately 92% of the graduates will be stationed at operational units, bolstering the Coast Guard’s effectiveness and contributing greatly to mission success. The rest will work in mission support roles such as naval engineering and finance, enabling the Coast Guard to continue achieving the protection of our borders and maintaining the sovereignty of our waters.
Every year USCGA names the highest performing cadet as the Distinguished Graduate. The title is given to the cadet with the highest military precedence average which combines academic, military, and athletic achievements throughout the four-year program. This year, Cadet Veronica L. Krystofik has been recognized as the Distinguished Graduate.
“When I learned more about the Coast Guard, it felt like a perfect fit: a chance to save lives, protect others, and stay connected to the water I grew up on. I also knew the Academy would be one of the hardest things I’d ever do - and I wanted that challenge,” said Krystofik.
As a varsity softball player, a mentoring programs division officer, bravo platoon commander during her second year, and member of the ski, snowboard, and golf clubs, Krystofik maintained a rigorous and busy schedule.
“Of course, there were late nights and moments of stress, but I didn’t let that stress define my experience,” said Krystofik. “By prioritizing wellbeing and connection, I was able to stay grounded and consistently put forward my strongest work.”
Krystofik will report to Sector Mobile, Alabama as an intelligence officer.
Cadet Andrew J. Harris was a mechanical engineering major from Pittsburgh, a member of the diving team, and a cello player for the cadet orchestra. He was one of three cadets who completed the P6 capstone design project.
The P6, a gas-powered pump, is used for dewatering, firefighting and emergency damage control aboard Coast Guard vessels. Harris and his team designed a P6 pump which uses a lithium-ion battery instead of gasoline.
“The project was a culmination of everything we’ve learned up to that point,” said Harris. “Our design uses 1/12th of the power consumption of a regular P6 while still maintaining high flow rates.”
The success of the newly designed P6 pump has the potential to positively impact the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, reducing costs while improving efficiency and increasing ease of operation.
Harris will report aboard the USCGC RELIANCE (WMEC-615) Pensacola, Florida as a deck watch officer.
Cadet Chase E. Randall was a civil engineering major, captain of the wrestling team, and golf support department head. Not only was Randall the first Division III Wrestling National Champion, but he’s also the first Coast Guard wrestler to win back-to-back national championships in both 2024 and 2025. During the 2024 National Championships, he was named the most outstanding wrestler, an honor voted upon by coaches nationwide.
“My biggest lesson learned from wrestling at the Academy would probably be to make sure you are able to live your life with no regrets,” Randall explained. “In my training, I always asked myself before I wrestled if I did everything in my power to be the best prepared for my match. If I could confidently answer that question yes, I knew I would be happy with my outcome whether I won or lost and that is a lesson that goes beyond just the mat.”
Randall will report to Surface Forces Logistics Center in Norfolk, Virginia.
Poised for impact, the Class of 2025 stands ready to lead with clarity, courage, and commitment – prepared not just for today’s challenges, but for the evolving demands of the future.
More than two-hundred and sixty ensigns graduated and commissioned for service at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Wednesday, May 21. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem delivered the keynote address during the 144th commencement exercises on Cadet Memorial Field. The Class of 2025 arrived at the Academy on June 28 , 2021. The class motto is Aliis Nos Pugnamus, which means “for others we fight.”
Top: 1/c Avis Do Akers takes the oath of office (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matt Thieme).
Middle: International Jamaican Cadet Nicholas Folkes waves a Jamaican flag. USCGA graduated multiple international cadets, who will return to their home nations to serve in various militaries and organizations (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matt Thieme).
Bottom: Ensign Kira Howard’s family members put on her shoulder boards after Commencement (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo).
For the first time ever, three cadets earned national titles in the same winter season, while women’s rugby brought home a national championship this spring.
View the full interview online and excerpts at www.cgaalumni. org/Champs
For the first time in Academy history, three cadets won national titles in their respective sports during the winter season: 1/c Chase Randall in Wrestling, 1/c Colin Twiss in Swimming, and 2/c Allie Wildsmith in Indoor Track & Field. In a conversation led by Trueson Tarinelli, Director of Athletics Development for the USCGA Alumni Association, the three champions discussed their experiences as athletes at the Academy.
What’s one small habit or mindset that you developed at the Academy that has made the biggest difference in becoming a national champion?
1/c Chase Randall: I’ve always told myself to suffer now and forever rest a champion. That’s helped me get through a lot at the Academy, dealing with tough classes, and obviously the military
obligations. If I do the work now, I can relax later. I can go on knowing that I did everything I could, and that’s how I tried to tackle every day - taking it head on and resting with the consequences.
2/c Allie Wildsmith: One mindset that I started doing more since coming here is visualization. Before each of my jumps, whether it’s the night before or even right before I’m competing, I sit there, close my mind, and visualize myself going over the bar. This applies to the Academy too. When I have something tough coming up or a lot on my plate, it’s good to sit, process, and visualize what I’m going to do and how I’m going to accomplish my goals.
1/c Colin Twiss: One thing at this place that has really developed and pushed me is the discipline that is forced on you. Whether that is having to wake up
early for practice, going into formation, making sure you go to all of your classes, it’s all of these little things that we’re forced to do here that builds that mental discipline. By doing this in my real life, going into athletics and disciplining myself through hard practices, I have that extra motivation and mental toughness to push through while I’m racing.
You each compete in an individual sport, but you also thrive on a team culture. What is it like being a part of the Coast Guard community? How has that shaped how you view leadership and teamwork?
Twiss: Being part of the larger team here in the Coast Guard, not just my team in the pool, is everything to me because everything we do is as a team. It showed me that you can’t do things alone and you need to be constantly working with the people around you in order to succeed.
Randall: Iron sharpens iron, right? We’ve all heard things like a rising ride lifts all ships, and that’s exactly how it is. If you surround yourself with those people that are all trying to accomplish great things, everybody’s pushing each other, and that’s exactly the type of team I want to be a part of. We see a lot of that in the Coast Guard and at the Academy. In wrestling specifically, Coy Spooner ’24 sparked that team mindset of everybody’s going to get better, and that will obviously carry over into the Academy. It’s a great way to lead a team, a way of life or the Coast Guard as a whole.
Wildsmith: In high jump specifically, most of the time, you’re competing against yourself. High jump isn’t a sport where you’re necessarily comparing yourself to others. You’re really comparing yourself to what you can do, like always trying to jump higher against yourself. I feel like celebrating those individual, personal wins and watching how that happens in track. You don’t always celebrate the person that won. Sometimes you celebrate one of the people that may have even gotten last, but they just got a massive personal record (PR) for themselves, and that is just as powerful as winning.
Focusing on those small wins or the big wins for an individual and letting everyone know on the team that they’re recognized and that their personal achievements are incredible is something I want to continue to implement into my leadership style moving forward.
How do you hope to take some of those life lessons you’ve learned from your sport or Academy experience into the fleet or any other leadership role?
Twiss: I want to make sure I’m knowing my people and their goals so I can help them meet and achieve them. One thing I’ve tried to do this year before the season was to talk with a lot of the fourth class, third class, and even second class, to try to figure out what their goals were for the season, whether they were swim or military related, and then trying to help them find a way to achieve those goals.
Randall: Three main things I want to instill into my leadership style are being authentic, voicing when I’m struggling, and making sure that I’m checking up on my people often. I want to show my genuine care and interest in everybody that I’m working with and not be afraid to speak up when I am going through something difficult, while also empowering others to know that I will always be there to listen and help them through difficult situations of their own. Something I’ve learned greatly over my time here is that everything’s not going to be perfect, and that’s just how life
Wildsmith won the national championship with her jump of 1.77 meters at the Indoor Track & Field Division III event in March. She also won the national championship at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships by matching her personal record of 1.80 meters (5’10.75”). Her first clearance at this height is captured in this photo by Brad Clift during a meet earlier this year. This feat solidified her status as the #3 indoor performer in D-III history. Wildsmith was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s Mideast Region Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year (she won the indoor variant earlier this year).
goes, but it’s more important to focus on recovering from those setbacks.
Wildsmith. Being aware, listening, and learning about my people is going to be my number one priority. Especially on the team, you never know what someone is going through and just being able to be vigilant and check in and then offer the support and resources that someone needs is just so vital.
How would your teammates describe you?
Wildsmith: They would probably describe me as someone that can switch gears, that’s dedicated, and friendly. I try to be upbeat at practice and talk to everybody, while also taking the time to be very focused and diligent on what I have to do. If I don’t give myself that personal time to develop my own skill, then I’m not improving, but, if I don’t take the time to help develop other people, then they’re also not improving.
Twiss: They would describe me as intense and hardworking, always trying to buckle down at practices and academics, but also someone who’s just there for them when they need it and is able to help them when they’re struggling.
Randall: They think I’m direct and hardworking, but also very instructive. I’ll try and capitalize on any moment where I can share a piece of my knowledge or help motivate them because wrestling can be a really demoralizing sport. I can be pretty motivating at times when it gets a little bit tough.
How did you balance the preparation for a national championship with the daily demands of Cadet life?
Twiss: The Academy is helping us achieve those goals because of the sports time that is set aside for us. They’re giving us time to work on our sport and ensure we’re meeting those goals by giving us a minimum of two hours a day to do it. Knowing that I have this time to hone my craft is what has truly helped me.
Randall: You learn how to become very efficient with your time. During times when you have exams, lab reports, or any other obligations coming up,
you may not have much time to spare, so being efficient with your time and maximizing every opportunity is crucial. Wildsmith: I am strict with my time schedule, always maximizing and capitalizing on that time that I have during the day. I normally need a lot of extra time to warm up first and then at the end for recovery. High jumps are very hard on the body, especially on your legs, so if I’m not taking that extra time at the end to care for my body, I’m not going to be able to jump. With every little second I have during the day, I try to do a homework assignment or send an email so I can have more than two hours to focus on track and recovery.
What advice would you give a young athlete who wants to compete at a high level?
Randall: No matter what, don’t quit. There’s going to be hard times. There’s going to be those high highs and the low lows, but as long as you stay consistent, it’s going to pay off. For me, I never won a state championship in high school, but I stayed devoted to my craft, kept working hard and took every opportunity I could to learn and get better, and ultimately, it worked out well. It’s important to not lose that focus and stay determined.
Wildsmith: Find the sport that’s right for you. I found high jump at a young age
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and realized quickly that a lot of high jumpers looked a lot like me, allowing me to fit in with that and reach the point I’m at today. If you find what clicks with you and who you are, mentally and physically, then you’re going to be able to succeed so easily. It’s a lot of work, but it will come naturally.
Twiss: It’s important to set goals. At the start of this year, I sat down with my coach and said that my goal was to win the 200m freestyle, and then we developed a plan on how I could achieve that goal. So for younger athletes, it’s all about having that goal that you want to achieve, keeping it in mind, and putting all of your effort forward to achieve it.
What does it mean to be a national champion, and what was the one thing that motivated you to get to this point?
Wildsmith: My motivation was that being a national champion was something I knew I could do. Especially this season, the first mark I made in the indoor season was well above what anyone else in Division III was jumping, and all I needed to do going into the championship was to execute what I knew I could do. I would not let any negative thoughts, or bad mental or physical habits get in the way of focusing on what I could do to succeed. Keeping a routine and a positive mental model will allow for success in the way that is expected.
Twiss: Becoming a national champion just meant everything to me, especially winning it my senior year. It was the culmination of 17 years of work at the last possible opportunity to achieve that goal and reach that level. It was my teammates as well as my family in the crowd that kept me motivated to push through.
Randall: The love and support I had from my friends, my family, the coaches here, and my team is what motivated me. As the returning champ, it was obviously my goal to win it again, but I tried not to let that pressure get to me. I focused on being the best wrestler I could be at every opportunity. If I lose a wrestling match, it’s not what I wanted to do but my family is still going to love me and my team is still going to support me, so I tried not to make competing anything bigger than it is. I would go out there and have fun knowing that no matter what happens, I will still have a great
became the first Coast Guard wrestler to win back-to-back championships in March at the 2025 Division III Wrestling National Championships. He secured his back-to-back champion status with a 16-8 victory.
team and support system that is going to be there for me forever.
Sum up in one sentence what you hope your legacy will be, both here at the Academy and beyond.
Wildsmith: To keep breaking barriers. You can be a Division III athlete and be comparable to Division I and higherdon’t subject yourself to what everybody else is doing, you can do more.
Twiss: I hope that people are able to come by and dwarf what I’ve achieved, because that just means our program is growing and improving to the point that what I’ve done doesn’t even look impressive.
Randall: I hope I inspired others to help break my title. That was a long-standing run there where we didn’t have any national champions, so I hope that Coast Guard wrestling comes out here and just continues to break that title.
The Alumni Association is proud to support the Division of Athletics and help produce results like these three National Champions! Designated team funds like Swimming & Diving Fund, Wrestling Fund, and Track & Field / Cross Country Fund all help advance athletics success today, for the leaders of tomorrow!
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The Coast Guard Academy women’s rugby club team won the Division II final of the Collegiate Rugby Championship in April, defeating Roger Williams University (RWU) in a 17-5 result.
Perseverance through adversity is a key trait of anyone serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. The CGA women’s rugby team proved to be a great example of this after losing two players to serious injuries during the tournament.
On the way to the championship game, Coast Guard defeated WisconsinLa Crosse, 20-17, in the Round of 16; a 25-12 victory over Colorado-Mesa in the quarterfinals; and 17-12 result versus Towson University in the semi, with advancement being clinched on a lastminute try.
In the final, Coast Guard struck first after a successful try by 2/c Kaitlyn Boggs, but RWU equalized just a minute
later. In the sixth minute, Boggs secured a Brace before the 3/c Savannah McBrayer notched a try and a successful conversion to make the score 17-5.
Boggs was the tournament’s leading scorer, with her 55 points across the four games being the most across all divisions; she was recognized as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. McBrayer joined her on the All-Tournament team. Boggs was selected to represent the U.S. and National Collegiate Rugby (and the Coast Guard Academy) in the NCR High Performance program in both a 7s tournament in Portugal and in a 15s tour in England during the women’s world cup later in the summer.
By ENS MacKenzie Bucki ’25
Last August then 1/c Mack Bucki received a personal Letter of Commendation from the Commandant for her significant volunteer contributions to the Bulletin as Cadet Correspondent. As editor, I was proud to be there in the wardroom to help present her with this honor. This column is a direct result of her dedication and creativity and I am grateful for all Mack has contributed over the last four years to this publication. BZ ENS Bucki and best wishes as you head to Alaska for your first tour - you will be missed!
- Tara King Clark, Editor
Ilived an exact 10-minute drive from my high school (unless I was running late, when it could become a 6-minute commute). I returned from cross country, softball, soccer, or whatever, after school activity had filled my day. My favorite route took only three turns to arrive home, thanks to our straight roads. The corn and soybean fields, a large greenhouse complex, and acres of forest never failed to soothe me. It was consistent, unchanging. It was peacefulI could turn up the radio and forget I was driving until arriving home.
It was November when I decided to take the scenic route. No commitments after school, except a windows-down joyride home. In a town with no sidewalks, the fields felt larger. They spread out the houses, inflating yards and commutes.
That’s why I thought it was odd that a boy was walking away from town, miles away from the high school. The nearest gas station was miles away. The nearest grocery store was in the other direction. He wore a backpack and a sweatshirt that featured our school mascot. I couldn’t recognize him.
I got nervous talking to people, let alone a stranger on the side of the road. Though as I approached him, I noticed the way he shifted his backpack on tired shoulders. It looked heavy. He drew his eyes downwards, as if not wanting to be seen. I could tell he was in a rush, though his left leg held a slight limp. A handful of cars sped past, heading home after a long day. This boy was, too.
I learned his name was Linden, and he made this trek most days. After I stopped, I convinced him to let me drive him home. We drove for seven miles, longer than my usual commute, and parted ways at a trailer park home with peeling paint. He was in a rush to leave. I had to remind him to grab his backpack from the trunk. Do you need a ride tomorrow? It was the beginning of an unlikely bond. Linden texted me when he needed a ride. I abandoned my scenic drive for the town trailer park, no questions asked.
We talked about our days, weekend plans, and favorite ice cream flavors. He seemed a little brighter, especially without a seven-mile walk each day. In the spring, I was surprised to see Linden at track practice. He was a sprinter who knew a thing or two about effort. A few seniors on the boys’ team had begun to give him rides. My after-school drive to the trailer park had come to an end.
I came to miss those drives with Linden. It took me longer to get home on those days. But for a few extra gallons of gas, I was able to help a classmate. Coming to the Academy was an exciting time. Though it also made me wonder about those whom I had left. As I began to think more and more about Linden, I worried.
He had two more years of school left. Was he walking that same seven-mile route again? Or did another person have the courage to stop? It took time for me to stop focusing on trying to “fix.” Others would help. Even if most pass by.
Linden graduated from high school last year and began a career in welding. We don’t talk much, but we don’t need to. Our effects on each other’s lives remain. I learned a lot during that school year through those car rides. My decision to stop that day created some of my favorite memories from senior year. It just felt good to help and talk to someone who ran in a different circle.
I would like to use my last article as Cadet Correspondent to emphasize the power of kindness. It isn’t hard to do, but some people seem to pass it by. They ignore the foundation of success while trying to pursue other things. The best teachers I have had took time to understand me. My advisor could strike up a conversation about University of Michigan sports with me. But he also emphasized the importance of reducing my load of extracurriculars 4/c year. My fluids teacher found out we were running the same marathon by asking about my sports. The worst teachers were not always the ones who had a shorter resume. They were the ones who didn’t take the time to get to know me. The ones who went through the year without knowing anything more than my name and grade.
On the USCGA campus, we see our fair share of people. There are distinguished guests, prospective cadets, military veterans, grounds workers, and more. Whatever our background, each of us can put kindness into action. Everyone has an interesting story for you to hear!
There are many homeless folks here in the New London area. It is easy to stop your car and stare blankly ahead, not acknowledging their presence. To look on with pity or judgment. But you know what can make that red light a bit less awkward? Kindness, of course! Next time, come ready with an item in the glove box. It can be something as small as a protein bar. Kindness is also easy. And it’s contagious.
Over the years, I’ve realized how lucky I am to be at USCGA. There are three square meals a day prepared for us in the wardroom. We have a huge gym and a store on the base. Each cadet has a bed to come back to every night. There are plenty of mentorship opportunities here. Some of our teachers are officers, each company has an officer and a chief. We can’t give a lot of these things to others. But we do have the ability to mentor others. A wealth of information can be excavated from the mind. There’s a reason a silent hike feels much longer than one with conversation.
You won’t always feel like you have kindness to give. I’ve had my slumps. The days that I kept my head down and failed to see any positives. School tends to do that sometimes, cloud our vision of the silver linings in life. I will be forever grateful to the people who have helped me get through those gray times. Some experiences, though seemingly negative at the time, have reaffirmed the importance of kindness.
Don’t be afraid to take a chance. You may be the blessing someone is looking for.
Thank you for reading “Ask a Cadet!” My next article will come from the West Coast, in Ketchikan, AK, as I begin my first tour as an ensign on the USCGC DOUGLAS DENMAN!
The Bulletin welcomes Mack’s replacement as Cadet Correspondent! 2/c Sarah Rivera Rivera will begin writing the “Ask a Cadet” column starting next issue. Welcome aboard, Sarah!
To answer your question, yes, my last name is Rivera Rivera, and if you say it enough times, there’s a little ring to it! I was born in Puerto Rico and have been raised in Northern Virginia since I was about three and a half years old. I am a Government major and in Alfa Company, and this summer I will be Phase Two Swab Summer Cadre. I am on the Women’s Rowing Team, the Cadet Law Society Secretary, and the Cadet Advocates for Living Mindfully (C.A.L.M.) Morale Officer. When I’m not rowing, studying, or hanging out with my friends, I love running, walking, or reading. Growing up, I had always held an interest in journalism and political science. My junior year of high school, I fell in love with the Coast Guard’s mission and decided to take the route that has landed me at the Academy. Although my major focuses more closely on public policy and law, I nevertheless still have a love for journalism and media studies. I am so
excited to take on this role as the Cadet Correspondent because I know there are so many stories and voices at the Academy that deserve recognition that I would love to bring to light!
With first-place finishes against top academies and professionals, USCGA marks a milestone in cybersecurity competition.
By 3/c Max Eisenbeiser and 2/c Matthew Condon
The Cadet Cyber Team is a group of cadets at the Academy who challenge themselves beyond their major-specific coursework by spending time outside of class honing their technical cybersecurity abilities. Team members compete in regional and international competitions, with recent accomplishments including ranking fifth nationally out of over 500 colleges in the National Cyber League, as well as placing first at BSides Connecticut.
The team is proud to add to that list of recent accomplishments with a first place finish in the NetWars Academy Cup.
In April, the Cadet Cyber Team traveled to Orlando, Florida to receive cybersecurity training from SANS as well as participate in the SANS Core NetWars competition. In this event players go
head-to-head in a test of cybersecurity proficiency. NetWars is split into three brackets: individual competitors, teams, and the NetWars Academy Cup. The Academy Cup is specifically designed to pit service academies in a struggle to crown one academy as the best in cyber. The competition spans the course of two days, running 3-hours each day. Companies from across the globe sent professionals to compete and train in the individual and team brackets, while the United States Air Force Academy sent a team of representatives to participate in the Academy Cup.
In NetWars, competitors are presented with challenges that give points when solved. Throughout the competition, solving beginner challenges unlocks access to more difficult but higher-point
challenges. In these challenges, teams are given a question and a resource the question is asking about. This resource could be anything from a file, a website, to a whole virtual computer to analyze. One challenge had teams using their digital forensics skills to uncover how a computer was hacked. Another challenge had competitors discover and leverage a series of exploits to hack a website. Ultimately, these challenges are designed to test a wide variety of practical cybersecurity skills.
This year, the team experienced unprecedented levels of success at the competition. For the first time ever, the cyber team won the NetWars Academy Cup for the Coast Guard Academy. This team consisted of 1/c Connor Fulbright, 1/c Torin Kearney, 1/c Joshua West, 3/c Max Eisenbeiser, and 3/c Matthew Geminden. Additionally, the Coast Guard Academy’s second team won the team bracket against all professional teams in attendance. This team consisted of 2/c Matthew Condon, 3/c Trent Fulbright, 3/c Jadon Koa Dumlao, 3/c Erick Acevedo, and 4/c Danielle Jensen. Finally, 3/c Alex Smith participated in the individual competition and performed exceptionally well, earning third place in his respective bracket.
This was a historic victory for the Cadet Cyber Team. In its ten years of existence, the team has never taken first place in the team competition at SANS or won another competition of this magnitude. Due to their success at the SANS Orlando event, both teams will be invited to the Tournament of Champions hosted by SANS this December. According to the official SANS Website: “Hosted annually at SANS Cyber Defense Initiative in Washington D.C., this tournament is a celebration of the best of the best players around the world!”
The Cyber Team would like to thank their coach, LT Richard Williams, for his hard work and enduring support. The team would also like to thank the Electrical Engineering and Cyber Systems Department Head, LCDR Jennifer Rogers, for her strong advocacy. The team could not have accomplished this without her.
Cyber Team Co-Captain 3/c Max Eisenbeiser is from Groton, CT. Between classes and sleep, he can be found alongside his teammates at what’s become their second home — the Cyber Team room in Mac 228.
Cyber Team Co-Captain 2/c Matthew Condon is from Rosemount, MN. A full-time member for 3 years now, the team has given him not only amazing opportunities, but some of his greatest friends and mentors.
Cadets blend academic knowledge and leadership under pressure in a transformative professional development experience.
By LCDR Nick Martin ’12 and LCDR Ed Gailor ’13
On March 26-27, the School of Leadership and Management was privileged to have the opportunity to send four cadets to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where they participated in the Collegiate Sales and Negotiations Competitions hosted at Love’s Corporate Headquarters. The four cadets, consisting of 1/c Michael O’Brien, 1/c Jude Sargent, 2/c Seiji Gonzales, and 2/c AJ Buzzelli, competed across three separate events, including a Negotiation competition (team of two cadets) and a role play and speed sell competition (individual). Cadets participated and competed with 12 other schools across the nation, including the United States Air Force Academy, Texas A & M, Kansas, Oklahoma State, amongst others, and delivered outstanding results both individually and as a team. Of note, 2/c Seiji Gonzales took 2nd place, and 2/c AJ Buzzelli took 4th place overall across all submissions in the speed sell competition.
Founded by three Marketing professors, Challenger Sales Institute, the organization spearheading the event, focuses on and is committed to providing education, training, and development opportunities to business professionals and sales students. Their four main functions include offering competitions that allow students to practice their selling skills with industry buyers and judges, corporate sales training, career fairs, and facilitating permanent placement for students entering the sales industry. 100% of company profits are poured into student scholarships and competition awards.
In the Speed Sell Event, competitors were charged with preparing a 90-second
pitch directed toward Love’s Travel Stops, for the purpose of obtaining an interview for a sales job. Submissions were made via YouTube prior to the competition, and a panel of judges evaluated the large pool of entries. With all cadets attending participating in their first case competition, as well as being the Coast Guard Academy’s first entry into this specific one, it proved to be a unique learning experience that proved invaluable to all.
Many of the schools competing in the events were prior participants, with many having dedicated clubs and competitive teams who travel extensively throughout the year to similar events. “I came into this competition feeling out of place and unprepared compared to all the other schools and students that had done this before,” said Seiji Gonzales, a 2/c Management Major. “Simply getting out of my comfort zone was the challenge, but once I broke through that barrier, it felt amazing!”
Similar comments were echoed by some of the other participants. Drawing parallels to their cadre experience, these events resembled “heat” moments, where participants navigated stressful, high-stakes situations which led to significant learning outcomes and newfound confidence in their abilities.
Regarding the role play competition, this multi-round event was focused on a sales call. Competitors served as a fleet sales representative hired by Love’s, and an industry professional served as a prospective client (Freymiller Trucking). In this individual event, competitors were evaluated on their approach (gaining attention and rapport), needs identification (understand buyer’s
situation), overcoming objections (eliminated buyer’s concerns), close (understand buyer/seller relationship), and communication skills and overall impression, among other items. Participants observed and made connections with many of their management courses, including Marketing, Negotiations, and Organizational Behavior & Leadership.
AJ Buzzelli, a 2/c Management Major, found the role play to be an outstanding experience. “The best part of the competition was the roleplay with the Freymiller Representative,” said Buzzelli. “2/c Gonzales and I took a lot of time working on the roleplay, and seeing the success of the interview and positive reviews from the judges was very fun!”
It is also important to mention the participants’ dedication to these events. Despite their demanding schedules, all four members spent countless hours preparing exhaustively for their events, diligently reviewing preparation materials, and actively engaging with their advisors.
The negotiation competition involved pairs of students from each school, with one side representing the buyer (Michelin), and the other, the seller (Love’s). Some of the criteria teams were evaluated on included, but were not limited to, their preparation, strategy, adaptability, communication (verbal and nonverbal), use of effective negotiation vocabulary, and the extent the outcome of the session reflected a realistic and feasible outcome or agreement that could happen in the business world today. Michael O’Brien, a 1/c Management Major, and Jude Sargent, a 1/c Operations Research and Data Analytics Major, participated in this event, negotiating with a pair of students from Texas A & M University. Facing a team with deep experience and who had received numerous individual accolades, the team delivered an extraordinary performance and came to a very favorable outcome with their counterparts. Although they were not one of the two teams out of 14 total who advanced to the final round, they received very positive feedback for their efforts. O’Brien, who will be heading off to flight school in a few short months, noted “A key takeaway that I had was that you can never overprepare.
“This was not just an exercise in negotiation, but a real-world proving ground for the skills we’ve developed at the Coast Guard Academy,” shared 1/c Jude Sargent. L-R: LCDR Nick Martin, 1/c Michael O’Brien, 2/c AJ Buzzelli, 2/c Seiji Gonzales, 1/c Jude Sargent, LCDR Ed Gailor represented the Coast Guard Academy with excellence at the Collegiate Sales and Negotiations Competition in Oklahoma City, earning top individual placements and gaining real-world business experience in a high-pressure, professional setting..
It is good to think of everything you possibly can before the negotiation occurs.” He also highlighted again the deep connections to the classroom that this competition had, and its usefulness in reinforcing key concepts and strategies. Sargent, who will be departing for the USCGC JAMES after graduation, stated “This competition was a unique and valuable opportunity to apply the skills and concepts I’ve learned in Negotiations class in a realistic, high-pressure environment. This was not just an exercise in negotiation, but a real-world proving ground for the skills we’ve developed at the Coast Guard Academy.”
The trip was not without other enrichment opportunities, as the cadets found a few hours to explore Oklahoma City. Highlights mentioned included a sobering trip to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, the American Banjo Museum, and an Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game the evening before departure. Also mentioned was exploring Bricktown and having the opportunity to have dinner and build a camaraderie with the team of Air Force Academy cadets and their advisor.
Overall, this competition proved to be an invaluable professional development opportunity for the
cadet participants, as they had the opportunity to challenge themselves in a competitive environment, while drawing on the experiences and courses they previously or are currently taking to help reinforce content and offer real-world applicability.
“This experience teaches you humility, strength in the face of adversity, and the ability to rely on yourself in high-stress situations,” said Gonzales. “It prepares you for life during and even after the Coast Guard.”
“I would absolutely recommend this event to future students,” said O’Brien. ”I felt this competition was a real-world event where I could apply everything I learned in class for an entire semester to negotiate a business deal that could very well happen in the business world today. This can greatly benefit students’ knowledge, expertise, and confidence about negotiations by putting them in a competitive situation where they must use what they learned in class to make a deal. I think that this competition, or similar competitions should be attended by cadets in the Negotiations Course every year!”
These are just a few of the many takeaways highlighted by the participants. We applaud them for their diligent preparation, efforts, and professionalism during this event, and hope that we can participate again in future years!
Author’s Note: Many thanks to Dr. Grant Aguirre and Dr. Stacia Wert-Gray who were instrumental in their support and guidance for helping us navigate many of the logistics and administrative items ahead of the competition. Additionally, we would like to thank the School of Leadership & Management and the Management Enrichment Fund for their support for this endeavor.
LCDR Nick Martin is a 2012 Graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He currently serves as an instructor in the School of Leadership and Management, where he teaches Marketing, Introduction to Management and Business, Organizational Behavior & Leadership, and Economics.
LCDR Ed Gailor is a 2013 Graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He currently serves as an instructor in the School of Leadership and Management, where he teaches Organizational Behavior & Leadership, Negotiations & Conflict Management, and Human Resource Management.
Our Authors’ Nook section features new and old titles
For consideration in an upcoming issue, please send an email with your book’s title, year of publication, a brief synopsis, a high resolution image of the cover, and information on where to purchase to editor@cgaalumni.org.
By Nora Broderick
With hands-on learning and tailored coursework, IDE cadets like Annabelle Schneider (opposite page, second from right) are pioneering a flexible, future-focused approach to engineering education at the Coast Guard Academy. (Official Coast Guard Photos taken at the IDE Major Launch Party earlier this year).
The Coast Guard Academy introduced Interdisciplinary Engineering (IDE) as a new academic major this year, providing students with a strong background to work in numerous engineering fields and preparing them for careers across a wide array of Coast Guard Missions.
“The goal was to provide flexibility for cadets to engage more in engineering,” said Dr. Elizabeth “Elisha” MH Garcia, the Inaugural Program Chair for IDE.
“We offer great engineering programs, however, they might not all resonate with the incoming students. So, now, they can create their own adventure where they will get a very solid engineering background but get to pick some of their own classes.”
The program is built upon an engineering core curriculum combined with various engineering and free electives for cadets to explore any areas of interest.
Housed within the School of Engineering and Cyber Systems, IDE is designed to meet the needs and interests of a broad spectrum of students, to meet the service’s growing demand for engineering talent, aligned with Force Design 2028. “To position IDE
graduates for top graduate programs and prepare them to apply for professional engineering licensure, the School intends to apply for ABET accreditation of IDE in the Engineering Accreditation Commission at the earliest opportunity,” said Dr. Sharon Zelmanowitz, Dean of CGA’s School of Engineering and Cyber Systems. ABET accreditation would apply to the class of 2028 and future graduating classes.
“The opportunities are endless with everything I have available to me,” said Annabelle Schneider, who just finished her fourth-class year.
When she started at the Academy, Schneider planned to study mechanical engineering with the hopes of pursuing her interest in aerospace.
“I started on the mechanical engineering path, which was a great platform, but there wasn’t a lot of flexibility within the major,” said Schneider. “When IDE came out, it was clear that it was going to be the better option for me.”
The program had been in development since 2022, with the Class of 2028 being the first class able to select it as a major.
“It’s rewarding to see how much flexibility we can maintain while still
providing a baseline knowledge of engineering,” said Garcia, who served as the chair of the committee that developed the program. “I’ve been able to take that step back and see that this doesn’t have to be like the other programs, this can be a much more choose your own path type of field.”
In addition to its core engineering curriculum, IDE students are exposed to courses in various areas related to Coast Guard missions and subspecialities: aviation/aerospace engineering, environmental engineering, marine engineering, cybersecurity, engineering management, industrial engineering, ocean engineering, power systems and control engineering, and systems engineering.
“Any class at the Academy is completely open to us, as long as you can complete any required prerequisites. There’s quite literally no limit as to what kind of track you can create in this major, and chances are, you’re doing something creative,” said Schneider.
All IDE students customize their plan of study with their academic advisors to suit their interests. With the entire course catalog open to them, each student has a unique approach to engaging in their desired areas of focus.
Cadets can take directed studies and special topics courses to delve into their interests while being overseen by a faculty member. Whether done individually or with a small group, these courses have an end-of-semester goal that students are working towards.
Schneider worked closely with Dr. Garcia to draft her courseload, focusing on her goal of taking one aerospace course every semester.
“I’m also going to build some directed studies into my schedule for Spring 2026, so by the time I’m in my second-class year, I will be further exploring the topics I’m most drawn to,” said Schneider, who’s looking forward to using these directed studies as preparation for her senior year capstone.
The IDE major culminates during students’ senior year capstone course sequence. While completing their capstone, cadets gain crucial experience with the skills and concepts needed to succeed as Officers in the Coast Guard and as engineers.
This two-semester capstone sequence for IDE majors resembles the capstone projects of other engineering majors but offers the adaptability to plug into other research projects or capstones that are happening on campus for a unique interdisciplinary opportunity.
“They will have gone through the experience of looking at an engineering problem which they can then apply to anything within the Coast Guard,” said Garcia, who is also a professor in the department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. “We like the fact that the needs of the Coast Guard can align with the students.”
The IDE major promotes hands-on learning experiences through its plethora of available academic resources within McAllister Hall: power lab, circulating water channel, wind tunnel, towing tank, 3-D printers, and other engineering lab facilities across disciplines.
As one of the five pioneering members of this major, Schneider hopes that they can provide a better understanding of the program for curious prospective students.
“The more people find out about it, and I’m sure as people start hearing about our directed studies, when we’re doing research and symposium day and then eventually our capstone, we’ll get more students in the program,” said Schneider. “As we get more publicity for our cool work, more people will be interested in it.”
As Schneider and the rest of the first group of IDE students advance in their studies, they will be paving the way and modeling this program for future cadets.
“The opportunities are truly amazing, and I’m so excited to be a part of the beginning of this,” said Schneider.
Cadets can start the major upon admission but can also transfer in during 4/c year or later in most cases.
“Based on what we know about this generation of wanting choice and wanting flexibility, we imagine that this major is going to become tremendously popular,” said Garcia. “I think we’re going to see a wider variety of people interested in engineering and choosing IDE as their best fit.”
From legal pressure to visionary leadership, how Title IX, civil rights advocates, and Coast Guard trailblazers transformed the Academy –and the Service – forever.
By
Your Alumni Association proudly kicks off our 50 Years of CGA Women Series with this first article that explores the origins of how women came to be admitted at CGA. This landmark decision stands as one of the most transformative changes in Academy history. But how did it come to pass? Who were the key figures behind the scenes, and what social and political forces propelled such a bold shift in tradition? This article—and the companion essays available online— delve into the broader historical context, the mounting external pressures, and the quiet determination of advocates in Washington and within the Service who championed the inclusion of women - laying the foundation for five decades of progress.
“NOperson in the US shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
That sentence in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 set in motion a series of events that changed everything for women wanting to attend federal service academies.
Title IX, the landmark federal civil rights law, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on June 23, 1972. While it exempted federal service academies, it did apply to state maritime academies, which were compelled to begin admitting women in 1973. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, although exempt, chose to begin admitting women in 1974 (Stiehm 118). With implementation of Title IX underway nationwide, the passage of the Equal
Rights Amendment1, and the Nixon Administration’s demonstrated support for ending sex-based discrimination, institutional barriers to women’s service in the military and admission to the remaining four military service academies came into focus as the next hurdle for civil rights proponents to overcome.
Even though all the U.S. military service academies began internally discussing the potential future admission of women as early as 1972, the Department of Defense (DOD) resisted the admission of women to DOD service academies, primarily based on the legislatively prescribed combat exclusion of women, a restriction not lifted until 1991.2 Although the Coast Guard had actively served alongside DOD forces in nearly every U.S. military conflict, the Coast Guard was not legally constrained by the same statutory limits imposed on DOD, thus Coast Guard Academy (CGA) graduates were training for various duties within the Service’s many operational roles and missions and were legally permitted to serve at any active unit. Additionally, as the Merchant Marine Academy and the CGA operate within civilian departments, and under different legislative mandates than DOD, the decision to admit women was less problematic.
The road to the admission of women at CGA began contemporaneously with the
1. While the Equal Rights Amendment was never ratified, its passage by Congress served as a strong motivating element in the pursuit of expanded protections against sex-based discrimination.
2. Per the Women’s Service Integration Act of 1948, PL 625. The rollback of the exclusion started in 1991, but it wasn’t fully removed until Jan 2013 and only applied to DOD.
Class of 1980 made
in June 1976 as
other service academy’s consideration in 1972 when a bill was introduced by Senator Jacob Javits (NY) to appoint women to “any service academy.”
Senator Javits introduced the bill soon after appointing Barbara Briggs to the United States Naval Academy. Briggs’ congressional appointment to the Naval Academy was denied. While senator Javits’ bill ultimately failed, the Coast Guard’s Commandant, Admiral Chester Bender, sensed the growing political inevitability of women serving as regular enlisted and officers (and attending the Academy), and established an official board to “determine the need for permanent women officers in the regular Coast Guard.” The report, submitted in May 1972, concluded that it was in the best interest of the Coast Guard to begin planning for a women officer training program, and also served as the catalyst for inclusion of enlisted women. As a result, in 1973 women began enlisting in the Coast Guard and attending Officer Candidate School (OCS), but at that time still could not attend the Coast Guard Academy or serve aboard Coast Guard cutters.
Admiral John B. Hayes ’46 (who became Commandant in 1978) described the board and subsequent report at the “Women of 1980 Day,” on March 16, 2000: “The year was 1972 and I enjoyed having the job… [of] Commandant of Cadets. The Superintendent then, Tommy Thompson, directed me to conduct a study [of women at the Academy], with a very small group of officers at the Academy. It was given to me as sort of a generalization and probably a conclusion on the Admiral’s
to include women
part that he knew what the results of the study would probably be - that this was not a great idea at all and there was practically no way we could handle it here at the Academy. Unfortunately, that isn’t the study he received. The study he received had two basic conclusions, and believe me, we agonized over this considerably in those years. The first conclusion was that there were absolutely no mechanical reasons, including the EAGLE, that we couldn’t assimilate women at the Coast Guard Academy. After all, in our own homes we didn’t have separate showers and separate bathrooms, we just simply enjoyed the courtesy of letting each have his or her own privacy. So that conclusion we felt fairly strongly about and furthermore wanted the Superintendent not to get in the box of arguing that we couldn’t possibly handle it for these mechanical reasons. The second conclusion of considerable importance we felt was this was not something that the CGA or the CG itself was going to have any say with respect to this outcome - that is whether or not there was to be women at the Academy or indeed in the Service. It was a political and philosophical question that society had to decide and of course did” (Hayes).
In addition to the Merchant Marine Academy’s 1974 decision to admit women, a lawsuit was filed against Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger on behalf of female constituents who wanted to attend the Air Force and Naval Academies. The lawsuit was filed by California Representatives Jerome Waldie and Don Edwards and was defeated in U.S. District Court, however they won a reversal in the U.S. Court of Appeals and looked forward to a new and full trial of their case on its merits in
November 1974. The Coast Guard was aware of the lawsuits against DOD, and Department of Transportation (DOT) General Counsel Linda Heller Kamm warned the new Commandant, Admiral Owen W. Siler ’44, that she would probably be unable to fight the upcoming challenges successfully should the Coast Guard also be sued.
William T. Coleman, the fourth DOT Secretary (DOT was created in 1967 with the Coast Guard as a cornerstone agency) and second African American to serve in the United States Cabinet, joined Gerald Ford’s Cabinet in March 1975. Secretary Coleman had a long career as a civil rights attorney and played a significant role in many prominent civil rights cases. Coleman was one of the lead strategists in Brown V. Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court Case that held that racial segregation in schools was illegal. As a teenager in Philadelphia in 1938, he was barred from joining the high school swim team because of his race and said the “scars of this lost opportunity remained for years” (Coleman 8).
In July 1975, only a few months into Secretary Coleman’s term, Representatives Lester R. Wolff of New York and Charles H. Wilson of California introduced two bills in the House of Representatives relating to the admission of women to the Coast Guard Academy.
Secretary Coleman was briefed about Representative Wolff’s efforts, and he felt that the time had come to allow the admission of women to the Coast Guard Academy, and that the Coast Guard thus had the opportunity to be the first branch of the military to offer women appointment to its academy. In addition to the two bills introduced in the House, Secretary Coleman was also advised by his special assistant, Elaine Jones, and his civil rights director, Carmen Turner, to advocate for the Coast Guard Academy to be the first U.S. military service academy to offer appointments to women.
During his term as DOT Secretary, Coleman described having “great respect for the Coast Guard and its leadership” and credits his military aide, Commander (later Admiral) Ted Leland ’60, as an “invaluable advisor” and with playing a significant role in facilitating the relationship between the Department of Transportation and the Coast Guard. CDR Leland set up the meeting between Admiral Siler and Secretary Coleman to discuss the admission of women to the Coast Guard Academy. At the meeting, Coleman frankly told ADM Siler, “This is going to come. It’s inevitable. Why not be the first” (Coleman 234)?
Secretary Coleman describes Coast Guard headquarters and ADM Siler as being hesitant to allow women to enter the Academy. ADM Siler’s reluctance was based on limited funding to update facilities at the CGA and out in the fleet. He was also concerned about billets for women once they graduated as Ensigns. He confirms his hesitancy and how he ultimately decided to admit women in his memoir, which was published posthumously in 2019.
“After long and hard consideration, we decided that there was no good reason to deny the opportunity of being an Academy graduate to a woman, and we declared we would open the Academy to female cadets. The time had come for this action” (Siler 236).
While these bills regarding the admission of women to CGA were being considered in Congress, Secretary Coleman felt that the DOT didn’t need to wait for Congress to enact legislation for women to attend the Academy.
ADM Siler agreed, and on August 11,
1975, DOT published a press release that announced, “that women will join the Corps of Cadets at New London.” ADM Siler noted that “current statutes do not bar the admission of women to the Coast Guard Academy and that further action by Congress would not be required” (Price 2). This announcement from ADM Siler and the Department made the Coast Guard Academy the first federal military service academy to go on record as being ready to admit women.
Ironically, and despite ADM Siler’s assertion to the Corps of Cadets in 1974 that women would not be allowed to attend the Academy under his tenure, during his October 1975 Operation Spotlight lecture at the Academy he jokingly suggested that he had to “eat crow” and announced that women would be admitted to the Academy starting in June 1976 with the class of 1980. The academy admissions office hastily solicited for women applicants and within a few short months, 700 women had applied, 50 were offered appointments, and 38 accepted.3
On October 7, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed Public Law 94-106, which directed that women be admitted to the DOD service academies. Because this law was specific to the Department of Defense, another bill (94 H.R. 10192, which became PL 94-576) was introduced two days later, on October 9, 1975, to amend title 14 in the United States Code, “to provide for the nondiscriminatory appointment of cadets to the United States Coast Guard Academy.”
Although ADM Siler’s earlier decision to allow women to attend the Coast Guard Academy (which came before PL 94-576 was signed into law on October 21, 1976 – 4 months after the class of ‘80 had reported) made this bill appear unnecessary, enactment of the bill into law created a national policy that would protect the legal right for anyone, regardless of “sex, race, color, or religious beliefs,” to attend the Coast Guard Academy (Public 1).
3. The women who had already joined the Coast Guard as enlisted or had come through Officer Candidate School were still not allowed to go to sea – that policy was changed in August 1978, some two years after female Academy Cadets had begun training on Eagle.
During a February 11, 1976 Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Navigation, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries hearing for 94 H.R. 10192, the Coast Guard was praised for proactively allowing women to enter the Academy, including praise from the National Organization for Women, which had been a key player lobbying for this change. During the hearing, Congressman Pierre S. DuPont from Delaware made the following statement about the Coast Guard’s decision to admit women to CGA: “I have been an enthusiastic supporter of this kind of legislation for some years in the Congress now, and it is with a little bit of pride I think I can say the Coast Guard Academy is way ahead of its counterparts at West Point and Annapolis in terms of attitude on this question” (Committee 94).
After advocating for women to enter the Coast Guard Academy, Elaine Jones and Carmen Turner also encouraged Secretary Coleman to advocate for Coast Guard women to go to sea, and by 1978, all Coast Guard career fields and cutters were open to women. After leaving the Department of Transportation in 1977, Jones and Turner had distinguished careers in their respective fields. Jones was a civil rights attorney, the first black woman to graduate from the University of Virginia School of Law, and the first African American to serve on the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association. She was awarded the Secretary’s Award during her tenure at the Department of Transportation. Turner became the first Black woman to head a major transit system in the United States, the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro). Under her leadership, the Metro’s annual ridership grew to 70 million passengers. In 1990, she became the Undersecretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
Secretary Coleman, in his 2010 autobiography, described the impact of opening the doors to women at the service academies, “The admission of women into the service academies opened up
many new opportunities for women - as they had for men of color in previous decades - and changed the culture of military service for the better” (Coleman 235).
Secretary Coleman and his staff’s persistence, combined with their personal and professional experience of the impact of allowing opportunities for everyone, made women’s attendance at the Academy and later opportunities for sea duty a reality. Because of their actions and Secretary Coleman’s foresight, the Coast Guard Academy has the distinguished title of “The First Military Service Academy in the United States to Admit Women.”
Works Cited
“Coast Guard Academy Entrants.” Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. 11 February 1976. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1976.
“Congressional Record.” Congress. gov, Library of Congress, 28 March 1972. https://www.congress.gov/92/ crecb/1972/03/28/GPO-CRECB-1972pt8-5-1.pdf
Coleman, William T., and Donald T. Bliss. Counsel for the Situation: Shaping the Law to Realize America’s Promise. 1st ed., Brookings Institution Press, 2010.
Hayes, John B. “The Women of 1980 Day Talk.” 16 March 2000. Women of 1980 Day, United States Coast Guard Academy. United States Coast Guard Academy Special Collections. New London, Connecticut.
Price, Scott. “The Integration of Women in the USCG Academy.” US Coast Guard Historian’s Office Website, 2010.
Public Law 94-27, 90 Stat. 585 (1976)
Siler, Owen Wesley. Farmer, Flyer, Futurist: The Memoirs of Admiral Owen Wesley Siler, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. Archway Publishing, 2019.
The story continues online! View an interactive timeline and the following complementary essays at www.cgaalumni.org/50YearsCGAWomen.
“When the Manuals Weren’t Enough: The Untold Cultural Battle Behind Admission of CGA’s First Female Cadets” by CAPT Mark Blace, USCG (ret), ’79
“The Long Blue Line: Class of 1980 - 40 years of women at the Academy” by CDR Kathy A. Hamblett, USCG (ret), ’80
We look forward to continuing this series in the next issue, when RADM Cari Thomas ’84 and ADM Thad Allen ’71 tackle the theme of “Integration.”
Siler, Owen W. “Operation Spotlight Lecture.” 1975 October. United States Coast Guard Historian’s Office Archives. Washington D.C.
Stiehm, Judith Hicks. Bring Me Men and Women: Mandated Change at the U.S. Air Force Academy. University of California Press, 1981.
“Superintendent Memo 5860: Ad hoc Study group to consider the admission of female cadets to Coast Guard Academy in Summer 1976” 16 Jun 1975 United States Coast Guard Historian’s Office Archives. Washington D.C.
This article was extensively researched by several individuals and in consultation with the USCGA Library and USCG Historian’s offices. In particular, the Core Team would like to recognize Christine Quedens ’80 for her contributions to this article.
Alumni share their career journeys, as well as some useful lessons learned along the way.
Left Active Duty: 2021
Last Active Duty Job: Planning and Real Property Branch Chief, Civil Engineering Unit Oakland
Academy Major: Civil Engineering
Advanced Degrees: M.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, 2016; M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, 2023
Current Job: Political Officer, U.S. Embassy Astana, Kazakhstan for the U.S. Department of State
Describe your job in 25 words or less. As a political Foreign Service Officer (FSO) I analyze political developments, advise U.S. policy, build diplomatic relationships, and report on host country affairs to advance American interests abroad.
Briefly describe your post-CG career and what led you on this path. Leaving the CG was challenging—it made me really reflect on my future and what I wanted. Through conversations with mentors and friends I focused on three core tenets: love for cultural learning, travel, and a desire to continue public service. After years of applications, grad school, and networking, I joined the Foreign Service in January 2024 to pursue that purpose.
Knowing what you know now, how would you approach your transition differently? I would explore low-risk ways to “test drive” future career ideas earlier. Interested in international issues? Sign up for a university’s foreign affairs newsletter and attend events. It’s never too early (or late!) to engage before the transition. It also helps form a life outside the CG and find fulfillment in creative ways.
Top tip for alumni looking to transition into the foreign service. It’s a long journey—stay open and don’t get discouraged. Roles in or outside of government build expertise and strengthen your application. Your CG work is also marketable; the foreign service wants applicants who are driven, communicate well, and are self-sufficient. Finally, talk to FSOs and understand the lifestyle. Posts are often remote, and it’s important to know if you’ll thrive living far from home.
In your current job, what keeps you up at night? In recent years, we’ve seen a rise in more centralized and authoritarian governments around the world. This shift could make it more challenging to advance U.S. interests and values internationally.
Professional accomplishment that you’re most proud of. I’m proud of a report I co-authored on press freedom— my first diplomatic cable. It involved hours of interviews, court observations,
and meetings with non-governmental organizations and civil society. The cable earned recognition from Washington and, more importantly, helped highlight an urgent issue and support efforts to keep a journalist out of jail.
The one thing you learned while at the Academy that has set you up for success within the Coast Guard and beyond? At the Academy, I learned the value of relationships and the importance of investing in them wherever you are.
The people I met at the Academy are still my closest friends today, and we support each other in every stage of life. Taking time to build both personal and professional connections has been my most valuable investment.
What was your most impactful CG assignment and why? My most impactful assignment was at Civil Engineering Unit Oakland. I grew both professionally and personally, thanks to a supportive command and mentors (shout out to Sid Osgood ’93!) who trusted me with increasing responsibility. Their belief in me—and the lifelong friendships I built—showed how people thrive when given room to grow and feel genuinely supported.
Book or podcast that you can’t stop thinking about. I’m currently reading The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan. It’s a fascinating look at ancient cities across Central Asia, India, and the Middle East, exploring the connections that shaped civilizations— and how those links still influence the modern world. Highly recommended for history and culture enthusiasts!
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers? In my opinion, the hardest part of transitioning out of the Coast Guard is being truly honest with yourself about what brings you joy and fulfillment professionally. That personal reflection is the toughest—but most important—work. I’m especially grateful for the people who helped me, especially Erica Mohr ’96, uncover and navigate those insights.
A junior officer’s first year in the fleet reveals how Academy principles evolve into operational impact, from the Galapagos to the Southern Maritime Border.
By ENS Robert DeLillo ’24
On May 22, 2024, I graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and reported to CGC BENJAMIN BOTTOMS (WPC 1132) as an ensign, transitioning from the structured world of New London’s 103 acres to the operational pulse of the fleet. The Academy equipped me with leadership principles, clear thinking, and a commitment to service. Aboard BENJAMIN BOTTOMS, these tools have found purpose in realworld missions. As a junior officer, I am and always will be learning, but my first year has been a masterclass in leadership, responsibility, and the Coast Guard’s mission. Written for my fellow alumni and cadets, this article reflects on the experiences that shaped me—international engagements, highstakes interdictions, and professional contributions—and the lessons they taught, rooted in my Academy training.
Reporting early, I met BENJAMIN BOTTOMS in Los Angeles and set off for the Galapagos, Ecuador, for the 2024 GALAPEX Exercises, a multilateral effort involving 14 nations: Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Italy, Panama, Peru, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and the U.S. For six days, I served as a liaison aboard the Ecuadorian Coast Guard Cutter Isla San Cristobal, translating boarding procedures and supporting drills in Morse code and code flags. Standing on a foreign vessel’s deck, translating in real time for officers from multiple nations, I felt the weight of representing the Coast Guard. The task demanded clarity and trust to align our partners with U.S. procedures.
GALAPEX revealed the Coast Guard’s role in strengthening U.S. diplomatic and strategic ties. The Academy’s leadership
labs and summer training on Eagle honed my ability to communicate clearly and adapt to new environments, but the fleet tested these skills in a high-stakes setting. My first lesson made itself known: precision in communication is leadership. Clear, accurate translation was essential to mission success, a principle I carried forward in every task.
The Coast Guard’s mission along the Southern Maritime Border, both in California and during a temporary duty assignment in Miami, defined much of my year. Aboard BENJAMIN BOTTOMS in California, I conned the cutter during target-of-interest intercepts, tracking vessels smuggling migrants or contraband into the U.S. illegally. Some operations shifted to search-andrescue, assisting smugglers in distress on unseaworthy vessels. It was also often my job to translate for these cases once migrants were aboard, ensuring clear communication among all parties. During a temporary duty stint on USCGC BERNARD C. WEBBER (WPC 1101) in Miami, I supported a joint NavyCoast Guard interdiction, transferring over two dozen migrants and drug smugglers to law enforcement. As lead translator, I relayed critical information between crew and detainees, keeping the operation on track. These interdictions underscored the Coast Guard’s dual role in maritime security and humanitarian response. The Academy taught me to prioritize mission and team, but the fleet revealed a second lesson: leadership is about staying steady in the moment. Conning the cutter or translating during high risk transfers requires focus on the task at hand, not the surrounding pressure.
Beyond operations, I contributed to the Coast Guard’s professional community. In my first summer, I published my second article in the U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings, titled “Fuse Indigenous Arctic Knowledge with Technology,” written during my
final year at the Academy. The piece explored how traditional knowledge could enhance Arctic operations, adding a small but meaningful voice to the Service’s strategic dialogue. The Academy’s opportunities to write for broader audiences and its leadership seminars fostered critical thinking, which gave me confidence to share my perspective. This experience taught a third lesson: even the most junior members can shape the dialogue. Contributing ideas, however modest, strengthens the Coast Guard’s mission. Another milestone was presenting at the Maritime Operations and Business Technology Symposium (MOBTS) as co-author, subject of the paper, and lead panelist for “Leadership-in-Action: A Recent Graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Adds Insights to a Collaboration Between Faculty from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Norwich University, and Northwestern Oklahoma State University.” Speaking to academic and Coast Guard professionals about my early fleet experiences allowed me to reflect on leadership in practice. The Academy’s focus on clear articulation prepared me, while the fleet grounded my insights in operational realities. This drove home a fourth lesson: leadership means contributing to the team’s growth. Reflecting on leadership at MOBTS reinforced the value of contributing practical insights to advance our Service’s mission.
Administrative duties during dry dock in Alameda, California, tested my organizational skills. I coordinated logistics, such as materials transport and network troubleshooting, and advocated for crew needs. These tasks, less striking than interdictions, were still critical to mission readiness. The Academy’s training in time management and team dynamics provided a foundation, and the fleet taught a fifth lesson: small tasks drive mission success. Diligent execution of administrative duties ensures the cutter and crew are ready for operations.
Preparing for an Ordnance Safety Inspection as a junior officer was a significant challenge. I collaborated with
rated members to navigate the program’s complexities, taking responsibility for our preparations. The experience taught humility and the value of teamwork. This crystallized a sixth lesson: leadership requires learning from setbacks. The Academy’s collaborative projects prepared me to work with experts, and the fleet showed me how to grow through failure by owning my role and seeking improvement.
In the fall, I attended ECDIS and Seawatch school in Virginia for two weeks, studying electronic navigation and watchstanding procedures. The training was practical and directly applicable to my duties on BENJAMIN BOTTOMS. It also allowed me to reconnect with Academy classmates, whose shared experiences offered valuable perspective. Back on the cutter, I revised navigation standards and coordinated range operations, applying technical and communication skills honed at the Academy. This underscored a seventh lesson: training is only as good as its application. The Academy provided the tools, but the fleet demanded their effective use in realworld scenarios.
I distill my first year on BENJAMIN BOTTOMS into seven practical lessons:
Precision in communication is leadership.
Leadership is about staying steady.
Even the most junior members can shape the dialogue.
Leadership means contributing to growth.
Small tasks drive mission success.
Leadership requires learning from setbacks.
Training is only as good as its application.
The Coast Guard Academy’s structured environment provided a clear path to prepare for the fleet. Leadership labs, summer training on Eagle, and coastal sail programs developed my ability to communicate, build trust, and remain resilient—skills I applied during GALAPEX, interdictions, and administrative tasks. The Academy’s emphasis on integrity and preparation gave me confidence to tackle unfamiliar roles, from translating on a foreign vessel to presenting at MOBTS. Academic courses, combined with leadership and operational training, offered a foundation for contributing to the mission. Above all, CGA instilled a mindset of service over self, guiding my focus on the mission and team, whether conning BENJAMIN BOTTOMS, managing logistics, or engaging in professional forums.
This year—supporting migrant interdictions, search-and-rescue operations, collaborating with key allies, publishing in Proceedings, and presenting at MOBTS—has revealed the Coast Guard’s diverse mission. The Academy provided the foundation to step aboard BENJAMIN BOTTOMS, and the fleet has shown me how to serve effectively. To my fellow alumni, the fleet is where your training takes shape through focused effort. To cadets, the Academy’s lessons are your starting point for the responsibilities ahead, from the bridge to professional forums. As an ensign, I am still learning, but this year has shown that steady commitment to the mission makes a difference in the Coast Guard’s work, no matter where you are in your career.
Ensign DeLillo, a 2024 U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduate with a B.S. in Government and a Security Studies focus, serves on CGC BENJAMIN BOTTOMS (WPC-1132) at CG Base Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. A Miami, FL native, ENS DeLillo is twice published in the U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings, and co-authored a paper at the 2025 Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society Oceania conference. ENS DeLillo interned as a Service Academy Fellow at Microsoft and as a Presidential Fellow with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. Off duty, he enjoys surfing, skiing, running, pickup basketball, yoga, reading, and time with family and friends.
From our fleet to yours for your dedication to protecting our waters we thank you
With a Python-based program, LCDR Luke Carani ’15 replaced days of manual billet matching with an instant, accurate algorithm.
By Kathy Murray, Senior Writer, MyCG
Billet Night at the Coast Guard Academy this past March was full of the usual excitement. 1/c cadets nervously clambered onstage as their names were called. Some jumped in the air upon learning their first assignments. Others squealed and hugged new crewmates before posing for pictures.
You’d never guess that behind the scenes, there was a big change. This year, Officer Personnel Management (OPM-2) found a way to automate the assignment process. So instead of four officers spending a week manually making assignments one by one, an algorithm matched these cadets to their first jobs –in seconds.
“I think the team was pleasantly surprised at how effective the matching software was,” said LCDR Luke Carani ’15, who developed it. After running the program, which was written in Python, he and the assignment officers (AOs)
verified the results. “We reviewed the final slate in detail to validate that the software program didn’t violate any constraints, and then the team certified the assignment recommendations with no changes. It was an optimal matching.”
Carani joined OPM-2 as its first software developer last spring. The mission was to determine how the office could automate and improve manually intensive processes. He ultimately set his sights on CGA and OCS first assignments, where class rank and few additional variables make matching straight forward. “Figuring out whose turn it is to pick is easy,” he said. All cadets submit e-resumes where they rank their choices. Carani also factored in dynamic cutter berthing constraints, programmatic eligibility criteria, selection panel results (for flight and
cyber), and “co-location” requests to ensure that the needs and desires of members, units, and programs were represented appropriately within the assignment process.
It took a couple of weeks to develop the program, which the AO team hoped would provide an 80 percent solution.
“I thought it would help us improve the process,” Carani said. But when OPM used it to assign all 259 cadets in January, it exceeded their expectations because it considered all assignment factors.
The software program he created to place OCS candidates was similar, with adjustments for constraints like Special Needs and co-location, since officer candidates are often married to other service members. OPM used it to assign all 76 officer candidates in February.
The most common question Carani gets is whether using an algorithm, as opposed to having a person make each decision, is fair. “We just implemented in code what used to be done manually,” he said. “People are still getting their best-case scenario in equitable fashion. Before approving the assignments, OPM applied the same rigor to certifying the software recommendations as they do to all PCS assignments, and no changes were necessary.”
First Class Cadet Kira Howard, who majored in marine and environmental
sciences, said she thought it was both fair and “pretty cool” that OPM was able to automate the assignment process. “I’m going to ATON (Aids to Navigation) team in Astoria, Oregon,” she said. “It was my second choice. My first was Hawaii, but I didn’t expect to get that with my class rank of 60. I’m extremely pleased.”
In addition to saving time, Carani says one of the biggest benefits of using the algorithm is the ability to simulate different outcomes. In the past, if a ship changed its capacity for new personnel, for example, the AOs would have to manually re-adjudicate that assignment and all others that followed. Now, with one change in assignment, others are reassigned automatically. The AOs can also explore different scenarios and see how that might affect assignments.
Carani’s next goal is to create a program to help accelerate the assignment process for the rest of the officer corps, and eventually enlisted personnel, too.
“The real benefit is that it frees up the assignment officers who do the nitty gritty work,” he said. “It frees them up to do the high-level career management people need to help them with their career progression. Let computers do what computers are good at, and let humans do what humans are good at.”
Announced at the Coast Guard Academy commencement, the initiative calls for organizational overhaul, tech innovation, and a 15,000-member workforce expansion.
Released by Public Affairs, USCG Headquarters
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced Force Design 2028 (FD2028) during the Coast Guard Academy commencement ceremony.
This initiative provides a blueprint to transform the Coast Guard into a stronger, more ready and capable fighting force.
Speaking at the ceremony, Noem expressed respect for the Service and committed to advocating for funding support. Noem’s FD2028 executive report outlines a vision for the Coast Guard’s future.
“Now, more than ever, the American people need a strong and capable Coast Guard,” said Noem. “The Coast Guard must not simply evolve. It must revolutionize how it functions and operates to ensure decisive advantage over adversaries. This requires a
fundamental change. Force Design 2028 is the bold blueprint needed to drive urgent action and win.”
Noem also announced President Donald J. Trump’s nomination of ADM Kevin E. Lunday ’87 to serve as the 28th commandant of the Coast Guard. Lunday will continue serving as acting commandant until confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The 28th commandant will lead the Coast Guard through a historic period of change, establishing the first Coast Guard service secretary and facilitating the implementation of FD2028. FD2028 will re-shape how the Coast Guard functions and operates to ensure decisive advantage over adversaries.
“Now is the time for fundamental change,” said Lunday. “Secretary Noem has said that we must reinvigorate the
Coast Guard or risk strategic failure. I am honored to lead our Coast Guard men and women in this historic effort to renew the service for the future.”
FD2028 outlines several key initiatives and campaign areas:
Establish a service secretary: This initiative establishes a legislatively authorized, secretary of the Coast Guard nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. This secretary would report directly to the secretary of homeland security and provide civilian leadership, oversight, accountability and advocacy, with authorities comparable to secretaries of other military services.
People: Recognizing that the workforce is at the core of the Service, FD2028 seeks to grow the Coast Guard’s military workforce by at least 15,000 members by the end of fiscal year 2028 to restore readiness and support a growing fleet and new capabilities. Initiatives include transforming the workforce by aligning with the president’s executive order on “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” and instituting a physical fitness test, modernizing enlisted accessions and investing in recruiting incentives, investing in officer leader growth through various programs, revitalizing the Coast Guard Reserve with a focus on mobilization readiness and streamlining policies and processes for the civilian workforce.
Organizational Design: FD2028 will reform the Coast Guard’s organizational structure to become more effective, enabling a leaner, more agile and strategically focused Headquarters by streamlining processes and eliminating redundancies. Key initiatives include designing the future force to win by embracing strategic planning and establishing a futures development and integration function, creating program executive offices for a systemsfocused approach to acquisitions and sustainment, establishing a Deployable Specialized Forces command for improved integration and interoperability, strengthening Coast Guard Cyber Command to address cyber and space threats, transferring operational and service-delivery functions out of Headquarters.
Technology: FD2028 will position the Coast Guard to become a leader in the adoption and use of advanced technology, human-machine teaming and data. Initiatives include creating Coastal Sentinel, a next-generation integrated sensor network leveraging artificial intelligence for unprecedented threat identification, supporting a revitalized U.S. maritime industry by replacing antiquated systems for vessel registration and mariner credentials, supporting workforce growth with a modern human resources information technology system incorporating artificial intelligence, delivering an improved logistics system for conditionsbased maintenance, and establishing a rapid response prototype team to quickly identify, adopt and deliver advanced technology capabilities.
Contracting and acquisitions (C&A): This campaign aims to streamline C&A processes to better respond to emerging threats, strengthen industry coordination and prioritize speed and flexibility. The service will reform acquisition practices to deliver needed capabilities—including icebreakers and unmanned systems—
while managing risk. Planned changes include establishing a disciplined requirements process, assigning senior acquisition authority to the secretary of the Coast Guard, creating a senior procurement executive role, outsourcing procurement activities for effectiveness and designating single points of accountability to empower program managers.
FD2028 represents an opportunity at a critical moment in history to transform the Coast Guard. Within 30 days, the commandant will deliver an execution plan, followed by the commencement of a force posture and operational concepts campaign within 150 days, and the first of semiannual updates within 180 days.
“Force Design 2028 is the Coast Guard’s way forward,” said Lunday. “Under the leadership of Secretary Noem, we are moving out today to aggressively implement this transformational change.”
Read the FD 2028 executive report at https://www.uscg. mil/Leadership/ CommandantsInitiatives/ ForceDesign2028/
Eternal Father, Lord of Hosts, Watch o’er all those who guard our coasts. Protect them from the raging seas, And give them light and life and peace. Grant them from thy great throne above, The shield and shelter of thy love.
Mr. Eric M. Amberg, Class of 1979
December 26, 2024
CDR Jerry C. Bacon, USCG, Ret., Class of 1964
February 13, 2025
CAPT Wayne W. Becker, USCG, Ret., Class of 1965
March 1, 2025
LT Michael K. Brokaw, USCG, Ret. March 27, 2025
CAPT Richard Carlson, USCG, Ret.
Janury 11, 2025
LT William Cherry, USCG, Ret. March 14, 2025
CAPT Ralph C. Hill, USCG, Ret., Class of 1953
December 13, 2024
Mr. Charles R. Conley, USCG, Class of 1952
May 16, 2025
Mrs. Joan Cook, Wife of Mr. Roger C. Cook, Class of 1970
February 24, 2025
CAPT Steven J. Cornell, USCG, Ret., Class of 1971
April 13, 2025
CAPT James W. Coste, USCG, Ret., Class of 1959
May 17, 2025
Mr. Alvin M. Crickard, USCG, Ret., Class of 1977
May 12, 2025
LCDR Paul Delaire, USCG, Ret.
March 15, 2025
CDR John R. Edwards, USCG, Ret., Class of 1959
March 6, 2025
Mr. Christopher A. Gauvin, USCG, Ret., Class of 1975
March 20, 2025
Mrs. Jean Gehring, Widow of RADM
Howard B. Gehring, USCG, Ret., Class of 1963
March 5, 2025
LCDR Donald Gold, USCG, Ret.
April 5, 2024
CDR Arthur Goldman, USCGR, Ret. December 24, 2024
CWO3 Seymour Haber, USCG, Ret.
March 3, 2025
CDR David Hartmann, USCGR, Ret.
March 7, 2025
Mr. Bartholomew J. Hennessey, Class of 1965
May 18, 2025
CAPT Ralph Hill, USCG, Ret., Class of 1953 December 13, 2024
Mr.Thomas M. Howard, Class of 1970
April 30, 2025
RADM William P. Kozlovsky, USCG, Ret., Class of 1954
May 11, 2025
Mr. Jeffrey A. Lee, Class of 1992
April 23, 2025
LT Ward Lewis, USCG, Ret. January 31, 2025
Mrs. Kristine Libby, Wife of CAPT Mark E. Libby, USCGR, Ret., Class of 1967
February 9 2025
LCDR Donald R. Midgette, USCGR, Ret.
April 6, 2025
Mrs. Emily L. Mitchell, Wife of LCDR George P. Mitchell, USCGR, Ret., Class of 1958
April 18, 2025
CWO3 Richard L. Murphy, USCG, Ret. February 17, 2025
CAPT Peter T. Muth, USCG, Ret., Class of 1962
April 25, 2025
CAPT Gary C. Nelson, USCG, Ret., Class of 1964
May 22, 2025
Mr.Terry Nichols, Class of 1967
May 4, 2025
LCDR Carl R. Perkins, Jr., USCG, Ret., Class of 1973
December 2, 2024
CDR Peter T. Poulos, USCG, Ret., Class of 1965
April 23, 2025
LCDR Robert Roy, USCG, Ret. March 18, 2025
CDR Richard E. Ruhe, Jr., USCG, Ret., Class of 1965
April 19, 2025
Mrs. Irene F. Shelton, Widow of Jim Shelton
July 29, 2024
Mr. William T. Sigler, USCG, Ret., Class of 1965
April 18, 2025
Mr. Paul T.Thevenin, Class of 1956
October 31, 2024
LCDR Ronald Trapani, USCGR, Ret. December 31, 2024
CWO3 Melvin Uecker, USCG, Ret. January 23, 2025
RADM Joseph E.Vorbach, USCG, Ret., Class of 1959
May 3, 2025
Mr. Matthew J. Wixsom, Class of 1978
April 4, 2025
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Class Membership: 44%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: CAPT Daniel M. Conway arizconway@msn.com
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Class Membership: 65%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Kathryn D. Smith kdornansmith@aol.com
In Memoriam Ralph Connaway Hill December 13, 2024
In Memoriam
Mrs. Irene Shelton, July 29, 2024
We recently learned of the 2024 passings of two class members. Ralph Connaway Hill crossed the bar December 13, 2024 in Sarasota, FL; and Irene Franckowiak Shelton, widow of Jim Shelton, died July 29, 2024 in Mount Laurel, NJ.
While no formal obituary is available for Ralph Hill, we pulled together some of his life history from the 1953 Tide Rips as well as 50th Reunion Golden Tide Rips.
Born on June 1, 1931, Ralph grew up in Boise, Idaho and graduated from Boise High School. He then attended Boise Junior College before entering the Coast Guard Academy with the Class of 1953. While at CGA, Ralph played football and basketball for two seasons and then focused on intramural sports. His athletic prowess was recapped in the 1953 Tide Rips: “Inter-company hit fever pitch and [Ralph] rallied to the Baker company standard. He’s been the star of many company teams: basketball, cross country, rowing, swimming, tennis, and softball.” He also served as class treasurer during 3C year.
In 1955, Ralph married Judith Taylor and legally adopted her three-year-old son Greg. They added three daughters to their family: Susan, Debra, and Patricia.
After a divorce, Ralph married Diane Feiring Case in 1974, which was a second marriage for them both. They raised their sons Cary and Kyle.
In the 2003 class 50th Reunion Tide Rips, Ralph acknowledged his professional career highlights, including serving at Coast Guard headquarters as chief of the Vessel Traffic System Branch and two years (1980-1982) in Saudi Arabia as maritime advisor to the Saudi government.
His favorite job was chief of the Merchant Marine Technical Branch in New Orleans 8th Coast Guard District. “This was an independent branch under the CGHQ Division. The ‘independent’ part allowed my maverick nature to bloom constructively with the help of exceptionally talented people working for me.”
After retiring from active duty in 1983, Ralph returned to school to earn teaching certification in math and science. He then taught both subjects at Whittier (CA) High School for several years.
Ralph and Diane, who was an experienced elementary school teacher, later taught English together in Japan for a few years. Their worldwide travels also included excursions to Australia, Bali, China, Indonesia, Malysia, New Zealand, and Taiwan.
An accomplished competitive bridge player, Ralph achieved American Contract Bridge League life master status in 1999. He earned additional honors at the bronze (2001), silver (2008), and ruby (2016) life master levels.
Irene Franckowiak Shelton passed away peacefully, surrounded by family in Mount Laurel, NJ. She was predeceased by her husband James Howard Shelton Sr. ‘53, who died in 2018.
Irene was born in 1934 and raised in
Trenton, NJ. After meeting Jim in 1955, they married in 1957 and enjoyed 61 years of marriage. The couple initially lived in Morrisville, PA and then moved to Colorado for several years before settling in Mount Laurel, NJ in 1972. Irene considered her time in Colorado a “great adventure” spent with her family and the many lifelong friends she made there.
Among Irene and Jim’s sources of enjoyment was antiquing. During their travels around the country, they searched for pieces to add to her collections. Irene’s sister and brother-in-law (Theresa and Bill) joined them on some trips. Irene also was fond of gardening and spending time at the beach.
Irene is survived by five children: Nancy Shelton, Karen Shelton, Susan Shelton Light, Jane Shelton Yosko (John), and James Shelton Jr. (Maryanne). She savored the time spent with her eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Additional survivors include Irene’s sister Theresa Bogdan, several nieces and nephews, and many friends. Irene and Jim are buried together in the Coast Guard Academy columbarium.
Cheers to another CGA ’53 legacy graduating from the Academy! Grayson Irwin ’25, the grandson of LaVerne Irwin and the late VADM James Irwin ’53, was one of nine 1C baseball players recognized during the the team’s senior day celebration, April 30. Although the catcher from Wilmington, NC was injured most of this season, Grayson saw action at bat and behind the plate as Coast Guard defeated Nichols, 9-5, in the team’s final regular season home game.
Grayson helped the Bears earn a four-year overall 82-58 record and 41-25 in NEWMAC conference play. Included were back-to-back school record-breaking seasons for wins: 24-11 in 2024 and 26-14 this year.
The son of Matthew Irwin and Amanda Irwin, Grayson comes from a
family with multi-generational ties to the Academy. In addition to his late grandfather Jimmy, Grayson’s uncle Dale Chittenden graduated from CGA in 1981, and his late aunt Kathleen Irwin Chittenden was a member of the Class of 1983.
Following Grayson’s recent graduation, the government major will serve on the 270’ USCGC Thetis (WMEC-910) in Key West, FL. The ship conducts patrols throughout the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico with duties including law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security, and national defense.
CGA ’53 wishes Ensign Irwin fair winds and following seas as he continues his Coast Guard career.
Class Membership: 44%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: CAPT Art Ladley cgav724@gmail.com
In Memoriam
William J.Tillo February 16, 2025
In Memoriam
William P. Kozlovsky May 11, 2025
Captain Bill Tillo passed away in Centerville, MA on February 16th. Upon graduation Bill served aboard Winnebago with Bill Nolan before going to flight training. Thereafter Bill served at various air stations as engineering officer and commanded Air Station Detroit. At the Academy Bill was a legendary athlete in wrestling, football and field. He was predeceased by his wife Dottie and daughter Mary Jill. No other details are
available.
Rear Admiral William P. Kozlovsky (Bill) passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, prayer and music on May 11, 2025 in San Jose, California. Bill was born in Antigo, Wisconsin to William A. Kozlovsky and Margaret (Kennedy) Kozlovsky, the oldest of five children. Early in his childhood, the family moved to Wausau, Wisconsin where Bill’s father worked for the National Biscuit Company (now Nabisco) and his mother was a school teacher. Bill graduated from Wausau High School and received an appointment to the United States Coast Guard Academy. At the Academy, he became the Battalion Commander of the Corps of Cadets and graduated first in his class, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and a commission as Ensign in the United States Coast Guard. Upon graduation from the Academy, he was stationed on the cutter Gresham at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California where he met and started dating his beloved wife, Teri. After getting married, Teri and Bill spent more than 32 years experiencing many adventures with the Coast Guard as they moved 19 times all over the United States. Bill attended U.S. Navy Flight Schools in Pensacola, Florida and Corpus Christi, Texas where he received his wings as a Naval Aviator and Coast Guard Aviator. Following several assignments as a Coast Guard search and rescue pilot, he was selected to attend the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana. He received a Master of Science degree in Industrial Administration, graduating with top honors, first in his class and was designated the first Krannert scholar. After numerous flying and aviation engineering assignments including Executive Officer of the USCG Aircraft Repair and Supply Center, Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and Commanding Officer of the USCG Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama, Bill was selected for additional graduate study at the U.S. Air Force Air War College. He was promoted to the rank of
Rear Admiral and served as Comptroller of the U.S. Coast Guard for seven years. His career culminated in being selected as 14th District Commander in Honolulu, Hawaii where he served for three years, responsible for all USCG missions throughout more than 18 million square miles of the Pacific. Hawaii was one of Bill’s favorite places and, after retiring from the Coast Guard, Bill wanted to contribute to causes near and dear to his heart on the beautiful island of Oahu. He became Chief Financial Officer of Aloha United Way, then became CEO of the Hawaii Maritime Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. When he and Teri moved to California to support their kids and grandkids, he became the Executive Director of the Hiller Aviation Museum. At Hiller, he thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to educate the public and share his love of aviation and the Coast Guard, also hosting an annual air show that continues to this day. Bill was an amazing husband and father. He loved Teri deeply during their 66 years on this earth together and did everything he could to make her and the family happy. His wife, kids and grandkids were the lights of his life. During every move he ensured that his family was taken care of, confirmed that his kids were in the right schools and supported his kids in all their extracurricular activities. He not only attended horse shows, swim meets, piano recitals, dance recitals, choir concerts, and sporting events, but he also participated by coaching, announcing 4-H horse shows, and whatever else he could do to help and cheer on his kids. He continued this tradition with his eight grandchildren, and he and Teri attended every event they could possibly attend. Bill was a man of great personal faith in the Almighty and his first activity during every move was finding the closest Catholic Church. He and Teri would immediately volunteer to help in whatever way needed, joining various altar societies, becoming lectors, lay eucharistic minister and sacristans. Bill and Teri joined St. Francis of Assisi in San Jose when Masses were still being held in the Mt. Hamilton Grange Hall. He volunteered to work on the finance committee and helped Monsignor John Sandersfeld build the beautiful chapel that the St. Francis of Assisi parish uses today. Bill was a strong, positive presence in the lives of many. He was a straight shooter who told it like it was and always believed in doing the right thing. He stood up for his crew, whether that was his family, friends, the Coast Guard or any organizations to which he belonged. He
expected a lot from people because he felt that everyone had something to contribute and that people gave their best effort if you supported them and cared about them. His family and friends will always remember the love and kindness he shared, the Irish twinkle in his eye and his wonderful sense of humor as well as his devotion to family and the United States Coast Guard. He will be greatly missed, but we know he is happy to finally be reunited with his beloved wife, Teri.
Visitation was held on Monday, June 9, 2025 at 10:00 am with a Catholic Funeral Mass following at St. Francis of Assisi Church in San Jose, CA.
Class Membership: 81%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Dr. Bob Olness bobolness2@gmail.com .............................................................................
The correspondence for this issue begins with a note and a photo from Gordon Allen:
“I wonder how many of our class have memories of this scene, the entrance to the harbor at Argentia, Newfoundland. Most weather patrols to the North Atlantic passed through here on the way out and again on the way in, stopping to refuel and refresh at the Naval Air Station.
“I was here in the Spring of 1956 on temporary duty as an aerial observer for the International Ice Patrol. Some of our classmates were later stationed here as part of the CG Air Detachment. Why is this picture famous? Argentia harbor was very busy during WWII and the view shown here was affectionately known by many as Mae West.”
Gordon’s contribution prompted a number of replies. From Martin Kaiser:
“I was on DUANE and laying over in Argentia enroute to Weather Station. A hurricane was coming up the coast. We were moored tail into the wind with engines in reverse to take the strain off the lines. I was on 8-12 AM watch on the bridge. and walked out on the wing of the bridge in time to see the spinner on the anemometer spin off in the 85 knot wind. We got under way after the storm passed but had a bumpy ride heading out. Those were the days.”
Howie Thorsen sent the following:
“As an INGHAM sailor, I stopped in Argentia ten times enroute to weather stations.
Subsequently, following flight training, I was ‘rewarded’ with a three-year tour there. I always enjoyed seeing Mae West, a welcome sight at the end of each mission (hours, days, or weeks in duration) with the anticipation of a relaxing period to unwind. Memories!”
Shortly thereafter, from Bob Hollingsworth:
“As the First Lieutenant on INGHAM with Howie, I was almost always on the forecastle in charge of the anchor detail when we entered or departed Argentia. The weather was brutal in the winter months! Much better several years later as XO on MCCULLOCH, conning from the heated bridge. Holly, Last of the Leatherheads.”
As I was writing this up, Howie Thorsen added an anecdote from his flight experiences at Argentia:
“I was assigned to the CG Air Det Argentia from Oct 58 to Oct 61. Fog and high winds, together most of the time. A bit of history: the NATO agreement was signed there in 1940 or 41. There was a sudden awareness of the 20 year anniversary of the signing, and the Navy in 1960 or 61 went to GQ to avoid embarrassment.
“The Premier of Newfoundland, Joey Smallwood, had conflicting obligations. Lacking travel time, he could only attend the NATO event if he was flown from that ceremony to a later meeting on Prince Edward Island. We were asked to provide a flight, and I got the nod to fly the R5D. We gave him a first class treatment and he was able to keep his schedule. A true gentleman, grateful for the transportation, he expressed his sincere thanks for our service. Memories!”
Adding a note of my own, Dolores and I toured Newfoundland in the summer of 1999, easternmost point of a round trip by road from Livermore, CA -- nine weeks, 13,000 miles, towing a 5th wheel trailer. (Only one flat tire, on the trailer.) Arriving by overnight ferry from Goose Bay in Labrador, we were on the island long enough to see a good bit of it, including the site of the Norse settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows. Unfortunately, we missed seeing Mae West!
It’s been ten years since the most recent Homecoming for 1955s. I’m sure we’ve all aged a bit since then. How are we holding up? If you send in a picture, I’ll include it in the next Bulletin. Here’s one of me that I scavenged from my Costco membership renewal this past February. (I enjoy photography but rarely appear in a photo.)
That’s all for this time. Deadline for the following Bulletin is July 22, 2025. - Bob
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Class Membership: 66%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: CAPT Walt White cga56@verizon.net
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In Memoriam
Paul Thevenin
October 31, 2024
We were saddened to learn of Paul Thevenin’s passing on 31 October 2024. Loretta, you have the sympathies of all of Paul’s classmates and their families. After he left the Coast Guard, Paul pursued several career paths; school teacher, dance instructor, radio disk jockey, professional masseur, southwestern history buff, and river guide.You have already been sent the link to Paul’s obituary.
Jim Granger remembers a day in the late ‘60s when Paul & Loretta Thevenin drove his truck to the old CGHQ and the ‘56ers took them to lunch across Pennsylvania Ave. We of course were all wearing suits. Paul was in a plaid flannel shirt with sleeves rolled up, faded jeans and high leather boots that had a knife pocket. He looked every inch the river guide that he was. Paul & Loretta were so happy with their family and outdoor life; we were all secretly envious.
Art Wagner recalls he and Jan joining about 18 classmates and wives and making a 2½-day Grand Canyon Colorado River Raft Trip organized by Paul Thevenin’s Western Rivers Tours Co. Complete arrangements with helo rides down to the rafts, wonderful meals cooked by the guide and wife. Quite the adventure and the measure of the man’s leadership in the organization. Well done, Paul. Fond memories of a great guy.
Paul & Mary Hennebery are living in an assisted-living facility in Walpole, MA.
Joe Canzoneri writes: Judy, my wife of 62 years and I are still living in Malverne, NY. I am a practicing attorney and still go to the office four days weekly, but plan to cut down to three days soon. My law partner is my daughter Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick who has been elected to her second term of the New York State Senate. My best regards to all.
Bill & Alice Flanders report we live in house No. 2 on wooded acreage owned by son David and wife Kara in Aiken, SC. We are
visited frequently by grand and g-grand kids who are lively. We also have their visiting hometown friends, plus the more-lively multiple dogs, cats, deer, coyotes and other animals who prevail. We are generally healthy for our age, but Alice had 35 days in the hospital last year. However, she recovered just fine and runs the family car. I have a brain that has reverted to childhood for the fun of it.
Walt White found this photo of the Swabs in Platoon Able 1 in 1953 – recognize anyone?
If you have not already done so, please let your Class Correspondent know of your interest in attending our 70th Reunion in October 2026.
Class Membership: 86%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Mr. A.K. Manthous papou3@aol.com http://cga1957.wiggio.com
THE MAIL BUOY -–This note came in from Ted Kobylarz, I have extracted the most salient parts: “Although reasonably happy with life, I’ve encountered many illnesses common to most at our age. This includes prostate cancer, hernia, etc. The most debilitating is the less common Manicure’s disease. It interferes with balance ability, and I need the help of a stable medium, such as a wall, to keep from falling being able to climb stairs, with the assistance of a railing, walk with a cane, and drive while seated has allowed me to accept my balance disability. A positive note is that I still do not need eye glasses. One may conclude that I’ve been blessed with terrific eyes. The fact is that I have three eye diseases, each of which can lead to blindness: glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts. I’d gladly trade the need for glasses, for any one of these diseases. I should explain why I am nevertheless a happy person. My life is made pleasant by four wonderful children and seven wonderful grandchildren. Each individual is successful at their stage in life. For instance, eldest son Thaddeus (Jr.) is in politics. Having served three consecutive terms as mayor of Chatham, NJ, he was asked to be on the campaign committee of a prominent NJ gubernatorial candidate I’m hoping this will lead to a more prestigious political position.” Ted enumerates the many issues that most of
us have experienced. The report came in on gmail, which I seldom read. I might also add that it is refreshingly honest, which I strongly encourage.
Paul & Marcie Kaufman took a trip to Europe and sent many photos. I have included one from Athens, Greece.
I recently returned to CT for a week and found a Christmas greeting from John & Jan Maloney. If the USPO were diligent, they would have forwarded it to FL. Nevertheless, my apologies to the Maloney clan for having omitted them. Their news was of kids and grandkids all over the nation, graduating, getting married and stuff like that. Congratulations to all. Sorry about the omission Iggy.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT – Here’s something else for our Academy to consider regarding outside directives impacting the educational process there. By now all alumni should know that the term “climate change” is inappropriate in any part of the curriculum at the Academy. This was imposed by Homeland Security/ Headquarters lawful order directives. I just received the list of books banned at the Naval Academy in accordance with directives they received. Is such a banning order in store for CGA??? We’re celebrating Ellie’s birthday this weekend with an “Extravaganza.” She can try but won’t catch up age wise.
Another item that sticks in my craw in relation to the present direction of the Alumni Association is that it is not an association of members equal in the benefits to be derived from membership in the association, notwithstanding the age old competition between odd and even classes. A singular division has been introduced based on monies contributed to obtain a category of Lifetime Membership. Certain lecture series are closed to Lifetime members. I’m proud to be associated with my Class that established an endowment to establish a
speaker series open to all cadets and ANYONE else who wanted to attend. I was once the president of the Alumni Association. It’s demeaning to believe ALL alumni can be coaxed into a special privileged elite by donating additional monetary support.
Wondering if casting that offer netted any of our classmates? Lifetime benefits won’t be recouped for very long. God Bless. This additional report emphasizes the fact that 1957 was never afraid to speak the TRUTH, as we perceived it.
REPORTS – Kenny, Kime & LaLonde. Jack, I can’t remember ever getting an update on your doings. Valerie, are you here or have you left for England? Carl, it’s time for another report.
Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts
Class Membership: 78%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents:
Jim Sullivan jimcarolynsullivan@gmail.com
Phil Dolan nannypa8@aol.com
Jerry Mohlenbrok jerrymoh2@gmail.com
Doing these class notes is not the greatest job in the world. It has usually been difficult getting enough responses to complete the notes, but that is not the most difficult part. After first retiring, I served for several years as the Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee where I was often accused of killing off Emeritus Professors to balance the college’s budget. It now seems like I am reporting the passing of friends whenever it is my turn to do
the class notes. Unfortunately, we have set an unpleasant record over the past week. Carl Denney’s wonderful wife, Winnie, passed on April 13th in Sarasota just 2 months shy of her 90th birthday. Carl says, “A wonderful Celebration of Life was held for her on that day, while she was still with us! Typical of Winnie, she never wanted to miss a celebration! She will be sorely missed!” As I was digesting this sad news, Bob Williams let me know that George Mitchell’s wife Emily passed away in Niantic shortly after her 87th birthday on April 18th after a long illness. Emily and George, of course, have a long history hosting all of us at our reunions over the years and Emily will be greatly missed. The following is a link to her obituary, and I urge everyone to read it to learn more about this wonderful woman. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/ theday/name/emily-mitchellobituary?id=58192510.
I then received a call from Don Trombley’s wife Ann letting me know that Don had passed away on April 20th. It seems like I had just finished talking with Don and Ann when they helped me report on the passing of Bob Crisp a few issues ago. Don’s father was in the Coast Guard when Don left Seattle to join us at the Academy. He left after our third-class cruise after spending too many seasick days on the Eagle. He returned to Seattle, entered the University of Washington, joined the Air Force ROTC program, and graduated with an electrical Engineering degree and a 2nd Lieutenant’s commission in the Air force. He had a distinguished 22-year career in the Air Force. After returning to the Great Pacific Northwest, Don was instrumental in restoring Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose” airplane at the Evergreen Museum in McMinnville, OR.
Moving on to lighter topics, Carl Gruel reported on the end of an era. Since 1963, the Gruel family has engaged in trailer camping, evolving from utilizing a pop-up tent trailer borrowed from Special Services at the Reserve Training Center to acquiring a 23-foot Winnebago in 2007. Carl and Donna have put 115,000 miles on that trailer including several cross-country trips and two back to Alaska. Donna’s health has deteriorated, however, and she is no longer able to use the trailer, so Carl has donated it to a veterans of America charity. Sounds as though they have many fond memories of their camping days.
Fred Burgess reports that Taffy and his second greatgrandchild,Vincent Frederick Burgess, was born on April 12th His father, a 2024 Annapolis graduate, is re-entering the Navy Seal program after experiencing SIPE (Swimmer Induced Pulmonary Edema) on his first try requiring him to start over. Fred says “We have another ambitious spring/summer schedule with several trips, a son’s second master’s degree, same son’s ordination as a permanent Catholic deacon and 59:
a granddaughter’s Nurse Practitioner graduation. All these are followed by a family (now 25) lakefront vacation at Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland with lots of swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, skiing, water tubing and golf.”
Betty Grace called to tell me she violated my often-stated request not to fall. Unfortunately, she fell immediately before Christmas and broke her elbow requiring surgery and a reassessment of her living conditions. She had been resisting her children’s request that she move closer to other family members. Following the fall, she made the move and is now living in Maryland. Her new address is 5400 Vantage Point Road, HC 414, Columbia, MD 21044-2697. On a brighter note, Betty reports that she now has her 14th great-grandchild. On my side no one has even a glitter in their eye about presenting Carolyn and me with our first great grandchild.
Jim Watt checked in to say that he was doing well and going out to play golf twice a week with friends. The golf course in his fifty-five and over community went defunct so now he must travel some distance to the play. Like me, he says, “I have had eight skin cancer surgeries in the last few months. I visit my daughter in Chapel Hill, NC and my daughter in Manassas,VA every few months. Gets me out of the house.” His oldest daughter lives in Neenah WI, there is a grandson in Oshkosh and a grandson in Milwaukee who he usually visits sometime during the summer. That warms the heart of this transplanted Wisconsinite.
Pete and Pam Cronk are well. Pete will turn 90 in August, and they are looking forward to a family blow-out celebrating the occasion at their daughter, Cathy’s home outside of Orlando. Other trips in the works for 2025 include two weeks on the East Coast visiting family between New York and Naples, NY, followed by a river cruise up the Mississippi and a week in the Texas Hill Country. Pam says, “Our mantra is “what we can, while we can.” Here in Texas, we get great pleasure from riding our electric bikes. It is exercising with a kick.” She sent along the attached photo of the two of them on a recent visit to Old Tucson, location of many western movies,
Today I was able to chat with Marlo Martin on a Zoom call with the assistance of
Marlo’s wife Wendie. Marlo and I were roommates Swab Summer and shared a room in the Terminus Nord Hotel in Paris during our Third-Class cruise on the Eagle. Marlo was particularly famous for his wood carving projects on our cruises. He left the Academy after our Second-Class cruise and returned to California where he graduated from Berkeley and later completed a Doctorate in Physics. He and Wendie are living in Point Richmond CA. Unfortunately, Marlo has dementia but is doing well physically. We had a nice chat and if any of his friends would like to have a Zoom chat with him as well, I would be happy to set something up.You can contact me via cell at 858-294-8321 or via email at jos@uwm.edu.
My wife, Carolyn, had major cervical surgery on January 31st at the University of California San Diego Medical Center where a brilliant surgeon removed seven vertebrae in her neck to relieve major compression of her spinal column. She has been recovering nicely since then and no longer wearing neck braces, but it will be another year before the compressed nerves reach their maximum recovery. Overall, we were extremely fortunate to have moved into a retirement community near a major Research University hospital.
That wraps up the notes for this issue. Stay well and do not fall.
Long Break. Out
Class Membership: 58%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: George Krietemeyer georgekriet@gmail.com
In Memoriam
CAPT James W. Coste May 18, 2025
In Memoriam
RADM Joseph Vorbach May 3, 2025
In Memoriam
LCDR John R. Edwards March 6, 2025
Three friends and classmates passed into eternal life during the past few months. Saint
Paul said “ I have competed well! I have finished the race! I have kept the faith! This applies to our three classmates.
On a lighter note, Tom Marucci reported that last year Hurricane Beryl inflicted a lot of damage to his home in Texas. Everything is back to normal now and he enjoys living close to all his children and their families in Texas.
A recap of the Hall of Heroes ceremony provided by the Alumni Association’s Taylor Burke, “The cadets did such a great job. Commander Nick Custer from the Class of 2009 represented the classes of 1959 and 2009 and he was honored to do so. After the ceremony, we connected with the cadets and expressed how great it would be to livestream the event and they agreed- we want everyone who wishes to experience it, to do so…no matter where! We will work on that for next year.” The three badges shown below will be added to our Class of 1959/2009 Hall of Heroes display soon.
From Pete Lauridsen: My career started with the CGC Yakutat on Ocean Station duty in the Atlantic and It included my fourth cadet long cruise. My second tour took me to the Island of Kauai, HI as Group Commander and CO of the Loran station. My third tour was at the Marine Inspection Office Philadelphia and the beginning of a career that would eventually lead to two thirds of my commissioned service. My time in marine safety included all levels of the commercial vessel safety and port security missions. I retired out of Coast Guard Headquarters as Deputy Chief of the Office of Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection. I was hired by a group of passenger vessel owners operating on the Mississippi and Ohio River systems. The passenger vessel industry was experiencing significant growth as cities and states found a strong economic interest in developing their waterways for tourism. The group of owners became the present-day national trade association, the Passenger Vessel Association, the leading advocate for American owned, Coast Guard inspected passenger vessels. That advocacy effort led to developing relationships with congress and the administrative regulatory agencies. I worked to build a strong and effective partnership between the Coast Guard and the PVA that acknowledged we operated in an environment of shared concerns and goals for safety and security. I was honored to receive the Coast
Guard’s Distinguished Public Service Award in January 2018 for those efforts. In my time with the PVA I have traveled from Alaska to Florida and from Maine to Hawaii in the service of the passenger vessel industry and the trade association members. It continues. My partner for 53 years, 8 months and 7 days of the journey was my beloved wife Joanna who passed away on Ash Wednesday 2013. Our class matchmaker George Krietemeyer claimed credit for that very successful union.
From Jack Deck: I had a rather eclectic career, first five years on OSV’s in the Pacific, On to Marine Safety in Portsmouth working at Newport News Shipyard as Inspector activating ship out of the fleet for travel to Viet Nam. On to PG School MIT for MS(ME) and Naval Engineers Degrees. Two years Junior Naval Architect HQ Ship Design Branch. Four years Branch Chief CGD9 Merchant Marine Technical Branch. Four Years Branch Chief HQ Ship Design Branch.
Highlights. Attended USACOE Nuclear School. Only Coast Guard Officer with a Nuclear Plant Engineer Designator. Along with John Klotz conducted Initial inspection and certification of USACOE Floating Nuclear Power Plant STURGIS. Chairman US Technical Committee to IMCO Code of Safety for Nuclear Ships. Two weeks in Russia behind the Iron Curtain. HQ Naval Architect liaison working with Stan Loosemore to the Marine Board EDMOND FITZGERALD.
Retirement. Drove a mail truck for a year. Worked for IMCO as a ship inspector for two years in a United Nations Shipping Project home ported in Saint Lucia. Started one man consultancy in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in accident and casualty
reconstructions. Conducted a number of investigations of high-profile accidents. Accepted as an Expert Witness in Federal, State, and Local Courts. Professional driver in stock and modified outboard race boats. Hung up Kevlars in 2023. APBA stock and modified engine inspector and APBA driver school instructor.
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Class Membership: 65%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents:
CDR Bob Ginn retCGav8r@gmail.com
CAPT Don Naples dnaples@msn.com
We hadn’t heard from Bob Martin for quite a while...until mid-February, when Bob, expounding in Yoda-speak, said he was “Healing after knee replacement I am.” He also said he had finished the book The Skipper & the Eagle by CAPT Gordon McGowan, USCG (Ret), which he apparently enjoyed as he sent us a photo of the book’s cover. Bob closed with, “More later.Video call time with the doctor.” We trust the visit with his doctor went well, although we’ve heard nothing more despite his promise.
We reported earlier on John Witherspoon’s search for George Peck, thinking they were the last two surviving classmates from C-1. More recently we heard from Chuck King with, “Here is what George Peck answered back when I alerted him and John Witherspoon that there were two other C-1 renegades, Ed Roland and me, still kicking around Houston.”
George said, “Duane passed away seven years ago. I have remarried to a lady [Carol] who was the widow of a friend that worked in the same computer department at Bath Iron Works where I had worked for 30 years. I sold my home and moved into her home. It is a 300-year-old family homestead which belonged to her late husband. It keeps me busy outside in the summer. The winter cold has been tough getting used to. Duane and I had spent winters in Florida in a motor home and Carol and I have been spending winters in a home my son bought in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. I had some surgery down south in 2023 and we decided due to health and age, we had better stick closer to home and families. Carol has a daughter and her family living next door and a son in the next town. My widowed daughter and her four boys live in the next town. My son recently retired and lives in the house we had been using in North Carolina.
“We are planning on the 65th reunion as long as nothing drastic happens. Will keep in touch.”
Our thanks to Chuck for forwarding George’s history, and thanks to George for providing it. We hope to hear more from both in the future.
Switching from Maine’s cold winter to the heat of the south, we hear from David Freese in Toney, Alabama, with, “Mary and I just returned [mid-March] from a 10-day tour of Ireland, North Ireland and Scotland. Went with a group of 43 high school students and their parents. We impressed them with our minimalist luggage and ability to stay the course.”
A month later, we heard from David with, “Mary and I have been busy planting trees and fruit bearing shrubs for the birds and host/ nectar plants for butterflies. She just set out a butterfly habitat with swallowtail chrysalis that wintered over in our refrigerator’s crisper. Is there any homecoming news? I am anxious to make travel and hotel reservations.”
Finally, in late April, David came through with, “Was wondering if anyone in the class might still have their copy of the Running Light. Might be nice to reproduce as a pdf document. Camera photos are easily converted these days. My spouse, Mary, in preparation for the 65th reunion is trying to learn all she can about life at USCGA in 1956.”
Be careful, David, us stay-at-homes are exhausted by the tales of your travels and activities (actually, we’re jealous, so keep on keeping on and keep on telling us about your adventures).
Charles Keller gifted us with an ancient picture of a golf outing at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland. Charles said, “The outing occurred over several years. Jim and Cathy Parent had their boat docked there and they camped at Patuxent’s campgrounds. The rest of us stayed at Navy lodging, which you see in the background, located on the Patuxent River. I don’t recall the year that the picture was taken but based on how young we all look it was over 20 years ago. They were great times.”
Charles went on to relate some of his experiences in Naples, Florida, with, “We
survived two back-to-back hurricanes with a generator keeping us cool but no internet. Wendy and I fulfilled some of our book check-off lists. However, our daughter Yvonne’s house and rentals did not fare well. Matlasha Island’s commercial area was mostly wiped out, including the land on which [Yvonne’s houses] were built. I wish she would sell but she loves the area and is working to have FEMA and the state assist in raising her buildings.
“Wendy and I are at the stage where we play bumper walkers as we roam about the house. I need mine more than Wendy. My MS has progressed to the stage where I need it everywhere, even outside.”
Thanks for the update, Charles. Maybe you can get FEMA to install traffic lights at critical corners in your home. But then you’d need headlights and turn signals and … forget it.
Rod Edwards, after several years’ silence, reported, “After 43 years in the same house in Escondido, California, Joyce and I bit the bullet, sold it, and moved to a one-story rental 2½ miles down the road. We loved the old place, but, as Zorba would say, it was the “full catastrophe”: It had an acre of land, a degree of isolation, two stories, pool, hot tub, astronomical water bills, lots of yard work etc. At 85 it was time for a change. Our new neighborhood has more than its share of geriatric party animals, so we have had more social life in 20 months here than we had in 40+ years at the former house. We’re hoping to stay here for the foreseeable future. Fun neighbors, no land to speak of, and minimal yard work (my bête noir).
“I regret that I cannot report on any recent get-togethers with local Class of 60-ers. We have heard from Bob Finan and Mike Munkasey occasionally, but seem to be unable to coalesce on a face-to-face get-together. It’s a project for the coming year.
“Joyce and I are both in relatively good health. We both play golf a couple of times per week (In fact Joyce got a hole-in-one last week!) at a local executive course (Par 60 and about a three-mile walk). I walk it, with assistance from a powered pushcart, unless it’s too hot, and also hit the gym trying to see if I can avoid a heart attack on the Stairmaster. We both do an occasional fly fishing trip where we try to avoid the real work of wading anymore and do float trips instead. We really enjoy river and ocean cruising having done, in recent years, the Yangtse, Rhine/Danube, Rhone/ Seine and Midi Canal and would like to drum up interest in a possible class cruise...especially if it hits some vineyards! We are really looking forward to our 65th Reunion. Let’s make it a good one!”
Thanks for the update, Rod. Enjoy your new digs.
John Otranto commented on your junior scribe’s experiences with a pinched nerve, “After reading about your problems—with which I can empathize—I’d like to offer some “support.” After my second heart surgery I spent almost seven weeks in
a coma. When I came out of it, I was taken to a neurological hospital (Klinik) for rehabilitation. I had sepsis, polyneuropathology, 32 embolisms in my brain and could barely move, lacking most muscle control. I had to relearn to speak, walk, etc. which I eventually did even though I have some permanent memory loss plus an embryonic case of Parkinson’s Disease on my left side. (It’s still minimal). My first movements out of bed were in a wheelchair. Then I graduated to a rollator (same word in German) for a short time until I could walk unaided. BTW 4-wheeled rollators here are designed to hold a person’s weight and sit on. And yesterday I was at my Naturopath for help with a pinched nerve/muscle spasms in my back due to my not being able to walk properly after straining my left knee—the one without a meniscus. Now, I’m nearly 87 and still able to heal most illnesses, but that process now takes longer. So, I recommend keeping as positive as you can, laugh a lot, be patient and follow the steps you need to heal.”
Thanks, John. Words of wisdom from one who’s been there, done that, and has the T-shirt. We wish you the best of luck.
Coming in just under our deadline, Bob Burt reported on Jan Long: “Finally got hold of him today [mid-May]. He fell and broke a hip and [is] in recovery from surgery. He sounds confused. I asked him to send me the name of the recovery center. More when I get it.” Ouch. Thanks, Bob, for enlightening us on Jan’s status. That reminds us...at our age, stay off ladders, horses, skydiving aircraft, and tall trees.
“Th-Th-That’s all Folks!”
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Class Membership: 73%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: CDR Tom Braithwaite tombraith61@earthlink.net
In Memoriam
Leon Katcharian May 12, 2025
It was a shocker to find out that we lost Leon Katcharian on May 12th. Apparently he had some heart issues.
From Joe Carilli: Joe and Carol Carilli visited Kathy Trainor, Dana Romine,
Maureen and Dick Applebaum (along with their grandchildren) at Mike’s American Grille in December. The Westwoods couldn’t attend, but they kindly treated us to lunch!
From Steve Leane on his trip to Panama with his son Jeff, “Here’s the best pix I could come up with. This was taken right on the edge of the Miraflores Locks, one of six on the canal. The following day we made the complete transit from Pacific to Atlantic on a small passenger vessel in company with a very large refrigerator ship. Panama was very fortunate that President Teddy Rosevelt and Congress finally agreed to fund the project back in the early 20th century, and it has turned Panama into a very wealthy country. It came very close to being the Nicaragua Canal. What is a “free gift?” Aren’t all gifts free?! Regards, Tom
Class Membership: 70%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: CDR Carl H. Burkhart 135 Kanasdatsi Drive, Brevard, NC 28712
In Memoriam
CAPT Peter T. Muth April 25, 2025
Pete Muth passed away in April. He is survived by his children Suzanne, Patrick, and Sean. He was one of our old-timers, having had prior enlisted service. Pete was predeceased by his first wife, Kathy, and his second wife, Carol. His children were Suzanne, Patrick, and Sean, and he had three stepchildren by way of Carol.
From James Greene an old photo from his days of leisurely patrols off of Florida, then the excitement of rescuing Cuban refugees. The uniform of the day is modeled by James on the wing of his 95-footer. James has been featured recently on News Nation as a “talking head.” He earned fame as a commentator on the state of affairs after hurricane Helene hit his Asheville neighborhood.
Larry Brooks writes: “I had the honor of going on an Honor Flight San Diego [in April] to DC. There were 90 vets on this flight, including Bob Willoughby ‘61, and each vet had a Guardian to look after him. Guardians could be assigned or requested by the vet. I requested my grandson, Tom Gahan, who is also the
grandson of the late Bill Baxley ‘63. [See photo of Tom & Larry visiting Dave Brostrom ‘63 at the Vietnam Wall.] It was a great adventure. We visited the USN, USAF, & USMC monuments; WWII, Korea, and Vietnam memorials; and the MLK & FDR memorials. We drove by White House, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial. All of that in about nine hours. Flew in chartered Alaska Airlines 737 Max9s from San Diego to Baltimore to San Diego. The memorials and monuments are all cold stone and bronze objects, but with 90 vets telling stories (some of which may have been true) those objects really came to life.”
Brenda and Bob Boysen have relocated to a senior living facility in Portland OR, bringing them much closer to their children and grandchildren. There are lots of musical activities where they now live, appealing to them both.
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Class Membership: 71%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport Class Correspondents:
CAPT Jeffrey Hartman jhartman63@msn.com
Mike Burdian mikeburdianhomes@gmail.com
Dennis Brady shadow63cga@earthlink.net
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Doug Bechtel is still reliving his childhood with his electric Trike. Using it nearly every day he has clocked about 500 miles averaging 13 to 15 mph and has worn out the brake pads. Apparently, he rides the brakes as he should get 2,000 miles on a set of pads. He claims it’s hills and dirt roads.
Dave and Lorna Andrews are going on a Viking expedition cruise on July 1st on Lake
Superior. Entertainment includes an onboard lab, a ride on a Zodiac and a submarine viewing marine life. They will be joined by his twin brother and wife. (Editor’s note: If you haven’t taken a Viking Riverboat, or Ocean cruise you should give it consideration. They do it up in excellent fashion.)
Dave and Vickie Connolly are buying their retirement home on the Wharf in Ocean Beach, Alabama. It is a third floor, three bedroom, three bath condo with a balcony view of the main drag. The rear deck looks down on a marina and the Intracoastal Waterway. More condos, entertainment and a Margaritaville restaurant are planned for the immediate area. They will continue to operate the Pelican Pub and maintain their primary residence on Dauphin Island until they finally retire.
Jeffrey Hartman, always on the move, just took a Celebrity Cruise around the Greek Isles. Jeffrey reported that he and friend Joann enjoyed visiting cruise stops in 6 different Greece ports plus one in Turkey. Weather was ideal and Celebrity amazing.
Jan and Jan Smith headed on a Holland America cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Montreal planning to visit their old digs in Portland. They celebrated being great grandparents when North Carolina granddaughter delivered a very premature one-pound baby girl. Reportedly showing a fighting spirit like her Marine (never say former), Mom.
Steve Ulmer weighed in saying his
oldest grandchild is being married in June and has asked him to officiate at the wedding. Coincidentally his wedding, June 20th, also falls on the 27th anniversary of Steve’s son, Jonathan. Steve added he is also in the process of doing premarital counseling, saying it’s been fun.
Artie Katz continues to contribute to memorials to Viet Nam vets. Most recently, however, he had the honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He also visited the Pentagon Museum locating the Viet Nam War Dead memorial and a photo of Dave Brostrom’s damaged boat.
Some of you may not know that Professor Robert Burchell is a recognized scholar and expert in urban planning, particularly in the areas of urban sprawl, land use policy, and affordable housing. His work has significantly influenced the understanding of these issues, with an emphasis on the social, economic, and environmental impacts of urban development. Through his extensive research, publications, and policy work, Bob has made a significant impact on the discourse surrounding urban sprawl and affordable housing, advocating for more sustainable, equitable, and cost-effective approaches to urban planning and development. His work continues to be influential in shaping the way urban planners and policymakers address these critical issues. (This was found on the internet by someone with whom Bob is working.)
Denis and Katherine Bluett recently completed a cruise with Viking Expedition to Montreal. Denis can never get enough seafood and this cruise offered all you could eat lobster, crab, etc. He was in hog heaven. He and Katherine continue to cruise having achieved quite the perks on Royal Caribbean. Personally, I think Denis is making up for all the patrols he missed by being an aviator.
Sherry and I have embarked on another Royal Caribbean cruise including Curacao, Aruba and Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic. This will likely be our last Caribbean cruise
with next year focusing on someplace special. My son, Kevin, and wife joined us for a Viking Riverboat cruise originating in Paris and ending in Zurich. This time I was chaperoned in Paris unlike our cadet days. Got up to 7,000 feet in the Alps on a cog railway. Spectacular mountains with skiers enjoying the snowy slopes. Not for novices.
Next up to bat for the class column is Mike Burdian who actually did play an excellent game of baseball back in the day.
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Class Membership: 77%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Ed McGuire edmcguire1964@gmail.com
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Ed McGuire Sends:
It was spring break for grandson Ryder, 9th grader, and Tyler who was preparing for Med
School graduation and his wedding. We decided to revisit the school we taught in and the house we lived in 30 years ago in Latvia. Abbie and Ryder would visit Greece then Paris before returning to Vermont. Tyler met up with his fiancé in Milan, visited Padua then returned to Vermont. Mary and I remained in Greece for a 7-day Vermont Bicycle Tour of the Peloponnesus. Both the brief Latvian sojourn and the VBT were toured on e-bikes. Good thing because Greece, like Vermont, is very hilly and windy. The photos show the former Russian hotel converted into a 3-bedroom “house” which we had rented. The first photo shows Mary and me as we pedaled over high passes then through endless olive, orange and fig groves. 130 miles all together. Needless to say, Greek food is outstanding!
Bill Wheelock Sends:
Things good in Houston for Judy and me, at least from relative health standpoint. City
grown so much since we arrived 55 years ago (boy, that sounds old). Houston still maintains its southern business/oil personality and politics. I keep in shape going to gym every day … mostly cycling (not that fast) and Pilates which is a challenge.
While our years in Florida, we started and ran a World Affairs Council of the Florida Palm Beaches. Monthly speakers on international affairs. Had 100 speakers over ten years. Kept having to find bigger venues and biggest audience was over 200.
Houston and Exxon have been good to us … and wonderful weather change from Duluth Minnesota on buoy tender CGC Woodrush.
That was a shock after three years in Hawaii!
Report from Bob Armacost
We just returned from a Southern Atlantic Crossing cruise on the Viking Jupiter. We had a great time and highly recommend the cruise. We flew to Buenos Aires and sailed up the east coast of South America, across the South Atlantic and up the west coast of Africa through the Strait of Gibraltar and ending in Barcelona. We had 10 days in ports and 12 days at sea. Most of the sea days were relatively calm. We accomplished some firsts like seeing the Southern Cross and crossing the Equator at sea. We returned to Fleet Landing and picked up our busy retired life. We had a couple of musical programs (performances) that were waiting for us, and we are ready to kick off the fifth edition of our Fleet Landing Follies extravaganza. Julia finished her first year on the Residents’’ Council as Secretary and not surpassingly, she was elected President for the next year. We have a busy year ahead with milestone birthdays including Julia’s. Except for occasional colds, we are relatively healthy with no looming crises. We are thankful for our blessings. Our cruise was a big reminder of the various cruises that we shared with many classmates. Those were great times, and we think about you all and hope you are doing well.
Class Membership: 64%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents: Bob Luckritz robert@luckritz.com
Gerry Kane gerrykane@gmail.com https://sites.google.com/site/cgaclass1965
In Memoriam
Larry Allen Cochrun
January 17, 2025
In Memoriam
Wayne Walter Becker
March 1, 2025
In Memoriam
William Thomas Sigler
April 18, 2025
In Memoriam
Richard Edward Ruhe Jr.
April 19, 2025
In Memoriam
Peter Theodore Poulos
April 23, 2025
Larry “Moose” Cochrun passed away on January 17, 2025. He graduated from Mt. Whitney High School in Vasilia, California. His first tour was student engineer on the WESTWIND followed by KUKUI in the Pacific and the Marine Inspection Office in New York City. He left active duty and attended the University of California, He went to work at General Dynamics, Quincy Shipbuilding Division followed by the Bechtel Power Corporation holding many positions from senior engineer to project engineering manager. He joined CMS Energy and worked internationally on a number of power plant projects. He enjoyed time to fish, hike and see lifelong friends. He was an avid baseball fan.
Wayne Becker passed away on March 1, 2025. He was born in Detroit into a Coast Guard family. Wayne’s early years took him from Ketchikan, AK to Elizabeth City, NC, and many points in-between. He reported to the Academy from Travers City, MI after living at many other Coast Guard locations. His first assignment was Student Engineer on the COOK INLET followed by the ROCKAWAY. He earned an MS in Ocean Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. He had tours in oceanography, Academy Instructor, Headquarters R&D with several regulatory, planning and development roles in Washington. Before his last Washington assignment, he was XO and Alternate COTP in Philadelphia Bill Sigler passed away on April 18, 2025. Bill came to the Coast Guard Academy from
Kentucky. Bill was obviously very smart in the areas he was most interested in. He won an award on Graduation Day for the cadet with highest standing in the course on the principles of government. Upon graduation Bill’s first ship was the BARATARIA followed by flight school. Bill served as a Duty CG Aviator in Kodiak and San Francisco. During this period, he got married and started a family. Bill had some family problems and left the CG. He returned to Alaska and became a “bush” pilot with many colorful hours in a single engine float airplane. He took people to the back country for fabulous fishing and hunting, for which Alaska is quite famous. He enjoyed travel and visiting friends and classmates.
Mike Koloski provides his memories: Bill Sigler, my Best Man, classmate, colleague, and friend has left us in death. I have been frantically trying to call up memories to help me deal with his death. I suspect many others of us who knew and loved Bill are also replaying memories of Bill based on their own experiences and encounters with him. Now -only our memories can bring back the instances that build our love and comradeship for Bill.
Del Phillips provides his memories: Bill Sigler was one of the unique characters in the Class of 1965. He certainly marched to his own “caquyaq” – the Yupik word for “drum.” At the Academy he applied himself to academics, somewhat, and spent a lot of time in the Ham Shack. He had a love for flying.
Dick Ruhe passed away on April 18, 2025. Dick was a graduate of Massapequa High School in Plainedge New York. His dad was a bosun’s mate stationed at the Academy in WWII. His first assignment was the ANDORSCOGGIN out of Miami, FL. That was followed by Flight school, Academy Instructor, CGAS Kodiak, NAS Memphis, and Yorktown. He retired and went to work for a contractor, Center for Leadership Studies, in San Diego. He built a second career as a motivational speaker and consultant.
Roger Rufe provided the following comments: Dick was a wonderfully unique guy……his obituary perfectly describes the Dick Ruhe who so many of us admired and loved. I’ve spent a lot of time recalling memories of our early times together Ruhe and Rufe getting each other’s mail, Catholic Chapel Committee, “Prank and Stunt Committee,” hitchhiking home to LI together and getting
picked up by the Sub Base shore patrol. Dick consoling me in the locker room after I choked and fell off the apparatus during a gymnastics demonstration at halftime of a basketball game. These memories are examples of Dick “showing up for a friend when it mattered.”
Ned Kiley USCG Retired wrote:Very sad, indeed! Dick brightened the world wherever he was with his humor and wit. Dick was a great athlete & pilot, plus motivational speaker, and practical joker -- also finished the n Marathon.
Del Phillips and Diane White, widow of Gerry White, represented the Class of 65 at Dick Ruhe’s funeral. On Mother’s Day, Del presented the Class Plaque as all the family gathered for brunch at a restaurant after church.
Peter Poulos passed away on April 23, 2025. Pete was born and raised in Connecticut and became a member of the Class in July 1961. Pete was recruited by Otto Graham to come to the CG Academy to play football. Peter’s first assignment was the ROCKAWAY followed by Flight Training and then CGAS Detroit. He attended Wayne State and the University of Michigan in Avionics. He was part of the team to identify, locate and purchase a CG helicopter to replace the H-52. That was followed by a transfer to CGA as an electrical/engineering faculty member (and was a volunteer football team coach). That was followed by a tour in CGD1 to modernize their computer system. Pete attended Boston University at night to attain a (MS) Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems. After retirement he earned a law degree and delved into real estate but his real claim to fame was
to help young people to become educated and productive. He taught engineering at a number of schools ,that reveals his strong desire to help educate our young people, especially those who need financial assistance and guidance.
The Celebration of Life for Cordelia Phillips was held on April 5 at Crossroads Bible Church in Bellevue, WA. Steve Cox and Bill Sigler attended.
HOMECOMING 2025: Our 60th Homecoming is 18-21 September! The turnout looks good so far. Look for a Sitrep from Ralph and Doug by mid-June and report any issues to them meanwhile.
CGA 65 Class Trustees: The class trustees met mid-May. They discussed plans for the 60th Reunion, MCOE Alcove/Vignettes Digitization, Maintaining Class Contacts & Continuity, and Class participation in Academy happenings.
Tom Livingston, Paul Blayney, and Dick Chapman attended their 4th Fly Fishing and Liars Convention at Tater’s hideaway in Western North Carolina. Fishing was a challenge but all three came through with fish that, when photo-shopped, were tall tale worthy. Evening veranda events included many Cat Lo stories which met the strict specifications for this Convention. Seems like distilled spirits had a hand in these quaint fables. All are looking forward to the 5th Convention.
In January, John and Penny Schwartz went on a 10-day Caribbean cruise. That followed a brief re-packing at home after 15 days in Phoenix followed by two days at the Grand Canyon. All in all, a largely successful attempt to avoid the Northern Virginia winter weather.
Butch Dillian provided an update on his and Sally’s activities. After retiring he moved to Scottsdale Arizona and joined the Police Department where he was recognized as an Officer of the Year. He bred and trained German Shepherds in a sport called Schutzhund, traveled widely and internationally. In 2000 he competed in the Law Enforcement/ Military Olympics and won 9 medals in track and field and power lifting events. He and Sally acquired a duplicate bridge club for competitive bridge players. Sallie achieved ACBL Life Master status and was hired by the American Contract Bridge League as a national tournament director. He is grateful and cherishes every memory of his Coast Guard career and is appreciative for so many great CG classmates and friends.
Darvy Cohan authored a book, Sea Stories from the Jungle’s Edge. It is available and has just been released on Amazon. It covers stories of life aboard a Coast Guard buoy tender in the South Pacific during the time of the Viet Nam War, based on his experiences.
During a Bob Luckritz visit to San Diego this past March, he had the pleasure of catching up with Les High. They spent an afternoon reminiscing about their Iowa roots and the paths that led beyond them. Even at 101, Les’s recollection of those days—along with his Coast Guard career—is remarkably vivid. His vision challenges seem to be the only thing slowing him down, but his mind remains as keen as ever.
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Class Membership: 67%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: CAPT Jerry Underwood glunderwood@gmail.com
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From Bob Faucher (3/9/2025): A few of the North Carolina ‘66ers continued the periodic lunch get togethers organized and led by Bob Philpott. As usual the old stories were embellished more and new stories of weddings, grandkids and great-grandkids became a major part of the new stories mostly about family. Shown here: Bob Faucher, Bob Philpott, Ed Barrett, Tom Dunn and Pete Gabele Gary Johnson was on the pickle-ball binnacle list so he had to cancel.
From Bill May (4/28/2025):Yesterday I visited Gretchen’s grave at Quantico National Cemetery. Online I found a USCG flag that I placed at her grave. A picture is attached. I often have “grief bombs” - excessive crying when I visit her. Gretchen and I were married for 57 years. In 1968 when I was stationed on USCGC Chincoteague in Norfolk and Gretchen was in DePaul School of Nursing in Norfolk, we became engaged on the ship while I was OOD. Gretchen graduated from nursing school on June 4, 1969, we were married on June 7, and I started EE graduate school on June 9.
From Paul Busick (5/17/2025): Cathy and I attended a Veterans Bridge Home fundraiser event in Charlotte in early May.VBH exists to help veterans transition back to civilian life. Fun event. Rare opportunity to dress in style.
From Jerry Underwood (5/18/2025): Jerry & Ann Underwood, Bill & Lynn Kucharski, Bob Heid (64) and his son RJ finally got together for lunch today. It was great seeing the gang. As usual, we had fun conversations.
Class Membership: 79%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Paul Pluta pjpluta@aol.com
In Memoriam
Terry Nicholas May 4, 2025
Greetings and salutations from coastal Carolina.
“Joisey Boy” Chapter Nineteen
I was sad to learn from Mark Solberg that Terry Nicholas had passed away. Terry left the Academy just before graduation but left behind a legacy of friendship and sea stories. He loved being a member of the Class of 1967 and joined us at reunions. He was born in Washington, DC, and after leaving the Academy, returned to the area to attend the University of Maryland. After that, he attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas and had a distinguished career as an aerospace engineer, working on the F-16 for General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin. After his retirement in 2016, he consulted on the F-35 project.
Terry enjoyed ballroom dancing, hiking, fishing, scuba diving, and underwater photography while exploring the islands of the Caribbean. He was also active in his church community, having served as an altar boy in his youth and then later as a Eucharistic minister. Above all, Terry cherished his family and delighted in spending time with his grandchildren, watching his grandsons’ baseball games, attending his granddaughter’s recitals, and hiking trails with his wife Melissa, his grandchildren, and his faithful dog Remington. He died peacefully, surrounded by those he loved. R.I.P., Terry.
Following up on another sad note, a Celebration of Life was held in Juneau in memory of Jim Sepel. Roger and Becca Brunell attended the event and braved the cold and rain with the many who came to honor Jim and share their stories. Roger added
“The Coast Guard in Juneau did an outstanding job of honoring Jim, providing a bugler and a well-disciplined pair of petty officers who ceremoniously folded and presented the American flag to Jim’s widow Joyce. Additionally, more than a dozen Coast Guard men and women stood in formation in Service Dress uniform throughout the heavy showers.” Roger was invited to speak, both as Jim’s friend and classmate and as his lawyer and confidant following the sinking of the CGC BLACKTHORN. Roger described his time together with Jim at CGA and recounted the collision, the ordeal that Jim endured afterwards, and his ultimate vindication. One of the BLACKTHORN’s crew, Jeff Huse, who was a QM1 on the bridge during the collision, came to the ceremony from Slidell, LA. After all the scheduled speakers had completed their remarks, he stood up, identified himself, and offered comments about “My Captain,” a moving tribute to Jim from his shipmate. Afterwards, Roger and Becca spent some time with Jim’s family and left behind a thick envelope of news clippings, reports, and documentation from the collision. Well done, Roger.
In a separate fitting tribute, Gary Thornton honored Jim by accompanying sunset over the Gulf of Mexico with a fitting rendition of Taps, God Bless America, and Semper Paratus. He shared the video with the Class. BZ, Gary!
On a more festive note, the Academy hosted a day of recognition for Rich Andrews and several other Academy graduates (including a Class of 1992 classmate of our son Kevin, COL Chad Asplund; BZ,
Chad!) who were selected by the Corps of Cadets for induction into the Hall of Heroes. Rich, his family, and several members of our Class gathered to celebrate the occasion. The day consisted of the Induction Ceremony, lunch at the Consolidated Club, a campus tour, and a Corps-wide Regimental Review. After a series of interviews, Cadet Second Class Christi Salayon prepared and delivered an exceptional speech identifying the many reasons behind Rich’s selection. She highlighted his seamanship skills, desire to serve others, ambition, humility, and his relentless commitment to lead and challenge himself, calling him “the coolest Coastie I know”. Rich said “I felt incredibly proud of the Coast Guard Academy and the Corps of Cadets for the outstanding day they organized to honor me and the other three inductees. The cadets truly are America’s future leaders, and they demonstrated that promise throughout the entire day. While many things have changed –and others stayed the same since our time there – the final result remains just as impressive. It was especially meaningful to have my entire family there, along with many lifelong friends. I was very happy that my grandchildren and grandnephew could be part of the experience and take it all in. It was an inspiring and emotional day for everyone involved.” BZ, Rich, for putting forward the best foot of, as Cadet Salayon said, the Great Class of 1967!
Steve Schember and Linda Wallin treated us to some snapshots of their recent travels. I wish I had room to include all the photos they shared, e.g., among the tulips in Holland, on their bicycles along the riverfront, enjoying Port wine in Portugal. They really made the rounds in Europe and continued the fun by attending a family wedding in Texas. I can only wish I had their energy.
Cliff and Sherry Carter drove up to Cape Cod for Mother’s Day and made an unexpected Coast Guard connection. They visited the Coast Guard Heritage Museum in Barnstable Village and ran into its President, Greg Ketchen, Class of 1970. Check it out on line; it looks like a worthwhile vacation stop.
After all the excitement of Rich’s Induction Ceremony, Rich and Judy Andrews must have needed a break, so they traveled to Tokyo, where both played in the International Seniors Golf Tournament. Their layover in Hawaii enabled them to visit with
our Hawaiian contingent. Rich played golf with Terry White, Bob Frame, and Bob Riley, but added that Riley is the smart one and doesn’t play golf. I can only assume he drove the golf cart and pulled the flags at the greens. They had a great time catching up and telling sea stories, as best they could remember. After our graduation, Rich and the two Bob’s were stationed together on the CGC MCCULLOUGH in Wilmington. They were bachelors in a beach house at Wrightsville Beach. I think the warrant for their arrest for disturbing the peace remains in effect. Coastal Carolina will never be the same. If it weren’t for the presence of Liz White, Biac Frame, and Judy, the pandemonium would have continued.
If you ever have a few minutes to spend and are an avid football fan, have a beer with Randy Peterson, who will regale you so many funny stories about his antics with the Green Bay Packers that your belly will ache from laughter. Of course, Green Bay hosted this year’s NFL Draft, expanding their normal 110,000 population to over 600,000! It was a proud event for the citizens of “The Frozen Tundra” and Randy is not shy about sharing his love for his adopted city of 43 years. Since his arrival in 1982, he has worked for the Associated Bank of Green Bay, the primary banker for the Green Bay Packers. This relationship has exposed Randy to the organization, its coaches, staff, and players and provided countless anecdotes which I enjoy hearing. I asked Randy to queue one up for the Class and he was happy to oblige.
Randy’s bank is among the sponsors for the Packers’ Annual Hall of Fame Golf Outing, so Randy got to participate and was paired up with Marv Fleming, Packers tight end. Prizes were given for the longest drive on Holes 9 and 18. Randy claims to be a lousy golfer, who sometimes manages to drive the ball straight and far. On 9, he was a few yards behind Donny Anderson’s ball, but on 18, he drove the ball 10 yards beyond the sign, upon which was written “66” rather than a name. Of course 66 is the familiar jersey number of HOF Packer linebacker Ray Nitschke, so Randy crossed out the “66” and wrote “74 USCGA” and won the longest drive competition. But that’s not the end of the story. The prize for longest drive was a green and gold Packer golf bag and Nitschke was one of the dinner hosts. When Randy’s name was called, Nitschke
presented him with a cheap plaque with a photo of the ’67 Packers Super Bowl team. Later, Randy learned that Nitschke had raided the prize room at the country club and fancied the fine golf bag for himself. After all, he was a Hall of Famer; who was going to tell him he didn’t deserve it? I suspect Randy may have added an extra fee on Nitschke’s bank account that month….or wished he had. Thank you, Randy, for another great story!
I found out that another of my Academy myths has been debunked.You may recall “she walks, she talks, she’s full of chalk”, but is she, really? My research shows that the chemical composition of chalk is calcium carbonate, but cow’s milk contains calcium phosphate. So, she’s not actually full of chalk after all. All these years…. My thanks to all of you who sent stories and photos to share with the Class. I hope to hear from more of you in the future.
Let’s keep those good times rolling! “Rock on, ’67!”
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Class Membership: 55%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Jay Creech jay@creech.us
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Larry Olson sends: I’ve decided to have surgery on the spine in my neck. Symptoms (tingling down my arm and hand plus pain in neck and shoulder, also some lack of use of hand) are not expected to improve and will probably get worse. Surgery is currently scheduled for June 11. About 2 nights in the hospital. Recovery at home for around 3 months.
Ted Thompson and Larry Olson share news: Had a great class get together for lunch at Madigan’s Waterfront in Occoquan VA. Wayne Young, Alf Peterson, Bob Haneberg, Rick Hauschildt, Larry Olson, Ted Thompson and L.V. Grant. Great food, reminiscing, and sea stories. Some of us had not heard several of the stories including the “Chase Hall dating service” and CO-2 Cylinder/match head bottle rockets. We decided that any statute of limitations has long passed but no names are attributed here to protect the guilty. “A great time was had by all.” Larry said: Juan had planned to attend the lunch, but his doctor wanted to see him asap because he was concerned that prostate
cancer had come back. After additional testing, Juan is okay and will follow-up every 6 months.
Ray Dimmock: Regina Asaro and I had lunch with Sue Scurria at Pirates Cave in Portsmouth,VA in April. We had a great lunch, including plenty of Norm stories.
Glenn Moyer has moving news: I have reconnected with my high school sweetheart Cheryl, and am now her next-door neighbor, I bought the other half of the duplex she owns. For the info for my classmates who visited my small town back in the day, my new house is only 20 miles from where Cheryl and I grew up. A nice homecoming for me.
The Ghost sends exciting stuff: I managed to kidnap my two daughters, Kristin and Tara, from their husbands and children for a cruise to Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands. It was the trip of a lifetime for me having my girls to myself. We took full advantage of the ship’s activities, entertainment and beverage package! Canary Islands were super interesting. I didn’t realize Christopher Columbus landed there first on his return after discovering the New World.
Flames reports on his travels (I think north of a 160 countries): Toni and I are on our way to Kurdistan/ Iraq for a week tour. Meanwhile, work is quite busy (U.S. Trade Representative Office) with all the reciprocal tariffs being negotiated.
Jerk reports on travels: Therese and I just returned from a trip to Southeast Asia on a combination land tour/Mekong River Cruise visiting Vietnam (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, and several villages in the Mekong Delta) and Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat). It was a fascinating adventure and quite a cultural
immersion into the lives, history, customs, and food of the people. The highlight was waking at 0400 to see sunrise over the Angkor Wat temples. And the food in each country was delightful...I especially enjoyed fried rice noodles, hot peppers and nouc cham for breakfast! For all, Peaches is looking for Eagle photos taken during our time at the CGA. Please send them to me and Peaches.
Ned reports: Not much to report from Bainbridge Island. I did attend a District 13 CG Foundation Award dinner in Seattle. I didn’t see any classmates there, but I did renew friendship with Terry Sinclair ’67 and Rich Formisano ’74 from my time with Boeing. As far as Eagle recollections, I have a fuzzy memory of seeing my first James Bond movie, Doctor No, on the waist of Eagle, the night before we set off on our swab short cruise. Does anyone remember that? Jim Ingham: You told us you were looking for Eagle pictures. Jim sent a picture taken on the last day of our ‘65 cruise, as Eagle passed under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco Bay. He was at his sail station on the main crosstree. Don’t remember which cutter accompanied Eagle. Shortly after the picture was taken, I was called to the quarterdeck by LT Ikens ’58. I was worried that I had screwed up and might not get off the ship with my family waiting to meet me at the pier. Ikens seemed nervous (which surprised me). He asked, “Do you know Fleet Admiral Nimitz?” My answer: “Yes sir, my grandmother is his next-door neighbor.” Ikens told me to make sure I called him when I left the ship. He had just received a radio message from the Admiral who retired to the hills in Berkeley and had a clear view of Eagle entering San Francisco Bay. I remember thinking at the time that Ikens was nervous about receiving a message from World War II hero Admiral Nimitz while I was nervous about reporting to LT Ikens. I must have been about 10 when he invited me to his house, while I was visiting my grandmother, to show me WWII artifacts from his collection. He gave me a photo, which sits on my desk today. Who knows what influence that had on me applying to the Academy. I was always very interested in US Navy history growing up.
Hooligan 2025 as follows: Elmbridge Golf Course: Tuesday, 10 June, 10:00 tee off. Not too late to contact: Arch Gardner (archgardnr@ aol.com). Helen and I attended the USCGA and Christopher Newport University (CNU)
baseball game in Newport News in March. The Bears won easily. Great to visit with many old friends at the both the tailgate, game and at the post-game reception at the CNU President’s quarters. RADM Bill Kelly former Superintendent at USCGA didn’t forget the USCGA parents, family and Alumni. Don’t forget the Eagle photos and add a story …. Be good and stay well.
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Class Membership: 69%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: CAPT Bob Gravino rcgravino@aol.com www.uscga69.org
Future Issues: Chris Kreiler and Wayne Gronlund classnotes@uscga69.org
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First, a BIG shoutout to Bob Gravino who (with Kathy’s unwavering love and support) has kept “The Rowdy Bunch” (aka the CGA Class of 1969) informed about the lives of our classmates for the past 35 years, whether the news was good or sad. Bob’s commitment to documenting our class history began way back when we were cadets and he stepped up to serve as the Editor-in-Chief of our TIDE RIPS. Bob and Kathy have always been quick to support and pass the word about our Class Reunions every five years and especially for our 50th in 2019! Despite having challenges of his own, Bob has never wavered in serving others with class and dignity. We wish them fair winds and smooth sailing! BRAVO ZULU! And Bob and Kathy Gravino’s service extends to their local community as well. They were selected as Citizens of the Year in their second home of Georgetown Island, Maine! Congrats!
Gary Pavlik mentioned that he spent a week in Costa Rica with Todd Risinger. Todd is the son of Winn Risinger CGA’64, who passed away three years ago. They’ve been fishing in Costa Rica for six years now. Gary asked Todd to reach out if he needs a second person to join a trip, as they were here last year too.
John Miner shared that George and Cathy Flanigan were visiting the Williamsburg area and spent an evening with the Hubers and Miners. We enjoyed one of Charlie’s delicious pies and had a wonderful time reminiscing about the past.
Steve Hungness shared a photo of our first-class cruise on the CGC Mackinaw. It’s so nostalgic, isn’t it? Can anyone guess who’s in the photo?
The Class Correspondents are sad to share that Tom Howard passed away in April 2024 after battling cancer for a long time. Tom (Snooze) Howard joined us in July 1965 and graduated with the class of 1970.You can read his obituary here:
https://www.legacy.com/us/ obituaries/skagitvalleyherald/ name/thomas-howardobituary?id=55056130
Rick Gupman sent a photo of Marianne and Rick at Easter Dinner at their Maryland yacht club. They seem to be having a blast and eagerly awaiting the food delivery! Note the nice color coordination!
George Bond sent an update of his activities since moving to Kentucky. Life goes on in Lexington with me staying busy and Tessa keeping me company. I talk to her and I am not crazy. If she talks to me, I am! I now have the environmental position at the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington working with the Canon Missioner. I also have it at my parish. I am finishing my first year as I retake Education for Ministry in person which far beats the online version I finished in 2016. Three more years and I am learning that a lot of what I learned in Sunday School was myth. Fortunately, I know you can still learn from a myth! I am working on all 4 levels of the church - international church, province, diocese and parish. Gayle left me a lot of time and I filled it productively. I like it here as it is very similar to Northern Virginia with less traffic. The area is growing!
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Class Membership: 63%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Mark A. O’Hara maohara@embarqmail.com uscg70@gmail.com
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In Memoriam
Thomas M. Howard April 30, 2024
Tom “Snooze” Howard, age 76, crossed the bar at his home in Mt.Vernon, WA, on April 30, 2024, after a courageous seven-
year battle with cancer. Tom is survived by his wife, Molly; his children, Paula, Michael (Stephanie), and Patricia (Chris); brother Jim Howard; sister-in-law Barbara Davis; aunt Terri Inge; cousin Christine Valentine; ten grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Tom spent most of his childhood living in Bellingham, WA, He attended the Coast Guard Academy, starting in 1965 and graduating as a commissioned officer in 1970. After 10 years of military service, Tom attended Western Washington University and graduated with his MBA in 1982. Tom spent the remainder of his career working in accounting and finance. His passions included fishing, spending time with his family, and watching baseball. A memorial service was held on May 11,2024, at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church. A full obituary is available at https://www.legacy.com/us/ obituaries/skagitvalleyherald/name/thomashoward-obituary?id=55056130
Mike Gentile reported: On May 3, Andrea “Andy” St George Jones was laid to rest alongside her husband David “Davey” Jones in the beautiful setting of Sullivan, ME, overlooking the Mt Desert Narrows of Taunton Bay, leading into Frenchman’s Bay and eventually the North Atlantic, a fitting resting place for a seaman and his wife. The Coast Guard was represented by Linda and Barney Turlo,’71 (previously ’70) and Catherine and I. Dave and Andy were stationed with me twice and Catherine once. Our best and funniest friends. We could tell stories for hours and just laugh the whole time. Andy was a central pillar of the Sullivan community as a teacher, school board member, and trails committee. Her obituary doesn’t scratch the surface of the woman I knew.
The confluence of Easter, Patriot’s Day,
Semiquincentennial historical events, and a marathon prompted a gathering of classmates in Boston in mid-April. Bill and Kathy Kozak came to see their son David compete in the 129th Boston Marathon, with the bonus of spending time with daughter-in-law Shelley and granddaughter Elena who accompanied him from California (see photo; l to r: Kathy, Shelly, Elena, David, and Bill Kozak). Tony and Terri Mink were in town for Tony to rise before dawn (alone) to witness the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and both were on the course cheering David Kozak (Tony’s godson) to the finish line (see photo). Greg and Jane Ketchen hosted the Minks at their home on the Cape, and Greg provided the local knowledge to navigate around town amid numerous road closures and world-class traffic. They seized the opportunity to enjoy a great lunch, local libations, and lots of laughter at the Menotomy Grill and Tavern (see photo; l to r: Bill Kozak, Greg Ketchen, Kathy Kozak, and Terri and Tony Mink). Good fortune continued as Mike and Cathy Gentile, who had travelled to Newburyport for a family Easter dinner, detoured through Cambridge on their drive home to Maine to enjoy an evening of cocktails and conversation with the Kozaks at the hotel lounge. Everyone enjoyed the chance to reconnect and
Homecoming 2025: September 18-21
catch up with each other’s news.
In the 2024 Alumni Association Annual Report, Tom “Taz” Mills was recognized as one of the top 20 donors to the organization (the Celestial Circle), with over 20 years of consecutive giving. Bravo Zulu!
Class Membership: 63%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Carl A. Swedberg swedberg71@comcast.net http://uscga71.tripod.com/homepage.html
In Memoriam
Kelly Callison March 19, 2025
In Memoriam
Steve “Topper” Cornell April 13, 2025
Antarctic cruising, enjoying Guinness in Dublin, rum in Barbados, and a new Class ring... the Court will come to order. The Court will pause for a few moments of silence. It was a shock to us all...two Classmates crossed the bar since the last edition. Kelly Callison made that final journey on March 19th after suffering a heart attack. Kelly grew up in Van Nuys, California where he was a graduate of Grenada Hills High School. He went on to complete his undergraduate studies at the Coast Guard Academy in 1971 before attending the Naval Academy in Baltimore, MD for his graduate program. Kelly continually pursued education and earned his master’s degree in science for computer engineering. He continued his service in the United States Coast Guard until his retirement in the early 1980’s but remained in the DC Metro area until 2007 when he and his family relocated to Oak Ridge. Immediately upon moving to Oak Ridge Kelly began investing
Homecoming 2026: October 1-4
in the community and held multiple positions throughout the city including Breakfast Rotary Club of Oak Ridge Member and President, Oak Ridge City Council Member, Planning Commission Member, Oak Ridge Schools Education Foundation member, Literacy Luncheon Committee, Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge Board Member and President, Contact Care Line member, and City Council Rep for Education Committee. Kelly is survived by his wife, Stacey Callison; children, Bryan, Conner, and Shaun Callison; Granddaughter, Iliana Callison; Brother, Tim Callison; Sister, Claudia Callison; and a host of extended family and friends. Tony Hart,Tom Marhevko, & Bill Willis represented the Class at Kelly’s funeral. BZ Gentlemen!
Less than a month later, Steve “Topper” Cornell made his final journey, crossing the bar April 13th after succumbing to an aortic dissection. Topper is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Mary Brady Cornell; daughter, Sarah Cornell McAndrew (Eric) and grandchildren, Alexander, Taylor, and Logan; daughter, Catharine Cornell MacDonald (Jason) and grandchildren, William, Mary, and Maxwell. He is also survived by his sister, Carol Cornell Glisson (Morris), and sister-in-law, Kathleen Cornell. A proud 1971 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Captain Cornell served the Coast Guard with distinction for 26 years. He cherished the lifelong friendships he formed with his classmates, who held a special place in his heart. Though he was proud of his military service, Topper’s favorite title was “Toppu”. He could be found on the sidelines of every game, cheering the loudest, cracking jokes, and supporting his grandkids with boundless pride and enthusiasm. Known for his friendliness, sharp wit and infectious laughter, he brought joy and humor to all who knew him. Topper [Toppu!] will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by family and friends for his love, laughter, and larger-than-life presence. Providing terrific support for Mary and
representing ‘71, 11 Classmates honored Topper at his funeral...Mawhinney,Thadmiral, Orchard, Harding, Beck, Edwards, Rummell,Walters,Willis, Marhevko, & Letourneau! Gentlemen, another BZ! Gluttons for potential punishment, Ron and Bev Silva made four crossings of the infamous Drake Passage! “Bev and I went on a 4+ week Antarctica & South American Cruise in Feb-Mar 2025. We did two 2-week cruises, so we made two trips to Antarctica (that means four transits of the Drake Passage…but we fared well). We did this because we heard many stories of cancelled ports and detours due to weather/sea conditions, so we wanted two chances to see and do what we wanted to. We did ports in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, and Falkland Islands and four days of sailing the waters of Antarctica, where we saw lots of penguins, whales, orcas, sea lions, seals, icebergs, and glaciers, and the mountains of Antarctica. We also learned of the late 1800s immigration of Welch and Croation immigrants to Puerto Madryn, Argentina and Punta Arenas, Chile, respectively.” Feb-Mar? Pushing the limits on the austral summer, but they were prepared with heated coats! Ron can provide ordering info
for your Antarctic bucket list trip!
Tim Flanagan reports around, maybe with a Guinness in hand? “Laura and I spent our time in Dublin at Trinity College (to see the Book of Kells) and St Patrick’s cathedral. Our Guinness came with lunch at the Brazen Head pub which claims to have been open in the same spot since the 1400’s. Truth or historical embellishment? Who knows, but the food and drink and company were great! Our family was back in the Old Sod visiting ancestral sites in County Kildare and Dublin, and at the Powerscourt Estate where we stopped while on our way through the starkly beautiful Wicklow highlands to Glendalough. We are well, making numerous trips to see family in California, New England, and Florida.”
Marilyn Leehan Robertson reports that the 12th Annual MacKenzie-Janes Tribute Golf Outing at the Shell Point Gold Club in Ft. Myers was a great success. Every penny goes into the Chapter’s Foundation for Lee County JROTC,Veteran Scholarships & programs. Once again, Terry & Marilyn sponsored a “USCGA Class of 1971” hole at this annual fundraiser golf outing. “Sadly, I could not attend the event, but we stay in close communication with them as Terry and I maintain our membership there (and I hold his proxy as Terry’s immediate past president status on the board). Terry and I have moved from Fort Myers to Jefferson, Ohio. Terry is now in a memory care facility. He is no longer able to write, email or use his phone, so I often put folks on speaker phone & reads all correspondence to him.” El Presidente Emeritus sent MOAA a donation from our Class Fund in Terry’s honor as a hole sponsor for this tournament. Take a few minutes and Drop Terry a note via Marilyn at mlleehan@ gmail.com!
Last edition Paul Libuda reported on his Afib/Cardioversion. Thadmiral made a similar report on LinkedIn regarding his Afib/ Cardioversion: “I recently experienced an onset of A Fib believed to have been caused by a medication I was taking. I had electrical Cardioversion...the heart “shocked” back into rhythm. A quick procedure done under anesthesia and I was back in rhythm! Once all the preps were done, the head nurse called “Time Out.” The doctor, anesthesiologist, and nurse all described the procedure, their roles, that all preps were made and risk factors considered. They asked me to describe what was going to happen in my own words. I told
the doctor that their procedure was very similar to what CG air & boat crews do prior to a mission and was derived from CRM... cockpit resource management. A major driver in the development of CRM was the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 in the Everglades in December 1972. I was a member of a group of volunteers dropped by CG helo to the scene of the wreckage, a life changing event for me. The doctor acknowledged CRM as the source of their “Time Out.” We all learn from each other!”
John and Camilla Hersh spent a week relaxing in Barbados. “Camilla and I had a wonderful “get away” trip during the last days of winter going to the island of Barbados. A 5-hour direct flight from Washington Dulles airport to the most southern island in the Caribbean chain. We stayed at the Crane Resort with great beach and ocean vistas. We toured the Barbados “Mount Gay” rum distillery tasting all their many rums that they produce! We spent an enjoyable day touring their premier Flower Botanical Garden, but best of all we just relaxed reading our books while watching and listening to the ocean roll in and out.” The Mount Gay website <https:// www.mountgayrum.com/collection> lists 10 rum varieties...definitely VERY relaxing!
SUCCESS! Bob Camuccio is a very happy camper! “My replacement Class ring is 12k gold (recommended) with a starburst blue spinel gemstone with an antique finish. [The Court was correct in the last edition...the replacement cost was just a bit more than the $103.90 we spent back in March ‘70.] This ring is my second replacement. I lost it on a plane last October coming back from England. My original ring was stolen from my house (with a bunch of other things) sometime in the mid ‘70s. It took quite a few years for me to get around to replacing that one.” Bob noted that Robert Vaz of Herff Joens was also able to help a ‘73 Academy grad have his class ring re-manufactured. Thinking of finally ordering a replacement ring or getting a new stone? The Court has POC details.
The Court is submitting this thrilling edition on 20 May. That’s 500 days [not sure about a sleep and a butt?] until the Class of 1971 55th year reunion the weekend of Oct 2-4, 2026. El Presidente Emeritus has provided a Heads Up, Put it on Your Calendar notice...we’re adjourned!
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Class Membership: 54%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: John Larned j.larned@globalrfidsys.com
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Hello ’72 Classmates
Your Class Correspondent is out gallivanting, so these notes will be sparse!
Greetings from Dubai!
Charlie McCarthy was good enough to send me this update on a visit with his cousin Tiger… That’s all the news I have! Best to you all, John
Recently I met up with Jim Norton and Tiger McCarthy (the other McCarthy) for lunch on lovely Cape Cod. Apparently the area where they live has more streets named “Main Street” per square mile than anywhere in the nation. It was only with some on-the-phone help from Tiger’s wife, Chris, and Tiger standing along the roadside, that Norton and I were finally able to find their house. During our lunch at the Red Cottage Restaurant, I listened as the two engineers talked about their shipboard and afterward engineering stuff – not understanding a word of it. I felt like an old, deaf guy, just nodding my head like I knew about what they were talking about. I figured sooner or later they would discuss something I understood; but alas, the topic of Riemann Sums never came up! (I know, hard to believe, right.) Be that as it may, we had a great lunch and a lot of fun finishing each other’s sentences.
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Class Membership: 64%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Lou Orsini oh2batc73@comcast.net
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In Memoriam
Carl Ray Injun Perkins, Jr. December 2, 2024
Unfortunately, as most of you already know, it is again my sad duty to report the passing of another classmate. Carl Ray (Injun) Perkins Jr. crossed the bar on December 2nd in Pasadena, Maryland from heart failure. Carl’s sister Bonnie provided the
following to share: “Carl unexpectedly passed away at his home on December 2, 2024. He came from a Coast Guard family and his father, Carl R. Perkins, was a Master Chief with 37 years of service. Carl graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1973 and served the Coast Guard for twenty years. He had fond memories of his time at the Academy and was proud to be an alumnus. After his retirement from the Coast Guard, Carl taught at Anne Arundel County schools and pursued this career for 24 years. Some of his hobbies included cooking and running. One of Carl’s achievements was participating in and completing the Boston Marathon.” Bonnie also shared two photos of Carl; one receiving his diploma from his father, and the second taken at the end of the Boston Marathon. Carl was preceded in death by his wife Pat in January 2022. Per his wishes, there was a private family-only service. Rest in peace my friend.
Following up from the last Class Notes, Keith Colwell shared a photo of classmates attending Allen Penn’s memorial service. Left to right in the photo: John Cook,Tom Hathaway, Dale Ward, Mike Brown, Al Thompson and Keith. Dale added: “We all were privileged to gather and hear about Allen’s amazing life and significant accomplishments in and out of the Coast Guard. He was clearly a leader in his community; a mentor and inspiration to many. RADM Erroll Brown, present at the memorial, spoke of his relationship with Allen and counted him as a significant mentor and guide in his own career.”
Keith Colwell had some happier news to share as well: “Nancy and I headed south to escape the last of winter here in
Connecticut. The Williamsburg area in Virginia was our first stop. We toured Colonial Williamsburg and spent some time with John Cook. John and I also attended Al Penn’s memorial service in Virginia Beach. From Williamsburg, we traveled south to Gainesville, Florida to visit with our daughter Karen and her new husband Sam, then on for a stop at Michael and Cindy Ashdown’s home in Longwood, Florida. We went to our timeshare at Satellite Beach, where Karen and Sam came and spent two nights. Michael and Cindy joined us there later in the week for a couple of nights. Michael and I took the opportunity to swap lies and sea stories over lunch with Phil Wieczynski and Grant Leber. We had a great lunch catching up on our lives and reminiscing about old times. After a week at the timeshare, we went back to our daughter’s house for a couple more days. We finished out some work projects, always have to have a few of those pending, before heading back north. On our travels home, we spent a couple of nights in Myrtle Beach and a couple at John’s house in Newport News.” Road trips are always better when you can spend time with family and classmates.
Hot Dog checked in with the latest news from the links: “The Class of ’73 Annual Golf Outing took place this year May 6-9 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at the Legends Golf Resort. We had a record 19 classmates participating in the tournament – John Clay, Steve Froehlich, Pete Boyd, Bob Petko, Gary Mansi, Dan Farrell, Jim Sether, Mike Robinett,Willie Clark, Al Rice, Phil Wieczynski, Pat Shuck, Dan Rothaupt, Bud Schneeweis, Joe Duncan, Joon Miller, Jim Woeppel, and first timers Dave Young
and Tom Hadley. A group photo is included. Pete Boyd’s brother Tom also participated, replacing Tony Yamada who had to cancel at the last minute. Mike Rosecrans also had to cancel, and we hope to see both Mike and Tony next year. There were three members of the Class of ’72 who played with us, Frank Kishman, Tony Stimatz, and Ben Stoppe. We have two beautiful homemade Championship Belts (courtesy of John Clay) that were handed out at Thursday night’s dinner. The winner of the USCGA Class of 73 Champion Belt (for those golfers WITH Handicaps) was Dave Young, with last year’s winner Mike Robinett turning over the Belt to Dave. The winner of the USCGA Class of 73 NO-Handicap Champion Belt was Joe Duncan. They will both have their Belt for one year, with the Belt then presented to the winners at next year’s Outing. It was noted during the evening beer, bourbon and cigar smoking gatherings that with all our ailments and injuries, perhaps it’s time we had a doctor in our group! Note to Dr. Art French…do you golf??? Dave Nicholson and Pug Gutridge stopped by to visit during the evening gatherings, and it was good to see them both. Nick can spell golf, but that’s about it for his golf interest! Pug is a golfer, and we hope to have him join us next year. The weather was great except the last day when it poured in the early morning. Even with the rain, six classmates still played! In one of those small world occurrences, Tony Yamada’s grandson Cole was one of the golf attendants on the last day of the outing! Next year’s golf outing will again be at the Legends Golf Resort May 5-8, 2026. Any classmates interested in joining us in 2026, please contact John Clay, who does a fantastic job coordinating the event. Thanks again John
for another great golfing event this year!” What a great turnout, I’m sure everyone is looking forward to next year.
To close, let me recount our latest bucket list trip. Sue and I finally made our way to New Zealand and Australia in late March, which we had wanted to do for several years. Frankly, what held us back was dreading the long transit there and back, but we survived both ways and had a great time in between. The only glitch was two missed port calls due to weather conditions. We started with a three-day land tour in and out of Aukland before boarding our cruise ship for one more stop in New Zealand before crossing the Tasman Sea to Sydney, then sailing the Coral Sea around the east and north coasts of Australia including the Great Barrier Reef. We made stops in Townsville, Cairns and Darwin where we saw our share of crocodiles, kangaroos and koalas. We next crossed the Timor Sea to Komodo, Indonesia where we saw the famous Komodo Dragons. While onboard
we met a couple, one of whom has such an intense fear of flying, that they decided to travel around the world without getting into an airplane. So, they are on an 11-month journey starting and ending in London traveling by ship, boat and automobile. The final stop was Bali before heading home in mid-April. We flew west both coming and going so we circumnavigated the globe by air. We had a wonderful time and are now looking forward to our next adventure sailing from Barcelona to New York via Montreal in August.
Until next time, Lou
Class Membership: 54%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1974
Class Correspondent: George Detweiler George.H.Detweiler@uscg.mil ghdetweiler@comcast.net www.uscga1974.com
Classmates:
I am finally rested from Homecoming and our 50th reunion. It was great seeing all our classmates, their families and friends at the Academy. Only four years to go until our 55th
Not much to report other than some Class of 1974 regional luncheons as follows: On March 26th, classmates from southeast Virginia gathered at Mama Rosa’s Italian Family Restaurant in Hampton,VA. Attendees included Mike Arnold, Steve Hein, Gene Brooks, Jim Seagraves, Greg Kirkbride,Tom Johns, Mike Collier, Mike Blume, Chris Marple, and Dave Reed. April 30th saw a small contingent
of the San Francisco Bay Area Class of 74 gang meet for lunch at Cato’s Ale House in Oakland. We shared some sea stories (about icebreakers), talked about family and grandkids, and caught up on life. Classmates included Rob Porterfield, John Nelson,TJ Mackell, Mike Prince and Dave Courtois.
On Thursday, May 8th, the Class of 1974 Washington Metropolitan members gathered at Fire Works Pizza in Arlington,Virginia, gathered for lunch. Attendees included John Wcislo, George Detweiler,Tom Falvey, Woody Lee, Joe Conroy, Dom DiIulio, John O’Connor, Joe Bridger, Rusty Johnson, Duff Means, JJ Hathaway.
Keep each other in thoughts and prayers, especially those on the binnacle list. God Bless the Academy, the Coast Guard all members of the military. Cheers.
George
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Class Membership: 51%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1975
Class Correspondent: RADM Joel “Corky” Whitehead joel@jwhiteheadassociates.com
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Several classmates - Dennis Hardacker, Elijah Flynn, and Jim Weselcouch – joined Martha and Corky to attend the Commencement Ball and Commencement ceremony for our own Class of 2025. Thanks to these guys for their years-long efforts to be that great Link-in-the-Chain for our adopted class. Thanks especially to
Dennis Hardacker for leading the team. I’ll let his words speak for themselves: “Our Link in the Chain representatives have been busy as the class of 2025 wrapped up their 200-week adventure. In March, Jim Weselcouch and Elijah Flynn attended Billet Night, which is a more formal event than we experienced. Jim and Elijah were able to congratulate each Cadet after they received their assignment. Jim, Elijah and Dennis Hardacker attended the Class of 2025 Dining in April. Elijah addressed the Cadets, and they were each given a “First Cut” knife from our class. Like the Link in the Chain program, the gifts of the knives are another Academy tradition that has come into existence since we graduated. May 18th, 2025’s Commencement week was kicked off with Grad Fest, a picnic held in the Leamy Hall parking lot attended by over 700 people, including Jim, Elijah, and Dennis. The next day, Jim, Elijah and Dennis were joined by Corky and Martha Whitehead at the Commencement Ball held at Foxwoods Casino and attended by 1,200 persons. It was a very festive event, and the graduating cadets seemed to be on the dance floor the entire evening. This all culminated on a chilly Wednesday morning, May 21st, when 262 members of the class of 2025 received a Challenge Coin from our class followed by their receiving their diplomas from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and their commissions from the Commandant. We wish them well in their first assignments and wherever their careers may take them!”
Speaking of Jim Weselcouch, it seems he has a new post-aviation profession. I’ll let him tell you about it personally: “In my new profession, I wear a black suit, a CGA Shine on my black shoes, and the most beloved hat of Winston Churchill...The Homburg. Talk about looking sharp, we all take it to the next level. No, it is not a limo driver, but I assist and drive the Hearse for a local Funeral Home.Yes, can you believe it! I used to fly many wonderful people to sites that they were incredibly excited about. Now I drive one wonderful person to a site that most aren’t incredibly excited about. I will say driving that hearse is like taxiing a 737; that hearse is long. No, don’t worry, I won’t be driving it to our 50th reunion, but I will be attending. Maybe I’ll bring the Homburg! Looking forward to seeing everyone. If you are on the fence about attending, I have never met a classmate, either around the country or at a previous reunion, who regretted attending. They all loved our reunions, and you will too! See you there, JimWes75”
I had a nice call with Dennis Ihnat a few days ago. He had a successful lung transplant in February, then got Covid almost immediately after. Now, he is back home, and he sounds great. Dennis and Diane are working hard to get his stamina back and get him back in shape. All is positive, though, and we’re glad he’s on the road to recovery!
Mike Devine reported in from Maryland: “Hope all’s well down south with you and all your family. Todd and Midge Gunvalson and Chuck and Debby Lancaster came up to Maryland from the Carolinas to visit with Nancy and me for a few days in May. On Cinco de Mayo, we visited the Heavy Seas brewery, which makes Chuck’s favorite beer, and took a few pictures that I’m attaching. Chuck has scheduled major back surgery later this month. Please keep him in your prayers for good results.” Good luck, Chuck!
Doug Rudolph and Lila are enjoying life in NW Central Florida in our home, which we built in 2017 in Citrus County. We are both very active in our Church, Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal. Lila is a Daughter of the King and maintains two of the gardens at the Church. She also finds time to continue her 75: Rick and
This Memorial Day, we honor the Coast Guard for all you do to keep us safe.
Thank you for your service.
quilting and gives quilts as gifts to new babies in our Church and neighborhood. I am a Lay Minister specializing in pastoral care and in bringing Holy Communion to the sick who are not able to attend Church, especially to those on Hospice Care. I also manage our Church Columbarium and make wooden cremation urns in my workshop as gifts to the departed. God has so richly blessed us, and we are thankful to Him as we celebrate 50 years of marriage on June 6th.
Dennis Thorseth wrote me while on the road: “I’m in the process of driving from MD to CO to see relatives and an old carpool mate. On the way back, I’ll visit Mount Rushmore, Wall Drug, and the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. I lived with my parents in Mitchell from 1958 to 1960 when I was just a wee lad. I’ll be back in MD the 2nd week of June.” Safe travels, Dennis!
Marv Pontiff always keeps us up to date: “Like many in our class, Nona and I will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary on June 7. Here’s to my anchor (that doesn’t sound right!?) and partner throughout the last 50 years (more if you count the dating ritual period)! May we enjoy many more years together! Happy anniversary to the many others reflecting this summer on the significant impact their wives and partners have had on THEIR lives. Also, the softcover edition of my book THE LITTLE TAN MAN AND OTHER SILLY STORIES hits the booksites this month. A much less costly version, it’s still as silly as the hardcover.”
Classmates, I confess Marv writes great books, and they are perfect for your grandkids.
Rick Houck caught up with me after their exciting trip: “Lani and I were on a National Geographic trip to New Zealand and Australia.” It sounds like an exciting trip, Rick!
About the time you read this, four of our classmates will be boarding EAGLE for a 50th anniversary cruise on the West Coast. I can’t wait to hear about their adventures!
Finally, the graduation of the Class of 2025 reminded me of the excitement we felt in June of 1975 and brought back a flood of memories: our hopes and dreams, and especially, no longer being a cadet! Our two reunion committees for our yearbook and the reunion itself are hard at work, and I can say quite honestly, both will be a tremendous success. We will get to see some of our classmates we haven’t seen in 50 years, and we may wonder,” Who are all these old guys?” For those of you who aren’t sure you’ll attend, think about rejoining your Coast Guard brotherhood for just a few days. It’s not too late at all.
That’s all for now, Classmates!
Corky, The Clock Orderly
Class Membership: 51% Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1976 Class Correspondent: CAPT Loren Tschohl loren.tschohl@gmail.com
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Greeting and salutations,
First up are pictures of Glenn Wiltshire Wilt explained that he was honored at a Florida Panthers hockey game in April
as one of their “Heroes Among Us.” He said “The Panthers owner is a 1977 West Point grad, and the team President is a 2002 grad, and the team honors a veteran before and during each game, and a friend of mine nominated me. One photo is me out on the ice shown on the scoreboard during the National Anthem, and the other is me during my time at CGA that was included in a 1-minute video they showed during the 2nd period.” Congrats Wilt! What an honor!
Mike Grimes provided the next picture. Dave and Dana Van Patten hosted a ‘76 mini-reunion at their home on Spring Island, SC during the last week of April. Attendees in the picture from left to right include Dave, Mike, Gary Jacobsen, Tank Vanak, Billy Bryant, Weiner Hollingsworth, Tom Christian, Motar Murray, Jeff Steuer, Scotty Reichenbaugh & Snake Vorholt
We had a great time golfing, fishing, target shooting, telling tall tales, and even playing championship lawn croquet over several days. We had a great time and are looking forward to meeting up again at our 50th reunion next year. In a separate but related email, Dave added “For the last 20 years, about 12 of us have been getting together for various adventures including fly fishing/white water rafting in Alberta, canoeing down the Allagash, horseback riding in Bob Marshall Wilderness, etc. Bill Bryant has loosely dubbed the group the “Montana Mountain Men” since we have found ourselves on horseback in the mountains several times.”
Finally, here is a picture Marcia and I at Hells Gate off Antigua.
See you at our Reunion, Loren
Class Membership: 63%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1977
Class Correspondent: Jim Hall jbhall77@sbcglobal.net .............................................................................
Alvin Mike Crickard May 12, 2025
Mike Crickard passed away on Monday, May 12th after a long and difficult battle with cancer. He joined a few Class Zoom calls and while it was obvious things were difficult for him, he constantly exhibited courage and determination in the face of pain and long odds. He will be remembered for his spirit, faith, wrestling prowess, and his pet monkey. Rest In Peace Classmate.
The Class of 2027 Golden Legacy Ceremony was held on March 29th. The Golden Legacy program between classes fifty years apart helps strengthen the tradition of the Long Blue Line. It forms a special bond and lasting link between those who served with distinction before and the next generation of Coast Guard heroes. Four of our classmates (Steve Goetchius, Rob Kutz, Larry Vose, and Bob Elsner) made the personal and honorable decision to donate their rings which were melted down on stage by Josten’s personnel for inclusion in the class of 2027’s rings. The ceremony included a dinner dance. The Class was represented by Bob and Ruth
Elsner, Larry Vose, Don and Nancy Ross (Don wanted to show how good he looks in a tuxedo and to get his groove on during the dancing portion) and Dave Glenn (who was the keynote speaker and wanted to show off that his mess dress uniform still fits). The event was streamed and I watched it (John Griffith did, too, and perhaps others). Dave’s remarks were riveting and I managed to stay awake for the entire four minutes of his speech.
On April 4, Brian Flanagan, in collaboration with renowned military attorney and former USCG Legal Specialist Professor Eugene Fidell, led the second installment of the Class of 1977 Professional Seminar Series with a compelling program on the Simas Kudirka Incident, in support of the Academy’s academic mission. The seminar, held in McAllister Hall’s auditorium and the Academy’s Co-Club, attracted a broad audience, including cadets from three Operations Law classes. The sessions were met with outstanding feedback, and the Academy has invited the Class of 1977 to continue the series during the 2025–2026 academic year. Several Class of 1977 Classmates attended the seminar including the Seminar Series coordinators Russ Webster, Tom Rice, and Peter Ganser. Of special note: Brian’s father, CDR Jerome Flanagan, ’53, served as the 1st District Legal Officer during the Kudirka Incident, while Professor Fidell held the position of Assistant Legal Officer at the time—bringing unique firsthand insight to the discussion. Classmates are encouraged to participate in future seminars – please let Peter Ganser know if you are interested.
On March 31st I got a text from Mark Trump saying he was retired. He must have been excited because there were at least seven emojis at the end of his text.
Congratulations to Wayne Fisher who participated in his first international track meet at the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in Gainesville, Florida in March. Wayne finished 11/18 in the indoor pentathlon, 9/18 in the long jump, and was “one and done” in the 60 and 200m sprints. Over 3600 athletes from 98 countries competed in 5-year age groups, from 35-39 to 100-104!
In an email to classmates in the DC area announcing his retirement, Bart Kolb said, “I remember reporting to CGA like it was yesterday. Like many of our classmates, I wanted to quit almost every day during swab summer and feel grateful to have stuck it out and graduated. Over the years – like you all – I had the good fortune to do some amazing stuff. So, after 4 years at CGA, 36 years on active duty, and 16 years at the Personnel Service Center, it’s time to move along.”
John Leonard, his daughter Clara, and Dave Du Pont completed the 2025 NYC 5 Boro Bike Tour. The 40-mile journey went through a variety of city neighborhoods with over 30,000 riders. Team CG NYC proudly wore CG bike jerseys and spoke to many Coastie riders along the way. This year’s event—with the rain and head winds—made crossing the finish line that much more satisfying.
Ken and Patty Prime are well. They have five grandkids who say they are the best grandparents in the world (anyone’s grandkids want to dispute that?). Ken said “They really like hanging out with us. We have accomplished our goal – having them remember us with fun
stories – even after we start forgetting most of them! Taught my grandson to play cribbage – reminded me of learning cribbage on USCGC CHASE summer cruise in 1974”.
Dave and Linda Davidson visited Ken Shalik in Washington State. Ken’s wife, Lauren, was out of town (maybe because she knew the Davidson’s were coming?), but Dave and Ken enjoyed catching up after not seeing each other since graduation. Dave and Linda continued their frequent travels including a trip to Los Cabos, a few trips to CA, and a trip to the Great Pacific North West, where Dave had a surprise visit with his first CO, Captain Richard Wight, who is now 91 and was CO of USCGC CAMBELL when Dave, Bob Lachowsky; Hank Teuton; Doug Whitmer; and Tim McDonald were assigned.
Once again, a bunch of our Classmates went to Barefoot Resort and Golf in North Myrtle Beach for a golf outing. Attending were Ken Armstrong, Bob Bernstein, Greg Boothe, Tony Buancore, Roger Gibson, Steve Goetchius, Dave Glenn, Gary Greene, Jim Hall, George Howe, Pete Krouse, John Lanigan, Ted Montgomery, Bob Palko, Mike Riley, Dick Walleshauser and Don Wilt. Also attending were John and Tom O’Brien and Ed Grimm. It was a lot of fun, with a variety of golfing abilities. Some guys came late, many guys left early, some played two days, some three days, some four days and some didn’t play at all as the primary purpose is the camaraderie. Tim remains the best golfer, Dave Glenn can hit the ball mile (which I don’t understand as he moves his feet way too much) and Roger, who recently recovered from shoulder surgery, managed to play better each day. Bobby spent so much time in the
sand bunkers that if he was an Austrian, he would be a Von Trap; to him, the highlight was the prime rib dinner at the Thursday banquet. Getch spent the most time in the sauna. The weather got nasty on the last Friday, but nine of us managed to get the round in. During the trip, brandy was sipped, cigars were smoked, stories were told and laughs were aplenty. Even if you aren’t a golfer, I hope you will join us next year.
On his way to the golf tournament, Bob Bernstein visited Justin and Donna Randall in Georgia and helped Donna celebrate her birthday. After the golf outing, he visited John and Laura Leonard in North Carolina, with the hope of getting in some cycling miles. Unfortunately, the rain put a damper on the effort. Nonetheless, a good time was had by all, even George, their cat. It is worth noting that Bernie shaved his beard after the golf outing (the women that hang out at his condo pool will be disappointed!)
From Jeff Poston: “The great class of 1977 is once again fielding a team for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Ride the Rhode 2025 event. We have put a team in the Ride the Road event for the last 13 years. Jeff Poston (team captain and anchorman while finishing) didn’t think it was that long ago that he and Bob Bernstein (plus a couple others, we’re sure) started the team. Jeff had ridden for the Fidelity Investments team in prior years (starting about 2004) while Fidelity was a major sponsor of the ride. Over the past 13 years, our class team has raised $62,286.60. Pretty impressive total for a team that averaged 5 riders over that time frame. This year we have matched our maximum number of riders with 9 on the team (Bob Bernstein,
Mark Campbell, Kathy Danielson (Jeff’s friend), Dave DuPont, Dave Glenn, Kurt Hansen, John Leonard, Greg Warth and Jeff Poston). We ride remembering those who suffer from the disease, especially Roger Gibson’s wife Susan, who passed away in 2023. The event is a 2-day ride with the courses running through southern RI, starting and ending at the University of Rhode Island. Day 1 offers routes of 30, 50 and 75 miles, while day 2 offers 25 and 50 mile routes. Donations can be made up to 30 after the event which will be held June 7 and 8, 2025. A team picture and final fundraising results will be sent for the next issue of the Alumni Bulletin.
Class Membership: 56%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/1978gift
Class Correspondent: CAPT Bryon Ing Ingland78@gmail.com www.uscga78.org
In Memoriam
Matthew Wixsom April 4, 2025
Greetings Classmates - Summer is once again upon us! Hooray! Ok maybe not so much for those not into the humidity and bugs! Heck, we all look forward to summer during winter! Plenty of opportunities to travel are forthcoming as are some milestone life events for some! Let’s share your good fortune and news with classmates. …So, let’s begin –news from the front!
Unfortunately, we begin by acknowledging
the passing of Matt Wixsom
Matt had been challenged over the past 15 plus years with a degenerative ailment. After leaving the CG he worked for a law firm in Kentucky then established his own shingle! He closed his office a few years ago when he was no longer able to work. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Dr. M.J. Wixsom, DVM, MS, MBA, owner of Guardian Animal Medical Center and his beloved daughter, M’Kinzy. He is also survived by his brother Mark, and his sisters Di and Julie.
In the continuing support of the LITC program, two of our esteemed classmates attended the Class of 2028 4/c formal. During the event the Class of 2028 Class Ring design was revealed. Representing our LITC and Class were Iain Anderson, LITC lead, and Chris Bond, and these classmates were quite dapper! See below photo.
Steve and Pam Ratti celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary on a Viking River Cruise; Tim and Maureen Skuby supervised to ensure no recurrence of cadet cruise shenanigans and the Skuby’s also got to enjoy a cruise vacation! Steve & Pam visited the Keukenhof Gardens, in the Netherlands. They visited Amsterdam for several days prior to boarding Viking Sigyn River Cruise along the Rhine River to Basel, Switzerland. After the Rhine cruise Steve & Pam sent Tim & Maureen on their way so they could spend several days unsupervised at Lake Como, Italy and Lugano, Switzerland. They reported the weather was gorgeous! Congrats on the 40 years!
Recently relocated to the Seattle area, Mike and Andrea Rand met up with Mark Miller to take a nautical tour of the ‘Virginia V,’ one of the local Mosquito Fleet that provided
transportation for people, goods, and mail on the Puget Sound from 1880’s until the 1920’s. Mike may have been comfortable in the engine room, but Mark??
What a great week in Myrtle Beach for the Annual CG Veteran’s Invitational Golf Tournament. A small contingent of classmates participated, which include first timers Iain Anderson and Larry Sandeen. Regular duffers included Randy Forrester, Jim Hoeft, Bryon Ing, Chaz Johnson, and Bob Roemer. We had a real fun outing and shared some good interaction with golfers from ’76 & ’77. Chaz once again supplied us with more baked cookies and we could eat in four days! Thanks chef! Still pondering posting the photo marking a highlight requiring CGA 78 AAA assist on the course! Perhaps next issue. Perhaps next year we can have over 20 players as some of the other year groups had attending this year!
Once again, appreciate those who are assisting to find lost classmates and getting them on our website. A few more have recently signed in! We are hoping some more of you can reach out through social media and get them connected so we can maximize awareness of our 50th reunion in 2028! The class website is the primary means for ‘78 communications, so please keep your web profiles current.Your 50th Planning Committee is focusing on getting all classmates to support their efforts of reaching our Class 50th endowment goal, your support will also help!
As always, I appreciate your notes and photos to share and perhaps we can hear from more of the last classmates still standing in the employed world! See you next issue! Bryon
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Class Membership: 54%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1979
Class Correspondent: CAPT Frank Sturm franksturm@hotmail.com www.cgaalumni.org/class1979
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In Memoriam
Eric Amberg
December 26, 2024
I open with the sad news that our friend and classmate Eric Amberg passed away on December 26, 2024. “Rock” was living in Lone Pine, AZ, at the time.
Allen Black learned of Eric’s death in early April, when Allen reached out after some time had passed since Eric’s last communication with the members or our Class Stewardship Committee of which Eric was a part.
Eric is survived by his former wife Wendy Amber, and three adult children, Zachary, Arianna, and Cassidy.
A memorial service is scheduled for Eric on June 7th, 2025, (after these notes will be submitted to the Bulletin editor), at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. Shifting gears, here is some retirement news from a few of our classmates.
Carl Andersen, who has been working for the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) for some time, wrote: “I plan to (finally) retire this September. Originally planned to go out on June 30th…50th anniversary of swearing in and my 68th birthday. As my position may evaporate when I leave,
now plan to stay through the fiscal year to get everything in order for whomever is left.”
Robert Spears retired from his job at Coast Guard Headquarters in April. Mike Blair, Curt Dubay, and Ken King were able to attend his retirement ceremony.
Steve Danscuk plans to retire on June 30th after 50 years of dedicated service to the Coast Guard, 25 as an officer and 25 as a civilian employee. His retirement ceremony will take place at Coast Guard Island, Alameda, CA. In an email last fall, Steve reported his retirement plans were pretty simple: relax and travel.
Mike Burgard checked in on the heels of news being shared about Eric Amberg’s death. Mike is still working and enjoying life in Bozeman, MT.
Eric Longfellow checked in: “Marina and are enjoying being mostly “retired” up in Vermont doing all kinds of seasonal outdoor activities. We’ve taken up river and ocean cruises as a hobby. Last fall, we went down the eastern part of the Danube from Vienna to the Black Sea and this winter doing the more eastern part of the river during Christmas Markets time. I continue my mission service to Kenya having gone for a month each in the spring and fall of 2024. Marina and I will go to Kenya for the month of August.”
If you would like to help support Eric’s mission to provide food, clothes, and shoes for kids in Kenya, email him at matterhorn777@ hotmail.com.
Tim Girton’s extended family continues to grow: “Just a quick note to let you know that Mollie and I have a new granddaughter! Evelyn Girton was born on April 17th and everyone is doing well. That makes 4 grandkids for us. Three
boys and now one girl.”
Allen Black checked in: “On the home front, nothing newsworthy for the class notes; we’re just plugging along with the law firm. We’ve been keeping busy and are adding a couple of new attorneys this fall. In addition to our usual maritime boutique work, we are also enjoying the opportunity to give back to our Coast Guard family by providing pro bono legal help in various cases. Our son Allen was recently selected for O-5 in the USAF (which makes me feel really old) and is being transferred out from DC, where he was on a legislative fellowship, back to Edwards AFB. Unfortunately, that means he’ll be taking our grandkids from the local area to the far side of the country. Kay is already looking at plane tickets and long-term VRBO rentals!”
Here is an update as of May 16th on our class plans for the Link in the Chain (LITC) program at CGA, provided by Pat Stadt: “On the Link In The Chain program, we have a good sized group of 79ers and spouses that will be representing our class on “DAY 1” – what I believe we called “Reporting In Day,” when we were swabs. It so happens, it will be exactly 50 years to the day of our first corner-squaring [June 30th]. We plan to greet incoming parents and prospective cadets starting at 0530 as they approach Roland Hall, where the youngsters now report in. There won’t be much interaction with the prospective cadets, but we hope to mingle with the parents and families and introduce the LITC program to them throughout the day. If anyone else wants to join the fun, please drop me a note!”
You can email Pat at neptune79@me.com. Mike Amonson dropped me an email from his home in upstate NY. He is doing well,
“retired since 2011 and motoring at a slow bell.” Mike has posted a lot of the photos he took on Opsail ’76 to a Google drive:You can access it at https://drive.google.com/drive/ folders/0B2s7L-zl0vb3V0hnZThzem9JSzA?reso urcekey=0-DXw3lMj4DO_ BnLUWWhfXFQ&usp=drive_link
That’s all for this issue. Keep sending your updates and photos.
Class Motto: “The Resolve to Be Worthy.”
Class Membership: 49%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1980
Class Correspondent: CAPT Joe Rodriguez spogdog3@msn.com spogdog@gmail.com
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Wow, when I get a reminder out early I actually get some responses. Who knew!
Unfortunately, I have some sad news to report. Mary Jane East Wixsom reported that her husband Matt passed away after a long battle with health issues over the years. MJ plans on being at the Class Reunion at which there will be a Mass held for Matt. I offer my condolences from the whole class.
Matt Mumford checked in from Tillamook, OR with the following: “I retired from the Post Office after I bought back my military years in the CG. Glad those Academy years actually paid off! So that was December 2023. We then went on a tour of kids places and seeing grand kids! Did the Canadian Rocky Mountaineer railroad! That was a blast. We started in Victoria and ended up in Calgary, Alberta! Just an amazing fun trip full of amazing scenery and meeting some friends from my wife’s Alma Mater OK State university. We
made it to all the great sites in the Canadian Rockies before the bad fires hit!
Bill Marhoffer was the first to check in. He reports that back in January he retired from his second Coast Guard career as District 14’s inaugural Incident Management and Preparedness Advisor (IMPA), ending nearly 47 years of combined military and civilian Coast Guard service. Bravo Zulu Bill! He has departed the Pacific Islands after nearly 20 years working across all of the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands and has now settled to suburban Maryland. He’s planning to continue wildlife photography and scuba diving travel.
Jim Culver was the next to check in. He too finally retired back in January. After 10 years in the CG he spent the next 38 years at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The attached picture is capturing the presentation of his retirement flag that was flown over all 4 U.S. Naval Shipyards, and over the Fleet Forces Command Headquarters in Norfolk,VA. Now he claims he has to adjust to a completely new routine. I’m sure he’s going to do just fine.
Sue Vincenty Koontz checked in with a blog of her travels. She sent in the following: “Just a note to say that in March Tom and I landed on our 7th continent when we set foot on Antarctica. We enjoyed a fabulous trip that included Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina; multiple landings in the South Shetland Islands and the continent of Antarctica; magnificent animal viewings on South Georgia Island and the great abundance of birds on the Falkland Islands. We were aboard the Ocean Victory for 19 days. It was the longest time I have spent on a ship since 3rd class summer cruise. To all the
sailors out there - our initial crossing of the Drake Passage was so smooth that we arrived in the South Shetland Islands a half day early. Our return crossing had some good size swells (about 12-15 feet), but we were thankful Poseidon was kind to us.” The trip sounded like it was a trip of a lifetime.
John Cordes reported that he recently completed the 73-mile Tierra Bella bike ride. He said it was the longest ride he’d done in a while and was making plans to do a century ride later this year. He and his wife Diane continue to ride and care for and ride their horses on short loops around their property near Santya Cruiz, CA.
Bob McCaffrey checked in with some notes about his trip to the Academy where he and Mark Yost represented the Class of 80 team members when the Academy unveiled the Wrestling Tribute Wall. They were joined by Craig Sattergren and Dale Chitteden of ‘81. As a reminder, the 1979 team was CGA’s first New England Championship team with 1980 classmates Mike Brown, Doug Taylor, Rich Burt, Mark Yost and Bob along with Sattergren, Chittenden and Albright qualifying as All New England. Brown, Chittenden and Bob were NE Champs that year. They were repeat team Champs in 1980 with Brown,Yost and Bob winning individual titles. This kicked off a CGS wrestling dynasty in the early 80’s that continues today. Bravo Zulu to Bob and Mark for repping the Class.
Bill Zack had an encounter with Andy & Kelley Mitchell in San Diego. He brought them aboard the USS Midway Museum for a guided tour. For the history buffs, the plane is
an SBD Dauntless, the type of dive bomber than sank three Japanese aircraft carriers in the span of six minutes during The Battle of Midway. I asked Bill if he was still coaching and this is what he reported: “Well, I tell people that I am mostly retired. San Diego State University cut the women’s rowing team - I was the head coach - and that hastened the end of my daily coaching of rowing. I still teach USRowing coaching courses, consult for people when asked, announce a regatta now and again, and coach the occasional three or four-day camp. However, the USS Midway Museum is my main activity now. I have a 20 hour per week job as the Docent Manager. I am also part of the docent training team, serving as an advisor/instructor to new docents in training. And I also do volunteer docent watches as well. I know more about Navy aviation than any Coastie should.”
Joanne Mcaffrey Albero sent in this note: “The women of ‘80 continue to meet monthly via ZOOM for our book club and to discuss the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the decision to admit women and our arrival. There are writing projects underway with several of us typing away and at Christine’s suggestion, I undertook a little project to design, produce, market, and sell heirloom silk scarves to commemorate 50 Years of Service Academy Women. Hundreds of Service Academy Women from all five academies helped me get the design just right and so far, we’ve sold nearly 4,000 scarves. Jody Turner turned out to help pack and ship them and we took a photo with a CGA ‘95 grad, Lisa VanBuskirk,
who was also on hand to help. 4000 is a LOT of scarves!” Anyone interested is getting one of the scarves, here’s the web site: https://50yearscarf.square.site/
The last thing to pass along is that planning for our 45th Reunion is well underway. You should have seen some e-mails from Joanne on details.
That’s all for now so until next time.
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Class Membership: 54%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/1981Legacy
Class Correspondent: Position Vacant Send Notes Directly to the Editor
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Class Membership: 48%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1982
Class Correspondent: CAPT Michael Cosenza mccosenza@gmail.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CGA82/ .............................................................................
Martin “Skip” Langlois has been quite busy recently. First off, he was the Keynote Speaker at the Institute of Internal Auditors 2025 Great Audit Minds Conference. There Skip addressed almost 800 auditors. Then Skip, in his new role on the CGA Alumni Association board, attended the April board meeting where he ran into Sandy Stosz and Bill Randall who is still at the Academy as the men’s head rowing coach. Joe Servideo sent me the attached note and picture of an informal Vespers get together in DC. “Attached are some photos from an ’82 DC area gathering. Using Tom (Atkin) & Tracy’s leaving Arlington for Saratoga Springs, NY in June as a rallying point, Craig Bennett and Tom reconstituted the DC area 82 Vespers meeting. The Cantina Marina, on the DC Wharf, where Brian Kelly regularly held Vespers is long gone so Vespers was held at the Aslin Tap Room in Alexandria. Tom, Greg Buie,Trip Rice, Jeff Good, Pat Hannifin, Pete Simons, Charlie Diaz and I were able to hoist a glass and raise a cheer for our class and wish Tom off in style; Craig unfortunately came down with the flu and couldn’t make it. Two of our longest CG serving classmates – Greg and Pat – were there and if Craig wasn’t sick, it would have been 3! As you can see, most of our Class still looks good … though the stories may have been taller and the time between bio breaks shorter than back at the Cantina Marina. Planning for our next National Capital Area 82 Vespers is in the works.”
Finally, Vince and Marian Atkins continue their world travels, most recently visiting Peru and his description make me want to visit.
“This has truly been an amazing trip to Peru. I really didn’t appreciate beforehand how different our experiences would be day-to-day,
region to region. We started on the coast in the big city (Lima), then went high into the Andes to climb Incan steps and are now exploring the Amazon. Each region has revealed different languages, customs, foods and people. Geography plays a big role even today. We flew to Iquitos Peru and then drove over two hours to Nauta to meet our ship. Those that can’t afford the airfare, must endure a 26-hour bus ride and then 8 hours by river bus to arrive in Nauta. Life here is defined by that remoteness. In the Peruvian Amazon, there are 44 distinct languages and commerce and community interaction (schools as just one example) are dictated by the river.”
My best to you for a wonderful summer.
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Class Membership: 52%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1983
Class Correspondent: CAPT Matt Bliven mbliven83@gmail.com
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When it rains, it pours, as our previous call for input hit the motherlode. (How’s that for a metaphoric laden intro?) First up to bat:
A group of classmates and spouses gathered in Portland, OR, in early May to celebrate the life of Matt Cutts, who passed away unexpectedly in September 2020. Ellen Cutts arranged the event, appropriately held in the “Super Secret Beer Club” of the Baerlic Brewery and Taproom, and she provided the opening remarks. Matt and Ellen’s three children and their spouses also attended. Daughter Hannah spoke lovingly about Matt to conclude the ceremony. Representing our Class in Portland were Nick & Jackie Stagliano,Tom Cullen, Dave & Jamie Almond, Dow & Gina Weber and daughter Savannah, Chris Sinnett,Terry & Diane Boyd, Bruce Toney, Liam Slein and his daughter Margaret, Mary & Charlie Jager, and Rod & Nanette Smith. Charlie, Dow, and Smitty shared fond memories of their shenanigans with Matt, while at the Academy and beyond, and how he touched all of our lives. Along with friends, family and Academy classmates, many former colleagues from the US Army Corps of Engineers also attended. During the ceremony, they presented Ellen with an award recognizing Matt’s exemplary service at ACOE. (Hannah has followed in
Matt’s footsteps and now works for the Army Corps!) It was great to see everyone come together to support Matt’s family and to remember a special person. Thank you to Mary, Smitty, and Dave, who shared the group photo and provided input to these notes.
After visiting Portland, Mary and Charlie traveled on to San Diego to visit with their daughter Kaitlin, who just had her second baby and their first grandson. Congratulations to the Jagers!
Lincoln Stroh sent a photo of daughter Allison, son Glenn and his wife Kate. If you see the name “Smith-Stroh” on the LPGA tour this year,YES, she is Linc and Tracy’s daughter-inlaw! So far, Kate has made 4 out of 6 tournament cuts in her rookie year. They planned to travel to Cancun, MX, in mid-May to watch her compete in the LPGA Riveria Maya Open. Linc and Tracy’s son Glenn is an Environmental Specialist with Murphy Oil and their daughter Allison is a Clinical Research Training Coordinator for Retina Consultants of America (and also travels a lot.) Missing from the photo is Jessica, their oldest, who is the Communications Director for the Democratic challenger in their local Congressional District.
Sharon & Kirk Shilling recently completed a grand tour of Italy, a trip that they reluctantly postponed in 2024 to allow Sharon time to heal from a broken femur. Their excursion included stops in Rome, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, a village in the Tuscany region, sampling Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese in Emilia Romano and balsamic vinegar in Modena and concluded with a stop in Lake Como (whew!) On their next trip, they plan to focus their travels on the southern regions of Italy.
“It’s Vegas, Baby!” was the cry from Tom Cullen, Eddie Nagle, Bob Pyle, Jason Earhart,Tony Luke and Chris Sinnett, who descended upon Sin City in April to take in an Eagles concert at The Sphere, the massive and immersive entertainment orb on the Strip. The Eagles concert was amazing, perhaps considering (or in spite of) the geriatric age of the bandmembers. In addition to playing craps and visiting an “authentic” Irish bar, the group visited nearby Nellis AFB to see an aerial performance by the USAF acrobatic jets, the Thunderbirds, and toured the Hoover Dam. Later, Eddie and Tom hiked together in Zion National Park. Who says you have to wait for
Academy-sponsored reunions to get together?
In a separate note, Jason Earhart reported that his 45-year career in the tech business concluded with his retirement from Alphabet (parent company of Google) earlier this year. Based in Utah and skier, Jason has applied his still sharp mind to volunteer work, collaborating with top researchers in the niche field of snow avalanche prediction to refine their machine learning models and contribute to a safer mountain environment. How avid a skier is Jason, you might ask? Consider he logged 118 days on the slopes this season, traveling approximately 1,500 (mostly downhill) miles on his boards. (There are apps now that measure such stuff.) Not to be outdone, Jason and Lee Ann’s boys, Ace and Orion, knocked out a combined 240 days of skiing, all while getting top grades in school. Lee Ann, now apparently the only one who draws a paycheck in the Earhart family, only notched a piddling 60 days on the slopes this year. What a slacker! Work is a four-letter word, we say.
Becky Smith left her Texas ranch to travel to warm, tropical Dominican Republic with daughters, Debbie and Brittany, to celebrate Brittany’s 30th birthday. Becky and daughters stayed at the all-inclusive resort, Breathless Punta Cana, and enjoyed eating, drinking, swimming, dancing, and more eating and drinking during their stay. Becky said that Don and middle child Kyle were not invited on this “girls only” trip so she could savor a wonderful week reconnecting with her daughters.
Another career transition to report – Cub Schlatter retired as the Director of Aircraft Management at NASA in January and is spending the summer months at Cubb and Winnie’s home on Flathead Lake in Montana. His retirement plans will include wakeboarding, fishing, hiking, and cycling. When the foliage starts to turn, he and Winnie plan to return to Hilton Head Island, SC, for the remainder of the year and perhaps add some golfing to the mix.
New baby photo time... Jim Ferguson announced the recent arrival of grandson #2 in Virginia Beach,VA. His name is Levi, he is healthy, and he sleeps like a baby according to Jim. Proud parents are Jim’s son Corey and his wife Katie. When not cuddling babies, Jim plans to continue working as a support contractor at the USCG Financial Services Center (FSC), previously referred to as FINCEN. (FSC just doesn’t roll off the tongue as smoothly as FINCEN did.) Jim closed with a short quiz: One of our classmates was key in establishing FINCEN back in the 1980s. Who would that be? You may chew on that question for now as Jim did not provide the answer. (My guess is the mystery FINCEN plank owner was one of our Management majors.)
As we close, let us remember the cadets and sailors aboard the Mexican sail training vessel ARM Cuauhtémoc, who suffered trauma, injury, and the tragic loss of shipmates following the barque’s horrific allision with the Brooklyn Bridge on the 17th of May. Despite its relative newness (only 40 years old),
Cuauhtémoc is nearly identical in size, sail plan, and mission to CGC Eagle. Few in the world have experienced the challenge, thrill, and beauty of sailing aboard a square rigger on the high seas, so we are each uniquely qualified to fully appreciate the tragedy of this event and the impact to those aboard Cuauhtémoc that evening. Please keep cadets, crew, and their families in your thoughts.
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Class Membership: 45%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/1984gift Class Correspondent: CAPT Rick Kenin: rick@keninfamily.com
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Class Membership: 42%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport Class Correspondent: CAPT Bob Watts rbwatts27@gmail.com
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Class Membership: 39%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents: CAPT Mark Cawthorn
Mark.A.Cawthorn2@uscg.mil
Ray Schembrirays1010@hotmail.com
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Fellow GOATs –
I open with fabulous news - Steve Hunt is now the proprietor and permanent resident of a hotel in Cambodia. Under his ownership, each guest room is exquisitely apportioned with two desks. On one desk is a copy of the expected standards of behavior while on hotel grounds. On the other, a copy of dress standards while on the property. He named the property “Chase Hall East.” The swimming pool has stone bas-reliefs of elephant heads, but he is replacing those with shaggy-bear heads, made of brass, which must be polished daily. The Courtyard has been renamed The Quad, where guests are free to get in their “steps” every day, while the rhythmic beat of snare drums (120 beats per minute) wafts through the lush, tropical flora. Who knew that we were establishing the popular fitness fad of “getting in your steps” back then as we spent our “free” time marching around the quad or
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in the bilges of Chase Hall? He is also busy breaking ground on a Sports Complex and Soccer Stadium in Angkor Thom, Cambodia. The team he sponsors tied for second at the Cambodian National Cup last year, which is on par with being the Intra-Company Flickerball Champs. Even though he is busy with his new venture, he is still able to manage the daily duties of his company - Ship Mate. Steve continues to live a fascinating life, inspiring us with his altruism and adventures. He invites all to pay him a visit. I will be planning a trip there at some point in the future. Unlike Steve, those of us still toiling away for the Federal Government are no longer permitted to work remotely, so we are proudly serving the public from our desks at CGHQ.
As I draft these notes, the Papal Conclave is ongoing. I have the “Chimney Cam” streaming live on YouTube. I must admit, it is unimaginably boring, so much so, that it reminded me of one of our Saturday morning “Professional Development” lectures in Dimick Hall. Some 2/C, standing at the podium, windbreaker two-blocked, striving for a thoughtfully rakish look, as if he had just come in from standing the 04 – 08 watch on the bridge-wing during a full-blown storm. He would drone on endlessly to a room full of 4/C about a summer-cruise sea story, which would cause our pupils to dilate until they were smaller than purely-theorical particles. We didn’t know it at the time, but one day we learned about these theoretical particles during Doc Krasner’s Physics lectures, another mind-numbingly painful experience. I recall (kind of) the good doctor teaching us that these particles exist at the edge of our ever-expanding universe, which is speeding outwards at the rate of 86 million miles per second. He would then ask us to calculate the “speed of darkness” and chide us for not taking him seriously. Anyway, I was chatting with a (very) senior individual here at CGHQ. I suggested that each day we do not have a Commandant, we should send up blue smoke from CGHQ. Once our Commandant is selected and confirmed, we could send up orange smoke. He commented it was a “brilliant” idea, and I let him know that all the answers he might ever need are stored up in my old coconut, which is covered in casehardened steel,Vermont marble, and some other impermeable materials I can’t recall (although, I would wager $86 that Marcel
Duhaime can still recite that mandatory cadet response). I suppose to be more nautical, instead of using smoke, we should fire a flare. It is such a good idea, that I submitted it to Idea Express (remember that?) – gunning for the chance to earn an additional 40 hours of liberty. Now that I have to work five days a week in the office, I will not be spending Fridays sitting in a tree stand (which I will, no doubt, find painful). Fortunately, my cadet training conditioned me for periods of restricted movement during liberty hours. Odds are 86:1 that we will also end up with an American Commandant to go along with the new American Pope. Exciting times ahead.
In other current events, the former Director of the FBI James Comey is in the news for posting a photo of shells on a beach, spelling out “8 6 4 7.” A media storm quickly erupted, and an investigation launched by the Secret Service as to what this cryptic message might mean. The Secret Service offices are just up the hill from where I sit, so I was called in as an expert witness, as would be expected for anything involving “86.” After an exhaustive investigation, it was determined that Director Comey wanted to spell, “86 4 EVER” – but he ran out of shells in this brazen attempt to win the coveted Boldness and Courage Award.
One Friday evening, I received a text from Charlie “Mad Cat” Turner, in which he educated me on the term “pot valiant.” According to Webster’s, the term is defined as: “(adj) bold or courageous under the influence of alcoholic drink.” How we never knew this before is truly inexplicable. Texts like that just go to prove why Mad Cat was renowned for his extensive research skills, conducting deep-dives into little-known sectors of academia. He proposes that a Latin version of “pot valiant” may, perhaps, be suitable for an updated Class Motto. Well done, Classmate – a bold suggestion for sure.
After my last notes about my trip to Cancun, Bob “Looch” Camillucci and I traded a few texts. He and I shared a few memories about our mid-patrol break activities in Mexico back when we were junior officers. He also sent the attached photo of Dan Pippenger, out in Portland, Oregon. Looch and Dan were thinking of “borrowing” the bus as part of a Spirit Mission to drive it to our 40th next year, picking up classmates along the way. There is some training initiative in action right there. Pip calculated that it will be
an 86-hour journey, and he will be taking “no sleep till Brooklyn.”
And, in other news, I also received a late (very late) night voice message from Tim Cook. He said that he, and seven of his classmates, were at Arthur Treacher’s in New Haven, waiting for the libo van and that they had been there for quite some time. If you are in the area, please swing by and check on him or give him a lift back to Chase Hall (West). By the time you are reading this, we will have observed May 21st, the 39th Anniversary of our Commissioning, which means our 40th is next May, a mere 86 days away – mark your calendars and start planning. Memorial Day and summer will officially be in full swing. Please take the time to share your favorite memory from Summer Cruise with one of our Classmates –those were great times. The Boldness and Courage Award for this edition goes to Charlie “Mad Cat” Turner for his incredible academic research on a potential upgrade of the Class Motto. Well done, shipmate!
Class Membership: 49%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1987
Class Correspondents: CDR Mark Berkeley, USCG (ret) markinmiami@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/groups/40148781020
Class Membership: 41%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents: Mrs. Brenda Wolter brendawolter@gmail.com
CAPT Eric Johnson, USCG (ret) ejohnsoncg1@gmail.com
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Jim sent in the following: “Had a great visit from Ed Cubanski when he was in town for RADM Chris Bartz’s ‘90, retirement. Enduring friendships are exemplified by the time and topics we enjoyed!” Jim continues to work towards his 20-year retirement from federal service just a few years away. He is maximizing his leave to enjoy time in Spain and invited anyone near Barcelona to give he and Justin a holler to visit or meet up!
Pete provided the following update: “In
You already work hard at sea — so you deserve to play (and relax) hard at sea, too. Enter, Virgin Voyages, the adults-only, award-winning cruise line. When you sail with Virgin Voyages, luxury is always included, meaning all of our award-winning onboard dining, entertainment, non-alcoholic beverages, gratuities, and WiFi are already included in your voyage fare. That means the only thing you need to worry about when you sail with us is which incredible view you want to enjoy next.
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April Tom TG Greger, Bill Greek Antonakis, and Pete TQO Smith gathered with spouses and friends to celebrate Greg Doc Johnson’s 60th birthday at Fort Myers Beach. It was a nautical-themed weekend, hence the Captain’s hats in the picture (even though Greek was the only one really authorized to don the scrambled eggs on his hat!). Tiki boat rides, pool-side cabanas (to watch the Master’s final round), and beach-front dinners highlighted a fun weekend at Jimmy Buffet’s (RIP) Margaritaville Resort. Despite turning 60, Doc continues to dominate the Southwest Florida HVAC industry while his golf and bocce game skills suffer. Doc’s daughter is engaged to be married this November, too! TG is also in the SWFL AOR, consolidating supply chains for private-equity backed retailers.” Pete added: “As of this printing, TG is likely to be a newly minted grandfather as well – congrats Grampa TG! Greek just retired from his second career, teaching math to people who are incarcerated prisoners.” Greek “is now 100% focused on golf (up from 98% when he was working fulltime). Greek is in the Wisconsin Dells, so anyone down for a waterpark adventure, look him up! Lastly, I’m still in Boston (and NH as much as possible) happily working ~3 more years until I can retire while still supporting my ski/boat/golf lifestyle (maybe Eric Johnson can give me some pointers on becoming a Ski Patroller?!). Thankfully we just finished our last college tuition payments, and my daughter is getting married in September! That is all, return to ship’s work.”
Thank you for the updates and please keep sending them in, Eric
Class Membership: 44%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1989 Class Correspondents:
Mr. Charles D. Coiro Charles.D.Coiro@uscg.mil
Mr. Fred Mletzko fmletzko99@gmail.com
CAPT Susan Subocz ssubocz@aol.com
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Howdy Classmates! I hope this edition of the notes is finding you well. Big congratulations to Bob and Caroline McKenna who welcomed grand-daughter Charlotte Ellin and grandson Robert Edward (Teddy) to the clan on April 28th. The parents Bobby and Tory are doing great and I’m sure they’re very busy with the twins!
Congrats to Andy Tiongson who will be retiring this summer after 36 years of illustrious service. And congrats to Brendan McPherson who will soon be our last active duty classmate.
I was fortunate to meet up with Jim McMahon during a recent trip to Juneau, AK. It’s always fun to catch up with him when I’m visiting his beautiful, adopted city. He has a private law practice out there and has been busy with work lately.
In future news – Mark your calendars for July 1st which marks the 40th Anniversary of us coming together for the first time and taking the oath as a class. Please plan to gather with any classmate nearby to celebrate (and post some pictures on FB or send them to me and I’ll post them).
As (another) reminder, we’re still looking for volunteers to take a turn at the notes. This
will give us some different perspectives and updates about people we haven’t heard about lately. If you’re interested in taking this on, please reach out to me (charliecoiro@icloud. com) and I’ll assist you along the way! Since no one has taken me up on this yet, I’ll start with Alpha Company and call out Kent Ramseyer who recently went on an awesome sailing trip to BVI with his wife Gina and Paul and Holly Baca. Judging from Paul’s FB post, it looked like an epic trip!
Class Membership: 38%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1990
Class Correspondent: Eric Kowack epkow@ yahoo.com Twitter: @SBAFL
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Congratulations to RADM Laura Dickey on her retirement this May after 35 years of dedicated service! Laura started her career on the USCGC Madrona, a WLB out of Charleston, SC and plans to settle in not too far away at her home in Wilmington, NC before considering any new gigs. Nearly 20 classmates came out in support of Laura and hats off to Dave C for attending from San Diego. Dave sent the picture and FWIW noticed that if you compare Laura’s retirement pic to Chris Bartz’s, most people are standing in the same spots. Two classmates who are never in the same location, Randy Hartnett and Tom Gaffney, couldn’t make it due to flight schedules. Randy was in Florida on a SWA layover and Tom was in Johannesburg resting from one of his long
Delta hauls.
Aaron Lever is doing his best to visit all 7,000 islands in the Philippines while in retirement. In early May he played the role of guide to two members from CGA ’84 (Aaron Davenport and his famous classmate Jacques Leonardi (jacques-imos.com) at Boracay Island for some scuba diving and an overload of island enjoyment. Astute readers may remember Rob Tarr, Bruzer and Smitty meeting Jack at his restaurant in New Orleans for the Super Bowl earlier this year. Stymie loves to host and said his door is open for anyone who visits!
Doug Hutchison and Larry Langenbacher got together this May in Reno where Hutch calls home. Doug has been training for MLF events (Major League Fishing) and took some time off to see some sites with Erik, including a stop at the National Auto Museum in NV. Looking at their ride, if they leave soon, they should be able to get to New London in time for Homecoming. Doug finished within the top 100 world for MLF in 2024 and hopes for more success this season which you can follow online.
I recently discovered Beef Burgis and I live just miles apart here in San Diego where the Burgis family has been for nearly a decade. Rick loves his role with Collins Aerospace where he has worked for 7 years. Currently, he leads hardware builds and testing for the 2026 NASA Artemis 2 mission launch of the Orion spacecraft to the moon. Laura earned her PhD then started The Human Values Center several years ago. The HVC is a nonprofit focused on educational training, peer coaching and wellbeing programs in SoCal. Their daughter Elizabeth graduated from UCSC (Go Slugs!)
then went to NYC where she conducts medical research at the Einstein School of Medicine. Son Riley is pursuing a promising career in animation and illustration as a student at the Exceptional Minds Academy about an hour from Rick and Laura. Riley will officially become a dual threat this summer as he goes for his karate Black Belt in July.
Many may know that Rick lost his mom and dad in 2022 and 2024. Rick shared that his family got stronger as they helped each other get through the struggles of the understandably hard times. They have a Great Shephard “Zeke” who at 142lbs weighs more than 4/c Burgis did in 1986. The family loves hiking the Sierras, hitting Laguna Beach and showing people around LA.Visitors should look him up (and the Kowacks can join too)!
Sheriff Steve Cooley retired after 21 years of law enforcement in 2019 and has been semi-retired ever since. Cooldog loves his time outdoors as he balances his role as property caretaker in Bellingham Washington with lengthy hiking trips exploring the Pacific Northwest. His oldest son Ben is a mechanical engineer at Romac Industries in Bothell, Washington, and lives with his wife in Kirkland. Youngest son Micheal is a senior in high school and is heading off to college in the fall. Steve’s son Nathaniel, who just graduated from Washington State, has gotten him into birding so every hike is a unique adventure. Steve said it’s been a great way to fill his empty nest. Hope everyone enjoys their summer!
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Class Membership: 32%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents: Scott Fields USCGA1991@gmail.com
Daniel Frank dfrank91.int@me.com
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This edition of the class notes will be short as Dan and I did not receive any submissions. Congratulations to Joe Raymond, Shannon Gilreath, and Mark Fedor on wrapping up very successful Coast Guard careers. Thank you and best wishes in your future endeavors. Congratulations to Doug Schofield on his new assignment serving as the Chief of Staff for Commandant and Vice Commandant. Wishing Tess Neumann a speedy recovery; she recently broke lower leg bones near the ankle on a hike after slipping on a rock. Our 35th graduation reunion is coming up next fall. Reach out to Will Smith, Chris Lund, Ben Cooper or myself if you have any requests for activities or reunion gear. On a separate note, reach out to a classmate and encourage them to join the Alumni Association. Hope everyone has a great summer.
Homecoming 2025: September 18-21
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Class Membership: 34%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Mrs. LaRae Malinauskas jlzosmal@gmail.com www.cga92.com
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Jeff Lee
April 21, 2025
Hi everyone ~
Unfortunately, I have some sad news to pass along. Our amazing classmate, Jeff Lee, passed away on April 21, 2025 from a heart condition. He was always such a neat guy, kind to all with a warm smile to share and a laugh to remember! He is survived by many loved ones including his two daughters, Rachel and Megan. Some of you may not know this (or remember) but Jeff’s sister, Cristi, married a classmate of ours, DeWane Ray. Sending so much love, prayers and condolences to them as they navigate this tremendous loss. I reached out to a few people that we haven’t heard from in awhile in these notes and Jason Collins got back to me! He retired from Deloitte in December and he and Ginny
Homecoming 2026: October 1-4
spent 4 months traveling! So jealous! They spent 2.5 months in Vietnam and then 1.5 months in Europe. They got to meet up with Brad Mynatt in Nuremberg! Brad lives in Texas but happened to be there for a training for his company. Jason & Ginny finished up their European trip with a bike and barge through the tulip fields in Holland, including an amazing stop at Keukenhof Gardens. Their son, Spencer, got married when they returned and has a fantastic job on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Spencer has his Masters of International Affairs: US foreign policy and national security so sounds like he got the perfect job! Jason & Ginny live in Sarasota, FL where they had moved 4 years ago when Jason’s company went online. Thanks so much for the update, Jason!
Scott Weams also responded with an update! Here’s what Scott had to say, “Greetings from Little Rock! I suppose the story of how we got here is as exciting as anybody’s from Little Rock - Laura got a job and I said, “yeah, sure.” Yet, we love it here so much I think we’re staying. Laura retired from the CG at 20 years and went on to second careers with the Army Corps of Engineers and now, the Department of Energy. She does safety planning and works from home and bakes and bikes and fishes, among other things. My path involved time as a research scientist at the University of Maryland, then more time writing popular science books (yes, two does make it plural). Now I’m a semi-regular figure at the local chess club and enjoying myself at
the lake next to our house. I’ve included a picture from when the Godfreys (David, Kerri, and Aylin) came to visit us this spring. We had a great time catching up and hopefully Dave will be thrilled to see I’m sharing here that I have a higher winning percentage for our weekly “Facetime board game” evenings. No wheat means defeat!”
I hope you all have a wonderful summer! Thanks to those who took the time to respond to my reaching out for updates! I appreciate the help as it gets harder and harder to dig it up on my own! Until next time, take care ~ LaRae
Class Membership: 40%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1993
Class Correspondent: CAPT Joseph Kramek jkramek@law.gwu.edu
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I hope this finds you well and enjoying your summer!
I received a great update from Brig Lane – and news flash – Brig has a new book out!
Brig reports as follows: I connected with Greg Fuller, who is living in Washington state and got to see pictures of him and his toddler daughter skiing together – no doubt she will be a better skier than most very soon, if she is anything like her dad.
Charles Meyer and I caught up recently and he told me he ran the Boston Marathon -- I can’t even imagine qualifying for it, much less running it! We are very proud of him – Go Charles!
I’ve talked with Dan Deptula several times -- so good to have a chance to connect and hear how he and his wife Joyce and their two young kids are doing. I continue to pray for Dan’s health and am very thankful for him being a part of my life. Dan gives very transparent updates on Caring Bridge – so helpful! (Editor’s note – hopefully everyone in 93 is aware per prior correspondence from Dave and Barb Barata that our beloved classmate Dan in July 2024 was unfortunately diagnosed with Glioblastoma, which is an aggressive brain cancer.) You can engage with Dan on his Caring Bridge page at, www. caringbridge.org.
I also talked with Ed Bowen the other night...excuse me, Dr. Edward Bowen.Yes, as previously reported, Ed is now Dr. Bowen, and he actually has the paper to prove it! Not that he can do anything useful with his doctorate, like cut a mole off your back or set a broken bone, but he can certainly tell you lots about biochemistry and molecular biology, if you are so inclined.
As for me, I have my second book out for educators! (Editor’s note at the time of this writing Brig’s book is available for pre-order on Amazon). It is titled “The PLC Dashboard, Implementing, Leading, and Sustaining Your Professional Learning Community at Work® (A practical guide to tracking and implementing the PLC process)” – this is the
book I would have wanted when I was a new school principal and a teacher leader. I continue to travel to schools across the country to help educators improve student achievement, and I am very thankful for the work I get to do. Our oldest daughter Emily is attending Santa Clara University and Chloe is at the University of Arizona. Our youngest, Kayla, is a sophomore in high school and loves volleyball and tennis.
Well Brig, thanks for the great and comprehensive update!
In other news, hopefully most of you are aware that the Coast Guard Museum is under construction right in downtown New London by the ferry and Amtrak station. The efforts to stand up the museum, from funding challenges to environmental permitting and even, at times (surprise) bureaucratic obstruction have been such a saga that it could be made into a 6-part mini-series – but, along with a team of dedicated volunteers, our classmate Jeff Kingsley has persisted as a member of the museum board of directors through these headwinds. A significant milestone occurred in April when the Museum raised $50 million in private donations – Jeff invited yours truly, along with Doug Schnieder and Dan Walsh to celebrate this milestone at a dinner hosted by the museum at the Army Navy Club in Washington, D.C. It was an outstanding event that made clear what was a dream of having a Coast Guard Museum similar to the other services to hold our Service’s treasures and celebrate its heritage will soon be realized.
Enjoy your summer and please, keep sending me updates and pictures.
Regards, Joe
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Class Membership: 39%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1994
Class Correspondent:s John W. Pruitt, III johnpruitt@pruittenterprises.net
Tanya Schneider schneider.doug.tanya@gmail.com
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Lara Allison here – Tanya & John have asked for help with crafting these notes –please let them know if you are willing to help. Conrad Theroux was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on 5 May. Attending the ceremony were Rusty &
Danielle Dash, Mike Campbell, Laura Collins, Brian Glander,Vince Skwarek, Warren Dutton, Dave King, Jay Main, Todd Eichberg, Pierre Martel, & Joe Dugan. Conrad’s son, Gabe will be reporting to CGA on 30 Jun as a member of the class of 2029.
I’ve enjoyed watching what we and our families are doing this month. From Dan Pickles: “After retiring in 2018, I hit 38 states and over 50 parks, then got a Masters of Education from U of Oregon and now teach HS Math and coach wrestling at Astoria HS.” From John Walthall: “Proud papa….Haleigh was … selected into Phi Betta Kappa, the oldest honor society that includes 6 current Supreme Court Justices, as well as 17 Presidents, RGB,....” Congrats to Haleigh! From Mark Moland: “I’m so proud of my daughter Sophia. Last night (3Mar) she earned her Eagle Scout Award and joined a long line of Moland family Eagles.” From Pattie (Tate) Kutch: “Justice and I are involved in a local musical theater here, and I’ll be catching up with Stephanie (Pendergrass) Santos in June.”
From John Pruit: “Howard Wright, Craig Dewalt, and I went hiking. Howard and Craig made the trip up to LA, from their homes in Orange County, California, to enjoy the day as we climbed up to the Griffith Park Observatory & to the next peak.” Coffee, hike, and lunch!
Class Membership: 43%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1995 Class Correspondents: Bill Dwyer wdwyer95@yahoo.com
CAPT Mike Fazio fazio.michael@gmail.com
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Greetings Classmates, a lot of shake up in the Coast Guard. By the time this goes to press hopefully things with upper management will be worked out. Despite the chaos, looks like the Great Class of 95 has done alright, as we currently make up approximately 30% of the flag corps. I can think of at least one old Superintendent and one Commandant of Cadets (looking at you, RADM Rube Olsen) who would never have believed it. Speaking of Supts, congratulations to our new homecoming tailgate supervisor, RADM Greg Rothrock, the soon to be CGA Superintendent. Greg, I expect a premier spot for all of our reunion activities. I received a few notes this go around. Holly Harrison, one of the few left standing to 30 years went out in style. From Holly, “Like all others who maxed out at 30, I’m retiring. I opted for no ceremony and instead threw a party for the D13 command staff and local command cadre so I could chat and BS with everyone over food and adult beverages. I’m headed to Anacortes, WA where I plan to sail the San Juan Islands with the Washington State Ferries. If anyone ever makes it up there, please look me up.” Congratulations, Holly. And congratulations to our other retirees, Sam Stevens and MaryEllen Durley. It looks like they had the same venue at Base Portsmouth with a great ’95 turnout. Sue York also checked
in. “I’ve been the Executive Director of Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association out of Juneau, AK for eight years. I manage historic preservation of Alaska’s oldest lighthouse. Eldred Rock will be opening to the public in 2026. Always looking for donors and Volunteer Keepers to join the cause!” It’s no Jacob Rock, but sounds great.
And finally, congratulations are in order for Jamie Fessenden. Fez represented the USA at the Camel Handball World Championship in Qatar. This is not a joke, Fez actually rode a camel and played handball against international opponents. I encourage the other classes reading this to google it. I thought my text messages on this were straight out of The Onion.
As a reminder, Homecoming is 18-21 September. God Bless, Go Bears, and ciao for now, Faz.
Class Membership: 33%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE1996
Class Correspondents: Jen Mahr (Beaver) tjmahr@att.net
CAPT (ret.) Anthony Russell cgrussell96@gmail.com
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The Class of 1996 extends its deepest sympathy to Seth & Kristine Denning for the unexpected passing of their 19-year-old son, Gavin Christopher Denning, on March 24, 2025. The family asked for donations in Gavin’s memory to Coast Guard Mutual Assistance in lieu of flowers, which has been arranged on behalf of our class. Individuals are still welcome to make their own donations if they wish.
Congratulations to Daniel Ward for his induction in April into CGA’s Hall of Heroes: Wall of Gallantry for extraordinary acts of courage and service. Dan was honored with the Extra Mile Award by the State Department for operational and security planning during a classified mission in Beirut.
Tony Russell and BSA Troop 26 Old Lyme, CT had a wild weekend April 11-12 at the West Point Camporee when freezing conditions and heavy wet snow collapsed or flooded tents, caused many campers to need medical attention for hypothermia, and required a difficult, muddy evacuation of the camping site. Of course, Troop 26 was Semper Paratus, but what a leadership lesson for West
Point cadets that was.
The April DC Alumni Event pulled several ‘96ers together: Andrew Pecora, Phil Crigler, Ryan Roslonek, Matt Orendorff, Bradley Clare, Fair Kim, and Heath Brown. Extra points to Bradley Clare for wearing his ’96 baseball jersey from our 20-year class reunion, and to Pete Melnick for correctly IDing the fashion choice on our class FB page.
Gretchen and Anthony Jones are on year two living on JBAB while Anthony is at Personnel Service Center (PSC). Gretchen has been loving life as a teacher in the classical model, and two of their four boys have graduated. Their son, Haydn, just finished the 2025 Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point with Carl Kepper’s son, Aiden, as part of CGA’s representation.
Speaking of ’96 offspring, no, Mike Fredie did not invent a time machine to go back to Grad Week 1996. That’s 1/C Cowen Bland, almost ENS Bland, and a nearly identical copy of his father, Chad Bland Congratulations to the Bland family on Cowen’s graduation!
Class Membership: 34%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents: CAPT Jennifer Sinclair Jennifer.L.Sinclair@uscg.mil Mr. Dave Schell SCHELLD@pcsb.org
Classmates,
There is not much to report/social media stalk this issue. Most likely you are busy with graduations, end-of-year awards ceremonies, proms, college applications, retirements, change of commands, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day… National Bike to Work Day. Thirty years ago, you were being bombarded with a fire hose of leadership information prior to becoming CADRE gearing up for CATP, Luders, preparing for AIM, MITE. Or, get this, “Rod Roddy, Tell them what they’ve won!” The trip of a lifetime to glorious Fall River, Massachusetts on USCGC Eagle! Some were lucky enough to participate in a pilot TACLET summer training that may have been the first and only occurrence in CGA history. Where could one look this up? As of press time Bones is heading to West Point to attend his daughter’s commencement, a scant one year after
watching his son graduate from USAFA. Well done Papa and Mrs. Bones.
Gregg Versaw grabs the title as classmate of the year… so far, for his tireless efforts to organize the Than Williams Memorial golf tournament. Held this year at an undisclosed east coast city of impeccable southern charm. Embedded reporters, Charles Fritz Kuebler and Gabe Solomon, indicated the event was a rollicking success. Winners of the golf events were: Flight A – Nate Viers, Flight B -Mike Turdo, Flight C – Matt Ten-Berge, Flight D – Jose Mendoza, the latter’s golf succinctly described by all in attendance in two words… “so smooth.” Dave Sherry was allegedly there. He’s in one of the photos but refrained from golfing. He surfed, literally surfed, not on the interweb, and did not self-report as a SAR case. So, he’s got that going for him. Which is nice. No winners reported from the axethrowing, where Nick Wong made a clandestine appearance. Better yet, no injuries that anyone will admit.
Now to a much safer reunion of sorts (no axe-throwing!)…some of the 97 ladies organized an amazing get away to Portugal in early May to celebrate a year of milestone birthdays! Jo,Tiff,Tiff, Kathy, Jo’s sister Suzy, and I (Jen) embarked on a 4-day whirlwind trip to Porto and Lisbon. Once we navigated a red-eye flight and a train strike, we arrived in beautiful Porto for two days of shopping, eating, sightseeing, and wine tasting. Then, we once again navigated the train strike and arrived in busy, gorgeous Lisbon for two more days of
shopping, eating, sightseeing, and wine tasting. We rehashed old memories, made new ones, and laughed until we cried. I’m proposing another trip next year…anyone want to join us?!
I just had a chance to see Tiff (Drumm) Richason two weeks prior to the Portugal trip because her daughter (Avery) went to my son’s prom! We’ve vacationed together a few times (the first was for our 25th Homecoming), and now our kids are dating!
And finally, I’m including this one because it made me laugh out loud. Tyson sent Jo a copy of our swearing in day pictures, so of course Jo and I had to recreate it at the most recent Senior Leader Conference at CGHQ. We’ve hardly changed!
So long for now.
Class Membership: 37%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport Class Correspondents: Lisa VanBuskirk, CDR (ret) LEKnopf@mindspring.com
Happy Summer 1998!
Congratulations to Nina Herrera who has “accepted a position as a school nurse at a small DoDEA school in the Flemish-speaking part of the country. The twins will attend high school across the border in the Netherlands. We are excited for this new opportunity to serve the military community and have some European adventures along the way. Friends and family, we hope you will include Belgium as one of your travel destinations in the near
future!” Erin Williams’ children attended the high school Nina’s sons will attend, when the Williams family was stationed in the Netherlands, so a small world. Speaking of Erin, she intended to retire this summer and hoped to stay in Hawaii but has been offered the opportunity to stay on active duty as the D14 Prevention Chief. Congratulations Erin! Dirk Krause is retiring in early June. He intends to manage some home renovation projects over the 1-2 years in preparation for moving elsewhere, but he and Annie have not decided when and where to move yet.
Congratulations Dirk!
-Lisa
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Class Membership: 35%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Brian McLaughlin Bmclauf@hotmail.com
OK, this month it all comes down to two words: white chocolate. There’s a heated debate amongst the world superpowers as to whether white chocolate is, in fact, chocolate. Now, there are some people that would purport themselves as “scientists” who suggest that it is chocolate, due to the fact that it contains cocoa butter. But I bet these “scientists” and “researchers” are the same crackpots that believe global warming is real, education is important, and drinking bleach and sunshine ISN’T a good cure for coronavirus. As if. Anyway, as you and I both know, milk and dark chocolates are the only real versions of chocolate, and white chocolate has no place in
modern western society, similarly to country music, olives and birds. In fact, I’d take that one step further and suggest that milk chocolate, while certainly good and real chocolate, is entry-level. Dark chocolate is the real deal and what adults with any self-respect should be putting their money towards. I mean, antioxidants! Need I say more? Well I will. I mean, come on. Has anyone ever taken two pieces of white chocolate between graham crackers and smushing a molten marshmallow for s’mores? No! That would be downright treasonous! Was Willy Wonka’s indoor river that nearly drowned poor Augustus (not Delarue) made from a flowing serpent of snow-white perpostory? Certainly not! It was a magnificent brown navigable waterway of angel tears and cocoa beans mixed to the perfect recipe. That guy was a candy genius! I mean, he even made the snozzberries taste like snozzberries! Unequivocally more reliable than any scientist I know. What it boils down to is… …wait, what? Wrong conversation? Which audience is this for again? Oh. I see. Right. My bad. Let me just move this over here, aaand…
Hello! This month it all comes down to two words: Dan Ursino.Yep, THAT guy. Wouldn’t ya know it, he decided to retire. And in honor of that, we’ll present a quick exposé. [Scene] Daniel’s life started out on a modest goat milk ranch in Paducah, Kentucky, where his family had cornered the market in the late 60s, positioning them to nearly monopolize the industry. However, in 1984, when Daniel was 7, a tragic curdling incident destroyed the family’s business reputation and sent the company into a death spiral. Now out on the street, Daniel
tried his luck with acting, competing for the role of “Maverick” in the original “Top Gun.” Unfortunately, the producers found him just too flawlessly handsome, and two years later we saw that hack Tom Cruise feeling the need for speed instead. Not to be defeated, Daniel spent the next five years working at various jobs and walking westward to find his dream institution, the United States Coast Guard Academy. Realizing in 1991 that he’d been headed the wrong way the whole time, he sold his small SOCAL health food cart that he’d dubbed “Whole Foods” to a local grocer (as he didn’t see it going anywhere), he picked up his pace and headed east to make it to Connecticut in four short years. He stopped briefly in Wamego, KS to get his GED, tour guide at the “Wizard of OZ Museum,” and apply to the CGA. Needless to say, he was accepted, and was greeted with fanfare and paparazzi upon his arrival at the entrance to the World’s Premier Maritime Academy.
Daniel excelled at colleging and graduated after 4 years of torment and questionable roommates with a 6.0 GPA and a guaranteed career in things that float. For the next twenty-something-or-so years, Daniel would bounce between floaty jobs and engineery jobs, looking at water or making inanimate objects betterer.
Coming from a humble beginning, Daniel pulled himself up and established himself as a consummate professional and leader amongst leaders. His legacy of Workplace Karaoke Wednesdays and endless dad jokes will live fondly in the memories of those that served with him over the years.
During a lovely retirement ceremony on April 4, 2025, surrounded by friends and family, Daniel was presented with many awards and two children for his years of dedicated service to his country. Following a brief excursion to visit as many Buc-ees gas stations as possible in three months, he and his family plan to reside in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where they will farm maple syrup
plants. Go get ‘em, tiger. [End scene] OK, kids! That brings this edition of Broadcast to a quick and timely halt. And as we always say here in the studio, “If you don’t like what you’re seeing, remember, you’re getting what you paid for!”
Have a great day! GO BEARS! -McLauf
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Class Membership: 32%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/2000gift Class Correspondent: CDR Dawn Prebula dawnprebula@yahoo.com
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Hard to believe 25 years ago we walked across the stage to receive our diplomas from President Clinton! The next generation is off and well on their way to forging the path ahead.
Perfect example: Patrick Lineberry sent in a photo and recently presented his son with his appointment to CGA. Pat is retiring on June 27 in Elizabeth City, NC and 3 days later dropping Quin off in New London! That is some timing for you. Best of luck to you both in your next chapters!
Heidi Park sent in an update: I have a bit of bittersweet news to share. After 15 years, I’ll be closing my bakery on June 12th (certainly a sad moment). This little shop has meant the world to me. But I’m also excited for what lies ahead. I’m looking forward to some wellearned rest and the chance to explore new creative paths.
Lately, I’ve been diving into pottery on the wheel and even dabbling in acting. My most recent gig was in a commercial for Vanish stain remover, aired in the German market, where I proudly took on the role of a “Stain Expert.” Who knew? Now for the good news: I’ll have much more free time! If any classmates are passing through Tallinn, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I’d love to catch up. Here is my email address: parkheidi@gmail.com.You are amazingly talented Heidi and no doubt will shine in whatever direction life takes you!
Brian Breguet wrote in: Things are good here at LANTAREA. Kristen Serumgard left at the end of May, but for the last year she and I worked under Don Terkanian…literally the class of 2000 leading the way for LANT Operations. Last week, Don and I attended Capt Samson Stevens’ 95 retirement ceremony where we got to see Peg Britton, Catherine Carabine, Joyce Dietrich, and Angie Hidalgo. We meant to take a class photo of everyone there, but like a true spook Angie had already snuck away…
*I almost got a photo of this event, but it didn’t come through in time*
Speaking of 2000 leading the way… Marcus Canady continues his good work and talking about mental health at a recent presentation held at CGHQ. One of those topics that can be hard to discuss but certainly critical for us all and no doubt Marcus is leading the charge.
A note from Josi Heron: Matt and I are doing well in Colorado. Our oldest daughter, Makayla, is graduating from high school and is heading to Colorado State, and all three of the kids are now officially teenagers,Yikes! Post CG retirement - I’m enjoying having my
weekends back and cutting out 16 years of crazy travel from Colorado for the reserves, (I need a little sympathy here). If I’m honest, I do miss showing up with my CG family and the purpose it gave me… and I miss frequent Hawaii mini trips.
Over the winter we had incredible ski adventures at Keystone and Breck with the Diluna and the Dang families, as well as Theresa (Grano) and Ben Reno-Weber’s clan. It’s a joy to see everyone’s kids grow so fast, especially as they all now zoom past us OG skiers and snowboarders.
In early March Patti (Brady) Tutalo and I hosted our third WAVEs (Women and Executive Veterans) retreat in St. Pete. It was energizing to reset with such strong ladies, bringing to life a vision for connection that seems to be lacking for so many in our busy, overwhelming lives, myself definitely included! Save the date, we are hosting our first WAVEs happy hour in DC on July 24th. Reach out to Patti or me to learn more: josiheron@outlook. com.
I hope that this message finds everyone well, (and listen to Dawn and send in your updates.) I am grateful for this community. It’s the people in life that really matter at the end of the day, but we must make the effort to cross that bridge, be vulnerable and connect, especially when things are hard. My CG friends remain my strongest, most authentic. Thank you and take care of yourselves. Best to all!
Josi
J.D. Lentine also wrote in and provided a bunch of photos but due to limited space I couldn’t submit them all. Please see a couple included.
He attended the CG Foundation Dinner
Miami in April 2025 along with CAPT Mike Kahle (Commander Sector St. Pete), Mike’s wife Alicia, and JD’s wife Kiki at the CG Foundation Tribute to D7 as well as Dan Ursino’s ’99 retirement ceremony in Bainbridge Island along with Scott MacCumbee and Mark McDonnell.
He and AJ Ortenzio attended Mark Braxton’s ’98 50th in Brickell which I’m sure was a good time! Maybe it’s better there were no photos.
JD also attended the Hillsboro Gala and Fort Lauderdale Navy League Gala and rocking all the CG dress uniforms!
Also, a big shout out to Andrew Bender who is returning in June. I’m sure there are others out there and if so, send pics for next issue!
Thank you so much for all the updates, I love having a full inbox!
Be well & enjoy the summer!
Class Membership: 38%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport Class Correspondents: Brooke Grant brooke.e.grant@gmail.com
Hello 2001! I am happy to assist Brooke (Grant) and Jimmy (Terrell) with class notes! So send me/Brooke/Jimmy all your good news and updates as they happen, and we will ensure they make it here! I write this on 5/23/25, 24 years to the day that we all commissioned and scattered across the country. When did we get old? I am really grateful that we are starting to get nostalgic and are coming back together. It really is crazy
how bonded we all are after all these years. Next fall 2026 is our 25th Homecoming Reunion! Save the date and get here – even if you’re like “hell no” – you’ll be glad you came after the fact. 01-04 October 2026. If you want to help me plan it, please let me know! Anticipate Friday and Saturday night 2001 gatherings.
Just last month I got the pleasure of seeing a bunch of 2001 in DC at an Alumni social in Crystal City. Terry Wallace and Sara (Meserve) Wallace, Jorge Porto, Roger Omenhiser, Meg Rapelye, Jamie (Pendergrass) Embry, Emily (Maisannes) Wilkinson, and Brandon McGowan Everyone is doing great! Retirees include myself, Brandon, Jorge, Sara, and Jamie. Terry and Meg talked in secret code about all their important dealings in the government and Emily and Roger are on the job hunt, so hook them up!
Joey McPherson started an email-reply all chain for 2001 Delta Company this past week after his kids found a dorky picture of us in storage and mocked him. Joey is still at Booz Allen, coaching soccer and doing scout things with his kids. Here’s what we learned:
Joe Benin is retiring in August, but Joey Mac is awarding him a Class II for not being clean shaven. Allegedly, Joe was sporting a beard at an Alumni Social in DC this past April. Joe and his family relocated from CT to VA to work as a civilian at CISA.
Emily Tharp is soon to be CO of CG Yard in MD. Congrats Em!
Brad McNally is soon to be CG-931, which apparently is Aviation Acquisitions (I cannot keep up anymore). Brad and Monica were also at the April social, and Joey Mac says
Brad was best dressed (by his wife). Brandon McGowan is newly retired and running marathons across the globe.You must have better knees than me at this age Brandon!
Jorge Porto was at the May social in DC as well, sporting a big retirement beard and bragging about how many loads of laundry he folds as a feral stay at home dad. He is currently taking a break while his PhD wife carries the load.
Brendan O’Shea is also in the DC area and also retired. Coaching all the kids’ sports – as you would imagine, hockey, soccer and lacrosse. His eldest’s “casual” hockey team is going to Ontario soon for a tournament. NBD.
Ian Callander started his own handy man business. He does a great job! As you would imagine he is also working the music scene in Boston. Maybe Ian can be the entertainment for Saturday night of Homecoming 2026? Follow him on both accounts: @oldsalthandyman and @ bostonkaraokemachineman
Russ Hall has stayed as tribute at HQ after retiring and is working as a contractor last known by Joey Mac.
Mary Dwyer is committed to her photography business and currently exploring Marseille, France. Check out her Substack at mariemarthe.substack.com
TJ Riley is mostly off the grid on his farm in Vermont with his family. TJ just finished his Masters in Poetry – congrats! Perhaps you can write us a poem to commemorate our 25th reunion?
Katina (Rogers) Wong continues to run her business in Austin and volunteer for CGA admissions, which Drew (formerly
known as Andrew/Andy) Behnke rules with a “too bad so sad” iron fist as Admissions Director.
Hugo Goicoechea now works at the joint level out of Santo Domingo, DR being badass. He hopes to make it to the 25th Reunion next year.
Chris Pray reports that all is good in Boston with the family. They visited Glacier National Park with a detour in Montana. Check out his submitted photo to see why. Mike Calhoun checked in from Costa Rica! He and his husband, Mike (also), run an AirBnB and are living the good life (Pura Vida!). Husband Mike has a travel agency and works remotely for a pharmaceutical company. Check out their property: villavistaedenmacr.com
Rick Butler and Jose welcomed twins, Carmen and Diego, to the Delgado-Butler family in April. Congrats! He regretfully reports that he had to buy a minivan to transport the twins and big sister and brother, Mia and Ricardo. Rick wants to know if anyone has younger kids than him and Jose or do they win the prize?
Bobby Gomez retired and Joey Mac got to see Ally (Thompson) Field, Bryan Burkhalter, Zac Ford, Ryan Matson, and Brook Sherman at the event, but mostly they were there to see Maura and have cake. Congrats Bobby!
Marcus Handy says hello from Warrenton, OR where he and Kim are raising their 3 kids while Marcus puts his leadership minded personality to work as a Pastor. There has been proof of life of Byron Hayes and Molly up in Alaska! Scotty Ostrowski and Unsong are in DC still and the Booz Allen crews get asked him they know
him frequently. Joey and Giulia and kids are doing all the things in DC as well, keeping us all connected.
Amanda (Ausfeld) Ramassini says hi from Papua New Guinea! Check out her adventures on Instagram. Hi Amanda!
If you’re still reading (we had a lot of months to catch up on!), from Joey: Laura’s already reserved the Leamy Hall Deck for our 25th reunion tailgate in 2026 (“Steel Beach”). Consider starting your allotment or recurring donation to our class ADMIN fund so we can do something notable with it next year and mark your calendars for October 1-4, 2026 to attend!
All the best 2001! Stay safe and be kind. Laura, Brooke and Joey
Class Membership: 40% Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport Class Correspondent: James Morrow jamesmorrow1@mac.com
Aloha Shipmates!
Thanks to those who reached out! As some of you may have noticed I’m starting to get aggressive on the “socials” for some updates. (Sorry not sorry….I need some content!) Finally back in Hawaii for a bit after another 2-month training stint in Memphis, TN with FedEx and Tiff already has me attacking the growing list of projects! Never ends.
Ok, here’s what I’ve gathered:
Hello from Elizabeth Tonovitz Buendia. I hope everyone is doing well. After 6 years in the DC area (3 years as a CG liaison at State Dept followed by another 3 years as a contractor there) we are moving on my husband’s orders to Virginia Beach. I know Suz is there but that’s about all right now. Please look us up if you are in the area!
Good luck Liz! VA Beach is where a lot of us started this CG journey…many fond memories at the HOT TUNA and Chics Beach! They say Virginia is for lovers!
Also got a quick update from Ben Anderson. Sounds like Brian Bartlett paid him a little visit in March for a quick ski getaway up at White Pass in Washington. Not confirmed but looking at the picture Brian might be sponsored by Red Bull now….OR he borrowed the helmet from a neighborhood kid. (my bet’s with the later)
In March I was able to sneak away from Memphis for a few days and conduct an unofficial site visit to the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy down in Charleston, SC. James Corbett, current Commanding Officer, rendered full honors and he and Allie were wonderful hosts to Tiff and me.
I also got word that two of our classmates are returning to Hawaii this summer! Rob and Leah Cole and Nick and Michelle Worst. Looking forward to linking up with them once they get settled.
Have a great summer and hope to hear from the rest of you soon! - Jim
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Class Membership: 40%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents:
CDR Ace Castle acecastle@gmail.com
CDR Keith Thomas kothomas@gwu.edu
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I asked my German friend if he knew the square root of 81. He said “No.”
Hey everyone, we don’t have a lot to report in this issue, but here is what we have. From Gerrod:
My son is applying for college. Gerrod, thank you for the lengthy note. I hope it is not so long that no one finishes
reading it.
Keef and the Arctic Fox were on a trip to somewhere cold recently (see picture).
To fill in some space, I began copy and posting BookFace posts from those of you who have not returned my emails. Everything from 4-year online friend anniversaries to posts trying to sell your house from 2020. Posts comparing hockey players to Lebron James and couples posts of “Before” pictures from a swim meet.
I decided to spare you this time. But be warned, I will do it next time if we don’t get more people sending us news of their lives. And I might even have OB do commentary on random pictures I find of you on social media. Who knows where that will go.
Stay safe this summer.
K$ and Ace15Ace
Class Membership: 35%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/2004gift
Class Correspondents:
CDR Mario Teixeira Mario.B.Teixeira@uscg.mil
CDR Mariette Ogg mariette.c.ogg@gmail.com
CDR Kris Ensley krisensley@gmail.com
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Wendy Ireland wrote in to say: “Hello from Coastal Virginia 2004! The Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast honored Heidi (Landry) Koski with their very prestigious “Famous Formers” award. This is reserved for Gold Award Members that have gone on to do AMAZING THINGS in their careers! Heidi gave an inspiring speech as the Base Elizabeth City Commanding Officer - she received lots
of applause and had her very own cheering section of Coasties and Navy friends there. She cleverly used humor in her acceptance speech and the audience loved it. Heidi and I see each other regularly for practices and games - our daughters are on the same soccer team here - so keep your fingers crossed for us that our girls make it to FINALS!
Here in Chesapeake, I have been busy helping classmates buy houses (You are welcome Christian Polyak!) I am not even a realtor - but if Coasties are selling and Coasties are trying to buy here - well, I connect them! :)
Christian has already offered to host or plan the unofficial reunion in exchange for my unofficial realtor services - so folks down here are looking forward to that. (So many promotions, retirements, and PCS’s - I can’t keep up!). Peace Out Girl Scouts!” Congratulations, Heidi and thank you for sharing, Wendy!
In April, Admiral Kevin Lunday ’87 frocked the good CAPT Brian “Still taller than all of you” Whisler to CAPT and told him to go get back underway. Jen “Also taller than the rest of you” Whisler and Brian are off to Hawaii to take command of MIDGETT. Justin “I tell my wife every day that Even years are better than Odd” and Ginny “I wish I was part of 2004” Nadolny, Kris “Nad’s suit is nicer than mine” Ensley, and James “Almost as tall as Whis” Heller (not pictured) all managed to attend and cheer Whis on.
Also in April, the Alumni Association put on an amazing event and a slew of 2004 managed to attend. There are way too many people for me to think of bad jokes for
everyone – but Brian Ward, Justin Forbes, Bobby Miller, James Heller, Jeff Janaro, Justin Nadolny, Kris Ensley, and Sean Finnegan all managed to make it and say hi.
Congratulations to you and yours celebrating promotions, retirements, new careers, graduations, moves, races, etc—it’s a full time of year! That said, we wish you a peaceful start to a rejuvenating summer season. We are grateful for the updates and hope you will keep them coming!
Cheers, K, M, & M
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Class Membership: 43%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: LCDR Pete Lang
Peter.M.Lang@uscg.mil
Class of 2005 Shipmates, if you haven’t
Homecoming 2025: September 18-21
already, please join the “CGA c/o 2005” Facebook group. Lindsey Seniuk or I will approve once we receive the request via Facebook.
As all of you know, our 20-year reunion Homecoming 2025 at CGA is quickly approaching. Homecoming is 18-21SEP. The schedule of events: Thursday 18SEP – Athletic Hall of Fame & Alumni Association Awards Dinner; Friday 19SEP – Golf Open, Regimental Review, & Class Dinner/ Social; Saturday 20SEP –5K Fun Run, Football Tailgate at Satterlee, Football Game, Shipmates Social in Leamy, and Class Dinner/Social; and Sunday 21SEP –Networking Brunch.
Homecoming 2026: October 1-4
Ensure that your addresses are updated with the Alumni Association (mthompson@ cgaalumni.org). If you have anything that you would like to add to future Class Notes, please feel free to email me at any time.
Class Membership: 50%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/MCOE2006
Class Correspondents: Kyle Ensley Ensleyk@gmail.com
Kristen Potter KPotter831@gmail.com www.uscga2006.com
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Class Membership: 36%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents: Margaret Brown margaret. brown.1985@gmail.com
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Class Membership: 41%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents: CDR Dan Parker
Daniel.Parker85@ymail.com
Daniel.M.Parker@uscg.mil
Greetings great class of 2008! I hope all of you navigating PCS season are finding smooth sailing—minimal hiccups, stress-free transitions, and maybe even a miracle or two from milMove and DPS (because those systems are famously flawless, right?). All jokes aside, here’s wishing everyone timely movers, intact boxes, and a little grace through the chaos.
On May 21st, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Class of 2025 officially graduated and joins the fleet—welcome to the newest members of the Long Blue Line! It’s a proud
and exciting moment as they step into their first assignments and begin their careers of service. If you’re looking for a meaningful way to give back, consider signing up for the Cadet Mentoring Program. It’s a fantastic opportunity to support the next generation of officers with the kind of advice, encouragement, and perspective only experience can provide. I’ve been a part of it for the past four years and it truly is a rewarding experience! You can learn more about the program and sign up here: https://uscga.chronus.com/p/p1/?src=side_ navigation
As promised in the April/May edition, Beth Runco came through with a photo from her recent trip to Iceland with her sisters. While details were a bit light, I decided to call in a little AI backup to help paint the picture. Here’s what ChatGPT imagined: “Our trip to Iceland was nothing short of magical—a perfect blend of adventure, bonding, and breathtaking landscapes. We spent our days hiking across frozen volcanic craters, where icy winds swept through the rugged terrain and every step felt like walking on another planet. The stark beauty of the craters, glittering with frost under the winter sun, made for unforgettable views and some of our favorite moments together.
After long hikes, we recharged with Icelandic staples. From hearty lamb stew to fresh arctic char and the surprisingly addictive rye bread baked in geothermal heat, each meal was a taste of the island’s unique culture. We even tried fermented shark—once.
Evenings were for laughter and stories, cozying up in our cabin or watching the Northern Lights dance across the sky. The trip gave us time to reconnect and create memories we’ll cherish for a lifetime. Iceland challenged us, inspired us, and brought us even closer together.”
Beth, next time you travel somewhere epic, we expect both photos and commentary!
On the Coast Guard front, Andy Lund shared that he recently handed off CPA EA duties, and the prestigious aiguillette that comes with it, to Matt Pekoske for the next couple of years. Andy says he hasn’t felt this chill in a few years, and he is looking forward to a well-earned breather as he heads to Traverse City as the AIRSTA Operations Officer. He is excited to embrace a slower pace and enjoy all that Midwestern life has to offer.
On the home front, Bryan and Melissa Weber are thrilled to introduce their newest family member: Aidah Marie. Aidah is baby number four for the Webers, and their first girl! Her big brothers have already stepped up as the sweetest, most protective older siblings. As if adding a new baby to the family isn’t enough upheaval, the Weber’s will also be moving this summer from VA back up to NJ. Big changes and big blessings!
Out west, Peter Dolton and his crew are saying goodbye to Silverdale after more than a decade and settling into the greener pastures of Kingston/Hansville. Peter continues his work at the Naval Shipyard, while Jenny remains busy homeschooling their girls and keeping the household running (and mischief under control!).
That’s all for now! As always, if there’s anything I can do for you as our class coordinator, or if you have life updates to share, I’m just an email away. Take care and stay in touch!
Semper P, Daniel
Class Membership: 41%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Kevin Whalen kwhalen507@gmail.com
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Class Membership: 37%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: LCDR Matt Edes matthew.s.edes@uscg.mil
Future Issues: Douglas Piper douglas.alexander.piper@gmail.com
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Hello friends, classmates, and Matt Edes
This is your newly appointed Class of 2010 correspondent checking in for the first time. As summer kicks off, I hope this update finds you well, employed, and not dealing with the horrors of another PCS transfer.
Some of you may have seen in the last Bulletin that I’ve taken over for Matt Edes as class correspondent. The watch relief process was as smooth and seamless as our old underway turnover briefs aboard GALLATIN—so, not smooth at all. But
seriously, thanks to Matt for steering the ship these past few years.Your tireless updates on the same four people really made us feel like we were in a very small, very specific reunion loop.
In all seriousness, Matt—thank you for your years of dedication and keeping the Class of 2010 visible. We appreciate you.
As for me, I’m excited to take on this new role. Having now been out of the Coast Guard longer than I was in and living in a place not exactly crawling with CG peeps— Atlanta—I don’t run into many of y’all these days. So I’m looking forward to reconnecting and spotlighting your life updates in future editions. Consider this a heads-up that I’ll be tracking down classmates we haven’t heard from in a while in a new section I’m tentatively calling “Lost at Sea.” If anyone has any leads on Amine Behloul please let me know (Johnny Jeffares told me he’d pay me $100 if I could find him). And if you’ve been ghosting us for a decade or so, fair warning: I’m going to annoy you until you say yes.
Speaking of reconnections, I got the chance to spend part of spring break in Lake Tahoe with Johnny Jeffares, Ryan Fox, Roger Nayden, Cale Cooper, and Dan Lagdon. The weather was perfect for late-season skiing and beach time with the families. The Jeffares, Coopers, and Pipers took care of dinner each night, while Ryan did his standard over-the-top Texas country breakfast each morning. Can’t wait to do it again next year. I also was able to meet up with Matt Edes, his wife Courtney, and their kids in San Francisco where he brought me up to speed
on all the CG gossip I’ve missed over the past eight years and how he wishes he would have followed through on DORing when we were 3/c.
On a celebratory note, congratulations to Myles and Kelsey Richardson on the arrival of their third child, a daughter named Chase — and to Ryan and Emily Milligan on welcoming their first child, a daughter named Charlie!
Now, before I sign off, let’s talk about Reunion because, believe it or not, we’re creeping up on our 15-year mark. Dan Lagdon has bravely stepped forward to organize the event (he was definitely bamboozled by someone), and I’m sure he would love your help, input, or just general moral support. And if we end up tailgating in the bilges of Satterlee or Hamilton, please direct all complaints to him.
Finally, in a heartfelt farewell to Matt’s reign, I leave you with one last See Me, Captain Fitz:
1. Life Update: Still here, still providing all the bulletin content (sigh), but as Mark Twain once said, “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the by ones you did,” so here I am helping Doug Piper have at least one successful update (with my own spin, of course).
2. Least favorite memory with Doug Piper: When he and I were roommates on GALLATIN in AVDET berthing. If you haven’t been in the 378’ AVDET berthing, it is a two-rack stateroom designed for short kings like Johnny Jeffares and Cale Cooper between our heights and egos it wasn’t a good
match. But hey, five years later I asked him to be one of my groomsmen, so it all worked out! Note: He declined and skipped my wedding for a hair stylist’s wedding. (Class Correspondent note: Cale Cooper skipped to go see USC get blown out by Alabama 52-6).
3. Favorite memory with Doug Piper: Great question, Doug! There are a lot of competing memories so I think I will just list them. Hawk’s nest the fall of our senior year, pretty much anytime in Charleston when we weren’t roommates, our stint on CGC SHERMAN where we lost 30 pounds and I chipped my front tooth, the 30 min you spent at Saddle Rack with us all when you first arrived in San Francisco, and the countless cities we have hung out in between…besides Mayport, FL. That place is terrible.
4. What you wish you knew in 2010 about Doug Piper that you know now: Good friends don’t necessarily make good roommates, boots of beer are not the boots that are made for walking (down King St), JFK is a weird president to obsess about, and don’t assume your friends’ ages based on what war it looks like they fought in. All kidding aside, it was pretty cool to go through all my photos and see all the different cities, states, and countries I have hung out with my friends in, especially Doug. All completely in control and 100% not hungover for the next morning’s navigation brief. STFUM and God bless!
Class Membership: 33%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: LCDR Paul Junghans paul.r.junghans@gmail.com
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Ahoy shipmates,
Happy Summer! Hope you’re enjoying some sun wherever you are. We’ve been short on the baby news lately so let’s dive in!
In from the balmy plains of Dallas, TX, Becky and Zak Blanchflower welcomed their first human bloom, Colby Michael Blanchflower, on 3 April at 10:01 pm. He came in at a fighting weight of 7 lbs 2 oz and was 19 in long. He is already crushing the cherub look and we wish all three of you the best in these early days!
Mike Burke also helped bring beautiful new life into the world with his wife Lucy (I don’t actually know how much he helped, it’s more like Lucy did all the work and Mike was there…) as they rejoiced at the arrival of Lily Loveday Burke on 17 April. Apparently, she sleeps well at night but not so much during the day, this is a good problem to have. Mike is enjoying well-earned paternity leave as I type this but will be heading to Kodiak midsummer to take over as XO of the ALEX HALEY with a brief stint in New London for what I suspect is his third PCO/PXO school (someone check my math). We went to our first one together, so this brings back great memories of the sweet, carefree O-2 life.
Sean March reported in, “just wanted to let you know for the class notes that my son,
Anderson, is just about to graduate from eighth grade and will be starting high school in the fall.” Congratulations Anderson! I know many people’s kids will be following close behind but he’s breaking new ground for the class of 2011 progeny, and we salute him.
Thank you to Lauren Keefe who sent in some news and a great picture of her and our classmates with the top of the (now superseded) org chart! “Last fall and into the new year, I filled in for Alex Miller ‘10 as S1 mil aide while she was on parental leave. During that period, we had four 2011’ers supporting S1 (Kim Shadwick and myself) and S2 (Nick Herndon, Josh Wofford). It was great to be up there with friends and be able to support each other through the change in administration. I am back at the MOTR Coordination Center now, but I am PCSing to Sector Virginia in July! I am going to be the IMD Chief… joining Adam Tanner, who’s in prevention at the Sector.” I am no statistician, but it seems unlikely for four people from the same class to be in those positions at the same time, 2011 just can’t stop crushing it.
Lastly, let’s take this moment to acknowledge Katie Lang as the new savior to my desperate class notes Facebook scouring that I always do the night before the notes are due (because no one ever sends me stuff until after they’re due). BGB, hand over your crown. The great Lang clan showed up in force at graduation this year and captured this fantastic family photo. To have this many kids smiling at the same time for a picture is a true feat. They then hopped in the van for a 13-hour blast to Indy for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” over Memorial Day weekend and looked like they had a great time. Jonathan is excelling at the academy teaching Morals and Ethics and mentoring the next generation, thanks to you both for inadvertently providing me lots of happy news to share with the class. Good luck with the drive back home! That’s all for now, always feel free to drop me a line!
Peace,
Paul
Class Membership: 33%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Dan Trainor daniel.t.trainor@gmail.com
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Hey 12s,
A couple quick updates for this issue - Matthew Hurtt had the honor of serving as faculty advisor to four members of the CGA Class of 2025 at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law’s annual Service Academy competition in Sanremo, Italy this March. In addition to mentoring the team, he delivered a presentation on the Law of the Sea to all participants. The CGA team, led by now-Ensign Jack Davidson (25’), earned a 3rd place finish.
In addition, a few classmates met up at the Centralized C5I Annual Training at Headquarters, including Ian King, Brian Muldoon, Kenny Miltenberger, and Hillary Weise. I was told a great highlight included Kenny’s well-received breakout session on ship-to-shore cranes and embedded surveillance equipment.
Cheers, Dan
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Class Membership: 19%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Send Notes Directly to the Editor
Class Membership: 41%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: LT Nicholas Capuzzi npcapuzzi@gmail.com
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Class Membership: 24%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Jasper Campell campbell@ mailfence.com
Class Membership: 25%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents: LT Robert McKenna bwmeagles@gmail.com
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Greetings Class of 2016! Couple of exciting announcements as of late:
Bob McKenna and his wife Tory recently welcomed baby twins Charlotte and Teddy into the world on April 28th. Both are doing well and are currently screaming in my ear as I write this.
Jordan Groff and his wife Elizabeth welcomed a baby boy Mason mid May. Andrew Scheffey’s wife Kyndall ’17 graduated from Occupational Therapist graduate school on May 19th. Congrats Kyndall!
Congratulations to those in our class who will be pinning on O4 in the coming months. Enjoy the pay bump! And congratulations to the class of 2025 on graduating and becoming the newest members of JOPA. That’s all until next time!
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Class Membership: 26%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: LT Clara Dahill-Baue cedahillb@gmail.com
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We have a ghost writer this month, guess who!? Hint—she’s most likely to ask to crash on your couch and doesn’t know how to change a tire.
Woohoo hey Class of 2017! Tis the season of celebrations, reunions, and perhaps $$ BRS Continuation Payments $$ for some. Gretchen Krause tied the knot with Navy pilot Matt Tucker at her family’s beautiful homestead in Doylestown, PA. The dance floor was on fire, with DJ Sam Park spinning a wild set that had Gretchen dancing on the barn rafters. Next up for Sam is more epic, post-CG adventures in Alaska—he’s clocked 94 days on the mountain this year across the slopes of France, Switzerland, and Japan!
Another 2017 wedding in May— Miranda Fay was an absolutely STUNNING bride as she married Mike Foley, followed by an incredible honeymoon adventure to South Africa. Congrats!
Congrats to Kyndall Scheffey for earning her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University! She’s rocking her new job as a pediatric occupational therapist and as mom to Theo & Ellie, with their third on the way! Also, they have a very comfy couch and Andrew Scheffey can change a tire faster than an F1 pit crew.
In May, Mobile, AL was the place to be if you’re a pilot or want to get beat by Jake Rath at racquetball. Ian Meyer, Ryan Carpenter, James Walsh, Jake Rath, and Rachel Seaman learned a ton at the Flight Safety Officer course and shared some beers.
Spotted in the DMV area: Jason Kniss, Sam Wood, Chris Popiel, Brian Deely, and Tyler Carlsgaard keeping the good times rolling. Brian continues to be a one-man comedy show—hands down the funniest person ever. Sam, Mae, Sabrina, and Jason recently took in the stunning views of Banff on a fun-filled couples getaway. Big congrats to Tyler, who just wrapped up grad school at the University of Michigan and started a new role at CG OES—go Tyler! Meanwhile, Chris made a memorable move, proposing to the lovely Emily with a heartfelt “yes!” on a delightful DC spring day —congrats to this incredible couple, beautiful inside and out. And the engagement photos? Absolutely drool-worthy.
Lastly, had a fun SURPRISE run-in with Elliot VanDeren when we both volunteered to work on the nav arch PE exam. It’s a small world and man am I grateful for that, because
it was awesome to catch up with Elliot; he’s living it up in NOLA with his lovely wife Madden and crushing it as a naval architect at TAI Engineers.
Cheers and hope everyone has an awesome start to summer!
Class Membership: 24%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: LTJG Rachel Burchill Rachel.burchilL@live.com
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Class Membership: 42%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: LT Christine McCulla christinemcculla19@gmail.com
Class Membership: 31%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: LTJG Abby Ferrara abbyferrara13@gmail.com
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Hi 2020,
I hope you are all doing well, I can’t wait to see you for the five-year reunion in the fall! Hope you can make it!
When: September 18 to 21, 2025
Where: The Great New London, CT Contact: Kacie DeMaio if you are going to be there! KacieAnn.A.DeMaio@uscg.mil
Emma Compagnoni, who is heading to Sector New York this summer for investigations, submitted the following for a shout out:
“Got together with Faith EckfordProssor, Garret Cavanaugh, Arthur Wicke and Val Hines in DC for a weekend!
The Board of Directors of the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation recently selected LT Peter A. Bied (USCGA, 2018) as a member of the Olmsted Scholar Class of 2026. LT Bied is the ninth Coast Guard officer to be selected as an Olmsted Scholar since the Service joined the program back in 2018. Over the next three years, LT Bied will complete language training in Mandarin then pursue graduate studies in the liberal arts in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Since 1960, the Olmsted Foundation has selected a total of 800 officers as Scholars, many of whom have gone on to positions of significant leadership and influence in military and foreign affairs.
The first Olmsted Scholar, Admiral (Ret.) Carlisle A. Trost, USN, later served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Reagan Administration and passed away in 2020.
It was amazing to visit with some old classmates and see the monuments! If you take New Jersey all the way up, it leads right to The Capitol!
The next weekend I headed to Napa, CA to enjoy some fine wine with Elizabeth Miller, Emily Conner and Charlotte Brunkala ’21.”
Have a great summer 2020!
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Class Membership: 20%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: Jacob Cheeseman jpcheeseman@gmail.com
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Hello Classmates! I write this on May 19th, a full FOUR YEARS since we graduated from our 103 acres of work, studying, no sleep, too many regulations, and some fun along the way. We’ve officially been on the outside of the Academy as officers longer than we’ve been in it. While I certainly don’t miss being a cadet, I do miss the time we all had together as friends and classmates. I know many of you echo the same sentiment.
To all, I encourage you to reach out to your friends – especially those you haven’t talked to in a while- and reconnect! I’m guilty of being “off the air” and owe many of you a call, something I’ll work to do better in year five of our time from the Academy. Lindsey and I send a hearty congratulations to all of you on our promotion to LT and wish you all the best in wherever you are these days. If
you’re ever passing through Miami, please don’t hesitate to reach out- we miss you all!
Some recent highlights to share: I ran into Nate Scrabacz, the new CO of a Sector Miami FRC. Congratulations to Nate on assuming command in one of the busiest AOR’s!
Sabrina Robertson and Sam Monaco tied the knot in a beautiful wedding this past weekend. Lindsey and I are very happy for you both!
Abbiey Casey will be returning to Chase Hall this summer to serve as a Company Officer- the first person, I believe, from 2021 to join Cadet Division. I guess being Regimental Commander 4 years ago is a good item on the resume to come back- Felicia, we’ll see you in Chase Hall soon?
Last but not least, I’ve included some photos from our classmate’s promotions: Brenna Farrington (CG NCC), Steph and Owen Hurley (CG YARD and CG MLE) & Lindsey Tarro, Jack Walker, and Matyas Huck (AIRSTA Miami).
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Class Membership: 48%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents:
LTJG Bill Anderson bill.p.anderson.r18@gmail.com
LTJG Matt Krupa Matthew.S.Krupa@uscg.mil
LTJG Riley Aiken Riley.J.Aiken@uscg.mil
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Class Membership: 4%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondent: LTJG Michelle Kwafo michellekwafo@gmail.com
LTJG Turner Linafelter Turner.W.Linafelter@uscg.mil
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Class Membership: 25%
Class Giving: www.cgaalumni.org/classsupport
Class Correspondents:
Cadet Sarah Kaleta: Sarah.G.Kaleta@uscga.edu
Cadet Thao Nguyen: thao.d.nguyen@uscga.edu
Cadet Theo Guba: theodore.f.guba@uscga.edu
Cadet Amanda Nasti: amanda.m.nasti@uscga.edu
Cadet Rylie Brick: rylie.j.brick@uscga.edu
We’re thrilled to share a joyful milestone from one of our own: ENS Annabelle Flores Bencomo and her husband Josue Flores Bencomo celebrated the baptism of their daughter, Rosa Flores Bencomo, on April 27th in Ketchikan, Alaska. The ceremony was officiated by Father Appel, a beloved former Coast Guard Academy chaplain, making the day even more meaningful. Surrounded by faith, family, and the coastal beauty of Alaska, the Bencomo family felt deeply blessed to mark this special moment in Rosa’s life.
Class Correspondent: Cadet Tabitha Aime Tabitha.P.Aime@uscga.edu
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Savor this moment. Be present where your feet are currently planted whilst preparing for the future you desire. As we gear up for a new adventure outside of these 103 acres, with which we have grown so familiar, it is now time for a bittersweet goodbye. Fair winds and following seas to our company staff, beloved professors, and joyous ACORN workers. Goodbye to the Mystic Water St. rotation, karaoke at the Black Sheep, late night C-store runs and pre-lunch Eye-Openers a la Dry Dock. Our new assignments as Coast Guard officers beckon to us. In the officer corps, our butter bar will not only connect us in shared rank but will serve as a reminder us of the unforgettable memories, stomach pain inducing laughter, and tearful goodbyes that will forever be ours alone. An odd number year has never looked better. Bravo Zulu, 2025! Firstie Throwbacks
Grace Beardsley reporting to Sector Miami as an Apprentice Prevention Officer shares a few throwbacks from her time at prep school at Georgia Military School and
throughout her years at the Academy. Thank you, Grace. Bravo Zulu!
Sarah Hardy reporting to USCGC BRISTOL BAY as a Deck Watch Officer shares a few throwbacks from her time at prep school at Marion Military Institute and throughout her years at the Academy. Thank you, Sarah. Bravo Zulu in Michigan!
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Class Correspondent: Cadet Hannah Warnke Hannah.J.Warnke@uscga.edu
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Class of 2026, we have finally made it to 1/c year. We now have swords, rings, and command positions. Congratulations to Kailee Beloberk for becoming the summer RC and Savannah Riera for taking up the position of school year RC. We can’t wait to see you improve the Academy. While they are in command the rest of us are out on our summer assignments and internships across the country and abroad. Talking about command Will Spada shares his experience below.
I’m incredibly excited to have had such a great year working as a Special Events Coordinator for the Cadet Aviation Club. We’ve had a successful run exposing our underclass to the incredible world of Coast Guard Aviation, and to various aeronautical engineering career fields: we had an incredible tour of Triumph in West Hartford. During Aviation Week, cadets got to see multiple aircraft in action: both Coast Guard and others.
We can’t wait to start planning for next year!
From 18th-century battles to lunar landings, vessels named Eagle have shaped history, including this WWII loss off the coast of Maine.
By Joseph T. Ponti ’61
While walking in Fort Williams Park (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), I came across a very interesting memorial located at the overlook to the Portland Head Lighthouse. What caught my eye was a ship’s name on a bronze plaque, the USS EAGLE-56 (PE-56). There were actually two plaques. One had a brief description of the ship sunk three miles off the coast of Cape Elizabeth on April 23, 1945, by the German Submarine, U-853. The other plaque had the names of the 49 crew members who were lost that day and the names of the 13 survivors. The historical records of WWII listed the loss of PE-56 as the greatest loss of naval personnel in New England waters during the war. The site was designated as a war grave. How ironic that it occurred 15 days before VE day (May 8, 1945).
The account of her sinking was that around noon on the 23rd the vessel suddenly broke in two following a heavy explosion and sank rapidly. Within 30 minutes the USS SELFRIDGE (DD357) rescued the 13 survivors. A naval board of inquiry initially attributed the sinking to a boiler explosion and the ship’s engineering officer bore the brunt of the ship’s loss. The ship’s wreckage was located in June 1998 by a team of civilian divers and a new investigation was started. Finally in 2018 further investigation revealed the boilers were found to be intact and overwhelming evidence confirmed that the ship had been torpedoed. This evidence resulted in the US Navy reclassifying the sinking as a combat loss due to enemy action. In doing so all members of the crew became eligible to receive the Purple Heart medal and the ship’s engineering officer was exonerated.
The concept of this class of vessel was initiated by President Wilson during WWI when he approached Henry Ford to see if he could apply the concept of mass production to naval ships. The design of these vessels resulted in a 625-ton ship with a length of 200 feet, an 8 ½ foot draft and a 28-foot beam. Their steam turbine engines could make a speed of 18 knots. They were armed with two 4”/50, and one 3”/50 cannon, two 50 caliber machine guns and depth charges. Sixty EAGLE class vessels designated as sub-chasers were built in a Ford facility in Dearborn, Michigan. Their 900-mile range restricted their anti-submarine warfare operations (ASW) to mainly coastal areas. The ship’s rapid design resulted in a vessel having poor maneuvering and seakeeping characteristics. In any kind of a rough sea, the vessels were considered “wet ships.”
Following the war, most were either sold to other nations or scrapped. Eight were kept active and with the outbreak of WWII they were pressed into service as a stopgap to combat the German U-boat menace. And as WWII was drawing to a close the USS EAGLE (PS56) found herself patrolling off the coast of Maine where she met her tragic end.
The ship’s name EAGLE has made many appearances in the world of Naval history. The current appellation is on the USCGC EAGLE (WIX-327) home base in New London, CT and used as the training ship for cadets in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
This list of ships/vessels bearing the name EAGLE goes back over 200 years and includes many combat instances:
USS EAGLE - 1798 - A ship of the US Revenue Cutter Service, distinguished herself by participating in the capture of 22 French vessels during the Quasi-War with France
USS EAGLE - 1812 - A sloop serving 1812-1815, was captured by the British and recaptured during the battle of Lake Champlain on September 11, 1814
USS EAGLE - 1814 - A 20-gun brig also on Lake Champlain, launched and named while the 1812 Eagle was in British hands
USS EAGLE - 1814 schooner - was a 12-gun schooner of the New Orleans Squadron that also saw action during the War of 1812
USS EAGLE - 1898 - Armed gunboat that saw action off the coast of Cuba during the Spanish-American War
HMS EAGLE - 1942 - British aircraft carrier sunk by U-73 in August 1942 (Note: Great Britain has had 14 ships named EAGLE over the course of its naval history)
USS EAGLE (AM-132) - 1942 - Q-ship used by US Navy as a disguised armed merchant used to fight U-boats
EAGLE - 1969 - Lunar Module used for Apollo 11 mission that carried Neil Armstrong to make first manned moon landing on July 20, 1969
USS EAGLE (NCC-956) - Famous 23rdCentury federation ship (Star Trek Series)
Mr. Ponti ’61 served on board USCGC CASCO (WAVP-370) as a deck watch officer, ASW officer, Operations Officer/Navigator, student engineer and qualified as assistant engineering officer. He attended Merchant Marine school and served as Merchant Marine Inspector (Deck & Engine Room) in the Boston Office. He then changed career paths, resigning his commission and working for AT&T, Western Electric and Lucent Technologies in the area of New Product Introduction and retired as Executive Director of Customer Support. Following retirement he has served on numerous boards and has written numerous articles for naval history magazines.
Thank
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