News

1 Dec 16
GreetingsT3 Folks -

As usual a last minute (almost) reminder about our next get together. This one is 12 December on or about 1830 hours. As usual it will be at the China King in Woodbridge. Call me if you need directions. I may finally have something interesting to say as I will be a character witness at a murder trial that day.   I didn’t do it. I’m innocent your honor.

Our last luncheon (November 14th) was blessed with sixteen folks. I think that’s the second largest group we have had. The couples were Mr & Mrs Bill “Santa” Portt, the Dale Anderson’s, the Russ Carpenters, and Bill Sutton and bride. Singles were Lynn the Registrar Keleher, Barney B Free, Bill McCray, John Jens, adopted DMSr Gene Tatum, Virgil Tarry and your’s truly. Wait - that only adds up to fifteen. Thought I counted 16. I’m pretty sure I counted sixteen - missed someone I did. I have an excuse - I got a year older three days after that lunch. I haven’t been one to say my exact age now for a while. It started when I became four dozen, then seven squared, then ten for the fifth time, seventeen for the third time etc. I can now say proudly that I am ten years old in dog years. I was called a SOB enough times over the years to fully qualify with that age now.

Cool thing at our last lunch. Barney Free had an Uncle on the Arizona when it was hit at Pearl Harbor. He told Gene Tatum, my three war vet friend, all he knew about it during the last dinner that Barney attended. Gene found a model of the Arizona and presented it to a very grateful Barney B.   Besides that much appreciated gift Barney has had too much good go his way lately - Trump won (I can live with that for now) and his blasted Cowboyz lucked out over my Redskins (I can’t live with that at all!).   The Skins whupped them in the stats but lost the most important thing - the score. I want a better fortune cookie next time.

I did ask for feedback on a possible 100th Anniversary celebration of our school’s arrival at Fort Belvoir (then Camp Humphrey) and based on the response I received we would only need to use one picnic table at Zieres Park and could get by with two small pizzas. I guess it’s still early but if we are going to do it in May of 2018 we would really need to start getting serious in a few months. Reservations, tour plans, etc take time. So what is it gang? Interested? I’m sure there are a lot of folks that I don’t have contact information on that need to be located that may be interested. I’d need help pounding the internet on that one. Pepperoni, extra cheese???

I’m presuming most follow the news daily. First of all I hope the fires in Tennessee aren’t affecting any of you. It is tragic for sure. Also in the news was the announcement that LtGen(Ret) James Clapper is retiring from being the Director of National Intelligence in January with the beginning of the new administration.   For those of you that didn’t know it Clapper was our Director of NGA from 2001-2006. It was actually NIMA until sometime in 2004 but he was the honcho. I had the honor of working across the hall from him in 2004 while I was on rotational assignment to the Command Center. I had sever interactions with him and enjoyed talking with him. When my mom died in December 2004 General Clapper sent me a hand written letter of condolence that I will always cherish. I didn’t know he knew my name was Jack!!   Towards the end of his tenure at the Agency he visited our school and had a meet and greet at Bagley Hall. If you knew him you knew a fine man.

I haven’t heard any new news lately or heard any old news late. I’m at the mercy of those of you out there to keep me informed. Thanks to Facebook I did receive a pretty good amount of birthday wishes two weeks ago. With the danger of omitting someone accidently, like I did on our lunch list, I will just say I appreciated all that responded. It makes an old fart feel good.

And should you not be able to make the upcoming dinner I wish you a very Merry Christmas /Happy Holidays.   Thanks for being friends!!!

                                                Jack (540)846-5413