Class
Notes
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VMI Alumni Review Summer 2003 Class Notes...
I want to welcome home all of our BRs who have returned from the Gulf. You made us proud and represented the Institute and our class well. For those who are still deployed, stay safe, and come home as soon as possible. Phil Starling finished graduate school at Johns Hopkins on May 22, with a master's in international affairs. Phil is hoping to stay in the D.C. area. His brothers, Mike '92 and Chris '88, are both stationed in Iraq. Phil reported that the rugby alumni had a great time at the Institute on April 26, although they lost the match 40‑8. For the first time, the alumni fielded a full side. Unfortunately, Pig was called away on work, Tim Silva is in the Persian Gulf, and Scott Cole was also deployed. George Karavetsos became a federal prosecutor in 2000 and is assigned to prosecute FDA related cases at the U.S. Attorney's office in Miami, Florida. He frequently travels back and forth from D.C. to Miami, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to prosecute cases. He has been living in northern Virginia for almost three years. George also informed me that Kevin Vermillion is a secret service agent still assigned to the vice president's protection detail. He also lives in northern Virginia with his wife, Lee, and their son, Jack, a future Keydet. Dr. Matt Ankrum is a dentist who will receive his advanced degree in endodentistry this month. He will be moving back to Blacksburg, Virginia, to open his own practice. George, Kevin and Matt plan to attend the VMl v. Navy game in August. Rob Brumley married Katie Campbell of Chapel Hill. North Carolina, on April 12, 2003. Many BRs made the trip down for the wedding: Brian Froehlich, Camillus Musselman, Curt Crowder, Madison Burr, Steve Ward, Woody Bonner, Paul Curley, Mitch Wells, Dan Price, Mike Nagao, D.J. Fix and Chase Thornton. Rob's dyke, Al Carter ’91, was there, as was his nephew dyke, Charles Ayers '97. Everyone had a great time and they are all looking forward to the next reunion or wedding. John Rudy has been out of work since January and his wife, Dana, lost her job in May. John and Dana are looking for positions anywhere in the country. The first one to get a job will go to where it is and send the money home. We'll keep our fingers crossed, John. Steve Ward recently moved back to Waynesboro from Nashville and is slowly adjusting to life in the metropolis again. Steve is working in the area with Vailes Brothers doing remodeling and restoration to existing structures. Juney Harding got mobilized in March to support OIF He is assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency and is working in the POW/ MIA Cell. His orders run up to Feb. 2004, but he could be released early. In May, Bill Stegemerten returned from serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom while deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. While there, he received some great support from Sean Lanier, who is stationed in Germany as a logistics officer. Fritz Ligday is serving with the Army Corps of Engineers in Heidelberg, Germany. Steve Colvin had been trying to recruit Bill for an instructor position at the "I". Unfortunately, the timing was not right, and Bill was not able to accept it. He hopes he will get the opportunity in the future. Bill wrote that one of the highpoints of the war was hearing from our Brother Rat Chris Gros on the other line. Bill was able to send him, and the Marines he was serving with, some communications equipment that assisted with the identification of Iraqi Scud missiles. Bill and his wife, Renee, who is a pilot with the Sumter Airport in South Carolina, are expecting their first child in August. They expect to be relocating to the D.C. area by Christmas. Bill also ran into Mike Weaver in the PSAB chow hall. He was flying F‑15s out of northern Saudi Arabia in support of OIF. Weav informed Bill that he is engaged to Curt Crowder's sister. John P. Goode works for Philip Morris. He talks to James Clare, Ben Miller and Jake King often. King and Clare both still work for Metalspray. Vince Porter reported in to West Point, where he will finish his graduate degree. Vince will work as a company TAC officer. Vince also said that Lee Worrel is in Hawaii TDY with the Air Force. He planned to see him in May. Bryant McMillian '95 is also there serving with the Military Police K‑9 unit. Hopefully, Bryant's name will come up on the next Sergeant First Class (E‑7) list this summer. Vince looks forward to running into fellow alums at West Point "breaking those cadets in VMI style." Sean Lanier was sent to Germany in January and assumed command in March. Sean is keeping his head above water with command and working on his master's degree. He should be done with command next September, which at that time he will "figure out what I want to do when I grow up." Stacey and Jim McCoy welcomed Grace Elizabeth McCoy on April 16, 2003. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 14 3/4 oz. Jim said, "She is as beautiful as her mother and will make a great VMI Keydet…” Work is keeping him on his toes. Jim's company is currently going through an acquisition and selling of separate facilities at the same time. Aric Southworth left the 33rd Flight Test at the Warfare Center on Fort Dix in May to head to Georgia to fly JSTARS at Robins AFB. He is looking forward to being back south in "God's country!" Aric, Barbara, daughter Morgan and son Hayden would welcome any BR's who pass through Macon or Atlanta. Drew Vandergrift and his wife have two kids. They are still in youth ministry. Drew will finish his master's degree next year. They love San Diego and will probably never leave, "too much surf.” Sean Small wrote from Baltimore to say that Rich Clark had a baby boy, William McLean Clark on February 27, 2003. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 1 1/2 oz. John "JP" Payne will get married on July 5th to Susan Milner of Illinois. John "JR" Teal is in Baqubah, Iraq, just south of Baghdad. Ham Story wrote from Memphis where he is halfway through a four‑year residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery. His wife, Mary Helen, their two children, Rebecca and Stacy, would like to catch up with some of the guys sometime. Mike Eason still lives in the Austin, Texas area, where he bought a house last November. On the day he made his first payment, he was laid off from Cypress Semiconductors. He is now working for Aarons Plus as a manager‑in‑training. He is also Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Commander for the 49th Armored Division Artillery, Texas Army National Guard. Mike received word that Mike Rezabek was deployed to Jordan back in January with his Special Forces Team. Skippy Silva returned home on May 18th from Operation Iraqi Freedom. He left home on January 21st and arrived in Kuwait on January 29th. While there, he was attached to Marine Air Support Squadron‑3. His billet during the war was as a senior air director in the Direct Air Support Center (DASC). Basically, he coordinated with the 1st Marine Division's Fire Support Coordination Center (FSCC) and the Air Officer on the employment and integration of fixed and rotary wing close air support, assault support, and casualty evacuation aircraft. They went all over Iraq and made it all the way to one of Saddam's palaces in Tikrit. They made it back to Kuwait on April 25th. In all, he had a good experience during the war and was glad that he was part of it. It was hectic, chaotic and fast paced. He said, "Seeing the young children on the sides of the highway begging for food and water, as they live in mudhuts without electricity, justified my being sent over there; to give them a better life and future." While there, Skippy ran into numerous VMI alumni, all Marines. He ran into Sean Dickman '94 and Mike Starling '92 several times before, during, and after the war. He also saw Rick Mattoso '96, Timothy Dzierzek '92, Jay Frey '92, Nathan Rush, Todd Radford '93, Mark Arboneaux '88, David Furness '87, James Bierman '87 and James Chartier '85. Thanks to all BRs who sent information for the notes. By now, everyone should have received word that our 10th Reunion will take place on September 17‑18, 2004. Please make plans to attend.
Click on the link below for previous class notes (in Adobe PDF format):
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