News From Fort Schuyler

May 22, 1998 - Volume 2, No. 23

WELCOME ABOARD THE TSES VI - The Summer Sea Term "Cruise Log", produced by cadets, is up and running. Join the EMPIRE STATE VI at http://www.sunymaritime.edu to follow along in text and graphics. Ham radio operators might also check the Maritime Net (14,300 kHz or 14,313 kHz) to see if they can raise the ship (call letters KKFW / Sitor ID-11081 ) or try SSB mode to contact the ship's Radio Operator, Roger Groepper. His amateur call sign is AC6QH.

ALBANY ALUMNI LINE HANDLERS - A contingent of volunteer longshoremen safely secured/let go the EMPIRE STATE in Albany on May 19 and 21 where the TSES had sailed to help SUNY celebrate its 50th Anniversary. They sported shirts emblazoned with their graduation year and, for reasons unknown to the editor, the pre-SUNY abbreviation of the school name from 1942-1948, NYSMA. Initial arrangements (including fashions) had been done by FRED WEBER 47. A preliminary roster of this hardworking, competent crew of old salts (spanning 60 years of graduations!) included: ERNIE DYE 36; FRANK KEANE 78; TOM MAGLIOCCA 53; CRAIG SMITH 54; TRAVIS STEVENS 96; JOHN TOMLICH. There were more volunteers involved who are not listed here. They will be recognized as soon as possible. Also, can anyone provide a JPEG of the famous T-shirts? (Source: Craig Smith response to editor's last minute query)

ST. MARY'S (THE SONG) - Can anyone point BOB GETTY, Class of 1965, to a WAV or MIDI file of our alma mater, "The Bells of St. Mary's" ? Bob wants to use it as a background to his home page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/RTGetty/Bob.htm)

TSES V STATUS REPORT FOLLOW UPS - Last week's report from BARRY MARSH, Class of 1986, elicited several e-mail responses. Classmate BRYAN MURPHY: " I too spent quite some time aboard TSES V. I live in Virginia and frequent the waters of the James. The ship I know like the back of my hand is sitting idle and completely rusted among a fleet of (>100) ships. It's a spooky sight to see. Every time I pass her as I cruise down the James River I throttle down to pay my respects and remind my passengers of her history. I sometimes think about tying up to her and climbing aboard for a look, but then again you never know who's watching."

CRAIG SMITH, Class of 1954: "After this startling report on the TSES V let's hope the present cadets don't take it into their heads to get into paintball pranks on the current showboat - at least not till it leaves Albany and reaches mid ocean!"

TSES IV AFTER FORT SCHUYLER - According to Mark Goldberg in "Caviar and Cargo - The C3 Passenger Ships" EMPIRE STATE IV "...served the academy until 1973, when she was replaced by a vessel with a similar history (the BARRETT). The career of the EMPIRE STATE IV, formerly the HENRY GIBBINS and BILOXI, the intended AMERICAN BANKER and AFRICAN COMET, was not over yet. In 1974 she was renamed BAY STATE and sailed up to Buzzard's Bay Massachusetts where she took up station as the cadet training ship of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. In March 1980 the BAY STATE was replaced by the GEIGER, a sister of the BARRETT. The BAY STATE then went to layup in the James River Reserve Fleet until sold for scrap in January 1981. Her last voyage took her to Kearney, New Jersey where the breaker's torch demolished her during 1982. Approaching her end silently and little noticed, she had been a great ship." (Thanks to BARRY MARSH for providing that excerpt.)

TSES III - A final word on the fate of this training ship from BARRY MARSH, who is building models of all the EMPIRE STATEs for the Maritime Industry Museum and must be a world expert on these vessels: "TSES III was returned to MARAD in 1960, then spent 11 years in reserve. She was sold for scrapping in Valencia, Spain, in June 1971. I've never seen a detailed history of the III, probably due to her short career as a training vessel." (Source e-mail correspondence)

DEPARTING ON THE TSES VI - Sometime during this Summer Sea Term the ashes of PEDER KRISTIAN WENNBERG, Class of 1953, will be committed to the deep in a solemn service aboard the EMPIRE STATE VI. Peder, a marine engineer and inventor, died last August at the age of 66. He was the founding owner of Propulsion Systems, Inc., a company specializing in controllable pitch propellers, thrusters and control devices.

In a letter to College Chaplain FATHER MICHAEL R. MOYNIHAN, Peder's wife, Joyce, writes: "Aside from his father's teachings, whom he admired and respected immensely, I would say his schooling at Fort Schuyler was the most influencing factor in his life. Peder came from a long line of Norwegian sea captains. The sea was to Peder like the ocean is to fish - he lived it, he breathed it. I would like the service to highlight his being 'home', both in the spiritual sense, as well as being put to rest at sea by the cadets. Peder was so proud of the College and all associated with it - it was truly the best time of his life. So much of his success was BECAUSE of the training and teaching he received at Fort Schuyler." Rest in peace Peder.