FMSAA
News From Fort Schuyler
February 4, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 8
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (AND CLARIFICATIONS) - One of the subtle points in last week's tale of getting KP's goat was lost in translation, or at least in "spell check" by this editor. Its author, KEN PETERS, Class of 1954, explains: "I noticed that you corrected from Tru to True at one point in my goat story. My Tru was intentional and I should have explained it then."
"While the handmade sign in the picture in the 1954 yearbook says True Sport, OAKSMITH et al always approached KP using Tru Sport so as not to raise the hackles of True Sport. The goat herders across the sound did not catch the spelling change." Thanks for the explanation.
SPEAKING OF WHICH - "Ouch!" - That was about all KEN PETERS could write about "the" game: Kings Point 79 - Maritime 61. But wait until next year, folks. Then, perhaps, we can use these headlines sent by KEVIN COATES, Class of 1979, our correspondent in Diego Garcia: "Attention Mr. And Mrs. America, and all the ships at sea. FLASH !!! ... Domers Crush Kings Point at Garden. Film at 11!" Next year. But for now, congratulations to a worthy opponent.
SALUTE TO RECENT GRADUATES - The recent item about the graduation of ten Saudi cadets prompted a note from RAY SALEEBY, Class of 1967: "I am very happy to hear that Saudi students have been attending our school. I...was an advisor to the King and the Royal Commission during the planning and construction of Jubail and Yanbu. I salute our Saudi students and wish them all of the best that the Fort offers. I loved Fort Schuyler and wish all of the current students a successful future and send heartfelt regards to those friends that may remember this cadet." (Ray is the Managing Partner of AT&T Solutions.)
CQ -CQ - A new subscriber, KEN COFFEY, Class of 1948, writes that he is "..an amateur radio operator, call sign KT4KJ. Do you know if there are any other operators from the Old School ?" 73.
KOREAN WAR COMMEMORATIVE COMMITTEE WANTS YOU! - The 50th anniversary of the Korean War will be marked in 2003. MARAD is asking mariners for photographs, and oral or written accounts of incidents they recall from that war for use in its Internet site, publications and exhibits. CLYDE J. HART, Maritime Administrator, writes: "Your assistance will help us develop an accurate, historic account that recognizes and honors the importance of the U.S. merchant marine and the mariners who served in the finest tradition of the sea." Submit materials to Ms. Vontell D. Tucker, Public Affairs Specialist, Maritime Administration, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590.
ALIVE AND WELL AT DIEGO GARCIA - That intrepid group of Fort Schuyler graduates continues to thrive on what KEVIN COATES describes as the 'Footprint of Freedom' noting that "..from the air the lagoon resembles a giant foot. I believe it's the right." Kevin reports that on February 1 four Schuylerites were planning to convene a meeting of the Chagos Archipelago Chapter of the Alumni Association at the Officer's Club: DAVE PRYOR, Class of 1983, Chief Mate, USNS Henry J. Kaiser, MARK STEIN, Class of 1994, 3rd Mate, M/V American Cormorant, AL SANFORD, Class of 1995, Lt. USN, Billeting Officer, Diego Garcia, and KEVIN, 2nd Mate, USNS Henry J. Kaiser.
There are now seven Maritime College alumni on station there, with the recent addition of classmate, PAT SALVATORE, Class of 1979,Chief Engineer on the M/V Buffalo Soldier. Kevin writes, "As I got on the liberty launch at the anchorage, this guy yells out my name. I turned around to see who it was, and lo and behold it was Pat, whom I had not seen in 20 years. ....talk about meeting up with the past."
FELICITATIONS - "I just got married on October 24 to my wife Elyse," writes DAVID FELICIONE, Class of 1994. "The ceremony and reception were held at West Point, NY. In attendance were several members of the Class of 1994: CHRIS HARIEGEL, WAYNE NILSEN, PETER BRESNEE, ANDRE SLINTAK and CHRIS AVERSANO. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) my wife is not a Schuyler alumnae."
MORE DOMER LORE - "One of my shipmates back in 1986," writes JOHN O'SULLIVAN, Class of 1984, "on the New York Sun, was a guy who graduated in 1974 (I do not remember his name from 13 years ago, but I looked in the Alumni Roster at the name BILL CROWE seems familiar) told me that the origin of the term came from the sci-fi movie 'Logan's Run' ... where the commercial for the movie mentioned that the people of that time lived in 'hermetically sealed domes," isolated from the rest of the world."
"My IDO's mentioned the planetarium dome story for IDO week and that we got the name from KP. I often referred to Maritime as 'Dome Sweet Dome."
"When ADMIRAL [FLOYD 'HOSS'] MILLER [Class of 1953] became president of the college in 1982, he publicly announced that he wanted the term eliminated because he felt it was insulting and that it sounded like 'dummy.' I remember that representatives from the Class of 1983 in some meeting pointed out that the term was found on their school rings and they finally convinced him that it was a Maritime tradition. Admiral Miller followed up with a public announcement that the term 'Domer' was okay and appeared to embrace it." (Ed. Well, in any case, Fort Schuyler has been a domicile for many generations of students, a d - - -e away from home.)