News From Fort Schuyler

June 3, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 28

THESE FOLKS ARE ORGANIZED - The Class of 1969 plans to celebrate its 30th Reunion in July, according to e-mails from both GARY CHILJEAN and JERRY HASSELBACH. Their hot-weather homecoming will be held in New York City during the July 23 - 24 weekend. Gary writes that: "We have about 30 Sixty-Niners so far, but are still trying to get in touch with others. Anyone interested should get in touch with DON STEINER: djsteiner@us.oracle.com or (203) 846-0154."

A BRIDGE TOO FAR - After reading the piece by GARY RAFFAELE, Class of 1960, about the pirate radio station his classmates operated (3:26), PETE BACI, Class of 1964, wrote: "While I can't comment on the radio station, his recollection of 'hearing it while crossing the Throggs Neck Bridge' can't be correct. I entered Schuyler as a Mug in September 1960 and the bridge was still under construction. There were days when we marched to the Fort on the other side of the peninsula because they were putting steel girders in place over the main road. The Class of '60 was long gone before the first car drove over the Throggs Neck Bridge." Pete is correct, of course. According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority website, the Throgs Neck Bridge (official NYC spelling these days) was opened for traffic in 1961. The final word to Gary: "Sorry for the error. You would think that since our class watched the bridge being built above us, I would know that it was not open at the time. The real bridge was the Whitestone." (http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/bandt/html/throgs.htm

NIMA IMPROVING ITS IMAGE(S) - According to ROY SOLURI, Class of 1962, the folks at the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (http://www.nima.mil) want to update new Sailing Directions with digital camera images of port entrances, lighthouses, etc. Roy, Deputy Chief of NIMA's Marine Navigation Department, can be contacted at solurir@nima.mil, his phone is (301) 227-370 and FAX is (301) 227-4211. So go to your favorite locale, take one for Roy, and e-mail it to him.

AN UP-TO-DATE SHIP'S LIBRARY - This summer, thanks to the generosity of DR. JOE GERSON, Class of 1947, the Ship's Library has been outfitted with a multi-disk database of magazine articles called Military FullText. Developed for shipboard use for the U.S.Navy, this CD-ROM set provides indexing and abstracts for over 600 titles, plus full-text articles for another 200 magazines, features three year coverage, and is current to April 1, 1999. Military FullText gives the ship's library a great deal of bibliographic muscle for its size. The database, updated quarterly, comes ashore for use in the Luce Library at the end of the training cruise. Thank you, Doc !

THEY ALL WENT BANANAS - Answers to the query about the West Coast banana business (3:27) posed by FERGUSON BYARS, Class of 1939, have already been forwarded to Fergie. Responses have been received from: BARRY MARSH, Class of 1986, with recommendations for reading, CLIFF WOLKEN, Class of 1987, who has a father-in-law from Ecuador, and DICK EVANS, Class of 1965, who wrote: "I'm an old United Fruit Company sailor and can provide Ferguson Byars with some info on 'banana boats,' though dated. Probably doesn't matter that much as Ferguson and I are dated ourselves." (Speak for yourself, Richard.)

1-2--3-4- ? "Can anyone explain," writes EVERETT ROSENBLUM, Class of October 1946, "why the sign on the inside of the Fort was changed from "ST. MARY's Quadrangle to ST. MARY's Pentagon ? It had such great ambiance ! When was it changed ?" We count on your answers.