News From Fort Schuyler

January 28, 2001 - Volume 5, No. 03

WAXING SEALS - The number of SEALS hailing from Fort Schuyler increased following last weeks's note about Midshipman Cadet KENNETH CHENG's selection to train for that elite group. According to JOHN W.O'SULLIVAN, Jr., Class of 1984; "I checked the Alumni Roster and JARED TUXILL '93 is in SEAL Team 8 and CARL TISKA '86 is the Executive Officer of SEAL Team 4." Additional information is provided by BRIAN McCLINTOCK, Class of 1993, who notes that "Jared was not in ROTC and as a result had to enlist in the Navy to become a SEAL." BETTY TISKA writes "... LCDR Carl Tiska ... graduated from BUDS (Class #141) in 1986 and has been proudly wearing the SEAL Trident (aka "The Budweiser") for 14 years. If I recall correctly, Carl's Maritime College NROTC Instructor, CDR RICHARD HYDE, attended his BUDS graduation in Coronado, California." DAVID J. DEVINNEY, Class of 1986, wrote: "Not to diminish Mr. Cheng's great accomplishment of being selected for training as a Navy SEAL, but a classmate of mine, Carl Tiska, was selected for SEAL training, became a SEAL and I believe is still a SEAL. If I'm not mistaken, an XO of a SEAL Team. I haven't seen Carl since graduation, but my source of information, the alumni "grapevine" is usually very reliable. Carl was also a member of the NROTC unit at Maritime." Then there is the SEAL who grew up at Fort Schuyler, but graduated from Annapolis, son of former Engineering Department Chairman JOSE FEMENIA, Class of 1964, and Director of Alumni Programs, EILEEN FEMENIA. Eileen writes: "My son, LTJG JOSEPH FEMENIA (USNA '98) just came back from a 6-month deployment. He worked for and reported directly to LCDR Carl Tiska." Cadet Cheng will be joining a distinguished group of Fort Schuyler denizens.

PR KING - According to the "On the Waterfront" columnist in Wooden Boat Magazine (Jan/Feb 2001) GARY JOBSON, Class of 1973, is "..the person who has done the most to convince the world that to watch a sailboat race is not to watch the grass grow." Columnist Peter Spectre writes: "And speaking of publicity, one of the kings at the game has to be Gary Jobson, who has managed to use it (publicity) to convince the media that sailing, especially in its racing manifestation, is a spectator sport. Or perhaps I have that backwards. Could it be that the media, desperate for more sports to promote, has convinced Jobson to convince us that watching two guys on the foredeck bagging a spinnaker is a more compelling entertainment than 'Wheel of Fortune '?" Gary has certainly brought awareness of competitive sailing into millions of homes with his ESPN commentaries, video productions, and books since graduating from Schuyler. Gary, a long-time friend of the Stephen B. Luce Library, recently made a significant donation to its Year 2000 Gift Fund.

6 SCISSORBILLS + 1 SAVVY MUG - Members of the Class of 1947 ["6 attended this year, down from 28 a few years ago"] recently got together for yet another of their annual ski reunions at Breckenridge, Colorado. BOB PRESTON even e-mailed an almost alphabetical order port-to-starboard photo of the attendees: Bob, DENNIS COUGHLIN, GIL KATZ, DICK LUND, PHIL SCHLUSSEL and MARTIN ZURN. Also included, a separate photo of "MARTIN SILVER, Class of 1948, who joins us each year to keep up the old traditions of Personal Servitude and Physical Hazing. .. A SAVVY MUG !!!" Pictures from the slopes were promised.

HOME AGAIN - Saxophonist and survey ship Master, KIRBY STROSS, Class of 1977, reports that his "last shipboard tour ended in December 2000 aboard USNS LITTLEHALES. 2/m LISA SMITH [Class of 1996] and 2AE CHARLES STRAHLEY [Class of 1998] were aboard."

CROSSING THE BAR - The death on January 25, 2001 of MICHAEL G. BROWN, Class of 1967, was reported to NFFS by his classmate, Captain TOM MALANCHUK. Mike was Manager and Director of Texaco Marine Services in Port Arthur, Texas. Tom writes: "Mike was with Texaco since graduation, and passed away after a bout with cancer. I had a nice dinner and reunion with him several months ago when my ship, the KEYSTONE TEXAS, was in Port Arthur. I called him 2 days ago, spoke with his wife and daughter and found he was in the hospital, and today he is gone. He will be sorely missed." Mike is survived by his wife, Elaine and daughter, Kathy. A memorial service was held on January 27.

CLOSING THE BOOK - In June, your NFFS editor will retire from SUNY Maritime College's Stephen B. Luce Library after 39 years at Fort Schuyler, 31 of them as Head Librarian. I plan to continue "News from Fort Schuyler" without interruption, assuming the availability of e-mail connections and the durability of my laptop computer during the travels my wife, Connie, and I are planning. In common with many other Schuyler retirees, I expect to offer my services as a volunteer after retirement, perhaps to initiate a digital imaging project for the archives at the Fort.