News From Fort Schuyler

May 30, 2003 - Volume 7, No. 20

SOME WENT ON TO OTHER ENDEAVORS - Here is an addition to the roll of cadets who left Fort Schuyler for fame and fortune before graduating, provided by BOB KELETY, Class of 1949 "...you can add CARL BRAUN, the great basketball star and NYC Official Greeter, who was in the Class of '49 and left and played for the Knicks." Carl Braun was a star indeed. According to the National Basketball Association's history of the New York Knickerbockers (founded in 1946) the "...Knick's star in early days was Carl Braun, a deft 6-5 shooter who averaged 13.5 points in a career that spanned 13 seasons. As a first year player in 1947-48 he scored 47 points against Providence, a team rookie record that still stands 47 years later. Braun retired as the Knick's career scoring leader with 10,449 points, although he was later surpassed by Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, and Patrick Ewing." More at http://www.nba.com/knicks/history/New_York_Knicks_History.html

JUDGE NOMINEE - These must be exciting times for JOHN INGRAM, Class of 1964, who writes: "...it was announced on May 26 2003 that Governor Pataki has nominated me to the New York State Court of Claims and I have been advised that I will be sitting as an Acting Supreme Court [Judge] in Kings County. The appointment will go before the Senate Judicial Committee for confirmation." [Well done.]

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION - Numerous readers have pointed out that the years were switched for two notable non-graduates, including one of those cited, JIM HUVANE. He writes:"I always enjoy reading [NFFS], even though I withdrew from my class 40 years ago. Those Schuyler years and many of the friends remain among the most formative and cherished of my life. Just wanted to set the record straight. I was in the Class of 64 not 65. It's a small point, but memories and loyalties made it seem imperative to clarify the point."

PHIL KANTZ, Class of 1965, wrote: "Fr. JIM HUVANE was Class of 1964. He served as a cadet medical assistant during our first two years accommodations on the ship, and was very helpful when I broke my ankle playing basketball in 1962. Geraldo ("Gerry Rivera" to us as Mugs) actually entered The Fort in my class, Class of 1965, in August 1961. He was/is still a friend and attended our 30th reunion in 1995 and played in the lacrosse game held Homecoming Weekend between the original lacrosse club and the Varsity." Also correcting the record for both was JOHN INGRAM, who also noted that Fr. Huvane "...was in the famous Hurricane Class of 1964," and John's classmate PETER BACI, who also caught a NFFS typo, writing "And it's 'Geraldo' Rivera, not 'Geralda,' unless he's changed a lot since he was at Maritime."

ROGUE'S GALLERY - Peter Baci also tells of another Fort Schuyler denizen, this time a former member of the Naval Science staff, who came to a grisly end, LT. GINO GALLINA. He writes: "If I recall correctly, he extended his Navy commitment so he could stay at Schuyler while attending law school. He eventually went to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office to work for D.A. Frank Hogan and then into private practice. According to a N.Y. Times article on November 5, 1977, he was a 'Pelham Manor mouthpiece for top drug dealers and organized crime figures' and was 'rubbed out mob style' in lower Manhattan in November of 1977." Peter cites an article from the August 14 2000 New York Magazine (see URL) and concludes "...he turned out to be one of the less illustrious members of the Naval Science Department." [That's for sure.] http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/people/features/3649/index4.html

MARINERS REMEMBERED - Former Director of Admissions, TOM CERNY, writes: "This past Sunday Carol and I visited the military and 9/11 memorial at the NYS Fairgrounds in Syracuse with some friends. Was pleased to see one of the service areas designated for US Coast Guard and Merchant Marine personnel. Few merchant mariners were listed. Apparently part of the funding for the memorial was raised by selling bricks with the names of deceased soldiers, sailors, merchant mariners, etc. It might be a fitting memorials for some of the Fort Schuyler graduates who lost their lives during WW2 or other conflicts. It is nice to see merchant mariners finally being included and recognized for their vital contributions to our national defense."

Tom did not have any further details about the memorial: "No one was around when we visited [this year's fair runs from 21 August to 1 September]... but perhaps there is a website that provides information." [According to the New York State Fair website (http://www.nysfair.com) "The Veteran's Memorial, which held its opening at the 1999 Fair, features an eternal flame, flag poles with bricks of all the wars at its base and stones for each branch of the service with individual bricks placed from the service branches. The Memorial was expanded in 2001. An addition to honor the victims of the 9-11 attacks was dedicated in 2002. Veterans Day at the Fair is Thursday, August 28."]

FINAL WORDS - "In what is sure to be a moment that most Fort Schuyler alumni will appreciate," reports ERHARD KOEHLER, Class of 1987, "the ENTERPRISE entered the service of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy at 1600, May 22, 2003. With a fresh coat of gray on the upperworks, flags snapping briskly in the breeze, and white-uniformed cadets lining her rails, the ENTERPRISE was indeed an impressive sight. And so ends (we hope beyond hope) the EMPIRE STATE's 'five-year mission' to provide at-sea training to the cadets of Mass Maritime." Erhard also reported that he only caught one Star Trek reference at the commissioning ceremony and quotes Mass Maritime's incoming cadet regimental commander, Justin Scholl, as saying: "She will boldly carry us to strange new ports, and places where we haven't gone before."

LINDA MALAY-KOEHLER, Class of 1989, however, writes that: "My husband is a 'little' inaccurate about Cadet Scholl's Trek reference being the only one. But perhaps he wasn't present when CAPTAIN THOMAS BUSHY jokingly lamented that he was not, alas, as cool or suave as Captain Jean-Luc Picard! A statement that I would like to strenuously debate - in case Captain Bushy reads our NFFS. Seriously what a beautiful ship. .. What a wonderful day for Massachusetts, truly."