News From Fort Schuyler

October 13, 2008 - Volume 8, No. 35

FASCINATING FACSIMILE FEMALES - The Fort Schuyler Press has published a new book by Humanities Department professor, Dr. JULIE WOSK, entitled "Alluring Androids, Robot Women, and Electronic Eves."

The book expands on the themes of a recent exhibition at the Queens Museum of Art curated by Dr. Wosk. "From early automatons to Lara Croft and the Stepford Wives to today's Japanese female robots that look so real they can easily fool the eye, Dr. Wosk examines this intriguing genre and discusses how these images have impacted out changing view of technology, science and women themselves. (www.sunymaritime.edu)

ONWARD AND UPWARD - Effective 10 October, the Vice President for Salvage and Emergency Response at Bisso Marine Company is MAURICIO GARRIDO '84. Congratulations.

REUNION REPORT - Forty members of the Class of 1958 attended their 50th reunion, close to a 60% turnout. The Master of Ceremonies, TOM HANCOCK, wrote up a detailed report of this successful Homecoming event. Activities included lunch with cadets and participation in the Friday formation, followed by a NY harbor dinner cruise that evening. "Our guests included Captain TOM GREEN, Deputy Commandant of Cadets, DICK BRACKEN '56, our head ID Officer during indoctrination (1954) and PHIL OHL '56, who was helpful in getting us starting with our reunion plans. Dick Bracken, as President of the Alumni Association, presented each graduate with a glass paper weight with our own Class Logo etched into the glass."

Everyone was at Fort Schuyler on Saturday despite the fact that remnants of tropical storm Kyle moved Most of the outdoor activities into the gym. "Class President, JACK BAST, addressed the Mugs, BILL SANCHEZ presented the school with a check in excess of $61,000 to begin the 'Class of '58 Scholarship Endowment Fund' and RICK BLATUS spoke in honor of all deceased graduates and read the names of each of our 17 deceased classmates. HARRY RAUSCH struck the bell once as each name was read and then 8 bells in honor of all at the end." The college hosted a luncheon in the Mess Deck, honoring the 50th and 60th year reunion classes, which featured comments by their old navigation instructor HAP PARNHAM '48 and Provost JOE HOFFMAN '75.

Still going strong, the class returned to their hotel "...for a dinner dance to DJ music provided by AL SONG '59 and his wife. At dinner a presentation was made by BILL CALDWELL to our classmate, FRANK NICKELS, who spent the better part of the last two years gathering biographies from each classmate. These, along with pictures of each graduate, wives and children, we produced on a CD totaling over 400 pages. Frank sent each classmate a copy for themselves and in this day of electronics, a disk now resides in the Luce Library for safekeeping."

HANDS ON EXPERIENCE APPLIED - There is a set of photos by MARTIN SILVER ' 48 at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website (http://www.ushmm.org/uia-cg/uia_query/photos?hr=null&query=kw166236) The photos relate to Marty's experience sailing aboard the MALLA (ex-USS MAYFLOWER) to Palestine as a 3rd Asst. Engineer. According to the photo captions, "In 1946, Silver entered the New York State Maritime Academy where, as a second year cadet, he was recruited for the Aliyah Bet (the movement for illegal immigration to Palestine) by his European-born, Palestine-raised professor of physics, MEIR DEGANI. Silver was instructed to report to a Brooklyn shipyard on weekends, where the repair and refitting of the USS MAYFLOWER was underway." (In an e-mail, Marty adds that his weekend work involved "...doing engine room repairs on boilers and pumps. The day after graduation I signed on the MALLA, as an unpaid volunteer, as Third Engineer.") The USHMM photo caption noted that "Silver, who was assigned to the engine room crew, was more experienced than some of the other volunteers, who were largely recruited from.." an agricultural kibbutz. The ship sailed to Mediterranean France in June 1948 and secretly boarded passengers from a DP camp by night. "The ship, which had been designed to carry less than three dozen people, was crammed with over 1400 passengers, as well as a hidden shipment of guns for the Israeli army. As the ship approached the Israeli cost, it was attacked by Egyptian planes, but suffered no damage. Upon arrival in the port of Haifa on July 11, the passengers disembarked and were sent to various kibbutzim and absorption centers." After one more trip on the MALLA and the Israeli victory, Marty returned to the U.S. "I began sailing American flag merchant ships. I raised my License to Second Engineer." In the early 1950's he returned to Fort Schuyler to earn his baccalaureate degree in engineering, worked 10 years as a plant engineer and for the next 35 years was a Technical Marketing executive.

Marty and nine of his classmates celebrated their 60th Reunion at Homecoming: "It was a great experience thanks to HAP PARNHAM and Capt. GREENE and the Corps of Cadets. My daughter brought my two grandchildren, age 8 and 10. I hope they will be future Cadets."

HAP PARNHAM also called the editor with a rundown on this 60th reunion, reminding us that their class was the last class of the 2-year program when the school was known as the New York State Maritime Academy. There were 61 graduates that year, and they have had annual reunions since their 40th. Attending this year's were BADE, LEMAIRE, MESSERSMITH, PARNHAM, ROTHSTEIN, RUCKS, SILVER, SULLIVAN, TABORSKY, VAN DERZEE, and Fran Spicer, the widow of HUGH SPICER.

CHAMPS - College boxer, WALTER PORR '59, is recalled by Frank Nickels: "Champ Whitey Porr '59 (Whitey was probably a nickname, but the only name I ever knew because of his distinctive white hair) after the last Golden Gloves Tournament in 1956 was coached by MATT TWOMEY who managed him for several professional bouts at St. Nick's Arena in Manhattan. (Matt called everyone 'Champ'.) A number of us were given liberty to go to the fights to cheer him on."

DICK BRACKEN '56, recalls another boxer "...not only was ED VILLELLA '59 undefeated in Maritime Golden Gloves (a welterweight, as I recall), but he was a really awesome fighter. Muscular and compact, he could punch and he could box. Those of us fortunate enough to witness his skills in the mid-1950's will never forget his ability to move and avoid being hit, and his punching power. He was one tough kid...very nice guy, too."

DOWN AND UP, LIKE THE MARKET - After a disastrous 5th game (a 46-13 loss to Catholic University) the football team beat Gallaudet University by 27-0 on October 10th, bringing their season back to .500 - again.