News From Fort Schuyler

April 20, 2009 - Volume 9, No. 18

WELCOME HOME - One of our cadets, LCPL. JAMES SALKA, returned home safely from duty in IRAQ on Friday April 10. He and a contingent of other Marines who graduated from the same upstate high school in Washingtonville, NY were accorded a rousing hometown welcome according to an article in the Times Herald-Record. (www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090412/NEWS/904120327/-1NEWS14) According to his mother, Dawn Salka, James, who entered with the Class of 2009, will register for summer classes in hopes of graduating in January 2010. Cadet Salka, thanks and welcome back to Fort Schuyler. ARE YOU GAME ? The Maritime College lacrosse team plays a home game against Kings Point on 22 April. According to DICK BRACKEN '56: "Both teams have winning records and are ranked close in Division III. Come out and support our kids as they take on our traditional rival, the villains of KP! Admission is free and hot wings will be served at no charge (I think.)" Game time at Fort Schuyler is 2000. (BTW - The Privateers beat Mass Maritime 21-7 in the inaugural "Maritime Cup" lacrosse game that was played on 25 March.)

THE BANDS PLAYS ON - In response to the query about the band, ERNIE HEGI 63 reports that he "...was Drum Major of the Band from 1959 until 1963. While there, the band participated in the St. Patrick's Day Parade every year. Also, in May, the band participated in the annual Maritime Day parade/event at Rockefeller Plaza." PAUL HOPSON '70 writes: "Our band did not march in the 1967 parade due to a very heavy snowstorm during the morning of St. Patrick's Day. The parade was still held, but Fort Schuyler was not part of it that year. JIM CALHOUN '67 was the Band Leader that year." As far as more recent years are concerned, JIM YAHNER '86 writes: "I know that the band has marched in the parade all through the 80's and I would guess the '90's The story was that TOM JEFFREY had just retired from the Army Band and saw the Maritime Band at the Parade and got to talking to them. They needed a Band Leader and he signed on. In about 1983 or 1984 he became a Regimental Duty Officer at school and retired 20 years later. If the parade fell on a weekend it was difficult to get all the band members back from license break some years - although we did that twice, I remember. Maybe that is less of a problem now that they have moved license week?' [Good question.]

BLOWING TUBES, NOT TUBAS - According to GLENN UNFLAT '86, there is an established etiquette about this action. "...my own experience is that the common courtesy (if not standing order) on commercial vessels is to alert the bridge watch beforehand. The twofold reason is to prevent them from getting excited if anyone sees the 'fireworks' erupting from the stack(s) and also allow them to turn into the wind, if possible, to prevent the bulk of the carbon from falling on to the ship." He concludes: "My guess is that if this wasn't being done on the Training Ship at the time, it was a result of the 'friendly' rivalry that existed as a result of the Black Gang sweating it out down below and the Deckies lounging around all day topside. :-)" An even more recent graduate DOUGLAS BUELL '00, writes: "Being a deckie, I remember the morning scrub downs of the TSES VI after they blew stacks as well. I even remember them blowing stacks while we painted one day and I think I got some soot in my eye. It really stung."

SIZE MATTERS - One of the consequences of an enrollment exceeding 1250 (including 905 cadets) is that - rain or shine - the Friday, May 8th graduation ceremony will be held in the St. Mary's Pentagon.

IN THE MEDIA - Thanks to the recent interest in piracy the Maritime College has been featured in numerous newspaper and television stories. Well worth "A Google" for those so inclined. For example, during the past week there have been interviews with Maritime College administrators and faculty members by the NY Daily News (ADM. CRAINE), Fox Business News (LARRY HOWARD), NY Post ( LARRY HOWARD), PBS News Hour (CAPT. JOE AHLSTROM '82), and a feature on TeenKid News, plus other stories in the works. [Thanks to Provost & VPAA JOE HOFFMAN '75 and JANE BARTNETT, Director of Communications, for this information.]

EBB TIDE - The death of CAPTAIN DONALD NOLAN '61, USN (Ret) at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center on April 6, 2009 was posted on the Alumni Association website. He will be buried at the Arlington National Cemetery on 29 July. Donald is survived by his wife, his son, two sisters, and his older brother, JERRY NOLAN '56.

After graduation Donald worked for W.R. Grace until he went on active duty in the Navy in 1963. For the next three and a half years he sailed in various capacities on the USS RAINIER, completing three combat cruises. Graduating from the U.S. Defense Intelligence School in 1967, he spent the next two years as an Intelligence Officer at the Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay. He then returned to sea, with a break in 1971 for the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, sailing aboard the USS DUBUQUE, USS RACINE. Beginning in 1974 "...he served in every carrier in the Pacific Fleet" as Communications Officer on the staff of Commander, Carrier Group One....While on the USS MIDWAY, he participated in the final combat operations of the Vietnam Conflict, including the evacuation of Saigon." In 1980, following various assignments at the Pentagon, he assumed command of the U.S. Naval Communications Station at Diego Garcia. He had a busy tenure in this post due to the Iranian and Afghanistan crises and "...was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the President for the station's support to the Indian Ocean operating forces." Returning to the Pentagon in 1981, he was promoted to Captain. "Captain Nolan assumed command of Naval Communications Station, San Diego in late 1983 and served there until his retirement in 1986." He was a recipient of numerous naval medals and ribbons during his naval career. Following his retirement, Donald had a twenty-three year career as a military communications contractor. [Thanks to Jerry Nolan '56 for a summary of his late brother's impressive career resume.]