News From Fort Schuyler

June 9, 2009 - Volume 9, No. 26

EARLY BIRDS - "The Class of 1953 graduated on 2 June, 1953," writes STU FITZ '53. "That specific date for graduation was picked because the USNA was graduating their midshipmen on 3 June that year and this gave us 1 day seniority over them. I don't know how many of my classmates who went Navy were able to take advantage of that, but I was able to invoke SOPA [Senior Officer Present Afloat] at least twice amidst grumbles and dropped jaws." [Wikipedia defines SOPA as: "A U.S. Navy term to indicate the U.S. Navy officer, with the highest ranking by rank, or number in rank, present in a harbor occupied by more than one U.S. Navy vessel. That officer is essentially commander of all U.S. Navy operations afloat in the harbor and is responsible to civilian authorities for the action of the ships and the behavior of crews under his or her command.]

SMALL BOAT IN STORMY WEATHER - In response to the recent NFFS item about hurricanes in the New York area in 1955, Stu Fitz recalls that in the summer of 1955 he came off active duty on a minesweeper and returned home to the Port Jefferson area of Long Island. His uncle owned a vintage ELCO [Electric Launch Company] 54' yacht which he normally kept in Huntington Harbor, but had taken to Port Jefferson to visit relatives. "Hurricane Connie was due to visit us. The problem with L.I. is that you never know where the storm will come ashore and from what direction the wind will blow until it gets here. My uncle wanted to get back to his sheltered berth in Huntington. The storm was about ' day away and it was a sunny, partly cloudy, very windy day. We cleared the breakwater and took departure of the sea buoy with me at the wheel - and realized that there was no turning back. The wind and seas were increasing, but running down L.I. Sound - and so were we. We had to try to keep up with those following seas. The ELCO was twin screw, but had a single barn-door rudder between them. Following seas gave you no control at all unless you steered using the throttles. After about 2' hours we eased ourselves around Eaton's Neck and into Huntington Harbor. When Connie hit the next day it wasn't too bad with wind or rain, but some locations were inundated, like Fort Schuyler."

EBB TIDE - The Alumni Association website recently reported the death, on April 25, 2009, of JOHN J. BOSCH, Class of October 1946. John was a life-long resident of Highland Falls, NY. In his class career album he wrote that: "While I was working on an assignment in the high school library, I came across a brochure about the New York State Maritime Academy. I read the brochure several times, and the more I read, the more interested I became. I visited the Academy, and, shortly thereafter, I submitted an application. Inasmuch as I grew up in a village on the banks of the Hudson River, and located next to the US Military Academy at West Point, I had the opportunity to see the new cadets arrive and to view their indoctrination training. At this point, I thought that I was fairly well informed regarding what to expect during our time as MUGS. I was not unaccustomed to seeing ships of many varied descriptions prior to Schuyler, as there were two shipyards just a few miles up the river." After graduation, John shipped out with Keystone for a while and then came ashore and joined the Naval Ready Reserve. "With the outbreak of the Korean War, I was called up and sent to the USS ROANOKE" and served in various capacities, rising to the rank of Lieutenant. After Navy service, he returned to operate the family bus business, A. Bosch & Son, Inc., founded in 1889. Some years later, John recalled: "Quite by accident, I met a young cadet who was about to graduate from NYSMA. He mentioned that he was on the Soccer Team and that they had just finished a fairly good season. Naturally I was interested in how the team was transported to the various events. When I leaned that they were using private cars and a van or two, I went to see Admiral Miller [FLOYD "HOSS" MILLER '53.] He cleared the necessary paperwork with Albany so the Fort was able to have a bus, which they put to good use. Over the years, we were glad to be able to add a couple more buses to meet their needs and requirements." John is survived by his wife, five children and six grand-children.(Thanks to PHIL DILLOWAY Oct. 46, for providing John's profile which was contained in the Class of 1946's Career Album.)

News of the death of RUDY POULOS '61 in late May, 2009 was sent by Rick Bagshaw '62. According to Rick, Rudy died of leukemia. "He and I stood engine watches in SS CONSTITUTION after graduation, double-dated, and later we went to Newport News Shipbuilding in the mid-60s. He stayed there much longer than I and we lost touch. When next I talked to him in 1995, he was working at Oak Ridge. I talked with [his wife] Brigitte...and she indicated that Rudy subsequently had finished his career with a 5 year stint back at NNS&DD. There will be a memorial service for Rudy on 27 June at St. Mary's in East Islip [20 Harrison Ave.] at 0915."

TAKING OFF - There will be no issue of NFFS next week. We are heading south to visit our son in Gulfport.