News From Fort Schuyler

August 24, 2009 - Volume 9, No. 34

INDOCTRINATION - Word from Provost/VPAA JOSEPH HOFFMAN '75 that the Class of 2013 includes 350 new MUGS as well as 10 new Graduate License students. He and CAPT. TOM GREENE, Deputy Commandant of Cadets "...have worked out with the cadets every morning and so far there have not been any heat issues - they are very well hydrated." [IDO period and the dog days of summer seem to go together.]

PATERFAMILIAS - Keeping himself busy in New Jersey is PROFESSOR JOSEPH McNEILL '48, who taught engineering at Fort Schuyler for many years. "I continue on my art painting and writing. No time to be bored. The senior development we live in is called Renaissance in Manchester, a most lively place to live. We are close to the Jersey shore. A number of our children live nearby. Angela and I now have 27 grandchildren. We are both feeling well. It is a wonderful life!"

BIKES GONE EAST - It took many days of hard pedaling, but BOB LANG '58, recently completed another of his long-distance bicycle trips. He writes: "I'm getting back to normal after my 3rd cross-country bicycle ride. The first was in 1999, the second in 2002 and this trip. Left San Francisco on June 7th and arrived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on July 28th. This was by far the roughest trip as the mountains were many and very high! Started off in the hills of San Francisco and thought it couldn't get any rougher than Balboa Street where all the car chases go down, but we went up. Then it did get worse with the Sierra Nevadas with Donner Pass and then the Rockies and the trek through Colorado. But, that was matched by Missouri which was the worst state I biked through. Then there were the mountains of New York, Vermont and finally New Hampshire."

The numbers: "47 riding days - 3821.1 miles - 6 Hr. 24 Min Average time on bike per day - 82.8 Miles Daily Average - Average Speed for 3,821.1 Miles = 12.5 mph - 16 Days over 90 Miles. - 10 days over 100 Miles - Longest Day = 123 Miles."

"What next?? Back to running and my 15th marathon."

S.O.S. - Several alumni have been e-mailing text and photos relating to the sorry state of the speedy passenger liner SS UNITED STATES, which now sits at Pier 82 in South Philadelphia. This ship has a special significance to Fort Schuyler alumni because all of her permanent Masters were SUNY Maritime graduates: HARRY MANNING, '14, JOHN ANDERSON, '15, and LEROY J. ALEXANDERSON,'30.

CARLO RUGGIERO '73 recalls: "My cousin's uncle sailed on her as a 3rd Engineer. Uncle George would send me post cards from all her ports of call. Unfortunately they 'went south' along with my baseball cards. She is a bit tattered, but she still has fantastic lines. This was American craftsmanship at its finest. There was some talk about bringing her to Manhattan, docking by the INTREPID."

After commenting on the 'Big U's' present condition, CHARLIE BURNS '70 writes: "It is good that Captain Alexanderson never saw her like this. ...Looks like a job for a few TSES mugs and some needle guns, wire brushes and red lead (or am I dating myself??)" Charlie describes how he came to acquire a pennant from the ship and continues: "If our museum has a good place for that flag, I'll pass it on the CAPT. JIM McNAMARA '64 for display, remembering a few of my classmates who are still my best friends (better than brothers) to this very day."

On July 30, 2009 a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that a local philanthropist had pledged a $300K matching grant to help a nonprofit purchase the ship from her current owner, the Norwegian Cruise Line. For more information about the effort of save the ship go to www.ss-united-states.com/ [Thanks to Charlie Burns for copying these e-mails to NFFS.]

EBB TIDE - The unexpected death of CHRISTOPHER J. CONBOY, '52, following surgery, took place on August 15, 2009. According to the notice posted at the alumni website: "Chris had undergone what appeared to have been successful arterial surgery on his leg on Monday, August 10th and was discharged from the hospital on Friday, August 14th. Chris had referred on e-mail to the surgery as 'redoing a plumbing repair' that had been done several years earlier. On Saturday, at home, Chris began to feel weak, decided to take a shower, collapsed, and did not recover." (www.fsmaa.org/Classes/EBBTIDE.cfm) Chris, who lived in Hicksville, NY, served in the Navy and later worked as a mechanical engineer for LILCO, Grumman and Babcock & Wilcox. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and six children. [See an obituary in Newsday, August 18th at www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsday/]

TAKING A BREAK - NFFS will be on holiday for the next month or so - but keep sending items for the next issue! The editor and his wife will be visiting Berlin and Prague.