News From Fort Schuyler

August 31, 2009 - Volume 9, No. 35

MARCHING ONWARD - A total of 358 MUGS were sworn in as Cadets at the Family Day ceremony that took place at Fort Schuyler's gym on Saturday, August 29th. The new MUGS, through competitions and a pass-in-review, showed their parents and families some of the accomplishments and team-building that they had already achieved in their first two weeks of indoctrination. The freshmen MUGS, Class of 2013, get a few days off and then return to squaring corners and jogging around campus on Tuesday, September 1st. According to college Provost/VPAA JOSEPH HOFFMAN '75, the college cadet corps now numbers 1100+.

SEABORNE REUNION - The Class of 1979 will be celebrating its 30th reunion with a splash. LEE ANN TYLER TRAUT '79 wants to reach as many of her classmates as possible so that they know that their reunion will take place during the college's Homecoming and Family Weekend, October 9-10. Their reunion will take place at the FSMAA's 2009 Homecoming Dinner Cruise aboard the yacht CORNUCOPIA PRINCESS on Saturday, October 9. [For reservations and more information go to www.fsmaa.org and www.sunymaritime.edu]

OLD HANDS - Several retired engineers, mainstays of Project Liberty Ship in Baltimore, come up to Fort Schuyler to participate in the summer sea term. According to the Spring 2009 issue of 'Liberty Log: A Newsletter of Project Liberty Ship': "Two old sea dogs who volunteer in the engine room of the SS JOHN W BROWN can't get enough of those valves and gauges. They were set to go to sea again to help 650 cadets from the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler...HOWARD SCHRIEFER, age 67,of Havre De Grace, is an all-day engineering training officer aboard the EMPIRE STATE, teaching classes about reciprocating engines, safety valves, centrifugal and rotary pumps and a lot more. 'It's something to see the cadets, They are well-mannered, respectful, clean cut. They say 'Sir' or 'Mister Schriefer'. Of course, they have no distractions at sea. I really love to see them learn and change. When they come aboard, they've got five thumbs; when they leave, they are walking tall, head erect. It makes us feel good.'

"'I thoroughly enjoy working with the kids,' says SALVATORE (SAL) SCHEPENS, age 80, of Marydel, DE. He is a senior watch officer on the TS EMPIRE STATE on her annual cruise showing steam turbine power to young college seamen. 'When I get on the ship May 3 until we get back to New York, July 12, I'll work every single day on the 4 to 8 watch.' On the EMPIRE STATE they get paid a token wage, but more importantly get credit for their sea time. Schepens keeps his assistant engineer's license active and Schriefer is working for his third engineer's card. It's Schepens' fifth trip, Schriefer's second." For more information about Project Liberty Ship go to www.liberty-ship.com [Thanks to ED SHEPHERD '57 for sending this article.]

BIG U - Following last week's item on the S.S. UNITED STATES, ROBERT BRANNIGAN '53 wrote that he had heard that the ships' owner, NCL, had sold her to their parent company. "This probably would be in anticipation of towing her to India to be scrapped." He soon followed up, confirming that: "It appears that NCL may have managed to circumvent the 'no sale to outside US interests' clause regarding United States ...Big U. Reported in Trade Winds today is confirmation that NCL officially transferred ownership of the old girl to their parent Star Cruises Malaysia. The transfer of Big U and that of NORWEGIAN SKY were both signed off in June....Now that Star is officially the owner of Big U, may well make her effectively foreign owned/flagged... and this possibly one step close to Alang." [http://www.tradewinds.no/shipsales/article542537.ece]

GRAVE DEMEANOR - "One evening when I was ready to leave the Fort after a day in the Museum office," writes JACK HAYES '47, "I found HOSS MILLER [i.e. the Maritime College president, VADM Floyd H. Miller '53] in the Inner Gorge with some people. He introduced me to LEROY J. ALEXANDERSON '30 and his younger bride. This was their first visit to The Fort and Hoss asked if I would take the time to show then through the museum. I did so, and when we came down the steps near the Luce Library, there was a cabinet with a display of uniforms. Leroy's wife, in her southern drawl said, 'Oh, Leroy!' Wouldn't it be nice if one of your uniforms was on display here?' I told her we would welcome such a donation and she turned to him and said, 'You know, we have so many of your uniforms, Leroy, and I only need one to bury you in!' I don't recall if we ever received a uniform." [Alexanderson, the last master of the SS UNITED STATES, died in 2004 at the age of 93.]

EBB TIDE - The death of THOMAS J HAUGHTON, JR. '59 on August 15, 2009 was reported by his classmate, CONSTANTINE GEORGIOPOULOS . Tom, who was 72, spent all his working life in the maritime industry and served on the board of directors of the Fort Schuyler Maritime Industry Museum. According to a posting on the college website, he also donated model ships to the museum's collection.

After graduation he shipped out. He later served as VP Operations for TFL Freight in Wayne, NJ and then was owner/operator of Seacrest, Inc. Outside the office, he was active in the Boy Scouts of America on both the local and international level, receiving the BSA's highest volunteer award, the Silver Beaver. Before he moved to New Jersey in 1978, he was active in the Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, community and served on Victory Memorial Hospital's Board of Directors. He was also the recipient of a Bay Ridge Unsung Hero Award. His survivors include two daughters, his mother and four grandchildren. Tom was predeceased by his wife, Mary, and a son, Patrolman Thomas P. Haughton, who died in the line of duty in 1995 at the age of 27.

http://obit.smithmccrackenfuneralhome.com/obitsdisplay.html?id=697983 and www.sunymaritime.edu

REMINDER - Don't forget the tugboat race on Labor Day weekend. "The Great North River Tugboat Race returns to the Hudson River on September 6. More than 20 tugs will line up at 72nd Street, from New York to New Jersey, and at the crack of the starter's gun will chug south as fast as they can to the finish line at Pier 84 (44th St.).....After the tugs race, more contests - on water and on land - will take place at or near Pier 84. Some tugs will engage in nose-to-nose pushing contests. Maritime cowboys will try to lasso the cleats of Pier 84. Veritable Popeyes will prove their mettle in a spinach-eating contest. Judges will give awards to the best looking tug, best crew tattoo, and more." [www.waterfrontalliance.org]

NEXT ISSUE - You should be receiving the next issue of NFFS sometime in late September.