News From Fort Schuyler

November 16, 2009 - Volume 9, No. 40

ON THE TOWN - Fort Schuyler NROTC Midshipmen were all over Manhattan on Veteran's Day. While three midshipmen and Naval Science Department Commanding Officer, CAPT JAMES P. DRISCOLL USN, joined Mayor Bloomberg on the Upper East Side for breakfast at Gracie Mansion, Gunnery Sergeant Willie "GUNNY" CISNEROS and LT BIRUTE JURJONAS were in Midtown attending the Today Show's Bon Jovi performance at Rockefeller Plaza, and LT. DAVE HARRINGTON and O/C LEE SHOEMAKER 1/C were downtown at the New York Stock Exchange ringing the opening bell. The day was rounded off with 15 NROTC and staff attending the Knicks-Falcon game at Madison Square Garden. [Don't ask what the score was. It was not pretty.] More details at www.sunymaritime.edu

GOOD SPORTS - This year both the men's and women's cross country teams were awarded 2009 Sportsmanship Awards by the Skyline Conference. According to a press release on the Maritime Athletics website, "The award, as voted on by the Skyline schools, is awarded to the team that has displayed outstanding team sportsmanship throughout the fall cross country season. Men's coach, CAPT JAMES P. DRISCOLL USN, noted: "Not only did our athletes run exceptionally well, but our students volunteers to help manage the meet. I saw one of our guys helping a runner who had collapsed in the chute. It's nice to have the other teams validate something I already knew ' that Maritime students are the best!" [Amen.] For more about the XC teams go to http://www.maritimeathletics.com/

CAREER PATHS - The pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Glen Cove, NY is REV. VICTOR RAPP '64. In response to a query from NFFS on how he came to be a pastor, he wrote: "In just a few words, Vietnam. I was there, came home and have been trying to help people live more peacefully together, using spirituality as the force for real change."

The Director of the Maine State Museum, JOSEPH R. PHILLIPS '72, has led that museum since 1992. He writes that his path to Augusta included: "Books of seagoing adventure - Maritime College - Hudson River Sloop CLEARWATER - New York Festival Barge (230 foot traveling museum for U.S. Bicentennial) - Marine Maritime Museum - Bath Iron Works - Shipbuilders & Engineers - business school - Marine State Museum - ?? writing books in retirement??" (www.maine.gov/museum)

MOVING SEAWARD - The New York Harbor School, a small, specialized public high school currently located in landlocked Bushwick, Brooklyn, will be moving to Governor's Island next year. The school, which admitted its first students in 2003, has a succinct mission: "'to provide a college-preparatory education built upon New York City Maritime experience." SUNY Maritime is one of the school's partner organizations. NYHS has a 40-year lease for Buildings 550 and 134 on Governors Island. (www.Newyorkharborschool.org)

JOHN W BROWN ALUMNUS - Responding to an item about an earlier maritime high school in NYC (NFFS - LIBERTY SHIP MEMORIES 9:38 October 19, 2009) JOHN ZERBO '60 writes: "ALFRED SAMUELSEN '60 ' was a graduate of the John Brown vocational high school. I believe he was the first ever to attend Maritime College from that school. Sam, as we called him, was born in Norway and was enrolled at John Brown by his parents shortly after arriving in New York. He was an experiment since he had very little training in technical subjects and was accepted at Maritime for Marine Engineering. Sam graduated 4 years later in 1960 and was hired by the Worthington Corporation. After a 6-month training program, he was voted the most knowledgeable engineer by the 59 other new engineering employees who had been hired by Worthington. Sam went on to a very distinguished career as president of two other companies before he retired and unfortunately passed away a very short time later."

"The fact that Alfred Samuelsen graduated from Maritime College in 4 years, with virtually little or no pre-college training, was an example of his inner ability and the success of the professional teaching staff at maritime."

THE ENVELOPE PLEASE - The biennial Awards Dinner of the Fort Schuyler Maritime Alumni Association will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at an appropriately salty venue, Bridgewaters Restaurant at South Street Seaport. The honorees will be BRIAN McALLISTER '56, President of McAllister Towing, GHULAM SUHRAWARDI '73, President of National Maritime Consultants, Inc (NMCI), and JOSEPH BYRNE '89, Project Executive for Turner Construction. Festivities begin at 1700 with a membership meeting, cocktails at 1800 and dinner at 1930. FSMAA members get a 25% discount, so now is the time to check in at www.fsmaa.org

DON'T RAIN ON THIS PARADE - If you watch the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade you may see the 36-strong NROTC contingent marching down Seventh and Sixth Avenue to 42nd Street on 26 November. [Yes, it is a new route this year, no more Broadway. (www.macys.com/parade)