Greetings From Your Executive Committee!
This is our 2024/25 Spring letter to update you on activities relevant to the Great Class of 1956. We hope you are well and staying safe.
Reunion 2026 - Our 70th!
Our focus in this letter is our forthcoming 70th reunion in the fall of 2026—just one year away. Our plan is to hold the reunion during Navy’s football season. A fall reunion offers many activities on a football weekend.
We propose a two-track plan:
- Those wishing to attend the game in person can acquire tickets in the special reunion section of the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and enjoy the exclusive reunion tailgate.
- Those preferring to watch the televised game can gather at either the chosen hotel or the new Alumni Center to chat, snack, cheer, and relax together.
We will hold a chapel memorial service to honor classmates who have passed since our 65th+1 reunion.
If you plan to travel to Annapolis from afar, we believe the chapel service, time with classmates, and the football game will make for a meaningful experience. Our schedule will be lean, with comfortable transportation and ample time for visits and rest between events.
The 70th reunion is a significant milestone, recognized by the Alumni Association and the Naval Academy leadership. We anticipate addresses from the Superintendent, Commandant, Academic Dean, Director of Athletics, and the CEO of the Alumni Association and Foundation.
Please share your comments on this plan by emailing Jim (jimvanm@aol.com) and Doug (dhayman@comcast.net) as we did for our 65th+1 reunion. We will ensure appropriate transportation and accommodations. As with our last big reunion, we strongly suggest bringing family members for support and to share in the celebration of your alma mater.
Acknowledgments and Updates
Pete Fitzwilliam, our Correspondent, continues to fill each edition with fascinating updates from classmates, widows, and children. Please keep sharing your stories with Pete.
Attached is the current listing of your Executive Committee and Company Representatives. Doug Hayman, Secretary of the Executive Committee, keeps these assignments up to date. We encourage Company Reps to send Pete Fitzwilliam (petefitzwm@aol.com) updates for Shipmate magazine.
A special thanks to Jim Maryland and the 56West team for keeping our West Coast classmates, wives, and widows engaged and active. We hope to see many from 56W at our 70th reunion. Ned Roberts now leads the group and welcomes contact from classmates visiting San Diego.
Our Treasurer, Hoppy Hohenstein, reports that our Class treasury holds $13,708.54, which will help defray some of the reunion costs.
Honoring Merrill Collier
After Merrill Collier was tragically lost in the sinking of USS Thresher, our Class honored him as an exceptional classmate, leader, and friend by making him our Eternal Class President—a title he holds to this day.
From Worth Hobbs:
"Merrill Francis Collier II and his son, Gregory, attended our family gathering for my 90th birthday on July 11, 2024. He brought a couple of pictures from our First Class year, which will be featured in a future Shipmate edition. We are his Godparents and feel a deep connection, as he never had the chance to know his own father—our classmate, Merrill Francis Collier."
Obituaries
We encourage you to write your own obituary for Shipmate magazine, where it will be permanently archived in the National Archives. Family members often struggle to recall duty stations and career highlights, making self-written obituaries invaluable.
Company Reps work hard to get obituaries published and appreciate your assistance.
Guide to Writing Obituaries for Shipmate:
- Visit usna.com → Tributes and Stories → Memorial Services → Prepare an Obituary → Obituary Guidelines
- Alternatively, request a copy from Doug Hayman or your Company Rep by phone, email, or mail.
If an obituary does not reach Last Call, it is usually due to a lack of family contact
and approval. To prevent this, we urge everyone to ask a family member to send an obituary and a photo to the Alumni Association’s Memorial Affairs Coordinator,
Ms. Timothy Woodbury, at obits@usna.com. Please also provide a family member’s phone number and email address to your Company Rep and our Secretary.
Alumni Support Services Updates
The Alumni Spouse Support resource page is now available at
usna.com → Find and Connect → Alumni Support Services → Spouse Support Program.
Upcoming Health Webinar: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health
The US Naval Academy Alumni Association is hosting an important webinar on suicide prevention and mental health, led by Dr. Matthew Miller.
Date: September 17, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Topic: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health – Current Trends, Causes, Solutions
Speakers:
- Dr. Matthew Miller – Executive Director for VA Suicide Prevention, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Hon. Jim Gfrerer – Former VA Executive, Retired Marine Corps Officer, USNA Graduate
- Dr. Heather O'Beirne Kelly, PhD – USNA Director of Wellness and Prevention
Zoom link coming soon
Send questions to: mike.lowe@usna.com
Sign up via: MyUSNA
Until we meet again, stay well and safe.
Jim Van Metre
Co-chair USNA Class of 1956
Doug Hayman
Secretary, USNA Class of 1956
