Shipmate Column
January-February 2026
CLASS OF 1963
Pres: VADM William A. Earner, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Sec'y: Michael H. Shelley
27 Cambridge DR, Brevard, NC 28712
h: 828-506-2201 e: nstar@citcom.net
Web site: http://www.usna63.org.
For any classmate you can go to the Classmates Page and enter his name to read his current biography if available.
This month we begin by noting the loss of three classmates and a '63 spouse. Be sure to visit the Last Call section of our web site to read classmates' obituaries and other information about their lives and careers. Spouses' obituaries are posted with their husband's Last Call or Current Biography entry.
Wilson D. Key died on 2 October. We do not have contact information for his next of kin.
Larry R. Marsh passed away on 31 October. His widow, Barbara, can be contacted at 146 Ruffed Grouse Court, Lake Frederick, Front Royal, VA 22630.
William C. Hughes, Jr., died on 12 November. Bill's widow, Dottie, can be contacted at 12435 Rue Cheaumont, San Diego, CA 92131.
Tom Hall's wife, Barbara, passed away on 22 October. Tom can be contacted at 1415 Monticello Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207.
This note came from Tom Robertson:
I attended Larry Marsh's beautiful memorial service on 20 November at the Fellowship Bible Church in Winchester, VA, where they both have been part of the ministry. Classmates there included Dan Koczur, Bill Earner, Mario Fiori, Lionel Banda, and perhaps others in the huge congregation of several hundred. Our classmate Mal Wright gave an inspiring memorial of Larry, along with VADM Dan Cooper '57 who was boss and mentor for Larry and me in the 1980s. Dozens of grateful nephews, nieces and their young children added to the celebration of this remarkable life. Larry's interment at the USNA cemetery is planned for a later date.
Long-time Idaho resident Ken Sanger told me about a 19 October article in the Bonner County Daily Bee titled, "A Sagebrush Navy." It is a fascinating account of our Navy's past, present, and future ties with the Gem State. Among the many activities highlighted are a large recruit training center during World War II, the development of shipboard nuclear reactors, the training of personnel for the nuclear navy, and the planned commissioning of the Virginia-class submarine USS IDAHO (SSN-799) in the spring of 2026.
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Virginia class SSN |
To see the article, click HERE.
The article mentions a documentary about the Idaho-Navy connections produced by Idaho Public Television titled, "America's Sagebrush Navy." At 57 minutes long, the just-released video is informative, comprehensive, and engrossing. I recommend it highly. To see the video, click HERE.
Reporting in late October, Mike Rubel tells us that our 23rd Company classmates have enjoyed their latest annual gathering for outdoor sport, good food, and fellowship.
The 23rd company gathered again at Grosse Savanne South of Lake Charles, LA. This is our core group from our company except for Mike Bonsignore, who could not attend this year. In order to fill the lodge, we brought our sons with us this time. Everyone had a great time with plenty of large fish to catch and stories to tell. In this group photograph you will find (L-R) myself, Sherwood Zimmerman, Mike Krause, Flack Logan, Harry Hirsh, Keith Reynolds, Steve Leisge, and Steve Hoy. The other photo shows me with a redfish caught in the saltwater marsh.
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23rd Companymates in Louisiana |
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Mike Rubel and his catch |
Several members of the 4th Company enjoyed a cruise together early this fall. Thanks to Mike Blackledge for submitting this report:
How did 4th Company classmates end up in Alaska during rainy season, the end of September of 2025? It started in February with several of the guys in a 4th Company Zoom meeting agreeing that we needed a mini reunion, now that we had passed the 60th in Annapolis in October of 2023, and well before the 65th, since many of us and our spouses were struggling with medical issues. If we're going to do this, the sooner the better.
Numerous suggestions were made. We needed a venue that took care of all the logistics while providing some entertainment. Didn't the 18th Company take a cruise many years ago? A cruise ship began to sound like the ideal environment. Cruises offer so many locations, and there were lively discussions about the possibilities. New England coast/St. Lawrence River? Columbia River? Caribbean Sea? A dark horse suggestion was a Gulf of America cruise from Galveston. At that time none of us had seen the Gulf of America!
But another possibility that few had familiarity with was an Alaska Cruise. Tom Meyer investigated the Alaska Cruises by Holland America, and that is where the votes landed. We chose a sailing from Seattle to Seattle, September 27 to October 4, aboard MS Eurodam. We made port visits to Juneau, Icy Straits Point, Sitka, Ketchikan, and even Victoria Island, British Columbia, where we needed passports. And it didn't rain once!
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Holland America MS Eurodam |
We wanted a minimum of five classmates to create a group to allow on-board privileges, and we got seven! We really missed the others who were interested but unable to participate, so we carried the 4th Company guidon to represent us all.
Our intrepid cruisers were seven 4th Companymates, along with family. Appearing in this photo (L-R) are Harry and Doris Salmon, Pat and Maureen Wright, Dick Wyttenbach-Santos (with his service dog, Todo), Craig and Gail Barton, Lou and Jo Ann Simpleman, Blackie and Bonnie Blackledge, Tom and Claire Meyer, and Dick's adopted Guamanian family of Laurie and Joe Manubusan.
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4th Company Alaska Cruise couples |
Our companymates recognized our advancing age with this three-cane and two-scooter salute. Left to right are Messrs. Wright, Wyttenbach-Santos, Barton, Salmon, Simpleman, Blackledge, and Meyer.
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Saluting our maturity |
In this photo, left to right, are Mmes. Wright, Salmon, Barton, Simpleman, Meyer, Blackledge, and Manbusan.
Many photos from the cruise and a narrative of the experience are posted on the 4th Company page on our web site. You may remember that a page is provided for each of our 24 Companies for texts and photos relating to their group, including memorial photos of the deceased. Click HERE to visit your page.
Mal Wright sent this note and photo from a timely meeting that happened the day before the cruise began.
Greetings from the PacNorthwest. Lya and I went over to Seattle today to have lunch with Dick Wyttenbach-Santos. Dick is joining a bunch of 4th Company cronies for an "Alaska Cruise" and had let us know that he would be in town. As it is with all reunions, large and small, it was a blast catching up.
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Dick Wyttenbach-Santos with Lya and Mal Wright |
The death of Larry Marsh and the note from Mal Wright reminded me that they had an unusual professional connection. In the late 1970's they were opposite crew commanding officers of USS WILL ROGERS (SSBN 659) - Larry of the Gold crew and Mal of the Blue crew. Here's a photo from November 1977 with Mal on the left and Larry to the right.
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WILL ROGERS Commanding officers |
Steve Duncan sent this remarkable photo and a note about his three Naval Officer grandsons.
The occasion for this November photo of my grandsons was a family Farewell (Best Wishes for Fair Winds and Following Seas) party for my daughter Kelly's second son Tristan, who left yesterday for his new duty station in Australia. The men in the photo are LT Tyler White, Kelly's oldest son, who returned last week from a six-month deployment to Japan. Tyler is a Naval Aviator and a senior Pilot and Mission Commander aboard P-8 Poseidon aircraft. He will be reporting to the Patuxent River NAS this month. The grandad is wearing slacks that were tailored for him in Scotland 40 years ago and a tie, both made of the Duncan Tartan. Lt(j.g.) Tristan White is a Cyber Warfare Engineering Officer. ENS Christopher Johnson is my daughter Paige's second son, a Cyber Warfare Engineering Officer stationed at Fort Meade.
San Diegan Jim Lasswell checked in with me with news of his recent visit to a classmate.
Cindy and I enjoyed a visit with Wes Jordan and Jill Nelson at their cottage in Urbanna, VA, the second weekend of November. Wes has several condos on the river there, and we've been fortunate to visit him a number of times. It just dawned on me to forward a picture of the two of us.
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Jim Lasswell and Wes Jordan |
Every year in November, Urbanna celebrates an oyster festival attended by thousands of visitors. We lucky to be able to come and stay with Wes and Jill for the festival weekend.
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Urbanna oysters 2025 |
Classmates attending Navy football games in Annapolis this fall enjoyed tailgating before watching a Navy victory in every contest. Jim Ring sent this photo of himself with the Navy Spirit goat.
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Jim Ring and the other goat wearing Jim's '63 hat. |
The three photos below were submitted by Jim Metcalfe.
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Eli Dabich, Phil Rooney, Bill Earner, Jeff Miles, Jim Metcalfe |
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Jim Metcalfe with Fern and Ian Sargent |
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Eli and Eileen Dabich |
Thanks to everyone whose contributions made this such a full report. Please resolve to follow their example by sending me some news, and perhaps some photos.
BEAT ARMY and have a wonderful holiday season!
