Shipmate Column
November-December 2025
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.
We have several items of interest for you this month, including classmate activities and some recommended books related to our years in uniform. First, though, we note the loss of four members of the Class of 1963 family.
Frank Michael Radik passed away on 7 April. We do not have contact information for his next of kin.
Emilio Eugene Varanini passed away on 28 August. Gene's widow, Giovanna, can be contacted at 2727 Macon Drive, Sacramento, CA 95835
Ray Theep's wife, Eva, died on 15 September. Ray can be contacted at 517 10th Street, Coronado, CA 92118.
Charles Spadafora's widow, Linda, passed away on 18 September. We do not have contact information for her next of kin.
Via an "Irish Pennant" email to the class in early September, Bill Earner told us about changes in the leadership of the class of '63. In case you did not see the email, here are the details.
Spencer Johnson, our President, is dealing with Parkinson's Disease and has decided to step down from his post. At his request, I have assumed duties as President until our 65th reunion, at which time we will hold an election in accordance with our class by-laws. Jim Ring is stepping down as Vice President; his duties will be taken up by Bob Forster. Mike Shelley continues as Secretary and Jeff Miles as Treasurer. Steve Coester continues to be our Webmaster.
On behalf of the entire class I want to thank Spencer for his many years of faithful service to our class by keeping us connected with the USNA Alumni Association, representing us in various activities and initiatives supporting the Brigade of Midshipmen, and genuinely caring for the welfare of the Class of 1963. Spencer has been especially involved with the Class of 1963 Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), our legacy to the Academy. The CAE has grown in usefulness and importance, serving nearly 100 percent of each class during their four years in the Brigade. Spencer vigorously led '63's innovative participation in the Another Link in the Chain program as we mentored the Class of 2013, our 50-year successors.
Linda Penn has announced that Bill's remains will be interred at the Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio at 1030 on 14 November. She is planning a lunch to follow at a local restaurant. USNA alumni and spouses are welcome to attend. For details, you may phone her at 830-221-7010.
I had previously reported the death of John Truesdell in December of 2024. Phillip Marsden attended John's inurnment and sent this report.
In August, Ron and Dee Wills, Dave Meyers, and I joined members of John Truesdell's family for his inurnment ceremony at Miramar National Cemetery. I learned that, like me, John was a Pearl Harbor survivor as we were both born and living in the Pearl Harbor area prior to December 7th. John was from a Navy family while my father was in the Army.
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Dave Meyers, Phillip Marsden, and Ron Wills |
I hope you recall that it was John who placed a combination cap atop the Herndon monument to finish our climb in June of 1960. No more plebes!
Coincidentally, I had recently found a fine book that I recommend to you - The Herndon Climb, A History of the United States Naval Academy's Greatest Tradition. It's well illustrated and includes a 1960 photo showing our climb in process. Published by the Naval Institute Press, it's also available through online merchants. I bought a copy, learned many things, and enjoyed it a lot.
The first Naval Academy class to include women was the Class of 1980, whose members arrived at the Academy in the summer of the nation's bicentennial year. The 50th anniversary of Women at USNA will be observed in several events through 2026. Let's get a jump on the schedule by recognizing now the eight Class of 1963 daughters who followed their fathers into the Academy. Here's a hearty BZ to Anne-Lynne Chapman '90 (Austin), Emily Cox '10 (Lanny), Kelly Duncan '90 (Steve), Ellen Gardner '89 (Joel), Julie Jordan '07 (Jerry), Susan Koehn '89 (Jim), Jennifer Lasswell '92 (Jim), and Erica Miles '87 (Jeff).
Bob Harper sent this note from his native Maine.
In August, Anne and I hosted Seventeenth Companymate Jerry Jordan and his wife, Judy, for a week in Winter Harbor and the surrounding area. While Jerry and I certainly had differences ( He was a varsity swimmer and I was sub squad, he was a submariner and I was a surface skimmer), we had a great time. We enjoyed sunny days (that the state refers to as drought) for their entire visit. This picture of Jerry and me was made near the Canadian border across from Campobello Island,
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Bob Harper and Jerry Jordan in Maine |
Other news from Maine came in an article in the 21 August edition of the Penobscot Bay Press, in which our classmate Bill Anderson was highlighted. From the article:
Deer Isle and Stonington's all volunteer ambulance service, the Memorial Ambulance Corps, welcomed eight new members into its ranks this summer. The six-month class wasn't easy. In addition to lectures and extensive book work, the eight students had to learn all the skills needed to save lives in a variety of stressful conditions.
At 83, Bill Anderson of Deer Isle was the oldest person in the class and is now one of the oldest working EMTs in the state. It had been decades since Anderson had been to school and some of his classmates were upwards of 50 years younger, but he nonetheless found new friends and a new way to help his community. "I joined because I thought it would be helpful to give something back to the community, to help it survive," Anderson said. He has been on over 10 calls since he passed his state EMT exam in June.
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New EMT's Bill Anderson and some of his classmates. |
Dave Moore and I sometimes exchange information about books on military topics. His latest find is sure to be of interest to our classmates, especially those who served in the riverine navy in Vietnam -- White Water Red Hot Lead: On Board U.S. Navy Swift Boats in Vietnam. The author writes from his personal experience as OinC of a Swift Boat. The paperback version can be purchased from Amazon.
I'm sure you remember that a terrible fire occurred aboard USS Forrestal on Yankee Station during the Vietnam war. On that day, 29 July 1967, 134 men were killed and 161 were injured by fire and explosions resulting from the accidental firing of a Zuni missile among fueled and armed aircraft during strike preparations.
Several Navy ships closed on Forrestal to aid in damage control and the evacuation of injured men. Our classmate Andy Curtin, co-pilot of a UH-2 helicopter, spent many hours shuttling between Forrestal and nearby ships. Andy has just written an account of that day, and it is now posted as the latest entry in the Pride and Tradition: The Class in Vietnam section of our web site. You can see it by Clicking HERE.
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UH-2 Seasprite |
Here is an unexpected add-on to Andy's story. The text was circulated among a few classmates and drew this note from Tony Isger:
I forwarded it to friends of interest and received this reply from classmate/squadron mate, Dave Thornhill: "Three days later he rescued me." Dave was hit while we were on a strike in northeast Vietnam and made it to the water before ejecting from his A-4. Good job, Andy!
Here's one more item relating to the Forrestal fire. Our classmate Rocky Pratt visited us here in North Carolina several years ago. He told us about being aboard Forrestal at the time of the incident. He recommended a 2002 book covering the events of the day: Sailors to the End; The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It by Gregory A. Freeman. You may be aware of it. I bought a copy soon after Rocky's visit and found it to be a gripping tale. Scanning the index now, I see many references to what helicopters did that day. The book is still in print and available from your local bookseller or online merchants.
I just learned of a series on National Geographic Television called "Top Guns: The Next Generation" about the Navy Advanced Flight Training Program. After viewing the first of six episodes I recommend it highly. The first episode follows a group of pilots as they begin strike training. The cinematography is on a par with the Top Gun movies, sometimes causing me to ask, "How did they do that?" The series is being shown on NatGeo television on six Tuesdays beginning on 16 September; it is also streamed. Try this LINK to see a 90-second preview. Click Here
That's all for this month. Have a fine autumn and early winter, and don't forget to send me your news to be shared with our classmates. We need your participation to keep this news exchange in business.
BEAT ARMY !!
