Tony Hartman writes: Right now I’m here at COB Speicher, near Tikrit, Iraq. About half way through as we draw down to depart before the end of the year. I’m the lead Chaplain for the three hospitals up in the northern part of the country.

Chris Cioni writes: I volunteered for the race committee again this year. Instead of being a course marshal this year, I was very fortunate to be assigned to the security crew. It was amazing to be right on the finish line and closer to the stage than the media. And yes, I was prepared to “take one for the team” in order to protect the lovely podium staff 🙂

Dan Rohde writes: I’ll be heading out to Long Beach (from Savannah where Carrie and I currently live) in late August with a few of my Georgia Ports Authority colleagues to visit with a few folks in SoCal. One of the stops will be with Jacobsen Pilots where we will meet with, among others, the Jacobsen Pilots Ops Manager Capt. Mark Coynes. I’ll try to get a fun picture or two the following KP’er.

Our oldest daughter graduated from the USCGA in May and our middle daughter (3rd kid) started at the USCGA last week. We have two more years to attempt to sway our last kid to KP so we can keep our family numbers tilted the right way.

Rex Gundle writes: Continuing the expat lifestyle since 1997 and working for the AP Moller-Maersk group for the past 23 years. Married to Kim just short of 28 years now, with 3 kids, where the youngest Katie is 17 attending her 6 school in 6 countries, none of them in the USA; Tom is 19 attending UNC Wilmington; and Sarah graduated from University of Mary Washington and now works for our sister company the last 3 years. All is well, even with all the crazy events going on in the region.

Lisa Barcus Fields writes: Our daughter just gave birth to our first grandchild, a little boy. To say we are proud grandparents is an understatement. His name is Finnlee Joshua Anderson. Born on July 7th. He is the son of our oldest daughter Jessica and her husband Josh. Our son-in-law is a Virginia Tech grad, but he humors us, and allowed Grandpa and Grandma to dress Finnlee appropriately!

Mike Palmer’s oldest daughter Sheila is graduating HS this year.

Jim Romeo reports that Rob Lento‘s son is currently a plebe!

Erin Gantt again performed in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC with her trio, Swing Shift.

Rick Boudiette writes: Hope all is well. I am based in the San Francisco Bay Area managing some newbuild projects for Chevron Shipping. Specifically I have a contract with Daewoo for 3 LNG Carriers delivering later this year, and am about to start another LNG project at Samsung later this year. Lot’s of travel to Korea. During my travels recently, I ran across Kerry O’Neill. He’s working for on a Teekay Shipping construction team at Samsung. In fact, the current project he is on is yet another LNG Carrier project, and the ships will be dedicated to a Chevron joint venture gas project. Kerry is looking great, has a
wonderful wife, and is teaching some of my engineers a thing or two on the finer points of hull structural inspections.

Mike Booth writes: My wife and I are moving to Singapore by September, so that’s keeping us hopping. Other than that, not much news to report.

Glenn Gardner has been selected as Assistant Deputy Commander for Industrial Operations (SEA 04X). In this position, he’ll exercise operational control of the public shipyards and directorate’s infrastructure management of NAVSEA field activities. Glenn previously served as the technical director for Submarine Hull, Mechanical and Electrical Systems Engineering Division.

The very day of submitting this column we were notified that Michael Alston has passed away. See details at our site and please keep his family in your prayers.

Ray’s update: Check out my web design video at www.AttractWeb.com. I’ll brag about finishing 10th in my age group (out of 400) at Marine Corps Historic Half (half marathon), Fredericksburg, VA in May. Drew Carey did his first Half there.

For quick chatting with everyone, there’s a link at our site to our Facebook Group. Take care. Stay young.
—– Ray Christensen

Chris Cioni volunteered at Amgen Tour of CA bike race

Erin Gantt performs at Memorial Day parade in DC

Gary & Lisa (Barcus) Fields with new grandson

CDR Vivan Ragusa, USN(Ret) was laid to rest in Jacksonville National Cemetery, on April 12 this year. Jacksonville was his family’s home for many years and where they held their home church. He left behind his wife Jane and their three young boys Vivan Jr., Schuyler and Aidan. Vivan is gone from this earth “to wait for them.” Classmates able to attend included John Carbone and his family, Jim Goulden, John Burns, Craig Matteson, Kevin Brofford and Scott O’Connor – not a happy reunion but a tiny one none the less. Vivan’s “brother, “John Carbone” wonderfully eulogized Vivan, how he loved to fly fast and how great a heart he had for family and friends. He will be sorely missed at any turn! Vivan had his eye on the meatball and,
as his Rector best but it, “the Cross was his meatball.”

Gary Graham writes:
I retired from the Marine Corps in the summer of 2009 after 26 and a half years of flying the A-6 Intruder and the F/A-18 Hornet. My last tour was as the Commanding Officer of Marine Aircraft Group 41 in Ft Worth, TX. Capt Ian McIntyre was the base commander at the time. I now work at NAVSEA HQ for the in service amphibious ships program office where I am the Senior Aviation Manager and Liaison for integration of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.

Brian Foy writes:
Photos [below] from the recent KPA-CPA Leadership Conference at KP. George Toma was there as VP of the KP-Arizona Chapter; Scott O’Connor was there as President of the KP-Jacksonville, FL Chapter; I was there as VP of the Mid-Hudson (NY) Chapter. It was a good meeting providing great networking and chance to hear directly from the Superintendent, Admiral Greene (KP ’78) on his vision for KP going forward, as well as updates from faculty and administration. I must say I was very impressed with Admiral Greene and his passion; with his background as a Master Mariner and Naval Officer, KP is in good hands!

Ray’s update: Besides running (survived a hilly marathon in Amish country in April) and web design, you can see how I work with my brothers a few days each month in the Catskills at www.LackawackLumber.com I sold Brian Foy a quart of the Maple Syrup we produce. My brother Ken (KP’88) continues to sail as a Chief Engineer with Maersk.

I’d like to create a page on our KP83 site for each of our departed classmates, so they can continue to be with us. If you have contact with a family, please ask them to contact me. If you have an appropriate photo or would like to add a paragraph, email it.

As always, email or call me anytime with news. Stay safe.
—– Ray Christensen

Jacksonville National Cemetery

Scott O’Connor, Brian Foy & George Toma at KP conference

RADM Mark “Buzz” Buzby USN, KP’79 Commanding Officer Military Sealift Command (COMSC) keynote speaker
KPA-CPA Maritime Dinner, USMMA Officers Club

KPA-CPA Leadership Conference

Thanks for staying in touch! With Social Networking sites everywhere (including your ability to post comments and photos at our www.USMMAAF.com class page), I won’t expect anyone to update the list at our class website, but I’ll leave it up there for hysterical historical reference.

Craig Matteson writes:
Here is a picture from this Sept/Oct at KP. Mike Keane, John Rhatigan and myself met Jim Goulden at the Point to hang with Jim. It was nice to visit and super nice that it wasn’t one of our anniversaries in that we could do what we wanted. Many thanks to Mike and Jeanie Keane for their hospitality. We all realized that we need to do this more often.

Mickey C writes:
Once again we are planning our trip to Myrtle Beach. This is the 25th year we’ve done this in some shape or form and it grows in numbers just about every year. Again, we are equal opportunity in our approach and even let Deckies attend. Bob Ross has been going for a few years and we almost (not completely) forgot Bob was a Deckie. McAloon came last year and spoiled it for Bob as we had just about forgotten. Plus, Jimmy Maloney has been coming off and on for about ten years and, well you know he’s a Dualie. If you can roll with this type of stupid humor and your in!

I’ve been doing quite a bit of traveling this past year seeing many classmates. I spent time in New Orleans and saw Mr. Quern. Jim has found a way to ruin tennis as means of exercise. He claims to be exercising and then lets it slip that he takes a six pack as well. Next thing you know he’ll have a cupholder on his racket. And thanks have to be extended to Frank Liantonio and his wife Kim for keeping Jim’s “drunk calls” to a minimum while at LSU football games. That was funny 20 years ago and is still funny when you do it to Jim (Sorry Ann). The final update on Jim is he’s decided to not cut his hair and if he were to grow a mustache he’d look like a 70’s porn star(except for the other requirements).

I just spent a few days on the West Coast and saw Rich Boudiette. I’ve gotten older and am losing my hair and vision but still do not remember calling him Rick. Sorry Boo Boo. We decided to spend a saturday evening in Berkley and drink all the beer we could at one sitting. The best idea we now use since we are post 40 years old is the invention called the Taxi. It seems like you can drink forever and never have to worry, until the next day. Rich is doing well, still the New Yorker we all loved. We did wonder what happened to Dennis Drummond?

Finally, I spent the last two days in San Diego and caught up with Dan Baerman and Del Lewis. Dan is a hard working Manager at a beautiful power plant in the area and is still the sophisticated individual we all know and love. Del is the President of his own business and was gracious in taking me to an event as he is part of the Holiday Bowl Committee. Thanks again Del. Words of advice, live or retire in San Diego as it is beautiful. So, if in closing if anyone is interested in golfing in Myrtle Beach
drop me an email at

Class Ring Saga: (If you had not heard of this, email Ray to get on list…) As many of you know, Rita in Alumni Office alerted us to the fact that a KP’83 class ring was up for auction on eBay. It turned out to belong to Jeff Bubin, who eventually paid and recovered it after having lost it 25 years ago! (The power of the internet) Jeff reports. “It’s in great shape and so strange but nice to have it back in my possession after all those years.”

The tragically funny part of the story is that soon after sending a group email, I was deluged with
messages indicating that seemingly half of our class has lost our rings over the years.

Scott O’Connor writes:
I guess that ring wasn’t the one I left in an airplane bathroom. Or the first one that I lost in the grass at Eldridge Pool before we graduated. I’ve never been good with rings so I just wait for someone to give me another one – white gold with black onyx, size 11 by the way. I’m glad Jeff got his ring back -amazing. How did he loose it to begin with?

Glenda and I continue to be active with our Jacksonville alumni chapter. I’ve gone the next step and am now on the Alumni Foundation Board of Directors. I’ll take any and all complaints or suggestions for a deductible donation…. The Jax Chapter is looking forward to hosting the KP Rowing team for their Spring Training the first week of March. BBQ at our house 3/6 if you or anyone is in the area. Glenda and I are keeping up with the current classes at KP with Katie ’13 at sea in the engineroom of
Matson’s Maunawili. She’s having a blast and liking the work. Kyle is permanent 3/m on Crowley’s shuttle tanker Blue Ridge. He abandons his dog on our door step when he leaves.

I spent a week in Seattle at Jon Kjaerulff‘s school, taking BST. Old men should not be putting on fire fighting gear and running into burning vessel mock-ups. Jon and Maria, Syd and Bill Sliker and Darcy and Mark Lund all met up for a great dinner before I left. Thanks to Jon and Bill for their great lodging and hospitality. Bill has got us all lined up for a week in BC in August, fishing and partying.

See previous columns & photos at www.StillConnected.com/kp83. If you’re ever passing through Delaware on I-95, call me and stop by to visit my “Beer Room” like Brian Foy did last year. I’m usually here since I work at home. Stay safe.
—– Ray Christensen

(l to r) Mike Keane, Craig Matteson, John Rhatigan, Jim Goulden, Jeanie Keane

Brian Foy visits Ray Christensen’s “Beer Room” in Sept 2009