Class Notes - Part 23

Michael Alston

Michael Alston was born in Boston, Mass., and raised In Providence, R.I., where he graduated from Central High School. In 1983, he graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y., with a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

For the past 27 years, Michael served Military Sealift Command at headquarters in the Prepositioning Program, the Sealift Program
and in Engineering, as well as at MSC subordinate commands in Italy and Japan. He was a valued member of the MSC team and will be greatly missed.

Michael is survived by his wife, Michelle, daughters, Maya and Mira, and grandson, Tyson.
– – – MSC Memorial Service 7/28/11

Donations Accepted
Fellow Classmates,
I’m sure that most of you have received the tragic news that Michael Alston passed away in early July 2011.

Michael worked at Military Sealift Command since 1984. He was a wonderful colleague and friend to all of us at MSC.

We have taken up a collection at work and plan to make a donation to the USMMA Alumni Foundation, designated for the Michael Alston ’83 fund. This is a restricted fund that we can decide how to use in memory of Michael.

The first $150 donated to this fund will be used to pay for the plaque that will be placed in the Memorial Arbor and dedicated during our 30th Reunion weekend in 2013. We will poll the class for recommendations on where to allocate the balance of the fund as we approach our 30th Reunion. One thought is to designate the monies in this fund to support of the USMMA Color Guard. Michael was the Color Guard Commander during our 1st Class year.

It is very easy to make your donation on-line at USMMA Alumni Foundation Be sure to designate your donation to the “Michael Alston ’83 Fund.”

Michael Alston, KP ’83
9/1/58 – 7/14/11

Michael Alston

Alternatively, you can make your donation via check made payable to “USMMA Alumni Foundation”, with a note in the memo line that the donation is “Restricted to the Michael Alston ’83 Fund.”

Checks can be mailed to:
USMMA Alumni Association and Foundation
P.O. Box 222011
Great Neck, NY 11022

Please consider making a donation in memory of Michael Alston, or any of the other 7 classmates we have lost since graduation.

If you have any questions regarding the fund or your donation, you can contact either Lisa Donitz ( or 516-482-5274) or Gregg Matalas ( or 516-773-5544).
Fraternally,
Erin Gantt ’83 and Chris Thayer ’83

Remembering Michael

I just remember Michael as a nice person on an even keel. He may have accused me of not being very talented at marching and may have asked me what I was doing while we were marching to be so bad at it. I believe my response was that I found marching to be prime day dreaming time.
Wendy Greenbaum

Kings Pointer – Spring 2011

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

KP83
(l to r) Mike Keane, Craig Matteson, John Rhatigan, Jim Goulden, Jeanie Keane

KP83
Brian Foy visits Ray Christensen’s “Beer Room” in Sept 2009

Vivan Ragusa

Memorial written for Vivan Ragusa on the Wall of Honor at the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Center (Smithsonian Air and Space Museum):

Cdr. Vivan L. Ragusa II, USN (Ret.)
Vivan LeRoy Ragusa II, “Noodles,” was born in Munich, Germany where his father was stationed in the U.S. Army, but spent the majority of his youth in Davenport, Iowa. His passion for aviation began at an early age when he would build and fly model airplanes with his father. Vivan received his appointment to the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1979 and graduated in 1983. Upon his graduation, Vivan was commissioned into the United States Navy where he began his career in aviation.

Vivan Ragusa, KP ’83
11/26/59 – 4/2/11

After earning his wings as a Naval Flight Officer (NFO), Vivan started his flying career as a Bombardier Navigator (BN) in the A-6 Intruder. During his first operational tour, he was one of seven NFO’s selected for pilot transition training, returned to flight school, and subsequently earned his Wings of Gold as a Naval Aviator, graduating first in his class. He then chose to fly the F/A-18 Hornet. He flew combat tours in Bosnia and Iraq. He later moved on to the Naval Weapons Test Squadron (VX-31) at China Lake where he flew developmental flight tests of tactical weapons and advanced weapon systems. Additionally, he was involved in foreign military sales as a liaison for 8 countries.

Vivan Ragusa Following his tour at China Lake, Vivan was selected for the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) Co-op Program. He attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA where he earned an MS in Aeronautical Engineering and then attended USNTPS in Patuxent River, Maryland. Following graduation from USNTPS and designation as an Experimental Test Pilot, Vivan was assigned to the Naval Strike Aircraft Test Squadron (VX-23) at Patuxent River where he served as the project pilot for the X-31 “VECTOR” Program exploring high alpha approach and landing and Flush Air Data Systems. During this time, he also participated in developmental flight tests on the T-45 Goshawk and F/A-18 Hornet. After his tour at VX-23, Vivan was appointed Program Manager for the U.S. Joint Advanced Tactical Missile Systems and AIM-9X. Vivan completed his career in the Navy as the Officer-In-Charge of Naval Air Depot (NADEP) at Cecil Field, FL, where he served as the F/A-18 Test Pilot, Chief of Flight Operations, and Government Flight Representative.

After honorably serving his country for 23 years, he retired from the Navy and joined Gulfstream Aerospace as an Airborne Product Support pilot and later as an experimental test pilot where he flew the G100, G450, G550 and G650. In addition to his many professional achievements, Vivan will be remembered as a loyal and devoted husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He was passionate about life, flying, racing cars, and sharing these passions with his three sons. His greatest joy was raising and instilling in them the values which he lived by: courage, honor, and commitment to God, family, and country. He leaves a legacy of hope to all who knew and loved him. His place on this wall is indicative of a life well lived and his sacrifice will not be forgotten. In the words of his favorite scripture, Isaiah 40:31, he now soars with eagles wings. He is loved and missed beyond words.

Additional comments welcome.