(I forgot to post this in October.  My bad!)

Well, it’s Oct. 14, and I wasn’t able to come to the reunion, but I was there in spirit.  I’m plenty healthy, blessed with it like Dave Thatcher, but have to say that Clark Grundler has way more courage than Dave and I combined.  As usual, as president, I am proud of the class of ’62 with our usual winning attendance numbers.  I for sure missed seeing smiling Joe Knee, who came to his first reunion in Roanoke to see the sights not the people, but has changed;  Jud Spencer, DeDe and Suzie Swannack, and my Vice President Chuck “Schnooki” Ralston. Not all of these were from my class, and there are certainly many others I enjoy.  I appreciate the spirit in anyone from any year that enjoys the reunions in spite of the fact that classes seem to keep to themselves while there.  I hope the spirit stays alive and that I see you at the next one.  I wish you all the best.

Doug writes:

My life in a nutshell...we moved to Orlean in 1957 and left in 1960. During that time my most memorable moments include setting the school record in sit-ups 852; I was shooting for 1,000 but Coach Friedman stopped me because gym class was over.  Also, winning the batting crown in baseball with a .444 average in 1959 and getting a hit off the late Rick Negretti the one time I got to face him,  and falling in love with Donna Chamberlin.
 
Moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 1960, and in 1965 joined the Marine Corps and served in Viet Nam. After that horrible experience, graduated from U. of Florida with B.S. in Journalism but eventually went back to school with a degree in Respiratory Therapy and am now retired from the medical field. I am also an artist (oils mostly) and I play lots of tennis. My wife, Dorothy, and I have been married for 37 years and now live in Gainesville, Georgia. We have three children, two boys and a girl, and have two wonderful grandchildren. All in all in spite of the good, bad and the ugly, it has been a great life and I am a lucky guy. (need to write a book about it all someday)

The award is presented annually by the Army Aviation Association of America (Quad-A) to a Department of the Army Civilian selected from across the Army who is supporting Army Aviation. I just happened to have a boss who is a good writer. I got credit for the great work that all the folks at USAALS do and I am humbled. We train all the Army's helicopter maintenance personnel from private through Warrant Officer. And all the USAF UH-60 Blackhawk mechanics. We have an annual student load of ~ 6000 with a daily student population right at 2000 Soldiers. My job is to run the school and enable my boss to command it.  It just so happens that I am sitting in the same office that was my Dad's (COL. Harry L. Jones) when he was Director of what was then the Aircraft Maintenance Training Department of the Transportation School in 1970. So it is sort of a family affair.  
I have attached the write up  that appeared in Army Aviation Magazine and the "official" photo of the Vice Chief of Staff doing the presentation. I also attached a photo of my wife, Sara with COL Bruce Crandall the Army Aviator who flew support to the 7th Cav in the pitched battle in Ia Drang Valley, RVN Nov 1965 ( In the Mel Gibson movie "We Were Soldiers", he was the unit commander, "Snake"). He was awarded the Medal of Honor 40 years later! What a hero and gentleman and a lot of fun.