We have two kids. Our daughter (29) is in the San Francisco area, gainfully employed, etc. Our son (22) is back with us right now, but is getting ready to move to California to go to flight school--wants to be a pilot.

Our life has had some interesting turns, but we have been blessed with good health and are very happy. Jeanne and I are active in our church, and we are very comfortable with our prospects for the long term.

We have 2 sons, Scott, 30, who manages a Cracker Barrel restaurant in NY, and Chris, 26, who works for GE in Houston, and 1 grandson, Jordan, who is 2. We "retired" to the Charleston, SC, area in 2000 but have not given up work. 

Life has been good.

In 1976, a girl I'd known for ten years, also from WV, said yes, she'd marry me! An elementary teacher, Sharon's now a 25-plus-year veteran in the local Christian school where all three of our kids graduated.

Our son Jeremy (b. 1978) is an Albuquerque civil engineer who married our newest family member, Kara, in Jun 2006, a 4th-year med student at UNM. Our older daughter Charity (b. 1980) got her degree in English and journalism and is now in India, married to our "second son" Beau Pihlaja (b. 1979) who is teaching in a seminary there; they're the parents of our fifth grandson, Asher Samuel, born Sep 2008. Our baby, Sarah (b. 1981), still here in LC, finished her education degree in Dec 2004 at NMSU in Early Childhood Development; she's the curriculum specialist for an early childhood learning center and married to "third son" Jason Johnson (b. 1977), a radar tech at WSMR--their sons, J.D., Jr., (b. Feb 2003), Ryan (b. Sep 2004), Tate (b. Mar 2006), and Zachery (b. May 2008) are the first four of our five grandchildren. 

All of us are active in our various churches. Much more info is on my website: www.zianet.com/jmcdgwin.

Dear John,

I think this is the first time I've written a "Dear John" e-mail. Hey, how ya doin'? Amazing what one encounters when typing 'iwanuszko' into a search engine!!
DLISW, wow, haven't thought about that acronym in a few years. Hey, I'm in Southern California right now; will be in Oklahoma in July. If there is going to be a reunion, put your electronic nib to screen and let me know. I'm flexible---like a good hobo should be.

Dmytro Iwanuszko

26 Jul 2005:
Hi family, friends, DLISW alumni and Cabrillo Village people, 

Have moved to Tucson,
3493 Lind Road, Apt 222, Tucson., AZ  85716
Drop in if you need a cool place to crash in.
Jim

From: "Marquard, Kenneth" <kmarquaratmdcdotedu>
Date: Wed Sep 29, 2004 
To: "John Gwin" <jmcdgwin@zianet.com>
Subject: RE: Welcome back!

John,
Thank you very much for getting back with the website.  Both Jan (my wife) and I had a great time seeing many of you and learning about your lives.  You may remember that Jan and I lived off base, so were not quite as connected to the group as those who lived together on the base.  We have been together for almost 40 years and married for almost 36.  We have no children, but I, too, was a special education teacher for many years, so our lives have been surrounded by children.  Actually I have taught every grade and worked with infants and toddlers as well.  We have lived in the Bahamas, and eventually I became a special education administrator in the Cayman Islands.  Although we loved island life, we eventually moved back to Florida where we had lived before I went in the service (we grew up in Connecticut).  I eventually received my doctorate in special education and reading at the University of Miami where I remained as an educational researcher for many years.  Currently I am Director of Disability Services at Miami Dade College, and Jan is Coordinator of Deaf Services since she has been a sign language interpreter.  We live in Fort Lauderdale and have had a wonderful and happy life.  We have had the privilege of caring for my father for several years until he passed away in 2000 (he became my child) and now care for my mother-in-law who is doing well at 89.

While we lived on Nations Avenue in El Paso, we lived next to a couple, and the husband was in the German Air Force at the base.  We became good friends, traveled together all the time, and kept in touch for many years, and I did hear from them a few years ago.  Also, while we were still in El Paso, Jan and I started studying the Bible, and when we returned to Florida, we continued and eventually became Jehovah's Witnesses.  So I have really had two lives, one as a teacher and one as a minister. 

While it seems that many of you were assigned to Military Intelligence, Paul Alleruzzo and I were found to have such incredible talent that we were sent to Clerk School at Fort Knox, and I got to experience the coldest and most miserable winter of my life typing my digits off.  I also got in big trouble because I snuck off base to live with Jan and eventually got caught (Paul also lived off base with his family but was smart enough not to get caught).  I ran into Paul a few times while we were stationed at Long Binh, but we did not keep in touch after that.  While I was pretty depressed in Viet Nam, I did get to know many Vietnamese, and they treated me like family the whole time I was there.  Although I got assigned as a clerk at Headquarters, which was like a resort to me, with the downsizing, I ended up assigning officers into combat units, so after all these years I still have that on my mind.

I have no memory of the Vietnamese language now and have put that part of my life far behind me, but after you called, I realized how much I would really like to see all of you again.  I have never attended any of my high school class reunions and have just turned down my 40th, but if I can, I would like to do this.

I do believe that I have some pictures from our class, and I am sure that I still have slides of Saigon (but not sure what condition they are in).  It will take me a while to get these out, but I will send them along as soon as I can.

My best to you and all the guys,
Ken
 

Steve Montiel, Director, Institute for Justice and Journalism USC Annenberg School for Communication 300 South Grand Avenue, Suite 3950 Los Angeles CA 90071-3175

Tel: (213) 437-4404 Fax: (213) 437-4424 www.justicejournalism.org

He is a co-founder of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education which has worked to increase racial and cultural diversity in the news since 1976. He was the institute's president and chief executive officer for 12 years, from September 1988 to September 2000. 

Montiel was a deputy press secretary for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee from 1982 through 1984 and the campaign press secretary for Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley in his successful re-election race in 1985. He was part of the first staff of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, created with surplus funds from the 1984 Olympic Games. He was vice-president for communications at the Amateur Athletic Foundation when he left to head the Oakland-based Maynard Institute. 

In addition to the Maynard Institute Board of Directors, Montiel serves on the boards of the California Council for the Humanities and the California First Amendment Coalition. He is a member of the California Chicano News Media Association, which he first joined in 1972. Montiel graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1969 and taught there as an assistant professor of journalism from 1979 to 1981.

After Nam, I went back to school and got three Masters while working for the State of Alabama.  I lost my sight in 1998 and retired that same year after 26 and one-half years with the State Employment Service.  During those years I taught college part time, wrote a weekly outdoor column for the local
newspaper, and fished bass tournaments.

Since retirement, Linda and I have completed the Master Gardener Program, traveled the USA and Canada playing in blind golf tournaments, built custom computers, and generally enjoyed life.

I'm currently national Secretary and Webmaster for the American Blind and Disabled Golf Association (www.abdga.org) and playing golf every chance I get.

It would be great to see everyone again.  I hope we can get a reunion together.

  Anyway suppose this is the proper time to fill you all in on what has happened to Al Strauss since El Paso and Ft Hood.  Went to Vietnam and they lost my security clearance--tough to be in MI--which by the way is an oxymoron--so I was in Saigon for about a month cleaning shitholes and fixing floors, etc.  Esala came down once on a currier run from Da Nang and did we get --ed up.  Then got stationed at a camp just outside of Tan Son Nhut airbase for the next several months.  Flew up to Da Nang for in country R+R to see Johnson, Esala, Eddy from Ft. Hood, etc.  Got an early out end of Oct so was only in country 7 months. 

Returned to North Dakota to school--for early out purposes and then went out to Wisconsin to get on with life.  Worked construction for a year and then went back to college and got a Social Work degree.  I thought it meant working socials--I was always much better at that--organizing fun things you know--like softball teams--pizza at Shakey's etc.  Anyway, worked 20 years with mentally retarded adults--the last 10 were involved in marketing wood products we manufactured for the craft industry and sold to majors like Ben Franklin, Hobby Lobby, Shopko, etc.  Was enjoyable but got to be a lot of traveling so in 1994 I went to work for a major furniture retailer in Wisconsin and have enjoyed much success the last 10 years--with no traveling.  A few more years of selling America's popular home furnishings and I hope to hang it up.

 In 1976 I married Linda Rank from Appleton, Wis.  Went together about 4 years and she finally gave me the ultimatum to sh t or get off the pot.  I did.  She is a great lady and puts up with me which isn't always easy.  Linda has done child care for the last 27 years.  It allowed her to be home with our children as they grew up and has been great.  She also owned her own craft business--in home--for several years but that starts getting old with the need to travel as well.  We have 3 great children--no longer kids.  Tia is a 25 year old graphic designer who is currently establishing her own business here in Oshkosh.  A challenge but one I'm sure she will be very successful at.  Not married but somewhat serious.  She owns her own home in Oshkosh.  Son Judd is 21 and a junior at UW-Green Bay studying theater.  The next Jim Carrey--at least he thinks so.  And son Zach is 19 and also a student at UWGB.  At this point as a freshman he is mainly taking up space--and girls--lots of girls.  He is the chip off the old block.  Talk to Zach and he'll talk for hours--

  We've lived in Oshkosh since I finished up school here in 1974.  It's a great place as is the Fox Valley area.  Johnson, Esala, and Hanket have visited here, and Linda and I get to see Esalas every couple of years as we pass thru Minnesota to North Dakota.  My mother lives up the street from us in an assisted living facility since 2000, so I don't go back to ND very often anymore and so less chance to stay at Esala's.

  Well, I've rambled on a bit here--but am excited about the possibilty of a 2005 reunion.  I'd love to hear from anyone--Dennis it was great to hear from you--sorry to hear about your blindness--what I want to know is who keeps score on the golfcourse? Hey, remember going fishing outside of Ft. Hood?  Man the stories will fly if we all get together.  Campbell--thanks for calling me, and let me know if I can be of any assistance.  If there are any mispellings--too bad.  Hope to hear from anyone--Strauss