USAFA Class Heritage Class of 1963

Flying was in my blood at an early age.  My father  had his own plane when I was born in 1941 and I took my first flight with my parents from Saratoga, NY to Atlantic City, NJ and back when I was 6 weeks old. During WW II he was a instructor pilot in the Army Air Corps at Hawthorn AAF in SC,  He was floating in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Delaware  when my sister was born in 1943.  He wore very thick glasses and flew the coastal patrol.  He saved the prop from that plane and often said he was going to make a clock from that prop. Like many from WW II he said little about those days.  He never made that clock and got rid of the prop when we moved form NY to Florida in 1954. He got rid of his own plane when he entered the Army Air Corps and we took only an occassional flight or two over the years,

My father was very bright, a first class education and never wrong.  I, as the oldest of 5, had a difficult relationship with him.  My mother was the glue that kept us all sane.  I learned early about service academies; 2 uncles were career military men; one a 90 second Lt who left Dartmouth in 1943 and became a 3 star USMC General, the other a Cooast Guard Academy grad who had quite a career. I learned that a service academy meant I could be independent of my father by 17!  "Men of Annapolis" and "The West Point Sory"became my favorite TV programs.

Moving to Florida in the 8th grade was a challenge but I learned to enjoy the new location.  I was active at St Pete Hi and became Senate Pres, Boys State Repand,and active in sports. I was named Most Likely to Succeed, much to my surprise, and had a principal appointment to the Naval Academy, a NROTC scholarshipfor which I was accepted at Princeton and an AFA alternate spot,

Our SPHS principal, Doc Geneva,explained the politics of Academy appointments to me when I was rejected by the Naval Academy based on my SAT scores which he said "was absurd.The NROTC scholarship was still available but the Princeton slots had been filled.I could have gone there without the NROTC and was told that I could attend  one of 3 good engineering schools on the NROTC Scholarship.  I picked the University of Nebraska--and what a year it was!! 

Joined a fraternity right away and moved into the frat house, elected pledge class pres, became a "Corn Cob", the pep group, wore a Red sweater with "Cob' to every football game and cheered for what was one of the worst seasons Cornhusker U ever had.  Enjoyed the parties and studied hard --but my grades were not good enough to get initiated into the fraternity. Looking back the year in Lincoln was well worth it in terms of  my finding out what I wanted to do and become !,

My Congressman did not have a USNA appointment the next year but suggested I try for the Air Force Academy as they had a competitive system. took my physical at Offut AFB, near Omaha, met John Lorber, who attended the USAFA Prep School, joined the Class of '64, scored the first touchdown at Falcon Stadium and retired as a General. I got the appointment to AFA, returned to Florida for a short visit, visited friends in Nebraska, took the train to Denver and then that memorable bus ride to USAFA in June 1959!

Looking back at our 4 years at USAFA I have many fond memories-the Best seem to be my many roommates.We seemed to change squadrons every year as the Cadet Wing grew larger, Mike Horner was my Dooolie summermate-what a guy!- and together we made it through that Summer,  Frank was my Fall roommate.  I knew he was struggling with chemistry but was shocked to learn as I came back from breakfast the first day of Christmas break when we were"at ease" that he was homeward bound due to an honor violation.  All his thing were marked with instructions for me-Never even got to say "good bye'  Dick Brown was turned back to our class and really helped  me understand the military system.  He was also quite a football player!!. Rusty Turner was my roommate for a full yaer.  We became very close.  He was my Best Man in our Graduation Day wedding and even came to my daughter's wedding in Boston.Quite a pilot, he passed away several years ago after a long cancer battle, Wayne Newbury was my Summer Detail '62 roomie-probably the sharpest and most put together military guy I ever met and he taught me lots.  We will honor him and others Thursday night at our Reunion. Tom Burns, from a Navy family, was next-somehow we  have lost touch with him- or he of us.  He joined the Marines, had a flying career and became a college prof.  Hank Jusiter was my final roomie- Having a Falcon handler and an Honor rep as a roomie was quite an experience -we both had serious lady friends so that worked out well !.

The 4 years really seemed to pass quickly.  I was lucky to make the Swim team although I had never swum in competition- but being from Florida you should know how to swim!  This meant a Training Table and I got to eat a whole meal !! I enjoyed many intramural sports and tried them all -field hockey, football,lacrosse, water polo-like high school,  jock of all sports, master of none!

My AOC suggested I broaden my interests and I got involved with the Polaris, our year book and became the Editor-a super experiences, good trips and great people.  I still cringe when I see our '63 Polaris-it was supposed to be GOLDEN, not "s--- bringle brown",  We did have a 45 record made of Graduation Day including Kennedy's talk included in each book. Overall I was on the Commandant's List 6 0f our 8 terms and the Dean's List for the last 4, I got the message after taking a turnout exam in Diff Equ.  I was on the Supt's list our 2d Class year and was Squadron First Sgt and Cadet Major for Summer Detail. 

I met Kathy Doherty from Colorado Springs the 4th of July '61 when I called a friend from St Pete who had moved toi the Springs and asked her to fix several of us up with dates- Rusty, Bill Porter and me. She warned me that Kathy was engaged to someone at CSU but she would come along as a friend and the rest is history. We were engaged at our Ring Dance in '62 and married Graduation Day- June 5, 1963.  The new Chapel was still leaking so we were married at Shove Chapel at Colorado College thanks to Kathy's Dad, Tom Doherty.

And then Our Honeymoon, nearly a month in Mexico City and Acapulco- quite a time!!  We returned to Lubbock, Teaxs for me to begin Pilot Training.in July 1963.  The dust was incredible there and  I soon had asthma problems I had not had since childhood.  In OCT I ended up in an oxygen tent in the hospital for 3 days when I couldn"t catch my breath during  a PT formation.  So much for my Flying career- I painted buttt cans for 3 months as a young 2d Lt hoping I would get a waiver just to keep my commission.  Once approved I requested Procurement and was assigned to A/C Maintenance Officer at Chanute AFB, Ill, and I did not even like to work on my car in high school! 

By Oct 64 I was an A/C Maint Officer- an Honor Grad no less ! - and my assigment was changed from the Azores to Eglin AFB, FL since Kathy was very pregnant.-48th Air Rescue Service-HU-16. HC-54. HH-43B and then HC-130H-again  quite an experience. Our first daughter. Pam, was born at Eglin in Nov 64  !!   I had talked with key people at Columbia while on a yearbook trip about a MBA in Finance and they encouraged me then but back at AFA my advisor said- "Go get your wings before your eyes go bad!'.  So once at Eglin I applied for Grad School.  MATS  had a policy that an overseas assigment was required before grad school.  My assignment was to Osan, Korea- unaccompanied and limited medical support.  Doctors at Eglin encouraged me to go before a Medical Review Board since I had that waiver and if I had trouble in Korea  I would be dicharged from there and my family probably would be in Colorado.   I got my Discharge notice on a Wed in Sep 64 and learned I would be out of the Air Force the following Friday!

A very tough transition without much plannning- Interested in Finance I talked to several brokerage frims, some aviation firms and to duPont Chemical in Wilmington.DE who had an excellent program in the Treasurer's Dept for young grads, military and MBA. and I was able to take finance courses at  U of Delaware.  Knowing I could get into Columbia for an MBA I was encoraged to appy to HBS and was wait-listed for '66 and then  told I could enter in Sep 67.  So we had another daughter, Wendy born in July 67, just 6 weeks befor we moved to Cambridge and I entered HBS.  I always say that Kathy desrves all the credit for my graduating form HBS.  She was busy with 2 young daughters and became very involved in the HBS Wives Club, becoming the Pres during my 2d year.and often spending 2 aand 3 nights a week at the Dean's House with his wife planning events.   We had a serious divorce problem among the HBS students doing that period and they worked hard to improve that issue.

HBS was a very special experience for me and I looked forward to going to Wall Street; having emphasized Finace I became an Institutional Salesman in 1969,  My 15 years in NYC were pressure-packed and rewarding- Sales, being very early in MBS and Futures, trading on the floor of the ACE and NYFE, creating a Financial Futures operation for a British money broker. The pressure finally got to me and we moved to Boston where I spent 25 years in sales-retail, institutional, handling some accounts I had covered in the past. Much different from NYC but I still loved the business!!

Once Wall Street was good to me I started Flying again- still had GI Bill money to use- and by '76 I had my Commercial, Instrument and Multi-Engine Licenses and  became a partner in a Piper Aztec which was  the primary way  we would go from NJ to Cape Cod where webought a vacation housej- a small consolation for not being able to fly in the Air Force.!!

Shortly after we had moved into Back Bay Boston we learned that Kathy had cancer.  We were told that is was very serious and that 3 years would be a long time. Kathy fought like a champ- Very few people knew what she was going thru and she wanted no one to know.  She did very well until the last 6 weeks when she was hospitalized and died in Aug '90.  A strong fighter right to the very end !!

It was a tremendous shock and struggle and with 2 duaghters, 25 and 23, I had my hands full but they were more support to me than I was to them. I knew Paula Cusick at the Ritz as she was our contact for the neighborhood assn-NABB- and I organized several events with her help. I called her after Kathy's death and asked her for a drink in thanks for all her help. She said she did weddings and I signed her up!! -3 weddings at the Ritz Carlton-Sep '91 Paula and I were married and Pam and Tom in Boston in '92 and Wendy and Matt in Naples in '94- I am forever indebted to her for all that !!

I worked hard at PaineWebber, lots of changes and then acquired by UBS. Paula encouraged me to retire at the end of 2005 and the Retired Financial Advisor Program lasted 4 years to transition my clients to a partner in the office. So by the end of 2009 40 YEARS IN WALL STREET !!  

We enjoyed skiing as a family and when I remarried that was a key request for my new wife. Paula encoouraged me to do something in skiing in my retirement-perhaps selling lift tickets.  I surprised her when I became a ski instructor at Loon Mtn, NH about 140 miles North of Boston. The first 5 years I was a Full-Time instructor teaching 5 and 6 days a week and I loved it!  I injured my knee at the PSIA Snow PRO JAM and lost nearly a full season and after that I became a Part-Time Instructor This has been a tremendous experience.  The first year we rented a unit with Pam and her family and since then we have rented separately.  Wendy and her family have come up from Florida several times and all 4 gradchildren are super skiers!

Unfortunately Skiing is at Best  a Thanksgiving to Easter sport In New England and I have tried other things in retirement.  In the past I have been involved in alot of fundraising- HBS, schools and churches and so on,  I really thought I could find a full time position with a non-ptrofit in Boston but after lots of search and much frustration I have moved on.

I did become a Beantown Trolley driver for 2 seasons, giving 2 1/2 hour tours to 30-40 people travelling from MIT, the Boston Harbor ,Back Bay to  the MFA. Quite an experience but 2 years was plenty !!

I continue to be an Arbitrator for FINRA and am involved in the AARP Money Mgt Program as well as being an Executive Advisor to a small computer operation and recently have become involved in Samaritans, which maintains a suicide hot-line.  Reading has become a major pleasure and I almost always have a good book I am reading.

Paula is 9 years younger than I and not ready to retire,  She was with the Ritz in Catering for over 20 years and has been the Director of Catering at the Downtown Harvard Club In Boston for the last 3..  She is very good at that and quite highly  reagard in the catering world.  I keep encouraging her to retire but she is not ready yet.

To be continued !! 

 

35th Reunion (1998): 1963: UPT at Reese—grounded as we started T-38s (dust/asthma)— took 3 months to get waiver to keep commission! However, no flying or navigating! 1964: Off to aircraft Maintenance Officer School at Chanute—MY LAST CHOICE —but honor graduate (big deal!). Then it was Eglin and air rescue service where I argued daily with the Lt. Col. ops officer over why the planes weren’t ready (HH-43s, HC-54s and DC-130s, etc.)—I was the only nonrated officer in the unit. Put in for graduate school but got a remote assignment (MATS request). The doctors left it up to me, and I opted for a medical discharge. .} There was little time for planning—told on Wednesday I’d be discharged the following Friday! {Ed: Military Air Transport Service (MATS), later Military Airlift Command (MAC), still later Air Mobility Command (AMC) absorbed many specialized “services” like Air Rescue Service, Air Weather Service and Audio-Visual Service—unfortunately many officers’ careers were ruined by these mergers in my humble opinion.} Adjusted to civilian world—big changes—‘‘we were on our own.” 1965: E I DuPont—Treasury Department in Wilmington, DE with finance school at night at the University of Delaware. 1967: Off to Cambridge, MA for an MBA at Harvard—terrific opportunity—great education with a very supportive wife and two kids! 1969: The Fullertons leave Cambridge for Summit, NJ. Pam (four), Wendy (two), Kathy, and Al (married six years). Al begins his Wall Street career! I knew this was a risky career but a good salesman survives: five firms in ten years; on my own as a trader on ACE and NYFE (New York’s financial futures effort), and then creating a financial futures subsidiary for a British money broker. Financial difficulties there, so I searched for stability at a bigger firm. [As an aside, I used the rest of my VA in ‘75 to get into flying: multi-engine, instrument, and commercial ratings; had a Piper Aztec for seven years, now have 2100 hours total, primarily flying from NJ to our Cape Cod house; even Rusty Taylor checked me out!] So I joined Paine Webber in 1982 in a staff role and returned to Boston in sales in 1983. I’m still walking to the office and enjoying the securities business despite its ups an downs! Family: Daughters Pam and Wendy continue to amaze their proud father. Pam graduated from Boston College in 1986 and is now a partner of an advertising firm in Providence, RI. She was married in August 1992 and lives in Hopkinton, MA. Wendy graduated from the University of Vermont in 1989, conducted the most incredible job search I’ve ever seen, and is now a reporter for the Fort Meyer, FL newspaper. She loves the area and was married in 94. Just ten days before the stock market fell in 1987, we learned that Kathy had cancer (multiple myeloma). She wanted to keep this private and told very few. I found that difficult, as some of you know. She kept going, eventually getting around with a cane, on crutches, and finally. with a walker, and working until she entered the hospital in July 1990, where she died that August. An incredible battle, a terrible disease—I lost a wonderful wife of 27 years, and we all lost a bubbly, funny, and energetic friend. But, as “they” say, life goes on. In many ways I was very fortunate. Pam, Wendy, and other family got me going again, and before long I was dating. In September 1991 Paula and I were married. She’s a terrific woman, a Boston College graduate and the director of catering at the Ritz- Carlton in Boston. Looking back, it’s been quite a 35 years—very unpredictable. I feel very fortunate: super daughters, not one, but two great wives, and in a business that I love and do well in. I do a little flying. ’m trying harder to relax and enjoy life more. The big news recently is becoming a grandfather!! Jack and I haven’t talked about AFA Class of 2019, but who knows? P.S. Cancer, I’ve learned is an illness most people don’t want to talk about. The odds indicate that some of you will unfortunately be more closely involved than you want. Please call me if I can ever be helpful to you.