My Cullum number is called...
Memorial Article..
First person expression, in contrast to third person, allows a more experiential and subjective form of writing, and points to the vital importance of preparing these Memorial Articles before we join those gathered in "ghostly assemblage!" My friend and literature teacher, Jesse Gatlin, (USMA 1945) gave me a deep appreciation for this narrative point of view!
"As the long line stiffens and straightens
With the thrill that your presence imparts.."
(The Corps...excerpt)
The thrill of expectation..!
I had an early intuition, now a deeper understanding, which I want to share. It seems that there is a need for a second graduation from this hallowed institution. The first graduation tends to the necessities of readiness to participate in the nation's responses, for success or failure, in avoiding or conducting warfare. A second graduation, however, results from a recognition of the true nature of each of us, a presence which is often veiled by the attention given to a very persistent objective dimension of life, perhaps especially a military life.
The thrill of new insights..!
This was an education of a different kind. In looking back, it seems useful to compare West Point then with the top ratings the service academies are enjoying today. The structures and instructional processes then seem to have been anachronistic, lacking in depth, and actually harmful in some respects. It was an excessively closed system, which failed to encourage creativity, and was hampered by the "bits and pieces" methodologies of teaching. I intuited a certain rebellion in the upper classes, which may have been symbolized by the "breaking ranks" by the class of "57 in their graduation parade. Having made these criticisms, I look back on my experience in a positive way. Coping with the system as it was held lessons which could not have been presented in any other way. Along with my roommates, Walt Wilson and Tom Robinson, we laughed and endured...and one day assumed our proud place in the Long Gray Line.
The thrill of truthful observation and criticism..!
Here is a perspective from our class reunion in 1995. Writing then: After graduation leave I made my way, in a snappy Dodge Dart, to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, in Cheyenne Wyoming, to start a five-year stint of missile crew duty with the Strategic Air Command (SAC). On July 22, 1961, I married Diane Schaffer, whom I met at West Point through her brother, John Schaffer (USMA '58) on a most memorable football weekend. We first met in Grant Hall, and somehow we both knew!
The thrill of remembering long-ago impressions..!
Diane finished her teaching degree at Colorado State University (Greeley, CO) while I worked at a missile site nearby. Following was a move to Colorado Springs and the start of a new path in space operations. I worked in NORAD's Cheyenne Mountain command post, and held various staff positions in what was to become the Air Force Space Command. Memorable was a remote tour in Diyarbakir, Turkey during all of 1969. Diane and our two boys moved to University Park, Maryland, near her parents, during that year. Other assignments: Mill Valley, California (1972-75), Tampa, Florida (1975-77), Washington D. C. (1977-82), returning to Colorado Springs (1982-86). The Pentagon tour with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) was a refreshing break from numerous space operations assignments.
The thrill of participation..!
Diane and I were married on July 22, 1961, and we moved into a basement apartment in Greeley, where she finished her college education, and I served as a member of a missile crew at a nearby site. When she finished school we moved to base housing at Warren AFB. Missile crew shifts consisted of long hours, plus travel, often in snow and wind. When the Cuban missile crisis (October, 1962) took place, we found ourselves on the front lines of our nation’s defense! These were tense times--on one of the days, Diane told a professor in her college class that she hoped that the class on the following day would meet as scheduled! Our Cheyenne years were years of adjustment and learning, especially with the birth of our son, Andy!
The thrill of new insights..!
This was an education of a different kind. In looking back, it seems useful to compare West Point then with the top ratings the service academies are enjoying today. The structures and instructional processes then seem to have been anachronistic, lacking in depth, and actually harmful in some respects. It was an excessively closed system, which failed to encourage creativity, and was hampered by the "bits and pieces" methodologies of teaching. I intuited a certain rebellion in the upper classes, which may have been symbolized by the "breaking ranks" by the class of "57 in their graduation parade. Having made these criticisms, I look back on my experience in a positive way. Coping with the system as it was held lessons which could not have been presented in any other way. Along with my roommates, Walt Wilson and Tom Robinson, we laughed and endured...and one day assumed our proud place in the Long Gray Line.
The thrill of truthful observation and criticism..!
Here is a perspective from our class reunion in 1995. Writing then: After graduation leave I made my way, in a snappy Dodge Dart, to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, in Cheyenne Wyoming, to start a five-year stint of missile crew duty with the Strategic Air Command (SAC). On July 22, 1961, I married Diane Schaffer, whom I met at West Point through her brother, John Schaffer (USMA '58) on a most memorable football weekend. We first met in Grant Hall, and somehow we both knew!
The thrill of remembering long-ago impressions..!
Diane finished her teaching degree at Colorado State University (Greeley, CO) while I worked at a missile site nearby. Following was a move to Colorado Springs and the start of a new path in space operations. I worked in NORAD's Cheyenne Mountain command post, and held various staff positions in what was to become the Air Force Space Command. Memorable was a remote tour in Diyarbakir, Turkey during all of 1969. Diane and our two boys moved to University Park, Maryland, near her parents, during that year. Other assignments: Mill Valley, California (1972-75), Tampa, Florida (1975-77), Washington D. C. (1977-82), returning to Colorado Springs (1982-86). The Pentagon tour with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) was a refreshing break from numerous space operations assignments.
The thrill of participation..!
Diane and I were married on July 22, 1961, and we moved into a basement apartment in Greeley, where she finished her college education, and I served as a member of a missile crew at a nearby site. When she finished school we moved to base housing at Warren AFB. Missile crew shifts consisted of long hours, plus travel, often in snow and wind. When the Cuban missile crisis (October, 1962) took place, we found ourselves on the front lines of our nation’s defense! These were tense times--on one of the days, Diane told a professor in her college class that she hoped that the class on the following day would meet as scheduled! Our Cheyenne years were years of adjustment and learning, especially with the birth of our son, Andy!
Andy was born at the Warren base hospital in 1964, and our son, Ted, was born in 1967, during our following assignment to Colorado Springs. Andy and Ted live in Maryland now with their families, which include a total of six grandchildren, four boys and two girls, and one great-grandson! Our two sons have always provided fundamental meaning and joy for our lives.
The thrills of new beginnings..!
My Air Force career was spent largely in space operations centered in Colorado Springs. In the early 1970’s, I was assigned to a small radar site in Mill Valley, California. Our mission was to detect submarine-launched missiles, but the system was old and was only a stop-gap until a more technologically sophisticated warning system became available. We tracked missiles launched from Vandenberg AFB for practice, and were successful occasionally! The site was located on the top of Mt. Tamalpais, which overlooks San Francisco Bay—we lived in a thousand dollar house with a million dollar view! The access road was steep and narrow and often fog-bound. From Mill Valley we moved to MacDill AFB in Tampa, and I was assigned as operations officer for the same "antiquated" system. We thoroughly enjoyed Florida, acclimated to the hot and humid weather, and to the expanding lives of our growing sons.
The thrills of colorful times..!
I spent all of the year 1969 at a remote site at Diyarbakir, Turkey. Although I missed the family, this was a very enriching time. I remember having much time for quiet study and conversations, and I often reflect that this year did more for my early education than any other. The radar site was positioned to watch Soviet missile activity, and the city of Diyarbakir was interesting with its large Kurdish population. The atmosphere in Turkey was peaceful then, and so we could comfortably mix with the native people. The memorable first walk on the moon took place during one of my Diyarbakir shifts.
The thrills of experiencing a wider world, and beyond..
In 1977 I was assigned to the Pentagon for five years, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. We were tasked to review speeches and articles written by senior officials, and to review classified materials for release to the public. I remember Charlie Hinkle, our directorate head, who was admirably dedicated to freedom and transparency of government information and our interaction with it.
The thrill of direct exposure to our nation's founding truths..!
Fortunately, the Washington metro subway system came into being when we arrived allowing us to live in Maryland, close to Diane’s parents. Andy and Ted came to know their grandparents very well, and they and their families have lived in Maryland since that time.
The thrill of extended families..!
Diane was certified as an elementary school teacher in our Cheyenne time, and has worked as a teacher, most often in kindergarten, until she retired in 2002. She was an excellent teacher, and we often encounters young adults in Colorado Springs who remember her as their kindergarten teacher. They know that everything they know they learned in her kindergarten! I am thankful that my career accommodated her teaching career, as are many others who were exposed to her influence early in their lives.
The thrill of pride for my wife, and for the gratitude expressed by so many..!
I retired from the Air Force in 1986, as a Colonel, and became involved with a small company in Colorado Springs performing various tasks for the government, primarily training studies. About five of us formed this company (NEF, Inc.) which stayed together for almost 20 years. Dr. Phil Erdle (USMA 1952) founded NEF, and meeting him upon my Air Force retirement was one of those very fortunate events in my working life. But the deeper thrills of my life came after my second retirement in 2002. This was a time for exploration of what really mattered in all of my years, and is expressed by the poem below.
There is only presence
a rich oneness
which is our identity
standing and witnessing
and creating of itself
life's many separations..
Paths of separation
of resisting and seeking
seem to veil our identity
allowing only brief tastes
of the presence we crave
and words fail to disclose..
But the thrills on life's paths
present a window
which when cleansed
illumine our way home...
~~CC
The thrills of new beginnings..!
My Air Force career was spent largely in space operations centered in Colorado Springs. In the early 1970’s, I was assigned to a small radar site in Mill Valley, California. Our mission was to detect submarine-launched missiles, but the system was old and was only a stop-gap until a more technologically sophisticated warning system became available. We tracked missiles launched from Vandenberg AFB for practice, and were successful occasionally! The site was located on the top of Mt. Tamalpais, which overlooks San Francisco Bay—we lived in a thousand dollar house with a million dollar view! The access road was steep and narrow and often fog-bound. From Mill Valley we moved to MacDill AFB in Tampa, and I was assigned as operations officer for the same "antiquated" system. We thoroughly enjoyed Florida, acclimated to the hot and humid weather, and to the expanding lives of our growing sons.
The thrills of colorful times..!
I spent all of the year 1969 at a remote site at Diyarbakir, Turkey. Although I missed the family, this was a very enriching time. I remember having much time for quiet study and conversations, and I often reflect that this year did more for my early education than any other. The radar site was positioned to watch Soviet missile activity, and the city of Diyarbakir was interesting with its large Kurdish population. The atmosphere in Turkey was peaceful then, and so we could comfortably mix with the native people. The memorable first walk on the moon took place during one of my Diyarbakir shifts.
The thrills of experiencing a wider world, and beyond..
In 1977 I was assigned to the Pentagon for five years, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. We were tasked to review speeches and articles written by senior officials, and to review classified materials for release to the public. I remember Charlie Hinkle, our directorate head, who was admirably dedicated to freedom and transparency of government information and our interaction with it.
The thrill of direct exposure to our nation's founding truths..!
Fortunately, the Washington metro subway system came into being when we arrived allowing us to live in Maryland, close to Diane’s parents. Andy and Ted came to know their grandparents very well, and they and their families have lived in Maryland since that time.
The thrill of extended families..!
Diane was certified as an elementary school teacher in our Cheyenne time, and has worked as a teacher, most often in kindergarten, until she retired in 2002. She was an excellent teacher, and we often encounters young adults in Colorado Springs who remember her as their kindergarten teacher. They know that everything they know they learned in her kindergarten! I am thankful that my career accommodated her teaching career, as are many others who were exposed to her influence early in their lives.
The thrill of pride for my wife, and for the gratitude expressed by so many..!
I retired from the Air Force in 1986, as a Colonel, and became involved with a small company in Colorado Springs performing various tasks for the government, primarily training studies. About five of us formed this company (NEF, Inc.) which stayed together for almost 20 years. Dr. Phil Erdle (USMA 1952) founded NEF, and meeting him upon my Air Force retirement was one of those very fortunate events in my working life. But the deeper thrills of my life came after my second retirement in 2002. This was a time for exploration of what really mattered in all of my years, and is expressed by the poem below.
There is only presence
a rich oneness
which is our identity
standing and witnessing
and creating of itself
life's many separations..
Paths of separation
of resisting and seeking
seem to veil our identity
allowing only brief tastes
of the presence we crave
and words fail to disclose..
But the thrills on life's paths
present a window
which when cleansed
illumine our way home...
~~CC
Chuck Coon’s (aka. The Spook’s) Tale…for a reunion of members of the
566th Strategic Missile Squadron...August, 2011...
First of all, I see that I am going to have to use my 566th name, or much confusion will result. Just a while ago I received an email from the Hawk who exhibited some of the confusion, so in the interest of clarity I will just temporarily change my name for the 566th reunion. Who is the Hawk, you ask? If you don’t know, please wait until the reunion and a proper identification will be made.
Our 566th years were formative years. After one year living with John Hilliard in Cheyenne, Diane and I were married and we moved into a basement apartment in Greeley, where Diane finished her college education, and I was a member of our Atlas missile crew at the Greeley site (Site 8, as I remember.). Dick and Hap will remember the house where we lived because on their trips to Denver they would always stop for a visit—which we always appreciated. When Diane finished school we moved to Wherry housing at Warren AFB, which, most importantly, was a move above ground from our basement living in Greeley.
Here are some things I remember about missile crew duty. The alert duty shifts consisted of 24 hours plus travel—which meant that if the crew went to Kimball, Nebraska, about three hours were added to the shift. We can all be thankful for surviving all the long shifts and driving in snow and wind. When someone called in sick, that meant that you would work three shifts in a row without a break, which I remember happened often enough. Then there was the Emergency War Order (EWO) training and examination, which each of us had to undergo each month. In the exam a simple mistake was more than a simple mistake, and resulted in considerable inconvenience for retraining, and otherwise paying the penalty for the mistake. That was the SAC way! Another pleasantry was the crew standardization-evaluation, which also offered the possibility of a painful aftermath. So, when my missile duty was completed and I was assigned to the Aerospace Defense Command and NORAD in Colorado Springs, a noticeable change of atmosphere was evident—shifts were 8 hours, travel time shorter, and longer breaks---but what was missing? Our 566th crew days were special. Remember--the Cuban Missile Crisis (October, 1962) took place while we were there, and there we were, on the front lines of our nation’s defense! These were tense days and nights--on one of the days, Diane told a professor in her college class that she hoped that the class on the following day would meet as scheduled!
Our son, Andy, was born at the Francis E. Warren base hospital in 1964, and son Ted was born in 1967 during our following assignment to Colorado Springs. Andy and Ted live in Maryland now with their families, which include a total of six of our grandchildren, four boys and two girls. Both of them work as engineers for the Department of Defense. We visit them regularly, but we are always happy to return to Colorado and the mountains.
Most of my Air Force career was spent in space operations and centered in Colorado Springs. I really had comparatively few moving assignments. In the early 1970’s, I was assigned to a small radar site in Mill Valley, California. Our mission was to detect submarine-launched missiles, but the system was old and was only a stop-gap until a more technologically sophisticated warning system (PAVE PAWS) became available. We tracked missiles launched from Vandenberg AFB for practice, and were successful occasionally! The site was located on the top of Mt. Tamalpais, which overlooks San Francisco Bay—we lived in a thousand dollar house with a million dollar view! The access road was steep and narrow and often fog-bound. (Just prior to the 566th reunion, we plan to and revisit Mill Valley and some of our haunts and memories.) From Mill Valley we moved to MacDill AFB in Tampa, and I was assigned as Operations Officer for the same old system. We thoroughly enjoyed MacDill, and acclimated to the hot and humid weather. The boys’ school was tougher, after school in California, with the openness and multiple recesses in the school day!
Then in 1977 I was assigned to the Pentagon for five years, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The job there was to review speeches and articles written by senior officials to ensure that nothing was said or written which was out of line with civilian policies—an enjoyable job. Luckily, the Washington Metro subway system came on line the day we arrived, so we were able to live in Maryland, and close to Diane’s parents. The boys got to know their grandparents very well, and they and their families have lived in Maryland since that time.
I should have mentioned this earlier—I spent all of the year 1969 at a remote site at Diyarbakir, Turkey. Although I missed the family, this was a very enriching time. I remember having much time for quiet study and conversations, and I often reflect that this year did more for my education than any other. The radar site was positioned to watch Soviet missile activity, and the city of Diyarbakir was interesting with a large Kurdish population. The atmosphere in Turkey was calmer then, and so we could comfortably mix with the native people. The memorable first walk on the moon took place during one of my Diyarbakir shifts.
Diane was certified as an elementary school teacher in Cheyenne, and has worked as a teacher, most often in kindergarten, until she retired in 2002. I can say that she was an excellent teacher, and we often encounter young adults in Colorado Springs who remember Diane as their kindergarten teacher. They know that everything they know they learned in her kindergarten!
So, taking my tale forward to retirement—I retired from the Air Force in 1986, as a Colonel, and became involved with a small company in Colorado Springs performing various tasks for the government, primarily training studies. About five of us formed this company (NEF, Inc.) which stayed together for almost 20 years. I was initially contacted to help on a contract dealing with Air Force Space Command training, The company grew into other specialties, including a contract in Turkey to develop armor training programs.
Hobbies and activities—retirement has been great for these things. Diane has become an expert quilter, and has got others involved in this skill. We both attend a weekly conversation group called the Philosophical Café, which is a gathering of people of our age, coming from all walks of life. The group of about thirty is lively and occasionally contentious! I am a member of a couple literature groups, and facilitate a group which is concerned with the subject of consciousness (it can get spooky now and then!). Diane does water aerobics regularly, and I walk and golf. I took up golf when our sons were learning back in Maryland, For many years I met my brother in Durango, Colorado, when our mother lived there, and we both enjoyed golfing together.
Now for some bits and pieces which were left out above. Sheppard AFB, Texas, is
where we went for Atlas missile fundamentals—we went in the springtime, while the winter still gripped Cheyenne. For Dick Cable and Bob Hirsch and me, and others, the time would have been about February, 1961. Sheppard was where we were young once and crazy. We were happy to be in the Texas warmth, played Mitch Miller non-stop on our record players, short-sheeted a few beds, rode Cable’s jalopy to class very early in the morning, and pondered occasionally about married life to come! Also there was frequent tennis on the nearby court. Dick golfed, but that was before my golfing days. We ate once a week at a buffet someplace off base. Another bit comes from Cheyenne and the Plains Hotel—we used to go there every Sunday morning for their brunch. Remember Lt.. Dave Vieu (I think that was his name)? He was the Warren personnel officer who refused to buy a car, walked everywhere because he said it was the only way to get acquainted with the base—I don’t know why that is important or why that came to mind just now?? Lt. Col. Woodrow Wilson got us all off on the right foot when we reported in for the first time to the 549th (before it was the 566th)—we were most privileged to meet Woody and his trusty administrator, Rufus. And we learned quite quickly not to mess with Woody! Col James Yeater was a great leader and commander, and a gentleman.
So, all in all, it has all been good. Is any of it true? Is what is missing much more important? All I can say is that a feeling of warmth is true!
Many thanks to Dick Cable and Herb Gordon for getting this reunion together. We are all indebted!
The Corps
The Corps, The Corps, The Corps
The Corps bareheaded, salute it
With eyes up thanking our God
That we of the corps are treading
Where they of the corps have trod
They are here in ghostly assemblage
The men of the corps long dead
And our hearts are standing attention
While we wait for their passing tread
We sons of today, we salute you
You sons of an earlier day
We follow close order behind you
Where you have pointed the way
The long grey line of us stretches
Through the years of a century told
And the last man feels to his marrow
The grip of your far off hold
Grip hands with us now, though we see not
Grip hands with us strengthen our hearts
As the long line stiffens and straightens
With the thrill that your presence imparts
Grip hands, though it be from the shadows
While we swear as you did of yore
Or living or dying to honor
The Corps, and The Corps, and The Corps
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