Hello from the rainy, soggy Space Coast. Got some late Christmas cards and newsletters after my last column went to press. But I'm not complaining. Makes my job easier. First some sad news. I received word that Howie CARROLL passed away on 28 December after a long bout with cancer. Our sincere condolences and prayers to Mary Lou.

Received a letter from Chet and Eva GRIFFIN. Chet is in the Washington area as director of Air Force Requirements with Litton Guidance and Control. His products tell various weapons systems where they are and where to go, whether they're interested or not. Chet sees Dick KLASS and Don SHEPPERD from time to time. Lanny LANCASTER is also up there and seems to be having fun as always. Chet keeps in pretty close touch with Bill and Ann HAUGEN. Chet also mentioned the arrival of one more grandchild. and it seems that they did a lot of traveling all over the Central and Southern U.S. to keep up with family matters. Thanks for the update Chet.

Got a humorous card from Owen and Connie HAWKINS from Hawaii. They went to Maui in January. They didn't have time to put together their normal Christmas picture. So they sent me a postcard which was a picture of one of the largest women I've ever seen in a bathing suit. She made me feel skinny. Hope to see you both out this way sometime soon.

Got a letter from Dr. Edward J Dehne, father of Sam DEHNE. In his letter he has a newspaper article showing him in a boxing stance. It seems he competed in the Golden Gloves from 1930 to 1933. 1 know why Sam was a Golden Gloves competitor too. Sam has continued to send me copies of The Reno Citizen, in which Sam and the other writers are performing duty as watchdogs on the local county commissioners and other governmental bodies. The effort is paying off. They hear the message and are changing things. Sam mentioned that he did a short stint with Air Afrique as a pilot and now realizes that his flying career is over. He remarked that "nostalgia just isn't what it used to be anymore." Thanks for the letters from the Dehnes. By the way, Sam, I wrote the Jambagram.

Got a letter from Mike BUTCHKO. He and Kay are back in Austin, TX and loving it. They have Rick WHEELER to thank for that. Rick has been bugging them for years to move to Austin. It seems that Kay went down there to visit her mother and wound up buying a house two days later. Kay told Mike, "Trust me, it will work out." Mike got to see the house six weeks later, after he bought it. Mike is still in the consulting business and doing proposal reviews for aerospace firms. Their most exciting adventure is being part of Rick's "Wine Cabinet" in his campaign for Austin City Council. Rick wants to move the city away from its reputation as the "People's Republic of Austin." Thanks for the news and good luck in your new location.

Got a card and newsletter from Dave and Fran LEE. They did a lot of traveling all over the Eastern U.S. and had time to relax and smell the roses at every place. Dave continues his research at the U of Dayton and his consulting. He also got his private pilot's license in June and took Fran for a ride as his first passenger. Fran couldn't resist the camaraderie at H&R Block and went back to work there during tax filing season, her 17th year. Daughter Kelly continues to teach 7th grade language arts in Dayton. Hubby, Dean, continues to make progress at Lexis-Nexis. 16-month-old Austin is the apple of everyone's eye. David 11 is still working for an environmental firm and is now in Northern Ireland. His calls and letters are much anticipated. John is an account exec for CRW Computer Services and lives the sporting scene in Chicago. Dave and Fran got together with Tom and Debbie YOUNG in Tampa last summer and had a fun visit. They also see Bob KUCHLEWSKI occasionally for a dinner out. Thanks for the tidbits. Keep the cards coming.

Got a card from Gary BAUGHMAN. He is doing well and enjoying life. His Jeannie has been a Godsend to him. They have settled into a new home and their families are doing well. They have a shot at four weddings in 1996, so they are trying to convince all of the kids to get married together so that they can get a package deal, maybe even wholesale prices. Somehow the kids don't like the idea. Gary has a side venture painting fine art. He did a portrait of JD and Yvonne EATON's pet kerry blue terrier. He has a brochure with some of his paintings in it. I never knew that Gary had such talent. He's looking forward to attending the 35th reunion. He has fond memories of being on the 25th reunion committee. See you then if not sooner.

Got a card from Hesh and Bobbi ALTMAN. They are finally settled in Albuquerque. Hesh is director of Business Development for EG&G and stays on the roads a lot. Bobbi is working with Citivan, a local civic group and has become quite adept at quilt making. Son Joel is now an executive host at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas and daughter Jodi is entering her last year at Palmer Chiropractic College in Santa Clara. She'll take her boards in April 1997. Thanks for the news.

Got a newsletter from Allen and Alfie JACKSON. They were able to take vacation away from Saudi Arabia twice in 1995. They went to the Middle East and then the Far East. Welcome relief from Riyadh. Allen's company lost the contract to a competitor and Allen decided to return to the States. They arrived on 29 Sep, rented a car in Atlanta and drove to Fort Walton Beach. They stayed in a condo for three days until Hurricane Opal drove them from the beach area into their son Rusty's house. Of course you know how much damage Opal did to the Florida west coast. Luckily, Rusty's house escaped major damage. Allen and Alfie, because of the conditions in the area, had to stay with Rusty for three weeks. They found out that their house in Mary Esther escaped major damage and it was going to be vacant in November. So they are now in it. The renters had not left the house in sparkling condition. Added to that, their furniture in storage had major mildew problems. They will be spending several months fixing up the old place and the furniture. Then they plan to visit places and people. Don't be surprised if they show up on your door, so they say. Thanks for the news and I hope 1996 is a better year.

Got a newsletter from Chuck and Debbie CHEESEMAN. The two youngsters are growing fast and providing fun and excitement to all, especially Grandpa Cheeseman. Debbie has been making children's quilts. It's part of a project to co-author a how-to book on quilting. Chuck has a new aircraft business. It's a partnership called Ximango US Inc and is the North American distributor of a new class of Brazilian-made touring gliders. They were part of a world-record long-distance flight in July. Chuck and three other pilots flew a group formation of new aircraft some 7,500 miles from southern Brazil to Daytona then to Oshkosh for the EAA convention and airshow. They were on ESPN. And would you believe that I got another letter from Debbie , March 11th, with an article about Tuck MCATEE. It shows Tuck, is the director of International Business Development at Lockheed n for the F-16, leaning against an F-16 cockpit with his son, Pat, sit behind the controls. Tuck flew the F-16 as a test pilot during the early of the program. The article said that Pat graduated from USAFA 30 year's to the day after Tuck did. I'm going to send the article's picture with my column in hope that it will reproduce legibly.

 By the way, I did make it to Colorado Springs over the holidays. I found out that I am too acclimated to the Florida weather and can't take cold as well as I could back in the good old days. While there I called STAPLES and chatted for a while. He had a busy schedule so we didn't get together. I called Don EGAN and discovered that he and Kay are coming to Colorado Springs for New Years Eve. We had lunch together on New Years Day and once again solved the world's problems in an hour. Don is gradually easing his way into retirement. The accompanying picture shows just how easy retirement is getting. As you can I am still the same slim, trim athletic brute I have always been. But I t picture Don fully retired. Who knows, he might like it. I am enclosing a picture of the three of us in the west wing of the Broadmoor. I'm the rugged Fabio look-a-like on the left.

Fred and Arlene HENDRYX returned to Melbourne in February. They over to the Florida west coast to visit old friends from their Procter & Gamble days. After returning here, they helped Fred's mom celebrate h birthday. Members of the family flew in from all over the place. before Caroline and I could get together with them the following week, they had to make an unexpected return to Cincinnati. Looks like we won't see them until the 35th Reunion