A Heartfelt Letter of Appreciation
LTG (R) Glynn “Coach” Mallory passed on 20 February 2020 and his wife Linda sent this letter of appreciation to the Class of ’72 for the special presentation of the P & T Award.
Notice of Lee Barnes Passing - October 25th
From Chris LeBlanc: Class of -72, hit your knees....The Lord just took Lee Roy Barnes, Jr. home just a few minutes ago. The doctors were weaning him off the ventilator and it appears his heart just could not take it. He’s gone… Lee has now just met his father for the first time, back on the reservation. For those that might not be aware, Lee Roy Sr. (for the love of me now, I cannot remember his tribal name) was an American Soldier, too, and was lost during the Korean War. He is buried in Kansas.
I will let folks know when I can what decisions are made for burial. Lee's son Chris is not sure yet. Stand by for more news, and stand up for a great American and Soldier.
Lee was in A-1.
I will let folks know when I can what decisions are made for burial. Lee's son Chris is not sure yet. Stand by for more news, and stand up for a great American and Soldier.
Lee was in A-1.
Proud and True Award Presentation
Classmates,
What a privilege to visit with Glynn and Linda -- truly great Americans. Kathleen and I enjoyed a range of stories from Glynn as a Tac (said he always insured he clicked the taps on his shoes so the E2 cadets would have a fighting chance) to stories about their early days of courtship to stories about them reaching out to burn patients at BAMC to stories about their fights v. cancer (Linda finished her cancer treatments the week Glynn was diagnosed). They both are such models of dignity and optimistic grace.
The award was very meaningful to Glynn -- he expressed gratitude to our class and to his beloved E2. I have attached a few photos. As well, he joked about "how unusual for someone to give an award to a TAC!" We gave Linda some yellow roses from our class as well. She is a sweetheart!
In all seriousness, Kathleen and I were greatly blessed by this visit with Team Mallory. May God comfort, strengthen, guide, and console them in the difficult days ahead.
Proud & True,
Bob
Lee Barnes - Biography
Lee Barnes joined the Army as an Armor Cavalry Second Lieutenant upon graduation from West Point in 1972; he retired at the rank of Colonel, in 1997.
His service included duty stations in Korea, Germany and United States. He served as a tank Platoon Leader, Headquarters Company Commander, Armored Cavalry Troop Commander, and Tank Battalion Commander (concurrently serving as the Tank Regiment Commander for the Opposing Forces at the National Training Center). His staff time included battalion personnel (S1and Adjutant), logistics (S4) and operations, planning, and training (Army National Guard Advisor, Battalion XO, Brigade S3 and XO, and Division G3). His final posting was as the Chief of the Advanced Concept Office for Army Forces Command.
Lee joined Mystech Associates, which joined Northrop Grumman Corporation through a series of mergers. Lee served as Subject Matter Expert, Business Area Manager, Department Director, National Account Manager, Business Development Manager, and finally, as the Corporate Lead Executive, Orlando, retiring in 2012.
Lee has served as an independent consultant, but chooses to remain RETIRED, except for his volunteer activities, fishing, golfing and grand parenting.
Lee initially volunteered in 2011, to help with the Camaraderie Foundation annual golf tournament, “Pars and Stripes Forever”. He was elected to the board of directors in January, 2013. He was elected as Programs Director in 2015, elected Vice Chair of the Board in 2017, as Chair in Jan 2018, and in Jan 2019, re-elected as Chair for an additional one-year term.
His service included duty stations in Korea, Germany and United States. He served as a tank Platoon Leader, Headquarters Company Commander, Armored Cavalry Troop Commander, and Tank Battalion Commander (concurrently serving as the Tank Regiment Commander for the Opposing Forces at the National Training Center). His staff time included battalion personnel (S1and Adjutant), logistics (S4) and operations, planning, and training (Army National Guard Advisor, Battalion XO, Brigade S3 and XO, and Division G3). His final posting was as the Chief of the Advanced Concept Office for Army Forces Command.
Lee joined Mystech Associates, which joined Northrop Grumman Corporation through a series of mergers. Lee served as Subject Matter Expert, Business Area Manager, Department Director, National Account Manager, Business Development Manager, and finally, as the Corporate Lead Executive, Orlando, retiring in 2012.
Lee has served as an independent consultant, but chooses to remain RETIRED, except for his volunteer activities, fishing, golfing and grand parenting.
Lee initially volunteered in 2011, to help with the Camaraderie Foundation annual golf tournament, “Pars and Stripes Forever”. He was elected to the board of directors in January, 2013. He was elected as Programs Director in 2015, elected Vice Chair of the Board in 2017, as Chair in Jan 2018, and in Jan 2019, re-elected as Chair for an additional one-year term.
'72 Classmates in Orlando
Here is the picture of all 72 classmates at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetary-A1 plus Chris Le Blanc, Steve Main and Ben Martin.
Lee Roy was well remembered and honored by many friends and associates. Skip did a great job sharing some remembrance for A-1 and Chris did the same. Ann was very appreciative of the company turnout!
Lee Roy was well remembered and honored by many friends and associates. Skip did a great job sharing some remembrance for A-1 and Chris did the same. Ann was very appreciative of the company turnout!
Classmates at Lee Barnes Funeral
Going around the table starting on the left are:
Chris LeBlanc; Tod Wilson; Murro Martens; Bill Guarino; Ray Idzior; Paul Oskvarek; Lee’s son Christopher; Skip Ash; Tom Waller; Steve Curtis; Tom Pawlowski; Steve Main
Chris LeBlanc; Tod Wilson; Murro Martens; Bill Guarino; Ray Idzior; Paul Oskvarek; Lee’s son Christopher; Skip Ash; Tom Waller; Steve Curtis; Tom Pawlowski; Steve Main
West Point Grad News
LTC(R) Scott ’61 Enters Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame
The Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame located on the capitol grounds has inducted a 1961 graduate. James Armitt Scott, LTC retired, entered on January 29, 2020 before a crowd of 500 well-wishers that including Governor Brian Kemp, and other distinguished guests, family members, classmates, and several graduates whom he mentored as a USCC tactical officer. The Hall of Fame selected Jim recognizing his distinguished valor and service. He is one of the most decorated combat leaders of the Vietnam era. His award citations and testimonies of witnesses described him as a courageous, yet calm, and humble hero.
Scott was one of 15 veteran finalists among many applicants who served during wartime and distinguished themselves for service or valor. Currently there are 115 veterans in the Hall of Fame. Full story.
Thank You!
In 2020, the Long Gray Line and friends and families of West Point gave with loyalty, with generosity, and with unwavering support during a challenging year, raising $44.7 million in cash receipts for the Academy and WPAOG. Your gifts and participation strengthen the Academy’s #MarginOfExcellence programs for cadets, sustain the traditions that pay tribute to generations of West Point graduates, and allow for new opportunities that would not have been possible otherwise. Go Army!
Ring Melt: Classes Connecting Through Time
Cadet Valentina Vincent ’22 never met her grandfather, Harvey Jokinen, a Class of 1972 West Point graduate whose ring was a part of this year’s annual Ring Melt. Her mother was only three years old when he was killed in a helicopter crash while serving in Germany. Anytime Vincent asks her grandmother about Jokinen, she immediately cries. She says that he was a saint, and his sisters believe that he was the most amazing man to ever be placed on the earth.
“He had grit and determination to fight through adversity without complaint, the kind of guy you hope is on your team,” Vincent said. “I wish I could have met my grandfather, but I feel his presence alongside me at West Point daily.” Full story.
Class Notes Updates This Week
The following classes have added updates this week to their Class Notes pages. 1952 | 1953 | 1961 | 1962 | 1966 | 1969 | 1971 | 1984 | 1991 | 1993 | 2018. Class Notes
Pierce ’18 Patents Backward Swept Magazine
2LT Bradley Pierce ’18 was issued a patent December 1, 2020 for inventing a Backward Swept Magazine for Pistol, US Patent 10,852,082. Pierce in currently in Med School. A pistol with a magazine angle swept backward in relation to the barrel increases the barrel length for a given pistol length without deviating from the grip ergonomics of conventional modern pistols. By angling the magazine in this manner, the muzzle velocity of a pistol may be increased for a given pistol length. Alternatively, the pistol length may be minimized for a given muzzle velocity.
COL(R) Talbot ’93 Releases “Patriotic Illusions”
COL(R) Mark Talbot ’93 has released the book Patriotic Illusions. Summary: While distracted by international terrorists and resurgent communism, the United States has failed to address urgent domestic matters. Enduring racism, COVID-19, social injustice, and out of control government spending threaten our existence. Colonel Talbot exposes the enemies in our ranks—corrupt leaders who wrap themselves in the flag, divide Americans for selfish purposes, and promote the status quo. Follow his powerful arguments and examples to learn how true patriots demand reform. A must read for all leaders! Available on Amazon.
Ring Melt of the Class of 2022
Watch the video of this year's Ring Melt and see the moment a legacy gold ingot was created for the Class of 2022 out of 52 donated class rings on February 12, 2021, at WPAOG's Class Ring Memorial Program. The program was also streamed live so that donors, friends and family could attend virtually.
The Ring Melt video was also shared with the entire Class of 2022 that same evening, during the 500th Night Banquet at the United States Military Academy. The Banquet is a milestone celebration for Cadets because they have 500 nights left until their graduation. The 500th Night Banquet was also streamed by USMA on YouTube. Ring Melt Live Stream: https://youtu.be/7Z7m7Qekzuw. 500th Night Live Stream: https://youtu.be/hab5q5qE90g.
Learn more about Class Ring Memorial Program and how West Point Grad LTC (R) Ron Turner ’58 came up with the idea for this program in 1999: https://www.westpointaog.org/RingMemorialProgram. For more information call 845.446.1614, or send an email to RingMemorialProgram@wpaog.org.
Army West Point Hockey
Legacy and Family in Action
Army Hockey Head coach Brian Riley wears two steel bracelets, one on each wrist. They bear the names of two graduates who have left an indelible mark on Riley. Leaving legacies to the program, and to the nation, were Major Thomas Kennedy ’00 and First Lieutenant Derek Hines ’03. Both officers were killed in action in Afghanistan: Hines on September 1, 2005 and Kennedy on August 8, 2012. The mention of their names clearly touches a nerve and sets off a passionate response that Riley has repeated many times over. He says, “I would go to the top of any mountain to talk about them.”
“One of the most important jobs I have is to make sure the legacies of our former players live on. I wear these bracelets in honor of that, and I will never take them off. These guys were my guys. They were obviously good hockey players, but more importantly, they were great people, young men and great leaders.” Riley does all he can to make sure his current players understand who Kennedy and Hines were, holding them up as models to emulate. Cadet Trevin Kozlowski ’21 says, “I can only hope to try and accomplish some of the great things that these great men have done.” Full story.
Barbuto ’71 Releases “New York’s War of 1812”
Richard Barbuto ’71 has released New York’s War of 1812. Popular memory of the War of 1812 caroms from the beleaguered Fort McHenry to the burning White House to an embattled New Orleans. But the critical action was elsewhere, as Richard V. Barbuto tells us in this clarifying work that puts the state of New York squarely at the center of America’s first foreign war.
Retrieving New York’s War of 1812 from the fog of military history, Barbuto describes the disproportionate cost paid by the state in loss of life and livelihood. The author draws on in-depth research of the state’s legislative, financial, and militia records, as well as on the governor’s extensive correspondence, to plot the conduct of the war regionally and chronologically and to tell the stories of numerous raids, skirmishes, and battles that touched civilians in their homes and communities.
Whether offering a clearer picture of the performance of the state militia, providing a more accurate account of the conflict’s impact on the state’s diverse population, or newly detailing New York’s decisive contribution, this deeply researched, closely observed work revises our view of the nation’s perhaps least understood war.
About the Author: Richard V. Barbuto is Professor Emeritus of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the author of Niagara 1814: America Invades Canada and Long Range Guns, Close Quarter Combat: The Third United States Artillery Regiment in the War of 1812.
2021 Founders Day
Founders Day may look different this year, but you can still enjoy all of the festivities around this popular West Point tradition. Join us on March 16 for the 2021 Virtual Founders Day presented by the West Point Association of Graduates. Charge your glasses, dust off the tux or spirit gear, and join us for updates, toasts, and some Army Spirit!
Space is limited so register to reserve your spot. Please contact us if you have questions: FoundersDay@wpaog.org.