News From Fort Schuyler

September 6, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 39

NYMFAF - Following up on last weeks’ observation by R. SEAN MILLIOT, Class of 1996, that N-Y-M-F-A-F is painted on the gym walls is this comment from CHARLES E. HUDSON, Class of 1990: "FYI - The gym walls were painted with the signal flags NYMFAF in 1990 by myself and a few of my classmates. Sean might have been thinking of the actual signal flags "NYMFAF", that are hanging in the underclass mess and had been prior to 1986 when I started at Maritime. That is where I got the idea. When I asked Admiral Miller if we could paint them, he had maintenance paint the entire gym before I started. We were going to put the words underneath the flags, but decided that other cadets would know the meaning and others would just have to ask the question "Do those flags mean something?" "As a side note, the same crew also designed and painted "NEW YORK MARITIME" on the wall near the S&E building in 1990. The Admiral had the lighting installed after, so it could be seen better from the bridge at night. When the Admiral approved that project he actual thought we meant the seawall and was surprised to drive by and see us painting that wall.

Another definition for NYMFAF comes from HODUR SVERRISSSON, Class of 1993, who receives his issue of NFFS in Reykjavik, Iceland: "I always for some reason thought NYMFAF stood for ‘New York Maritime - Friday After Formation. This term, NYMFAF, in my days at Maritime, between '89 and '93, was widely used for "events" at the Sailing center after formation Friday afternoons. These "events" normally consisted of a mixer or an open bar at the Sailing center. I'll however go along with the New York Maritime - First And Foremost. Sounds better." Finally there is this concluding comment from TOM CONNORS, Class of 1967: ".. Any acronym having multiple ‘F's’ from SUNY is suspect."

CAPTAIN/CAPTAIN? - Editing NFFS is a learning experience. In response to a draft of the NFFS item about JERE AUSTIN’s account of life at Fort Schuyler before WW2, he wrote: "My title should have ‘USNR (Ret)’ attached. There may be someone out there who remembers me as a ‘Bogie’ in the class of 1940 and would question the use of ‘Captain.’ I never was a Master Mariner and the US Navy does not differentiate between Deck and Engine. Incidentally, there were three of us in the Class of 1940 who made it to Captain in the US Navy. Two of us were engineers, RICHARD MARSTERS (deceased) and myself. BILL MEAGHER also made it. He served ADMIRAL BYRD as Navigator on his last Antarctic Expedition."

CLOSER THAN YOU THINK - Responding to a call for updates to bouncing addresses came an immediate response from Professor PHILIP SMUKLER, Marine Transportation Department, with the information that LARS GUSTAFSON, Class of 1991, "...has just joined the faculty of the Maritime College. He is currently teaching Ocean Marine Cargo Insurance and Marketing Management in Transportation in our Graduate School and Introduction to Business in the (undergraduate) Marine Transportation Department. As you can see, ‘News from Fort Schuyler’ is the first thing I read in the morning. The ‘New York Times’ now has the second spot!" [Ed. - And the price of the Times is going up to 75 cents next week.)

MUG SALUTE TO ALUMNI - The new 4^th Class participated in a unique and moving ceremony at 3:00 A.M., Friday, August 27 in the course of their indoctrination into the regiment. According to PETER VECCHIO, Class of 1992, who led this year’s indoctrination program, 198 MUGS assembled in St. Mary’s Pentagon on this rainy night and, to the strains of a bagpipe playing ‘Amazing Grace’, placed a wreath at the flagpole which contained the following message: "We, the Indoctrination Officers, Squad leaders and the Class of 2003, dedicate this night to all alumni who have gone before us, and crossed the Final Bar. On the hallowed ground of St. Mary’s Pentagon, We salute your honor."

CROSSING THAT FINAL BAR - News that RAY RIESGO, Class of 1949, succumbed to lymphatic cancer on Friday September 3, has been received from classmate ED DANGLER. Ed writes that: "Ray, originally from Freeport Long Island, was the co-founder with me of the NYSMC track team and was a follower of track and field his entire life. After service in the U.S. Navy aboard the Battleship MISSISSIPPI shortly after graduating, he then entered federal employment in Department of Commerce. He was a distinguished expert on international trade and rose through the ranks of the Bureau of International Trade in both domestic and foreign assignments."

"Ray was not only an avid athlete but a true renaissance person whose knowledge of languages and culture were his trademark. He was best remembered on our summer training cruises because he could always strike up conversations with pretty ladies in the foreign ports in their native language and introduce them to his eager shipmates. His sharply honed sense of humor and ready smile will be missed by one and all who ever came in contact with him."

"In my last conversation with him he wished the Class of 1949 a great Golden Anniversary at Homecoming and regretted that his health condition would not allow him to be there with us, but maybe for our next big reunion.. The Supreme Captain of the Universe had other needs for Ray's services and called him early to stand his watches in heaven." "The Class of 1949 sends their sincerest condolences to the family of Ray. For those classmates and others who would like to remember Ray, his favorite charity was Leukemia Society Fund # 270231, c/o MirellaPannozzo, P.O. box 234, Birmingham, MI 480009. Condolence cards can be sent to his daughter Mrs. Patty Hodgson, 903 Sparrow Rd.,Chesapeake, VA 23325. Ray was truly New York Maritime First and Foremost"