News From Fort Schuyler

July 18, 2001 - Volume 5, No. 25

"Like the MMR program itself, I've always been a unique entity while on active duty: a recalled reservist in a land of career active duty people. I've been very fortunate in my co-workers and superiors here in the Pentagon, and to them, also, thanks."

"Finally, there're you: the members of the MMR. I once told an MMR basic class that the MMR, collectively, is many things; but boring's not one of them. Your willingness to contribute to the health of the program is astonishingly encouraging, not least because I don't seem to have been issued the all-knowing-all-seeing gene that so many in Washington claim to have. In the largest sense, there's no one reading this to whom I owe nothing. Some of the lessons may have been inadvertent and some may have been painful. However, at the end of the day, they were generally useful."

FOLLOW UP ON FRED - Writing from his HQ at Ashdown Place in Sussex, England, FRED DOLL, Class of 1979, a longtime resident in Britain, provided a career update: "As far as my news goes, things have been busy and I have been in the 'nights and weekends' mode. (Working for myself, this is much better than the alternative.) [ Doll Shipping Consultancy dollship@aol.com ] "Main work areas are strategic planning, market analysis, and work on e-commerce. Clients include shipping companies, banks, and a marine recruitment company (see www.shippingjobs.com)." Fred also attached to his e-mail the 13 June presentation he made at the Lloyd's Shipping Economist Shipping Finance Conference in Athens titled, Global Newbuilding and the S & P Market.

SALTY READING - Recommended reading from NFFS subscriber, HUGH M. STEPHENS, VP for the North Atlantic Region, Council of American Master Mariners (www.imex.com/camm.html ) - "Thought you might like to read 'SSS', by CAPT J.W. Clark. Although he was in the first class of Kings Pt. at Pass Christian, Mississippi, which you mustn't hold against him, he gives a wonderful account of his sailing on Delta Line ships in WWII. He was captain of a Liberty Ship at the age of 23 and made the Murmansk run." [This 528 page book is available at prices ranging from $8 (e-book) to $25: (hardback) from www.Xlibris.com ]

HE WHO KNOWS - Responding to the editor's query in the last issue of NFFS, FRED DOLL also explained what oil company 'response teams' do: "Here is a simple answer based on some typical oil company practice."

"Re: Coordinator for the North America Regional Response Team - A major oil company typically has a team to respond to major emergencies. The team is set up by geographical area and by business function (Refining, Production, etc.). The Response Team makes experts available promptly to respond to an incident in order to avoid further injury/damage to people, environment, and property and make a prompt start on remedial work. Sounds like Peter heads this team for Refining and Supply. (The Supply function typically handles purchase and sale of crude, products, and feedstocks. An emergency could include an incident involving a cargo that is owned by or en route to the company.)"

"Re: Emergency Response Advisor - A good emergency response system is the result of years of preparatory work. The advisor would be working on setting up the systems needed to support the Response Team specifically and emergency response in general, and ensuring that company or cooperative industry efforts in areas like Oil Spill Response are in place and functioning smoothly."

EBB TIDE - "The unhappy chore of reporting the passing on of CHARLES 'Chuck' F. WHITE, Class of January 1944 has befallen me," writes his classmate, STAN LLOYD. "Chuck died 4/21/01. The Class of January 1944 was represented at the funeral by GEORGE 'Squeak' WARREN, traveling from Sag Harbor, LI to Brattleboro, VT. It should be mentioned that Chuck, George & myself were stalwart oarsman of the 'Championship Lifeboat Crew'. [See NFFS 5]
Respectfully reporting, Stan Lloyd."

The following obituary from Brattleboro Reformer (April 23, 2001, p. 20) describes someone who led a full life, was a good colleague and boss, had great success in business here and abroad, and a person who remained active and caring in retirement:

"Charles F. White, 77, died suddenly Saturday, April 21, 2001, at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. He had been fighting cancer for some time, and was too frail to undergo an emergency operation."

"A Brattleboro resident since 1988, Mr. White was widely known in town for his role in setting up Lifeline Services for the elderly and house-bound, and also for volunteering with the town's recycling initiative. His neighbors on Kipling Road remember him as always willing to lend a hand whenever and wherever there was a need."

"Mr. White was born Feb. 1, 1924, son of Thomas Joseph and Dorothea Mattson White of Westhampton, NY. A marine engineering graduate of the New York State Maritime Academy, he served his country with distinction during World War II as a naval engineering officer in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. After the war, he earned a bachelors of science degree in mechanical engineering and worked for 25 years with General Motors Corp. He spent more than 18 years overseeing industrial equipment operations in Latin America, including eight years in Lima, Peru and seven in Mexico City. In his last overseas assignment, he created a joint venture, General Motors de Colombia, and was named its president."

"He developed warm and enduring relationships with the people who worked for him because of his tact and diplomacy, his knowledge of Spanish, and he ability to transcend cultural barriers."

"After retirement from GM, Mr. White formed his own marketing and management company, Selected International Marketing Management Services of Pleasantville, NY, where he developed export programs for several countries overseas, and expanded distribution systems in the Middle East for U.S. based companies."

"He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Eloise Hartmann White, two daughters, Eloise Danniels Morano of Pittsburgh, and Thea Grace Morgan of Boston, and several nephews and nieces. There [was] a memorial service on Friday, April 27, 2001 in Brattleboro. His remains were cremated because he felt that each person's spirit is everlasting, unlike the physical body, which becomes simply dust in a relatively short time. Interment will take place this summer in Glens Falls, NY."