Class News for 2007-2009

WE have two web sites now. This is where we
post our horses.
http://whiteoakbarrelhorses.sports.officelive.com/default.aspx

Just a quick update on me.

WORK: I am still working for DA G8 Force Development and oversight for
DA on a University XXI program which has the University of Texas and
Texas A&M University conduct research in technical areas i.e., software
tools, technical multimedia etc.  It's a great job and I plan to work a
year or two longer.  With the cost of Hay (serious drought here in
Texas) and feed, I may work longer but I enjoy the work.
HEALTH: My twin, Aubrey had bi pass 12 years ago, and I had it 6 years
ago.  However two of the bi passes on me collapsed.  I only found out as
I was planning to run a full marathon in Sep 09 in Salmon, Idaho, but my
doc suggested a stress test.  Bottom line, had 3 stints put in and they
are functioning great etc. etc.  Highly recommend periodic check ups if
you are at risk for heart attack.
ACTIVITES:  My horse riding is still going and we had a descent year
with 6 horses sold this year. All the owners from California to Oklahoma
are all very satisfied with their new barrel horses.  The owners are
from 8 years old to 45, so believe our bloodlines are going real good.
My wife is still barrel racing and doing pretty good considering all
factors.  Thank God she is also a registered nurse and saved my bacon
twice that I know of.  This past month, I was inducted into the Texas
Bell County Ring Of Honor as a Rancher and Farmer.  I had lived 9 years
in Bell County.  I still host youth groups with their sponsors at my
small ranch and provide them on hands demo with horses and riding
lessons free.  Safety, Safety and more safety. TRAVEL:  We are hoping to
get to Europe this fall or late winter and visit France, Italy, Germany
and hopefully get to Israel. 
Just thought I would drop a line, God bless and if any of you visit
Central Texas, please drop by if you have time. 

Abel

My husband Mark Kleinsmith and I retired in December after over 25 years at Lozier Corp. in Omaha Nebraska and were given a two week European Cruise as a retirement "gift" from our company.  We included a side-trip to Paris ....unfortunately not enough time to go back to Orleans .  The picture is a typical cruise-ship pic, but we liked it!

I didn't stay retired for long and am now working for an international executive search firm.  Here is the announcement the search firm sent out when I joined them... might be of interest to others:

VICKEY THAYER KLEINSMITH JOIN DHR INTERNATIONAL AS
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT 

CHICAGO , IL , May 2009 – Global executive search firm DHR International is pleased to announce that Vickey Thayer Kleinsmith has joined as Executive Vice President in Omaha , Nebraska . 

Prior to joining DHR, Ms. Thayer Kleinsmith was the Vice President of Human Resources for the leading national manufacturer of store fixtures, Lozier Corporation, in Omaha for over 25 years. She brings an earlier background with teaching in the Bellevue , NE public school system as well as working for the State of Nebraska ’s Department of Education as a Planning and Evaluation Specialist. She was also a Director for a nationally recognized, research-based teacher selection process for the Omaha Public Schools, as well as an Assistant Principal for an inner-city ninth grade center. 

Ms. Thayer Kleinsmith brings a wonderful record of community service and accomplishment within the Omaha community including Boards of Directors for The Omaha Children’s Museum, Child Saving Institute, INROADS of Greater Omaha, Metropolitan Community College Foundation (President), Great Plains Girl Scout Council (President), United Way of the Midlands , Marian High School (Chair) and the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Omaha. 

Ms. Thayer Kleinsmith brings a great deal of understanding and insight on how to recruit top executives to Omaha and the “good life” of Nebraska . She also understands how to assess and fit the correct long term, successful executive candidate with diverse company cultures. 

Ms. Thayer Kleinsmith earned a MS in Educational Administration and a PhD in Education, Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Nebraska .

A Posting from Gudrun Clem Blackmon (’58)  

I remember the reunion of 1985 vividly.  It was the first time I had seen my Orleans classmates since I graduated in 1958.  What an awesome time we had in D.C. and I will always thank Dave for bringing us together.  

Then email emerged and soon so many of us were connected easily and effortlessly.  I now number many OHSers as the greatest of email buds and love the idea they are out there – all over the country – just a key stroke away.  

The reunions of recent past have been wonderful as well.  However, 2 years is a long time not seeing friends.  Especially as one gets older.  With that in mind, a few of us wistfully mentioned that it would be nice if some of us could get together for a weekend somewhere before we meet again in 2010 in Baltimore.  Somehow that thought took on a life of its own and before we knew it a date and a place was selected.  

So – why not throw an invitation on the website for those of you out there who might want to join a small group of us in Charlottesville , VA , 1-3 May.  

This is a very unstructured affair.  Nothing formal.  Let’s call it a Spring Fling.  It is not meant to be a reunion.  No itinerary, no name tags, no group hotel rooms.  Just a get-together of old friends.   

If you are interested, shoot me an email and I can give you more details.  I don’t want to bore those who aren’t interested with useless information.  Contact me at:  gudrun.blackmon@us.army.mil

Don’t ask me who will be there and let that be your decision maker.  We have no clue, for the most part.  One day so-and-so is going to show.  The next week they aren’t sure.  And that’s how it’s been going.  We’ve sent out the word and if you show up – that’s cool.  If not, we’ll see you in Baltimore .  

Speaking of Baltimore .  Our Chairlady, Jacquie, is “interviewing” hotels the first part of April and will then confirm the dates for Baltimore .  I know it will be in October 2010 so put a huge circle around that month and await the news of a firm weekend.

Update from Argentina

It's been a while since I've done an update. 

Things on this side of the earth seem more American friendly now that Obama is in, although there are still a few people like Chavez and Morales who like to bad mouth our government and accuse all Americans that are working in their countries of being spies.  Both Presidents of Bolivia and Venezuela kicked out our   U.S. Ambassadors.

Cristina ( Argentina 's president) has been buddies with Chavez, has visited Cuba and even took a picture with Castro, visited Libya as well as Moscow , so who knows whose side she's on, but Obama just called her Friday to let her know his administration is different than the last.   I'm sure you wonder why we would care about Argentina , but that's what our diplomatic corp does--keep the peace with other countries so all of them are essentially important.

You never know what could happen-- Venezuela and Bolivia could gang up and shoot nuclear missiles our way and we'd need Argentina as a strategic location to fight back.  Just a bizarre example as to why we try to keep a good relationship with our allies and so far, Argentina is our ally.

I have friends visiting this July for a couple weeks so I plan to take them to some estancias (ranches) for BBQ, horseback riding, and a gaucho (cowboy) show.  The gauchos are great horseman and do some pretty fantastic riding tricks like getting a tiny ring onto a pole while running the horses at full speed.  Then they give the ring they've nabbed to the prettiest lady in the audience.

Last night I took a friend of Jimmy Buffets to a traditional tango show.  She's an ex-model and married to the Greek guy that used to own Cherokee shoes.  She was here fly fishing for a week and caught a 21 pound trout.  She released it or I'd be having trout for  a month!  So all you fisherman out there, the biggest ones are here in the crystal clear lakes of Patagonia .  Love and Besos until the next update….

Cheers   

Terri Lindsey
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Feliz Navidad, and Happy New Year!
 
I just returned yesterday from a fabulous two-week vacation throughout Argentina.  My son and I first went to Ushuaia where we took boats to see all the beautiful islands located near the most southern tip of the world.  We visited a sea lion and penguin colony (the penguins were mating and we were so close to them we could touch them--actually Steven did and almost got his finger bit off after being told NOT to mess with them), a hundred year old jail that held some pretty nasty criminals in its day (the Argentines had the same system as Australia where they would put there worst criminals where they couldn't escape) and ate King Crab until we were sick of it (never thought that would happen).
 
Then after three days of cold and windy weather but gorgeous sites, we flew to Califate to visit the third largest lake in the world to see glaciers.  They were awesome (attached photos) and some were melting and falling into the water while we watched.  The town was quaint and I personally knew a chef at an excellent restaurant, so between the good food and wine plus the gorgeous sites, we had another great visit.  Then we flew to our last destination of Bariloche.
 
This town is basically a ski town but is even prettier in the summer when the flowers are in full bloom and the trees are green.  I took a catamaran to a mountain to see some gorgeous waterfalls, hiked an hour through the forest, stopped at a hotel on the beach next to a lime green river created from melted glaciers, and saw a 1900 year old dead tree, but his grandson was still alive at 1500 years old!  
 
So if you want to take some trips outside of Buenos Aires when you visit (I'm hoping to see a few of you here during my tour), I'll have explored them all in advance to recommend the best places to go here.  Hasta luego, amigos! 

Cheers   

Terri Lindsey
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Another update from Buenos Aire. I've now been here almost three months—time certainly flies when you're having fun, and have established contacts in my ritzy neighborhood starting with a delightful pretty boy hairdresser that gives me funky haircuts, a wine store owner that recommends some awesome Argentine wines, a flower vendor whose roses don't wilt after two days, and taxi drivers that are so friendly, one of whom was a magician who had autographed pictures of David Copperfield and himself plastered all over his windshield and dashboard. My Spanish is improving from all the Argentine soap operas I watch and I'm inhaling the lifestyle with mucho gusto. Argentina is truly a fascinating place, even though I've only ventured out of the city a couple times since my arrival. Next weekend though I'm going to an estancia (escape to the countryside) with a group of expats and tourists.

I've was introduced to a wonderful guy who is an airline steward with an Argentine airline and he is inviting me to explore great cultural events and the local cuisine. He's also a chef and cooked a fabulous dinner for me. Too bad he's gay or I'd be falling in love! The embassy crew are either married or gay themselves so there's not much activity going on with them and me. It's not like it was when I was in the Foreign Service the first time and we bonded as a group and did a lot of traveling and partying together. Now no one drinks or even entertains anymore and as far as traveling, it's hard to get anyone to commit to even a weekend out of town. So I'm going outside the embassy circle to find friends. It was the same way in Paris—most of my friends were Parisians, which was a miracle to be able to get accepted into their circles.

Argentina is a third world country that pretends to be first world by flaunting it's beautiful architecture and boosting about its famous opera house or museums, yet the opera house is closed indefinitely for renovation, and the museums are in disarray. Even the new president is a joke with her daily speeches to the public about the farmer's strike or economy, yet nothing changes and she refuses to discuss the problem with the farmers. Rumor has it the government has organized the truckers to block the roads and the farmers have nothing to do with it. One saying has it, the Argentines build beautiful sand castles, only to step on them.

Customs won't release our vehicles, but also won't give us the reason why many of us have been waiting six months for our cars. I haven't even received my household effects because I shipped a motorcycle with my effects and it's considered a vehicle so I can't get anything until the Argentine government decides what they want to do. Can you imagine the state of our cars after a year of storage? Mine has been in storage since last September. I'm sure it's not good for the tires, engine and paint job especially if it has to sit at the port in Miami with the sea air eating away at it.

But other than the normal problems of living in other countries with strange laws and customs, this is a great place. The Argentines are very friendly, at least the ones I've encountered, and even though they are we are told there's anti-American sentiment here, I don't feel it. People are people and if you treat them with respect, they treat you back the same way.

Until my next update, hasta luego....Terri

As the younger brother of 3 OHS siblings, I appreciate that you include the class of 72 in your database.  I have been stationed in Europe several times in the past 30 years and visited Orleans on more that a dozen occasions.  On one trip, I went into the building on Coligny Casern where the snack bar used to be (it was being used as a garage by the city) and chipped some of the Yellow and Black tiles off the walls.  The workers thought that I was nuts but it is a great reminder of greasy cheeseburgers and bugging my brothers and sister (by walking into “their” area)!

I'm long overdue to check in with you and what would have been the class of '68 if Charlie DeGaulle hadn't given us the boot. I attended OHS from 1964-1967 and like everyone else on the OAHS site, I remember those days fondly. I got such a kick out of seeing the photos of so many of my old friends, I wanted to send you a couple recent photos.

I'm living large in Medway, Mass., a small town 25 miles SW of Boston. My wife, Lorri, my two kids, Jessie and Leigh, and I have been living here for about 18 years.

I came to the Boston area way back in 1972 to finish college at Boston University. Before that, I was at The American College (now University) of Paris and Schiller College (where I went to delay having to leave Paris). I figured I would grab my degree in poli sci and blow back to Europe. Instead, I got an M.S. degree in mass comm, got a job, got married and more than 30 years later, I'm still planning on going back. For nearly all that time, I've been a journalist, mainly writing for magazines covering IT. I wrote a couple of books on computer security and crime in the late '90s. I also wrote a weekly column on consumer electronics for The Boston Globe for many years. Today, I'm a publisher for a small company that puts out a couple of magazines and a Web site covering telecommunications.

There is a little thing I sometimes do, 
and I'd like to do it just for all of you.

There is a little poem that I often quote,
and it so happens it's one I wrote.

The next time you see an old vet or a soldier, 
just ask to shake his hand or pat his shoulder.

He may be an Army GI, Navy or Coast Guard seaman, or she may be the cutest little airman you've ever seen.
But then, too, he may be just an old straight-backed, leather-necked, dog-faced marine.

Just remember though that each and every soldier is someone's daughter or someone's son.
Then when you shake that hand or pat their shoulder, take time to thank them for what they all have done.

Then when the day is done, and comes the setting sun, 
Lift a little prayer to heaven, asking God to bless and protect them, each and every one.

Gene also wanted me to tell you that he has big gaps in his memory from years of undiagnosed diabetes.  Now that he has it "under control", conversations with fellow OHSers is helping him to reconstruct his days in Orleans.  So, if you've got some dirt on him, or just some nice remembrances, touch base with him, and help fill in the gaps.

Just thought I would let you know that I appear to be recovering pretty well from my latest horse accident.  I sustained a head injury which took 6 weeks to show up in my starting to walk to the left. Thought I only broke two ribs. I was taken from Darnell Army hospital to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin on 4 Dec 06.  I was there 4 days.  Diagnosis was "sub-dural hemorrhage" due to a leaking blood vessel.  Fortunately, it was exterior to the brain and surgery and recovering better than anticipated. I can now say I do have two holes in my head but actually not visible.  They sure give terrible haircuts prior to surgery.  I went for a follow up and not as cleared up as hoped, so may have to have more surgery.  Another 3 to 4 weeks will tell after another CAT Scan etc. I guess my training of horses is over, but can still do ground work in the round pen if I choose to, but no horsing around as Aubrey says. I was back at work 2 weeks after surgery and doing great. I was able to enjoy my daughter and 2 grand daughters from Fairfax, Va. along with my other two grown up kids over the holidays. I am truly blessed with great family, friends, and coworkers. I am especially blessed with Christine at my side. She is the one that actually said, NO Choice Your Going TO ER.  She's a registered nurse and excellent horse rider and competitor.  Anyway, thought I would update.  My goals for 2007 are, Keep Christine close to me, no accidents, diet/exercise, and continue to thank God for my blessings and being here. Appreciate being put on prayer lists.    Thanks, Abel

HELLO PALS,  WISH YOU COULD HAVE BEEN HERE WITH ME LAST NIGHT. THE ARMY'S 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION CHORUS PAID A SURPRISE VISIT TO OUR BASE HERE IN TALLIL AND WHEN THEY FOUND OUT I WAS ONCE A MEMBER OF THE CHORUS AND BAND BACK IN 1965 THEY MADE ME A GUEST AT THEIR NIGHT STAGE PERFORMANCE AND I GOT TO GO ON STAGE FOR ONE NUMBER AND FOR A PHOTO SHOOT HA!  THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS OLD MAN WAS STILL IN COMBAT BOOTS AND BLOUSED PANTS HA! AND STILL IN THE ACTION 40 YEARS LATER. I WAS ORIGINALLY WITH THE BAND AND CHORUS AFTER WE DEPLOYED TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN 1965.  IT WAS A FUN TIME AND A TEARFUL ONE AS WELL. YOU KNOW WHAT AN EMOTIONAL SORT I AM. THEY SANG "UNDER THE BOARDWALK", "I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN", "THE 82ND AIRBORNE SONG", "BLOOD UPON THE RISERS", "FOR THE LONGEST TIME" AND MANY MORE. OF COURSE THEY DO THE AIRBORNE SHUFFLE AND STAND IN THE DOOR CHANTS.    IT WAS A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR ME. I AM HERE THINKING OF ALL OF YOU AND WANTING TO SHARE THE
MOMENT. I'LL BE IN TOUCH........................ HUGS FROM TALLIL, IRAQ  Chuck Wise