Greetings from Midcoast Maine!
Following up on my last class notes, with extensive research and help from other
classmates, Jim Jandreau has concluded that we lost two members of the Class
of 1965 in Vietnam:
2nd Lt. Thomas Bernard Ferguson, U.S. Marine Corps, who died of
wounds as a ground casualty on March 30, 1968. His name is on the
Vietnam War Memorial Panel 47E, Line 10.
1st Lt. Alan Harry Zimmerman, U.S. Army, who went missing from a
helicopter crash on Feb. 2, 1967. His name is on the Vietnam War
Memorial Panel 14E, Line 110.
All of our other classmates who served in Vietnam returned home safely.
To honor our fallen heroes, Tom Ferguson and Al Zimmerman, we propose
compiling brief biographies and pictures, both of their UMaine days and the
military, into a book for the class and giving it a home at Buchanan Alumni
House. To that end, please go through your files, think back to our college days,
and send me your recollections and any photos you might have — high-
resolution images if possible.
We also heard from several classmates who shared their experiences in Vietnam
and told of crossing paths with others while there, among them Craig Deakin, Stu
Gerald, Don Herrick, Horace Horton, Larry Hower, John Ireland, Jim Jandreau,
Axel Larson, Steve Melgard ’71G, Wayne Robbins, Alan Robertson, Hank
Schmelzer, Owen Wells, Joe Weston, Vic Whitehouse and Elwyn Wooster.
Another veteran, Phi Mu Delta brother Linwood “Woody” Fleischer, wrote that he
attended his first two years in Portland and the last two in Orono. Woody was
wounded and injured in Vietnam but recovered. Through the VA, he was able to
earn four advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. from the University of
Connecticut. He went on to serve as a school district administrator in several
states. He and his wife now live in Connecticut and Surfside, near Miami Beach.
I also heard from veteran Ed Schultz, who wrote: “I appear to have made it back
safely. While passing through Cam Ranh Bay, on my way back from R&R in
Hong Kong, I bumped into classmate Keith Helmer, who was passing through on
his way to R&R in Honolulu. Sometimes, it seems like it was only yesterday.”
Bill Flahive ’67G helped us clear up some confusion about Paul Lewis Stimpson,
whom he remembered from his UMaine flight class. Paul, Class of 1964, was a
first lieutenant in the Army. Bill said he died April 22, 1967, he believes in a
helicopter crash. Paul had not been in the university’s records because he left
college early to serve. He is listed there now.
We thank you all for your service and sacrifice.
Got a note from Richard Bishop, who is trying to locate Bill Ahrens ’64. Richard
said Pres Wadsworth lives not far from him in Portland, OR.
Also got a note from Joe Sala ’65, ’69G, who lives in Ellsworth, enclosing seven
photos of some of the members of the 1961-62 varsity ski team building a ski
jump across the Stillwater River, near the steam plant, during Christmas break of
our freshman year. He also enclosed a photocopy of a picture, from The Maine
Campus, of the team: Joe, Bob Edgecomb ’65, Wilbur Hammond ’65, Jim
Chalfant ‘65, Elwyn Wooster ‘66, Dan Lawry ’66, Dave Hall ’65, Charles Taylor
‘65, Bill Dudley ’64, Lee Bingham ’63, Capt. Peter Hudson ’63, Norm Viger ’65,
’68G, Arthur Dudley ’65, and Tom LaHaise ’64, ’66G, with Coach Si Dunklee.
Lisbeth Wiley Chapman, who lives on Cape Cod, wrote that she was able to
reopen her Hopper House tours in mid-July with some changes to accommodate
COVID-19 rules. Incidentally, one of Edward Hopper’s paintings was placed on a
postage stamp commemorating Maine’s 200th anniversary this year —
celebration of which, unfortunately, was canceled.
I also want to pay tribute to my freshman geology professor, Dr. Harold Borns, an
internationally renowned glacial geologist with a fabulous sense of humor who
left this life in March at age 92, active until his last days. I wish I had told him how
I used what he taught me in an early newspaper assignment when I covered a
rock and mineral show in my home state of New Jersey (travel through which, Dr.
Borns said in class, “rotted the paint off my car”). And that every time I show a
visitor Acadia National Park and other wonders of Maine, I point out the granite
batholiths (the term for our rounded, bald mountains) and explain how their lofty
peaks were scraped off by the receding mile-high glacier that once covered the
state.
Rest in peace, Dr. Borns. You were a great teacher.
Please let me hear from you with your recollections of Tom and Al – and any
other news you care to share.
Until next time.