What a great turnout this past weekend at the Garage Burgers and Beer, as we cheered the Falcons to victory over Army! It was a thrilling game, as it could have gone either way in the last minute. Lance '93 commented that it was odd how the Army was doing an effective air attack (lots of passing yards), but the Air Force pulled off the ground attack, with just a few yards in the books for pass receptions. Attendance was great! I think we had about 35 attending. If you missed it, you missed out! We were joined by a couple of Army grads, including Dennis Hines, the president of the local USMA organization. My long time friend Angel Gonzalez ('86) from DFW joined in as well, he was in OKC by chance on a layover; he's a captain for American Airlines.
More photos and story at https://www.centralok.usafachapters.org/news-and-photos.html Upcoming events: - Monthly lunch for grad members, Nov 21, same place as last time (All American Diner, 212 S Air Depot Blvd, Midwest City): socialize, plus a bit of Chapter business discussion, and great food. Ron Murray '65 will provide some remarks as our guest speaker. - Thanksgiving: opportunities to volunteer on base to help with the Airmen Thanksgiving Dinner. Contact us for details if you have time to help, Nov 27-28. - Cadet Military Ball, Dec 29, OKC Country Club: We are invited! Won't that bring back memories? I'm pretty sure my wife and I will attend, and several more from our Chapter are planning to go. Let us know if you are going and sign up here: http://www.okallacademiesball.com Know you guys like to party! - Wreaths across America: THERE ARE MULTIPLE OKLAHOMA SITES PARTICIPATING IN THIS NATIONWIDE EVENT - DEC. 14, 2019. VOLUNTEERS CAN PARTICIPATE IN LAYING OF WREATHS AND CEREMONIES. DETAILS AT https://www.centralok.usafachapters.org/wreaths-across-america.html bottom of page..... - We are in the process of deciding whether to establish an official status as a non-profit, non-taxable entity in the state of OK and applying to the IRS for non-taxable status as an IRS 401(c)19 non-profit organization. Treasurer Jeff Wagner ('86) and vice president Matt Waldron '69 have spent many hours together working this issue in the last month. Ron Murray ('65) offered help and encouragement. In closing, I'd like to get these updates out sooner following a gathering such as we had last weekend, while it's still fresh, and we'll try to do that. It really is a thrill to be associated with you highly-accomplished and thriving individuals! Look at what we've accomplished in the short 6 months since we first got together, just last April! I'll take a little credit for the initiative, but this Chapter is taking off due to the effort of a lot of MVPs, definitely a team effort! I'm really proud of being part of this team! One last thing, I'm typing this this morning with one hand, because I'm stuck...Literally stuck, with a needle in my left arm, making a donation at the OK Blood Institute. Guys, if you can donate, it's a good thing to do. If you are a pilot or hang out with pilots: Flights for Life, Inc. is a group of volunteer pilots who support Oklahoma Blood Institute, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, in efforts to deliver life-saving blood products to patients in need throughout Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. Visit flightsforlife.org for more information. We're not planning any more watch parties as a chapter this year, but that shouldn't stop you from getting together on your own! If you do, send us a few pix? So, we can brag on you on the Chapter website! If the Academy gets a bowl bid we may organize a watch party for that. Go Air Force! Chris Havenridge USAFA '84 President, Central Oklahoma Chapter of the United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates
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It may be the dog days of summer, but there is a lot going as we continue to add members to this chapter! It's about connecting with people. Guys and gals who share a common background; we always have something to talk about when we get together. We all have a million stories to share, whether from cadet days, overseas adventures, or current work/family life. Join Us! Upcoming Events Cadet Visit to Tinker AFB (Operation Air Force) ... July 15-31 Pizza with Cadets ... July 25, Hideaway Pizza Grads do Lunch ... August 23 at 11:30 Football Watch Party ... September 14, Falcons at Colorado Buffaloes Class Reunions ... September and October, you know who you are :) More details below Lunch with friends at Ted’s Cafe Escondido! 7/11/2019. Mike Givens ‘59, Matt Waldron ‘69, Jim Putnam ‘72, Lee Curtis ‘85, Chris Havenridge ‘84, Kurt Steeby ‘74, Jeff Wagner ‘86. See also https://www.centralok.usafachapters.org/news-and-photos.html Cadet Visit to Tinker AFB (Operation Air Force) ... July 15-31
There is an opportunity to have a 1-on-1 or mentoring session with one or more cadets. Time is running out! Speak up now if that is something you want to do; pass on some wisdom to these fledgling officers. As a grad, you have a lot to offer. Contact ok.usafa.aog@gmail.com Pizza with Cadets ... July 25, Hideaway Pizza, Midtown OKC, 6 PM... Grads will voluntarily pick up the tab for the cadets. One of these days, we'll raise money and have a chapter account for events like this. RSVP to the chapter email. ok.usafa.aog@gmail.com Grads do Lunch ... August 23 at 11:30. Mark your calendar. We are shooting for every 4th Thursday in perpetuity. Great opportunity to meet new and old friends who have a lot to talk about. Football Watch Party ... September 14, Falcons at Colorado Buffaloes. Shout out to David Wilson '74 for taking lead on this. When and where, to be determined. Class Reunions ... September and October, you know who you are :) Facebook ... Thanks to Jeff Wagner '86 for setting up our Facebook Group! (usafa central oklahoma chapter) <- there would be a link here, if I could figure out how to do that. Continue to Aim High, Grads! Chris Havenridge '84 Central OK Chapter President P. S. I promised Matt Waldron '69 I would post the pic. below with myself and President Reagan. Found it! It was an honor and a pleasure to meet with some grad members of the Central Oklahoma Chapter on Saturday, at 11 AM to discuss chapter “Business” and have lunch and refreshments at The Garage Burgers and Beer, Midtown district. See photos of attendees on News and Photos Page. Next meeting for chapter grads: Lunch at Ted’s Cafe Escondido, Sooner Rd, Del City: Thursday, July 11 at 11 AM. Agenda will be to have a good time at lunch. Send your RSVPs to Matt Waldron at ok.usafa.aog@gmail. In attendance: David Wilson ‘74 Jeffrey Wagner ’86 Lee Curtis ‘85 Kurt Steeby ‘74 Matt Waldron ’69, Asst to Pres Chris Havenridge ’84, Pres Discussion: 1. Eventually we will need to establish the by-laws of this organization, hold officer elections and all that comes with it. However, we will continue with a loose structure for the near future, as we begin to work on the by-laws, using the guidance provided by the AOG. 2. Six USAFA Cadets are visiting Tinker AFB for Operation Air Force in late July. We have coordinated with Points of Contact, and our chapter will be hosting a pizza party, Thursday, July 25 at 6 PM. The location will be Hideaway Pizza, 901 N. Broadway, OKC. Members present agreed that grads attending the event will buy the pizza for the cadets, others will be on their own, or welcome to contribute. 3. David Wilson discussed his effort to run the previous Oklahoma Chapter of the AOG a few years ago, we’re looking forward to learning from his experience, and he has already given some good advice. 4. Watch Parties: David Wilson agreed to take charge of setting up Falcon football watch parties for the upcoming season. Initially they will be for our chapter only, possibly expanding to joint opponent academies later. 5. Other future events ideas:
6. Voted on graphics for the website About Page: the majority voted for the E-3 AWACS, to give our website a more Oklahoman identity; the AWACS has been identified with Tinker AFB/OKC for more than 40 years. See here: https://www.centralok.usafachapters.org/ 7. Matt Waldron accepted donations from those present, for Wreaths Across America. So far, he has enough to donate 3 wreaths to be laid at the USAFA cemetery, for “those who gave their all.” Donations will continue to be accepted, as well as suggestion on where to place the wreaths. Currently our intent is to donate, and allow the academy to decide. Are there any interred Oklahoma natives that would be appropriate to honor, in the name of the Central Oklahoma Chapter? To nominate a wreath placement, please comment to this blog, or email Matt at the chapter email, ok.usafa.aog@gmail.com. Note: blog comments don’t appear immediately. 8. Facebook: Jeffrey Wagner admitted to having experience starting and running a Facebook account. The members present immediately nominated, voted and resolved to have him do this for the chapter after Matt gets approval and procedures from the AOG. Note: Jeff has already found us 2 new members since the meeting, Curt '90, his brother and Gaylord "Z" Thomas "86, a classmate. Thanks Jeff! 9. There will be a chapter presidents conference at USAFA in late August. Your humble president won’t be able to attend, David Wilson expressed interest in possibly taking the trip. Is anyone else interested? Fast, Neat, Average, Chris Havenridge President, Central Oklahoma Chapter 30 May 1984, almost 30 years ago, our class of about 1000 proud Firsties marched into Falcon stadium for the last time, and walked out, hats gone, as 2Lt's. We knew a lot, but we had a lot to learn. I'll never forget President Reagan speaking at our graduation. As I approached the stage, I practiced what I was going to say… I only had a few seconds with the President of the United States. I rehearsed “Thank you, Mr President, this is a great honor.” …”thank you Mr President …” five or six times. When it was my chance, I opened my mouth, no words came out, and Mr Reagan turned his head a bit, as if, to aim his good ear to hear whatever I was saying, and all I could do was smile, shake hands, grab the diploma and move on. I’m still laughing at my young self!
A few minutes later, the Thunderbirds flew overhead as we hurled our parade caps high into the sky. What an incredible day! Does anyone else have some great memories to share? Add your comments! Go Falcons! Chris Havenridge President, Central Oklahoma Chapter From the chapter president, Chris Havenridge, Class of 1984 I'm very excited to introduce you to your chapter of the USAFA AOG! How this chapter came to be: I moved my family to OKC in 2016 to work at Boeing. The area we moved from had a very active AOG chapter. Some of their activities: - yearly softball games against Army and Navy grads - annual flag football games - watch parties for many Falcon sporting events, especially the AF-Navy and AF-Army football games - a Founders Day banquet featuring a speaker from the academy - support for homeless veterans - coordination with parents clubs to support cadets and appointees Overwhelming? Don't worry, most people can't participate in everything. Well, after we moved to OKC, I was sort of waiting for my phone to ring. Where were the watch parties and other events? Finally, after 2.5 years, I contacted the AOG and the conversation was something like this: "There is no Oklahoma AOG chapter, thank you for volunteering to build one!" After several web meetings and phone calls, we are ready to launch the chapter with our inaugural Founders Day event. (You should be receiving an email invitation directly from the AOG). If you are a graduate residing in Oklahoma, this is for you. Also please join us if you are otherwise associated with the Academy. For example, a parent of a cadet or graduate; or spouse, parent or child of a graduate.
We need plenty of help to get this chapter off the ground! By the way, we named this the "Central Oklahoma Chapter" to represent the OKC area, but we are not excluding the grads from any corner of the state. On the other hand, this chapter does not claim the entire state; it's not the "State of Oklahoma Chapter." Therefore, if the grads in Enid, Altus and other areas are up to the challenge of starting a local AOG chapter... (Gauntlet thrown down!) Go Falcons! Chris Havenridge De Facto President, Central Oklahoma Chapter Many Thanks to: -Bill, Karina and Michele (AOG) for the coaching and ideas, -Devin (AOG) for the website -Tracy and Kerrie (OK USAFA Parents' club) for outstanding planning assistance, -Tina, my wife, for never-ending help with everything. |
AuthorThe author graduated from USAFA in 1984, served as a tactical airlift navigator until 1996. He is currently a systems engineer at Boeing in OKC, on military aircraft programs. Archives
November 2019
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