OCS Class 28-69

   
   

FT. BENNING, GEORGIA

   
   

62nd Company

   
   

 

   
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REUNION 2015

The Second Reunion

in 46 Yrs

 

OC28-69 Reunion Planners -

 Jerry & Jeannie Wilson

Hank Berchak

Website - Bob Brewster

 

Held APRIL 26-29, 2015

at Double Tree Inn, Columbus GA, at the Benning School for Boys and at the National Infantry Museum

www.nationalinfantrymuseum.com

   
   

   
   

Picture Above (L-R) - Dick Thurow, Jerry Wilson, Bob Brewster, Phil Fricke, Hank Berchak, Mark Drewicz, Ron Johnson, Rich Cook, Bob Cribbs, Bob Rudy

   

Picture Above (L-R Front) - Rich & Debbie Cook, Jerry & Jeannie Wilson, Mark & Barb Drewicz, (L-R Back) Ron Johnson, Bob Rudy, Hank Berchak, Phil Fricke, Bob Brewster, Nadine & Dick Thurow, Bob Cribbs

 

BELOW ARE STILL PICTURES

 & VIDEOS

Read Comments from those who attended - Search out our other classmates so we can all be together next year

See Fellow OC's Then & Now

 

   

 

(Click on OCS Image Below for Slide Shows)

OCS Reunion 2015 - OC's on Leader's Course

OCS Reunion 2015 - OC's on the Obstacle Course

 

   
    OC 28-69 Reunion Attendee Comments

My comments on the reunion are all highly positive. First I have to thank Gerry and Jeannie Wilson for their hard work getting us all together. Without them we certainly would not have been there. My second comment is how proud I am to be an OCS graduate and an American. We were treated special by the OCS Alumni Association, the OC candidates and the retired and currently serving officers and enlisted cadre.

The program was well thought out and very well executed. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony and awards dinner sent a chill up and down my spine.

But the best part was seeing and being  with all you guys and your brides. Chatting about your Army time and the subsequent life experiences was a joy.

Also it was the first time I have had cigar with a retired 2 star.

I think the future of the Army is in good hands based on talking to and observing the candidates and their cadre. I also think the candidates benefited from their discussions with us. -

- Rich Cook - 3rd Platoon

OCS class 28-69 was graduated on 3 September 1969.  On that day after graduation that was witnessed by my mom and dad I drove away from Ft. Benning not to return until this past Sunday, 26 April 2015, 46 years later.  I wanted to be a part of the second reunion of my class and to experience again walking the grounds of our “beloved” “Benning School for Boys.”  The experience and emotional impact, however, of this trip was more than I had anticipated or bargained for, and I would like to share some of my reaction and feelings if only to motivate other OC’s who have not revisited Benning to do so, and, perhaps, to join the OCS Alumni Association.  Apologies in advance if some of what I say sounds corny…

Most of us have probably gone to one or more reunions—high school, college, etc.  Reunions can generate mixed feelings—fond memories as well as flash-backs of events and people that are not pleasant.  At the heart of our motivation to attend a reunion, however, is the desire to revisit friends and, hopefully, relive pleasant memories.

Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, during the Vietnam War era, for those who were there, probably does not rank as an all-time great experience.  Most probably left Benning, following graduation, thankful to have gotten through the program, proud to have met the challenges, and vowing “Never to Return!” I, on the other hand, did want to go back, but it took 46 years to do so.

As the reunion approached I looked forward to renewing old friendships, learning what has happened to all during these past 46 years, walking Fort Benning again, and just reviewing memories—this is all just the usual reunion “stuff.”  What happened was much more than a simple reunion experience—it was a deep and personal renewal with the spirit of OCS and the U.S. Army.

Let me say first, that, yes, it was incredibly wonderful seeing my brothers again.  We have all changed, but the 46 years disappeared, and it felt to me that we had only been together a short time ago.  The retelling of stories of our days at 62nd company was warming.  That is easy to say after the fact! Hearing what happened to all since leaving the grounds of 62nd company and Benning was heartwarming, too.  But, here is what generated the greatest impact on me—it was the present! We attended the dedication of the new archways into and out of the grounds of today’s OCS campus.  There was an appropriate ceremony at which officers and candidates were present.  The history and importance, however, of what OCS was in the past and still is today came to the forefront during the ceremony.  My connection with OCS is greater than ever.

After the ceremony we all gathered for a steak lunch—officers, candidates, and OCS alumni.  What knocked me out were the men and women who are today’s candidates.  They looked absolutely great—trim, fit, well groomed.  They displayed outstanding personal bearing, too—polite, respectful, confident, and totally dedicated to their future mission which is to honor and serve the United States of America through contribution and service in the United States Army.  And, each one with whom I talked could actually say a complete sentence, with good grammar, not littered with the “you-knows,”, “likes”, and “ahs” that infuse the language of so many of today’s young people who only know how to text and twit! I am proud of these men and women candidates, and I know that others there think the same. (OK, the program is less challenging today than in our day, but that does not diminish the character of today’s OC’s.)

A word about the officers we met—outstanding.  The young Lt. Colonel Commandant of the OCS battalion, the Colonel who is brigade Commandant, and other officers give a sense that all is well in the Army’s leadership ranks.

The result of this is that I have reconnected with OCS and the United States Army in a more personal and important way.  The honor of being a graduate of the United States Army Infantry Officer Candidate School has become deeply ensconced in me.  Moreover, the honor of being Army is overwhelming.  These feelings have been reborn. I am proud of OCS and the United States Army!

Let me say this to all.  The United States Army of today is a magnificent organization.  The men and women who comprise its ranks are first rate.  We as a country remain in good hands.  The Infantry Officer Candidate program is alive and well, and filled with the best men and woman this country has to offer. These are the principal thoughts and emotions I have following the last few days at Fort Benning. 

A final overall impression—I met many fellow graduates. The oldest graduate attending was from a class in 1952—63 years ago! The stories and military resumes of so many are mind-boggling. They served their country and the Army with the very highest distinction.  I am humbled to be in their company, and I am grateful and feel blessed that destiny somehow lead me to OCS and the Army.  Thank you, brothers—all of you for your service.

A woman I ran into at the hotel said to me, “Great memories?” I responded that, yes, the memories are fine, but the reality of today—the OCS program today and the United States Army today, and the pride I take in the present is  greater.

I encourage all who have not been back to Fort Benning—Go Back! You will be welcomed with open arms, and I promise you will not be disappointed with what you gain and bring back.  Finally, please join the OCS Alumni Association.  It needs you! 

With deep respect to all, I hope my comments will cause you to revisit and reconnect with your Infantry OCS and your United States Army.  Cpt Phil Fricke (28-69).

- Phil Fricke - 1st Platoon

I went to Ft. Benning for my unit reunion and the Annual OCS reunion this week. I was impressed with my (now somewhat older) OCS classmates, I was impressed with the Infantry Museum, I was impressed with the facilities on base, I was impressed by our current military personnel. But, I was swept away by the next generation of officers who are currently in training in OCS. These men and women are confident, dedicated, committed, polite, and strack personnel. I can assure you that our country will be in good hands and we can all rest easily with them protecting us."

Gentlemen and fellow Smacks: It was an honor serving my country.  It was made even better having the privilege doing so with you.  Lets get a huge turn out for our 50th!

- Bob Cribbs - 4th Platoon

There is something special about being a graduate of OCS and there is something very special about being a member of OC Class 28-69 from Ft Benning. Maybe it was the times we lived in or possibly the fact that there was a draft happening and the country was in turmoil.  Or, perhaps it was the fact that we had a war hanging over our heads and at every turn we were being told that as an Infantry Officer, we would be expected to do our part in it. However, I do know that there is a bond between us and that bond extends past our classmates to our TAC Officers, the Cadre and Company leadership.  

It took 41 years for us to have our first reunion in 2010. That is a long time but it was worth it. Now, almost five years later, we have gotten together again and this time the feeling of brotherhood was even stronger. Learning more about each other and what we have done since 3 September 1969 was both very enlightening and very interesting. As classmates together in the military we have gone in a myriad of directions. Some made the military a career while others found careers in law, business, Wall Street, education, finance, law enforcement, aerospace, automotive and many, many more industries and professions. What a treasure trove of experiences and education! Yet even with this diversity, in conversations and certainly in my mind, I think we all totally agree that the 24 weeks spent in OCS training was by far the most influential period shaping the rest of our lives no matter where we have ended up or what we have done. In these same conversation I sensed a true respect for what we accomplished both individually and as a company. Some of the stories we shared with each other were hilarious and with each story another memory popped up that I had totally forgotten. Based on this I believe there is good evidence that most of us were borderline insane or simply in a mental fog. Regardless, it was an extraordinary time in our lives. 

I could keep going on about why we need to continue our reunions as a class but having our reunion as part of the larger OCS Alumni Association Reunion at Ft. Benning made this for me the best reunion I have attended. The Association and personnel at Ft. Benning, including the OCS school leadership and the OC’s themselves, all worked very hard to make the entire time very special for everyone. There is no doubt that the wives who attended also sensed this feeling that we were experiencing a special time together. Re-experiencing the formality of the OCS dinner with its traditions of honoring of those living and lost, while honoring our flag and country cannot be over stated. It reinforced my feelings that our military is still in good hands.  

The U.S. Officer Candidate School Alumni Association should be proud of the way this reunion turned out. They did an outstanding job and I urge every OCS graduate, especially my fellow OC28-69 classmates to sign up as an association member and mark your calendar for next April 2016 as the time for us all to meet again. Certainly the 50th year anniversary of our OCS graduation will be in 2019 but I for one would like to see us meet every year before then. You know we are not getting younger. That may be news for many of us who are fighting old age but it is a fact that our time is growing shorter each day. (Watching the OC’s go through the Leadership Course Problems or navigate the Obstacle Course reminded me that I am not as young as I think I am). Let’s plan to see each other next year. In the meantime, I welcome everyone to let me or another classmate know how you are doing so we can catch up on your life.

- Bob Brewster - 3rd Platoon

Forty six years ago, we all came together fresh out of college or from the battlefield from every corner of this nation.   Names like Rodheim, Werlinich, Wheaton, Sullivan, Drewicz, Mims, and Berchak, all Proud Americans who volunteered to lead. Now the shadows are lengthening and we are growing older together.  For OC28-69, the anniverseries are multiplying, but the story we commemorate helps us to grow old gracefully. 

Our time together 46 years ago is known to all of you.  It is the story of young men being hardened to face the leadership challenges ahead. The memorials of character forged by the men of OC28-69 need no statues or monuments.  Each of us belongs to history and posterity by our actions, our success, and achievements.

I am confident the young men and women we met and observed in the current OCS will uplift everyone who comes under their leadership and influence.

God Bless all of you and God Bless America.

- Jerry Wilson - 3rd Platoon

We traveled through Alabama and Georgia before going home and saw some interesting things. Those planning a future visit to Fort Benning save a few days to look around, it was worth while.

The event exceeded my expectations and I encourage those not in attendance last week to come to a future OCS Alumni planned reunion. Visiting the fort and new candidates made you feel good inside and proud of our past.

Bob called for another get together for the 50th anniversary in four years, which will be great but don't wait to long. Though we were small in number, yet the largest class in attendance, it was all that the others have described.  So join the Alumni Association and follow our own web site, attend when you can during the next few years, but pencil in the 50th in 2019.

Our old barracks is still there and in use, but you will have to visit yourself to find out by whom. I will not tell.

It was great to see you all again and I will visit in the future.

A salute to all.

- Dick Thurow - 3rd Platoon

 

   
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