Mike Casp's photo appears as our Captain.

George Kirschenbauer is listed as team leader in pass receptions in 1960 with 25 catches for 273 yards, an average of 10.9 yards per catch. Tom Culver led the following year with 20 catches for 305 yards, 15.3 yards per catch. (And we thought Tom spent his time in the coach's dog house, at least some of us less-informed types did.) These ratings seem to be based on yards per catch. Tom's 55-yard reception from "Dick Eckert" against Navy didn't hurt.

The defensive records included in the media guide begin with 1963.

Dale Kuhns is cited as being selected for the 1961 North-South Shrine Game. This classic was played on Christmas Day in Miami, the South prevailing, 35-16. Did Dale go and play? How was it? Which great players did he tackle or open holes for? Was he excused from recitation the day he got back?

1962 receives no further mention with respect to regional or national honors, although I recall seeing framed certificates on the wall of the old Cadet Gymnasium attesting to some kind of all-American status for Al for one and perhaps others. I wonder if those framed certificates were safeguarded when the gym was taken down?

In recognition of the important and difficult, time-consuming responsibilities of the head manager, the media guide lists them all and "T.R. Davis" is included.

The list of lettermen includes Glen Blumhardt (1959, 1960 but not 1961), Barry Butzer (1960, 1961), Bob Fuellhart (1960 but not 1961), Pete King (1961), Dale (1959, 1960, 1961), Al (1959, 1960, 1961), Tom Culver (1961), Bill Whitehead (1959, 1960, 1961), and Paul Zmuida (1960, 1961). I am guessing that the "missing" years I have recorded are a result of injuries.

In 114 seasons, Army has compiled a record of 622-406-51 for a winning percentage of .600, our 0-13 record in 2003 costing us seven points off that mark. We are 49-48-7 against Navy.

150, Lightweight, Sprint Football

Army is and always has been a powerhouse in this sport, sometimes referred to as lightweight football but now officially known as Sprint Football.

Sadly, no official media guide was published last year and we rely on the current coach's self-published Year in Review (YIR) for history.

We learn from YIR that Army began play in 1957 and has racked up a terrific record of 238-47-2 and a winning percentage of .833. Navy accounts for 29 and Cornell 12 of the 47 losses and our overall record against the Squids is 31-28-1, .525. Army often plays Navy twice in a season. In 2003, for instance, Navy won, 14-0, in the Pride Bowl -- the conference has sponsored an exhibition game each year since 1983 -- and Army won the conference game, 30-25, and the conference title with it.

The YIR does not list lettermen, but Howitzer states that we produced 13 Army "A" Award winners: Ron Brown, Skip Campbell, Bob Carroll, Russ DeVries, Bob DeVries, Turk Griffith, Erv Kamm, Steve Kott, John Landry, "Jon Lynn", Art Pattarozzi, Larry Sanders, and Sonny Sloan. Mac McRae, Ernie Webb, "Dick Storat" (manager), and Jim Kays (assistant manager) also appear in the team photo. I am guessing that injuries prevented one or more of these four from being letter winners in their First Class years. For example, Jim Kays earned a major "A" for Yearling and Cow years. Ron Brown is shown twice as team captain.

Our teams went 5-1 in 1959, 1960, and 1961, losing to Navy all three years. We were league champions in 1960.

Nobody has ever given serious thought to my idea to rejuvenate the Eastern Sprint Football League, which now includes Army, Navy, Cornell, and a couple of other teams. Why do Army and Navy not field two teams each in the league: Army Black and Army Gold, Navy Blue and Navy Gold. The two Army teams would not play each other, nor would the two Navy teams: conflict of interest. But add two more solid teams to the league and it would take off.

Golf

Through spring, 2003, Army rang up a record of 405-170-13, a winning percentage of .700. Against Navy, the record is 27-35-1, .437.

All this was done with very little contribution from the Class of 1962.

Dick Sklar is shown in the Howitzer team photo and he was Corps Squad golf for four years, but we had no golf lettermen. In fact, a Cow, John Woods '63, served as team captain our First Class year. But, get this, he was not the captain his own First Class year! What is up with that?

If a copy of this report makes it to Dick Sklar in Russia, maybe he can explain this interesting turn of events.

We took golf in PE; it was called a carryover sport. And I know many of us are completely hooked on it. It all goes back to those several lessons on The Plain when "Mr. Sorge" explained golf terminology to us: "The fairway is that portion of the golf course 'twixt tee and green."

Gymnastics

The patient reader of the media guide will be pleasantly surprised to discover rather impressive contributions by the Can Do Class to the 78-year history of Army gymnastics.

Now this sport hit me hard when we first met on the 5th, 6th, or 7th floor of the Cadet Gymnasium, whichever it was, plebe year gymnastics instruction. Coach Maloney and the enlisted soldier with the squeaky voice demanded things from us I, for one, was simply not prepared to give. Climb a rope? Stand on my head? Swing my legs over a pommel horse? Forward roll? It was a relief finally to do these ridiculously easy skills, take my 2.2, and move on to boxing.

Where I once got a 2.7 for making Seth Hudak's nose bleed. I never properly thanked him. But I digress.

Then we attended the corps squad gymnastics meet to qualify for a fall out and the scales fell from our eyes. And now, spend 10 minutes watching Olympic gymnastics and we can properly appreciate the sport and our guys who excelled in it.

We were Eastern League champions in 1960 and in 1962. The latter team, Maloney's last, was Army's last Eastern League championship (although Maloney resigned after the first meet!). Phil Costain, team captain, was Eastern League champion in the horizontal bar in 1962. Howitzer states that Phil was named national champion in that event in 1962 but there is no mention of this accomplishment in the media guide. Furthermore, one would think that the national champion would also be named All-American, but, according to the guide, no Army gymnast made All-American between 1958 and 1994. Is this an oversight?

We were 10-0 in 1960 and beat Navy by four, 5-2 in 1961 and lost to Navy by one (!), and 7-0-1 trounceing Navy in '62.

The guide identifies our letter winners: Phil Costain (2 letters), Warren (Steve?) Foote (1 letter in 1962 but he did not graduate with us; does anyone know why?), Ed Hendren (2), Larry Mooring (1), Ken Wallace (2), Merle Williams (2), and Will Worthington (1). Of those I knew, I always considered them the fittest looking of the fittest.

In 79 years, Army has compiled a gymnastics record of 512-248-6, a winning percentage of .672. We are 43-28-2 versus Navy.

Hockey

In his final year, Ron Chisholm held opponents to 2.18 goals per game, an Academy record that has stood for 42 years. This is the only Academy individual or team record belonging to the Class of 1962. Ron had a sensational career but this writer is only now realizing it.

His 50 career wins in goal is third all-time and put him first by 13 wins at graduation.

His 1639 career saves is 8th all-time but was first by 41 saves at graduation.

His career goals-against average of 2.53 is 3d all-time but was first by about a full goal at graduation.

His career save percentage of .905 is second all-time but was tops at graduation.

His eight career shutouts is second all-time but was first by five shutouts at graduation.

In addition to his all-time record for goals-against per game in First Class year, his Cow year mark is still 6th best and his Yearling year mark is 9th. Ron stood first, second, and third in this category at graduation!

His save percentage in his last year puts him second all-time but he was first at graduation.

His five shutouts First Class year puts him second but first at graduation.

He received the Henry "Hal" Beukema Award as the most valuable player on the hockey team in 1962.

By my count, then, Ron Chisholm held eight all-time Army hockey records when we graduated. Was it just me who did not know this?

The hockey media guide is a good one and mining this Ron Chisholm data from it resulted in the discovery of a very interesting sub-story, one that might support a mini-series.

The goalie for the 1962-63 season was "Jack Shephard", '63. The year after that, the goalie was "Neil Mieras", '64. So each of those guys got to start in goal for one year. Well, Shephard eclipsed Ron in three of the all-time goalie records and Mieras tied him for another! These three goalies put together a five-year run of excellence unequalled in the annals of Army hockey history.

So visualize Shepard and Mieras, top goalies, riding the bench for two full years waiting for the man ahead to graduate. I'll bet there is a story there and I hope someone will come forward with it.

The excellent media guide makes mention of Dave Harkins' generosity in donating funds for the team recreation room and includes a full list of letter winners with their career statistics: Marty Bilafer (forward, 24 goals, 28 assists, 52 total points), Rusty Broshous (forward, 20-43-63), Dave Harkins (forward, 30-34-64), Albie Symes (forward, 35-43-78), "Fred Avis" (forward, 11-14-25, did not graduate), Ron Chisholm, and Paul Dobbins, our captain (defense, 16-61-77).

We were 16-5-1 in 1959-60. That .750 percentage is 5th best in modern Army hockey history. In 1960-61, we went 17-8 and were 17-6-1 First Class year. That year gets glowing treatment in Howitzer: 18 wins if one counts a victory over THE SWISS NATIONAL TEAM!, trouncing of BC, a shutout of BU to snap a 28-game losing streak to them, and a trip to the ECAC tournament (losing to Harvard in OT).

Since 1904, Army is 989-833-74, a winning percentage of .552.

Army has never lost to Navy in hockey.

Lacrosse

I know for a fact that many of our classmates had never heard of lacrosse prior to Beast Barracks. One afternoon during that stirring summer, rain forced cancellation of mass athletics and lots of new cadets found themselves sitting on the floor of the Central Gymnasium watching a replay of the 1958 Army-Navy lacrosse game. Army had won, 17-12 and was named national champions. Some of us were seeing lacrosse for the first time.

I knew about it. While a kid at West Point one October, I was importuned into trying out for the youth lacrosse team. Some eighth grade goon stuck me in the goal with a mask and baseball catcher's chest protector. I took two or three balls on the shoulder and inside thigh and gave up lacrosse. I walked home and as I entered our quarters on Wilson Road, I heard the TV in the living room: "And that brings Bobby Thompson to the plate with two on and the Giants down by two."

Our class made a giant contribution to Army lacrosse during our three years. We shared the national championship in 1961. In 1962, Bob Fuellhart received the Schmeisser Memorial Cup for being the nation's top defenseman. (Although it was Jack Reavill who was singled out in Sports Illustrated because of his blue eyes.) In 1962, Al Biddison and Bob Fuellhart both made first team All-American.

Wait, there's more. Al was honorable mention for All-America in 1960 and 1961. Bob was honorable mention for All-America in 1961.

Butch Darrell honorable mention for All-America in 1961 and 1962. And old Blue Eyes was honorable mention for All-America in 1962. And more. "Dick Ryer" joined Jackson, Al, and Butch at the North-South All Star game in 1962. I could not find anything on the web about this game, but it must have been played after graduation. Perhaps one of the four all stars will tell me about it.

No Army team since has sent four players to this game and no Army team has ever sent more than four players.

Of 108 names of all-time leaders in career and season points, career and season goals, career and season assists, career and season saves, and career save percentage, we find scant mention of classes earlier than about 1970: "Bob Miser" '60 four times (he played three varsity seasons beforer coming to West Point), one guy from '52, one from '65, one from '55, one from '53, and "Norm Webb" from '64. I think teams began scheduling more games a year and scoring soared after the giants who strode The Plain in the "60"s departed.

The list of lettermen includes "Dick Ryer" (one letter), Jack Reavill (1), "Dave Moore" (2), "Tom Middaugh" (3), Dave Harkins (2), Bob Fuellhart (2), Butch Darrell (2), Tom Culver (1), "Len Butler" (3), Rusty Broshous (2), Al Biddison (3), and "Mac Howard" (1).

As I say, these athletes were more important to Army lacrosse than we may have realized.

In 1960, we were 8-2, losing to Mt. Washington and Navy. In 1961, we were 9-2, losing to Mt. Washington and Virginia, beating Navy, and earning a share of the national championship. In 1962, we went 9-3, losing to Mt. Washington, Hopkins, and Navy.

Since 1907, Army has compiled a record of 657-285-7 for a winning percentage of .696. (I believe the media guide has an error in this calculation.) We are 26-49-3 all time against Navy.

Pistol

Pistol is no longer an intercollegiate sport at West Point. This fact made it difficult to learn much about any contributions our class may have made to the program.

The Army Sports Information Office reported that it did not possess the archives from this sport. The OIC of the Cadet Pistol Club said the same thing. Later, I could not locate the Cadet Pistol Club on the Cadet Activities website. It appeared under Cadet Marksmanship Club and Cadet Competitive Shooting Club (which has beat Navy and Air Force three straight years).

Somewhere files exist that can tell us team and individual records over the years. Maybe this report will result in those files being located.

Our Howitzer, however, provides good coverage of the 1961-62 season. "Ray Pendleton", "Dave Swick", and "Bob Shuey" are singled out as Army "A" award winners. Dave is twice identified as captain of a team that went 7-1, finished first in the NRA sectionals, broke "the USRA intercollegiate record" and beat Navy.

Lee Pardi is shown as the team manager.

I never attended a pistol match nor do I recall ever meeting anyone who did. I won't pretend to be ashamed of this shortcoming, but apparently our team was quite good and deserves to be in the spotlight, even this dim one I am shining.Nor can I say the event I will now describe actually happened but it might have happened. I'll go so far as to say it must have happened.

It's Army-Navy Winter Sports Weekend, 1962, at West Point. The Field House is packed for the basketball and wrestling contests. At some point that afternoon, we hear this from the PA announcer, "In Army-Navy competition this afternoon, in pistol: Navy, 1354. Army, 1377". And a crowd of several thousand roars with approval to learn of this latest example of Army superiority.

Wouldn't we all like to have an account of that sweet victory? A victory surely noted in the files but available to us now only in the 800 or so copies of the 1962 Howitzer.

Questions remain.

Was the victory over Navy at home or in Annapolis? Is there "home court advantage in pistol?

What was that USRA intercollegiate record and how long did it stand?

What is or was the USRA?

Did their marksmanship help Dave, Ray, and Bob during their army careers? Were they able to continue to compete?

Members of the pistol team were also members of the Pistol Club. Was this a way to get around a lack of "off-season Corps Squad status" for our marksmen?

Was it even possible back then to go to a pistol match and have a place to sit down and spectate?

Finally, speaking as a bolo at Camp Buckner -- I had to devote a Saturday afternoon to qualify in my second attempt -- it is easy to respect those who can shoot a pistol well. As a lieutenant, I confirmed four incidents of soldiers harming or nearly harming themselves and others by mishandling the .45 cal pistol. And as a field grade officer shooting for familiarization at that same Camp Buckner range, I witnessed outstanding and competent fellow officers, officers who later commanded brigades and divisions, fire pistol shots that struck the ground 10 feet in front of their feet instead of targets 25 yards down range.

Rifle

According to the media guide for Army's rifle team, we have been competing since 1919 except for two periods when the program was discontinued: 1937-38 and 1995-96. The latter hiatus was due to a fire in the old rifle range. In 1932, competition was outdoors.

During that period, the guide reports that Army has compiled a record of 778-136, a winning percentage of .851. The 2003-04 team went 9-2 and lost to Navy at Annapolis, both teams breaking scoring records. Army's team included men and women; a woman was our top shooter.

We look in vain for aggregate Army-Navy results.

The new facility, which also houses the pistol team, is apparently quite wonderful.

Howitzer, but not the guide, informs us that "Ed Brown", John Dilley, John King, and "Joe Porter" were Army "A" Award winners and Ed is mentioned twice as captain. "Bob Martin" is pictured as manager.

I believe Bob did a good deal of firing himself. As he was in B-1 with me, I heard him relate some inside scoop on rifle marksmanship that was pretty interesting. There is a major mental component to it, I take it.

I wouldn't know; I was a TRAINFIRE Marksman only. Everybody else I know made Expert or Sharpshooter. I could hit what I could see, however.

All these fellows had that club status thing going for them in the off-season. More power to them.

And now we find our first mention of the Class of 1962 in the Army record book: John King was second team all-American in 1962! Who knew? Was a big deal made of this? I remember being presented with a certificate by the Commandant on the Poop Deck in recognition of B-1's loss in the Brigade Intramural Basketball championship game (our coach, Ron Skarupa, was not available for some reason). John's accomplishment deserved at least that spotlight.

I hope John will provide us some details.

Rifle went 8-0 our Yearling year, 6-3 Cow year, and 10-3 First Class year. During our Class' three-year contribution to Army rifle, John King was the only shooter to achieve any all-American status.

Did the rifle team -- and the pistol team, too, for that matter -- make those fancy Spring Break trips to warm places like most off-season varsity sports do now? They couldn't have gone far; we got off at 3:15 on a Wednesday and had to be back by supper formation on Sunday. At West Point now, I think that is called "short weekend".

Soccer

The soccer media guide informs us that Doug Morgan was named Regional All-American in 1961, one of 56 cadets to be so honored since 1959. As most of us knew nothing of the game back then, only now does Doug's selection take on significance, at least for me. How did Doug -- and the other lettermen listed in the media guide (Art Brown, "Ric Cesped", Dick Irwin, Paul Kirkegaard, "Sammy Samaniego", John Schmidt) -- learn the game well enough to play it at the college level? Sammy we understand, but the others? Perhaps they will tell us.

No mention of Art Brown as captain -- we have to refer to Howitzer to confirm that the sleek goalie from C-1 had that position (I can see him yelling commands to his teammates all the way at the other end of the "pitch") -- and no other mention of our Class or our teams can be found in the media guide. Except the season records:

1959: 7-1-2 1960: 8-2-0 1961: 5-5-0

We lost to Navy all three years.

Army soccer has an overall record of 561-330-105 (.616) in 82 seasons. We are 24-33-12 against Navy.

Squash

From what I could find, squash is neither a club nor a varsity sport at USMA and no archives were available to me. Again, maybe the distribution of this report will get those records out of the closet; we know they exist.

Again we turn to our Howitzer to learn what we can about Army squash, winter of 1961-62.

Our lettermen were Jim McQuillen, "Jim Peterson", and Don Voss. The team photo also includes "Dave Windom" (manager) and "Rich Carlson". Jim McQuillen is cited as captain.

In the absence of historical squash records, it is difficult to put the season in context. The team went 8-5, winning only one point each from the effete Ivy League powerhouses Harvard, Yale, and Princeton but shutting out MIT, Wesleyan, and Cornell and beating Trinity, 8-1. That win over Trinity looms large now, as Trinity has won the last six national intercollegiate squash championships and its coach is a former Army tennis coach.

Beating Trinity College in 1962 is something to boast about. Like bragging that Army football"s record against the University of Tennessee since 1984 is 1-0-1, both games being played at their place.

Most importantly, given no chance, we beat Navy, 6-3. Think about the number of times Army has upset Navy in any sport since we became involved in the rivalry and this victory stands out.

It was not easy to support the squash team by going to the matches. It was hard to find the courts, for one thing. There may or may not have been a place to sit. Few knew the rules until we learned them in Yearling PE. And there was always this uneasiness about playing without umpires and calling your own matches. We were at a disadvantage there; we had the Cadet Honor System. I always felt we had to be that much better under these conditions.

Here are my questions (and I welcome yours):

Did the same player get that one point against Harvard, Yale, and Princeton? Now that would be something to remember.

Where was that match against Navy played and how did we manage to win?

Is my sense of being at a disadvantage against the barbarians from other schools because of the Cadet Honor System overstated?

Doesn't one use a different stroke in squash than in tennis and, if so, did that hurt "Jim Peterson" at all?

Were the two Jims, Don, and Rich ever to compete again in this sport? Or even play at all?

Swimming

The Army swimming and diving teams of our era are the Rodney Dangerfields of Army sports history: no respect whatsoever.

The media guide has one Can Do class citation: Barry Thomas is listed as team captain, First Class year.

To be sure, the media guide is all about now and the Class of 1962 is so five minutes ago. No "Army swimming history" no yearly records, no list of lettermen. Much space is devoted to the women's team.

But just a glance at Howitzer is all you need to learn that the 1961-62 team BROKE EVERY ACADEMY RECORD (except one)!

Again: the 1961-62 team BROKE EVERY ACADEMY RECORD (except one)!

Using the analytical skills developed during 191/2 years of formal education, I conclude that Barry was a member of the record-breaking 400-yard free-style relay team and held the 50-yard free-style record when he graduated.

Then "Bert Finn" must have accomplished the same in the 400 yard free and "Steve Childers" in the breaststroke.

According to Howitzer, our letter winners were Barry, Bert, and Steve. The media guide records Academy, pool, and plebe records in 14 individual and five relay events and four diving events. All these marks were set since 1977. The top ten times in the 14 individual events were likewise accomplished since 1977.

Everything is still in yards.

We were 11-4 in 1961-62 and lost to Navy.

Army swimming is 604-344-4 in 83 seasons for a winning percentage of .637. We are 29-37 against Navy. Army has won the Patriot League nine times in 14 seasons, including seven successive championships from 1992 to 1998.

Tennis

According to the 2003-04 media guide, Army has compiled a record of 816-600-12 since 1920, a winning percentage of .576 (incorrectly calculated as .574 in the media guide.

The team's record during the upperclass years of '62 were 9-8 in 1960 (lost to Navy, 4-5), 6-9 in 1961 (lost to Navy, 1-8), and 11-6 in 1962 (beat Navy, 6-3) for a three-year mark of 26-23. That record includes 5 wins and 17 losses against Ivy League teams; we never beat Harvard, Yale, or Princeton during this period. "Lief Norlie" coached.

Army tennis is thriving now since joining the Patriot League. Since the spring season of 1995, Army has won the team title four times and finished second six times, losing out to Navy or American University each time. In three PL (individual tournaments)the Black Knights have won twice and finished second.

All tennis all-time individual records date from 1993; some team records are held by earlier classes, but not '62.

Lettermen from '62 were team captain "Jim Peterson", Don Voss, and "Rich Carlson". The team photo also includes Jim McQuillen.

From the media guide, I calculate the record against Navy as 27-48. In some years, we played the Squids twice, in some years not at all.

The Navy win in 1962 must have been sweet and wouldn't we like to hear from Jim, Don, Rich, and Jim on this score?

Incidentally, regarding the Ivy League, in the early 1980's, the Academy approached the Ivy League about joining them for football. This was prior to the Jim Young hire. The Ivy League position was that we would not be welcome because USMA, in effect, had an unlimited number of athletic scholarships.

Track & Field