Bob Williams’ son, David Williams, and daughter, Barbara Scott, gifted the

Patriots Colony Chaplain’s office with a unique and very special gift. Bob’s

grandfather, the Reverend John Williams, was an Anglican priest and lived in Wales.

Bob’s father, the Reverend Robert Gainsford W. Williams, born in 1888, was also an

Episcopal priest who immigrated to America when he was 21. On an occasion ‒ we

are not sure, but it may have been while visiting for his son’s ordination ‒ when the

Rev. John Williams visited his son in America, he gave him a beautiful and

meaningful gift: his visitation communion kit.

This is a kit both father and son would have used to take Holy

Communion to parishioners in their homes. It contains a silver

chalice, paten, and a small glass cruet with a silver screw on top.

These are beautifully engraved with a cross very reminiscent of

the Anglican Compass Rose. The top of the box has a silver

inscription saying: “Presented to the Rev. John Williams, B.A. by

the teachers and scholars of the Llanrhydd Sunday School on the

occasion of His Marriage July 14th 1885.” There is an interesting

studio inscription on the inside of the box which reads: “H. G.

Joyce, Watchmaker Jeweler and Optician, Well St. Ruthin.”

Warm thoughts of our beloved Bob Williams (Bob with one “O”) and the

lineage of this kit back to Wales in 1885 will accompany Chaplain Travis as she uses it

to take Holy Communion to residents of Patriots Colony. And she will ensure that it

remains with future Chaplains along with the story of its heritage. Thanks to the Williams

family for this beautiful gift given to the glory of God and in memory of Bob Williams.

Vol 21 No. 3

Patriots Press

Fall 2019

A PATRIOTS COLONY TREASURE <><><><><>

2

HER FINAL FAREWELL

<><><><><>

At the very moving Memorial Service for Bob (with one O) Williams, I related the

wonderful, interactive and memorable relationship that existed between our Golden Retriever,

PJ, and Bob. As I have commented to many, PJ had a special affinity for Bob – who had actually

cultivated the relationship over the past six and a half years with dog treats. PJ learned to

recognize Bob’s car both by sight and by sound. His frequent early morning trips to the Bistro for

coffee and conversation were usually interrupted by a visit with PJ. She would hear his car

approaching – long before it came into sight – and sit on the sidewalk at rigid attention waiting

to be “treated.”

She was also attuned to the raising and closing of Bob’s garage door and, if she was outside,

would race over and she and Bob would have another encounter. PJ had final visits with Bob in

both the Convalescent Center and after he returned to the house. On both occasions, PJ expected

to be rewarded and that was the case!

The morning after the memorial service, as I prepared to

take her for her walk, she heard his garage door open. When I

opened our door, she bolted straight for Bob’s garage. His son,

David, was outside on the phone as PJ took up her waiting

position on the driveway. She refused to move until, finally,

nature called and we left to take care of business! She

subsequently returned to her spot, sitting at attention like a

sentinel on duty. She seemed to be thinking, “He won’t run me

over” and then, “I better check things out for myself!” Into the

garage she went and right to the back door where she sat and

whined until Barbara, Bob’s daughter, came to check things

out. Barbara explained to her that our Daddy was gone and

would not be back. PJ seemed to understand and now only

pauses at the house and then continues on her way, sad that

her friend Bob is gone. We are all sad – our neighborhood and Patriots Colony will never be the

same. Rest in peace, Bob. ‒ PJ and Jim O’Connell ‒

The dog at 14 years packs in,

Without the aid of rum and gin.

The modest, sober bone-dry hen

Lays eggs for years and dies at 10.

But sinful, ginful rum-soaked men,

Live for three score years and 10.

And some of us -=- the mighty few,

Stay pickled ‘til we’re 92!

George Pollin planned to contribute this

for the Patriots Press in honor of his 92nd

birthday on September 1st.

The horse and mare live 30 years

They do not know of wine and beers.

The goats and sheep at 20 die,

And never taste of scotch and rye.

The cow drinks water by the ton –

At 25 is almost done.

3

WHAT ARE THE ODDS …

<><><><><>

Having recently bought a new car…a Honda CRV…light gray, we had driven it over to

the local school to vote. On walking back to our car in the parking area, we were surprised to

see Jack Scholz opening the door to our car to get in. So, we called to him and said, "Why are

you getting into our car?"

He replied that it was his car

but, glancing at the license plate

#41083, we claimed it was ours. Then,

looking over three parked cars to our

right, we saw exactly the same

Honda CRV…light gray…license

plate #41082, one digit apart. That

one was ours! Not only that but, both

car owners are named Jack, both

graduated from West Point, and both

live at Patriots Colony. Go figure!

‒ Joanne Miley ‒

NEVER ASSUME

<><><><><>

In 1969, our middle son, Jeff, was in helicopter training at Fort Wolters, Texas. My wife

and I paid him a visit, and I decided I would take a flight safety course given at the Duane Cole

School of Aerobatics, which was located nearby. My instructor was Duane Cole himself, a well-

known aerobatic national champion and founder of the Cole Flying Circus. Duane had closed

the circus due to the death of his son, who was making a low-level pass in front of the

grandstand in a P51 when his engine blew up.

Several years later, my wife and I were spending a few days in Anchorage, Alaska, when

we noticed Mr. Cole on Anchorage television in connection with some aviation matter. The

following day we were flying back to Seattle and it turned out that both Duane and his wife

were on the same flight.

While waiting for the flight to board, Duane and I introduced our wives. After boarding

and before takeoff (the flight was fairly empty), we stood in the aisle and continued our

conversation. I asked Mrs. Cole if Duane had taught her to fly. “No,” she said, “he was always

too busy.” I looked at this middle-aged lady and thought to myself that she was probably

petrified of flying. I then asked her if she had any involvement in the Cole Flying Circus. “Oh,

yes,” she said. “I was Duane’s Wing Walker.”

‒ Hal Pryor ‒ <><><><><>

4

ONE OF OUR OWN IS AN ELDER OF THE CHOCTAW INDIAN NATION

<><><><><>

Margie Findley, who has lived at Patriots

Colony since 2009 received a commemorative

blanket presented to her by the Choctaw

Nation of Oklahoma. This lovely blanket

honors her as an elder of the Choctaw Nation.

Choctaw Nation members receive the gift

when they reach the age of 90. Margie is

1/32nd Choctaw and her father was 1/16th

Choctaw. The blanket has the great seal of the

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and words

Wisdom, Spirit, and Chahta in three of the

corners. Chahta means Choctaw. The bottom

left corner of the blanket has a woven replica

of the signature of Choctaw Chief Gary

Bratton who is the 47th leader of this Nation,

the third largest tribe in the US.

Margie and her daughter were enjoying dinner one evening when a package

arrived in a large envelope, like mailers used for medications. Her daughter asked if she

wanted to open it and Margie said yes. Lo and behold, it was this beautiful blanket! They

were both totally surprised by this gift from out of the blue!!

Margie’s father, Willie E. Dodson, was born and grew up in Indian territory in

Oklahoma. He had a land grant in Caddo, Oklahoma, and married Margie’s mother.

Margie grew up in Durant, Oklahoma, where the Choctaw Nation’s Headquarters are

now located. Margie, her daughter, and two granddaughters are registered Choctaws.

Margie even attended a Pow Wow years ago!

The letter which accompanied the blanket says:

“As a Chahta elder, you have my utmost

respect. Therefore, please accept this

Chahta Elder’s “Wisdom Blanket” as a

token of my respect and appreciation for

you as an elder of our great tribe.”

<><><><><>

5

GALINA MACKEY <><><><><>

The Patriots Colony staff member who appears to have come to us from the farthest

distance is Galina Mackey, the Administrative Assistant in the Facilities Department.

She was born Galina Vasilyeva in Novosbirsk, Russia, one of two children. She acquired

a travel lust at a relatively early age and visited countries which included Turkey, Cyprus and

South Korea. At one point, she took a contract position in South Korea with work around

the country. It is during this time that she met her G.I. husband, Ken Mackey. He came back

home to Hampton Roads and finished his Army service. They corresponded and visited

each other for a couple of years before she came to our area, and they were married.

Before coming to Patriots Colony, Galina honed her English skills, started to raise

her family of two daughters and worked seasonally at the McDonald Garden Center, as

well as part time at a local Kroger store as a cashier. In 2013, she began working here as

a server in the dining room and in 2015 she took a job as Dining Services Administrative

Assistant as she was continuing to help out in the dining room as a server. During the

medical leave of one of the dining supervisors, she worked as hostess and supervisor,

working on menus, managing the POS system,

managing residents’ food accounts, invoices

and timekeeping. In 2016, she took on an

additional job: the Facilities Department

Administrative Assistant. She also played a big

part in the dining expansion project. With our

growth in population and a more complex

dining operation, in 2019, she began focusing

exclusively in the facilities area. She has become

the glue that holds together the day-to-day

details of the department’s work activities. She spends a great deal of time fielding

trouble calls, managing the WorxHub system, coordinating Patriots Colony maintenance

staff, contractor maintenance scheduling, work order completions, assisting inspectors,

and just ensuring that things don’t fall off the tracks.

Galina is one of the friendliest, most helpful and positive members of our staff.

When asked what the hardest part of her job was, she answered, “Having to say no to

some request when policy and practical issues are involved.” In addition to her

demanding job here at Patriots Colony, her outside passion is Yoga, where she is a

certified instructor and does provide a class for some of our staff members. All in all,

Galina has been a wonderful addition to our country (she became a citizen last year) and

to our community here at Patriots Colony.

‒ Lew Mabie ‒

<><><><><>

6

NEWCOMERS <><><><><>

Karyn Miller 5416

Karyn Miller moved to Patriots Colony in July from an

apartment here in Williamsburg. Karyn was born in

Newport, Rhode Island, and graduated from high school in

Dartmouth, Massachusetts. After completing Nursing

School and 3 years of nursing, she joined the Navy for a

fun filled 23½ years.

Karyn loves to travel; her favorites have been Spain,

Portugal and a River Cruise to Amsterdam. Favorite

Navy assignments were Newport, Rhode Island, where

she served in the hospital where she was born, and

Iceland. She still keeps in contact with her 1980’s

military friends in Iceland. One of those friends lives in

Patriots Colony.

She loves driving trips, has made several cross-country

trips and numerous trips up and down the east coast. For

her, driving is very therapeutic, unless it’s DC traffic!

Her hobbies include painting and jewelry making. Some

of her paintings will be offered for display here at

Patriots Colony in September. A large collection of her

jewelry is on consignment at Joann’s Antique and

Consignment store in Williamsburg. She volunteers

every Wednesday morning in the Outpatient Pharmacy

at Sentara Hospital.

One unusual item she offered ‒ she got back seat

qualified to fly in fighter jets while serving in Cherry

Point, NC, but never flew in one of the jets because she

has motion sickness, and the pilots wanted to flip the

ride, so that was out! When you enter Karyn’s apartment,

her lovely roommate named Alex greets you. Alex is a

mannequin that was purchased in Guam. Keeping her

body parts intact has been quite a challenge in all of her

moves since then. Hopefully, this is her last move also.

Chuck and Nancy McConnell 2122

They were each doing a junior year abroad – Nancy

at the University of Madrid in Spain and Chuck at

Exeter University in Devon in the U.K. In between

studying, they were both backpacking and

hitchhiking through Europe without telling their

parents about the hitchhiking bit, of course. That’s

what these forward thinking DePauw University

students were doing in 1960.

Numerous exploits followed, including Nancy

contracting mumps in France. While she was in

Europe, her father bought a Citreon (bright yellow)

for her to use and bring back to the States. Among

other adventures, she and her friends used it to visit

Germany and even got into Berlin before the Wall

was erected. Remember, this was 1960. Sounds like

they had a grand time.

After completing college, Chuck and Nancy were

married and he continued his education by earning an

MBA at Northwestern University while Nancy taught

high school Spanish. Following graduation, Chuck

joined the Air Force and served during the Vietnam

conflict with the Strategic Air Command. His last

post was to Okinawa. Leaving the Air Force, Chuck

followed a career in marketing and career services

which he continues to this day. He is the author of

Conquer Your Yips: Win the Employment You Target.

Nancy and Chuck are both singing with the

Williamsburg Choral Guild and Chuck is on the

Board of Trustees of the Williamsburg Symphony.

They have a daughter and two granddaughters.

Make friends with them and learn more exciting

stories about that year abroad.

7

NEWCOMERS <><><><><>

Bob and Cindy Skelly 1608

After 21 years in Governor's Land, the Skellys

have moved up the road to their new home. They

spent many years in the Washington area after

retirement and have loved the quiet of Williamsburg.

Here, they boated for 18 years and have volunteered

at Colonial Williamsburg for 21 years.

Bob grew up in California and Cindy in Fort

Wayne, Indiana. He joined the Navy in 1952 after

high school to avoid the draft. He took advantage

of college courses wherever possible over the years

and finally earned his degree in Health Care

Administration and was commissioned at the age

of 41. He was the first in his family to graduate

from college. His mother was so proud she flew

from California to Naples, Italy, for his graduation.

After high school, Cindy went to study at Indiana

University and got a degree in Education and

Business. Before graduation however, she decided

to take a summer course at the University of

Hawaii in Honolulu. While there, she met Bob and

they married two months later. They have one

child who lives in Richmond.

Since their retirement, they both have done many

things. While in Northern Virginia, Bob was a

home improvement contractor and Cindy got her

real estate license. She has taught public school and

done some banking. Bob once sang in a barber shop

quartet and has already joined the Colony Chorus.

They hope to have their boxes unpacked soon and

become more of a part of Patriots Colony.

Rich Bunger 5109

Richard (Rich) Bunger has come to Patriots

Colony after living in Williamsburg for 27 years

and is happy to be part of us.

He spent 31 years in the Navy, mostly in

submarines. But a tour in Spain took him all

over Europe for four years, teaching a class in

“Leadership and Management.” And back in

the states, he traveled all up and down the east

coast inspecting nuclear weapons.

Thus, his love of traveling began and continues

to this day, having returned a couple of weeks

ago from Ireland. He has more trips planned in

his future.

He was born in Tacoma, Washington and lived

there through high school. He went on to get a

degree at St. Leo's in Human Resources before

entering the Navy. After the Navy, he worked

10 years at the shipyards before really retiring.

He lost his wife 6 years ago but has her cat for a

companion. They both enjoy his screen porch.

His only daughter, who always said she would

never have children, has given him eight

grandchildren.

Rich enjoys bridge, golf and, of course,

traveling. He sits on the Board for the local

MOAA chapter and volunteers for Hospice and

the Liberty Lounge at Colonial Williamsburg.

8

\

NEWCOMERS <><><><><>

Ron and Beverly Taksar 1809

Residents at Patriots Colony all have interesting

backgrounds and have many stories to share of their

previous years and experiences. Ron and Beverly

Taksar are not exceptions. You will enjoy getting to

know them and learning firsthand about our new

residents in Courtyard 8.

Both are natives of Hartford, Connecticut, and met in

a bowling alley where Beverly was enjoying her

hobby and Ron found his future wife. He graduated

from Northeastern University in Boston as an Army

ROTC cadet with a degree in Civil Engineering.

Ron’s Army career of 27 years with the Corps of

Engineers took them to many assignments within the

US, Germany and Viet Nam. They have three

children and Beverly kept the home and family

running smoothly while Ron served his country.

After military retirement they returned to New

England and lived for 26 years in Franconia, New

Hampshire. This town of 1,000 in the White

Mountains with very little traffic became their place

to enjoy skiing, gardening, kayaking, and being a

volunteer. Beverly served diligently at the local

museum and Ron got involved with town

government and became an amateur radio operator.

He was a volunteer communicator during the Boston

marathon the year of the tragic bombing.

Like many of us at this stage in our lives, their next

move brought them closer to their children and

families located in Williamsburg and in northern

Virginia, and to PCAW. Please give a hearty

welcome to Ron and Beverly and enjoy getting

acquainted with them.

Ted Bodner 2212

The other day, I had a little adventure trying to find

Ted Bodner. Totally my fault. He lives in the Jefferson

building. Easy you say! I was late but he was very

understanding. He is one of our very newest residents.

Great location and equally great apartment.

Ted was born in Ramsey, NJ, on a farm. He learned

from his father the many jobs that need to be done to

make a farm work. Somewhere along the way, he

realized that he was better suited to a different kind of

work. So, after high school, he went to MIT and

graduated with a chemical engineering degree. Then

he went to New York University Medical School.

At Yale, he had two years of surgical training. Ted was

not finished; and, for three years, he trained in

orthopedics at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New

York City. Later, he ran a 15-man orthopedic service at

Hackensack University Medical Center, the major

hospital in North Jersey. In an already busy life, Ted

joined the Coast Guard and went through basic

training, OCS, and then spent three years on active

duty.

One assignment took him to the Bahamas as ordinance

officer; then to the northeast as assistant to the Captain

of the Port of New York ‒ a busy place. Ted also holds

an academic appointment with the New Jersey College

of Medicine.

He has been married to Diana for twenty years and

they have three grown children, scattered on the East

Coast. Please welcome Ted to Patriots Colony.

9

Fred and Dana Rothermel 2222

The Jefferson Building has just welcomed another

engaging couple to its second floor - Fred and Dana

Rothermel, who moved here from Colonial Heritage. A

distinct aura of relief from lawn care and kitchen duty

permeated the atmosphere. We know the feeling!

Dana grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Fred in Fort

Worth, Texas. They met at Oklahoma Baptist University,

and have been married for fifty-seven years. Fred was a

US Navy Chaplain for thirty-two years and retired in

ninety-eight.

One of their more interesting duty stations was a two-

year stint with the Royal Navy in Gosport, England, at a

helicopter naval air station. Religious education is a

requirement in the Royal Navy, and Fred taught a slight

variant to the Church of England! Most of their

assignments took place in the D.C. Area. The Rothermels

have four children who live in Northern Virginia and

Richmond. How nice! And there are nine grands.

After retirement, Fred taught for a year in London

County, and then worked at MCI as Manager of Network

Operations for six years. And Dana was with the Navy

Federal Credit Union during those days.

Dana’s main leisure activity (according to Fred) is

shopping, and she also devotes time to reading. Fred is

an avid golfer who will join in our local group when they

are truly settled. He also sings in choir, and has a bass

voice. I’m sure he will be recruited in record time.

We are so glad to have you here, Dana and Fred, and

hope all your expectations come true.

NEWCOMERS <><><><><>

Jim and Ruth Hay 2124

Among our newest residents are Jim and Ruth Hay,

who arrived here at Patriots Colony August 9th

from Governors Land.

Jim is a Naval Academy graduate, class of 1954. As

a submariner, Jim had many interesting assignments:

New London, CT, Hawaii, Naples, Italy, Charlotte,

SC; and in 1960, a most intriguing one ‒ a trip

around the world, submerged the entire trip,

emulating the trip of Magellan, including the part

Magellan intended to take after the Philippines.

This trip was completed in 84 days. Jim was

assigned to nuclear submarines beginning in 1958

and had 18 years of sea duty.

Jim retired in 1984 and remained in the Washington

DC area doing analyses of defense systems. Then he

moved on to General Dynamics during the star

wars era studying what was new and what was

needed in undersea defense.

Following that, he began publishing Submariners

University for the Submariners League to keep

submariners up to date on what was happening in

unclassified symposiums and what technology was

needed to get better results.

Meanwhile, Ruth was raising their three children.

After Jim retired, Ruth managed an antique shop in

a bank in Middleburg, VA. After the Hays moved

to Williamsburg, Ruth volunteered at the St. George

Tucker House.

10

NEWCOMERS <><><><><>

Mary Prosser 2233

Mary Prosser was born in Chicago and lived and

worked in the Chicago land area for over 60 years.

She worked at Jewel Food Companies for 7 years as

a cashier during her high school and college years.

After graduation, she worked for 9 months at

Continental Insurance Company. However, she

discovered that private industry didn’t believe in

promoting women in the 1970’s. So, following her

mother’s advice, she applied for a Civil Service job

because the federal government wasn’t allowed to

discriminate against women. Civil Service also paid

everyone based on their GS level.

Fortunately, the federal government was hiring a lot of

people in the 1970’s to fill Social Security Administration,

IRS and Railroad Retirement Board positions. Personal

computers were not around then and Congress was

revising the Social Security and Railroad Retirement

laws frequently by granting cost of living raises,

changing qualification requirements, and expanding

the number of people eligible to receive benefits. Mary

became a survivor claims examiner and, after a few

years, was promoted in the 1980’s to a GS-11 position

as a management analyst in Bureau of Data Processing

from which she retired in 2008.

Mary loves to read, history and travel. Mary moved to

Patriots Colony in July and has met some wonderful

people here. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

Mary is looking forward to enjoying the many

amenities Patriots Colony and Williamsburg have to

offer. She is also looking forward to the beautiful Fall

and Spring seasons here, and especially the short

winters. Mary is grateful for the many kindnesses

people and staff have shown her.

George and Cathy Chagalis 2323

George and Cathy are newly arrived residents in the

Madison Building coming to us from Virginia’s

Northern Neck, Weems, to be specific. Serious

downsizing has occurred having left a large

beautiful home almost completely surrounded by

water. A place of paradise.

George served 20 years in the Army and followed

that by working for the Deputy Chief of Staff for

Personnel as the Director of the Army Center for

Substance Abuse Prevention, responsible for 180

sites around the world. Only Fate allowed him to be

here with us. He had one office on the West side of

the E-ring of the Pentagon and another in Bailey’s

Crossroads. Fortunately, on 9/11 he was at his desk

at the latter office.

Experiencing that day and his lucky escape was the

impetus for his and Cathy’s leaving Northern

Virginia for the peace and solemnity of life on the

water in Weems.

Cathy, a very accomplished lady, grew up and

attended university in North Dakota and later

taught Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory

Medicine at the University of Minnesota. She left

those cold climes for DC and traveled the world in

Sales and Marketing of Nuclear Instrumentation

and Robotic Systems.

Be sure to get acquainted with George and Cathy;

and ask George about Maysville, Kentucky.

11

MY FIRST FARM <><><><><>

My Mother was very interested in gardening but we lived on the third floor in an apartment so

she did the best she could with the space we had. She grew corn in a box on the porch. (There were so

few edible kernels that you only needed one tooth in your head to eat them and most of the kernels were

black anyway.)

One time, she decided to grow mushrooms in a closet. The literature that came in the package

with the mushroom pieces said that there would be no smell from the special soil that they sent. There

was no smell … until she watered it. It contained dried and processed manure. (My Mom figured the

smell would go away in a few days.)

So, when it came my time to plant something here this spring, I decided to stay with less exotic

things and I went to McDonald’s Garden Center and told the lady what I wanted. She led me to a section

with tomatoes, peppers, squash, and more. I picked out several of each and my daughter, Laura, came

over to plant them with me. We watered and fertilized over the months and when it came time to bring

things in for the garden party, my harvest was disappointing. Things were growing, but they were small.

One squash, one pepper, and three tomatoes could fit in the palm of my hand. Everything we had

planted was tasty, but mini.

I think the lady at McDonald’s figured that I would be better off with mini veggies and took me to

the “Patio plants” section where everything grows smaller in a pot. So, I’m going to take a break from

gardening for a while … a long while.

‒ Carol Feltman ‒

12

DIVING FOR SPACE

<><><><><>

By the early 1960s, it was known that astronauts could withstand the launch and re-entry

accelerations (G-forces or Gs) which would be experienced in orbital or space flights of short durations.

What was not known was the effect of long periods of weightlessness on re-entry Gs. Previous studies,

using partial or total submergence in water to simulate weightlessness, had yielded inconclusive results,

primarily because the subjects in these tests ‒ personnel assigned to the Aviation Medical Acceleration

Laboratory at the US Naval Air Development Center (NADC) in Johnsville, PA, the home of the then

world’s largest human centrifuge ‒ couldn’t stay under water long enough to get good test results. Also,

no one had trained chimpanzees to scuba dive, so acceleration tests such as had been done with them in

withstanding launch Gs could not be done.

The answer to that problem was to task the US Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team 21 (UDT-21) to

provide test subjects who would stay underwater for 18 hours. In December 1960, 4 officers and 8 enlisted

reported to NADC. The briefers stressed that the purpose of this study was not to see how much G-force

each of us could take, but what was an average or normal G-force each could take without using all the

tricks one could take, so that a comparison could be made between before and after our 18-hour

immersion. Of course, this caveat was ignored by many of the subjects in their first run.

The problem became apparent when the first subject, the Skipper, pulled 6.5 Gs and let it be known.

The chief who went next pulled 6.0 Gs and the next two white hats pulled 7 Gs. This resulted in another

briefing before any more tests to emphasize that this was not a study to see how macho we all were. After

that, all subjects’ spins (including the first four) fell to below 6 Gs, most between 4-5.5 Gs. The test

protocol called for each of us to perform two blind psychomotor tests as soon as we got in the water and

every six hours thereafter. The first was a target aiming test where we had to place a magnet in the center

of a metal plate in arms reach when we were sitting in a seat placed on the bottom of the pool with a

curtain between our eyes and the target. The second tested our ability to judge the force of a downward

pull of 15 pounds, while sitting in the same seat. We were able to get familiar with both tests out of water

without the blind-folding curtain until we were comfortable before the actual tests were conducted.

We were broken into groups of four for the immersion tests. Each man entered the pool followed in

one hour by the next man. The timing was to allow transport of subjects between the hangar holding the

pool and the building with the centrifuge a few blocks away. At the end of each diver’s 18-hour stint, a

very large metal transfer tank was lowered into the pool with a cherry picker crane and flooded with

enough water to keep the diver submerged. The diver would slip into the tank keeping submerged,

switch from breathing from the regulator attached to a hose in the tank to a regulator attached to an air

cylinder within the transfer tank. The cherry picker would lift the tank out of the pool, place it on the

hangar floor, and a forklift would put it inside a closed truck (Pennsylvania is cold in December).

Then the truck would drive to the Centrifuge building. The forklift which trailed the truck to the

building moved the tank to the ground where it was picked up by a heavy duty crane and lifted to a

second floor staging area where it was put on a hand operated dolly and rolled into the centrifuge

chamber. The swimmer would stand up, have a robe thrown around him, climb into the centrifuge and

get spun. Each of us would be spun in the centrifuge at increasing G-forces until just prior to our blacking

out. This point was determined by our ability to turn off alternating green and red lights that were

operated by thumb switches on the centrifuge seat. If we failed to turn off one of the alternating lights within

a “split second,” the centrifuge would stop spinning.

When in the water, we were the most popular show in town. We had visitors throughout the day,

particularly from young secretaries during lunch hour. A clear plastic cylinder about 2 ft in diameter had

13

been placed in the tank with a small TV set to keep us occupied. This also allowed the divers to see

spectators clearly. There was a lot of “flirting” going on with notes written both ways. About the only

entertainment was the visitors, watching TV, which was black and white with a poor picture and poorer

sound, playing checkers, and reading paperback books. We couldn’t read magazines, they started to

come apart almost as soon as they got wet. A good pocket book would stay together for at least two

readings if we were careful. After the second reading, however, the glue in the binding dissolved.

Napping was difficult, because if you fell asleep, your mouth would open, and your air hose would fall

out. You could, with practice get into a position with the mouthpiece to the air hose below your mouth

with air free flowing so that when you did doze off air would flow up into your mouth hopefully keeping

water out.

All went well with the first group until about four hours before the first test subject, the Skipper, Bill,

was to come out of the water. One of the men in the pool complained about an aching jaw that was

getting worse. We told him to hang in as long as he could. The doctor in charge eventually decided that if

we could keep him submerged for 16 hours, his results could be included. That meant he would be the

first out of pool instead of Bill. When the time came, I went into the pool to supervise and assist the

transfer of the swimmer. When the transfer tank was flooded, Bill started to swim into it and I gently

pushed him away and motioned the chief in. Bill was more than mildly upset, but he couldn’t stand up

and chew me out. As soon as the transfer was complete, he had to take his last set of psychomotor tests.

On the downward pull test, he two-blocked the scale on all three attempts. Fortunately, when he did finish

his stint, the doctor took the heat for me. The man with the aching jaw was diagnosed with severe otitis.

Each swimmer was debriefed after his stint in the pool. Several of the first group complained of

being cold. One man got chilled, so the temperature of the pool was increased by two degrees. In the

second group, several of the men complained about being too warm. The temperature was decreased one

degree. The next group, the one I was in, had no problems with temperature and no other problems.

Sometimes last is best.

All of us, however, came out of the pool

with skin wrinkled like a prune. Since I didn’t

have to take the Navy flight back, I stayed and

got several more centrifuge runs to provide the

project with some film footage. Somewhere in the

Navy Archives, there is probably a movie of me

in an orange flight suit substituting for a

chimpanzee because no one had trained any

chimps to scuba dive. This study indicated that

there was a small statistically significant (but not

dangerous) decrease in Gs pulled before and

after immersion*. The success of this study

encouraged the development of larger systems to

study longer periods of “weightlessness” as

well as other sensory deprivations.

‒ Mo Lynch ‒

* Benson, V.G., E.L. Beckman. K.R. Coburn, and R.M. Chambers. Effects of Weightlessness as Simulated

by Total Body Immersion Upon Human Response to Positive Acceleration. Aerospace Medicine. Volume

33, Pages 198-203 February 1962. Comment: The Mercury Astronauts received SCUBA training at Underwater

Demolition Team 21, US Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek Virginia during the summer of 1959.

14

YOU’RE ONLY 80 ONCE….

<><><><><>

…and that should be enough and a perfect reason for 80-year-olds to celebrate their year ‒ 1939. After

all, of the 2,466,000 babies born in 1939, 12 of those babies are all grown-up and living here at Patriots Colony.

Planning the party began with a simple notice in the Crier ‒ “So-o-o-o, if you want to mark the big milestone 80th

with a party, call Joann

Dettmann,” the first 80-

year-old to be outed and,

before long, there were 11,

not counting the out-of-

town Jan Rueter and Ann

Russell.

Some of the birthday

stars for the year are Tina

Turner, Lilly Tomlin and

Ray Stevens.

Our birthday stars are: Row

1: Joann Dettmann, Darryl

Dettmann, Carol Doebler.

Row 2: Gail Dubrow,

Darlene MacPherson, John

McHale, Carol Sorensen,

Pauline O’Connell.

Row 3: Elaine Cummings,

Bill Lana, Jim Doebler and

Roz Siegel. In addition to these, their spouses or guests came along bringing the total to 19 with August 15th

the chosen night. It was a banner year for sports. Oregon won the NCAA Basketball tournament, The New

York Yankees won the World Series, the Green Bay Packers were pro Football winners and Bobby Riggs won

Wimbledon. Here at Patriots, sports activities consisted of John McHale having the gang-of-twelve sticking

pins in a map for birthplace schools, etc. along with questions to be answered during dinner. One of the

questions was, “What was your first car, year, make and color?” Fords outnumbered Chevrolets, but most were

chosen by Dad offering safety and low prices.

How could we know that Gone With the Wind would win the Academy Awards that year and still be

around 80 years later ‒ like us! Unfortunately, The Nobel Peace Prize was not awarded in 1939 since the

world was not at peace. Hope came in the form of a song, “Over the Rainbow,” and laughter came with

shows like Fibber McGee & Molly. In politics, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the United

Kingdom, but Winston was not the number one boy’s name ‒ it was Robert; while Mary was the favorite for

girls. In our gang-of-twelve, neither name was found.

The average life expectancy was 59.7 years, so the Birthday Twelve out-lived that number by 20.3 years.

The oldest in our group was John McHale born in January of 1939 and the youngest is Carol Sorensen in

October. Two couples shared the same birth month ‒ the Doeblers and the Dettmanns. It was a perfect

evening with excellent food, fun and fantastic flower arrangements on the tables done by Carol Doebler.

Four candles, not 80 ‒ maybe one for every 20 years ‒ adorned the cake and were blown out as the dining

room staff sang a jazzy rendition of happy birthday to us. Everyone had such a grand time that they are

already thinking about the next party ‒ 85, 90 or do I hear 100?

15

So far, it has been a very good year and we don’t even mind, maybe enjoy, some of the benefits

that come with age. When we are escorted across the street even when we weren’t planning on

crossing, forget names, groceries, where the car keys are and we repeat stories, it’s okay because,

after all, we are 80. The people who were mad at you for everything at 70 forgive you anything at 80.

‒ Joann Dettmann ‒

8 9

1.Gail Dubrow 6. Darlene MacPherson

2.Pauline O’Connell 7. Bill Lana

3.John McHale 8. Elaine Cummings

4.Darryl Dettmann 9. Joann Dettmann

5.Rosalind Siegel 10. Carol Sorenson

No. 1 No. 2 No. 3

No. 4 No. 5 No. 6

No. 7 No. 8 No. 9 No. 10

Can you tell who’s who?

Staff

Editorial Board John Anderson Mary Bieber Susie Floyd Bob Gremp Dave Lester Harriet Lounsbury Editor Pat Farnsworth

Associate Editor Carol Feltman (Layout) Photographers Lew Mabie Carolyn McHale Joanne Miley Karyn Miller

Editorial Policy

Patriots Press is a quarterly newspaper

published by and for the residents of Patriots

Colony to inform and entertain residents and

other interested persons. The editors welcome

contributions such as original writing, art,

reports of committees, clubs, and social

activities of residents, as well as articles of

general interest. The newspaper staff reserves

the right to edit contributions. The newspaper

will not accept letters to the editor.

Anna Babe George Pollin

Gerri Baker Jim Steinmiller

Rita Foster Carl Wheaton

Bob Williams

carol

TAPS

Address 1601 Patriots Colony Drive

Williamsburg, Virginia 23188

Telephone (757) 220-1853

© 2019 Patriots Press Phyllis Belden

Joann Dettman

Carol Feltman

Travis Greenman

Julie Hathaway

Carolyn Hawley

Barbara Hirsh

Sue Lester

Mo Lynch

Contributors

Lew Mabie

Darlene MacPherson

Carolyn McHale

Joanne Miley

Jim O’Connell

Hal Pryor

Jan Reuter

Carol Sorenson