2025 Orlando Mini Enjoyed By All Who Could Attend

Here is a report of the Mini Reunion in Orlando last week. I have imported some scaled down pictures that I made and will attempt to weave a story among them. They don’t begin until Saturday morning at a restaurant where Paul Palmer brought some of us after learning that we would be unable to make a driving tour through the Lake Apopka Wildlife area due to some unsafe road conditions.

First, here is an account of Ann and my lead up to the trip.

As you may have heard we had an unusual snow event as far south as New Orleans and Pensacola, Fla in the early part of the week leading up to the mini. When traveling to Orlando we normally drive south from our home in Huntsville, AL through Dothan, AL and hit I-10 a little south of Dothan. On Tuesday and Wednesday we checked with Jerry White in Niceville, FL and Woodie Woodward in Tallahassee and both warned that travel along our usual route would be questionable. (In the conversation with Jerry, we first learned that he and Mike Hale would not be attending the mini as planned.) Ann reluctantly agreed to take an alternate route through Atlanta and south on I-75 on Thursday morning. Once on the way we were both surprised to find the roads clear of snow by then and we progressed to Lake City, FL before dark. We made the remaining 160 miles to Orlando Friday morning.

Before leaving Huntsville we had a call from Ed and Jerry Jones that they had arrived early to Orlando since their plan to visit Ed’s sister in South Carolina was cancelled since there were no flights there from Denver due to the snow. They changed their destination to Orlando so they became early reunion attendees. Phil and Babbs Mallory had anticipated the snow and had driven to Orlando from San Antonio earlier in the week. David and Mimi Brooks waited too late to leave San Antonio and had to spend an extra day on the road to avoid the closed section of I-10 in south Louisiana. They arrived on Saturday.

From one of the last lists Gary Hyde sent out, 27 grads from the class were anticipated. We ended up with 21 making it. We were missing Barrick, Bitner, Chelberg, Connolly, Hale and Jerry white.

Those who made it were David and Mimi Brooks, Ed and Rina Brown, Bob and Janice Cairns, Will and Kathy Conley, Steve and Missy Denney, Mike and Chan Eiland, Joe and Ginna Fishburne, Rod and Jan Grannemann, Mac and Nancy Greeley, Al and Sylvia Hokins, Gary and Button Hyde, Ed and Jerry Jones, George and Karen Joulwan, Phil and Babbs Mallory, Jim and Ann Oaks, Paul Palmer, Courtney Rittgers, Mike and Karen Urette, David and Linda White, Gene Witherspoon and Woodie and Pat Woodward.

Company D-1 is credited with the most former cadet attendees, three. They were  Brown, Denney and White. Four other companies, M-1, E-2, I-2 and K-2 tied for second with two each. First Regiment won over Second Regiment, 12-9. 

The Cairns, Mallorys and Gene Witherspoon stayed with the Hydes and assisted in hospitality room setup at the hotel, meal preparation and other tasks assigned by Gary. All activity, social, meetings and meals were in one large room at the hotel, much like the Fishburnes had done in Charleston last year. However, Gary and his crew (he gave Babbs Mallory major credit) did the meal prep with no outside catering required. For example while some of us took a tour with Paul Palmer on Saturday, Gary was back at home BBQing the chicken we enjoyed on Saturday night.

Sunday morning Gary and others set up the room with the poster boards containing the bios of all deceased classmates that had been in the Memorial Room at other mini reunions and around noon most of us met for a few minutes of reflection. We used the spoken words of The Corps to summarize the occasion, sang all three verses of the Alma Mater and concluded the time with a prayer by Phil Mallory.

Sunday afternoon most of the group enjoyed a meal at a German restaurant, a tradition for minis in Orlando.

Monday morning Ed Brown made comments and presented pictures he had made at West Point recently when the installation and realignment of the markers at Reconciliation Plaza was completed.

That’s as much detail as I will give and let pictures tell the rest of the story. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of everyone who attended. George and Karen Joulwan are missing. George learned on Saturday that one of his older sisters had fallen and they had to leave on Sunday to check about moving her to a different facility. I did not get a separate shot of the Woodwards before they left and I also missed Karen Urette. Otherwise you should see the others, I think.

The following pictures were made at the restaurant on Saturday. Included in this group of pictures are the Denneys, Ann Oaks and Kathy Conley, Browns, Mike Eiland and Will Conley, Fishburnes and Hokins.

This picture of Button Hyde and Paul Palmer was also from the restaurant. From there, the Browns and Fishburnes and Mike Eiland returned to the hotel and the others joined Paul Palmer for a visit to Palmer Feed Store that his Dad and Mother started when Paul was a young boy. It is still operated by one of his nephews. Not only can you buy chicken feed there, you can also buy a chicken.

The next pictures were made in the hospitality room. They include one of Oaks (I-2), Witherspoon (K-2), White (D-1) and Conley (C-1) who served as cadet company commanders of their respective cadet companies. We had all been in Second New Cadet Company for Beast. I was not able to get Mike Urette and Ed Brown together for a picture of the three of us before Mike left so am showing one with each of them. We three were in the same squad in Beast. (Jay Brooks, Dale Campbell and Pierre Titard were also in Palmer McGrew’s squad that summer.) Next is Gary Hyde talking to some of the group after our Memorial service. No doubt he was telling one of his famous stories, probably the one about how he “helped” Bob Hampton write the displayed bios. Finally I wanted to include this picture of Phil Mallory who along with his wife Babbs helped the Hydes throughout the days of the mini as well as before and after. (Babbs does not like her picture made.)

These next four shots were made during Monday morning breakfast.

And the shot of Ed at the laptop is emblematic of what he must do daily to keep up with all our class data. Thanks, Ed.

This is a picture made Monday morning after Ed had briefed us on the completion of installation of the new monuments at Reconciliation Plaza at West Point.

The next picture was made after the meal on Monday night while Corkie told us stories of his experience as an aide to General Omar Bradley.

These pictures were made in the hotel lobby Tuesday morning before the Eilands and Corkie departed.

This last set of pictures is of seven of the nine couples who remained for the meal on Tuesday night. I missed getting one of Ed and Rina Brown and Phil and Babbs Mallory.

I will close this report with something Mac Greeley (pictured above) told me. Since Mac went into the Marine Corps after graduation he did not have much contact with classmates over the following years.

“Jim, these reunions are very meaningful to me. I get to know classmates that I never knew at West Point and learn about their interesting careers. This year it has been with Al Hokins.”

I think many of us who have attended any of these mini reunions could make a similar statement. So thank you Gary Hyde for the many times you have brought us back together.

Jim Oaks