Our last newsletter was too full to include everything.  Since our previous-to-last newsletter, USNA Out has lost (or learned about) the following members:

• Conrad Miller ’49 (6/29/2016) – When Conrad joined us in July, 2010, he wished that “I had known about this organization before I became superannuated!” and when challenged for the secret handshake to prove that he graduated from USNA, “I’m a 1949 grad. How the hell can I remember my laundry number?” Conrad kept in close touch, letting us know how the others at his living facility were a bit “closed minded.”  Read more about Conrad at https://www.usna.com/custom/GiveRSS.ashx?type=single&newsID=3365
• Glen Davis ’76 (9/7/2016) – Glen joined USNA Out in 2008. Prior to his last move to San Diego, he was quite proud that had a table with his name on it at the famous Twin Peaks Bar in San Francisco, AKA “The Glass Coffin.” Glen was a varsity swimmer at USNA, and he shared his story participating in the Faces of USNA Out at http://dev1.usnaout.org/memoriam/glen-davis.  Read more about Glen at https://www.usna.com/custom/GiveRSS.ashx?type=single&newsID=3481
• Charles Wood ’42 (12/28/2016) – A life-long supporter of LGBT rights, Charlie was one of our first allies to join us. A resident of Spokane, Washington, upon retirement from the Navy, Charlie began a second career as an Episcopal priest. In the 1980s, Charlie and his wife, Ann, joined the Spokane Chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and helped found Integrity, an LGBTQ advocacy group of the Episcopal Church. In 1992, Charles was the first clergy member to testify in front of Congress in support of allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military.  Read more about Charlie at https://www.usna.com/custom/GiveRSS.ashx?type=single&newsID=3775.
• David Lopez ’87 (6/7/2017) – David was a plank-owner member of USNA Out. He worked in the real estate business in Southern Florida.  Read more at David at https://www.usna.com/custom/GiveRSS.ashx?type=single&newsID=4260

All of these lost have been entered into the USNA Out memoriam.

Note: Suicide remains the number one cause of death amongst our members who have graduated less than 40 years ago.

The posthumous memoir of former USNA Out member Todd Park was released on July 14, 2017.

At 50, Todd Park did not look like a man whose bone marrow teemed with 50% cancerous cells. He had no symptoms. Settled into a new job in his hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah after a naval career and other post-military employment gave him a lifetime of moving, a simple blood test taken for a discount on health insurance led to Continue reading “Popcorn from the Void”