Posted by Callaghan Family on March 29, 2005:

March 29, 2005 Dear Margaret, The entire Callaghan Family (Gene ?44, John ?46, Donald and Marion) send our deepest sympathy to you and your family on the death of Doc. Our family, including our parents, got to know Doc well when he was Gene?s roommate at West Point. Being roommates along with Frank Merritt, Doc and Gene shared many memorable experiences leading up to their graduation in 1944. Just recently, in fact, Gene was reminiscing about how Doc taught him to ride cross-country during a three-day cadet field trip on horseback Yearling year. Being from Massachusetts riding was a new and enriching (?) experience for Gene but Doc as a native of Utah appeared to have been born to the saddle. Doc was a good horseman and a well remembered teacher by Gene. Like many learning experiences at West Point, riding probably did not have much bearing on their futures in the military service as Doc went on to have a prominent career as an Airborne officer in the Army and Gene as a B-29 pilot in the Air Force. As for me (John), during my Plebe year I used to visit Gene often in A-1 Company. On many a Saturday afternoon I shared in the relaxed good spirit of Doc, Frank Merrittt, and Gene- roommates who immensely enjoyed living with each other. Of course the icing on the cake was the double dating that Doc and you did with Gene and Marge Many years later John had the good fortune to be Doc?s Chief of staff in Heidelberg when he had command of the USAREUR Combat Support Command. Doc was a great Commanding General and I (John) considered myself lucky to have had such a close professional association with him. The by-product was that Dooley and John became close friends of yours and Docs in Patrick Henry Village from 1972 to 1974. The Callaghan clan is sorry that Doc has left us but we will keep him, you and your family in our prayers and memory. Please continue to count on us as family friends. We hope that you will let us know when you are in our part of the country, as we would love to see you. We send our love and sympathy to you and you family. Gene and Marge Callaghan John and Dooley Callaghan

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