Frank is a 1981 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a 1986 graduate of the Defense Information School. In his final active duty assignment, Frank was the U.S. Navy’s Chief of Information, serving as principal spokesman for the Department of the Navy and providing strategic communication counsel to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations He previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense responsible for overseeing Department of Defense efforts to shape department-wide communication doctrine, organization, and training for the joint forces. As director of the strategic communication integration group secretariat, Frank also led efforts for strategic communication auspices of the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He served as the special assistant for public affairs to the Chief of Naval Operations., and then as special assistant for public affairs officer for the Bureau of Naval Personnel; Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet; Joint Task Force Middle East; Cruiser Destroyer Group 12; and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. He has also served as director of public affairs and congressional notification at the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs. His decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal (2), Legion of Merit (2), Meritorious Service Medal (3), Joint Service Commendation Medal (2), and the Navy Commendation Medal (3).

Dan is a graduate of the California Maritime Academy (BS & Third Mate’s License ’88) and the Naval War College (’04), and holds a Master’s in Foreign Affairs and Strategic Studies and a Master’s in Computer Information Science. He earned his Naval Aviator Wings of Gold (’92) with orders to fly the F/A-18C Hornet supersonic carrier-capable fighter and attack combat aircraft, commanded the F-18 E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 27 aboard USS Kittyhawk, had 2 tours aboard USS Constellation with Strike Fighter Squadron 151, completed the Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program known as TOPGUN (‘97), commanded the “Royal Maces” when named the Navy’s best attack squadron, has over 3,500 F-18 flight hours and over 1,100 carrier landings, and commanded a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan. As a flag officer he was the assistant chief of staff and chief of staff for Strategy, Resources and Plans for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa and for Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. He now commands the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group consisting of 7,000 sailors on 9 ships, including USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Bunker Hill, USS Zumwalt, 6 guided missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 23, and 80 aircraft of Carrier Air Wing ELEVEN. Dan was the 1997 Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific Adm. Wesley McDonald Junior Officer of the Year. His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal Strike/Flight (3), Combat Action Ribbon, and Battle E (3).

In 1943 at the age of 17, Charles H Cram eagerly enlisted into the US Navy as a Corpsman. On February 19, 1945, Charles made the landing on Iwo Jima and went ashore with his Company of 250 Marines. As a Corpsman, his job was to render lifesaving medical aid to wounded marines. He did so hopping from one to another up and down the front lines. Charles remembers witnessing the rise of the US Flag over Mount Suribachi and hearing the wild cheers of his fellow Marines. He thought it signaled the war was over, but he was asked to go back to the front lines the next day where many of his comrades would die. On day seven, despite being wounded himself, he refused to leave and continued aiding other wounded marines until forced to evacuate. Of the 250 marines in his Company who went ashore, only 25 walked off of Iwo Jima. For his service, Charles was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. Charles returned home after the war to marry his teenage sweetheart, Joan. They were married for 67 years until she passed away. Charles has a son and daughter, 5 Grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Last Saturday, Charles turned 99 years old.

Pat was born on March 16, 1946 in Seattle. He was drafted after high school graduation, was sent to Vietnam with the US Army 9th Infantry Division, and served as a radio operator assisting his company commander with troop directions. After ten months of combat duty, Pat was wounded and lost his right foot. He was awarded the Silver Star for service above the call of duty. When Pat returned home, he earned a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management and enjoyed 35 years in the Food Brokerage business as a salesman. Pat now plays golf three times a week, and his favorite course is Pebble Beach.

In the late 1960s, The United States was at war in Vietnam. Having graduated from Albany Medical College in 1965, Dr. Melvin Silverstein was faced with a decision. All graduating physicians were required to serve in one of the military branches. Your choices were to be drafted, OR apply for the Berry Program, which allowed him to voluntarily join the US Army and ask for a deferment to complete training. Through a lottery program, he was given 5 years to complete his training as a general surgeon. He then entered the Army as a Major and was guaranteed that they would use him as a surgeon and not a generalist. Major Silverstein served in the medical corps from 1970 to 1972 at Walter Reed, Army Institute of Research and then DeWitt Army Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Since graduation from Medical College in 1965, Dr. Silverstein has accumulated 60 years of experience in the medical field that includes service to his country and his community. Dr. Silverstein came to Hoag after serving as Professor of Surgery and Director of the Breast Program at the Keck School of Medicine, USC. Dr. Silverstein is currently the Medical Director of the Hoag Breast Center and the Gross Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery.

Harry was a B-17 pilot in the U.S. Army Air Force 457th Bomb Group during World War II from November 1942 to December 1945, and on reserve duty until 1963. On Sept 12, 1944, eight hundred and fifty bombers flew in formation to hit at targets deep in Germany, including the 457th Bomb Group with Harry piloting his 7th bombing mission in a B-17 named “American Eagle.” Northeast of Berlin the bombers turned south towards the aluminum works at Lauta and encountered heavy anti-aircraft flak. The congested skies caused Harry’s Group Commander to take evasive action, which shuffled the deck with another bomb group, causing the 457th to break formation and scatter. The Luftwaffe used that opportunity to strike with 50 to 60 planes at the out-of-formation bombers. “American Eagle” was attacked by FW-190 fighters, whose cannon shells hit the B-17’s bomb bay, riddled the cockpit causing it to catch fire, and shot its tail off causing it to spiral down, shake violently and then explode in mid-air. Harry was knocked unconscious by the blast. When he regained consciousness, Harry found himself in the v of the windshield. He tried to climb through a window, but realized he was floating to the ground in the wreckage of the cockpit. He climbed out at about 800 feet and opened his parachute as pieces of wreckage fell around him. On the ground, he never saw any of his crew. Harry was captured 3 hours later and spent nine months as a prisoner of war in Stalag #1 at Barth on the Baltic. He was the only survivor of the 9-man crew. Harry’s decorations include the Air Medal, Purple Heart, ETO Theater medal. American Defense medal, American Theater medal, and a World War II Victory Medal. Harry is 97 years old, resides in Corona del Mar, and is a docent at the Lyon Air Museum.

Bill flew 75 combat missions in Korea in the C-46 and C-47 after various assignments in Europe, the Pacific, and North Africa during World War II, served as Chief of the Air Force Reserve, board chairman of the American Air Museum in Britain, United States Air Force Academy Research & Development Institution and USAF Falcon Foundation (chairman emeritus), and a director of the Air Force Academy Foundation, and received the United States Air Force Academy Distinguished Service Award. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal (with three oak clusters), and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Public Service Medal. In business, Bill built homes for returning veterans and others in California which evolved into William Lyon Homes in Newport Beach, owned AirCal which merged with American Airlines, acquired Martin Aviation and established Lyon Air Museum at John Wayne Airport (home to 7 military warbirds including C-47 Willa Dean), and received numerous entrepreneurship and leadership awards. Philanthropically, he served as board chairman of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (30-year director), Orangewood Children’s Foundation, Boy Scouts of America Orange County Council, and Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way, on the President’s Cabinet of Chapman University, and at USC as a Lifetime University Trustee and on the board of the Marshall School of Business. Bill resides in Coto de Caza and turned 96 today.

At 15 years old in August 1941, four months before Pearl Harbor, Billy enlisted in the Marine Corps. Days from his 96th birthday, Billy now claims “I didn’t lie about my age, but that recruiter sure did!” He deployed to Guadalcanal in August 1942 as a Radioman/Gunner in Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers engaging the enemy over the Solomon Islands in ship convoy cover, strafing in support of ground troops, and fire and dive bombing, and later in TBF Avenger torpedo bombers on anti-submarine patrols and glide bombing enemy ships, flying 100+/- combat missions at 16 and 17 years old. In 1943 he was assigned to California as a radioman/gunner instructor, but returned to action in 1945 at Peleliu, flying 50+/- TBF anti-submarine and enemy shipping patrol missions until the war ended. Billy was awarded the Air Medal with 3 clusters for “extraordinary achievement and meritorious acts in aerial flight,” WWII Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal, and American Campaign Medal. He joined the CA National Guard in 1948 and was deployed to Korea in 1950 as an Army Infantry and Communications Officer where he devised methods to improve radio communication and keep communication lines from being cut at night by the enemy using a dummy round and bazooka to fire wire from the front line to the Command Post, for which he received the Bronze Star, Infantry Combat Badge and Korean Service Medal. Billy retrained and deployed to Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, flying 50+/- supply and medivac missions, and was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal. Billy resides in Orange. Having served our country from 1941 to 1967 in three wars, Billy is proof of why he and his American contemporaries are “The Greatest Generation” the world has ever known.

Bob graduated with Honors from Miami of Ohio (’81), joined the Marine Corps, graduated with Honors from Marine Amphibious Warfare School, earned a Master’s from Marine Command and Staff College (’96), was Commandant of the Marine Fellows to Penn State’s School of Business (’01-’02), was the only Marine other than General Randolph McCall Pate, the 21st Commandant of the Marine Corps, to serve as the Joint Staff Director of Logistics, served as Director of Logistics and Engineering for U.S. Central Command, commanded at the company, detachment, battalion, regiment, and group levels including on 6 deployments in Operation Desert Storm, the Adriatic Sea, Rwanda, East Timor, and as Commanding General, 1st Marine Logistics Group during combat in Iraq. In his final military assignment as Military Director to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Bob oversaw a staff of 32,000 civilians, contractors, and military personnel. After 36 years of service, he retired in 2017. Bob is now President and CEO of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military children, having awarded $120 million to 40,000 children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen. Bob has received many decorations, including the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, our nation’s highest non-combat military award and highest joint service decoration, awarded only while assigned to a joint activity, and the Legion of Merit, 1 of only 2 U.S. military decorations issued as a neck order (the other – the Medal of Honor), for “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.”