Military Alumni

Military High School Alumni

Honoring Our Heroes

This area is dedicated to our alumni that have served or are serving in our armed forces!

Lost Class Rings

Have you lost your Marion L Steele High School class ring? Have you found someone's class ring? Visit our Comets lost class ring page to search for your class ring or post information about a found ring.

Honored Military Alumni

Amanda Damasiewicz
Amanda Damasiewicz
Class of 1997
Navy, 22 Years

Retired Chief Petty Officer in 2019. Was attached to seal team in va
Andrew Greg Lamanna
Andrew Greg Lamanna
Class of 1968
Navy, 20+ Years

Greig became a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy. After many overseas deployments his last assignment was as the supply officer for the Seals in San Diego CA. He died of cancer in 1989.
Arturo Yanez
Arturo Yanez
Class of 2007
Army, 11 Years

U.S army 2007- present
David Loudon Kernohan
David Loudon Kernohan
Class of 1974
Navy, 20+ Years

retired Chief Electricians Mate
Donald McCormick
Donald McCormick
Class of 1971
Army Reserves, 20+ Years

Active Duty Air Force - 1971 -1975, Army 1976-1980. Security Police, Military Police, Infantry, Infantry Drill Sergeant
Donnie Bruce
Donnie Bruce
Class of 1986
Army, 12 Years

63T Bradley Vehicle Mechanic
Gail Shinsky
Gail Shinsky
Class of 1973
Navy, 20+ Years

Chief Warrant Officer In Cryptology, Retired 1995
George Regler
George Regler
Class of 1968
Air Force, 20+ Years

Retired from USAF with 24 yrs service, 13 yrs as air traffic controller
George Regler
George Regler
Class of 1968
Air Force, 20+ Years

Retired from USAF with 24 yrs service, 13 yrs as air traffic controller
Gerry Melendy
Gerry Melendy
Class of 2005
Army, 12 Years

Served 12 years as a Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic and then as a Human Resource Management Specialist. Went on two combat tours. Was stationed in Georgia, Arizona, and Virginia.
Holly MacDonald Amstutz
Holly MacDonald Amstutz
Class of 1983
Air Force, 4 Years

Administrative Specialist Wing Safety Office
Jack Niskey
Jack Niskey
Class of 1981
Navy, 6 Years

4 years active 2 years inactive reserves.
Jan Longstreth
Jan Longstreth
Class of 1951
Navy, 20+ Years

28 years between active duty and reserves
John Slack
John Slack
Class of 1979
Navy, 4 Years

1981-85 VF143 on board Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69 ). Mechanic, structures and hydraulics, F-14 Tomcat
Jon A Hayden
Jon A Hayden
Class of 1989
Air Force, 23 Years

Retired in 2013
Jon Hayden
Jon Hayden
Class of 1989
Air Force, 20+ Years

I have had a wonderful career! 23 years active duty. Worked as a Crew Chief on Aircraft. The best mission in the Air Force has been with my last unit. AC-130U gunships, our motto is " we kill people"
Larry Ehrhardt
Larry Ehrhardt
Class of 1966
Navy, 4 Years

US Navy 1969-1973; corpsman, FMF; Second Class Petty Officer.
Les Ford
Les Ford
Class of 1971
Air Force, 4 Years

Communications Specialist
Mark Ratcliff
Mark Ratcliff
Class of 1981
Army, 7 Years

SGT Military Policeman 101st Airborne Division
Mark S, Kramer
Mark S, Kramer
Class of 1973
Air Force, 10 Years

U.S.A.F Combat Controller, Combat Air Traffic Controller. Was capable of going any where on this planet, and providing Air Traffic Control. Was Airborne, H.A.L.O. and Scuba. Never know how I would be dressed, when I showed up for the party! KR
Michael A. Kaplan
Michael A. Kaplan
Class of 1979
Air Force, 20+ Years

25 yrs & 14 days of service. F-111 Avionics Flight Controls and Instruments Technician 9/81 - 10/95, then Visual Information/Multimedia/Photographer and Graphic Artist 11/95-09/06. Retired 30 Sep 2006.
Michael A. Kaplan
Michael A. Kaplan
Class of 1979
Air Force, 20+ Years

17 Sep 1981 - 30 Sep 06
Michael Vilagi, OSC SW/AW)
Michael Vilagi, OSC SW/AW)
Class of 1981
Navy, 20+ Years

USS Iwo Jima, USS Harry E Yernell, AFWTF Puerto Rico, VP-5, USS Phillipine Sea, USS Vicksburg & Naval War College Newport, RI.
Mike Przytulski
Mike Przytulski
Class of 1986
Air Force, 20+ Years

Served 23+ years as Aircraft E&E and Pro super, worked KC-135's, F-16's, B-52's and E-4B. Stationed at Castle AFB CA, Ramstien AB GE, Loring AFB ME, Offutt AFB NE and Sheppard AFB TX.
MSgt Michael A. Kaplan
MSgt Michael A. Kaplan
Class of 1979
Air Force, 20+ Years

F-111 Flight Controls & Instruments Systems Technician/Supervisor then Visual Information Graphic Artist/Photographer/Manager. Entered service 17 Sep 1981, Retired 30 Sep 2006.
Patrick Del Grosso
Patrick Del Grosso
Class of 1975
Navy, 12 Years

Navy Journalist. Served in Iceland; Australia; four years onboard USS TRIPOLI (LPH-10); six years at Naval Submarine Base Bangor, Washington State; two years onboard USS VEGA (AF-59); and Navy News Team in San Diego, Children, twins, boy and girl born in Iceland in 1979. Married 34 years to Catherine Eileen Bowman of Chicago, Il.
Rick Golden
Rick Golden
Class of 1981
Navy, 10 Years

Plank owner USS San Jacinto (CG-56), USS Phillipine Sea (CG-58), USS John Young (DD-973). Instructor duty FLEASWTRACENPAC San Diego Ca. Ported in Norfolk , Mayport and San Diego.
Roger W Wittenbrook
Roger W Wittenbrook
Class of 1966
Army, 2 Years

173rd Airborne Brigade Vietnam Jungle For 42 years before I would tell anyone I served in the Army or Vietnam. Not ashamed. I was a combat soldier in body and sole. I had lost my hearing and had 33 cavities where I had none when I arrived in Vietnam. Many of the soldiers I served with never made it back. I was in three major offenses and earned three Bronze Service Stars.
Ron Bishop
Ron Bishop
Class of 1960
Navy, 4 Years

USS Princeton LPH-5
VP of USS Princeton Association
Sandra R Morris
Sandra R Morris
Class of 1973
Air Force, 4 Years

I was an Imagery Interpreter Specialist. I worked briefing and debriefing pilots of the F-111D aircraft.
Scott F Brown
Scott F Brown
Class of 1982
Air Force, 20+ Years

I retired after 21 yrs of service in the US Air Force in 2009. I retired a Lt Col and flew over 5,000 hrs in various aircraft - T-37, T-38, C-21, C-141, and C-17.
Susan Hopkinson
Susan Hopkinson
Class of 1968
Navy, 20+ Years

Navy Nurse Corps Captain with 5 years active duty, stationed in Chelsea, MA and Jacksonville, FL,and 25 years in the reserves in reserve centers in the Chicago area.
Tom Longstreth
Tom Longstreth
Class of 1975
Navy, 20+ Years

20 + years United States Navy Aviation Structural Mechanic. Station on board USS Ranger CV 61 USS Enterprise CVN 65 USS Constellation CV 64 two cruises USS Independence CV-62 one. All cruises were Western Pacific Cruises
Tom Longstreth
Tom Longstreth
Class of 1975
Navy, 20+ Years

Served three years in Germany 75-78. Five cruises on four different aircraft carriers. USS Ranger (CV-61) USS Enterprise (CVN -65) USS Constellation (CV -64) 2 cruises and USS Independence (CV -62). Retired in 1997, working for DOD on F-18 aircraft in San Diego. Married to the former Nancy Pasterak from Lorain one son Jeff.
Tom Longstreth
Tom Longstreth
Class of 1975
Navy, 20+ Years

U.S.Army 1975 to 1978 stationed at Gelnhausen West Germany. U.S. Navy from 1979 to 1997. Retired as an AMH1 (AW/MTS).Five WESTPAC's. USS RANGER (CV-61) USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64) and USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-61) all out of San Diego while stationed with VS-37. Retired 31 January 1997. Married to Nancy (Pasterak) Longstreth of Lorain, Ohio for 34 years with one son.
Tom Longstreth
Tom Longstreth
Class of 1975
Navy, 20+ Years

U.S.Army 1975 to 1978 stationed at Gelnhausen West Germany. U.S. Navy from 1979 to 1997. Retired as an AMH1 (AW/MTS).Five WESTPAC's. USS RANGER (CV-61) USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64) and USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-61) all out of San Diego while stationed with VS-37. Retired 31 January 1997. Married to Nancy (Pasterak) Longstreth of Lorain, Ohio for 34 years with one son.

Classmates Spotlight

Marion L Steele High School Classmates

Ron Bishop
Class of '60

Alumni Stories

High School Alumni Stores

Read and submit stories about our classmates from Marion L Steele High School, post achievements and news about our alumni, and post photos of our fellow Comets.

School News

Marion L Steele High School Class of 1980 40 year Reunion / 60th Birthday Blast

Planning get together in Downtown Amherst Friday and Saturday Sept 2nd and 3rd. Looking for classmates now, send messag...
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Our Marion L Steele High School military alumni are some of the most outstanding people we know and this page recognizes them and everything they have done! Not everyone gets to come home for the holidays and we want our Marion L Steele High School Military to know that they are loved and appreciated. All of us in Amherst are proud of our military alumni and want to thank them for risking their lives to protect our country!