Beginning with the search for a class graduation program or company class roster in February 1995, a data base was begun that materialized into The OCS at Fort Knox Project. “The Project” has accounted for nearly half of our 4321 graduates, many company officer cadre and several OC Brigade Staff members. It has rekindled old friendships, conducted reunions, and authored the only published account of the OCS program at Ft. Knox. 

     Significantly, The Project was successful in placing the compiled files and documents that make up the history of OCS at Fort Knox during the Vietnam War, with two archives cementing ‘our’ history forever.  Our digitized files are now in the archives of The Donovan Research Library at Fort Benning, Georgia and have been added to the collections from the Armor School Research Library now incorporated in the Donovan Library. The Donovan Library has not determined when our collection will be available physically or on line.  Also hard copy of those files and items of physical memorabilia have been donated to The Vietnam Center and Archive at Texas Tech University – Lubbock. The hard copy collection at The Vietnam Center and Archive have been added to the archive and are now awaiting processing.  It’s felt that the collection will be physically available in two years or less and ten years before it’s online.

     Additionally, complimentary copies of our book have been donated to These Institutions.

The Next Five Years: As we know, The Project would not have occurred without Doug Burmester’s, interest and persistence. After decades and with the history secured, Doug wants to step away from the day-to-day activity and will become Project Member Emeritus moving forward.

     Hugh Preacher has stepped into an “XO” role and along with the rest of the Project Team, Dan Leifel, John Moore and Charlie Titus will be adjusting to cover many of the roles Doug has been responsible for.  Each of us has remarked over the past fifteen years how great it’s been for the team, from varied backgrounds and living across the country, to work seamlessly together as the search, data base, The Book and reunions have come to fruition. 

     So long as we are able, we intend to continue to maintain the Website and Facebook Group, the data base, and Fiddlers Green. Most other materials and web pages will become inactive. We expect no formal updates to The Book fully updated with changes for the archives in February 2025 and is available in printable PDF on the OCS Book page.

     In the future, the infrequent updates to all classes and cadre that went out by email from Doug will ONLY be posted to the Website at our Announcements Page and on our Facebook Page where you can interact with other graduates. These will include updates on the Five Year Plan.

     The team has set a date of 12.31.2030 as the target to fully shutdown. In 2030 the most common ages will be around 85, so this seemed a good target. Until that date the Project team will continue to review the shutdown plan for necessary changes. This date is dependent on the continued good health of Project Team members but if it runs through 2030 the following occur:

1. Likely early in the year a ‘final’ letter will be sent to the Donovan Library and Texas Tech University so whoever is in charge at that point understands we are shutting down and provide our latest contact data.
2. The Website Domain name registration will be allowed to expire, and the Website will be closed down.
3. The Facebook group will remain online as a Closed group and available to members, but formal administration will cease.
4. Find A Grave memorials for the 30 of our KIA that the Project created and is Steward for will eventually revert to the control of Find A Grave (Ancestry.com) unless a family member, OCS schoolmate or friend steps in to be Steward.
5. A final set of the OCS Data files will be distributed to Project team members.

Looking forward the Project Team is pleased and thankful for what will be nearly twenty years in 2030. While it seemed prudent to get ahead on this unavoidable topic, we all hope to have (at least) five more healthy years to enjoy the special comradery and bond that exists in our group. Prayerfully we hope to be sending the December 2030 update to most of you.

     Please keep your contact information (phone #, email address, snail mail address) and any information about the passing of fellow former candidates or company officer cadre or OC Brigade staff up to dateUpdate. Send that information to John Moore or Hugh Preacher. or to your Class Point of Contact if you have one. Please include your class number or date of commissioning.

Respectfully,