Return to the "POINTER VIEW"February 1, 2002
Return to the "POINTER VIEW"
February 1, 2002
As athletes and spectators descend upon Salt Lake City, Utah, and the surrounding area for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 8-24, a handful of West Point graduates will be behind the scenes helping the mammoth event run smoothly.
Most of us won’t be lucky enough to actually attend the games in person; we will view the spectacle, pageantry and world-class athleticism through the long television lens.
Grads, in several key positions, will help keep the Games secure, the blizzard of information flowing smoothly and particular events go off without a hitch.
One grad came just a little more than two seconds away from making the women’s bobsled team.
Donna McAleer, (USMA ’87), quit her job as an executive in a Boston technology company two years ago to begin bobsled driver training.
December 22, during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, her dream ended when she, and her world-class brakewoman Shannon Hartnett, finished fourth -- more than two seconds behind second-place finisher Jill Bakken. The third place finisher is the alternate for the women’s two-man event.
"This dream led me to places I had never been physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally," McAleer said Dec. 23 on her Web site diary, which cataloged her pursuit of the Olympic dream.
The 36-year old, whose maiden name is Matturro, gave it her best and has been training since Jan. 16 to be selected Saturday as one of the forerunners for the women’s bobsled event.
McAleer explained that forerunners go down the ice prior to the competitors to ensure that the timing system is working properly.
"I am very excited and honored," she said about her opportunity to still be near the first-time Olympic event.
Looking back, the former Military Policewomen and Engineer said she "had the rest of my life to work, but only one chance to make my childhood dream come true."
While McAleer waits to find out her fate, other grads will be sprinkled throughout the area behind the scenes. They include two FBI agents, a Special Forces commander, an information specialist, a facilities manager and volunteers who will serve in a variety of roles.
Col. Al Walker (’74) commands the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) that was activated as part of the Utah National Guard. His more than 900-man strong contingent is in charge of military support for the Secret Service security covering Park City, Deer Valley and the Olympic Winter Park from noon until midnight daily.
Class of ’62 grad Fred Hillyard is a member of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee and is the facilities manager for the Athletes Village. He is responsible for all the temporary structures, which number nearly 200, and the construction of all the new facilities at Fort Douglas and the University of Utah that will be used during the Games.
Classmate Bill Kosco is in charge of information systems management at the Nordic Venue at Soldier Hollow, which includes all the timing, networking and results.
Jim Yacone is a classmate of McAleer’s and is with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hostage Rescue Team responsible for domestic counter terrorism. He is a supervisory special agent in charge of the tactical helicopter program for the HRT.
Don Davis (’68) is also an FBI agent. He is the Aviation Coordinator in the Salt Lake City Division. He will run the FBI Aviation surveillance assets that will be brought in for support of the Games.
The Games will serve as Davis’ going away party as he is retiring four days after their completion.
Lyle Nelson (’71) will run the Nordic venue.
Jim Strozier (’56) will serve as an on-hill slipper at the Park City Mt. Resort.
Dave Shimkus (’84) and Alfred Glaeser (’86) are volunteers.
Shimkus is part of the ceremonies group and as a member of the flowers ceremony team will help present flowers to the medallists immediately following their events, which will include the bobsled, luge, skeleton, ski jumping and the Nordic combined.
Glaeser will serve as a host on opening day at the international gathering.
We probably won’t see any of these grads during the television coverage. That would be a good thing. That means things are running smoothly.