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Meet Some of the
Members

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"The Company is not about memberships.
It's about the members."

Steve Henry, President (2010)
Company of Military Historians

Alan Aimone

Company Fellow and Life Member Alan Aimone was born in Sycamore, Illinois and resides in Newburgh, New York with his wife Barbara. They have a son, Randy Conrad and a daughter Meredith. Alan has been a member of the Company since 1970 and is one of the founders of the Chapter. Alan earned a Masters of Arts degree in Library Science from Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois. He has been employed by United States Military Academy Library since 1969 and is currently the senior member of the staff. In addition, he is an Accredited Senior Appraiser, American Society of Appraisers (Books and Manuscripts), serves on the Board of Directors of the Council On America’s Military Past and has been a re-enactor in American Revolution and Civil War groups. Alan is also a founding member of the Northeast Historical Archeology Association and an author and speaker of renown on 18th and 19th century military subjects.

     As a Chapter Founder, Alan writes that, "I served as both the initial treasurer and secretary of the chapter. Mike McAfee was a trustee at the time and handled all the headquarters communications and I handled the rest. Jacki Estes and Rich Ceconi took over for me, and I became the new chairman." Alan served again as chairman in 1999.

Juanita Leisch-Jensen

      Independent scholar Juanita has been researching, writing and speaking on Civil War civilians since the 1960s. She has a degree in American Material Culture from the College of William and Mary. Her books, Who Wore What and Introduction to Civil War Civilians, have each reached seventh printing. Juanita is an avid collector of artifacts and ephemera, which she makes available for study and temporary exhibit. She served as guest curator for two major exhibits at the National Civil War Museum. Juanita is currently serving as President of the Society for Women and the Civil War, and, for over two decades, has served as Mistress of Ceremonies for the national Civil War costume competition. Juanita gives talks and workshops in person and online. She was elected Fellow of the Company in May 2007 and is the current Chairman of the West Point Chapter.

Col. Harry J. Marasek (USA, Ret.)

     A member of the West Point Chapter, The Company of Military Historians, has been awarded the New Jersey Meritorious Service Medal by the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The medal is the state’s highest award for state residents who distinguished themselves during a period of combat while serving in the United States armed forces and who were not state residents at the time of induction. Mr. Marasek’s 39-year military career includes WW II duty as a combat engineer in Algeria, Sicily, and the grueling Italian campaign, and he has earned 15 military awards altogether. Marasek also belongs to the Reserve Officers Association and the Military Officer Association of America. A former chairman of the West Point Chapter, he is a resident of Upper Saddle River, NJ.

     (Veterans who entered the service while residents of New Jersey are awarded the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal.)

Paul Martin

     Paul R. Martin III is an artist and teacher from Westchester County, NY. Besides his membership the Company of Military Historians, Paul serves as the President of the Rockland Civil War Round Table. He is on the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Society in Peekskill, the Yorktown Historical Society, and the Yorktown Citizens Veterans Day Parade Committee. Paul is also a member of Army Air Force Historical Association, the 14th Air Force Association, the Civil War Preservation Trust, the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association, the Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation, the National WWII Museum, and the Pacific Aviation Museum.
      Paul Martin's artwork can be seen at paulmartinart.com.

Larry Maxwell

     Dr. Larry A. Maxwell served five consecutive terms in a leadership position for the West Point Chapter. The first two terms were as Vice Chair followed by three as Chairman. A conference speaker and author of numerous books and booklets, Larry is recognized as an award winning writer by the Associated Press in 1990. He has traveled extensively speaking throughout the United States, and around the world, for more than 25 years.
     Dr. Maxwell is the Town Historian for Town of Patterson, Putnam County, New York and has served for a number of years on the Putnam County Historians Round Table. Dr. Maxwell is also the founder and director of The Living History Guild, an organization which provides standards and certification for living historians and re-enactors, who desire to improve their impression.
     Larry has done extensive research of military pension files and primary source documents, particularly in relationship to military service and genealogy. He is a long time member of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists and has authored articles for various genealogical publications and conducted seminars and training conferences for researchers around the country.
     He has served as both a professor and Dean at various colleges and graduate schools, both in the United States, Korea, India and the Philippines. He also develops and writes curriculum for colleges and graduate programs.
     Dr. Maxwell was ordained to the Gospel ministry by Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, VA., in 1976.

Chris DiPasquale

     Christopher DiPasquale is a teacher and author of American History. His book: An Object of Great Importance, the Hudson River during the American War for Independence, briefly discusses the time period of 1775- 1780. He explains the role of the Hudson and how it was in fact more important than any port, city or field during that time period. The book shows the different strategies both sides employed to either defend or attack the Hudson River during the Revolution.

     Mr. DiPasquale gives many lectures throughout the year at local libraries, historical societies, and museums. This upcoming spring and summer he will be at the Westchester Genealogical Society, the Institute for History Archeology and Education, the Putnam County Historical Society, and will be lecturing for the Living History Education Foundation.

     Christopher may be contacted at cdipasquale34@aol.com, his book An Object of Great Importance, may be purchased for $15 by contacting him or through Continental Consulting, Barnes and Noble.com, or Amazon.com.

Joe Ryan

Phil Weaver

      Philip D. Weaver has been a member of the CMH since 1980. He is an original member of the West Point Chapter, having attended the first meeting at the Van Wyck Homestead in Fishkill. He served as Vice-Chair in 1988, Chairman in 1989, and again as Vice-Chair in 2006 and 2007. In 2001 he designed the Chapter's website.
      Phil has served as an assistant to the CMH Fellows Meeting Committee in 1984 and on the Fellows Meeting Committee in 1995. Both meetings were held at West Point. He has also completed his service as a member of the Committee of the 2009 CMH Member's meeting in Albany, NY. Currently, he continues as the Chapter's Webmaster.
      A Revolutionary War living historian since 1975, Phil is a highly regarded tailor and researcher. His articles on the Colonial Period and Living History were first published nationally in 1979. Several extensive research projects about the New York Line of 1775 were spawned by that living history experience and many have been published by the CMH in either MUIA or MC&H. A feature detailing the Yorker assault on Quebec in 1775 gleaned from personal accounts of the participants is currently in progress. Phil was elected Fellow of the Company in May 2004.

2004 CMH Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO
Honorees - Fellow of the Company
Philip D. Weaver and G. Philip Leveque. Don Kloster was unable to attend.
CMH Photo by Bill Emerson

Dave Whieldon

     Mr. H. David Whieldon, a member of the Company since 1994, served as West Point Chapter Treasurer from 1995 until 2002. He was also on the organizing committee for the 1995 CMH Fellows Meeting held at West Point. There, he essentially served as treasurer for that committee.
     Dave received the New Jersey Meritorious Service Medal. In addition, he has been awarded the Republic of Korea War Service Medal, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the war's outbreak, for his actions in Korean airspace as a U.S. Air Force navigator-bombardier-radar operator during 1953. Flying from Okinawa, he participated in strikes against North Korean targets by B-29 bombers and earned the Air Medal. Whieldon lives in Emerson, NJ.

Mark Wikane

      Mark Wikane is a police officer in the City of Kingston, and served four years in the USAF at Minot AFB, ND. His main interest is in the U.S. Cavalry of the Indian Wars period, 1860 to 1890, with strong side interests in the USAF (particularly B-52s and KC-135s), as well as the 10th Mountain Division and the Aleutian Campaign of World War II, in which his father participated. He a menber of the West Point Chapter thanks to the sponsorship of Len Pomerantz. He is also a life member of the U.S. Cavalry Ass.and the Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Ass., with annual memberships in the Frontier Army of the Dakota, M Company of Custer's 7th Memorial Cavalry Regiment, Minot N.D. (ND-based reenactment groups), the US Air Force Museum Foundation, the 10th Mtn Division Association (Descendant) and the NRA. He collects weapons, accoutrements and horse equipment of the U.S. Cavalry, as well as U.S. mountain infantry equipment of World War II, as well as making reproduction leather accoutrements of the Indian Wars period.

Mark Wikane and son Matthew at the Springfield Armory Armed Forces Day Timeline, 2005.
Photo courtesy of Mark Wikane

CMH

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