SDMA CADETS - Key Persons
Alfred Diodati immigrated to the United States from his native Italy at age 17. Within a few years he married and became a partner with his wife in an eatery in Boston. In the 1940's Chef Diodati moved to San Diego where he was chef at the Harbor House downtown, and later became know for his ground steak burgers at Saska's in Mission Beach.
In 1958, Mr. Diodati became a founding stockholder in the Sand Diego Military Academy, where he prepared 460 meals a day with a repertoire of 92 sauces. His Signature dish was " Fried Chicken a la Diodati", rolled in parmesan cheese and fried in olive oil.
After several years at adult eateries, including owning the kitchen operation at Saska's, he welcomed the cafeteria style demands of the Academy.
"They are much easier to please" he said of the students.
Because of both of our jobs, Denise and I had to go to dozens of Black Tie events over the years. Thanks to Mrs. Etiquette, I always knew which fork, spoon and glass to use! She really did a great job of teaching us all of the ‘social graces'.
Although she tried, Mrs. Dennis was not as successful at setting me up with dates. During most of my years at SDMA I was dating a girl from my home neighborhood in San Diego. For reasons I don't recall, Mrs. Dennis was able to get me a date for the Homecoming Ball in my senior year with the incomparable Susie Bushce. I had been star stuck by Susie for years! She had dated the two Battalion Commanders before me and maybe Mrs. Dennis thought that I was ready to play in the Big Leagues now that I was Battalion Commander. She was wrong.
To try to make sure the evening got off to a good start, I called in enough chits with friends to assure that Susie would be elected Homecoming Queen. Even that didn't help. I fumbled and bungled my way thru the whole night. At one point she mentioned that she had left her gloves in my car. I instantaneously ran out to get them - despite the fact that it was pouring rain. Remember how bad those wool blouses would smell when they got wet?
One day in the guard room. Latest craze was rolling cigarettes. Col Dennis walks in, picks up the tobacco rolls one, one handed. As our jaws dropped he said, " I use to be able to do that on horse back at a gallop".
I also remember Col Dennis smoking Pall Mall's and always "field stripping" the butt. He had huge fingernails turned yellow by the cigarette smoke. He would split the butt with his thumbnail, dump the tobacco, roll up the little remaining paper and put it in his pocket.
Colonel Dallas D. Dennis was very much a career Army Officer. I always felt there might have been a little competition between him and Mericantante - Captain vs. Colonel, Army vs. Marine, etc. But, I was sure there was also a mutual respect between them. Certainly, the Captain appreciated that Col. Dennis had led ‘his boys' to win the NTC Drill Competition! And, I know Col. Dennis understood the profound impact the Captain had on all of us.
I remember the first time we took the NTC Drill Team to practice at the large Del Mar Fairgrounds parking lot. Colonel Dennis wanted to simulate the actual ‘battlefield' we would be on at NTC. When we finished and went to get back on the bus, I naturally did our normal routine, "First Squad, forward march". When everyone was on-board, Dennis turned to me and said, "I have never seen anything like that! In the Army, the platoon would have been dismissed and the men would have meandered over to the bus. Your guys actually marched into the bus.
Job Titles:
- Rear Admiral
- the Best Math Teacher Any Cadet Could Ever Have
Senn was born in Sitka, Alaska, the son of a Navy Admiral. His first cruise on a Navy ship was at the age of 7. He was appointed to the Naval Academy from the State of Mississippi and graduated in the Class of 1917. After graduation he was immediately sent to sea during World War I. By the time he retired in 1949, he had commanded submarines, destroyers and heavy cruisers.
During WW II he was the first Captain of the new heavy cruiser, the USS Quincy (CA-71), named in honor of the USS Quincy (CA-39), which was sunk at the Battle of Savo Island in August, 1942. Adm. Senn took the new Quincy out to sea for its ‘shakedown cruise' in February, 1944.
It was not until I starting working on the piece about Adm. Senn for the SDMA website that I realized my father and Adm. Senn had both served on the USS Quincy, a heavy naval cruiser, during World War II. Same name, different ships.
My father was a Lieutenant on the USS Quincy (CA-39) which was sunk at the Battle of Savo Island, Guadalcanal on August 9, 1942, killing 370 and wounding 167 of the 708 men on board. My father was among the wounded. He was near the Bridge when the ship was hit by 3 torpedoes and many shells from the attacking Japanese force. He remained in radio contact with men who were trapped below, with no hope of escape, until he had to swim away. Navy archives record that the guns of the Quincy were still firing as the ship slipped below the sea level.
My father sustained numerous leg wounds as he dove for deeper waters when the Japanese planes strafed the survivors in the ocean.
Many other shipmates were killed or badly injured by sharks. After recovering from his wounds, and receiving a Purple Heart, he returned to active duty and remained in the Navy for an additional 20 years.
Mr. Frisbie was instrumental in the founding of San Diego Military Academy in 1958. As Secretary to the Board of Directors and Assistant Headmaster, he handled the admissions of students and advised Cadets on their choice of college and future careers. He also served on several Academy committees and was Counselor to the Senior Class.
Mindful of the debt all Cadets owed Mr. Frisbie, the 1963 Falcon Yearbook was dedicated to him, in memoriam.
My most remarkable story of Mr. Frisbie was not anything about my two years of classes with him, but the incredible 5 week, 8 country, trip he took Bud on me on to Europe during the summer of 1962 after my first year at SDMA and Bud's 20th. For a 17 year old kid from a small, 1,500 pop, farming town in Durham, Ca, who had never traveled anywhere, it awakened me to the world. Indeed, a world I tried to duplicate with the same general itinerary with my 12 and 8 year old kids much later.
Mr. Frisbie was a private man and "strange duck" from Bud's and my standpoint. Bud and I were not sure if he was straight or a closet gay and we planned to be on high alert at all times and protect each other from any unwelcome advances (which never occurred) -While at all times looking out for the "ladies of the night" at every stop, with grand delusions.
While Mr. Frisbie had no military experience to our knowledge, he planned the trip with military precision. He had been employed at Oxford for some period and had also led European tours in his prior life which undoubtedly added to our incredible experience. As it turned out, he was a walking, talking European history book with an encyclopedic memory. We learned more during that 5 week period than in two full years sitting in his classroom.
Whatever movies you have ever seen with beautiful and awe inspiring places in Europe, we toured, and he packed them all with grand cultural events.
We started in Paris, our first opportunity to search out the "ladies" on our first night, sneaking out after Frisbie was asleep. We found one of their many well-known haunts, but did I mention "grand delusions"? We chickened out then and on each stop throughout the trip.
Col. Dallas D. Dennis was a sly old warrior. After we lost the NTC Drill Competition in 1961 (his first year) he said to me, "OK, now I know how this works. We'll get them next time". We won in 1962 because we drilled our asses off getting ready, but Col. Dennis also had a few tricks up his sleeve.
Louis J. Bitterlin was Headmaster of Brown Military Academy in Pacific Beach when the parent institution, Brown University, made the decision to move the school to Los Angeles County. Mr. Bitterlin led the effort to establish a new military academy and keep it in San Diego.
It took many dedicated people to pull off creating an entirely new military boarding school in just three months, but clearly the most instrumental was Mr. Bitterlin. Without his vision and leadership, San Diego Military Academy never would have existed. Bitterlin remained at the helm for the entire 19-year existence of SDMA.
He was the epitome of a professional educator with a deep commitment to the young men he helped raise.
Bitterlin was born in Guaymas, Mexico in 1914. At age 7, he was sent to Los Angeles to pursue his education. He attended Santa Monica High School where he was the No.1 singles tennis player on its 1932 CIF championship team. He went on to earn a Master's Degree in political science at Stanford University.
He began his educational career teaching and coaching at the California Military Academy in Los Angeles. He later took the position of headmaster at Brown Military Academy before founding SDMA.