I finally got my Bachelor of Science degree in June 2006, 40 years after starting my college career with an Operation Bootstrap course at Moody AFB. The motto for the graduation party was:
"40 years spanning five decades, seven colleges and one lousy degree."
I am married to a marriage and family therapist, and we have two adult children, one son-in-law, and one happy Beagle. On the whole, our life has been pretty good. I married my wife about 16 months after she hired me as a social services case worker. In October 2017, we will celebrate 38 years of marriage.
I am a Chapter Service Officer for William V. Brpoks Chapter 47, Disabled American Veterans. Our small (330 members) chapter is the most active in Nebraska; seven of our members are in the top ten DAV members state-wide for volunteer hours worked. In addition to the DAV, I am a Life Member of the VVA and also a member of the Tan Son Nhut Association.
Other Comments:
I enlisted in the Air Force at age 17 and was on active duty from August 1965 to January 1969. Following basic aircraft mechanic training at Sheppard AFB, I worked in the T-37 Periodic Inspection Dock at Moody AFB. I pulled a six week TDY to McDill AFB to learn the F-4, then a 19 month tour at Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam, as a crew chief with the 12th Tac Recon Sqd . On my "dream sheet" I asked for reassignment to Lockbourne AFB (now Rickenbacker ANGB) in Ohio. Some idiot in the Pentagon thought Idaho and Ohio were close enough and I was assigned to the 10th TRS at Mt. Home. I was loaned out to the 22nd TRS for a�21 day TDY to Germany following the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia. I was released from active duty on January 28, 1969, completed my six-year commitment in the Individual Ready Reserve and was honorably discharged in August 1971.
My brother and I are the fifth consecutive generation of our family to serve in the military. My brother joined the Army at age 18 and retired as a Major. He lives a half mile from the Big Shanty battlefield where our great-great grandfather was wounded while serving in the 32nd Ohio Vounteer Infantry during the Civil War. His son, our great-grandfather served in the Ohio National Guard in the late 19th century; two of his sons served during World War I. Our dad served as a crew chief on B-24s during WW II and was in pilot training when the war ended; his male cousins all served in either the Army or Marines. His brother is retired from the USAF.
