Leaving the USAF in 1968 (after 8 years of service), I entered Municipal Law Enforcement, briefly (5 years), then became a Special Agent with Western States Bankcard Assoc. (Master Charge) in the seven Western States until "down-sizing" put me in the un-employment line.
I then entered the ranks of my first-love: Carpentry (a 400+ year family tradition), became "the oldest" apprentice in the trade, elevated myself to Journeyman Level and, eventually (1988) obtained my General Building Contractor License. The "dead" California economy of 1994-95 forced me out of "The Golden State" in early 1996, when I moved here to Texas.
Not wanting to go thru the rigors of starting a "new" business here in Texas, I re-joined (after 20+ years) the ranks of "employee's" and accepted the position of Commercial Construction Project Superintendent where I believed my construction experience would be an asset. I have declined "Project Manager" Positions simply because I have no patience attending meeting-after-meeting where no one is capable of "making a decision".
I turned 65 in Dec2007 but plan on working until I hit "70" - or longer. But wait - the recession of 2008 "forced" me into early retirement.
In Jan2008, I was contacted by two former members of the 78th Air Police Sqdn (ADC), Hamilton AFB, CA, regarding a start-up attempt to organization a first-ever Squadron Reunion; it was subsequently held in Lawrence, KS, 17-20Jun2008, with reasonable attendance of 24 - considering we started with only 3 names of former members - ours!
We are now known as the 78th Air Police Squadron Association; with a listing of 690 former members, we have located 159 and continue searching for the remainder. We will be holding our fourth reunion 22-27Sep2014 in Gettysburg, PA (please see our Unit Page - 78th Air Police Squadron - for more information).
Any former squadron member reading this is asked to contact me; you'll be added to our Duty Roster for all future News, Notices & Events - I look forward to hear from you!
Other Comments:
Please see Unit Page - 78th Air Police Squadron - for more information and future Squadron Reunion plans.
The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. The Ground Air Transmitting Receiving (GATR) Site (R-18) for communications was located at approximately 1.1 miles souh-southwest from the SAGE building. Normally the GATR site was connected by a pair of buried telephone cables, with a backup connection of dual telephone cables overhead.
DC-18 was initially under the San Francisco Air Defense Sector (SFADS), established on 15 February 1959. DC-18 and the SFADS was inactivated on 1 August 1963 as part of an ADC consolidation and reorganization, with its assigned units assigned to other ADC Sectors. The GATR was reassigned to Mill Valley AFS (Z-38) as an annex designated OL-A, 666th Radar Squadron. Today the large SAGE building is now building 2145, housing the 9th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron; the GATR was inactivated in 1980 and the building is now part of a Skeet-shooting range.
