After retirement from the Air Force, I served as a full-time Baptist Minister until February 2011. I served in churches in Oklahoma and Louisiana and was ordained in 1991. I must admit that it was trying at times, but it was good to be in my true calling. In February 2011, I fully retired.
One of the most important parts of my life is my family. I married a widow with children and have children of my own from a prior marriage. We have both lost a child. Her son was killed when hit on the side of the road by a truck, my daughter was killed by a hit-and-run driver. That leaves us with 2 sons and 2 daughters (step to me) and 11 grandchildren, two great-grandsons, and one great-granddaughter. We love and accept them all and try our best to do right by each of them.
Other Comments:
I miss the Air Force in a lot of ways, especially the common dedication to a cause. The type of comradery we had in the military is unlike anything else in the world. I speak with active duty folks sometimes and sense the same sense of dedication in most of them that we saw in previous eras. I am especially impressed with many of the young people I meet.
I can tell you that when I entered the Air Force, I was a green kid who had never been away from home. I was overprotected and had a lot of maturing to do and a lot to learn. I made a lot of mistakes and was in trouble several times in the early years. I really don't know how I made it to retirement, but I did. The Air Force taught me a number of values that have stayed with me all of these years.
I just hope us older folks set the kind of example that will out-live our time.
Feel free to view my dad's profile on the ATWS Site.
Aircraft/Missile Information
The C-130 series began as a 1951 requirement for a military transport with Short Take-Off and Landing capabilities. The series was born as the YC-130 and performed well in the latter part of 1954 with its Allison three-bladed turboprop engines. With successes encountered throughout the war in Vietnam and furthermore in peacetime, the C-130 Hercules spawned a plethora of variants that would include special forces insertion, arctic patrol, meteorological research, communications, close-support and modernized variants of the base transport.
Model Lockheed C-130H Hercules Length 97.77 ft | 29.80 m Width 132.55 ft | 40.40 m Height 37.40 ft | 11.40 m Engine(s) 4 x Allison T56-A-15LFE turboprop engines generating 4,508hp each. Empty Weight 76,505 lbs | 34,702 kg MTOW 175,003 lbs | 79,380 kg Max Speed 386 mph | 621 km/h | 335 kts Max Range 2,237 miles | 3,600 km Ceiling 33,005 ft | 10,060 m | 6.3 miles Climb Rate Not Available Hardpoints 0 Armament None. Internal payload of up to 42,637lbs of supplies, personnel and vehicles. Accommodations 4 + 92 Operators Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America among others (about 60 in all).
