I lied about my age, time served converted to good time, and enlisted with the West Virginia ANG in 1956. Trained in electronics and crewed on an SA-16 Grumman (flying boat)… haven’t a clue why they had watercraft on top of a West Virginia mountain. Spent about two of the next four years on short deployments (one-three months).
Entered regular active duty 1960 and worked on GAM 72 and 77 missile guidance systems at Robins AFB until selected for OCS. Pilot training at Vance AFB, OK. Assigned C-130E’s, 779th TCS at Pope AFB, 1964. Saw duty in the Dominican Republic and the Belgian Congo. First C-130 group deployed to Nam…spent 19 months. Brief stop with 37th TCS, Langley AFB, VA. 13 months Washington, DC, at the Defense Intelligence College with duty at the Foreign Technology Division, Wright-Patterson, OH.
Back to flying in 1969 at Patrick AFB, FL. Flew mission support for the Apollo program… EC, RC, KC-135’s and C-137’s. Had a helicopter rescue detachment at NKP, Thailand for a year in ’73 ’74.
Beverly, who was with me at OCS, was killed in a car accident the week I was to depart for the CONUS. Got caught in a RIF, reverted back to E-6, and worked Explosive Ordnance Disposal until retirement. Put in 24 years 3 days.
New wife (19 years) has four children and I have three … they have provided 11 grandchildren… so far. We met in college after I retired. She in Psychology and me Computer Science. I worked as a freelancer, designing and writing custom software until December 2000. Took another Masters in 1998, Library Science and Media Technology, in a vain attempt to shift careers… too old. Traveling, reading, writing, and puttering is my current job description.
