I was born October 26, 1937 in Laurel, Mississippi and graduated from Sharon High School in April 1955. I enlisted in the Air Force in April 1955 and attended the United States Air Force Intercept Analyst Intelligence School at Kelly AFB, Texas. I served the next eight years in various intelligence positions in Korea, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, Quemoy, Taiwan Straits, Matsu, Hong Kong, Okinawa, and Germany. Upon returning to the United States, I was assigned as a Personnel Technician at Lackland AFB, Texas, and later attended the last class of the United States Air Force Officer Candidate School where I was commissioned in June 1963.
I was assigned to Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina after graduating from the Basic Transportation Officer Course. I served as the Traffic Management Officer and later as the Commander of the 4th Transportation Squadron. In July 1965, I was reassigned to the 7th Aerial Port Squadron/315th Air Division, Tachikawa Air Base, Japan where I served as the Chief, Traffic Division; Chief, Aerial Delivery; and Chief, Administrative Division—dual-hatted positions. During the following years, I spent about three weeks a month TDY in Vietnam. The unit was redesignated the 2nd Aerial Port Group, and I moved with the relocation of the 2nd Aerial Port Group in September 1966 to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam. I served in various capacities which included Executive Officer and Chief, Personnel and Administrative Division. Upon departure from Vietnam in September 1967, I was assigned to Headquarters United States Air Forces In Europe (USAFE) as the USAFE Liaison Officer at Rhein Main Air Base, Germany.
In June 1970, I was reassigned to Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Nebraska where I served as Chief, Traffic Management Division. I was reassigned to the Air Force Military Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas as the Chief, Transportation Resource Management Team in September 1972. From July 1975 to July 1976, I served as the 13th Air Force Water Port Logistics Officer (WPLO), Sattahip, Thailand.
In July 1976 I was assigned to the 435th Aerial Port Squadron, Rhein Main Air Base, Germany, where I served as Chief, Passenger Service, and Assistant Air Terminal Manager. Upon returning to the United States in July 1979, I was assigned to the Joint Personnel Property Shipping Office, San Antonio, Texas where I established the Air Force Excess Cost Adjudication Function. In July 1983, I was assigned to Headquarters USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany as the Chief, Plans and Programs Division. and Deputy Director of Transportation. In February 1986, I was reassigned to Colorado Springs, Colorado where I was tasked to establish the Joint Personnel Property Shipping Office.In April 1990 I was reassigned to Hq Air Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas as the Director of Transportation.
During my career, I managed to attend the University of Maryland, City College Of Chicago, and North Carolina State University via off-duty education. I completed Squadron Officer School in 1966, Air Command and Staff College in 1974, and Industrial College Of the Armed Forces in 1975.
After 36+ years in the Air Force, I retired as a Colonel prior to 1 May 1991.
While stationed in Germany in the 1958-1962 time frame, I met and married my wife, Ellen. We were blessed with two sons. Our oldest son, Stephen was hit and killed by a drunk driver when he was 19 years old. Our youngest son, Gregory, after a five-year tour in the Air Force, completed his degree in Criminal Justice at Southwest Texas State University, married, and is a police detective in Plano, Texas. On 4 Feb 2004, after a 10-year wait, Greg and Delaine presented us with a grandson, Aiden Stephan Ulmer.