biography
Soon after finishing college, I passed my draft physical with flying colors. This encouraged me to join the USAF. I began Active Duty in December of '69 to become a pilot. After Officer Training School at Lackland AFB, I completed Pilot Training at Craig AFB near Selma, Alabama, and some combat type training, I was assigned to the 362 TEW Squadron at Da Nang Air Base in August of '71. TEW stood for Tactical Electronic Warfare and we flew EC47 airplanes. During my tour I was awarded three Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC.) The government wanted to reduce the number of personnel in Vietnam at that time and my tour was shortened by one month. I was reassigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at March AFB near Riverside, CA to fly B-52s in July of '72. After getting qualified to fly the "Buff," I got to revisit southeast Asia, on TDY, to U-Tapao, Thailand and the Island of Guam. I was committed to 6 years in the AF and I spent my final six months of duty as a Disaster Preparedness Officer at HQ of 15th Air Force, also at March AFB. I separated from active duty on December 31, 1975.
