?»?As a young boy growing up in San Diego California my father took me to see the first flight of the Convair XC-99. From that point on I was intrigued with aviation. I enlisted in the US Air Force in 1961 following high school and a year of college.

I trained as an aircraft instrument technician and assigned to Luke AFB Arizona. I maintained systems on T-33, F-84, F-100, L-20, C-47, and C-123 aircraft and was involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was reassigned later to the 317th Troop Carrier Wing flying C-130A aircraft. In November 1964 as a member of the NATO Quick Reaction Team I participated in Operation Dragon, the Congo hostage rescue operation.

In 1965 I attended training on Navy Douglas A-4C attack aircraft. Following training I was assigned to Eglin AFB to participate in Project Sparrowhawk, an evaluation of A-4, F-4 and F-5 aircraft under simulated combat operations.

Discharged in 1965 from the Air Force, in 1967 I joined the Air Force Reserve. As a reservist we stood up the first Air Force Reserve Wing to be under the operational control of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the 452nd Air Refueling Wing. We maintained and flew the Boeing KC-135 aircraft. We supported aircraft deployments to Pacific island bases for air operations in the South China Sea during the Viet Nam War.

In the mid-1970?€™s I was selected to train as an airborne Sensor Operator (LLTV) on AC-130A Spectre aircraft. I was assigned to the 919th Special Operations Group, 711th Special Operation Squadron, Duke Field Florida. I was an Air Force Reserve tactical aircrew member for 5 plus years and had many interesting adventures on operations involving my squadron.

My daughter is an Air Force veteran and my son is a captain flying for a major US airline. I think we can say some of my aviation experiences have positively influenced their lives.

Currently I am retired and living in Colorado with my wife and still enjoy keeping up with aviation issues and events as well as supporting the National Air and Space Museum.

September 2010