Foil: 17 Panel: 1 Column: 3 Line: 107

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Thomas J. Browne

Mr. Browne enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1945 and served our nation as a draftsman and aerial photographer stationed in Germany. His one regret, he always told me, was that he didn't get to fly as a pilot.
He raised nine children and worked countless jobs, but he never forgot that dream of flying an airplane. On Father's Day 1978, his gift from me was an introductory flight lesson at Marine City Airport, Michigan. Since I had never been in an airplane before, the instructor invited me to go along. The next day, at the age of 16,1 signed up for flying lessons; his schedule didn't allow him to start for another week. He developed cataracts not long after, so he never got to finish his pilot's license.
His fascination and passion for all things aviation took root with me, and with his support and guidance I went on to earn a degree in Aviation Technology and Management from Western Michigan University. Now, nearly 25 years later, I am still working in the industry that captured the imaginations of two young teenagers, a generation apart, bonded by the love of father and son.