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There is so much that has happened since '62
that I hardly know where to begin. After PHS, I went to Purdue and received
a B.S. in Science in '66 and then on to Michigan State University for a
M.S. in Biochemistry in '68. Times being what they were, the Army was trying
to draft me as soon as I completed my Master's Thesis. I decided to enlist
into the USAF as a biochemist; however, the AF had their own agenda and
sent me to Pilot Training School instead. However, things have a way of
working out and I really enjoyed my years of flying for the AF. Unfortunately,
since there was a "war" going on at the time, I also had to do
my part and before it was over, I had accumulated 278 combat flying hours
in Vietnam. I was one of the fortunate ones who made it back; however, some
of my friends were not as lucky.
In a career-broadening move, the Air Force sent me back to Purdue University
where I received my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1976. After
graduation, I was assigned to the Naval Aerospace Research Laboratory in
Pensacola, Florida where we did some pioneering research on the physiological
effects of weightlessness on rhesus monkeys for NASA. That was a really
great tour of duty and I managed to milk it for 5 years.
As luck would have it, the US Army took over all the Veterinary Reseach
positions in 1981, which left me without a job unless I wanted to transfer
to the Army. I said "no thank you" and decided to let the AF put
me through school once more. Looking back now, I rather enjoyed being a
professional student anyway. This time I went into the public health field
and finally became the Chief of Environmental Health at Ramstein Air Base
Hospital in Germany and later at Valdosta AFB in Georgia. After my tour
at Valdosta, I decided to retire at 20 years.
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After two failed marriages, I finally found
my soulmate while stationed at Carswell AFB, Texas in 1983. The 19 years
that Jeanna and I have been married have been the best years of my life.
Although Jeanna now has a chronic digestive disorder that gets progressively
worse each year, we continue to adjust our lives to compensate for her disability.
We have had to sell our Antique Shop in Indianapolis, which we started in
1988 when we moved back to Plainfield after retiring from the AF. I'm completely
retired now so that I can be available to take care of Jeanna when she needs
it. Several years ago we moved to a larger home in Lake Edgewood (between
Mooresville and Martinsville) so that Jeanna's mother could move in with
us to help out. She has her own apartment downstairs and has really been
a tremendous help to us.
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Over the last 35 years or so, I have been
kind of a fitness freak, which is kind of ironic since I was never into
sports as a teenager. I've been running for over 30 years now and have
run numerous marathons, a few ultra-marathons, and hundreds of shorter
races. A few years ago, I started racing bicycles because I had a running
injury which wasn't affected by bicycle training. Now that I'm over the
injury, I've been enjoying the best of both worlds by entering duathlons
(where you run a race, then switch to a bike race, then run another race).
Of course I'm not as competitive in the open categories as I used to be,
but I usually get on the podium for the master's divisions. I also like
to workout with weights and exercise equipment, and I have a complete
gym at home that would rival the best fitness centers. I have had many
different "looks" through the years: some years when I concentrated
on weightlifting I would weigh as much as 225 lbs, and there were other
years that I concentrated on running and would get down to 155 lbs. Conseqently,
I keep several different sets of clothes, although now that I'm older
I don't think I'll be "bulking up" any time soon.
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It's hard to believe that I've been retired
for 14 years already, but you know what they say about time when your
having fun! One of our favorite things to do presently is to have our
grandson, Trevor, stay over for the weekend. He is 7 years old now and
the good times that we have together remind me so much of my childhood
when I would stay at my grandparent's house.
I recently was selected by the International Olympic Committee to be a
torchbearer for the XIX Winter Olympic Games at Salt Lake City. I carried
the torch on February 8th as the relay went through Indiana. It was a
thrilling experince and a memory that I will treasure for the rest of
my life.
I've enjoyed hearing from some former classmates
via email and am looking forward to our 40th reunion. Many thanks to Chuck,
Karen, Sharon and all others who have been instrumental in developing
this website and planning the reunion.
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