Feb 1945 Salina, KS

I was in the military from mid-1942 until November 23, 1945. The main event for me was combat aircrew action as on of eleven on board a B-29 "Superfortress". I was the left waist aerial gunner in the Liberty Belle II. We participated in the Air Offensive - Japan from October 1944 to August 6, 1945. I was discharged as a Staff Sergeant from US Army Air Force and later took a direct commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Reserve of the US Air Force.

I was discharged as a Lieutenant Colonel USAFR in 1977 at age 55.

My immediate past "job' was to sustain the Congressionally chartered Reserve Officers Association, Chapter 37, Orange County, CA. - as their President, from which I drew two Outstanding ROA member awards.

As for civilian work, while doing Reserve duties, I did a lengthy stint of service in the Central Intelligence Agency with the title of Intelligence Officer/Analyst and a brief time as an insurance adjuster - investigator. I racked up some teaching credentials courses at Akron University and Kent State. This led to a period of twenty years as a high school teacher, mostly in Orange County, California for Advanced and Intermediate Spanish.