After graduation from Enid High, I attended Oklahoma University then Oklahoma State University, graduating in 1962. Commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force through the ROTC program, I went directly into the Air Force at Springfield, MA. My other “sister,” Sue Holley Hagopian was living there, so it was like having “family” in MA. After three years in Massachusetts, I was offered an assignment to Wiesbaden, Germany, jumped at the opportunity and ended up spending 24 years in the Air Force, with over 10 years in the Pentagon. While in Germany, I learned to speak German, much to the great surprise, I’m sure, of my old college German professor. From 2002 to 2004 I was on a consulting job near Frankfurt, Germany and much to my surprise, I hadn’t lost my German.
After living in Washington, DC, for ten years, when it was time to retire, in 1985, I took a job as a manager with Arthur Young and Company in downtown Washington. I was in the international consulting practice providing industrial engineering management support to government agencies in the US and Europe. Arthur Young tanked for the same shady auditing practices like the other “Arthur,” Arthur Anderson, auditor for ENRON. One of my old Air Force buddies offered me a job with his consulting firm, where I spent the next 14 years providing industrial engineering consulting support in the US, Europe and the Balkans. In 2004, I took a teaching position with the Defense Acquisition University, developing and teaching government contracting courses to federal employees. I am still working there because, like Jim Faulkner, our wives would have us busy doing really “important” things, around the house! Jim and I have a contest to see who will work the longest!
I am married to Myra, whom I met, thanks to one of our 1957 classmates, Derel Schrock. Derel was a pilot for TWA in Kansas City. He was having a New Years Eve party and when I indicated that I would come, Derel said that he would introduce me to a special friend. One year later, Myra and I were married – thanks to Derel! Myra was a TWA flight attendant, so we had lots of opportunity to travel – which I am not totally enamored with, since it seems like I spend most of my life in an airliner seat anyway! Myra retired from TWA in 1992 after 24 years in the air and went back to school to obtain her second degree in interior design. After graduation from Marymount University here in Washington, DC, she started her own business as an interior designer.
My wife and I have two children: a daughter, Susan, age 40 something, married to Colonel Jim Post, 20th Fighter Wing Commander at Shaw AFB, SC. They have two children, Lauren and Nelson. Our son David, age 39, is an Accounts Manager for a food service company and lives in Austin, Texas. He is married to Kristi, a self employed medical records accounts manager, with three children, Kelsey, Jacob and Dylan.
Other Information /Comments:
–Favorite Subject in school: Sciences
–Favorite teacher: Mr. Hemphill
–Favorite song: “In the Mood” by Glenn Miller.
–Favorite eating place in 56-57: Mike’s Steakhouse, North Enid. Alleged to have been a “speakeasy” during prohibition, and still had the aura that something not quite legal going on in, since Oklahoma was still a “dry” state in 1957.
–Favorite teen age hang out: Cruising the Main Street Dairy Queen.
–Favorite past time: Hanging out with the guys and gals.
–Name of a friend with a car: My sister Jeanne. Since I was grounded so much, I had to bribe Jeanne to use the car since she was the only one with the gasoline ration!
–Favorite person you dated in school: You’ve got to be kidding! We’re having a reunion!