FriendBurst Blog

I joined the Marine Corp in
December of 1963, about a Month after President John F. Kennedy was
assassinated. To quote him “Ask not what your country can do for you BUT
what you can do for your country.”

On New Years Eve, I and about
10 others arrived at San Diego, California and was received by a Marine Corp
Sergant who was not happy to see us. I went through Marine Boot Camp in San
Diego and Rifle training at Camp Mathews just North of San Diego. I had
advanced combat training at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Back to San Diego for radar
and radio training where I graduated as the class honor man. Promoted to
Private First Class.

Off I went to Cherry Point
Marine Air Wing, North Carolina and became a member of Marine Air Control
Squadron 7. Around the fall of 1964 I shipped out of Cherry Point at Moore Head City, South
Carolina boarded a Troop ship to Spain on Operation Steel Pike 1, the largest
amphibious operation since World War II. We was in country at Spain on a NATO
training exercise for a couple of months attached to the Fleet Marine force
Mediterranean. We had R and R in the Canary Islands for a week. Back to Cherry
Point, NC.

I shipped out from
Cherry
Point, NC in March of 1965 to Okinawa, Japan for 3 months. Promoted to
Lance
Corporal. Viet Nam geared up when President Johnson said to send in the
Marines
and there I was in the Pacific on Okinawa so he said SEND THEM! Off I
went two
weeks later where I landed June 1965 with the first Marines at Chu Lia,
Viet
Nam which was not much more then a large Fire Base. The day following my
arrival I discovered–YES I am in a war when I and 3 other of my
friends was coming off the parimenter we came under sniper rifle fire
bidding us welcome to the war. I was promoted to Corporal
still with MACS 7. I left a year later in June 1966. Chu Lia had become a
Major
Marine and Helicopter air base. I returned home Via way of Okinawa, Wake
Island
and Hawaii to El Toro Marine Air Station, California where I went home
on
leave.

Ten Days after my return from
Viet Nam I was married In Wichita, Kansas June 25th, 1966 to Dianna Lynn Pfannenstiel
class of 1965 at South High School but she attended Campus High till her last
semester of her senior year. I was 24 years old and she had just turned 19. I have two Daughters; Christina (one Grand
Daughter age 20) and Cynthia (one Grand Daughter age 9 and one Grand Son age 11).

I returned to El Toro, Calif.
to complete my three year enlistment where I was promoted to Sergeant. I joined
the Head Quarters Commanding Generals staff. I was offered a commission to
Lieutenant to re up for another 4 years but I took my discharge and returned to
Wichita, Kansas. In my three years in The Marine Corp I saw a lot of the world
and my share of war. It was an adventure ashore, in the air and afloat. I was
able to pull myself together and I think I have had a good life with its ups
and downs.

I graduated from Central
Business College with a degree in Drafting and Engineering in 1968. I became a
private pilot around 1970. I became an aero space engineer in 1967 where I
worked for Beech Aircraft, Boeing and mostly Cessna Aircraft In Wichita,
Kansas. In 1968 I returned to Wichita State University till 1970 majoring in
Mechanical Engineering. I moved to Texas in 1986 working for E-Systems in
Greenville, TX. In 1992 I came to Waco, Texas working for Chrysler Technology/
Raytheon which is now L-3 Communications. My claim to fame, I would guess, is
that I worked on AIRFORCE 1 both the old 707 and 747 aircraft plus some fancy
executive aircraft for Brunei and Saudi Arabia, the SOFIA airborne space
telescope and some Navy P-3 spy planes and other planes that I would have to shoot
you if you found out about them.

During my life I was a very
active thespian acting in musicals and plays. I was with the Wichita Children’s
theater at the Irene Vicars Backer Theater both as an actor and as an assistant
director for Sister Ambrozine who was a nun. GO FIGURE A EX MARINE AND A NUN WORKING TOGETER WITH KIDS!!—grins

I retired from L-3
Communications in Waco, Texas on July 31st, 2008. I am now 71 years old as of
April 3rd.

I was attending Baylor
University here in Waco, Texaas until taking a year off to be my wife’s care taker
with her having 4 back surgerys since 2009. She is disability retired and is
67 years old today May 27^th. I am a college Junior majoring in Art
History with a 3.50 GPA out of a 4.0.