After Gunn, I attended Foothill and then UCLA, where I earned a Masters in African Studies. From there, I entered the Air Force, completed pilot training, and flew C-130s in Germany and from two stateside bases. The rest of my AF career included education assignments at the USAF Academy, Duke University (PhD in History), as commander of the Air Force's graduate school for strategic planners, and in several senior positions in planning and futures. The highlight of my career was meeting my wife Adrienne, whose wisdom, patience, and love have made my life a joy and who has been my mentor and inspiration for learning something about civilized behavior. She also was the producer of our two incredible children; Heather who is a safety manager for Delta, and Jordan who works from his home. I left the AF in 2002 and immediately came to work at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach campus. In my role as a professor, my main responsibilities are tormenting undergraduates with writing assignments, and writing books and articles on national defense-related subjects. Of course, I also respond to the commands of she-who-must-be-obeyed regarding everything from cleaning the gutters to driving slower.

At the risk of being too reflective, I think I was too full of myself and awkward socially to have had a lot of guard-down-and-truly-funny experiences. I did like to tell stories (some of them true) and jokes, but I wasn't very comfortable in face-to-face interactions except with a handful of trusted friends. But, I do remember being so drunk on Red Mountain Hearty Burgundy up on top of the theater building during Grad Night that I had to wait for several hours--almost dawn--before I could use the rope to clamber down.
Looking back, I mostly now remember teachers who had an impact on my intellectual attitude and self-esteem. These included Mary Lee Glass, Richard Glendenning, and Ron Iverson. I also remember the host of fellow students who I admired and wished I could be like, and the couple of young ladies with whom I fell deeply, albeit temporarily, in love.
Otherwise, I was happy at Gunn and, while I certainly wasn't part of the social core or given to hilarity and hi-jinks, I had some friends, did my part, and took away some valued memories.

Sometime around 1979 I did have an unusual meeting with a fellow classmate, who will remain anonymous to protect her privacy. My C-130 crew and I had just dropped off passengers and mail for a Navy submarine tender anchored near Olbia, Sardinia. As we prepared to start engines and return to Naples a jeep pulled up and the driver told us to wait for a visiting wife who had gone into labor and needed to go back with us, where the Navy had a hospital. When the lady came on board, the navigator situated her on the crew bunk while we taxied out for departure. Since I was the worthless co-pilot on the flight back, the aircraft commander assigned me to perform any obstetrical duties that might be necessary. So, verrrry reluctantly and fearfully, I went back to check on our passenger once we had leveled off for the 40-minute flight back. To our mutual surprise, we had known each other in passing as classmates at Gunn. We chatted most of the flight, which I think helped keep her relaxed and childless until we landed. I heard later that the Navy had put her on a Medevac to Stuttgart, where the Army had a real hospital, and she had a beautiful baby girl. I saw her again at our 30th reunion, where she turned out to be one of the few people there that recognized or remembered me. Story of my life; unless I'm playing catcher for your pending baby, you are not likely to take note of my presence.