A lot of folks, I'm sure, can think back on their careers and select a single incident or decision that, either intentionally or accidentally, changed their entire future. I know I can. Let me tell you about it. In 1941, I was a Staff Sergeant stationed at Luke Field, Phoenix, Arizona. Luke Field was a pilot training base for advanced flying cadets. When the cadets finished their training at Luke they were commissioned as Second Lieutenants and given their pilot wings. I was an airplane mechanic on the advanced trainer (AT-6) that they flew and was in daily contact with flying cadets and instructor officers. One day during the latter part of 1941 a group of us mechanics were shooting the breeze on the flight line and one of them said, "It sure would be nice to graduate as a pilot and become a commissioned officer. The highest rank we can hope for is to become a Master Sergeant." "Yeah. It sure would be", replied another. "But you have to have at least two years of college to be accepted for pilot training. No way we can get a commission." "Sure there is", said another. "You only need a high school diploma to be accepted for training as a bombardier or navigator. And they'll give you a commission when you graduate" A few days later I was in Phoenix and remembered our conversation on the flight line. So on the spur of the moment I went to the Recruiting Office in town and applied for Navigator-Bombardier training. I didn't think that there would be much of a chance of being accepted but I applied anyhow and almost forgot about the whole thing as days passed. But shortly after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, I was called to appear before the Cadet Board at Luke for action on my application. Wow! This could be it! Maybe I'll get to be a navigator or bombardier after all! And get a commission! On the appointed day for my interview I dressed up in my formal uniform and went to the nearby building where the cadet board was convened. There was already a line sitting on a long bench waiting outside the door to the boardroom so I took my place at the end. I was the last one in line. When the interviews started, the applicants were being called in one at a time about every 5 minutes or so until I was now the next and last one to be called. Suddenly, a Sergeant appeared with a yellow telegram in his hand and hurriedly walked into the boardroom ahead of me as the previous applicant came out. So I waited. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. "Oh hell", I thought. "They must have filled their quota. I'm not going to be called". But after what seemed like ages, I was called in. I briskly walked down an isle and stopped in front of a long table with several officers sitting behind it. The center officer in charge was a full Colonel. I stopped in front of him, saluted smartly, and said, "Sir. Staff Sergeant Yauk, J. reporting as ordered, Sir". "At ease", said the Colonel as he looked up from the yellow telegram the Sergeant had just brought in. "I see from your application that you are applying for Navigator-Bombardier training" "Yes Sir", I said. "Why aren't you applying for pilot training?" asked the Colonel. 'I'm not qualified", I replied. "I don't have the required two years of college, Sir". "This cable in my hand just arrived", said the Colonel. "It says that you do not need 2 years of college. A high school diploma is sufficient. Do you want to change your application to Pilot Training?" "Yes, Sir!" I replied with enthusiasm. "I sure do!" "Very well" said the Colonel. "We'll change it and accept you for pilot training. That's all, Sergeant". Saluting again I said, "Thank you, Sir", did an about face and walked out on air. I couldn't believe it! I was accepted for pilot training! If that telegram had arrived 5 minutes later I would have become either a navigator or a bombardier! Just 5 minutes changed my whole future! Later on when I arrived at Lackland Field, Texas for basic training I had to fill out another form. At the end of the form was a question that asked, "List your preference of training in the event you are not selected for your first choice." I thought for a minute and decided, "Hell, I've made it this far. Might as well go for it all". So I listed: 1st Choice---Pilot 2nd Choice---Pilot 3rd Choice---Pilot And it's probably a good thing that I did because I found out later that several cadets received navigator or bombardier training which were their second or third choices. But like I said before, I'll never forget the 5 minutes in time that changed my whole life.