Back at George, we started USAF’s second F-4 Replacement Training Unit; I instructed in this organization from early ’66 through the end of ’68. I had started taking college courses while in Japan and continued them at George, working to become eligible for AFIT’s undergraduate engineering degree program. I was accepted into that program just before I left George in early ’69 (to return to Southeast Asia to complete my year’s obligation), and was scheduled to start school when I returned.

I went to Cam Ranh Bay AB, expecting to spend eight months flying “in-country” missions in the F-4. But after only eight missions was tapped to go to 7th AF Hq’s “out country” operations center, “Blue Chip.” I put in the rest of my tour at 7th AF, working from 11 PM ‘til 8 AM assembling a summary of the previous 24 hours’ “out country” strike missions and results, then briefing those results to the Commander, General George Brown, at 0730 each day. I gave an advance version to the Director of Op’s, one MGen David Jones. I was especially impressed with him, and when I returned home I told Madeline, “Mark my word, that guy is going to be Chief of Staff before his career is over.” (OK, so I was wrong – he went all the way to Chairman). My promotion to Major came shortly before I returned to the States.

In January 1970 I started full time undergrad studies at the University of Illinois, graduating with a BSEE in June, ’72. The AF began managing pilots’ flying careers more closely while I was at Illinois, and since I’d been out of the cockpit for quite a while by graduation time, instead of going into Systems Command I went back to flying, as a supervisor in the T-38 pilot training squadron at Craig AFB, AL. After three years there I went to San Antonio in July, 1975, to be a supervisor and Flight Examiner in the T-41 Flight Screening Program, associated with OTS but with the flying done at the Hondo airfield west of Lackland. Soon after my promotion to LtCol I took over as OTS Deputy Commander for Flying Operations in mid ’77, responsible for the complete the T-41 program there. Among the more memorable training events were the first two groups of ten women pilot candidates. A great bunch of folks, all highly motivated (including future space shuttle commander LtCol (then Lieutenant) Eileen Collins). This was to be my last flying assignment.

Back to Japan in July ‘78, to Hq of US Forces Japan (USFJ) at Yokota, in the J-3 section (operations and plans). For the entire three year tour we worked to develop a new combined (US-Japan) plan for defense of Japan. Working with our counterparts from the Japanese joint staff, we went through the whole process, including threat assessments and force structure studies. In off-duty time I went back to school, earning an MS in Education from the University of Southern California. The only other masters degree course available was in Systems Management, and it didn’t appear I was ever going to end up in that field, so I pursued the education program, based on several years of teaching in my enlisted USAF days.

So of course my final assignment was to Systems Command’s Electronic Systems Division at Hanscom AFB, doing Communications Systems R&D program management. After three years at Hanscom I retired effective May 1, 1984, completing 30 years and 4½ months’ service. I went to work with AT&T’s Federal Systems Division in Greensboro, NC, as a project manager, product manager and business development manager over a thirteen year period. Our group developed and manufactured secure communications products and systems, including the secure phones used throughout the government. A highlight of the AT&T work was when our business unit bought a small company outside of Zurich, Switzerland, in the summer of ’91, and needed someone to work there for a couple of years to get them integrated into the company. Needless to say, I volunteered immediately. We moved to Switzerland in November, ’91, and stayed until June, ’94. A great experience, and we took advantage of the opportunity to do a lot of traveling throughout Europe. I “really retired” in May, 1996, after accepting one of AT&T’s “wouldn’t you like to leave early” force reduction offers.

Madeline and I have been happily married since November, 1956, and are enjoying retirement. In the fall of 1997 we moved to the area north of Atlanta to be nearer to some of my family. After Mom was gone and a brother moved to the coast, we decided to move north and east a bit to be nearer our son and his family. So in 2006 we made what we hope will be our last move, to a nice area of Rock Hill, SC, just a few miles south of Charlotte.

After leaving USAF I resumed my life-long interest in old automobiles, particularly Hudsons, of which I’d had several in my high school days and thereafter. In 1989 we acquired a 1936 Hudson convertible that needed a full restoration. That took eleven year, including the three year time-out in the middle for the Swiss job assignment. So the car was finished in 2001. It was a dynamite looker and national award winner (see photo), but it turned out to be so valuable we just couldn’t get comfortable driving it, so sold it in 2003. Just prior to that, shopping the car around put me in touch with Jay Leno, and though he didn’t but the car, he did invite my two brothers and me to come out and see his car collection, which we did, quite some time later. A real treat. The ’36 convertible is now in a private collection in PA, but we have a ’47 Hudson sedan and a ’51 Hornet convertible to keep me busy, so I’m not out walking the streets!

Updated April 2010.

My first Hudson convertible, bought in 1956. Click your mouse on either of these pictures for a larger version.
Now, with my wife of +53 years and another Hudson convertible.
My (former) '36 Hudson.
My '47 Hudson.