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ce Description
– Here’s my bio snapshot:
When the Berlin Wall fell, actually the day after, I
went to Berlin and East Germany to obtain all the different
tactical aircraft, missiles, radars and other equipment that
the Former East Germans trained Saddam Hussein’s military on
and gave them and set up delivery of the aircraft to
Ramstein and the equipment to Rhein Main to ship to Wright
Pat for exploitation. That was exciting and I have
some great photos sitting in a MiG-29. |
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After leaving Wiesbaden in late summer 1964, we were
transferred to Sumter AFB in South Carolina. A family friend
drove me to Gainesville, Florida and the University of
Florida. Driving on campus for the first time, amongst some
30,000 students, I spotted a familiar face and rolled down
my window. “Sander!”, I yelled. So began my two year
experiment with Larry Sander, Mike & Kathy Richardson,
Christine England and UF. For my part, too much fraternity
and fun led to too little grade point and the draft came
calling. Actually, they sent a notice to the frat house,
Sander decided to do me a favor and tore it up. This led to
the police asking my parents where I was and me taking the
Army over prison. |
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We left Wiesbaden the summer of 1964. Suz went to Kent State and I headed to the University of Iowa. We stayed in touch and eventually (boy, did I leave out a lot of detail here) got married in June 1968. We headed to Denver where I attended law school. Suz had her first teaching job (of a 25 year career) in Jefferson County, outside Denver. Our daughter, Amy (now 40), was born while we were there…I was an Air Force ROTC student in college so after law school I went on active duty with my first assignment being MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida in the Staff Judge Advocate’s office. Our son Greg (now 37) was born at the MacDill hospital. I volunteered for a reassignment to Nellis AFB outside of Las Vegas in 1974 and we have lived here ever since. My son, daughter, and their families are here as well so we are blessed in that regard. Suz had to stop teaching in 2001 due to a rare retina disease which is slowly taking her vision. She fights through it every day and most of the time one would never know she is visually impaired. I got out of the AF in 1977 and joined the law firm I still work at/for. I have become a full time mediator, arbitrator and part time civil judge in Las Vegas. I am able to make my own schedule which allows me to spend more time with my bride and our 3 year old granddaughter, Melinda. Suz and I have done a lot of traveling/sailing to the Caribbean, Mexico, Panama (fishing), Tahiti, Australia, Tonga and other spots when we can put a trip together. We are Harley Davidson owners/riders and spend a lot of time taking short trips around Nevada, Utah, Arizona and California. We are enjoying life with family and friends and specifically look forward to continued contact with so many folks from H. H. Arnold after almost 50 years. Truly amazing. ********************************************** |
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As a civilian I lived in Bad Godesberg (near Bonn) and
commuted to Wiesbaden Sunday evenings living in a boarding
house in Wiesbaden Bieberich.
Actually it was the home of a retired Lt. Col. and
his family.
They had a big house with room for several
boarders.
All of us boarders were American civilians
attending WHS.
In fact, the home was next door to Barron Wilk and
his family.
Weekdays, after school, I would have to
immediately board the bus to go back to the boarding house
and as soon as classes ended on Friday I would take a taxi
to the train station and back to Bad Godesberg for the
weekend.
No after school activities for me.
Not that those of us in Bad Godesberg didn’t have
fun.
We had access to all activities connected to the
American Embassy like movies and a teen club. |
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After high school graduation, went to college,
graduating in 1968 (The Citadel), majoring in German of all
things.
A couple of years in the army
followed, then I stayed in the reserves for a little over 34
more years, retiring in 2006. In civilian life, I went to
grad school at the University of Massachusetts for my master
and doctor degrees in the 70's.
Big transition from the Fortress of
Fascism in Charleston to UMass in the Peoples' Republic of
Massachusetts.
Switched to history, German history,
of course (WWI, Weimar and Hitler periods).
Spent a year in Germany as a student
doing research at Freiburg and Munich Universities for my
degree. In 1976, The Citadel recognized my genius
financially, and I've been in Charleston since then.
Professor
in the history department.
Written a couple of books. Dramer
said she bought one; ask her if it was any good.
Been married to my beautiful wife
Sara for over 40 years. One son, lives in Charleston.
Hobby is sailing, and we usually
cruise a good bit of the summer on our boat which we keep on
the Chesapeake Bay.
Will retire in the summer of 2012.
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After graduating
in home economics from LSU in 1968, I got an MS in consumer
economics from Cornell.
Cornell was a cultural shock because it was my first
up-close-and-personal exposure to the 60’s US
counter-cultural scene.
No question, I was changed by it.
Following 6 months living in and exploring Japan with
family, I moved to Alabama to teach consumer economics at
Auburn University for four years.
In 1974, I entered
the Adrian Dominican order (motherhouse in Adrian,
Michigan).
During 10 wonderful years as a nun, I did chaplaincy at
Detroit General Hospital, parish work in a Michigan small
town parish, pastoral work in Denver’s public housing
projects, campus ministry at Vanderbilt University, and
political issue education at a small Catholic lobby group in
Washington DC.
Along the way I got a second masters degree in Biblical
studies.
Deciding not to
take final vows, I left the Dominican order in the mid-80’s
and soon joined the staff at AARP where I worked for 23
years, until retirement in 2009.
At AARP I did issue education and political
organizing with volunteers, primarily in New England and the
Pacific Northwest, and later began training staff on policy
issues and advocacy strategies.
Midway in my tenure, I moved into organizational
learning and performance, working primarily with staff and
eventually taking a management position.
During this
23-year period, serendipity kept me company.
In 1989, I did month of travel in east Africa with a
friend, staying with missionaries in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and
Kenya. In 1991,
wine tasting became a hobby and I visited wineries in
California, Washington, Oregon, and Virginia (but pulled
back from this when I got breast cancer in 2000).
In 1994, I was in the US delegation of UN monitors
observing South Africa’s first free elections.
While there I visited friends in Cape Town and did
some wine tasting around Cape Province.
In 1997, I went to Uganda for a couple weeks, staying
with friends doing a year of service, and then vacationed on
the island of Zanzibar.
In 2003, I graduated from the Newfield Network’s
coaching program and I gained coaching certification two
years later.
The reason I left the Dominican order
was a collapse of religious faith.
Having a spiritual bent, I explored other options for
some time but could not find a spiritual home.
In 1997, a friend gave me Thich Nhat Hanh’s book,
Peace is Every Step.
In it I encountered the word “mindfulness” and knew
instantly: this is what I seek.
I followed that thread to Buddhism and have been on
that spiritual path ever since.
In 2002, I helped establish a Buddhist scripture
study group in my area, which continues monthly in my home.
Turning my energies to formal study and practice of
Buddhist teaching, I began leading others in meditation and
core teachings in 2006, and I also mentor others who seek
guidance in their practice.
In
recent years I have done extensive travel in Australia,
India, and Russia.
I volunteer in my condominium, and spend as much time
with family as possible, which usually entails travel.
This year I got my condo remodeled, including a
complete kitchen renovation: painful process, glorious
results! All in
all, I am blessed indeed. |
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Following graduation I spent three years studying political
science before getting the urge to return to Europe for what
I fondly call my “ski bum” years.
I worked happily in Wiesbaden, living first on the
economy and then at the Amelia Earhart.
When the DM got very expensive in the early 70’s, I
decided it was time to go home.
I met Keith Watts soon after returning stateside and
we married about four years later.
We enjoyed duty stations in Belgium, Germany and
Hawaii before retiring to the Washington DC area in 1982
where Keith worked for SAIC.
In 2000, a couple years after losing Keith to
prostate cancer, I moved into a townhome in Falls Church, VA
where I reside today.
Over the remaining years I have traveled and
cruised—Europe, Asia, Africa, even the South Pole.
God willing, I will return to South America this fall
to climb Machu Picchu!
While at home, I keep busy in non-profit fundraising
and management for ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College
Scientists) and the National Symphony and work with my
church. |
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After returning to
the States in June 1964 on the USS United States, the
parents picked up a car and we drove South; the Dramers are
from Memphis, Little Rock, and Jackson, MS.
As you recall the South was a very different place
then. I found
that I had very little in common with my cousins.
We then went on to farm country in Kansas to see my
mother’s relatives.
Next was Albuquerque where my parents dropped me off
for classes a UNM.
(My father was transferred to Roswell, NM.)
I joined a sorority and worked hard, as we all have,
to fit in again.
It took a couple years, but I came to really love the
high desert, the mountains, etc.
I met my husband,
Sam, while I was an undergrad.
He came out here from the University of Illinois to
colonize a fraternity and go to graduate school.
We got married, did odd jobs like managing college
student apartments, had children, and started being
“grown-ups.”
After almost completing his PhD in Industrial Psychology and
working as a loan officer in a bank, an opportunity came up
and we bought the Yellow Cab Company.
Very interesting (sometimes scary) people drive cabs.
Around that time we got into race horses and went
into partnership with a “horsey” friend to buy a horse ranch
between here and Santa Fe.
At that time I got my private pilot’s license,
thinking we would be flying around to ranches in the state.
Soon after that, however, we discovered just how much
money horses eat and how much people who work for you can
embezzle! (Such
a time of growth it was).
Anyway, we sold Yellow Cab, and sold our half of
Rancho de Pena Blanca.
(The ranch was mentioned in the original land grant
documents—interesting aside).
After that, Sam bought a business (auto parts—which
nobody knew anything about) and 30 years later, it’s the
largest locally-owned parts warehouse in the state—nice
work, Sam.
Personally, we have 2 great children.
Heidi is a nurse practitioner in private practice.
She, her husband and 2 children live 3 blocks from
us. Adam is
president of Parts Plus of NM (our company).
He and his wife have 3 children and live less than 10
minutes from us.
All in all, I live a VERY unmilitary life.
I’m always open to questions or comments about all
the life experiences that happen between the lines.
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After WHS, I went to
school at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, but decided
college was not for me at that time.
I joined the Air Force and after about a year of
electronics school, I became an avionics technician
specializing in Airborne Navigation systems.
(All you AF pilot types can thank me for maintaining
the systems that told you where you were and where you were
going! In fact,
I may have even worked on some of Jim Maloney’s EC-47s in
Vietnam.) I finished my time in the AF at CCK Taiwan on
C130s and F4C/Ds.
Stayed in Taiwan after leaving the AF, studied
Chinese and graduated from Univ. of Maryland.
I went to grad school at University of Denver for a
while and then joined the Boeing Company Commercial
Airplanes program in Seattle.
I was the Boeing Manufacturing representative at
Xian, China for 4 years.
After returning from China, I continued to support
Chinese and Taiwan airline customers at Boeing, and did make
numerous trips back to China for AOG work or to conduct
training. My
last 15 years at Boeing were in the Customer Services
Service Engineering organization helping the airlines
maintain their 737s.
Retired from Boeing in April 2011 after 32 years.
I was not involved
in a lot of sports after leaving WHS (one year of college
football at Lawrence—I got to kickoff a few times), but did
find one sport that I really enjoyed while in Taiwan.
Rugby!
Found it a much better game than wussy American football--40
minutes of non-stop action per half.
Even ended up overnight in a hospital one time with a
severe concussion and another time had a broken nose---but
hey, that was the nature of the game.
Going on 34 years of
marriage with my wife from Taiwan with one son. |
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From 1964-68, I
went to Colgate University in Hamilton, NY.
I’m not sure I learned much (other than that I didn’t
want to live in Upstate NY in the winter), but I did have a
terrific time.
Let’s just say that I’m one of a few hundred guys who know
the movie Animal
House was actually a documentary.
I wasn’t invited to try out for football.
Although that bothered me at the time, I guess they
knew what they were doing.
The guy I would have had to beat out was Marvin
Hubbard, who later made all-pro for the Raiders.
I did run track my freshman year and did pretty well.
I didn’t win all my races, but I won my share and the
team’s leading scorer.
By sophomore year I had joined a fraternity, joined a
band, and put on a few beer-fueled pounds, so that was it
for my athletic career.
1968 was a big year in my life.
I finished college (short a few credits, which I made
up while in the service, met Cindi, the love of my life to
whom have been married for 42+ years, and went into the
Army. I entered
the Army in October 1968 and spent the next year in training
(Basic at Ft. Dix, AIT at Ft. Polk, and OCS at Ft. Benning).
Cindi and I were married in April 1969 right before I
went to OCS.
From OCS I had the great good fortune to be assigned to
Germany where Cindi and I spent 18 months living in
Frankfurt (yes, I did visit WHS).
Our daughter Kira was born in Frankfurt in September
1970. In
September 1971 I was sent to the RVN where I was XO of an
infantry company with the 101st Airborne.
Four months later the 101st was being
redeployed to Ft. Campbell and they evidently didn’t think
it was worth their while to send me back to serve the few
months I still owed Uncle Sam so I was given an early out
and sent home. In 1998, we bought a weekend/vacation cottage on Lake Hamilton in Holland, MA, about half way between Holland and Worcester. As time went on, we spent more and more time at the lake and less and less time at home, so we decided to look for a full-time home on the lake. We found it in 2002, sold our Tolland home and Holland cottage, and have lived here happily ever since. *************************************************** |
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I’m a retired
Marine Corps officer, defense consultant and business
executive. I
have lived in Camelot, Annandale, VA, Fairfield Beach and
Fredericksburg, VA, Shelburne, VT, and Bonita Springs, FL
during the past 35 years.
Married to Anna
Lee Lamkin Johnson of Shelburne and Bonita Springs.
We have three children:
daughter Ann Marie Johnson Melville, MD, her husband
Ensign Gregory Melville, USNR and their daughter, Greer, and
son, Kai, all of Ashville, NC; son, Lee, and his wife,
Stephanie or Charlotte, NC; daughter Barbara, and her
children, Lily Orme and Seth of Bonita Springs.
My brother, Christopher Ward, WHS class of 1966, was
a career AF pilot, and has several children and
grandchildren.
I graduated from
Santa Clara University in 1968, received my MA in Middle
East Studies from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon
in 1974, and earned my PhD in Foreign Affairs from the
University of Virginia in 1982.
I’ve published numerous articles on international
security issues, military strategy, and military history.
My professional
career has spanned over 40 years of military service,
government operations, leading-edge research and
development, international and military security policy
analysis, and business development.
I retired as a Colonel after 22 years in the Corps,
and spent the next 23 years in several business development
and senior operations and program management positions in
the private sector.
These included Director of European Sales and
Marketing for Magellan Corporation (GPS), Director of
International Marketing for Tacoma Boat (coastal patrol boat
and yachts), Marketing Manager for Sperry Marine (marine
navigation systems), Director of International Projects for
The Washington Times,
President of Chenowth Corporation (military vehicles),
senior joint military analyst for Cubic Corporation in the
Marine Air Ground Staff Training Program, and Senior
Military Analyst for the Marine Corps in support of OIF.
During my career
in the Marine Corps, as an armor officer, I served in
command and operational positions at every level from
platoon through regiment, including a tour in Vietnam as the
Force Reconnaissance and Surveillance Officer for III Marine
Amphibious Force and later as Assistant Combat Intelligence
Officer for the 1st Marine Division.
I subsequently served as Commanding Officer, BRAVO
Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, Commanding Officer
of Mechanized Task Force BRAVO in NATO Operations Deep
Furrow and Deep Express in Norway, Denmark and Germany in
1976, and Executive Officer of the 27th Marine
Regiment in 1986-87.
A specialist in Middle Eastern
politico-military affairs throughout my military career,
during my final military posting, I was Country Director for
Persian Gulf Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of
Defense, advising Secretary Weinberger and Secretary
Carlucci on critical strategic issues in this volatile area. |
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Known during my 4 years of high school as Jean, rather than
Jean-Ellen, so I always know it’s a high school friend on
the line if they say, “Jean?”
“Kegler” works, too. |
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1964—Graduated
from WHS and dad retired from the AF.
Family returned to Littleton, CO. |
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The summer following my four
wonderful years at WHS, the Russell family returned home to
Northern Virginia, just outside Washington DC, where my Dad
worked. I attended Marymount College in Arlington, VA for
two years and then transferred to Old Dominion University in
Norfolk,VA graduating with a degree in Education. Returning
to the DC area I began teaching in Fairfax County, VA and
taking graduate classes at American Univ. During my second
year of teaching, I met (Ohio State grad) Vince Mercurio, a
young, handsome Naval officer stationed at the Pentagon
after his Vietnam tour. We were married in July of 1970.
...Vince got out of the Navy and began working with IBM in
Poughkeepsie, NY. I taught school in nearby Beacon, NY.
Vince earned his MA while taking classes at Vassar College
(much to his delight). ...Three years later IBM transferred
him to Raleigh, NC. where I taught in Wake County schools
for a total of 22 years. Our darling daughter, Caroline, was
born in Raleigh in 1974. ...When she was two years old IBM
moved us to Boca Raton, FL for two years. I taught at Boca
Raton Academy and took grad classes at Florida Atlantic
University. ...IBM (I Been Moved) returned us to Raleigh, NC
where we spent the next 20 years and I finished my grad work
at NC State University. During that time we owned a horse
farm, fox hunted with the Red Mountain Hounds in Durham, NC
(never catching a fox, just long wild rides through fields
and forest) and competed in Three Day Event Trials in
Pinehurst, NC (like they do in the Olympics - dressage,
stadium jumping and cross country courses which included
racing through creeks and ponds, jumping fences, picnic
tables, log piles and stone walls). WOW! What a rush! ...
Vince took an early retirement from IBM after 26 years.
...We moved to Melbourne, FL where he worked for a small
computer company. I taught 6 years in Melbourne in Brevard
county schools. After retiring from public school teaching,
I put in three more years of teaching environmental
education for Brevard County at a county park Nature Center
on the Indian River lagoon (that's 35 years of teaching!).
At the park I taught, gave tours and identified all flora
and fauna in the park including sea grass, fish, turtles,
crabs, manatees, dolphins in the river and birds in the air!
Vince and I both are U of FL certified Florida Master
Naturalists. |
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Class 1964 |
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My family left
Germany in June of 1963.
Dad retired first in Florida.
After graduation, I attended the University of
Florida. I was
immediately re-united with John Andrews, Christine England (Holaday),
Kathy Richardson (Gillis) and Mike Richardson.
I left the University of Florida after my sophomore
year and went into the Air Force Reserves.
The unit was at Homestead AFB, Florida.
I was trained as a medic and flew air evacuation
missions on C-130s.
My family then
moved to McLean, Virginia.
I followed and continued to pursue my degree at the
University of Maryland while working at a local nursing home
and participating in the Air Force Reserves.
While working in the nursing home, I met Nancy (my
future wife) who had taken a summer job there between her
junior and senior years in high school.
We had a lot in common as her grandfather (Air Force)
and my dad were stationed in Japan together.
Her father wanted to follow his father into the Air
Force, but he was rejected for his eyes.
He went to West Point and was career Army.
I graduated from
college in December 1970.
Nancy and I were married January 30, 1971 and will
celebrate 41 years Department of Veteran Affairs.
That same year, I received a direct commission as a
first lieutenant in my air evacuation unit at Andrews Air
Force Base.
Nancy and I then
embarked on a journey worthy of the “brats” that we are!
As a personnel management specialist, assistant
personnel officer, and personnel officer, we moved from
Washington, DC to Martinsburg, WV, back to DC and onto
Richmond, Miami, and then back to Richmond.
Throughout all of these moves, Nancy got her degrees
and taught special education.
In 1981, we moved to Asheville, NC.
I had finished my master’s program in health care
administration and was selected for the Associate Director
training program.
I was the Associate Director in Perry Point, MD and
then Lexington, KY.
We moved to DC for the third time where I was the
Deputy Regional Director for the Southeastern Region.
Finally, we moved to Louisville, KY where I was the
Hospital Director and Nancy worked for Kentucky Department
of Education as the LD/ADHD/Traumatic Brain Injury
Specialist for the state.
Despite all of my VA moves, I managed
to stay in the Air Force Reserves and retired in 1995.
In 2002, we both retired and now reside in Pawleys
Island, SC where we golf and boat daily if not regularly
traveling for fun. |
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--After
graduation I attended Bradley University, Peoria, IL.
While there I went through AFROTC, helped found the
SAE chapter, and studied Business Management. |
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(1963 to Present) - In June of 1963 the Schreiber family
left Wiesbaden and rotated back to San Antonio. Finished
high school, flirted with trying to be accepted into one of
the service schools (AF or Navy), but ended up at New Mexico
State University.
One
year at NMSU was plenty. Accepted at Rice University but not
for another year, so what to do in the meantime? Texas Tech
in Lubbock was admitting practically anyone back then so I
became a Red Raider. Stayed at Tech but a poor academic
record in my chosen major sent me to see Tech’s Dean of Men:
“Dean, what it is the easiest degree plan here at Tech?”
“Why Mark, that would be a government degree.” One BA in
government later, in 1968, I’m wondering what’s next. Viet
Nam was still hot and heavy so it looked like a “Greetings”
letter from the Selective Service Board was forthcoming, and
“what next” would be decided for me.
The
Greetings letter did arrive but by that time I’d (a) signed
up with the 149th TAC Fighter Group in San Antonio (Air
National Guard); and (b) taken a government job with the CDC
(Center for Disease Control). Active duty was as a Medic
assigned to the ER at Wilford Hall Hospital. No training,
didn’t know a bedpan from a syringe, only OJT. My
specialties were ingrown toenails, pilonidal cysts, and
gastro-intestinal lavage. The second job was easily the most
bizarre. CDC assigned me to work in Houston as an
epidemiologist. Translation: I was a VD Investigator, and I
was tasked with saving Houston from the ravages of syphilis,
gonorrhea and other assorted STDs. Learned fast. Mostly
though, after being robbed twice at knife-point, I learned I
needed to do something else quick. Maybe a career in law?
Moved to Austin in ‘69 (been here ever since) and started UT
Law. Tried private practice for about a year with three
other recent grads but decided I needed more trial
experience and so became a prosecutor for three years. Then
a three-year term as a Municipal Judge in Austin. Tried
many, many traffic and assault cases. Most notable
proceedings were a “monkey at large” case and another
proceeding which arose during a demonstration which got out
of hand. Riot clubs came out, tear gas was lobbed in, and a
demonstrator (one of the leaders, coincidentally) gave a
policeman the finger. He was arrested for an “offensive
gesture.” Derived from the old fighting words doctrine, the
law’s purpose was to prevent retaliatory assault. After a
week-long trial, I found him not guilty because I believed
the cop too well-trained and experienced to be incited to
violence. It was actually reported in Playboy magazine
(“Texas Judge Okays Giving Finger to Police”, or something
like that). Texas changed its law at the next legislative
session. Next, shifted gears and became Travis County’s
Probate Judge in 1980, an elected position. Grew weary of it
after 5+ years and resigned mid-term. Joined the firm where
I still work today. I handle the estate planning, probate,
guardianship, and fiduciary litigation work, but the office
has lately become an oil and gas “boutique”. Hope you guys
own some mineral interests. If they’re in West or SouthTexas,
New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, etc., we might
be the ones preparing title opinions for the producers who
lease your interests.
Met
my wife Linda, a school teacher, in 1973 when we were both
doing local theater. My stage career was short. With a bad
Texas accent, only two plays with speaking parts. Linda was
the better thespian, auditioning for a role in a low-budget
film called “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. Became a local
cult-classic. On the off-chance you’ve seen it, you might
remember a ditzy blonde who ended up on a meat-hook. That
wasn’t Linda, only an understudy, but she came close to
being on the hook. Horrible pun, true story. Married in 1974
and we have two kids: Erin, expecting her first child in
September of this year (2011), and Brad who’s presently
bumming around in Australia. Hobbies are hunting,
woodworking and lately, cooking. For about 5 years I umpired
fast-pitch softball games and tournaments (girls high-school
level) in Central Texas. Wasn’t good enough or agile enough
to get into the college ranks, but made many bang-bang,
split-second calls. Many disputed but all correct,
naturally. My motto was “I see ‘em as I call ‘em.”
Thanks, if you were able to get through this. Had a lot of
catching up to do. |
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I sat next to
Chris England on the flight back to the states in the summer
of 1964. Picked
up my Austin Healy Sprite in New Orleans, threw a footlocker
on the back deck and drove to Southern Methodist University
in Dallas. I
didn’t know a soul at SMU, but enjoyed four wonderful,
fairly successful years there and graduated with a BA in
English. Went
through ROTC, was commissioned at graduation, and allowed to
enroll in law school.
That lasted about three weeks.
I packed up my few belongings, and with two friends
and headed for Aspen where I worked for a resort company,
caring luggage, washing windows, chopping wood and doing
anything they wanted me to do.
With the help of my little brother, the AF found me
and rather than busting me to E-1, gave me orders to another
resort community in Minot, ND.
I married a former SMU classmate, Margaret, while I
was in Minot, and our first daughter, Jessica, was born
there. Two
years later I received unexpected, Vietnam-canceling orders
to Omaha, Nebraska for the rest of my obligation in AF blue.
I became a
committed, called-to-preach Christian in Omaha and began
seminary study at Perkins School of Theology back in Dallas.
Graduated with a Master of Theology and Doctor of
Ministry in 1977.
While I was in Texas, two more daughters were born,
Melissa and Abigail.
Served Methodist churches in San Antonio and Karnes
City, TX before I realized how much I missed moving around
the world every two or three years.
In 1980 I accepted
a commission as a chaplain in the Navy and spent the next 20
years on the move.
I served in Newport RI, with Marines in Quantico and
on a ship out of Norfolk, VA.
Three great years in Edzell, Scotland (where I ran
into and worked with Rich Wilhelm) were followed by a
postgraduate year at Navy expense.
A tour in Bahrain was followed by three wonderful
years on Widbey Island in Washington.
Margaret and I were separated in 1987 and divorced in
1991. The girls
are doing very well.
All of them graduated from Stephen F. Austin, and
Jessica and Abigail earned law degrees from the University
of Texas.
Melissa works in her mother’s law office and writes romance
novels. Abigail
is happily married and has two beautiful children, Drew and
Mary Bess.
After Widbey I returned to Newport for
advanced chaplains’ study and earned an MA in Human
Resources Management from Salve Regina University.
Next was Naples, Italy (too good!) for two years with
follow-on orders for Diego Garcia, a tiny British Territory
atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
DG is like Tahiti must have been in the 1950’s,
totally romantic, and six months into my tour I met Robyn.
We were married in 1996, and we both received orders
to San Diego.
She went to North Island, I reported to the Marine Corps
Recruit Depot where I served as command chaplain.
Our son, Denny, was born in 1999, and I retired to be
a stay-at-home dad in 2000. |
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After graduation from WHS, I returned to South Carolina and
moved to Columbia where I attended college for 3 semesters.
I met and married Ed Bessinger and traded school for
work so he could finish his last 3 years at the University
of South Carolina.
He graduated in 1968 and our first daughter was born.
We moved to Myrtle Beach with his new job.
Two years later we were back in Columbia where our
second daughter was born in 1970.
We moved to Florida with his job, stayed there
another year or two, then moved to Greensboro, North
Carolina where we both worked (me in accounting) for my
uncle. We then
moved to Florence, SC.
(I guess I couldn’t get that Air Force rotation out
of my system.)
I took a job in Marion, SC as the Personnel Manager for a
small textile mill.
I worked there until I had my first MS (multiple
sclerosis) experience.
We moved back to Columbia and I finally returned to
work, this time for a real estate firm.
Then I got a job at the University of South Carolina
working for the coaches of all spring sports, and I took
some more college courses.
We moved again (I told you I just couldn’t sit
still!) to Pawleys Island, SC where my parents had retired
and my 3 sisters lived.
I opened a small real estate firm with one of my
sisters. I
worked in real estate for 15 great years.
MS finally caught up with me, and after taking a year
off, I applied finally applied for disability and retired.
(Way too young to retire…and I had a hard time making
the adjustment.)
I had divorced Ed back in 1983, two years after
moving to Pawleys Island, and started dating a retired
dentist. We
were together until he died in 2003.
I reconnected with Mel at the Las Vegas reunion in
2004. We moved
in together in 2006, and his final stage of cancer became to
focus of our lives.
In 2008, we moved from the mountains of North Georgia
to Georgetown, SC (just a few miles from Pawleys Island) to
be closer to my sisters before Mel got any sicker.
We lived in our house for exactly one year before he
died in May of 2009.
In March of 2010, Mike Rudd took me to Washington,
DC, where we met up with Don Rakestraw and Max Johnson.
We took some of Mel’s ashes to the Vietnam Wall where
we scattered them, said a short prayer, and then returned to
our lives. It
was a devastating loss for me, and even though I still miss
him, I find myself back in the land of the living.
I enjoy my life to the fullest, enjoying concerts,
little theater plays, book clubs, DAR, the health club, and
my many friends and family.
MS is still a part of my life, but I am so thankful
I’m doing this well after so many years.
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I
left Wiesbaden within a few weeks of graduation for the
States, specifically Ft. Worth, Texas. This is where my
family called home, if brats can claim one. My Dad was
assigned to the ROTC detachment and later became the PAS. My
intentions were to attend the University of Texas but the
financial logic of staying home and using the faculty
discount at TCU won out. I managed to cram four years into
four and a half and graduated in January 1969. I received a
Math/physics degree, however my parents claimed it was
really a major in fraternity, and commissioned a 2nd
LT. While at TCU I met Sandy and we married in December ’68
prior to both our graduations. I reported to Pilot training
at Randolph ARB starting a very short five year cycle with
ATC. I received my wings at Randolph, instructor
certification at Perrin AFB, flight instructor/class
commander at Columbus AFB and finally returned to Randolph
AFB training instructors and working in stan/eval. In March
1974 I turned down my Regular commission and left the Air
Force. As much as I loved the military I was disappointed I
did not serve in Viet Nam and believed I would not have had
a successful career as a result. Being young and dumb, I
didn’t appreciate how lucky I was.
We moved to McAllen, Texas where Sandy’s father asked me to
join his steel fabrication business. Unfortunately Mr.
Palmer was involved in a car/train accident and passed away
six months later. Just turned 27 years old, I was in charge
and have been at it every since. I am very proud of what we
have been able to grow into and would love anyone interested
in going to our website
www.palmersteel.com
for a glimpse of what we do. In addition, to growing a
company we also grew a great family of two children, a son
and Daughter. My Daughter has blessed me with five grand
children that I am terribly proud of. My son is still
unmarried. They both live in McAllen which is fantastic and
really fortunate. My Son is in the process of taking over
the business and I still have hopes he will start a family
of his own. My only regret is that my wife is not here to
enjoy my kids and their children. Sandy passed away in 1999
of cancer after 30 years of marriage and I have remained
single since.
During all this time I have been able to continue flying. I
have now and since shortly after leaving the air force owned
and flown a plane for business and pleasure. The only real
mistake I have made is building a mini-jet which I am still
messing with in Ft. Worth. That pretty much brings me up to
date. As I phase out of the business I am having more time
to pursue my hobbies of hunting, fishing, diving and golf,
basically in that order. If I’m not at the office I am at
the beach or on a hunting/fishing trip… Jim |
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-Short Form: Three careers (Navy, political, private
sector), two marriages, four kids, three grandchildren } |
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I
left Wiesbaden in August of ’64 as part of the mass
migration of students back to the states for college and
spent the first year at CW Post College on Long Island.
It didn’t take too long for me to figure out that
this was the wrong college for me, so I transferred to
Bucknell University in the fall of ’65 in the Electrical
Engineering program.
After getting my BSEE in 1968, I went to work for
DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware as a computer programmer.
I met my wife, Annette, at a social event for graduate students at the University of Delaware (while I was a part time student working towards a MBA) and got married in 1972. We have two married daughters; Elisa is a campus administrator for a community college in New Jersey and the mother of our 2 ½ year old granddaughter and Allison is a marketing analyst for a bank and lives here in Delaware. **************************************************** |
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1964—Graduation
WHS.
Married in 2005 and have two children:
John IV (16) and Jamie (13—born in Hong Kong, China).
Keeps me young. |
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