“MY WIFE,JONI, AND I ARE ORIGINALLY FROM FREDERICK MD. WE WERE HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS AND HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 43 YEARS.

I ENTERED THE NAVY VIA THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY IN 1955. AFTER GRADUATION IN JUNE OF 1959, I WENT SOUTH TO PENSACOLA TO START FLIGHT TRAINING. I EVENTUALLY WAS DESIGNATED A NAVAL AVIATION OBSERVER (NAVIGATOR) IN JANUARY 1961.

AFTER SPENDING MANY MONTHS IN TRAINING AT VARIOUS ASW SCHOOLS AND THE RAG AT JACKSONVILLE, I REPORTED TO VP-21 IN OCTOBER 1961.
DURING MY TOUR WITH THE SQUADRON I WAS IN OPERATIONS AND THE ASSISTANT NAV OFFICER WITH GENE SULLIVAN. I WAS DESIGNATED A TACTICAL COORDINATOR IN 1963 AND WAS A MEMBER OF CHARLIE ROBERTSON’S CREW WHEN HE WAS XO AND CO OF THE SQUADRON.

JUST THE OTHER DAY I WAS READING AN ARTICLE IN MY ALUMNI MAGAZINE ABOUT THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS. THAT WAS 40 YEARS AGO AND I STILL REMEMBER OUR CREWS BEING SENT TO ARGENTIA NFLD TO FLY AN AWS BARRIER ABOUT 600 NM LONG TO TRY AND DETECT SOVIET SUBS POSSIBLY HEADING DOWN TOWARD CUBA. WE JUST ABOUT SPENT CHRISTMAS UP THERE BEFORE OUR DEPLOYMENT TO SIGONELLA.

I LEFT VP-21 IN SEPTEMBER 1964 AND TEMPORARLY WENT CIVILIAN UNTIL JULY 1965 WHEN I REQUESTED ACTIVE DUTY WHILE WITH THE READY RESERVES. I WAS ASSIGNED TO FAETULANT IN NORFOLK AND WAS AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE ASW SCHOOL. IN MARCH OF 1968 I WAS TRANSFERED TO VP-42 AT NAS WHIDEBY ISLAND WA AND MADE A DEPLOYMENT WITH THEM TO NAS SANGLEY PT. RPI AND CAM RAHAN BAY SOUTH VIETNAM.

I LEFT ACTIVE DUTY IN JUNE OF 1969; HOWEVER, I AFFILIATED WITH THE NAVAL AIR READY RESERVES AT NAS WHIDBEY ISLAND. I AM A PLANK OWNER IN VP-69, FLEW THE P2V-7 UNTIL WE TRANSITION INTO THE P3-A AND WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE FLEETED UP TO SERVE AS XO/CO OF THE SQUADRON. I WAS SELECTED FOR 0-6 IN 1982 AND HELD SEVERAL COMMANDS AT NAS WHIDBEY BEFORE RETIRING IN 1989.

AT ONE TIME DURING MY CAREER WITH VP-69 I FLEW WITH BILL COMMINS WHO WAS IN VP-21 1961- ? BILL FLEW WITH NORTHWEST AIRLINES. I HAVE LOST CONTACT WITH HIM. ANOTHER SHIPMATE BEFORE MY TIME WAS BILL MARR. HE WAS IN THE SQUADRON IN THE MID ’50S. HE WAS MY PPC WHEN OUR RESERVE GROUP WAS FLYING OUT OF NAS SAND POINT SEATTLE. OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS ARE JERRY AND JOHANNAH KELTNER WHO LIVE UP IN ANACORTES WA. JERRY JOINED THE SQUADRON WHEN WE WERE DEPLOYED TO SIGONELLA IN 1963. OUR PATHS CROSSED AGAIN IN 1972 WHEN JERRY WAS STATIONED AT NAS WHIDBEY IS. WE STILL TELL SEA STORIES ABOUT OUR TIMES WITH THE SQUADRON. REMEMBER THE “”SNIFFER”” QUALS? HOW ABOUT THE RANDOM JULIE PATTERNS AS A DETECTION TACTIC? (OF COURSE THE SUBS KNEW EXACTLLY WHERE WE WERE) ENOUGH!!

DURING MY NAVAL RESERVE CAREER I WAS HAVING A FANTASTIC CAREER WITH THE BOEING COMPANY IN SEATTLE. I WAS HIRED AS AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE COMMERCIAL FLIGHT CREW TRAINING SCHOOL IN 1969. I OBTAINED AN FAA FLIGHT ENGINEER AND FLIGHT NAVIGATOR LICENSE DURING MY TENURE AS AN INSTRUCTOR. IN 1978 I WAS HIRED BY THE PRODUCTION FLIGHT TEST GROUP AND SPENT 17 YEARS FLYING ON A MULTITUDE OF ASSIGNMENTS. MY PRIMARY JOB WAS ASSISTING CUSTOMERS DELIVER AIRPLANES TO EUROPE AND THE FAR EAST AS A FLIGHT NAVIGATOR. I WAS ALSO QUALIFIED TO FLY THE USAF E-3A AWACS AIRPLANE DURING ENGINEERING AND PRODUCTION TEST FLIGHTS. I WAS INVOLVED IN THE FLIGHT TESTING OF THE NATO, SAUDIA AIR FORCE, AND UK/ROF AWACS AIRCRAFT. I WAS THE CHEIF NAVIGATOR DURING THE FLIGHT TESTING OF THE NAVY E-6B TACCAMO AIRPLANES. DURING MY CAREER IN FLIGHT TEST, I FLEW ON EVERY AIRPLANE MANUFACTURED BY BOEING, INCLUDING THE B777. I RETIRED FROM BOEING IN 1995.

JONI AND I ARE FULLY RETIRED. WE HAVE THREE CHILDREN LIVING IN THE SEATTLE AREA. OUR SON PATRICK WAS A HOSPITAL CORPSMAN IN THE NAVY FOR 10 YEARS AND WAS ON A DD DURING THE GULF WAR. HE HAS ONE SON. OUR OLDEST DAUGHTER MEG WAS BORN IN PORTLAND WHILE WE WERE STATIONED AT BRUNSWICK. SHE HAS TWO LITTLE BOYS WHO WE SPEND ALOT OF HAPPY HOURS WITH. OUR YOUNGEST DAUGHTER BETSY IS SINGLE AND WORKING FOR AT&T.

WE MAKE AN ANNUAL TRIP TO THE BIG ISLAND IN HAWAII DURING THE MONSOONS HERE IN SEATTLE. HOPE TO RETIRE TO ARIZONA IN THE FUTURE.”