Vietnam and Me
”This is a f---d up war. But it’s the only war we got.” That is a quote I heard many times in my early career with the US Air Force.…
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June 8, 2024
Truisms
About 40 years ago, while still on active duty, I wrote an article for the Air Force Comptroller Magazine. Happily, for me, it received the “Best Article of the Year“…
June 4, 2024
Niagara Falls
A true wonder of the world—Niagara Falls, located on the New York/Ontario, Canada border, was known primarily, by me, as a place newlyweds go on their honeymoon. Who’d a thunk…
May 29, 2024
1964- A Crazy, Wonderful, Educational, Sad, Happy, Scary, Fun Year
Let’s start with me. I am the author of this piece, after all. At the start of this fantastic year, I was a young Air Force lieutenant navigator in a…
May 22, 2024
R and R
Congressional records indicate over 2.7 million Americans served in uniform in Vietnam. Did all of them serve an entire year in country? I dunno. I do know that I did;…
May 18, 2024
Why Are You in Charleston, Granddaddy?
Short answer— Because Grandmommy’s roots are here and she loves this city. And, because, Granddaddy, a self righteous latchkey kid from New York, also loves this city and has wormed…
April 26, 2024
A Really Long Drive For Duke’s BBQ
It’s now 1972. We are now a family of five. Christine and Jim are 6 and 5 respectively. Jeffrey, born in Denver, is about a year old. The “Zero Population…
April 23, 2024
Orangutan
First, a tribute to Chuck Martin for telling me this story. I welcome your fact checking and editing, Chuck. From 1970-1974, I had the privilege to work at the Air…
April 19, 2024
The Best Finance Job in the US Air Force
Wow!! It’s 1970. I’m a 31-year old Air Force captain with an over 5000 hours of aircrew experience, as a navigator in C-130, C-141, and C-47 aircraft. I just finished…
April 17, 2024
The Airlift Grab Bag
Uncertainty--a word which was intertwined in many parts of the job of the Charleston AFB C-130 navigator, circa 1965. It was also what made the job interesting, annoying, challenging, rewarding,…
April 9, 2024