Class of: 1967
Brick: yes

I grew up in the Miami / Fort Lauderdale area, graduating from Stranahan High School in 1963. While at Stetson I was involved in Varsity Baseball, Student Senate, ROTC, Sigma Nu Fraternity, and intramural sports. I was ROTC Brigade Commander and Student Director of Intramurals my senior year. I was selected for Omicron Delta Kappa, the men’s leadership honorary.

Upon graduation, I entered military service in 1967 as an artillery officer. I went to Fort Sill for Officer.s Basic Artillery School and, after that training, I was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C . After foolishly turning down an offer to be Fort Bragg.s Sports Officer, I was assigned to the 82d Airborne Division, went to Jump School at Fort Benning, and almost immediately went to Vietnam when the Third Brigade of the 82nd went to Vietnam right after the February, 1968, Tet offensive. I served for 13 months in Vietnam, leaving there in March of 1969.

While in Vietnam, as an artillery officer I worked as a fire direction officer and forward observer (that’s the guy who goes out with an infantry company to adjust artillery fire). Fortunately, I was never wounded.

After Vietnam , I went back to the 82d at Fort Bragg and was assigned as a Battalion Staff Officer, S 1. I left the Army in September of 1969 and immediately started Law School at the University of Florida. I graduated in 1971 with my law degree and I have practiced law in Pensacola since 1972. In 1974 Roy Kinsey and I started our firm. Roy is also a Stetson University graduate. I retired in 1995 but returned to part time lawyering in 2000. My wife is the former Chita Kane of Saint Petersburg. We married in 1967 and we have three children and three grandchildren. We purchased a home in Aspen, CO, in 1992, and since then we have divided our time between Aspen and Pensacola