Class of: 1954
Brick: yes

I was born and raised in DeLand. I attended Stetson on a music scholarship, but the sciences attracted me and I graduated in 1954 with a B.S. in Bio-chemistry. I was in ROTC at Stetson and upon graduation was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army. I was stationed to Fort Sill (OK) and commanded an Artillery battery there. I realized I was interested in flight school and graduated first in my class at San Marcos, TX, completing my advanced flight training and instrument qualifications at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

In 1955 I was sent to Korea as Operations Officer for the I Corps Artillery Aviation detachment. After several postings in SE Asia, I came back to the States to Fort Bragg, where I was Aide-de-Camp for Gen. William Harris, XVII Airborne Corps Artillery. I also received Nuclear Warfare Officer training and attended Army Helicopter school. That training led to assignments in Europe. I returned to Fort Rucker to command the Army Aviation School Helicopter Instrument Division and later was assigned to the Pentagon. As a member of the Presidential Flight Detachment, I spent a great deal of time at Camp David and the Johnson ranch in Texas. My next assignment took me to the Sikorsky Helicopter plant in CT, where I helped develop the CH-54 Heavy Lift Helicopter. Then I was sent to Vietnam, for two tours of duty, primarily with the 495th Heavy Lift Helicopter Company. Upon my return to Fort Rucker after the first deployment, I headed the CH-54 and CH-47 flight training division and earned an MS in Systems management at USC. Then off to Vietnam for a second tour (Lt. Col. by then), again with a Heavy Helicopter Battalion. My last military assignment was as Professor of Military Science at Stetson. I became an Assistant professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle in 1975 and headed the Master of Aeronautical Science program there by 1986, having earned two doctorates at Florida Atlantic University, one in Administration and Supervision and the other in Curriculum and Instruction. I retired from the Army January 1, 1975.