My Life After Carver
I graduated from Carver in 1965, during the height of the Vietnam War. I realized that since I was allergic to bullets and sharp metal objects passing through my body, I needed to continue my education.
Like many of my classmates, I attended what use to be called Memphis State University. After attending MSU, I went into the United States Air Force, where, after my required training, I was sent to Southeast Asia. My first assignment was in the Philippines at Clark Air Base (AB), where I was assigned to 13th Air Force (AF), Deputy Chief of Staff of Plans. I was required to have a Top-Secret Clearance and made numerous trips between Clark AB and 7th AF Headquarters (HQ) in Vietnam.
When I first arrived at 13th AF, the commander was Benjamin O. Davis, the former commander of the Tuskegee Airman. I spent a total of three years and nine months in Asia, and along with the Philippines, I was also stationed in Bangkok, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, and had my Rest and Recuperation (R&R) in Sidney, Australia. I vacationed in Hong Kong (hated it, too crowded), Singapore (it was okay) and Nepal.
I came to realize that the people of these countries, that I had the opportunity to visit, just wanted to raise their kids, farm their lands, and be left alone by the government. They could care less about who ran the country. Sounded reasonable to me.
The Air Force needed Air Traffic Control Supervisors, so I returned to the United States and went to Kessler Air Force Base (AFB) in Biloxi, MS to start a three-month training course. After completion, I was assigned to a Radar Approach Control/Tower at Castle AFB, CA. Castle AFB was a training base for B-52 bombers and KC-135 tankers. We handled all air traffic within 30 miles, and up to 7,000 feet (ft). After that, we handed them off to Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center.
After being rated in the facility, I became a crew chief and trained new controllers coming onto my crew. While training a Master Sergeant late one night, we had two bombers inbound to the holding fix. Aircraft One was assigned 20,000 ft and was starting the published approach. The other B-52 was inbound at 21,000 ft. Aircraft One had a student pilot at the controls and was cleared for the approach. The student started to climb head-on into the bomber at 21,000 ft and when I saw this, I immediately ordered him back to his assigned altitude. They never saw each other.
In the seventies, saving the AF money could get you a cash reward. When I was being presented my award for saving the bombers and the 22 crewmen, I asked the Colonel about my check; he advised me that the check was in the mail. (I am still waiting 40 years later)
Upon leaving the Air Force in 1976, I had over 5,000 hours of flight time, and my aircraft ratings, multi-engine, commercial, and instrument. I did not apply for any of the airlines because with the end of the Vietnam War, pilots were a dime a dozen.
I had maxed the FAA Air Traffic Controller's test and my military time would benefit my government retirement. I was hired within 6 months of leaving the Air Force and assigned to the Seattle Air Route Air Traffic Control Center, in Auburn WA. I accepted the job and was sent to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Academy in Oklahoma City, OK.
We started with a class of 116 applicants; only 40 of us graduated. Of the 9 other people that came with me from Seattle, only 3 of us passed. I completed all my training and worked in the facility in Auburn until August of 1981 when Ronald Reagan fired 11,600 of 13,000 controllers because of the union action. He claimed it was because we broke the law. We later learned the Post Office Workers were threatening a strike and it was easier to fire 11,600 Air Traffic Controller than 200K Postal Workers. Ronald Reagan made me a permanent member of the Democratic Party.
After losing my dream job, I reconsidered the Airline Industry, but in 1985 starting pay for a co-pilot was $1,500 per month and there was no guarantee you would work the whole year.
Consequently, I started working in outside sales, selling office equipment which paid very well.
About 1998, I received an offer to work as a co-pilot flying executive jets, it was an offer I couldn't refuse. Three years later, I would be promoted to Captain and receive my Airline Transport Rating (ATR).
Unfortunately, in December of 2009, I had heart bypass surgery, which spelled the end of my Aviation Career.
I discovered I had a love for American History, and how we have been misinformed about the history of this country. To the victor go the spoils and they get to spin history to their own liking.
I was asked by a history teacher to spend an hour with my son’s six-grade class and tell them about WWII. After my presentation, they hit me with some great questions which even surprised their teacher. My son would later graduate from Central Washington University and later be deployed with the Army in Iraq. Since he was an only child, raised by a single father, I was on edge his entire deployment. He would later go to Afghanistan as a Military Intelligence Officer.
For me, my life has been a great run. I have met lots of wonderful people. I have a great family and life has been good.
I hope this gives you a little insight about how this journey started when I entered school as a 7th grader at George Washington Carver High School in 1960.