USAFA Class Histories

Bob graduated 81st in the class of 1963 with majors in Basic Science and International Affairs. He ran cross country and track and lettered in track all four years. After graduation Bob took his two months leave traveling in Europe and then reported to Williams AFB, where he had a hell of a good time growing up and learning how to fly T-38's. SAC got its iron grip on him and assigned him to Larson AFB WA to fly KC-135's. After one year Bob fell in love with the Pacific NW and its topography. He was transferred to Fairchild AFB in Spokane. While at Fairchild Bob spent 8 months TDY To SEA flying Arc Light and Young Tiger missions and several TDY's to Spain and Alaska. Bob's gung-ho attitude for the war in Vietnam Nam soon faded after seeing the frustrating political control exercised from Washington DC and no clear purpose or will to win. In between alert tours, Bob took the LSAT and applied for an inter service transfer to the US State Department. He was successfully admitted to the Foreign Service Academy, but because LBJ soon discovered there was not enough money for both guns and butter, his admittance to the Foreign Service Academy was delayed for an indefinite period of time. Having already put in his papers to resign, Bob decided to take his newly married wife, and saved up leave money, to Australia and New Zealand for six months, Hitch hiking around both countries and seeing the down under. Upon his return to the Seattle area, Bob picked up the Model A Ford he had purchased in New Zealand and took up a handy man's job at a factory sorting used nuts and bolts. While waiting for the Foreign Service Appointment to come through, Bob learned he had been admitted to both Stanford and the University of Washington Law Schools. As a place holder in his life, and opting not to go back to the Vietnam Nam theater, Bob decided to attend the University of Washington Law School in September of 1969 since he really had a fondness for the wide open spaces of Washington State. He bought a house north of Seattle, and several days thereafter, as luck would have it, his dream of getting a Foreign Service appointment came true. He asked for and received a deferment of the appointment since he had just purchased a home and wanted to at least give law school an honest try. At first he did not like the "hide the ball" method of teaching that was common in law school and found he had little I in common with his law school classmates. Gradually things got better as he found he could compete and started receiving good grades. After his first year, and the birth of his first child, Bob had to finally decide -- the Foreign Service or a life practicing law in Washington State. He opted for staying in Washington and finishing law school. It was a difficult decision because of the desire to serve his country that had been instilled at the Academy. Bob graduated in the top 10% of his class and was inducted into the Order of the Coif, the legal honorary. Know thyself is a maximum often ignored, but Bob followed his heart and opted for a job in a small town -- Wenatchee WA. He was made a partner in a prominent law firm after three years and is still with the same firm serving in an "Of Counsel" status at the present time. Bob had a varied small town practice and was able to enjoy all of the education that such a varied practice offers -- getting to know the community and many facets of a business and litigation practice. He finished his career doing complex consumer protection class actions, with some of his cases being reported in the WSJ and Forbes magazine. But the biggest source of enjoyment he gets is community service where he has been actively involved in numerous fund drives, environmental causes, and trail building. He was named as the President of the Washington State Winter Centennial Games and has served on the Board of Trustees of Wenatchee Valley Community College. He was appointed to the State Interagency Committee of Outdoor Recreation. Bob took a one year leave of absence from his law practice and served as the Interim President of the Wenatchee Valley Community College. Bob has been honored numerous times for his community involvement. One of the most humbling and difficult times in Bob's life was going through a divorce from his first wife and all of the stress that that involves. Bob has three children of his first marriage and was remarried to his second wife Linda in 1986. Bob and Linda have a blended family of five children. Linda has served 17 years in the WA State legislature and is currently a State Senator. One of the accomplishments Bob is most proud of is his continued participation in, and his love of, flying. He has owned a tail dragging small airplane that he hangars in his own barn located in the middle of his cherry orchard for 33 years. He built (partially -- we have to remember the Honor Code) a home built aircraft known as a GlaStar. He has only crashed it once. His closest friends are all I from the Academy days and his time at UPT at Williams AFB. In 1994 Bob organized a reunion of the class of 65-B from Williams AFB, a class that was comprised of 30% German Luftwaffe and Navy pilots. Those reunions have continued every several years, alternating between Germany and the USA. Ad Novos Mundos