USAFA Class Histories

John Nehring asked me to help in whatever way I can with the class history. For what it is worth, I retired from the AF as a lieutenant colonel in 1981. I spent a good portion of my career in Security Service, but the fact of the matter is I spent 12 years as a full time student and 5 years as a full time teacher of mathematics at USAFA. What time I did actually work out of the academic arena was in the Security Service and as a program manager for the SR-71 systems.

On retiring I went to work in the aerospace industry as a Systems Engineer and Program Manager. I spent the last five years of my 10-year aerospace career with Ampex Corporation in Redwood City, California. They down-sized me out of a job in 1990. I came here to Las Vegas and worked for the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino for nine months before accepting a teaching position at the Community College of Southern Nevada. I am tenured and will spend the rest of my working life doing what I like best, teaching mathematics.

My wife and I divorced in 1978. I have four children. One is a flight attendant with United, and my oldest son is in the Navy SeaBees. My two younger children live in Dayton, OH, as does their mother. One is a student and chef, and the other works in Cosmetology. I am proud of all my children, but it took a lot of sweat and tears to get them where they are today.

I have enclosed a photograph taken at my 58th birthday party in February. My housemate gave me a party and invited several of my closest duplicate bridge friends. I have been playing tournament bridge since 1970, and I will do that as long as I can. It has been a savior for me when I needed to get away and forget whatever crisis was occurring the last 27 years. I am also enclosing a picture of John Borling and me taken at the 30th reunion and a picture of Bill Heinlein and his wife sent to me last Christmas.

I hope I have been of some help to you, John, and I wish you the best in this endeavor. Submitted 1998.