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After high school tried MIT (Muscatine Institute of Technology) but uncle sam wasn't taking that seriously and in December 1965 I received my draft notice and in January 1966 found my butt in Fort Leanard Wood, Mo in basic training. After that on to Fort Ord for AIT (Advanced Infantry Training). Apparently, I did well enough on some tests that the Army wanted me to go to OCS (Officer Candidate School). I said I was interested (a fib). That would have been more training and an obligation for 3 more years in the Army. All the people I graduated AIT with were transferred to Kansas and the Big Red 1and then the division shipped out to Vietnam.
I had met an married a Californian and we lived in Pacific Grove until the orders came through to go to OCS which I turned down and within a month had orders to go to Vietnam. There I flew with Air America as a classified courier delivering sensitive documents from US Embassy and MACV (Westmorelands' Mob). My Duty Assignments were in Nha Trang and Buon Me Thout. I still have my Top Secret Crypto security clearance. Maybe I can go work in the White House as they can't find people to get past the security test.
After the Military it was back to school and I obtained my BS degree at California Polytechnic in San Luis Obispo, Ca and then went to work for Atlantic Richfield Company in Los Angeles and they paid for me to get my MBA at Cal State in Fullerton, CA.
After 27 years with them in such places as California, Colorado, Wyoming, West Virginia, Montana, and finally England I retired when I was 55 as BP was going to buy the company and I did not want to work for them. Fortunately, I was able to get an enhanced retirement package and bought a home in Scottsdale, AZ to be close to my Dad and Brother. Was able to spend winters in AZ and summers at my cabin in the CO mountains. My Dad passed away in 2011 so I moved back to Colorado and have my home in Fort Collins and still have the cabin in the mountains. Instead of a 18 hour drive now it is 75 minutes. The private lake with 5 trout species is about 100 yards out the front door.
I did build and am continuing to build (by myself) a 2 and a 1/2 car garage with a man cave on the second floor. That has kept me active and reasonably healthy except for the heart problems associated with agent orange. All the flying into remote bases and outposts which had been defoliated led to my exposure. But I was luckier than many who did not survive their service to our country.
