I enlisted in 1962—Airborne Infantry—and was assigned to Germany. Two years later, I attended OCS, was Commissioned a 2LT, and completed Ranger School. A year and a half later, I attended Special Forces training and went to Vietnam. I was a long-range reconnaissance team leader and then Advisor to the Vietnamese 91st Airborne Ranger Battalion. I was wounded twice in combat in Vietnam and recognized with a couple of awards for valor.
Coming back to the US and after a year leading a Basic Combat Training Company at Fort Lewis, I returned to Vietnam to the same unit—Project Delta, Detachment B-52, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)—where I served another year as an S-3 Operations Director and then Executive Officer.
After returning to the States (again!) and a year at Ft. Benning, I enrolled at the University of Alabama, finished a degree, then went to Ft. Jackson, where I commanded a Training Company and served on staff. Later, I went to Iceland for two years to learn how to find Soviet Submarines. Afterward, I enrolled at the University of Texas, where I earned my MBA and was in ROTC. I then went to Fort Bragg, where I was Deputy G-3 Operations and Training.
Following Fort Bragg, I went to Grenada, commanding the Headquarters Battalion for XVIII Airborne Corps. We trained across the US, Honduras, Egypt, and other locations. I then led an ROTC program in Ohio and an ROTC Brigade in Michigan and Tennessee, where I commanded all ROTC and JROTC programs. My last assignment was as the Inspector General at Fort Benning.
I really enjoy my work as I am given the chance to pay back some of the service members who represent those who helped me and served with me during my career. They need and deserve this help.