My military service started in Oct. 1969.  I told my children as they were growing up, don’t do what your dad did, but have a goal and a plan, and for the most part they did much better that I did.  In the Spring of 1969, my roommate at LSU said I’m going down and joining the Air Force and why didn’t I come along and do the same.  I said “ok” and so began my Air Force career.  I spent 7 years on active duty and flew OV-10s as a Forward Air Controller for the last year of the war in Southeast Asia.  I went into the active Reserves in 1979 and in 1991 was part of the first ever Air Force Reserve fighter unit to be activated and sent into combat.  On Sept. 11, 2001, I was in a meeting on the 5^th floor of the Pentagon and received one day of combat pay.  It was also the last combat pay I received and retired in October of 2003.  Shortly after retiring, I received a letter from the Air Force suggesting I not get rid of my uniforms.  Mary, my wife, wanted to write them back to tell them that any future deployments would have to be approved by her.  I did talk her out of sending that letter. 

There were 8 of us in a meeting in the Pentagon.  When the attack occurred, the General officer conducting the meeting jumped up and said “what was that?”  The guy sitting next to me looked over and said, “Sounded like an airplane to me.”  We had just learned what happened in New York but did not know we were in the line of fire or under a threat.