I have worked for the US Forest Service 12 years. There I wrote solid waste plans for four forests in Virginia and Florida, designed over 50 miles of timber access roads in Arkansas, and wrote timber and recreation plan for Kaibab National Forest in Arizona. I also received my professional engineering and land surveyor licenses both in Arizona.
I became a ski-lift inspector and fleet manager on Carson National Forest in New Mexico. I transferred to the US Army in Europe, where I was Chief of Design and Construction at USMC Bamberg then Deputy Director of Engineering and Housing at Bad Toelz in Germany. There, I received a commendation from the Secretary of Defence for helping bring down the Communist wall.
After my time in Bavaria, I returned to Maryland in charge of siting, building, and maintaining the Army Reserve Centers in 13 northeastern states. At Defense Commissary Agency, I traded Reserve Centers for Military Commissaries in 12 states and Iceland.
My last government job was at 29 Palms Marine Base in California, where I was the base environmental engineer and the base’s representative to the Desert Managers Group. That included representatives from all national and state agencies in the Mojave Desert to discuss and solve mutual problems, such as the Air Force disturbing campers in Sequoia National Park with training flights.
When I turned 55, I took an early retirement. After about a year, I was hired by PBS&J to do construction inspection on four jobs: road construction in Joshua Tree national park; fire cleanup in Southern California; bringing a water line across a Colorado River Bridge below Glen Canyon Dam; and finally building a water line along a ridge line in Big Ben national park in Texas. The recession ended this job.
While living in California I started a photography business and joined several art associations where I displayed my photos and won many prizes, including several best of show awards. Since moving back to Southern Indiana, I’ve won one best of show award at Muscaticut Wildlife Area and had my ninetieth one man show in Jeffersonville.
Looking back, I went on a blind date in my sophomore year that I married before my senior year; we celebrate our 50th Anniversary in 2019. I remember fondly the birth of our two sons and later five grandchildren. My favorite teacher, was Professor Snowden.
Over the years, I have been fortunate to attend the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo and the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. On top of that, I celebrated my fiftieth birthday in Tahiti. Throughout that time, I have enjoyed photography, coin collecting, and traveling the world.