Three Forks of the Kentucky River Historical Association

USAF OCS CLASS 57C, OC CAPTAIN, 1st Group Materiel Officer
Used by the Permission of the Author P.J. Daniels

I was born and grew up in southeastern Kentucky. I graduated from Owsley County High School in Boonville, Kentucky in 1947.

I entered by enlistiment into the United States Army Air Corps on the 26th of June, 1947 and attended basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas. It seemed that the need was for me to be a drill sergeant at Lackland for two more classes before I was transferred to Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colorado and taught clerk typing for a while. Next came an assignment to the Pentagon in Washington, DC where I worked in the DCS/Operations office. Next came an assignment to Dayton, Ohio, where I was assigned to the 162nd Fighter Squadron as Operations Sergeant. This was followed by a tour at Fort Knox Army Airfield, Godman AFB, Fort Knox, Kentucky, in October 1950, where I was assigned to the 165th Fighter Squadron as Operations Sergeant until the Korean War began heating up. Then I was sent to RAF Station Manston, England, where I was promoted to Technical Sergeant and moved up to become the 121st Fighter Group Operations Sergeant. Next came a trip with my boss to head up the first USAFE Stanboard at Weisbaden, Germany. Back in the US of A I was assigned to Wright Patterson AFB, in Dayton, Ohio, where I was the NCOIC of Base Operations. Then an assignment to Robins AFB, in Macon, Georgia, as the NCOIC of squadron operations in the 7th Logistic Support Squadron. I was promoted to Master Sergeant in 1954 and then moved up to the first sergeant's job. Then came an assignment to USAF Officer Candidate School in March of 1957. It was here that I discovered Hell on Earth! Since I was the senior sergeant in our class I seemed to receive the most training from our kind and gentle upper class. It was, though, the best for me in the end. I learned to be tough and humble, almost to a fault.

After graduation I was assigned to a large, self sufficient AC&W radar squadron at Lake City Air Force Station, Lake City, Tennessee, where I served as the executive officer, and seemingly because of my extensive enlisted service, just about every other additional duty there could possibly be. Here I was awarded the Air Defense Command Junior Officer of the Year award and made 'Regular.' Then I went on to Thule Air Force Base in Thule, Greenland, as a special assistant to the Wing Commander and also a part time aide to the 64th Air Division commander. Then next to the resident Civil Engineering course at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Dayton, Ohio. This was followed by an assignment to Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, Georgia, as Chief Of Operations for the civil engineering squadron. Then came an assignment to Laredo AFB, Texas as deputy base civil engineer and was promoted to the grade of Major.

Vietnam was the next assignment, as a base support and civil engineer advisor to the RVN at Natrang Air Base. Back to the USA to Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada, I served as the Base Civil Engineer and Squadron Commander. I then became a team leader for a special Air Force Civil Engineering, Crash & Rescue Fire Fighting Traveling Team, where I was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. I was then sent back to AFIT at the University of Tampa, Florida, and then on to Blytheville Air Force Base in Arkansas as Base Civil Engineer and Squadron Commander. I then headed up another special Leadership and Management Assistance Team under the direction of the USAF COS (General Jones) for two years and was promoted to Colonel. My next assignment was again as Base Civil Engineer and Squadron Commander at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, and then came my terminal assignment. I was sent to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, where I was retired in April of 1983 having served for 35 years and 9 months total service.

Once a civilian I was on to Saudi Arabia, as the senior consultant to the chief engineer of the Royal Saudi Air Force, in Ridyah, Saudi Arabia. Then as project manager to supervise the construction of hardened aircraft shelters, a fourteen million dollar project, which was shown of value during the war with Iraq. I next had a scary bout with a brain tumor and operation which, thank God, left me with only a few handicaps. I then took on the challenge of managing a city. I was City Manager for Jasper, Florida, and the executive director of their development authority. I then served in a semi-military job as Contract Base Engineer during the war with Iraq at Incirlik, Turkey. Another semi-military job came next, as program manager of a large government contract at Onizuka Air Force Station, Sunnyvale, California. I then went on to testing retirement for a short while. It turned out it wasn't for me. I started a small flying business and another stint as a city manager of another town. Now I am teaching young Air Force Officers how to fly before they enter the Undergraduate Pilot Training here in Georgia.