I am a native of Lexington, NC and a graduate of Lexington Senior High (Class of 76).  I attended Western Carolina University for a year, but could not seem to find my place.  Returning to Lexington, I enlisted in the United States Air Force, which turned out to be the best decision I have probably made in my life.  As a result I met my wife, Diane, at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA and we were married at Goodfellow AFB on October 27, 1978.  A 20 year career included tours of duty in Berlin, Germany; San Angelo, Texas; Washington, DC; Ft Meade, Maryland and our final tour back where it all began at Monterey, CA.  Along the way, I found time to complete Associate's Degrees in Instructional Technology and Interpreting and Translating, a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, a Master's Degree in International Relations, and a post-graduate certificate in Strategic Intelligence.  I retired as a Chief Master Sergeant in 1997, returning to North Carolina.  In March 2020, we moved to Del Webb at Grand Dunes in Myrtle Beach. SC. I fully retired in January 2023 and entered official beach bum status.