If you are no longer in Tucson, how often do you get back here?
Where to begin?! First of all, thank you to the entire Reunion Committee for all of your hard work and coordination! I want to also thank my friend, Tim Tolson, for calling and updating me on the events and this web-page. Also thank you to Carol Orcutt Holly for taking the time to e-mail me and say "hi" already. Thank you very much!
I will be unable to attend the reunion, however. My wife is from the Republic of South Africa. Due to travel to South Africa, I missed the 2010 reunion. I made it to the 20 and 30 year events, missing the 1980 10 year while sitting nuclear alert for seven days in a B-52 in the heart of Texas!
Just an idea worth discussing. Should the class of 70 consider meeting perhaps every other year or at least every five years from now on? I am all for this change and hope it will be discussed!
Here's the news at 11:00! Following graduation from SHS, I went to the U of A and majored in Landscape Architecture with a double degree in Agronomy, Plant Genetics. I graduated in December 1974. I was in Air Force ROTC while in school and received my commission and became a 2Lt at the same time. I waited nearly two years to go onto active duty, finally reporting to Davis-Monthan AFB in June 1976. I served as a Landscape Architect assigned to the Civil Engineering Squadron. While assigned at DM, I was able to finish my Masters Degree in Horticulture at the U of A in Dec '78. I reported to Undergraduate Pilot Training in Columbus, MS in Jan 1979. After nearly a year of intense training, I received my Pilot's wings on Nov 29, 1979. My son, Greg, was born at Columbus. I reported to Carswell AFB, TX for B-52D training which lasted six months. Following training, I reported to Dyess AFB, TX assigned as an Instructor Co-Pilot of B-52 D's and H's. My son, Matt, was born at Dyess. I was selected to cross-train as a T-37 Instructor Pilot stationed at Mather AFB, CA in Jan 1983. I love Northern California and remained there until June 1987. My sons Tim and Chris were both born at Mather.
During the summer of 1987, my mom in Tucson was told she had cancer. I was able to get a Humanitarian assignment to the U of A AFROTC Detachment. I served at the U of A for four years, departing for Randolph AFB, San Antonio, TX in June 1991. It was a blessing to be in Tucson to spend time with my mom who was able to beat cancer and she lived until December 2006.
Arriving in San Antonio in the summer of 1991 I noticed several things. One, it is very humid in South Texas, and two, San Antonio is a great city and a wonderful place to raise a family! I flew T-37's at Randolph and wrote Course-ware for Pilot Training Students. I also worked at Brooks AFB, also here in San Antonio, as a Landscape Architect for AFCEE, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, the USAF "A and E" firm. I was assigned there full-time in April 1994. I served as a Command-level Landscape Architect co-authoring the USAF Landscape Architecture Design and Specifications Manual. When not busy with the manual, I was able to travel to over 35 USAF bases and DOD facilities. While at these bases/facilities, I led teams of architects, engineers, and landscape architects in accomplishing week-long design vignettes and master plans. We would do our studies, print a book, and brief the "brass" at the facilities. It was a blast as I was able to travel to Korea, Japan, Okinawa, Guam, Italy, Germany, and bases all over the US. I have been to 49 states and 34 countries in all of my lifetime travels. Oh, I have not been to Wisconsin!
I retired from the USAF in July, 1996. I decided to stay in San Antonio as it is such a nice place and my sons were all established in their schools. There is no State income tax, too! I also decided not to go to the airlines as I did not want to be away from home all of the time. I started my own Landscape Design Firm named Acacia ALDC, accomplishing both residential and commercial landscape design projects throughout South Texas, Mexico, Maryland, and Montana. I also was a contracted pool/spa designer for various pool companies in San Antonio.
I travel to Tucson as much as I can to visit my brother Steve, SHS '72. It is 888 miles from my driveway to his house in Tucson off of Tanque Verde. Tucson is proudly my hometown and I miss it very much.
When not working, I stay busy with church activities such as bible studies, playing guitar in the Praise Band, and planning and going on mission trips. I received Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior in 1976 while stationed in Tucson. This decision was the best, life-changing thing I ever did! I have a real heart and calling for missions. The Lord gave us the Great Commission to go to all of the nations of the world and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. I am humbled to do so. I have been on mission trips to Moldova twice, Israel, Mexico four times, the Navajo Reservation in AZ, and Blackfeet Reservation in Montana four times.
I love being with family and friends, entertaining and going to the numerous Texas State Parks hiking and picnicking. I love photography, especially flowers and landscapes. I still love baseball, bowling, and gardening. I have over 300 potted plants in my back yard and enjoy propagating cuttings and growing seeds from my yard. I have a small backyard nursery and have numerous plant sales every year. My wife, Liana and I love to travel, too. We have been all over the US and to South Africa three times since our marriage in March, 2005.
I would enjoy hearing from any Sahuaro grads via e-mail or my cell phone. If any of you ever get to San Antonio, it would be my privilege to show you around my fair city. The Alamo is great and the River Walk is wonderful, full of shops and restaurants. The Texas Hill Country is beautiful, too. I must tell all of you that I like it here in San Antonio but don't love it. I am a westerner and a mountain man at heart. I miss Arizona, its people, and her beauty.
Liana is a very talented wildlife artist specializing in up-close South African animal paintings. She also does portraits and abstracts. I learned to frame last year and enjoy accomplishing all of her framing projects. She sells her originals and prints on-line and at showings. She is one of twenty artists invited to an International Wildlife Show and Sale at a Wildlife Park/Events Center outside of San Antonio. This event is scheduled for November 2011 and should be a wonderful event.
I hope all of this information has been fun and useful! I sure wish I could be at the reunion with you all. I am looking forward to the next get-together whether in 2, 5 or 10 years. Let's hope it is sooner than later. I truly hope to hear from as many of you as possible. Keep in touch and may God Bless all of you!
