June 1968:
Graduation
Pine Forest High School
Fayetteville, NC
June 1968:
Enlisted US Army
Basic Training
Fort Bragg, NC
Advanced Individual Training ("AIT"):
Artillery, Fire Direction Control
Fort Sill, OK
May 1969:
Commissioned
2LT, Infantry
Officer Candidate School
Fort Benning GA
(Noteworthy: Age 19)
Dec 1969 - Dec 1970:
Vietnam
1/61 Infantry (Mech)
5th Infantry Div
Infantry Platoon Leader
I brought EVERYONE
home ALIVE ...
all else
I've done in life
pales in comparison
Awards include:
Combat Infantry Badge
Silver Star
Final Rank: Major (O-4)
On my Armored Personnel Carrier (aka “APC” or “track”) heading toward Khe Sanh area, northern I Corps, Republic of Vietnam. Polaroid photo was taken by my track driver, nickname “Buddha” (from California and a practicing Buddhist). Everyone had a nickname: mine was simply “TWO-SIX” (radio call sign for platoon leader of second platoon) or “LT” (abbreviation for “lieutenant”)
Silver Star – 2 August 1970
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION
May 2005:
Bachelor of Arts
Religious Studies
University of South Florida
Tampa FL
Dec 2009:
Masters of Arts
Religious Studies
University of South Florida
Tampa FL
Thesis:
Finding Confucianism in Scientology:
A comparative analysis
109 pages, 2009
Thesis info, Abstract & PDF at:
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/2045/
ORGANIZATIONS
President — Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) – Saint Petersburg Area Chapter
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) — Life Member since 1998 — Post Commander (2022-23) Madeira Beach VFW Post 4256
Life Member – American Legion Post 273, Madeira Beach, FL
