Roger N. Singer Captain, USAFR (Resigned)

USAF OCS Class 57C, OC Captain, 1st Squadron Commander

With a reunion coming upon us, I thought I’d better get some sort of a biographical sketch into the record, lest I be looked upon as a “non-cooperator.” So, here it is . . . .

I imagine that although I wasn’t the youngest person in our OCS class (Karin Younger Goudy was three months younger – Hey, that’s an interesting phrase), I was the youngest to graduate, since Karin opted out of the program near the end to marry Dennis.

My youth was spent in the northern part of New Jersey, where my father was superintendent of schools in Rahway. I had one brother (now deceased) who was a Vietnam veteran.

After completing my undergraduate work (psychology) at Brown University, I enlisted in the Air Force in late 1956. During basic training, there was an announcement that the Air Force was accepting applications for Officer Candidate School. Having had a very brief taste of enlisted service, I thought that receiving the salute, rather than “rendering” it, would be a good choice. So, I applied for our class of 57C and was selected.

An interesting anecdote: While in “holdover” status after basic training, waiting for OCS to commence, I happened to be on a base bus going “somewhere.” Sitting next to me, was a “gadget” (aviation cadet), who gave me the lowdown on the class system training of OCS. “They’ll do everything they can to get you to quit the program, so just remember that it is only six months long, and hang in there, no matter what!” That was good advice, and I was fortunate for having received it, since it forewarned me of what was to come.

Well, we all know what we went through together, so there’s no point in rehashing that again.

After OCS, I was selected to enter the intelligence career field. A couple of interesting assignments. . . Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. and Suffolk County Air Force Base, Long Island, New York, were my two primary assignments. I visited several times with Stan Lowry and Gil Whiteman during my active duty days.

Having put in my obligatory four years of active duty, I separated as a first lieutenant and entered the inactive Air Force Reserve program. I was promoted to captain in the Reserves, and decided that I could not maintain any meaningful affiliation with the Air Force, which would not be in competition for my time dedicated to my studies and my next career. So, I opted to resign my commission.

Though I have always maintained a fond affinity for my Air Force experience and my memories of OCS, my choice was probably not a bad one.

While in the Air Force, I married Nancy, and we had two daughters, Allison and Laura.

I went on to graduate school at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and received my doctorate in educational psychology. Nancy and I “called it a day,” and parted ways.

I became a licensed and certified psychologist in the state of New Jersey, and have spent a second career, first as a full-time school psychologist, then later as a consultant to several school districts.

For the past decade, I have been a social psychologist with the New Jersey penal system, working with juveniles who have gotten into trouble, but for whom there is “hope.” This has been an active involvement, and I now couple that with an occasional public school psychology assignment, serving as an independent consultant.

While working as a school psychologist, I met Leah, who was with a school system in New Jersey, working with learning disabled adolescents. We found joy in our relationship, and married. I then “inherited” another daughter, Erika, who will become married in August.

I haven’t seen many of the OCS gang over the years. I happened to meet Hedrick “Rick” Smith at a gathering in New York some years ago. Gil Whiteman and I have maintained a very close relationship for many years, and we, along with our wives, continue to see quite a bit of each other in New Jersey, Connecticut, and at my summer cabin in Maine.

I play golf occasionally, and exercise regularly. As always, I love to read, especially history. I am active in community volunteer work, and serve on several boards of directors, such as with the local YMCA.

I am saddened by the loss of so many of our classmates at such young ages. J.J. Miller and I were roommates for all of our First Class days. It was discomforting to learn of his death at the early age of thirty-one.

Looking at the trials faced by the families of some of our brothers – such as Jerry Chambers’ death in combat, Art Burer’s imprisonment in North Vietnam for such a terribly long time, Dick Nagel’s heroism in Southeast Asia, Leo Reilly’s long suffering with cancer, and the many other tragedies – helps me maintain a heartfelt and sympathetic bond with those of you who remain.

Though my lack of contact and reunion involvement in the past may indicate otherwise, my OCS days remain vivid and positively meaningful to me.

I’m looking forward to being with all of you at the forthcoming reunion in Connecticut, during June 2001.

Roger Singer