WILLIAM P. (BILL) SUITER Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)

USAF OCS Class 57C, OC LT, 3rd Squadron Adjutant

I was born in 1930 and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, where I graduated from high school in 1948. I enlisted in the Air Force in September of 1948, and was sent to Sheppard AFB, Texas for basic training. When I finished basic, I was sent to Germany to help out in the Berlin Airlift, and thanks to my typing skills, I was assigned to Erding Air Depot in Germany as a clerk, far away from the back breaking labor of the airlift.

I did other enlisted assignments at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, as well as at Akron and Toledo, Ohio. I applied for and was accepted into OCS in 1957.

After graduation from OCS, I became a personnel officer and was assigned to an AACS squadron at RAF Upper Heyford in England, and became interested in communications. When I rotated back to the states, I went to Keesler AFB for Communications Officer School, then was sent to Reese AFB, Texas where I made captain. From there I was assigned to Takhli, Thailand in 1964, and then to Clark AB, Philippines, where I served in the First Mobile Communications Group until 1966.

I went to Robins AFB, Georgia, and from there to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska for two years. My next assignment took me to Eilson AFB, Alaska for two more years. In 1972 I returned to Oklahoma City AFS and then to Keesler AFB to the Staff Communications Officer School. From there to Richards Gebaur AFB, Missouri and in 1976 I was assigned to head up the Communications Advisory Team for the MAAG at Teheran, Iran. I returned to the states in May 1978 and was retired at McGuire AFB, New Jersey, effective July 1, 1978, with thirty years service.

While in the Air Force, I attended night classes when I could, earning at BS in Business Administration at the University of Alaska, and later, an MS in Telecommunications from the University of Southern Mississippi.

My son died of cancer in 1981 and my wife passed away of cancer in 1986. I remarried in 1991 and settled here in Melbourne, Florida in 1992

I have two grandchildren and two great grandchildren, all of them here in Florida. I also have two stepchildren and five step-grandchildren.

I am a storyteller and entertainer who does mostly volunteer entertaining for older people at nursing homes, senior centers, churches, etc. I also do storytelling to children at camps, schools, shelters, libraries, etc. I have found my storytelling to be a very rewarding and fulfilling experience.

Bill Suiter