Lott
|
|
|
|
Following OCS I attended Aircraft Maintenance Officer's School. I was first assigned to the 79th CAMRON Squadron in Youngstown, Ohio. When the base closed in 1960, I was the Flight Line Maintenance Officer. I moved to the 87th Fighter Squadron at Lockborne AFB in Columbus, Ohio where I was also the Flight Line Maintenance Officer until June 1961 when I was accepted by AFIT to attend the University of Oklahoma . |
When I mowed my lawn for the last time in Ohio, I almost suffered a career-ending injury when I nearly severed my left foot with the lawn mower. They literally sewed my foot back on and, crutches and all, I went to school. I majored in Mechanical Engineering and graduated with a Master's Degree in 1965. My first assignment was in Service Engineering at HQ. AFLC in Dayton, Ohio. There I held various jobs including Division Chief of Programs and Plans and Division Chief of Electronics and Equipment, In 1969, I was assigned as the Quality Assurance Division Chief in Defense Contract Region Dallas, a Defense Supply Agency assignment. After 3 years, I was assigned as a Maintenance Officer to the 8th Tactical Wing at Ubon, Thailand. I was initially assigned as the Field Maintenance Supervisor but was moved to Maintenance Control Supervisor upon my return from my 6th month leave home. There I remained until the war was over. I returned to the Field Maintenance Squadron as Commander until my tour was over. Upon my return to the U. S., I was assigned as the Logistics Evaluation Team Chief on the B-1 test team at Edwards AFB, California. It was a challenging assignment. I had teams of AFLC, SAC, and ATC people working for me. There I also received a Master's Degree in management from The Golden Gate University. In 1977, I moved to the Oklahoma Air Logistics Center to become the B-1 System Manager. That lasted about a month. Then President Carter cancelled to B-1 program. The cruise missile became the nation's highest priority program and I became the Cruise Missile System Manager. When a production decision was made in 1980, I retired as a Lt Col with 33 years service to Lakeland, Florida. Betty and I traveled in our motor home the first year from Florida to Maine and California before buying a home in Lakeland. I soon discovered I just couldn't do lawn work. I tried all sorts of things: I wrote income taxes for three years. I managed a mini-warehouse for a year. I was manager of engineering for a small company that made aircraft parts for 5 years. I sold insurance for 2 years. I taught in a local college for 8 years, a very rewarding experience, I was commander of the Lakeland Sail and Power Squadron for two years. My lovely wife, Betty passed away from leukemia in 1996. I married Hortense, one of our mutual friends (when Betty and I were courting in 1951) in 1999. We are now enjoying retirement. I have 4 children, a girl and three boys, 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Almost all of them are in Florida so we are not lonely. |
Send E-Mail to: dnagel@cox.netCopyright © 2009 . All Rights Reserved