The "Tough 20 Trolls" 50 Years Later

Bill Buford
After graduation I went through Nav training at Mather AFB, Ca, followed by EC-47s at DaNang and a tour in the C-142 at Charleston AFB, SC as a nav and instructor nav. I separated in 1974, but continued as an instructor nav in the Reserves at Travis AFB, CA.

Elaine and I were married in 1970 and we had three daughters - Alice born in 1971 (she was a month old when I returned from Viet Nam), Valerie born in 1976, and Scarlett born in 1979. Alice and her husband, Ben have five kids: 4 girls and a boy, ages 6 through 14 (they live near us in SW Houston). Valerie and her husband, Chris, have three daughters (ages 3 to 7) and they live in Battle Mountain, Nevada. Scarlett is single and living in NYC, working at the Metropolitan Opera and she previously danced three years with the Rockettes.

I received an MS in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Cal State University in 1978, became a Registered Professional Engineer in Louisiana (Electrical Engineering) in 1980, and followed that with a PhD in Interdepartmental Engineering from LSU in 1984.

From '76-'82 I was a Biomedical Engineer, Rehabilitation Research at the National Hansen's Disease Center (NHDC) in Baton Rouge, LA. That center is involved with Leprosy. After that I was the Director, Paul W. Brand Department of Rehabilitation Research at the NHDC fro '84-'91.

From there I moved to Galveston, TX , where I was Assistant Professor and Director in Biomechanics Research, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Texas Medical Branch. In 1997 I was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. In 2003 I was promoted to Professor. From 1999-2013 I was the Director, Division of Research.

On Aug 31, 2013 I retired.

I miss my Jag XK150, but I've kept a Honda S2000 for ten years.


Rock Buraglio
Barbara and I live in Colorado Springs with our “in-charge” Boston Terrier--Sadie. She’s cute, knows it, and exhibits the behavior of an executive dog--i.e. we work for her! As you might suspect, we enjoy it.

Although the “deal” with the Air Force was “?ve for four”, I managed to spend 36 plus years in uniform (12 active duty and 24 reserve). Five years went by fast and 36 years and a 50th reunion seem to have come even faster. When I separated from active duty in 1980, I went to work for Martin Marietta Corporation which later became Lockheed Martin Corporation--spent 28 years in aerospace “stuff”--rockets, satellites, planes and even ill-advised environmental efforts. The environmental job took Barbara and me to Idaho for four years. This was our only break from Colorado where we have lived for almost 29 years.

As much as I enjoyed working, I enjoy retirement more. We have more time to spend together, more time to waste any way we want, and fewer demands for things that “must” be accomplished. Sometimes I wonder how I ever managed to work at all! Grandchildren--daughter Christie and spouse in Colorado Springs with 2 boys, Alistair and Rockne, and 2 girls, Azaria and Rhianna; son Donny and spouse in Carmel Valley, CA with 2 girls, Sophia and Giana, and 1 boy, Dominic, who is a junior at USAFA.           September 2018        

Mike Chapman
Following graduation, I went through pilot training at Webb AFB, Texas. I got a C-7A assignment and spent 1970 in Vietnam—6 months in Phu Cat and 6 at Cahm Rahn Bay. Then back to the states as a T-37 instructor at Reese AFB Texas.

From June, 1974 to December, 1975 I was at Wright Patterson AFB, OH getting my MSEE at AFIT. I was then assigned to the AF Armament Lab at Eglin AFB, Fl. I met, and married, Kathy at Eglin.

In May, 1979 I finally got a fighter assignment and, following fighter lead in training, went through F-4 RTU at Homestead AFB, Fl. In June, 1979 our first son, Tommy, was born. There were complications and he suffered severe brain damage at birth and was severely handicapped all his life. In September, 1979 we were assigned to Seymour Johnson AFB, NC where I flew the F-4 until February 1981. Then off to Sembach AB Germany in OV-10’s. In December, 1982 our second son was born. This time Kathy’s water broke on Christmas Eve so she spent 6 days in the hospital. On December 30th, John was delivered and weighed in at 3 pounds, 7.5 oz. John is now 6 foot 1 inch and is a financial advisor with his MBA.

In September 1984 they shut down the OV-10s in Germany and I led the 2nd 7 ship of OV-10s flying from Sembach to George AFB, CA—took us a week. The C-130’s escorting us (one rescue and one maintenance) had to fly with flaps down so we could keep up. Then I came to Wright-Patterson AFB, OH as a program manager.

In 1987 I was assigned as the Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations for the 4950th Test Wing. In December 1987 I went to the Defense Systems Management College at Ft Belvour, VA. Following graduation, I came back to Wright Pat and was assigned to the “Black World” as a Program Manger. In October 1988 our 3rd son, Mike, was born (this time everything went ok)—but you can imagine our surprise when we found out Kath was pregnant—I was 45 then!! Mike is currently getting his Phd in Materials Engineering at Carnegie Mellon. In November 1990 our first son died while in the care of the county respite center—Kath and I were in Florida for her parents 50th wedding anniversary.

In May 1991 I retired from the AF and became a support contractor and we stayed here in Dayton. I supported various programs and, in 2000 was assigned as a Test Manager for the Global Hawk UAV program and remained in this position for the next 12 years. I did convert to Civil Service in 2009.

In December, 2012, I figured it was time to leave the AF and decide what I wanted to do when I grow up. So, now I’m trying to improve my golf game but am still keeping the fairways in good shape by playing in the right rough. I also fly radio controlled aircraft but by RC record isn’t like my AF flying record. I’ve managed to total 2 Piper Cubs, 2 Cirrus 22s and severely damage a P-51 and a Spitfire.

While the kids were growing up, I coached and refereed soccer until 2002. By then, I was at the point where I couldn’t keep up with the 15 year old kids running up and down the field. I also was a Boy Scout Scoutmaster from 1993 until last month. Finally had to quit—the arthritis got too bad.

Charles (Chuck) Duncan
1968 - 69 U. of Michigan masters degree in nuclear engineering (a nice vacation after USAFA)
1969-75 Air Force Weapons Laboratory - can you make a little piece of a nuclear device?
1975-77 Lawrence Livermore Labs - detached duty from Weapons Laboratory - can you make a laser for laser fusion? At end of tour, who would want anyone with eight years of Weapons Lab experience? Guaranteed pass over. Sooo.
1977-1982 Pentagon, Air Staff, Studies and Analysis - what weapons should you buy? By end of tour, you have Pentagon experience, so if you go back out into the field, they will just send you back to the Pentagon. What to do?
1982-85 Pentagon, Joint Staff in what was called the Joint Analysis Directorate in 1985. Anyone want to war game the next war? Amateurs play tactics, professionals play logistics. True, so true.
1985-88 Tinker AFB, OK Try to start a maintenance program for nuclear protection devices for B-52's and B-1's. Culture shock, civilians in military and too much attention to time and motion optimization for maintenance. Bet your rank, lost bet. Time to pull rip-cord at 20.

1988 Northern Virginia. Need a job, end up with 8-A small business with contracts with Joint Staff and Ft Leavenworth. Within 3 years, 8-A small business is not viable. Got job with FFRDC by the name of MITRE. No one really knew why the name was MITRE with all caps etc, but it paid the bills. All sorts of work around MITRE, but time to get out of the way the next generations. Retired from paying jobs 2006.

Most humorous moment at USAFA. There was no humor at USAFA. It was deadly serious until in the last week when I was called in by the Maj, who had a career in Training Command training others to go to Vietnam. He wanted me to sign up as a blind navigator. Since I had trouble finding his office, I figured I would have trouble finding airplanes on a pad, let alone navigate them. He looked at my scholarship from the AEC to study "plasma physics" and surmised, "You're going into a pre-med program!" "No, sir. I will be studying thermo-nuclear weapons." He had no response, so I was dismissed.

I currently live in northern Virginia as a retired parasite on the body politic living off the part of my retirement pay that I got to keep and savings. I am spending my Social Security on running for local office, and other political causes. I figure that since SS is a socialist evil put upon this country by our government, I should use my little slice of it to undermine the liberal causes where ever I can. Since election day is 5 Nov, I will not be at the reunion. Hell Week is the month before election day. I don't know what to call election day, maybe "election day." If you have seriously worked polls, you will know why "election day" is worse than a "hell week" day.

Mike Evans
68 - 69 Mather AFB, Sacramento, CA, Undergraduate Navigator Training, T-29
69 - 70 George AFB, Victorville, CA, F-4 Replacement Training Unit, F-4D, E, C
70 - 72 MacDill AFB, Tampa, FL, WSO/IWSO, Replacement Training Unit, F-4E
72 - 73 Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX, Undergraduate Pilot Training, T-37, 38.
73 - 74 Shaw AFB, Sumter, SC, Replacement Training Unit, RF-4C
74 - 75 Udorn RTAFB, Udorn Thailand, Pilot (AC), RF-4C
75 - 77 Bergstrom AFB, Austin, TX, IP, RF-4C
77 - 78 MacDill AFB, MacDill AFB, Tampa, FL, Pilot, F-4E (LES)
78 - 79 Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan, IP, F-4D
79 - 80 Luke AFB, Phoenix, AZ, Pilot, F-15
80 - 82 Langley AFB, VA, Hampton, VA, Pilot, F-15
82 - 83 Maxwell AFB, AL, Montgomery AL, Student, ACSC
83 - 85 Langley AFB, VA, Hampton, VA, Staff Officer, F-15, TAC/IG
85 - 88 Tyndall AFB, FL, Panama City, FL, IP, F-15
88 - 89 Maxwell AFB, AL, Montgomery AL, Student, AWC
89 - 91 AFCENT HQ (NATO), Brunssum, The Netherlands, Joint Staff Officer.
91 - 92 Langley AFB, VA, Hampton, VA, Staff Officer, TAC/IG (Ret)
92 - 96 Crawfordsville, IN
96 - 00 Addison, IL
00 - 06 Indianapolis, IN

06 - Present, Manager Field Office, Raytheon, Wright Patterson Field Office, Fairborn, OH.

Memorable Academy Event: I believe ~ 67, the night of the Black Death when we were bussing sick guys to the hospital overnight - Strep I think. Of course the super-sonic pass by the Thud over the Terrazzo was also memorable.

Dick Ewers
On graduation day I took my commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Initially I had to attend "Basic School" in Quantico, Virginia where all Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenants learn to be a grunt and lead troops in combat. I then went to U.S. Navy jet pilot training, earning my wings, in May 1970. I served on active duty for more than 21 years in the Marine Corps as a fighter pilot, flying A-4, F-4, and F/A-18 aircraft. During this career I was assigned to both F-4 fighter and reconnaissance squadrons before ultimately commanding an F-4S squadron (VMFA-122) for nearly two years. My military flying included combat flying at DaNang, Vietnam and operational exchange tours with both U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force Phantom squadrons flying the F-4 worldwide. My tours with the Navy included F-4 flying from the decks of the aircraft carriers USS Ranger and USS Midway. My two years with the US Air Force was spent flying F-4E's at Hahn Air Base, West Germany.

While on active duty, I graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and served two tours as a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland. My flight test experience included test flying in the F/A-18 Hornet during its early development as well as flight testing improvements to F-4's and A-4's. I retired from the Marine Corps in August 1989 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

After the Marine Corps, I went to work for Westinghouse Electronic Systems Group as an engineering test pilot flying BAC 1-11's, Sabreliners and various other smaller testbed aircraft out of Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Maryland. I spent nearly nine years there flight testing sensors such as radars and forward looking infrared systems under development for military and civilian use.

In May 1998 I got hired as a test pilot by the Flight Crew Branch of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, Calif. I served NASA for 15 years retiring in May 2013. My research aviation duties included flying highly modified F/A-18 aircraft in high speed flight research as well as piloting NASA's world travelling Airborne Science DC-8 and Gulfstream III aircraft. After officially leaving NASA they hired me back for 3 more years as a "contract" pilot to fill pilot seats for which they did not have sufficient manning. As I celebrated my 70th birthday NASA put me out to pasture for good.

Along the way, I earned a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Systems from the University of West Florida. After retirement I have continued to fly my own Cessna T210 for personal use.

I married the girl I dated as a first classman, Sharon (from Buffalo, NY), in January, 1969. We now live in Indio, California. We have two grown children; a son who served 20 years as Marine Corps CH-46 helicopter pilot and now flies civilian rescue helicopters in Buffalo, NY, and a daughter who sells real estate in Telluride, Colorado. We have 3 grand daughters ages 8, 10 and 11 and none of them have expressed any interest in following my career as a pilot or attending USAFA..
August, 2018

Jim Farley
AFB Assignments
a. 1968 Lowry AFB, Denver, CO
b. 1968-1970 Ching Chuan Kang AB, Taiwan; Cam Rahn Bay AB, Vietnam
c. 1970-1971 England AFB, Alexandria, LA
d. 1971-1973 AFIT, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
e. 1973-1977 HQ USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany

Post AF Locations
f. 1977-2011: Redondo Beach, CA; Norwalk, CN; Manhattan Beach, CA;
g. Worked 1977-2011 in System Engineering and Program Management at TRW/Northrup-Grumman. Retired September 2011.

Biggest/most humorous/most influential event
h. Most humorous event that I remember was the noon fly-by by the F-105's from McConnell AFB that broke most of the windows in Mitchell Hall and several in Vandenberg Hall then Gen Olds laughing until the Superintendent looked over at him at which time he very quickly adopted a stone face!
i. The most memorable event I remember is coming back to the Academy after being in the Rocky Mountain National forest on survival training Dooley summer and after being told that we could expect a steak feast, getting cold cheese sandwiches because of the flooding of the Platte River at that time. What a HUGE disappointment that was after surviving on very little for those days. Bummer!
j. The most influential events were actually the two big honor scandals during our four years at the Academy. One after we returned from Christmas vacation Dooley year (first class to do so) and the other during either our second class or first class year. It happened when a member of our squadron who was also a member of the football team admitted he had tolerated someone's cheating on a test.

What I'm doing now and where I live
k. Retired and living in Santa Ana, CA 92706

David Helgevold
1968-73. Space and Missile Systems Center, El Segundo,CA. Systems Program Management Officer. In COMSAT SPO(DSCS II, FleetSatCom, Skynet II, NATO III, etc.)

1973-75 Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, Sunnyvale, CA. Quality Assurance Engineer on NRO Programs.

1976-1979 and 1982-1991 TRW Space Systems, Redondo Beach,CA. Assistant Program Manager on 4 spacecraft programs(FLTSATCOM, Defense Support Program Comm. Payload, NRO Program, TDRSS).

1980-82 Hughes Space and Communications Company, El Segundo, CA. Part of development team for the HS 376 Series of commercial communications satellites that made Cable TV possible as well as worldwide geosynchronous satellite communications. After development program became Assistant Program Manager for Product Assurance on the Telstar III Program, fourth in the series of HS 376 Comsats.

1978 Democratic Candidate for the California State Assembly from the 51st Assembly District(South Bay Beach Cities and Palos Verdes Peninsula).

1992-2013 Senior Staff Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation. Wrote the Product Assurance Contractual Requirements Standard in 2005 that is currently used on both DOD and NRO spacecraft programs as well as on Space X Falcon 9 procurements by the DOD(SMC).

Married twice, no kids, and last marriage ended in 1979.

Private Pilot but not current.

Lived in Manhattan Beach,CA for almost 40 years and have run/walked in all of the Manhattan Beach 10K races since its inception in 1978. Fully retired in 2014 to Tucson,AZ where I currently reside.

Current Goals in life: See as many National Parks as I can, do about 3 a year now with family and friends. Hit the gym almost every day and dance classes about 5 times a week (Zumba and Hip Hop).                                                                                September 2018                                                        
Pat Hurley
Headed to UPT with a number of Trolls where we were wined and dined by Steve McPhail's Mom and Dad and learned that "there's a loaf of bread in every bottle" from the Sarge so there was no need to eat really. Got married to Fancy Nancy right after UPT and clearly it is what saved me from a life of wretched debaucher. Went to RVN in C-130. Flew about 2000 sorties in nearly 2 years, mainly milk runs but a few exciting days. Got an F-100 assignment to go back but they gave all the Huns to the Guard so I ended up at Willy flying T-38's and going to Grad school. Survived both but got grounded by the Rated supp and went to Wright-Patt learning how to make B-1's. Called it a day for active duty and moved back to AZ for a job in the desert where I did OK working for Garrett AiResearch and its successor owners, Signal, AlliedSignal and Honeywell. Moved around --- Phoenix, LA, Taiwan, Baltimore, Seattle and back to Phoenix. Took early retirement in 97 after life as a fixer (turnaround specialist) became ugly. Had a few other ventures till former Vice Chairman from AlliedSignal enticed us to Santa Barbara in 2001 to turn around a Raytheon operation which was truly a professional hi-lite. Retired again in 2007 after 6 years in SB. Have a small consulting shop and serve on some PE Boards but mostly play bad golf, go fishing travel and try to be a role model (no really) for my grandkids.

We have two wonderful sons who avoided jail and married two wonderful women who turned them into citizens who in turn have given us 4 grandkids, 2 girls, 12 and 10, and 2 boys, 4 and 2. The girls, Alana and Eden are pictured with their Mom and Dad, Justin and Andrea with us at lake Powell. Ethan, Amy, Finn and Reef were in Montana where Ethan runs the Montana Board of Investment Private Equity and Alternative Investment operation

Nancy, of course, runs the show — cuts me ample slack but ultimately on the straight and narrow. She is deeply involved in the community where she has been the Junior League president , a Master docent at the Phoenix Art Museum and is currently the Pope of the Presbyterians at Valley Presbyterian Church. Her crowning achievement even beyond staying married to me for 44 years is being the indisputable world's best Grandmother or at least in a dead heat tie with all the other world class grams out there

We just downsized from a nice home on the mountain to a smaller home a mile away looking at the mountain in Paradise Valley, AZ — come and see us anytime.

Derek Iverson
1. Snapshot — Derek hiking on Burroughs Mtn, NE corner of Mt Rainier

2. Assignments/work history:
1970 O-1E Lai Khe, Vietnam1971-1973 KC-135, Fairchild AFB, WA1973-1974 E. Wash. State College, MS Math
1975-1978 UCLA, PhD Engineering
979-1984 Sr Scientist, Hughes Aircraft Co. Helped to develop the imaging radar capability used in the F-15E.
1985-2011 Assoc. Tech. Fellow, Boeing Minuteman physical security system radar;Star Wars space radar design; optimized multirole airborne surveillance platform tradeoff study; impulse radar investigation, research, experiments; millimeter wave seeker development; electronic warfare test system for Benefield anechoic chamber at Edwards AFB; radar equipment manager for US Navy P-8A and Indian Navy P-8I. Wrote a half-dozen papers/presentations for peer reviewed journals and conferences; granted two patents for radar related work.

3. Influential Academy event: Surviving my reckless, arrogant, profane Academy life choices to get married, get saved by Jesus Christ, and raise a family (1 son and 4 daughters).

4. Current Location: Retired from Boeing in 2012 and continue to live in Kent, WA where I’ve lived the last 29 yrs. Enjoying life with my wife of 44 years — what a great gift she has been to me.

5. Interests: Guitar making, translating God’s Word into new languages, hiking, enjoying children and grand children, supporting aging parents.

AF assignments:

'68 - '69: Grad school in Boston.
'69: Intel tech school Lowry AFB.
'69 - '70: Intel Officer, 3rd TAC Fighter Wing, Bien Hoa, Vietnam.
'70 - '72: Intel Officer SAC Bomb Wing Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina.
'72 - '73: ROTC instructor Iowa State U.
'73 resigned.


Post AF jobs:

'73 - '82: Sales and Sales management assignments IBM Chicago.
'82 - '83: Director of Marketing IBM Minneapolis.
'83 - '88: Director of Business Management Finance Products IBM Charlotte.
'88 - '91: Trading Area executive IBM Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
'91 - '96: Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer Santa Fe Railroad, Chicago.
"96 early retirement Charlotte, NC.

Memorable Event: Dick Ewers stretching his bladder trying to get back to USAFA on a Saturday night.

What I have doing since retirement: Lots of volunteer work with the United Way, the local Food Bank, my neighborhood and my Church. Also much traveling with Susie to visit our 10 grandkids and four sons in Phoenix, Milwaukee, Raleigh, and Charlotte, and playing golf.

Vern McGraw
Highlights from years past as I remember them:
- After graduation, made 3 week trip west with my old University of Ala roomie (Dr John DeShazo who had just graduated from UAB dental school) in my Triumph TR4A (got involved with the MLK assassination investigation when James Earl Ray was caught in London-- John was key witness. If you are interested, I can tell the story next month).
- Met and married wife Marilyn while at Craig during UPT. She was a home service rep for Gulf Power Company, Fort Walton Beach.
- A1E to SEA was cancelled (probably alive today as a result), ended up in C-130A to Hanscom Field, Ma.
- 1971 AC-130A to Ubon Thailand (Son Bryan born Aug ’71)
- Nov ’71 to April ’72, 7th AF TACC (Blue Chip), In-Country duty officer (directed all TAC Air in Viet Nam, Cambodia, eastern Laos) ---witnessed General John Lavelle’s firing etc. Talked to A-37 guys Froggy, Dick Covey, Jim Pueppke, directly several times.
- B-52 pilot/IP Barksdale; Guam/Linebacker, home Oct ’73 (daughters born at BAD; Beth April ’74, Jen June ’77).
- Left Barksdale summer ’77 for job at USAFA, working for Dave “Sluggo” Allen in the Soaring branch. Became chief Soaring after Sluggo resigned. Established “Soar for All” program to give every cadet the opportunity to solo glider (argument: West Pointers get to shoot the big guns, Middies sail boats to Bermuda, USAFA cadets should have opportunity to fly/solo glider!!).
- 30 Jan 80 signed paper declining promotion to major (was to pin on 1 Feb) after chief of rated officer assignments Col Butch Viccellio told me back to BUFFs was my only option. Well, I had another one. I became a “what do we do with this guy” at USAFA. March 80, Dan James asked 68er’s at USAFA to be a part of his dad Chappie James’ funeral honor guard—I was the only captain in the group of new Majors.
- Left active duty May ’80, accepted test and integration engineering job at Boeing Military Airplane Company, Wichita, Ks. (B-52 Offensive Avionics System upgrade) Moved to Derby, Ks. Marilyn got teaching job, kids settled in as sodbusters.
- Sometime early ’81, walked across street from Boeing to 184th TFG at McConnell AFB, met the boss and became a Jayhawk. F-4 RTU. Did that for 5 years as a part timer.
- Boeing promoted me to engineering manager in 1985, wanted me to be the Comanche Helicopter avionics integration manager at Boeing Vertol, Philadelphia. Meantime, Sverdrup Technologies won the SETA contract at Eglin AFB, FL, and asked me if I would join them early ’86 to start that effort. Back close to home (both sets of parents and brother lived in Montgomery), 20% pay raise, no state income taxes, lower cost of living, reserve job at Duke Field. Asked Marilyn and kids “Philadelphia or the beach?” Once again, declined a “promotion” and to Niceville/Bluewater Bay we went.
- Became “Aircraft Integration Tech Chief” for Sverdrup/Jacobs/Sentel/Odyssey Systems (as the contract changed over the years). Supported weapons software/hardware integration efforts for multiple AA/AG weapons. Been on the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile program –JASSM- (Lockheed Martin contract) for past 23 years. In addition to B-52 software/hardware expertise, I became a journeyman expert in B-1, B-2, F-15, F-16 and F/A-18 avionics software, hardware and controls and displays. Currently working part time as consultant for JASSM and a couple of new hypersonic weapon programs. Trips to Grand Prairie, Tx, and Palmdale LM Skunk Works. Primarily consulting on B-52 integration (just could never distance myself from that old airplane!!). Average 15-20 hours/week as technical consultant to government, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop-Grumman. Retired from Guard/Reserve ’95 as O-5.
- Son Bryan graduated from Vanderbilt (full scholarship), 2 year stint in the Army, married his Vandy girlfriend (now a Neurologist a DuPage county hospital, Wheaton, Il), got his PhD at Harvard and is a Political Science/Political Theory professor at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Il. 3 great kids.
- Daughter Beth and her husband are both independent consultants living in Arlington, Va. 2 delightful daughters.
- Daughter Jen lives on Padre Island (Corpus Christie) and is a student advisor/professor at Texas A&M, Corpus Christi. She’s also an artist: jenniferarnoldstudio.com
- Marilyn retired as real estate closing agent several years ago. We play golf, travel, and visit our Lake Martin Alabama lake house (just starting major renovation/update).

I’m a member/past president of the Niceville/Valparaiso Kiwanis club, still sing in church choir, mentor kids, and rebuild old cars. God has been good to us.

Footnote: I met John Boyd (Boyd by Robert Coram) when he visited our guard unit in 1984. Flipped charts for his 8 hour Patterns of Conflict briefing (OODA loop discourse). He’s had a significant influence on my career choices since. He told us “you will come to a fork in the road where you can be somebody or do good work.” I’ve made it this far never having a reserved parking spot. And that’s the way I’ll finish.                                                                                                                                     15 September 2018

Steve McPhail
Went to pilot training at Randolph AFB where I also married Judi (who I met at the Troll’s Valentine party at the LaVista on Colfax in 1968). Graduated from UPT and flew the O2-A in Hue and Quang Tri in 1970. Returned to ADC and flew the T-33 at Tyndall AFB where my daughter Schenley was born. In Aug ’72 assigned to Ramstein as a T-33 IP and T-39 attached pilot while working on the USAFE Briefing Team and the wing command post. Twin sons Trent and Graham born at Landstuhl. Returned to the T-33 at Tyndall in ’76 and finally to the F-106. Flew the 106 at McChord AFB, WA til resigning in Feb ‘80. Continued to be an AFA liaison officer in the reserves for 15 more years so eventually retired from the military w/ 11 active duty years and 15 in the reserves.

After leaving the AF, I worked in the pilot liaison office at the GE Aircraft Engine Group in Cincinnati before being hired at Southwest Airlines as the #200 pilot. At SWA I got into union work and served as a domicile rep, grievance chairman, negotiator and vice-president. We lived in Dallas (SWA’s only base when I was hired in Dec ’80) and I commuted to Houston for 24 years. I was mandatorily retired by the FAA on 6/6/6, the day before my 60th birthday.

I am now retired and Judi and I live in Manchester Center, VT, Judi’s hometown of 3500. We travel a lot - last fall sailing in Australia for 2 months, winter skiing in Breckinridge, summer canoe trip in British Columbia. I try to improve my fly fishing and lower my golf handicap (25.4) as yet to no avail. We both spend a lot of time in SFO and BWI babysitting 4 grandchildren.

In the spring of ’68 I had given Maj Rodee my word that there would be NO alcohol at Farish. Unfortunately, my date (from DU) didn’t think I was serious and after we had left the wine skin in her car she went back in the snow and got it. Maj Rodee saw it under her cot and brought that to my attention on Monday. He called me to his office and I got privately issued restrictions and important advice to pick a good woman and stick with her (which I did).

Donald Mrosla
Air Force:

1968-69 Laughlin AFB, TX - pilot training
1969-70 Pope AFB, NC - C130 copilot-flew 60 day rotations to Europe
1970-73 CCK AB, Taiwan - C130 co-pilot/aircraft commander/instructor pilot (flew into Vietnam - Feb71-Apr 75)
1973-75 Clark AB, P.I. - C-130 instructor pilot/command post
1975-76 Yongsan army post, Korea - aid-de-camp to General Richard Stiwell(4-star army)
1976-80 Mccord AFB, WA - C130 instructor/simulator instructor/flight examiner
1980-86 Travis AFB, CA – 22nd Air Force flight examiner
1986-90 Rhine-Main, Germany - C130 instructor/ Wing-CVI/IG/Vice Base Commander
1990- Fairfield, CA - C130 pilot for Southern Air Transport/Southwest Airlines pilot/ retired senior citizen

After pilot training I flew the C-130 until I retired in 1990 - my brother Duane and I were stationed together from 1962 -1973 (enlisted/prep school/academy/pilot training/Pope AFB/and CCK AB) Du got out of the AF in 1973 and got out of the guard in 1998. The most exciting flying I did was from Feb 71-Apr 75 in Nam (from both CCK and Clark).

As for academy life - it was not very exciting - being on ac-pro 7 out of 8 semesters. The biggest event I remember is our mach 1+ fly-by before graduation.

Current activities:

Moved to Fairfield, CA when I retired from the AF - flew 10+ years with Southwest and had to retire when I hit 60--have been playing racquetball 4-5 times a week at Travis AFB-have made a few trips to China with the wife. This is a picture of Pearl and I on our Alaska cruise last year. I have been goofing off for the last 14 years. Pearl and I have done some traveling and spending time in SoCal visiting our sons/family (5) grandkids.

How's that for my life's history — it's been a lot more exciting than milking the cows on the farm in Minn!!!

Mike Parkinson
Frankly, there’s not much to say about life prior to the Academy. I came to the Academy at the age of 17 right after graduating from High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

At the Academy I was a less than stellar cadet and an even worse student. I think I hold a record for having been on academic probation two semesters and the dean’s list two semesters. I really did not “hit my stride” until after graduation.

Marie and I were married in a small church in Colorado Springs by 3:06 pm the day of graduation (Yes, we timed it). We are still married and will celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2018.

It took me less than five years to decide that I had neither the temperament nor the talent for a military career. A tour in the Pentagon as a junior Captain persuaded me to separate. In December of 1973 I left the Air Force for a decidedly different path. I completed my M.A. before separating. After leaving the Air Force I completed a Ph.D. in Communication and a J.D. Over the course of the next forty plus years I worked in several academic positions and took some time to practice law. I’ve been either a faculty member or university administrator for the University of Oklahoma, Southern Illinois University and Texas Tech University. At Texas Tech I was the founding director of a doctoral program in Mass Communication. The saying “publish or perish” is absolutely true of an academic career. Most of my energy was devoted to the publication of research articles and treatises. I have completed a bit over 100 scholarly articles, papers and books. Two of those books were co-authored with Marie. The bulk of the publications focused on Communications Law and International Public Relations or Advertising.

After completing law school I spent about 10 years as Marie’s junior partner in a private practice that focused on criminal defense and appellate advocacy. Maybe out of a sense of guilt, I also taught legal research methods to inmates in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Although I was not pilot qualified and did not fly in the Air Force I did have a private pilot’s license and flew upt to 2015 when some vision issues forced me to sell the Beachcraft Debonair we’d owned for nearly 50 years.

When Marie and I decided to retire we were at Texas Tech and looking at homes in Ruidoso, New Mexico. While at an Academy Reunion in 2008 we had an epiphany – the Mountains in Colorado are better than the ones in New Mexico. We retired to Colorado Springs in 2009 and have not regretted the decision once. We now occupy our time with volunteer work for the Academy, our Homeowners Association and the administration of a small philanthropic foundation.                            September 2018

Dick Ruffing
AF Assignments

Webb AFB, TX, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 1968-1969
Reese AFB, TX, Instructor T-37, 1970-1972
Lubbock TX,, MBA at Texas Tech University, 1973
Wright Patterson AFB, OH, Engineer Flight Dynamics Laboratory, 1973-1976
Cannon AFB, NM, Pilot F-111D, 1977-1980
Lakenheath AFB, England, Flight Safety Officer and F-111F pilot, 1980-1982
Ramstein AB, Germany, USAFE IG Flight Safety Officer, 1983-1984
Pentagon, VA, Branch Chief Training and Simulation Devices, XOOTD, 1984-1988

POST AF Jobs

ARINC, Annapolis, MD, Engineer and eventually Department Manager. Responsible for six office locations providing support principally to AF and Army aviation Special Operations organizations, 1988-2001

Signal Corporation and Preferred Systems Solutions, Patuxent River, MD. Provided engineering support to the technical director for the Naval Aviations program office for strike weapons and unmanned aviation. Probably the most diverse job I ever held. We were working on different technologies with a variety of organizations almost daily. Also a good reminder that saying nothing and listening is sometimes the most you can contribute. Working with people with PhDs who worked in one small technology area for most of their adult lives was a constant challenge. Fortunately by then the internet was robust enough to be able to at least become smart enough to understand what was being said and its significance. 2002-2009

Biggest/most humorous/most influential event I remember from our time at the Academy

The flight of F-105s doing a low pass over the academy at noon meal formation just prior to our graduation. Just happened to be slightly supersonic causing some modest degree of damage to the windows and dining hall. It was amazing to watch the windows in the Vandenberg Hall stairways flexing in and out prior to breaking inwards.

I retired from working in November and live in Annapolis, MD. I work to my schedule, on the things I enjoy, when not shooting or fishing.


Karl Smith
I was born in Philadelphia, PA, and spent my early years in Virginia; New Haven, CT; and Staten Island, NY while my father finished school and started work as an attorney. My formative years (age 8-17) were spent in Evanston, IL. I entered USAFA from Evanston in 1964 having been appointment by then Congressman Donald Rumsfeld who later became Secretary of Defense.

At USAFA, I was in Squadron 24 and then graduated with the “Tough 20 Trolls”. I attended the University of Colorado, Boulder in the summer between my 2nd and 1st class year and took pre-med courses my last year at the Academy. My graduation major was general studies. I married Alice Phillips shortly after graduation and then attended Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, IL from 1968 to 1972 under Air Force sponsorship. In the Spring of 1972, I attended Flight Surgeon’s School in San Antonio, TX. My first child, Quentin was born at Wilford Hall. Next, I moved to Travis AFB, California for Internship and Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. My second son, Bradley was born at Travis in 1975. I finished my residency in 1977 and was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH where I became divorced. In 1979 I moved to New York City for training in Gynecologic Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 1981, I moved back to Travis AFB, CA to practice Gyn Oncology and teach Ob-Gyn residents. During this time I became board certified in Ob-Gyn and Gyn Oncology. In 1986, I married Elizabeth Dillon, a native of Long Island, NY. I moved to Lakenheath AFB, Great Britain where I was Chief of Surgical Services and Chief of Ob-Gyn. I retired from the USAF in 1988 as an O-6 and moved to Jacksonville, FL.

I initially established a private practice in Gyn Oncology in Jacksonville, FL based out of Baptist Medical Center, Downtown. My 3rd son, Dillon (1st child with Liz) was born in 1989. My 4th child, and first daughter, Emma (2nd child with Liz), was born in 1991. I remained in a solo private practice until about 1999 when I joined a group of Gyn Oncologists in Jacksonville. I remained with this group until July 2005 when I joined the University of Florida Medical School in Jacksonville to teach Gyn Oncology and Gyn surgery to UF medical students and Ob-Gyn Residents. I remain in this position. I have one grandchild, Benjamin, who was born in 2011 to Brad and Lisa in Washington, DC.


Ken Stewart
During my second class year I met my wife, Lynn, when I was her escort at the Norton AFB Debutante Ball. In August of 68 we were married at Edwards AFB (her father was the base commander), and she has been the glue that has made all the ups and downs of life bearable.

Major moment at the Academy (there were so many) – after catching a hop from NYC to Birmingham to visit my parents, in uniform, and asked by the cops at the bus station to Montgomery if I was one of those rabble rousers from the NAACP.

After pilot training at Craig AFB, AL, and B-52 training at Castle AFB, CA we settled at Beale AFB, CA. I had one tour at Utapao RTAFB and managed to become a B-52G aircraft commander right after I made Captain.

In 1972, being a gung-ho fool, I volunteered for a PCS combat tour and flew EB-66s out of Korat RTAFB. Fun aircraft--just a big fighter really. Hairiest moment was over downtown Hanoi in the middle of the night when I lost complete AC power at the bottom of a SAM break.

Anyway, I came back to B-52Gs at Loring AFB, ME where I was lucky enough to be Chief of Stan Eval and then Squadron Ops Officer. After three winters in Northern Maine I was sent to the Pentagon to be an exec in Force Development. I also worked on the National Military Command Structure Study and the Defense Agency Study. After three years there I realized that I did not want to do what the generals I worked for did (my apologies to all our general classmates) so I resigned and went across I-95 to National Airport to fly B-727s for Eastern Airlines. You might have noticed that except for the Pentagon and Beale, all my bases have closed (most of the planes I flew are in the boneyard too - guess that's one way to notice age).

Flying for Eastern was the best job ever until we were hijacked by Frank Lorenzo and the airline was looted into bankruptcy.

After that I moved into sales of information technology, and worked for companies big and small (International Computer Networks, Nynex Business Systems, Sears Business Centers, Inacom, back to ICN, and GE Capital). After Nynex I was in sales management, but after three years at GE I tried working with an old boss in an executive search firm (headhunting). When cash flow caught up with me I went back to computers as the Vice President of Sales and Operations for AvcomEast. In 2011 I once again decided that was enough and retired. After living in Fairfax, VA for 35 years it was time to move to better weather.

1968-69 Pilot Training, Moody AFB, GA
1970-78 C-130s, Clark AB, Rhein Main AB, USAF Reserves, Eglin AFB
1974-78 MBA, University of West Florida, Pensacola, CPA Orange Park, FL
1978-86 C-130s, Lockheed Arabia, Riyadh SA
1986-91 B-727 FE, EAL, Miami, PanAm, Berlin FRG
1992-Present Retired, Jacksonville, FL caring for my mother who lived to be 100.
Married 1981-85 – it didn’t stick, no children.

Major "Troll" moment in Snake’s life:

Having not spoken to Vern McGraw for over 44 years, I recently was able to remind him of a short conversation that we had long ago. He did not remember it, but I certainly did – maybe as many as several thousand times!

Back in our senior year, final semester, I signed up for the new T-41 course. Because I had a high GPA I was assigned as the only student of a colonel in charge of the overall program. My flying progress during the first 10 hours was good except for one “minor” phase of flight – the landing. I became very proficient at the art of porpoising, bouncing, ballooning, etc. Despite the best instructional efforts of my colonel instructor, I was never able to perform a normal landing. He eventually and reluctantly had to give up on me and schedule me for a final wash-out evaluation with a young captain check pilot.

On the evening before the seemingly inevitable end of my short flying career, I was dispiritedly walking down the squadron hallway when I caught a glimpse of Vern in his room at his desk. I knew that Vern was a private pilot and had quite a few flying hours with the Aero Club. I also knew that he would lend a sympathetic ear to my predicament. I told him my problem. After listening to my situation, he simply asked me if I could perform a normal descent and level off. “No problem,” I said. He then suggested that as I flew over the runway threshold, I should simply perform a level off several inches above the runway, while smoothly retarding the throttle and using the far end of the runway and the horizon as my visual reference.

The next day I followed Vern’s suggestion. All of my landings were very good and I passed without any problems. The young captain check pilot appeared perplexed as to why I had been scheduled for a termination flight. The colonel was equally perplexed when the captain reported to him how well I had done. And me? I was extremely relieved to be able to continue in the program.

In just several minutes of conversation, Vern had unknowingly saved my nascent career in aviation and provided a technique for making smooth landings (several thousand) for both me and my future students for years to come. Thanks, Vern