I was born first of four siblings in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but we all grew up in Manchester

Township on Iron Creek Mill Pond which was at the time a 200-acre lake.

I started my education in a country school (McMann) just 1.5 miles up Sharon Hollow

Road until the school districts redistricting sent me to Clinton School system in Lenawee

County. While there I played a few sports (football, basketball and track) but soon gave

them up to help my grandparents and Uncles on their farms.

While a senior in high school I enlisted in The Marine Corps and went to boot camp in

San Diego July 28, 1965, and ITR until Thanksgiving when I took 30 days leave before

returning to Camp Pendelton in preparation for our January 2, 1966, ride to beautiful I

Corps in Vietnam.

After leaving Vietnam I was stationed at Camp Lejune, North Carolina until my release

from actine duty on July 28, 1969, returning home to my beloved Michigan and family.

I met my wife, Valarie, at Detroit Bible college later to become William Tyndale College

and we were married at her church (Bethel Baptist) in Kalamazoo on 9/11/1971.

After graduation (I worked at Ford Motor Company in Saline from 1971-1977 full time

while attending school full time) until graduation in 1975.

The day Elvis died I was on my way to California driving with my sister pulling a UHAUL

on my way to Talbot Theological Seminary (a grad school of Biola University). In my first

semester our oldest daughter, Stephanie, was born. I graduated from seminary in 1981

and in 1983 our second daughter, Tiffany, was born.

We moved back to East Lansing, Michigan, in January 1985 to become Pastor of

Families and Youth at East Lansing Trinity Church. While in East Lansing, our son

Jeremy was born in 1998.From there it was on to Milan Baptist in 1990 to become

senior pastor where our youngest daughter, Courtney, was born in 1991.

I started work at the University of Michigan in October of 2001 and have been at Mott

Hospital since May of 2022.

I joined the Washtenaw County Chapter 310 Vietnam Veterans of America, as well as

the Marine Corps League, and most recently was happy to join John Kinsinger in

launching Warriors and Caregivers United which has brought great satisfaction in

continuing to serve veterans.

I come from a long line of family military involvement dating back to the Civil War in

America and further back in Europe.

From an early age I heard stories regarding military history and war involvements.

Amazingly, out of the various branches four were Navy, eight were Army, and 13 were

Marines which was a high percentage for the small branch. It was through listening to

their stories and sorting through history books that I decided on joining the Marines; not

for the dress blues (I never owned a set) but for the ethos and comradeship that I saw

displayed.

As the saying goes,” Once a Marine Always a Marine. “

When my son graduated from high school under the Congressional Page program, my

wife, Valarie, and I ventured to the ceremony. Aboard the bus from the hotel to the

Capitol, I asked six gentlemen which Marine unit they were from. After exchanging unit

information my wife asked me how I knew they were Marines because they didn’t have

any outward signage. I told her it was how they conducted themselves (they were WW II

and Korean Marines). And I also added it wasn’t from the smell and the fact they were

carrying crayons.

I joined while still in high school under the delayed entry program in May of 1965. After

graduation I went to Florida for a month to be with my grandfather and train for boot

camp. That training did absolutely no good. In fact it probably slowed me down as the

Marines break you down and build you up to their standards which, accompanied by

ITR (Infantry Training Regiment) served my time in Vietnam well. I was prepared as

best as I could be for the first enemy encounters at the DMZ during Operations Hastings

and Prairie I and II. I served with F-2-11 which was an artillery battery. But I also went

on numerous patrols serving as a forward observer with Lima 3/5. That afforded me the

opportunity to see the whites of the enemies eyes before closing them. Totally different

from plucking them off at a safe distance.

I left Vietnam on my 20 th birthday April 24, 1967, glad to have survived and heading

home to my family of origin for a 30 day leave before reporting to Camp Lejune.

While at Camp Lejune my unit when to the Caribbean twice and once on a NATO cruise

in 1968. The NATO training with the various countries gave us a chance to learn from

each other while visiting some really nice areas ( England, Spain, France, Italy, Greece,

Turkey, Crete, Malta, the Black sea and of course, the Mediterranean Sea) and learning

a bit of their history.

I left active duty as an E-5 and during my two years of reserve duty picked up E-6.

To this day I am thankful for all the lessons and experiences I had while serving with the

Marines and thankful to hear from more modern day Marines and their experiences.