Date of Birth: 10 Nov 1957

• Enlisted in the United States Marine Corps 20 June 1976

• MCRD San Diego, Platoon 1071,  2 July 1976 - 15 September 1976

• Infantry Training School, San Onofre, Camp Pendleton MOS 0311 - Oct 1976

• 2nd Platoon, C Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion Camp Onna Point, Okinawa,      November 1976 - November 1977

• Amphibious Reconnaissance Course - MOS 0311/0321

• Deep Reconnaissance Platoon (DRP), 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Camp Talega, Camp Pendleton, November 1977 - June 1980 (EAS)

• Jump School - Fort Benning, Ga. Graduated 16 Feb 1978

• Parachute Packing, Maintenance and Air Delivery (Rigger School), Fort Lee, Va. 

  • Lieutenant Colonel Abbott E. Dodge Award recipient; 1st in class

• SCUBA - Coronado, Ca (BUD/S 2nd phase)

• DRP Squad Leader

• Jumpmaster - 2-79 2nd Force Recon Co - 1st in class

• NCOIC 1st Recon Bn. Paraloft Rank

• Promotions:

  • Private First Class 1 Jan 1977

  • Lance Corporal (Meritoriously) 2 Aug 1977

  • Corporal (Meritoriously) 2 Aug 1978

  • Sergeant (Meritoriously) 3 April 1979 (34 months)

• Rifle Expert 2nd Award/Pistol Expert

• Navy Achievement/Good Conduct

• MOS 0451/8654

• EAS 23 June 1980

I enlisted into the Marine Corps to take advantage of the Vietnam Era GI Bill to help pay for college. I attended college to "learn computers".  While in college, I joined the Platoon Leadership Course (PLC), attending two six-week sessions of Officers Candidate School (OCS).  I did learn quite a bit about computers but left school without a degree.  I began working in systems integration very early in the development of personal computers and the beginning of the internet. I became interested in computer graphics.  I began collecting, then re-creating Marine Recon unit emblems.

I joined the FRA in 1995 after accidentally showing up at an FRA reunion, with my wife, in St. Louis, at the Adams Mark Hotel.  I always thought that I could contribute to the FRA, using my IT skills.  I created forcerecon.com in 1998.  I started posting news from the FRA to the FRA website.  Pat Ryan awarded me an FRA Founder's Award in 2001 (Recon 2001, Louisville). I have also received plaques in appreciation from the FRA in 2002 and 2003. The FRA awarded me a nicely appointed paddle in 2014 and a huge appreciation plaque in 2019.

I became the Communications Chief, sometime early in 2004, by the direction of Dick Sasser when I did some initial work on the member database.  I soon became the custodian of the FRA member database and continue in that role to this day.