As I begin to write this biographic sketch, I find it difficult finding a beginning, let alone an ending, to a life which seems to have been more a sport than a business of national security. In real life terms it was truly a blast; a never-ending personal challenge and love affair.

Thirty-three years in one's lifetime seems long by some standards. But, in the life of a career Naval Officer and carrier jet pilot, where great speeds are common, completion of service and retirement seemed to happen almost overnight. Now, in retrospect these several years later, it's become an end game. I've believed all along that I truly understood and certainly better appreciated the demands and all the blissful aspects of flight over the long haul.

I was born in the early thirties, grew up and was educated in Western Pennsylvania in an era experiencing the deprivations of the depression, followed shortly thereafter by the equally painful and tragic 1940s with WW II and later the Korean war. During those times, all the guys I knew were enthralled with the exploits of fighter pilots, aces, and the movies and novels detailing the combat heroes of that era. We drew or sketched, usually in class during arithmetic or history, all the sleek wartime aircraft; even if it meant detention after school. We also joyfully built those beautiful balsa wood models to claim boy scout merit badges!

One real-life Army Air Corps fighter pilot stood out in particular. His name was Francis Gabreskie, from nearby Oil City, Pa. His parents lived down the street from a great aunt of my family. I never met him personally but he was truly one of my personal heroes. A career military aviator, he flew P40s out of Bellows Field, Hawaii, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. A short time later he was assigned to the European theatre flying P47 Thunderbolts over Germany. He quickly attained ace status, shooting down a grand total of 34 enemy aircraft. Following WW2, remaining on active duty, Colonel Gabreskie transitioned to jets and the F86 Sabre. Later, in the early fifties in Korea, he became one of the first jet aces (a double ace), shooting down six North Korean Mig15s. A true hero and worthy example for all aspiring aviators!

With the help and support of a loving wife and family plus many friends and educators with prior naval service, I was shepherded eventually into the Navy. The trip had more than a few twists and turns along the way.

My first exposure to aviation occurred when I was nine-years-old. I got to touch and crawl in and over a Piper Cub that had made a forced landing (dead stick) into a farmer's field across the valley from my home. It wasn't until much later, when I was 22 and after college, that I enjoyed my very first flight! That brief flight lasted 25 minutes in a Navy R4D (C-47) from Allegheny Airport in Pittsburgh to the Naval Air Reserve Unit, Akron, Ohio for an aptitude test battery and a flight physical. Even then, as a passenger of that ageing bird, I experienced a great, unforgettable thrill and the beginning of a long lasting association and love for aviation.

WHY WRITE A BOOK?

When I retired from NASA in 1987, I had a good feeling about that decision. All the kids were out of college and my financial responsibility was reduced. I had 35 years of service with the military and civilian government and a reasonable retirement income. I had over eleven good years with the U.S. Navy and 31 years with NASA. Seven of the Navy years were Active Reserve time and overlapped with the NASA time. The first four years with the Navy were active duty time. In 1963, a transfer from NASA Langley to NASA Edwards resulted in me dropping out of the active reserve. This was a decision influenced by higher management at NASA. I wasn't too happy with it; but NASA was the primary job. In 1970, the Navy gave me a retirement to the inactive reserve. No financial benefits, just 10 years plus of good service, an ID card and permission to seek a drink at any Navy Officer's Club.

Typically after retirement, I became involved in several volunteer type functions that were associated with aiding people and community. I still had a lot of time to think about the career that I had in aviation and the things I had been able to do. Some years before I retired, I had written a family history book. In the search for information on that book, I found an autobiography written by a distant family member in the mid 1800s. I was very impressed with the information in the book and the assistance it was to me, in writing the family history.

I made the decision to write a book about my life and primarily my career in aviation. In the back of my mind, I had the idea that it would be nice if I could finish a book and have it published; but, if not, it would provide my kids and their kids with a little history and information. Sort of a continuation of the family history book that I had written.

I'll not go into the nuts and bolts of writing the book; but be assured, it took a lot of time, work and reviews before it came close to being published. Several commercial publishers told me they were not able to get books published that some of the astronauts had written, so I didn't think there was much of a chance for mine. About that time, my manuscript got into the NASA Dryden (Edwards AFB) system via a good friend, Betty Love. Betty was a NASA Retiree who did volunteer work in the Dryden History Office.

About a year later, I received a call with a request to use part of my book in a NASA Dryden Monograph of the Blackbird flight test program from 1969 to 1979. I had flown that program along with the legendary Air Force/NASA test pilot, Fitzhugh Fulton. The History Office at Dryden liked my treatment and story of that flying. I had given up all hope of having the complete book published, so I gave them approval to use my material. Peter Merlin was the primary author of that Monograph named: Mach 3+ NASA/USAF YF-12 FLIGHT RESEARCH 1979.