I was fortunate enough to have a fantastic career in the United States Air Force for 21 years. I started off as a Security Policeman at Blythville AFB, Ar in late 1980 for 3 years. I found my true calling in 1983 when I retrained into the photography specialty. I spent the next 6 years mastering the craft of photography when I was selected to be one of the elite few USAF Photojournalists. I spent the next 7 years traveling the world telling the Air Force Story in pictures. I promoted myself from behind the camera and moved on to a NATO assignment in Izmir, Turkey and ended my career running the U-2 film lab at Beale AFB, Ca where I retired on July 1st, 2001. I realized one day when building a scrapbook of my military career that I have hundreds of pictures I've taken over the years of my brothers and sisters in uniform that they may want for their scrapbook as well.
So, the mission of my Blog is to post as many of those pictures as I can with the names of the people in them in the hopes that those in them or family and friends somehow find them on my blogspot.
Hopefully, from time to time I will also have something insightful to say as well!
A1C Michelle M. Stevenson, Loadmaster
A1C Michelle Stevenson, exhausted after unloading 30,000 lbs of corn milk at an airstrip in war torn, drought-stricken Somalia. A1C Stevenson is a loadmaster on a C-130 from Dyess, TX.
Airman 1st Class John K. McDowell
Home on leave 1980, age 18
SSG Rick McDowell
My brother Rick (age 22 here) served in the U.S. Army for 14 years. We both served in Operation Just Cause, Panama on opposite sides of the country, 1989. I'm proud of him because he has achieved every goal he has set for himself, if you only knew!
My DAD: Signalmen 2nd Class John E. McDowell
Home on leave from the Navy 1950, age 18. He also served in the Army and the Air Force. All together these 3 McDowell Men have served America for more than 40 years!
Lt Richard L. Reed
My Dad's Uncle Richard joined the Navy successfully when he was 14. When he turned 18 he applied to be an Officer. He served in the Navy for 34 years and 3 wars. My Grand Uncle Richard and I share a kinship of being the only two men in the family that retired from military service. He drove 12 hours to attend my retirement ceremony standing in for my father. I am unbelieveably grateful to him for being there for me on that special day.
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1 comment:
this is amazing stuff John and i am proud to say that i once was married to you and look what you have done since then.
Kaye
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