Educator. His experiences as a PBJ (B-25) pilot n the Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II. Graduation from North Texas State Teachers College, Denton, Texas, 192; enlistment in the Navy Aviation Cadet Program, 1942; Civilian Pilot Training, 1942; primary flight training, Grand Prairie Naval Air Station, Grand Prairie, Texas, 1942; establishment of a lifelong friendship with Travis Lattner; basic flight training, Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas, 1942; advanced flight training, Corpus Christi, 1942-43; decision to transfer to the Marine Corps for multi-engine aircraft training in the PBY; American Airlines Flight School, Fort Worth, Texas, 1943; Marine Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina, 1943; training in the PBJ in Operational Training Squadron 8; formation of VMB-433, 1943; further training at Peter Field Point, North Carolina, 1943-44; combat training, El Centro Marine Air Station, El Centro, California, 1944; transfer to Espiritu Santo, 1944; transfer to Green Island, 1944; his duties as squadron operations officer; his first combat mission to Rabaul; transfer to Emirau, September, 1944; daylight missions to Rabaul; low-level strafing missions; missions to Kavieng; rest and recuperation in Sydney, Australia; transfer to Headquarters Squadron, Marine Air Group 1, at Bougainville, 1945; living conditions and airplane maintenance; mustering out of the service and his postwar career as a basketball coach at Wayland Baptist College, Plainview, Texas, 1946-1973.