Air Force brat, retired Navy Submariner. Grew up during the natural metal years at Myrtle Beach AFB, Cannon AFB, and Clark AB in the Phillippines. The camo came along and we moved to Nellis in 1966- an airshow every day with the Huns, Thuds, Phantoms, and F-111's. Best airshows ever- Bob Hoover, Art Scholl, and Bill Fornoff in his Bearcat (seems like he took off in about 25 feet!). The 1967 airshow was really cool- The Golden Centennaires in their Tutors, Blue Angels in Tigers, and the Thunderbirds in Huns. Then away to Colorado Springs and eventually Texas- graduated High School right outside Randolph AFB and then went over to Torrejon AB in Spain with the family. Attended a year of college in Munich (Space Available flights on C-118's and C-141's to commute!), and then Dad retired and we moved back to Texas. Joined the Navy and endured Nuclear Training, rode submarines and did time in Great Lakes, IL; San Diego, CA; Orlando, FL; Saratoga Springs, NY; Charleston, SC; Groton, CT; Bangor, WA; and Holy Loch (Dunoon), Scotland. Retired from the Navy in 1996 and settled in Northern Illinois working at a Nuclear Power Plant (where else?). I have been lucky enough to see a lot of cool military machinery in action starting with a firepower demonstration at one of the ranges north of Nellis when I was about 10 years old. I enjoy building replicas of the aircraft that I remember from that era, as well as trying to capture specific airframes to give to folks that have flown them- my Dad's got a Monogram F-100D painted like his was in the 356th TFS, for instance.