After PHS I joined the USAF. Got a one-year deferment because my tech school was almost a year long. Worked with my dad at Ritz Graft Mobile Home at Whitfield Ave and 21st St. E. Bradenton. As my deferment came to an end I left Ritz Craft as the Head Electrician. I started at $1.45 an hr. and worked my way to Head Electrician at $2.15 an hr. Did my basic training at Lackland AFB San Antonio, Texas. From there was sent to Keesler AFB Biloxi, Mississippi for nine months of school. Then I was assigned to my duty station Hickam AFB Honolulu, HI. for three years as 30450 Radio Relay Equipment Repairman. Came home to mommy and daddy and was hired on at GTE in Sarasota, Fl. Over the 37 years and 2 months of service I maintained all the switching equipment in the offices and at the end of my career I maintained 21 central office sites from Palmetto to the Airport and Myakka City to Anna Maria over 1100 square miles by myself on the 4-12 or 3-11 shift. I worked with some of the most wonderful people in the Air Force and at GTE/Verzion and will never forget the memories. The sad part of this is getting old and reading all the obits…four in less than a month sometimes. I love Facebook where I see post from Air force or Phone company or PHS people. Now I don’t want to leave out the BEST part of this story and that is I met the love of my life at the phone company and on 8/9/74 we were married and 43 years later she is still able to make an old man cry because I love her so much. There you have it. Wish I could do it all over again and leave out the STUPID stuff I did (in school, Air Force, work) but that is all part of life, learn and move on.