He always had been interested in flying and even was a member of the Civil Air Patrol, an Air Force auxiliary that conducted search-and-rescue missions, so the day after he turned 17, he joined the Air Force. Basic training in 1954 was at Sampson Air Force Base in Geneva, N.Y. Then he attended school in Wichita Falls, Texas, to become a mechanic. After two years at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, he was transferred to Tripoli, the capital of Libya. He said his next assignment was Headquarters Command at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., an entry point for foreign dignitaries. Asked to sum up his experiences, he said simply, “All in all, I enjoyed the Air Force.

Source: Libya Today June 12, 2023 06:57 UTC