I am of Immigrant parents. My parents were from Panama, in Central America. Upon both of them graduating with a B.S. in Nursing, they were invited to emigrate to the United States by the Rockefeller Foundation. New Orleans was their place of embarkation and they saw a future for their family in the South. However, after being there for only a year, they were both accepted to positions at a teaching hospital in New York City and then to Columbia University, where they both earned double Masters degrees in Nursing.

It was in New York where I was born. The family sought the American dream and so became American citizens. We then moved to Los Angeles, with my parents' acceptance to their new positions at two different hospitals that would eventually evolve to both becoming Director of Nursing at each. My father furthered his studies and became Administrator to two hospitals in Los Angeles at the same time. At the time of his death he had achieved more than he had ever dreamed. He had embraced his country to the end. My mother continued in her studies and retired as a Special Education instructor in Colorado. My sister is a high school teacher in the Denver area. Education is a key factor in catching the American Dream.

I graduated college in Washington state. I earned a B.S. in Natural Science, with a major in Chemistry and minors in Math, Physics and Biology. After graduation, I worked as a chemist for 10 years and then retrained and became a computer programmer. With further education, I became an instructor and the Educational Director for two technical colleges in the Los Angeles area. After further training in management, I became Director of IT at a large multi-national company. Again, education is the key factor for catching the American Dream.

After graduation from college, I also went into the Air Force Reserve. I was an Aeromedical Evacuation Technician ('flying medic'). I flew on C-130s, C-141s and C-9s and airlifted more than 100 patients at a time while serving with a medical crew of five. In 1973, as the Vietnam War was winding down, I flew American POWs ('Returnees') out of North Vietnam to the Philippines and later to the United States. I also evacuated the many escaping Vietnam during those dark days in 1975, when Vietnam fell to the North Vietnamese. I would see five continents and a number of countries too numerous to count during my Air Force career. Sacrifice and service is also the key to the American dream.

In the Air Force Reserve, I lived a very active life. I became a Flight Instructor and then Flight Examiner. I then became an Officer. I have held the positions of Medical Operations Officer, Administrator of Regional Hospital, Commander Communications Group, Chief Administrative Officer of a Squadron and of a Group. At Headquarters Air Force Reserve, I served as the Mobilization Augmentee of the Chief Medical Administrator of the Air Force Reserve. I eventually became the base level Chief Medical Corps Officer, Chief Operations Officer and Commander of the Operations Team.

I served in two wars and many other smaller conflicts. I was active during Gulf War I and the Vietnam War. I became one of the few NATO qualified Air Force medical officers. I received numerous awards during my Air Force career, but the greatest reward was always, and continues to be, the humble gratification of knowing that in some small way I was serving the country that welcomed my parents with the promise of a dream, the country that I love so profoundly that I put my life on the line to serve her.

I've been in the South since 1985, where I lived near Macon Georgia. Later I spent extensive time in Florida and Alabama before moving back to Georgia, this time Atlanta. My wife and I moved to Lexington SC in 1995. We subsequently moved to Gilbert in the Spring of 2001 where we enjoy living in a small country neighborhood that we hope will be our home forever.

When the Twin Towers were struck on Sep 11, 2001 - I was retired from the Air Force Reserve. My wife, on the other hand, demanded to go back into the Air Force Reserve telling me "Only one of us can serve, this time!". As an immigrant and naturalized citizen (she was born in England), she also has a strong love for our country. She asked for and got accepted into a front line C-130 Air Force Reserve flying unit. She is the flight crew's medic and travels everywhere they go. She safeguards their health while they are deployed and while they are at their home base in Alabama. In 2003, I joined the thousands of you who have had to watch their loved one's deploy into harm's way. She has had three deployments (two Afghanistan region; one Iraq region). Since 2003 her workload, and that of her unit, has been such that she has been home for a total of four months... and she is gone again until October... no... January.