Mike's History
I got to do more in my 10 years with the AFA and the Air Force than any shy kid from Indiana deserved to do!
After one year at Caltech in Aeronautical Engineering, I chose pilot training at Willie over missile procurement. Following F4 school at George, Da Nang was full, so we went to Bitburg and Spangdahlem, sitting Victor Alert and drilling for the big one that never came. Although qualifying for the front seat in Libya was cool, Fighter Weapons School as an F4 back seater was terrific! One of the first three pilots to be released from Hanoi Hilton flew a Navy fighter against our F4 class.
1971 to 2001 with IBM found me upgrading customer's mainframes to smaller and smaller systems.
Retirement has let me appreciate how much AFA and time with good AF souls has meant a lot to me. Lots of volunteer work has filled my days with meaning and joy.
Did I say I married Bonnie 3 weeks after graduation? We've raised seven amazing children in 46 years and can't wait for grandchild number nine!
Best wishes to all my classmates, wherever you are!
Mike Gilliom
Mike and Bonnie
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