Chuck's History
C. E. Noyes
As a teenager in Boston my goal in life was to become a Master Electrician and own my own company. That was until my high school got me a job working on an electronics assembly line. I was hooked! I found out that the Air Force would train me to become an electronics technician. That prompted me to give my parents a very patriotic spiel so they would let me join the Air Force at 17½. I spent the next two years making my way up to E-3, maxing all tests on the way. At Bucks Harbor Air Force Station I met Captain Paul Crandall who saw my history and encouraged me to seek a commission. It was with his encouragement that I applied for the Class of 1963, nearly made it, and was given a slot at the Army's Prep School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. That led to my success in becoming your classmate.
First day, doolie year, Ben Collins and I, two prep school grads, were put in a room together and seemingly ignored. We found the Cadet Reg Book and set about putting together a SAMI bed using the illustration in the book. An upperclassman came to our door and said “We're having a bed-making demonstration ...never mind you two.” He left us alone and we went about polishing our shoes and getting the rest of the room ready for inspection. Seems Ben and I may have had an easier day than most, but I still remember it being pretty loud and confusing. I spent all four years with 20th Squadron in C Flight and remember being the last one on and off the parade ground many, many times. Still love Sousa! Watched the chapel being built and if I can find them, I will post some pictures of the skeleton with no aluminum skin anywhere. My academics were not the best and I was put to bed quite often by the OC making his late night rounds. Strangely enough, the 3.5 guys often came to me, the 2.5 guy, for help with EE and law. I got straight A's. Ironic -no? My most enjoyed intramural sports were soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey. I hated water polo. As for extracurricular activities – I was a founding member of the Blue Bards, set up radio station KAFA (although it was suppressed under General Strong), worked lights and sound for Allied Arts shows and met many, many wonderful people. Bought my first car, met my first wife and still have one of them.
Upon graduation I was one of nine damned fools who elected to go to Helicopter UPT. The T-28 was more fun than that whistling piece of junk where the rest of you sat side by side with your instructor. I got a reputation for making perfect nighttime blackout landings in the T-28. I'd give anything to fly one again. The next step was the enormously underpowered H-19B which taught you total respect for rotor speed. Later came the turbine powered “flying jeep” (aka The Huskie) that I flew for 1500 hours in the USA and Thailand, including two years as an instructor. The Air Force then saw fit to “force” me to fly the T-38 in order to become a “real” pilot, with 20 hours dual and 100 hours of YAHOO!!! I practiced precision acro until I was soaking wet. Another airplane I would love to fly again! Then came the lumbering C-130 with a real diverse mission: search, on-station communications relay, helicopter refueling (scary as hell), and pararescue drops. While flying this plane, I got an accompanied tour of 4 years to Great Britain. To this day I think I am the only pilot who has made an open sea drop of PJ's (the Scotiacliffe Hall Mission). I am a Distinguished Graduate of the Coast Guard's National Search and Rescue School.
While stationed at Gunter AFS - the Air Force Data Systems Design Center, as a Database Designer and coordinator, I got to see the initial stages of the ARPANET when there were approximately 8-10 stations on it. It was amazing. It was at this time that I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and placed on TDRL. We moved back to Colorado Springs with two children and two cats in tow. After much searching, I got to be a stockbroker with Dean Witter under the “Broker in Sears” concept. I managed to gather a few clients and then a “genius” Colonel physician pronounces me “fit for duty” when another six months on TDRL would have given me a permanent disability status. So back on duty for 120 days and $450 worth of uniforms, for a normal retirement.
Deciding to go to work for myself, I seek out a business broker and end up buying a failing business – The Perfect Bindery. It takes me three years to turn it around. I bought the business in 1985 and sold it in 1990. If you look in the phone book in Colorado Springs, you will see that it is still a viable business. Feel free to call Eric and ask him what he thinks of me. After selling the bindery we tried a couple other small business ventures that never went anywhere. I went to work for Radio Shack and eventually became the parts department manager for the big box store called Tech America in Denver (an almost successful venture by Radio Shack).
I voluntarily “retired” from Radio Shack in 2000 and Terry and I packed up our house and moved to the western suburbs of Chicago to be near our daughter and her family, leaving our son in Thornton to fend for himself. We have a 9 year old granddaughter named Brigid and we love her dearly. When we get done composing this bio, we are going to throw the yeast into our newest batch of wine. Chuck's health issues have put a crimp in his model aircraft flying, his electronics building, but he has a renewed interest in astronomy, has dusted off his telescope, and found a really good professor of Astronomy at the local community college. I am a charter member of the new Knights of Columbus council at our church.
[ The Rabbit Hunt ]
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[ Gone But Not Forgotten ]
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