D-Day, 6th of June

Did you have a good night last night? Sleep well? What went through your mind this morning as you rolled out of bed?

73 years ago this morning 176,000 men were riding on ships of all kinds approaching the beaches of Normandy in France. Over 10,000 of those …

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September 11, 2001

15 years ago today, I sat in my family room in Austin and watched 9/11 unfold. I was getting ready for classes that morning, which did not happen that day. Cheryl called me from work, shortly after the first plane hit the Towers. I saw the second one hit …

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Veteran’s Day

I wore my U.S. Air Force (retired) shirt today, and had several folks around school thank me for my service. That has not happened before, and it was kind of nice to hear.

But my service is nothing compared to that of those who came well before me. My …

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American Heroes

This last week I got to spend four days hanging out with some of America’s greatest. I was with a group of over 30 Shuttle Astronauts, and about five who flew on the Apollo (most to the moon), and a few who flew on the Gemini Capsule. One of …

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Evelyn and Andy

When I was born – way back before the earth had cooled, my parents lived in an apartment in Roslyn, Virginia (right across Key Bridge from Georgetown University, where I was actually born!) At the time, our next-door neighbors, were Evelyn and Andy Tarapchak, who became my second parents.

Evelyn and Andy

Evelyn and …

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How I became a Rocket Scientist

RocketMan

Well, maybe not that kind of Rocket Scientist, but a more normal one.

Note

This lecture was given to a group of about 40 third grade science students at Clayton Elementary school in Austin on October 9, 2009. Thanks to Logan Mulanax and Gina Reed Lacy for the invitation to …

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