Rachel Dhuyvetter, Noonan, North Dakota. Shawn Patric born 1959. Blane Christopher born 1960. Rochelle Alane born 1961. Living at 601 Pleasant Street, Harvey, North Dakota.
Our first two years of active duty were spent in pilot and combat crew training. First permanent assignment at Kadena AFB, Okinawa for 3-1/2 years. Then to the Air Commando's at Hurlburt Field, FL. Presently attending North Caroline State University, Raleigh, NC, pipeline to the U.S. Air Force Academy to teach math.

Phase II of my life was a thirty year Air Force career. I flew fighters the first 15 years, with over 3,000 hours of single-engine time. I did not know it that day in 1975 when I had my last flight, since the axe fell a few days later when a message from headquarters ordered immediate discontinuance of proficiency flying. I had an opportunity to return to flying in 1976, but turned it down as it meant a year in Korea without my family. I had finally realized that there were theings in life more important than flying. The last half of my career was spent in various staff and command jobs, all challening and rewarding, but not quite in the same way as strapping on a fighter. Our last tour, in Iceland, will probably remain my favorite, partially because it was the most recent, but primarily because of the fine people we came to know: U.S., Icelanders, and citizens of several other nations; and the many exciting things that went on there. Our vase in a foreign land was a tight-knit community of about 5,500, made close by the factors of culture, language, economy, geography, and weather.

Phase III of my life as been retirement. We started off traveling full-time with our travel trailer. After completely circling the 48 contiguous states (interrupted by space-available military flights to Europe and the Far East), where I taught math part-time at the local community college. We enjoyed the people and the climate, but not the taxes and being tied down by our house. So, we investigated retirement homes and decided on Air Force Village II. We sold our home in Merced in March, 1994, and lived in our Airstream until the college term ended. We did not expect to move to the Village until 1996. From California, we drove to Alaska and back to Texas, where we visited the Village again and fell into an opportunity to move into a smaller house in the near future, so we did, in January, 1995. We have never regretted moving here, as we thoroughly enjoy the people and we ae free to travel when we wish. We have esceeded our previous record for living in one place and have no intention of leaving the Village until our final PCS.

We enjoy visiting our children, grandchildrren and great grandsons. They live in California, Nevada, and Texas. All are healthy and doing well; who could ask for more? They are our only meaningful legacy. We have visited many parts of the world and plan to see much more of it. Life is good.

text