 I was a small boy. My mother used to take me to the airport and gas him to watch the ODC-3, standing there by the fence, listening to those big radio engines rumble as they come to life, spit the big blue smoke, get a whiff of that. I guess it started to get into my blood at that point. Later when I joined the Navy, I actually took my first flight from Montgomery to San Diego. I liked the feeling of flying and being above the world, looking down and seeing everything as small models. Without my military experience, I'm not sure what I would be doing, but there's not many things in Alabama or any other state for that matter where a fifth grade dropout can make a very good living. I was born to a single woman in 1948. I didn't have a very stable home life. Had I not had the opportunity to join the military and make a career out of the military, I would not be standing here with all of my credentials and all of my degrees. They have got skills, education, all the things that I learned in the Navy, all the experiences that I have from traveling and working in the Navy. All of it has a Navy brand on it.