After the Army:
Upon retirement from the Army in 1991, I  worked for the Army Civilian Personnel Office at Fort Richardson, Alaska until 2005 then retired from Civil Service and moved to Apache Junction,  Arizona.  I enjoy backpacking, kayaking, fishing, camping and exploring Arizona.

Family:
I am married to Lili, my wife of 29 years and we have 3 children.  We also have 5 grandsons and a granddaughter.  My daughter Carol and son Mike Jr. live in Michigan with their families and My daughter Angelica and her family live in Alaska.

Current Occupation:
Retired  

Degrees/Schooling:
High School Graduate
2yrs of College, Central Texas College
Pilot License, Private

Most Memorable Moment at Tomb:
One Sunday morning in the late spring or early summer of 1976, I was walking 08:00 to 08:30 guard. The plaza was empty, the Relief Commander and relieved Sentinel had left minutes before. I was standing at the south end of the mat facing north at left shoulder arms and the sun was shinning warm in the east. The day looked like it was going to be warm and clear. That meant lots of visitors. But not yet, it was to early.

Suddenly I heard footsteps approaching from my rear, out of my line of sight. It was a woman walking towards me. I knew it was a woman because of the sound of the footsteps. High-healed shoes tapping on the granite is a very distinct sound. This lady stopped behind me. I could not see her, but I know that she was just several feet away stopped near the chains. In the 70’s the use of chains with 21 stands encircling the mat and the tomb were used as the barrier for visitors.

As I finished my twenty-one second count, I stepped off for my short twenty-one-step journey to the north end of the mat. This woman, who I never saw, followed just out of my view. I halted and completed my facing movement. She stood behind me again and then she spoke. 

“Thank You.” she said, sobbing. Then her footsteps faded off to the north, leaving the plaza.

I completed that walk, never to see her face. The only trace of her visit was my memory of her emotional voice and one red carnation placed in one of the links of the chain at the north end of the plaza.

I always wished I could have responded, but as you know that wasn’t possible. Looking back to that Sunday morning, I guess I did say “You’re Welcome”. I was standing vigil at the Tomb. I hope it eased her obvious pain to know someone was there and that our fallen comrades were not forgotten.

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