Guest Profiles – USC NROTC Class of 1976

Reunion Guest Profiles

USMC: Motor Transport, Logistics, Parachutist., CO Marine Corps Security Force Co., Concord, CA., CO, Combat Service Support Group-3, 3FSSG, HI. Joint assignments at US Transportation Command and US Pacific Command. Retired in 2004 as an O-6.
Civilian: Worked for St Paul Public School (SPPS), St Paul, MN for 17 years in administration. Retired SPPS in 2023.
Family: Married, first spouse passed after 23 years; remarried for 15 years, four grandsons. Live in Twin Cities metro area.
Travel: Towing our camper around Upper Midwest, Europe, family cruises
Advice: ‘Trust in God and flourish as a tree’ Prov. 11:28; take care of your health, all quality of life revolves around one’s health. I am an 8 year prostate cancer survivor

Completed 23 years on active duty in the Civil Engineer Corps. Retired as O-6.
Post USN: spent 20 years as a city public works director for 3 cities in Orange County, CA and then as a County consultant for large bikeway projects.
Live in Irvine, CA with my wife Roxane of 47 years. We have two kids and two grandkids.
Retired again in 2024. Spending time watching grandkids, working for nonprofits like Habitat and my church as well as traveling quite a bit. Artificial hip two years ago finished my triathlon years, but still bike and open water swim as well as ski in the winter.
Not sure I would tell my 21 year old self anything much different. I have been very fortunate and blessed through my life.

USMC: 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion; MCRD, left as O-2
Grad school at Indiana Univ. Worked at GE Semi then Hughes Aircraft IPD
Pres/CEO of Bonders, a semiconductor company that ‘makes machines that make computers’
Family: Married, 3 sons, 4 granddaughters
Live in Carlsbad, CA (North San Diego County)
Travel: all 50 States, Hobby: golf
Advice: Be grateful and steady your resolve

USMC Aviation: flew A-4s with VMA-211 & 311, left as O-3.
MBA from Pepperdine. Worked in electronic sales, marketing, and management. Lived in Ireland for 2 years. Traveled extensively in Asia & Europe. Owned a Farmers insurance agency. After I retired, my wife and I lived in Switzerland for 2 years. Returned to the USA in 2020.
Family: Wife (Debra), 4 kids; 2 grandkids. Live in Escondido, CA
Active in the A-4 Skyhawk community when I’m not cycling or playing golf
Advice: Spend more time with your family. Work can wait!

First female commissioned from USC NROTC.
Qualified in SOSUS/IUSS. Specialized in Navy/Joint Military Manpower and Joint Officer Management. Authored CJCSI 1330.05.
Retired O-6 URL, spouse is a retired O-6 Submarine Officer, 58 years of military service between us. Two daughters.
Hobbies: Sewing and machine embroidery, outdoor adventure activities.
Advice: Never give up pushing through roadblocks as you’ll eventually reach your goals. Start a financial plan ASAP and maintain an active exercise routine throughout your life as those activities should help you enjoy your Golden Years!

USMC: Tanks, Infantry. Scuba school and Aerial Observer school. Had fun.
Back to USC for an MBA and USD for a law degree.
Worked for Lockheed and a major US law firm. Then to the Marshall Islands for my checkered career of the last 36 years. Qualified to practice law in 4 countries including England (Solicitor). Still working but bouncing back and forth between the Marshall Islands and Baja California.
5 kids, ages 34 to 7. No grandkids yet.
Travel: Asia and SE Asia, business and fun; Europe, history and culture
Advice: Cogito * Initio * Duro * Itero 1. Think first 2. Start. Just get started. No paralysis by analysis. 3. Be Strong, persevere 4. Do it again, with what you learned from the first iteration. 5. You are going look at yourself in the mirror each morning for the rest of your life. Don’t do anything that would make you ashamed to do so. 6. Live Not by Lies. 7. Work hard but live along the way; don’t save up travel or sex for when you’re old.

Naval Aviator. 2 tours in the A-6E. VA-115 on USS Midway in Japan and VA-95 on USS Enterprise, with an instructor tour in the TA-4J at NAS Chase Field, TX in between. Transferred to reserves in 1990 and continued with COMNAVAIRLANT Det at NAS Glenview, IL. Retired in 1999 as an O-5.
Civilian: Flew for United Parcel Service for 30 years, retiring in 2021 as a Captain on the MD-11, 727, 757, 767, and A300. Circumnavigated the globe 4 times.
Family: Married 37 years to my lovely wife, Debbie. 2 Kids, Daughter Kelsey and Son Cameron. Have lived in Louisville, KY for 34 yrs. Currently volunteering at the National Naval Aviation Museum, in Pensacola, FL.
Advice: Always put family first, never grow up, it takes too much energy!

Midshipmen Marine Option 1972-1974.
Graduated USC 1976 with BS Engineering, MS Engineering & MBA 1978.
Career – Worked for IBM Corporation for 42 years around the world as Engineer, Programmer, Manager, AI Application & Cloud Infrastructure Architect.
Family: Married to high school sweetheart (Takako) for 51 yrs. 3 children, 5 grandchildren. Son, Chris, is a Navy Pilot, in the Reserves. Daughter, Cherie, is USC Class of 2003.
Retired and currently living in Reno, Nevada. Rarely know what day of the week it is.
Activities: Travel, Backpacking, Mountain Climbing, Snow Boarding. Volunteer as Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop, Director of IT for Washoe County Republican Central Committee.
Advice: You are only young once, so get out there and make the most of life. Never forget your duty to God, Family, and Country…in that order.

SWO: Served as ASWO and Navigator on the “Big Nickel” USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG-5). Recalled to active duty at Weapons Station Seal Beach for Desert Storm. Completed five CO tours over a 24-year career, retiring from the Reserves as an O-6.
Co-founded businesses in HIV disease management, HIV pharmacy, and autism recovery, alongside roles in defense electronics and industrial distribution.
Married to my high school sweetheart, Loretta, for 51 years. We have three wonderful daughters who live nearby, and their families regularly join us for Sunday dinners.
Living in Overland Park, KS for the past 30 years. My pastimes include golf and cooking, and we have a couple of cruises planned for 2027.
Advice: “If you’re thinking about getting out of the Navy after your commitment… don’t.” My reserve retirement and TRICARE have provided vital support, helping keep Loretta and me healthy and secure.

SWO: USS Capodanno (FF-1093), Mayport. Deployed to Med, Mideast, LATAM. NavSci Instructor/AOIC at Cal Maritime Academy. 6 yrs in Reserves. Left as O-4.
Worked 40 yrs. at multiple Silicon Valley tech companies in IT, marketing, sales, BusDev, GM.
Family: Wife (Susan), 4 kids, 4 grandkids
Live in Brentwood, CA (NorCal)
USC NROTC Alumni League Board of Directors
Travel: US, Europe, Asia. Hobbies: golf, websites
Advice: Challenge yourself both professionally and personally. Take on the jobs no one wants to do and excel at them. Never let your job be your identity, spend time with family and friends.

USN: served as both a Line and Supply Corps officer. Retired as O-5.
Teacher, Administrator and BFM for NMF and TMF. Highlight – Comptroller Naval Academy and supporting the NMF.
Family: Married (Pete), 2 children
Lived on sail and powerboats. Love to travel.
Advice: Stay true to yourself. Sometimes the trade-offs do not make sense. Do what you are good at. You are not what you do for a living. You will know when it is time to retire!