January 18, 1969 I was drafted out of Graduate School at the University of Missouri.  I had Graduated from Central Methodist College in June "68 and requested a deferment because I was accepted to Grad School and was Dorm Director of Cramer and Stafford Halls at MU.  I also was enrolled at the Medical School doing Graduate work in Epidemiology.  Unfortunately the draft board in Edwardsville declined my request for deferment of draft and I enlisted in the Navy.

I was told by the Navy recruiter I would get a Medical Rate and an advanced pay grade with my degree.  I left for Great Lakes Naval Training Center on January 1969.  We took a train to Great Lakes and I was assigned as the person in charge of mustering the troops at Great Lakes.  Temperature in St. Louis where we departed was in the 50s.  When we pulled into the NTC Great Lakes it was snowing and 10 degrees.  I was the Master of Arms (MAA) in Boot Camp Company.Following Boot Camp I was enrolled in Hospital Corps School in Great Lakes where I was Platoon Leader. 

I graduated Corps School and was sent to the Naval Medical School in Bethesda, MD.  I was enrolled in the first Medical Technology School under command of Dr. Norman J. Valaske, CDR,MC,USN.  This school was the same training as Pathology Residents.  There were only 9 other Corpsmen in this school.  The school was 10 months in length. 

Upon graduation I received orders to the Navy Regional Medical Center at Long beach, CA.  I took the Medical Technology Exam and received the professional designation as MT(ASCP).
I was placed on the Repose at Terminal Island in Long Beach to set up a Blood Donor Center.  I worked there the remaining time of my enlistment.  I was a 2nd Class Petty Officer.  I received an Honorable Discharge following my 4 year enlistment and came to Springfield, MO.  I worked as Director of Technical Service at the American Red Cross.  While in the Red Cross I was on the National Blood Program Technical Advisory Committee and a Plasma Product Consultant.  I work 8 years during my reserve  service with the Red Cross Blood Program.

I rejoined the Navy Reserves as an Ensign following graduating with a MBA Degree in Management /Marketing from Southwest Missouri State University in December 1978.  I was Officer In Charge of the 4th Marine Medical Division in Springfield.  This was a field medical combat weapons group which drilled in Springfield Naval Reserve Training Center(NRTC) and Ft Leonard Wood Army Base.  We went out with the Marines in the field.  during my 20 years in the reserves I was stationed at Camp Lejeune Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.  Field Medical School was held in Camp Pendleton California.  I was also the OIC of the NNMC detachment in Uticia, NY where I was activated during Desert Storm.  I was assigned Navy Blood Program OIC and was stationed in the Pentagon. 

I retired as a Commander in February 1992.  I served 4 years Active Duty as a Hospital Corpsman (2nd Class Petty Officer) during the Vietnam war and 20 years in the Reserves as a Medical Service Corps Officer (Marine Medical OIC, Lab Officer, Food Service Officer, and Administrative Officer NOBCs).

Active duty stations included Great Lakes Regional Medical Center, National Naval Medical Center, Bremerton Naval Hospital, Camp Lejuene Medical Center, Camp Pendleton Marine Corp Hospital, Beaufort Navy Medical Center, Memphis NAS Regional Medical Center, Naval Hospital NAS Pensacola.