It has been so many years, yet I still feel that the boy from Watson high is still very much in my heart.

I left Watson High at the beginning of 1969. I’m pretty sure my last class was English with Peter Searle. I went off to start an electrical apprenticeship with George Moses. I’m sure many of you will remember his son, Eric Moses who was in the year behind us.

The apprenticeship didn’t work out after only a few short weeks so I decided to join the Navy after seeing what looked like a wonderful way of life that my two older brothers were experiencing at the time. And it was such a great time. I joined up just 5 days after Neil Armstrong took a walk on the moon. And no, I didn’t join up as a deck hand on a submarine.

After 15 years of Navy life I changed over to the Air Force and completed about another 15 years. Between the Navy and the Air Force I was lucky to visit many parts of the world and live in many parts of Australia.

At the end of 1997 I was finally posted back to Canberra with my family and a few short years later I left the military and became the inevitable public servant with the Department of Defence (Of course).

What a good move! My wife, Ann and I were soon posted to the US (St Louis) for two years. We had a wonderful time over there but did struggle a little having left our kids here in Australia. By that time they were both well on their way finding their own way in life. We still missed them terribly at the time (empty nest syndrome).

Soon after returning home, I left the public service and started working as a contractor to the Defence Department (of course) where I’m still having fun.

I’m married to my wonderful wife Ann and we have a son Des (28) and daughter Felicity (26) who both live in Sydney. Des has followed my footsteps and has a career in the Navy and Felicity is happily married to a sailor – Salt water in the blood.

In the attached family photo from left to right: Ann, Des, me, Felicity and the head in the background is Felicity’s husband Alan.