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Let me start by telling what events preceded me being hired 
by ONA in the first place. My aviation career actually started 
when I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Sept. 1948 for three years, 
(was extended an extra yr. due to Korean War). I wanted to get 
into Naval Aviation or the Air Force. I wouldn’t enlist in the 
Navy unless they could guarantee I would qualify for an 
Aviation position, which I did. After Boot Camp, I was sent to 
Bermuda to join my assigned Squadron VP-45, which was a Patrol 
Squadron consisting of ten Martin Mariners PBM-5 (2 engine) 
seaplane aircraft. 

Their main mission was Anti-submarine warfare and secondary was 
Search & Rescue. My rate was Aviation Machinist Mate 
(Engine Mechanic). After I made my first rate I was assigned 
to a Plane Crew and checked out as a Flight Engineer. After I got 
out of the Navy I went to Embry Riddle Aviation School in Miami 
to earn my FAA Aircraft & Powerplant Mechanic License 
(A & P Lic.). 

My first real airline job after graduating Embry Riddle in 
Miami was National Airlines “Airline of the Stars”, as a Cleaner 
inside and out.  I had put in for an A & P Mechanic or Flt. 
Engineer position, but at the time that was the only opening. 

My next job was an A & P Mechanic (4 Eng. Line Maint.) for 
Eastern Air Lines for two years, till I was called to go to 
their Flight Engineer’s ground school in 1957, which I had 
put in for. I flew the line till summer 1962 when the Flt. 
Engineer’s Union went on strike against Eastern. 

After being locked out of my Flight Engineer’s job with 
Eastern, after five years employment with them, in the 
fall of 1962. I took some ground jobs for the next four 
years till Saturn Airways called me in April 1966 for a 
job offer.

They had gotten my name from another ex-Eastern Flt. Engineer 
and wanted to hire me to fly on their DC-7B & C passenger & 
cargo aircraft based out of JFK, NY. The last year and a half 
with Eastern I had been flying on the L-188 Electra and I 
hadn’t flown on a DC-7 in about 6 years by 1966. Getting re-
qualified on the DC-7B & C I thought was going to be quite a 
task for my memory and I was a little skeptical at the time 
whether to accept their offer, but as it turned out it came 
back to me quicker than I expected it would. I flew mostly 
Pacific Military (Pass. & Cargo) flights to Hawaii, 
Wake Island, Clark Air Force Base, Philippines and later on 
all the way to Vietnam. 

I got my 3-engine time in real quick on my first trip west 
bound 2nd & 4th legs. I only flew for Saturn three and a 
half months, when Phil Geraldi from ONA called me and said 
the same thing, which was another ex-Eastern Flt.
 Engineer, gave them my name and they checked into my 
background and wanted to hire me right away. The pay was 
more than I was receiving at Saturn, so it was an easy 
decision for me and so I resigned from Saturn.