I am recent retiree of the Federal Railroad Administration's Chicago office. Eighteen years with the FRA. Prior to working at the FRA, I was with the Chicago and North Western Railroad for 17 years.
Other Comments:
After leaving boot camp at Great Lakes, I was assigned to Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62), at NAS Cecil Field, FL. I arrived in June '62 and was there until November '63 when I was released to inactive duty. I was a DK3 when I was released, but I stayed in the active reserves and became a DK2 shortly afterwards. I was a school teacher during that time in Tulsa, OK. In the summer of 1965, I needed a summer job, so I signed up for three months temporary active duty. I was ordered to the U. S. Naval Academy and was assigned to the Medical and Dental Officers Indoctrination School. It was a class for Medical and Dental Officers to learn and prepare them for military life. I took care of their pay and travel expenses while they attended the school. After that summer, I moved to the Chicago area and was in a reserve unit at NAS Glenview, IL. It was Naval Air Reserve Maintenance Unit (NARMU 725). I was discharged in 1967.
Before satellite intelligence gathering, the United States relied upon aerial photographic reconnaissance to gather intelligence to assist the fleet in guarding our country. This progressed from the early days when a Navy Photographer (Photomate) would hang out of the open doorway of a plane, with a heavy camera strapped to his neck, to a supersonic jet manned only by the pilot. VFP-62 flew the RF-8 Crusader, to gather high quality aerial photography for that purpose.
