Recently, a friend was planning a party and asked for the friends to tell something about themselves that the friends might not know. I started thinking and when I thought about my life, I thought, "Wow, if I tell all the things I have done, it would sound like I am bragging, so I decided to just write a blog for myself and a few close friends and family members to see. That way it wouldn't sound like I was bragging.
Where to start. I guess I should start with my profession. I have been a professional photographer for over 60 years and most of my privileges stem from my profession. In addition to being a photographer, I have had many part time and some full time jobs at the same time as being a photographer. I will start as a kid; lawn mower, newspaper boy (three routes), cotton chopper, cotton picker, laundry worker (2 times), janitor (many times), Army National Guard (jeep driver, supply worker), Air Force (photographer), bus driver, chauffeur, DSL tech support, college teacher, tour guide, lecturer.
Some of my published works have been seen my millions and maybe billions. One publication I have had work in has a circulation of 32 million and another publication has a circulation of over 27 million. I have worked for ten different newspapers on a regular basis and many more on a part time basis. I was a disk jockey in high school and college. My college major was journalism and my minor was Radio/TV Broadcasting.
As for travel, I have been to five continents; North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as many islands of the seas. I have seen 47 states and three Canadian Provinces.
As for famous people I have met, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Ralph Marterie, Jack Teagarden, John Glen, Prince Peter of Greece, Madam Curie's son in law, (Henry Lobawiese), Tex Ritter, Dinah Shore, Chill Wills. I have met many high ranking officials and politicians, like the governor of Kentucky, Lyndon Johnson's aids, etc. Many more I have photographed, but not talked to.
I have "hitchhiked" on aircraft and even a few times have commandeered helicopters. Not by force, but by trickery. For example, I used to go the flight line with my flying suit and photo equipment and tell the pilots, I needed to fly to Oklahoma and chase buffalo and photograph them. They never asked why, they just assumed it was official. I had a security clearance above top secret, so I just told them, "I am not at liberty to discuss that."
Once while photographing an aircraft crash in Biloxi Bay, I got soaked in fuel and my skin was burning. The flying safety officer lived nearby, so he took me to his house for a shower and some dry clothes. The only thing he had that fit me was a flight suit with major's insignia on it. I got a helicopter to take me back to the base and when I landed, a young lieutenant ran up, saluted and asked what he could do for me. I said, "get me a staff car" and I didn't have to walk back to the photo department, which was only a block away.
i used to ride in the back of staff cars smoking a corn cob pipe and trying to look like MacArthur. I was often saluted in my staff car. I have used military aircraft and staff cars to go to places I wanted to go to. Once, I wanted to meet Louis Armstrong, but I was about hundred miles away on a job. I ran up to a helicopter and told them I needed to get back to the base ASAP. They flew me back, and I went to meet Louis Armstrong. I guess I had more guts than brains.
Once while in the National Guard, I checked out a Jeep and drove to an old airport flight line after I saw a civilian aircraft land there. I drove up to the plane and acting like I was somebody, I told the pilot, I needed to photograph the National Guard Base from the air. He took me for a nice long flight and I had a lot of fun. I have always loved to fly. I once had a flight I didn't care for. It turned out the pilot was a stunt pilot and after I finished the job I used him for, he asked if I wanted to have some fun. I said yes, and he showed me a time I didn't care for. We flew upside down and did barrel rolls and then chased people off the beach by flying just above their heads. That one was scary.
I used to act like I was someone special. Once I was giving instructions to a pilot and he got a little mad at the way I was telling him what I wanted to do. He said, "I am an officer and your are not. you don't tell me what to do!" His boss saw what he did and called him over in the corner and told him to follow my instructions exactly as I say. He hung his head and then said to me, "What do you want me to do?" I almost laughed at him.
I have photographed many car crashes, plane crashes and other types of accidents. I have photographed many dead people and that has caused me some sleepless night and even PTSD.
I have in the past worked in intelligence, but mostly as a photographer. I once worked for the Greek Secret Police, but that got scary.
I have been chased by the Greek Mafia and that was scary too.
Before I became a Christian, I did a little smuggling and a few other things that could have gotten me in trouble.
My wife reminded me about some lifesaving incedents. The first was when I was a newspaper boy. I was waiting for my boss to pick me up to take me home. It was in the winter and I was waiting beside a lake. A woman walked into the lake. It was cold and dark, so I knew something was wrong. I asked what she was doing. She told me was going to drown herself. I grabbed her and drug her out of the water, fighting me all the way. I called to the other boys there to help me. They did and we held her while someone went for the police. The police came and commended us for saving her life.
Another incedent was when I was a teenager. My friend and I were in town, just "hanging" as the kids say today. We caught the last bus home and about halfway home, when the bus was topping a hill that had a curve at the top, a car came over the hill and hit the bus head on. The driver was hurt and he at down on the side of the road. Some of the men in the bus tried to get the door off the car to help the men inside. We actually tore the door off. Then someone noticed that some liquid was comeing out of the car and rolling down under the bus. There were a lot of sparks coming out of bus and we thought that maybe the liquid was gas and there might be a fire due to the sparks coming from the bus. I went through the back door of the bus and tried to figure out how to kill the engine. After I shut off the engine, I went back to help try to resue the men in the car.
What I had not realized was that when I shut off the engine, the air from the brakes leaked out causing the bus to start rolling back down the hill. By this time, ambulance was coming up the hil and the bus was rolling straight towards the ambulance. Since I was the one who caused the bus to roll, I decided I should stop the bus. Of course, now I had to run to the back of the bus. Remember that was the only way I could get in. After getting on the bus, I ran to the front to try to stop it. Naturally, there were no brakes, so all I could do was to aim it toward a power pole, which slowed it down and then it hit a building. That was all it took to stop it. I hurt my right knee and have felt the pain many times over the years.
Two more "life saver" incedents. Later on this.
There are many other things, but I will stop for now. Maybe I can add to this list later.
Theocratic Privileges
I was appointed as a Ministerial Servant in 1974 and an Elder in 1988. I have been a Congregation Secretary, Book Study Overseer and Theocratic Ministry School Overseer. At this time (12/2009) I am the Auxiliary Counselor for the Paradise Park Hawaii Congregation. I am also the News Service Overseer for Hawaii Island.
I have had privileges in publishing. Many of my photographs are in the WT publications. Once I was asked to write a story, so my wife and I wrote one about "Weekend Miracles", a story about the beginning of the "Quick Builds". I have also worked at Brooklyn Bethel a few times.
