I met a very interesting person this morning. He's from North Carolina
and he and his wife drove up yesterday to pick up a digital baby grand
piano that he purchased from us.

We realized quickly that we had a lot in common. We both are Hammond B3
organ nuts and each have owned three. We both have also owned a pile of
other musical instruments and equipment and like to edit and mix musical
compositions and performances. He had a military background ... having
served for 20 years in the US Air Force. I was Navy for 9 years active
and 2 years reserve.

He grew up in Mississippi. After high school he earned a BA in Music,
planning a musical career. He graduated from college in 1968 and, like
me, soon received a greetings letter from Uncle Sam. He quickly
decided to join the Air Force, like I had decided to go Navy after
receiving the draft notice.

He applied to be in the Air Force band. After taking the battery of
tests you take the Air Force determined he qualified for flight school.
He really didn't want that but soon discovered (as we all did) that the
requirements of the service comes first. He explained to me that at the
time the Air Force had a quota system and were required to sign up a
certain percentage of blacks for flight school. He was picked.

So, he went to flight school. I found that interesting since I had
always had an interest in flying and had acquired a recreational pilot's
license in the late 1990's.

I asked him what he flew in the Air Force.

He was Pilot in Command flying 12-14 hour SAC missions in the B-52
Stratofortress and did so for 9 years. Upon completion of that duty
he was assigned the Air Force flight school to train new B-52 pilots.
(Prior to joining the Air Force he had never flown an airplane in his
life and hasn't since retiring.)

(My experience flying Cessna 152's didn't sound like a big deal
anymore) :-)

While teaching in the Air Force he also started attending grad school
and obtained a Masters in Music. Then, just for giggles, he pursued
and obtained a EE degree.

We spent a couple of hours just discussing things of mutual interest.
He had my full attention as he described what the B-52 missions were
like, flying around with responsibility for nuclear equipped bombs and
missiles.