While writing an article for a "classic" column, I met an interesting
man who can be called the "foster father of GPS."

He is a retired USAF officer, as well as the owner of the boat I was
inspecting and photographing. While he was in the USAF, he was in
charge of "selling" the concept of a GPS satellite navigation system to
Congress. As he explained it, once the system had been invented and
tested no branch of the military wanted to fund it out of its own
budget. He was faced with the challenge of arranging cooperaton between
Congress and the various branches of the Defense Dept.

I think we're going to develop a "profile" story on this person within
the next few weeks, so I'll have permission to share more details. It's
always enlightening to realize that there are real people behind even
the most extraordinary inventions and creations, and that sometimes the
people who make something fiscally possible are as important in the
overall scheme as the people who conceived or invented the idea in the
first place.