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Col. Norman Hemingway is Professor of Aerospace Studies
and Chairman of the Department of Aerospace Studies (Air
Force ROTC).
by Col. Norman Hemingway
Life Begins at thirty-or does it?
That first line is misleading-it is intended to be. I could
have said fifty-two or even twenty-three. It makes little
difference at this point in time. However, you may ask
yourself-"What will I be doing when I'm thirty?" For most
students at the University it would mean looking down the
path of life for eight to twelve years.
Why this subject???? Foremost, I think every student looks
into that deep unknown-the next few years. They wonder,
sometimes quite bewildered, what lies in store beyond the
horizon-at least three to five years hence. I say this because I
very well remember when I was age nineteen. The year was
1939. I too was a student. I faced the same frustrations
students face today. I found it difficult to find answers to such
questions as-"What kind of grade will I get this semester?"
"should I drop out of school now, or wait until the end of this
semester?"; "where can I get enough money for a date this
weekend?"; "what will I do next summer?"; "will I be able to
afford a car next year?". These are typical, but important
questions. They are still important today. One question that
bothered me most was something new to my
generation-military draft.
The word draft scared me. Does that sound familiar? I
probably had more fear of being in the Army than any student
on this campus today. To me, the Army represented a place
for misfits and guys that could not make a living elsewhere. To
me, the thought of staying in the military service for a career
was totally unthinkable. In fact, as I write this article I feel
knots growing inside me for I still vividly remember the fear I
had of military life. Today this fear is a different one, a new
type of fear for me.
Many students today find difficulty in perceiving and
understanding what lies ahead on that bumpy path of life. For
those that do I would like to share my fifty-two years of
experience with them. You may accuse me of having 50-50
hindsight, or Monday morning quarterbacking. However, if it
helps any-By my guest if it doesn't -Forget it!
First, I'll tell you how I overcame my fear of the draft. I
volunteered. That beat it! Fifty percent of my fear was licked.
Next I looked around in the Army and found they had
something I had always wanted to do fly! So I applied for
pilot training and, much to my surprise, was accepted. I helped
close out World War II doing something I really liked-flying.
At the end of World War II the job market was similar to
what young people experience here in Lincoln today-hard to
find what I wanted. So I remained in the military flying
business. I enjoyed flying because the pay was good and I got
to see a large part of the world while serving my country. I saw
Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, Far East, South
America and a few places I don't even care to talk about.
I did have a few dislikes, though. But for the most part I
have enjoyed it. I am proud of my experience with the
military and find that I have many attractive offers from the
civilian job market today because of my varied experience as a
military officer.
However, all is not roses. Because today I face another fear.
Yes, I face the fear of leaving the Air Force and returning to
civilian life. This fear is equal to, or perhaps even worse than,
the fear I had before joining the military. However, the fearful
journey out into the civilian world is different in many ways
from the trip into the military. It is different because past
service for Uncle Sam has its rewards.
For example, my wife and I retain entitlement to free "
hospitilization and medical care for the remainder of our lives.
We can still enjoythe privileges of any military installation, we
can fly (no charge) to many places in the world on military
aircraft. And to make the exit trip a bit more attractive (I
hope), Uncle Sam will retire me at a salary of $17,398.80 per
year. This salary is adjusted by the cost-of-living index. Not
bad for a guy that feared it-huh? You may say-"Money
isn't everything." If so, I ask you-"Ever try to live without
it?"..
Retirement at age 5 2 is relatively young. Now I plan
to go out into the world to do my thing. My only regret is that
I can't remain in the military on active duty. This is not
possible because Air Force requires me to retire and vacate my
rank of Colonel so that young Air Force officers can be
promoted.
Life in the military today is O.K. It isn't at all like it was in
World War II. It's a good place for young people. I will
encourage any young man or young lady today to try it,
because I think you will like it.
So, now I ask you-"Does life really begin at age thirty?" I
say no. Not for everyone. One may just be getting started at .
age fifty-two. Think 1 11 try it. Why don t you take a look.
We wish to thank
you for your past
patronage.
Hope to see you
in the future.
Our hours are
9 pm-4 am Mon.-Sat.
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