LadyX, I mostly lurk here but have to say Happy Anniversary and thank you for your service. Obviously you have left quite a legacy by virtue of your family's continued service.
My father served in World War I at Kelly Field (insert applause from all the Texans!!) instructing pilots.
Can you imagine those planes, FlagMan, contrasted with the B-1s you see daily there in Rapid City?!!
In the 20's for fun, he used to fly sometimes with a friend who worked for the Postal Service.
In a Flying Jenny, they'd do the mail run to Daytona Beach, actually landing ON the beach at low tide!!
He was a consulting engineer, and in WWII, too old to enlist, went with the War Production Board.
He was based in Atlanta, in charge of troubleshooting in all the seven Southeastern states in production plants...solved problems in producing anything with metal components - ammunition, armaments, etc.
As the youngest of three daughters and no sons, and his last hope, at 11 he taught me how to survey land, verifying some of the lines on the 1,000 acres he owned - with me handling the transit.
I took mechanical drawing in school - the first girl to do so there.
Of course my mother had her input - I at 11 also began sewing some of my own clothes - played the piano - did the Miami Herald crossword puzzles, etc.
This was BT - Before Television - BC, Before Computers - back in the Dark Ages..:)))