By Diane Camejo

Lifespan: 1929-present Childhood Locale: Duchane, UT Education: BA in Accounting from BYU, MBA in Business Administration from the University of Utah.

The Great Depression began in the same year my dad was born, It lasted until the early 1940s. During this time, my dad grew up in American Fork, Utah. His earliest memory is of playing hooky after school and taking a couple of handfuls of peas from a farming truck.

During WWII my dad attended high school in American Fork, UT. He played basketball, the trumpet, and was on the debate team. WWII’s mandatory draft influenced his decision to attend college right after high school.

My dad attended BYU where he was enrolled in Air Force ROTC and majored in Accounting. He also played the trumpet in the band during basketball games. He won the vote for “Most Eligible Bachelor” at BYU.

After college, my dad spent 28 years as a commissioned officer in the Air Force. He was stationed in Southeast Asia, Vietnam and Korea as a pilot and is the recipient of a Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism while participating in aerial flight.

Throughout the Korean War, my dad was continuously involved in the war. He flew several missions over Korea and neighboring areas.

During the Vietnam War my dad was a “Candlelighter” – dropping flares over the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in air strikes in Laos. President Richard Nixon denied involvement in the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in Laos for some time, perhaps even still.

During the Vietnam War my dad also flew missions carrying “special cargo”. To this day, I still do not know what “special cargo” means.

After retiring from the military, he began teaching. He is an adjunct professor of business at College of Southern Nevada. He considers his greatest achievement to be marrying his wife and raising his five children. They have been married for over 30 years.