Charles Conrad:  

After graduating from CAC, I got my AAS from Mohawk Valley Community College in Electrical Technology. With that finished, I went to work for National Cash Register in Ithaca, for a very few months before being drafted in the army. I did my basic training in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. Then, it was on to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma for advanced training as an artillery surveyor. Next, it was Ft. Bragg, North Carolina where I was assigned to the 5th Battalion 42nd Artillery. The battalion was in the early stages of preparing for redeployment to Viet Nam. At that time, they needed people to work in the personnel department to help process new people into the organization. I was offered the position, and took it. By the time they were ready to depart, I only had 9 months left on my two year commitment, and the personnel department was over head count. Three of us had to be left behind. I was reassigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery where I finished my military career. On returning to civilian life in October 1968, I rejoined National Cash Register where I stayed until March of 1970. Near the end of my military career, I took some leave to be the best man and my college room mate's wedding. His bride asked her college room mate to be the maid of honor. When I returned to military life, I wrote to her, frequently. While working at National Cash, I drove to Rochester most weekends to visit her. In November 1969, I asked her to marry me, and she agreed. Back at work, I asked my management to allow me to take some time each week to attend Cornell to finish my degree in Electrical Engineering. They refused, so with a wedding in the near future, and not seeing a great future at NCR, I started applying to companies in the Rochester area. My work experience at NCR was in microelectronics design, and Xerox in Rochester was looking for someone with this kind of experience. In March of 1970, I left NCR and joined Xerox designing test procedures for microelectronics and other electronic and electrical devices. In August of that year, we were married. The following year, I returned to school in an evening program at Rochester Institute of Technology. It was difficult for both of us because I was away from home so much while attending classes, and when I was home, I was in the books. In 1972, our first son was born, and three years later a second son was born. Three years after that, I finally graduated from RIT with honors, with a BSEE degree. Time goes on, and our first son graduated from hig...Expand for more