Leo Fuller:
CLASS OF 1974
Mamaroneck High SchoolClass of 1974
Mamaroneck, NY
Leo's Story
Syracuse University Graduate, Class of 1978. Maxwell School.
Air Force officer:
Admin officer 963 AWAC Squadron.
Aide De Camp, USAF NATO Commander.
Fully qualified USAF Combat Control Team member.
Commander, 63rd MAW Combat Control Team.
Master Parachutist (Military).
Jump Master, with 299 jumps.
Certified Air Traffic Controller (Military)
HALO/HAHO free fall paratrooper (Military)
Amphib assault.
PADI Diver.
Polo Player, Fort Stotsenberg Polo Club, Clark Air Base, Republic of the Philipines.
Polo Player, Manila Polo Club, Makati, Metro Manila, Republic of the Philipines.
Business owner since 1986.
Senior Pastor: Outpost Christian Fellowship for 5 years.
Married for 33.5 years. Together almost 40 years. Three daughters; 30, 27, and 25.
At the time of this most recent edit, we were celebrating our first grandchild with another one on the way.
Interests:
Weekend biker dude (wild hog type).
Car shows. Building show cars (very occasionally).
Bible Study & lecturing.
Extremely Conservative Politics.
RV'ing at the SoCal beach with wife family.
WATCHING Polo games. (I'm too old and broken to play anymore).
A funny wife story.....
I had just met my future wife to be Cheryl , in mid Fed 1984. On our first date I told her about a mission that I had just been on as the new commander of the 63 Military Airlift Wing Combat Control Team,
I went along as an observer on a very complex and very dangerous night time over-the-horizon rubber duck drop and coastal infiltration. What that means is that you load a special CRRC or combat rubber raiding craft equipped with a parachute into the back of a C-130. We all dress up in black wet and exposure suits, complete with snorkels, dive masks, guns, bullets, knives, running gear, flippers, etc., and a parachute and get on the airplane also.
The aircraft flies about 50 miles off the coast (or beyond the radar horizon of that era), and we all (boat, boys, butts, and all) exit the rear of the airplane and parachute into the water. We then re-assemble in the water, trying not to eaten by sharks, re-rig the boat that was dropped, and then infiltrate using stealth to the coast line. For safety purposes during peace time training, we always have a safety boat pre-positioned at the drop site to observe the entire affair, and kill any sharks that get too frisky.
I was the new commander, so I was just there as an observer. I let my existing command structure run the mission. Well, they did just that. Except they forgot to include me in the count (since I was just there as an observer). Both boats left and I was stuck 50 miles off the coast floating in the water by myself at night.
I was tangled up in my parachute so I could not get it off and away from me. My "Mae West" was leaking and had to be constantly orally re-inflated. Now this particular area was not ...Expand for more
known for sharks (lucky me). It was known for killer whales. Killer whales don't normally go after people. They like to eat seals. I felt relieved for about 30 seconds. Then it dawned on me that I looked more like a seal than a person in my black wet suit. I was out there for over 6 hours.
Meanwhile the two boats were approaching the coast line of Camp Pendelton. Each boat radioed each other asking each other where I wanted them the beach the boats. It was at that time that they realized that I was not on either of the boats. Using GPS (which was real new and cool back then) they returned to the drop site and then followed the prevailing current drift to find me. My strobe light was spotted and I was rescued.
The first thing I did when I was lifted in the boat was vomit all over the place. Did I mentioned that when they picked me out of the water I was screaming so load I could be heard on both boats without the use of broadcasting equipment. My language was more colorful than the French Flag. I was sick to my stomach, and freezing cold. I will not get into the military's cold water survival procedures. I will say that the wet suit that I used was never used again, and was treated as Hazmat.
Back to Cheryl. On our first date I was running my mouth about what had just happened to me days before. Cheryl was all ears and very sympathetic. I observed her concern and true affection for my welfare. I was hooked on her completely from that point on.
Well about 16 years later we were attending a re-union with most of the guys from the old unit. They were "yucking" it up about the night they almost killed the Captain (me). At that point my (now) wife looked at me with a horrified expression on her face. She struggled to say the following words: "You were telling me the truth?" My knees became weak when I realized that she had secretly thought for 16 years that I had made the whole thing up to impress her. She had heard all the stories from other guys saying that they worked for the CIA, etc. She knew how to handled the lies that guys tell, and handled me accordingly.
I was livid. We had a very long talk and we cleared up a half a dozen other stories that she thought were also made up to impress her. At the time of our initial dating, she was impressed by the extent that she thought I would go to impress her, and make a good impression. I guess it was my destiny to marry a skeptic.
My wife is now a retired elementary school teacher and special Ed teacher. She always tells me that I remind her of her nicest students. She will never elaborate on what she means by that. Never a dull moment in a house full of females. I guess I had it coming based on all the mayhem that I caused prior to meeting my wife and having 3 daughters with her.
GOD Almighty has a very serious sense of humor!
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