Francisco Velez:
CLASS OF 1976
Peekskill High SchoolClass of 1976
Peekskill, NY
St. Joseph's SchoolClass of 1976
Peekskill, NY
Francisco's Story
Life
Many know me as Fran. I was raised by the Franciscan Sisters at St. Joseph's Home in Peekskill. Went to Cortland State and was bored to tears so I joined the Air Force and made a career of it. Served 20 years and retired as Staff Sergeant. Assigned to many places, Korea, Germany, Alaska(North of the Artic Circle), Honduras, Alabama, California, Colorado and Florida. I moved to back to Peekskill to live with my fiance, Linda Jacob, now my wife. We moved to Minnesota just South of St. Paul for about 18 months. Linda and I tied the knot there. We moved to Grand Forks, ND for another 18 months and moved back to Peekskill. After two years we finally settled down in the Town Of Newburgh on the other side of the Hudson. I work at West Point as a television engineer since January of 2004.
Military
14 September 1978 was when I went to Ft. Hamilton, Brooklyn to my induction to the US Air Force. Basic training was a breeze in comparison to what I experience in my years in St. Joseph's Home.
After Basic I went to tech school in Denver, Colorado at Lowry AFB. There I learned how to be a television engineer. Something I'm doing now at West Point.
After Graduating from technical school, I went back to Peekskill to marry my first wife, Laura D'Onofrio.
Soon After, we went to my first assignment, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama. Lauria was not happy being an Air Force wife and our marriage ended after two and half years. Spent a total of four years exactly to the day there.(1 June 1979 - 1 June 1983)
My next assignment was to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The shop dynamics was not a good working environment so I volunteered for an oversea's assignment. Total time in Colorado was two and half years. (4 July 1983 - December 1985)
I was given Osan AB, Korea. Spent only one year there. It was a great assignment. Don't get me wron...Expand for more
g, the North was a major concern so excercises was a very common thing there.(1986)
I returned stateside to the left coast of California in the LA area at Los Angeles AFB. There I met my second wife Cindy David. I was there for three years. Cindy and I married just before us leaving for another overseas assignment to Germany.(January 1987 - December 1989)
In Germany, I was assigned to NATO at a place called Boerfink Mountain Kasserne. It was interesting working with different nationalities of Great Britain, Denmark, Belgeium, Sweden, Spain and Turkey. I tried to volunteer for Desert Shield/Desert Storm but I could not for I was a NATO assett at the time. My four years there was a great experience. (January 1990 - January 1994)
Afterwards, we went back stateside to Hurlburt Field, Florida just outside Ft. Walton Beach. That was the time of the great drawdown of the armforces and the unit I was assigned to Detacthment 8, 1st Combat Camera was deactivited after just eight months after we arrived there. (January - October 1994)
Back to the Left Coast to Travis AFB at Fairfield between San Francisco and Sacramento. Combat Camera came under the 615th Air Mobility Group. Went To Hawaii and Alaska for temporary duty. (October 1994 - July 1997)
My last assignment, I was sent to Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota. This is just after the city of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks experienced a major flood that damaged many homes and businesses. Grand Forks also experienced a major fire amid the flood. Evidence of the flood are still evident to this day in both communities. I was attached to the 314th Communication Squadron to the base Video Information branch. This will be my last assignment to close my Air Force career. August 1997 - August 1998).
I moved back to Peekskill to live with my fiance. I officially retired from active duty on 1 November 1998.
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