Brian Beyer:  

My plan after high school was always to go to college, get married and then start my own company. That's not what happened. I thought I was well on the way to meeting those goals, I was out of high school, engaged to get married and working two jobs saving up for marriage and college (my two highest priorities). Then two things happened that changed my whole life. My sweetheart changed her mind about marriage, and my best friend told me he was going to be drafted into the Army if he didn't enlist (it was the last year of the draft and his number was 90). I agreed to join the Air Force with him even though my draft number was 361 just to clear my head and get over my loss. Six months later my buddy got out of the military with a medical discharge, went home and married my sister. I stayed in for the full four year term. I spent my military career working on nuclear weapons (ICBM's) in Montana. I loved the work, the travel and got to spend a lot of time in some of the most beautiful country in the US. Because I was an outdoorsman, I truly was in heaven. The high point though, was getting to transport an ICBM to Vandenberg AFB in California and test launching it into the South Pacific (the test was one of the most accurate on record!). I got married on the rebound while stationed in Montana in the service, it lasted four years. The best thing that happened from that experience was my daughter Crystal. She still lives in Great Falls, she married a great guy and is in college majoring in accounting. They say you never get over your first love, and I know its true. I tried to find her a couple of times after military tech school, but gave up when I was told by her sister that she'd gotten married after I joined the service. I know I had to lose her because I was young and had so much yet to learn about relationships, but the love was so strong and it was a very painful parting for me; something I wish had never happened. She still crosses my mind often, and I wonder how our lives would have turned out if we hadn't split. I hope she's done well and has a happy life. After the service I initially returned to construction for awhile, went to school for a fine arts in photography, then later received a BA in business and became a CPA. I have worked for two CPA firms, but spent most of my career in private industry. I've had a couple of brushes with my own mortality, I'm a two-time cancer survivor. It has caused me some loss of functionality, but it...Expand for more