Richard Browne:  

Life Currently living in Ohio, I have been something of a gypsy. I have lived in 12 states, visited 49 of the 50, two U.S. territories and 18 foreign countries. Married (second), I have two adult daughters, Jennifer lives in South Carolina with her husband Steven and her daughters, Kaitlyn and Addison, and son, Brent; and Christy, who also lives in South Carolina with her husband Chris. I also have a stepson and a stepdaughter, Nelson and Chantel, both live in southern Ontario in Canada. Chantel has two daughters, Morgan and Quinn, and a son, Gage. I have been a professional journalist most of my life, in addition to working for nearly 30-some odd years for a variety of daily and non-daily newspapers in a wide range of positions, I also have been a "war correspondent" during Operation Just Cause (the invasion of Panama) in 1989 and a teacher and instructor. I also have won multiple journalistic awards, both for writing and newspaper design. A veteran of two combat eras, I served in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Naval Reserve in the Vietnam Era (but not in Vietnam); and was in the Army National Guard when I was called up for service in the Persian Gulf War, during both Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm where I served as an Army public affairs specialist in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. I medically retired from the U.S. Army as a civilian public affairs officer and editor of the post newspaper at Fort McPherson, outside Atlanta, Ga. School Let's see if I can remember: I went to kindergarten in Glen Ellyn Ill. I split first grade between a school in Britt, Iowa, and Springfield, Mo. Second Grade through the first half of 4th Grade was at J.C. Freemont Elementary in Glendale, CA. Second half of 4th Grade was at the old main elementary school in downtown Tustin, CA. 5th Grade was at Guinn Foss in Tustin, CA. 6th Grade was at Sycamore Elementary in Tustin, CA. 7th and 8th was at C.E. Utt Intermediate (even though we spent the fall in classes at Columbus Tustin Intermediate)(class of 63) in Tustin, CA Grades 9 through 12 were at Tustin High School (Class of 67) in Tustin, CA. College After I graduated Tustin High School in Tustin, CA, in June 1967, that fall I went to study engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I quickly figured out that engineering was not my field, so at mid year I transferred from the school of engineering to the school of arts and sciences with major in history. (Unfortunately, I still flunked out) In January 1969, I enrolled at Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, CA, and earned an associates in social sciences in June 1970. In the fall of 1970, I transferred to Kansas State University in Manhattan KS to major in history. Unfortunately, Uncle Sugar intervened in September 1971 and called me up for 21 months on active duty in the U.S. Navy. In June 1973, I returned to KSU to pursue my bachelor's degree with a double major: history and journalism. I received my BS in May 1974. Did some graduate work, but never seriously pursued a MA or higher. Workplace After getting my bachelor's in journalism and mass communications in 1974, I went to work briefly for a small weekly newspaper in Kinsley, KS, before moving on to the Dodge City (KS) Daily Globe for three years. In 1977, did a brief stint as editor of a trio of weekly newspapers in Bucklin, KS. At the end of 1977, I moved on to be the wire editor for The Eagle in Bryan-College Station, TX (Home of Texas A&M University). Stayed there until early 1981, when I moved up to Texarkana (TX-AR)where I was news editor and later assistant managing editor for the Texarkana Gazette. At the end of 1988, I moved to Fayetteville, NC, first as assistant city editor for the Fayetteville Observer and then as military affairs writer. (Here is where I got to play 'war correspondent' in Panama for the 1989 takedown of Manuel Noriega). When the paper merged with Fayetteville Times, I was RIFed about the time I was called up for Desert Shield/Desert Storm. After I got back from the Gulf in mid-1991, I...Expand for more