Joe Caruso:  

Life as of September 2015 To my Classmate's...Gee, 50 years ago in June you all graduated and started your life's journey. My journey started on April 19, 1965 two months short of graduation when I joined the Air Force and started a journey you only read and dream about, and one I never thought I would take. We were all so young, carefree, and going to conquer the world and what a world awaited us. I am sure everyone remembers the hit Bobby Goldsboro song Honey. Remember, he tells the story of Honey and how as we age we go through seasons in our lives, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. I guess it's safe to say we are all in the winter of our lives, but isn't it wonderful to think back and remember the Spring, Summer and Fall of our lives? When I join the Air Force in 1965 little did I know that it would last for more than 47 years. I retired from Active Duty effective 30 Nov 85 as a MSgt (E7) with 20 years 7 months and 13 days service with four Air Force Specialties...Admin, Personnel, Recreation and Club Management. I started working as a civilian for the Air Force on 1 Dec 85 and finally retired as a GS-12 on 31 Dec 2011...as the Chief, Sustainment Services which oversaw the Lodging, Fitness and Dining operations. Prior to that I had been the Chief of Community Services which oversaw all the Recreation activities that included the Fitness Centers, Rec Center, Bowling Center, Marina, Arts and Crafts, RV park and Club. My first assignment was to the 42nd Bomb Wing at Loring AFB, Maine. There I worked in the Standardization and Evaluation Division with 6 Combat Ready B52G crews and 3 KC-135 crews. In 1966 my boss Gen Tom Conlin sent me to Westover AFB, Mass, Headquarters 8th AF and I went through the Altitude Chamber. That opened the door for me to fly with my crews and that I did. I logged 101 hours in the B52G and I was only 19 years old. I served in Vietnam from 67-68 (survived TET) with a top secret unit that was in 1995 finally de-classified. The unit is known by its now famous radio call sign of "Misty" F-100F FAC's (Forward Air Controllers) and even ran into and spent some time with my cousin Old Hollywood, George Santino over there. Yea, most people didn't know we were related. From Vietnam I went to Bolling AFB, in DC where I was assigned and worked for the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel and went back and forth between Bolling and Andrews AFB until 73 when I was reassigned to Rhein Main AB, in Frankfurt Germany before returning to Andrews in 76 and retiring there in 85. While at Bolling, Andrews and Rhein Main I played shortstop on the Base and Command Fast Pitch Softball teams and traveled across Germany, Holland, Spain and the United States before managing the Andrews and Rhein Main teams. While at Rhein Main I was a defensive back on the Rhein Main football team that won the Europe Championship in 74 and then within a 7 week period the following year broke my left ankle blocking a pass and my right ankle returning a kickoff that ended my football days. I did a lot of traveling both in the states and overseas representing the Air Force and was reassigned into Recreation as the Athletic Director upon my return to Andrews in 76. Of my 20 years in the Air Force, 15 were in Washington DC., and I lived there for more than 20. Andrews is where I met my wife Brandy and we were married there in June of 73. We have two great sons, Joe (b: 1-20-75) and James (b:5-22-78) and a grandson born on Jan 15th 2007. He's named Joseph Michael and is a very promising future Phillies shortstop. In fact, when at Bright house Field in Clearwater (the Phillies spring training site) during the summer 2011, and again in 2012, he was asked by the players on the Phillies what he was going to do when he got big and he told them play baseball and when asked what team he said the Phillies and he also told them he was going to play shortstop. By a stroke of luck he met, got his autograph and became friends of Jimmy Rollins. (Had to be the shirt he always wore to the games) We moved to New Port Richey FL, 28 miles north of Tampa in Dec 1990 from DC. The Air Force has given me the chance to travel the world and experience things you only read about. I have visited Japan, Taiwan, Hawaii, the islands of Rota and Saipan and was stationed on Guam for 3 years. Have also been to Holland, Spain, Austria, Naples, Pisa, Venice, Florence, Rome twice and a place called Altamonte in southern Italy where I visited with my cousin's and walked the streets that my grandparents and their parents walked over 100 years ago and visited Berlin 9 times before the wall came down. While on Guam, I became a certified Open Water Diver and enjoyed diving on the coral reefs and seeing World War II relics sunken around the Island. My dive buddy was the 13th Air Force Commander and my former Wing Commander at Langley, MGen Bill Lay. Guam and Saipan are nice and loaded with WWII history. Rota is the spot. Only one red-light on the island and it's more laid back then Key West Fla. It was kind of funny, but, I was retired and still working and enjoying the palm trees, beach, sunny warm weather very cold beverages plus I was getting paid for being on vacation. The Guam assignment was really great, the Air Force shipped my 30 foot cabin cruiser there and I lived on it for the 3 years at the Marina in Agat Guam, on the southern tip. Became a real beach bum. ha ha ha. Yep, I've had an interesting life since leaving Riverside, but I have plen...Expand for more